CES scorecard: what came true, what didn't in 2007

Martyn Williams

With more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies fighting for the attention of 140,000 attendees at International CES, the competition to get noticed is fierce. Companies will parade their newest and hottest products and promise starry-eyed consumers and journalists imminent release dates for their gadgets, while the more daring keynote speakers give their predictions for the year ahead. Sometimes they're spot-on -- but other times they're way off the mark, as this look back at the class of 2007 shows. ...continue reading 'CES scorecard: what came true, what didn't in 2007'

Court of appeals hands Google a patent setback

Google's browser toolbar is back in court on patent infringement charges, after a U.S. court of appeals overturned part of a lower court decision. Google's AdSense contextual advertising service, though, is in the clear. ...continue reading 'Court of appeals hands Google a patent setback'

Report: Apple to offer Fox movie rentals

Apple and News Corp. have signed an agreement to offer Twentieth Century Fox movies for rent through the iTunes Music Store, the Financial Times reported Thursday. ...continue reading 'Apple to offer Fox movie rentals'

Panasonic to unveil thinnest Blu-ray Disc drive at CES

Panasonic has developed a Blu-ray Disc drive for laptop computers and plans to unveil it at January's Consumer Electronics Show, the company said Thursday. ...continue reading 'Panasonic to unveil thinnest Blu-ray Disc drive at CES'

Samsung hits back at Sharp with US, Japan complaints

Samsung Electronics has replied to a patent-infringement lawsuit filed against it by Sharp by lodging complaints of its own with the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Tokyo District Court, it said Thursday. ...continue reading 'Samsung hits back at Sharp with US, Japan complaints'

EMC will buy Document Sciences for $85M

Storage company EMC has agreed to buy Document Sciences, a developer of software for personalizing mailshots and other communications. It plans to incorporate Document Sciences into its content management and archiving division. ...continue reading 'EMC will buy Document Sciences for $85M'

The 25 most innovative products of the year

Make no mistake, the Web is taking over. Applications are moving to browsers en masse, and technology to take Web apps offline promises to smooth the road ahead. And let's not forget breakthrough devices advancing the Web-anywhere world: Apple has redefined the phone, and One Laptop per Child's sub-$200 laptop is delivering Internet-style collaboration to kids in developing nations. But innovation isn't all on the Web; the PC is evolving as well. Apple has reenvisioned backup, HP has created the first useful touch-screen PC, hybrid hard drives boost speed and battery life, and ultraportables have become even more useful. Chosen from the hundreds of products we reviewed in 2007, here are 25 that will change the way you work, communicate, and play this year--and beyond. ...continue reading 'The 25 most innovative products of the year'

8 new weapons to fight the talent wars in '08

Thomas Hoffman, Computerworld

The current demand for IT talent is being driven by a number of factors, including investments in new projects, a dramatic reduction in the number of IT grads from U.S. colleges and the first of the baby boomer retirements. Whatever the causes, savvy CIOs, recruiters, headhunters and other hiring managers are trying out new or updated weapons to fight for IT talent. Here are eight that you may want to wield in the coming year. ...continue reading '8 new weapons to fight the talent wars in '08'

Hackers quickly move to exploit Bhutto assassination

Within hours of yesterday's assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, malware makers exploited the breaking news to dupe users into downloading attack code, security researchers said Friday. ...continue reading 'Hackers quickly move to exploit Bhutto assassination'

'Saudi blogger arrested, held without charges

Saudi Arabian officials have reportedly detained a blogger whose writing has criticized religious extremism in the country, according to the two press freedom groups and a regional human-rights organization. ...continue reading 'Saudi blogger arrested, held without charges'

Warner to offer music via Amazon without DRM

Amazon.com has added songs from Warner Music Group to the range it sells as MP3 files without DRM (digital rights management), the companies said Friday. ...continue reading 'Warner to offer music via Amazon without DRM'

Firmware issues delay release of Optimus Maximus keyboard

The Optimus Maximus keyboard developed by Russian designer Artemy Lebedev has been delayed once again, this time by problems with the device's firmware. ...continue reading 'Firmware issues delay release of Optimus Maximus keyboard'

7 unwritten rules of the Internet for 2007

Reflecting on the stories of 2007, one thing becomes abundantly clear: A lot of people have very bad ideas that subsequently get played out on the Internet. So, in the spirit of learning from our mistakes, here are 7 rules that will keep you out of trouble in 2008. ...continue reading '7 unwritten rules of the Internet for 2007'

Poll: Coolest fictional vehicle?

- KITT
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- A-Team van
- James Bond's Aston Martin
- Batmobile
- Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet
- Starship Enterprise

Vote now!


LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

What was your dream job as a kid?

Astronaut - 39.7%
Train engineer - 10.3%
Ballerina - 10.3%
Cowboy/girl - 2.9%
Army guy/gal - 7.4%
Doctor - 14.7%
Why, exactly what I'm doing now! - 14.7%

Answer another poll

Microsoft sues domain name registrar for typosquatting

Microsoft has sued domain name registrar Red Register claiming that it is illegally profiting from Microsoft's trademarks. ...continue reading 'Microsoft sues domain name registrar for typosquatting'

IBM dishes five predictions for future

Drained by your commute? Blood-sucking utility bills got you down? Wondering if that tomato in your dinner salad was really organic? IBM predicts that cures to those ills and more may arrive within five years. ...continue reading 'IBM dishes five predictions for future'

Hitachi, Canon, Panasonic tie in flat-panel displays

Hitachi, Canon and Panasonic have agreed to a wide-ranging collaboration that will see the three companies share the cost, burden and benefits of development and production of flat-panel displays. ...continue reading 'Hitachi, Canon, Panasonic tie in flat-panel displays'

iPhone and me: A love story

Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service

Like the star on a Christmas tree, iPhone is perched atop all the top 10 gadget lists for 2007, and with good reason. Not only did iPhone revolutionize the way people think about their mobile phones -- as many writing those lists crow -- but in my case, it has changed the way I live. ...continue reading 'iPhone and me: A love story'

U.K. health chief defends plan for records database

The head of the U.K. National Health Service has defended plans to build a centralized database of patient records following another embarrassing loss of personal information by the government. ...continue reading 'U.K. health chief defends plan for records database'

Google replies to lawmaker's questions on privacy

Google has responded to a U.S. congressman's series of questions about its privacy practices, with the company defending its use of consumer data and repeating its call for Congress to pass a national privacy law that would create a 'uniform framework for privacy'. ...continue reading 'Google replies to lawmaker's questions on privacy'

Wikia search project to launch Jan. 7, Wales says

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has set Jan. 7 as the launch date for an open-source search project that eventually hopes to challenge Google and other established players. ...continue reading 'Wikia search project to launch Jan. 7, Wales says'

Cisco green plan looks beyond routers

Power is a growing issue in data centers as the cost of energy rises and concerns about global climate change increase. Being able to collect and analyze information about power usage is a big part of the battle and becoming more crucial in the age of virtualization, says Paul Marcoux, vice president of green engineering at Cisco. ...continue reading 'Cisco green plan looks beyond routers'

Storm worm tempts with Christmas strip show

Starting Monday, Storm-infected machines began sending out Christmas-themed spam in yet another attempt to trick victims into downloading malicious software. In this case, the site is named Merrychristmasdude.com, and the malware is a variation of the Storm Trojan horse program that has been plaguing systems around the world since January. ...continue reading 'Storm worm tempts with Christmas strip show'

The Queen logs on to YouTube

The Queen's Christmas message, an annual greeting from the U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth II to her subjects, will be available on YouTube for the first time this year as part of an official YouTube channel opened on Sunday by Buckingham Palace. ...continue reading 'The Queen logs on to YouTube'

Iowa judge: Workers have the right to enjoy Dilbert

David Steward was fired from his job at an Iowa casino after he hung up a Dilbert comic that compared managerial decision-makers to "drunken lemurs." But a judge says that this was "a good-faith error in judgment," not intentional misbehavior, and that he was thus eligible for unemployment benefits. Dilbert artist Scott Adams thinks it might be the first confirmed instance of someone being fired for posting his comic in the workplace. ...continue reading 'Iowa judge: Workers have the right to enjoy Dilbert'

McAfee to pay $13.8 million to settle backdating lawsuits

McAfee has taken two major steps toward closing the stock-option backdating scandal that has plagued the company for the past two years. ...continue reading 'McAfee to pay $13.8 million to settle backdating lawsuits'

Google's DoubleClick deal brings greater focus on privacy

Nearly lost in the news about the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's approval on Thursday of Google's acquisition of DoubleClick was another action by the agency: the publication of a proposed set of privacy principles governing online behavioral advertising. continue reading 'Google's DoubleClick deal brings greater focus on privacy'

U.S. trade agency to investigate antivirus patent claims

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to investigate claims by Trend Micro of competitors' patent infringement involving antivirus products. ...continue reading 'U.S. trade agency to investigate antivirus patent claims'

Lucent agrees to pay fines for China dealings

Alcatel-Lucent has agreed to pay $2.5 million in fines to resolve allegations that it provided Chinese government officials with free trips to Disneyland and other tourist attractions. ...continue reading 'Lucent agrees to pay fines for China dealings'

AT&T, Vonage finalize patent lawsuit settlement

A patent infringement lawsuit filed by AT&T against voice-over-IP telephony provider Vonage has been settled, Vonage said late Friday. '...continue reading AT&T, Vonage finalize patent lawsuit settlement'

Dad sells kid's video game as punishment, makes $9,000

A Canadian man was very excited to have found the much-coveted Guitar Hero III as a Christmas present for his son -- that is, until he caught the 15-year-old smoking pot in the backyard. As punishment, he sold the boy's game -- now virtually impossible to find anywhere -- on eBay, netting $9,000 from an Australian buyer. ...continue reading 'Dad sells kid's video game as punishment, makes $9,000'