Icahn fires off scathing letter to Yahoo directors

Carl Icahn has put in writing the wrath he expressed to a newspaper Tuesday regarding unsealed court documents that allege Yahoo leaders failed to protect shareholders' best interests by actively trying to sabotage Microsoft's acquisition bid. ...continue reading 'Icahn fires off scathing letter to Yahoo directors'

Toshiba launches first laptops with new AMD chips

Toshiba on Wednesday introduced laptops powered by the new Puma-based processors recently announced by Advanced Micro Devices. ...continue reading 'Toshiba launches first laptops with new AMD chips'

Microsoft gets mixed ruling in latest Alcatel-Lucent case

Microsoft received a mixed ruling in the latest round of lawsuits between it and Alcatel-Lucent. ...continue reading 'Microsoft Microsoft gets mixed ruling in latest Alcatel-Lucent case'

Jimmy Wales unimpressed with Powerset's Wikipedia search

As startups and established players strive to develop Google-killer search technology, conceptual differences in their approaches make for interesting discussion. ...continue reading 'Jimmy Wales unimpressed with Powerset's Wikipedia search'

Report: Verizon Wireless eyes Alltel purchase

Verizon Wireless is considering an acquisition of wireless provider Alltel Corp. in a deal that would be valued at about $27 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal report late Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Report: Verizon Wireless eyes Alltel purchase'

Microsoft to aid developer teams with modeling

Microsoft plans to add to the next version of its developer suite for teams the ability to visually model the architecture of an application and validate it against application code, the company said at TechEd this week. ...continue reading 'Microsoft to aid developer teams with modeling'

Yahoo will hold annual shareholder meeting on Aug. 1

Yahoo will hold its annual shareholder meeting on Aug. 1, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. ...continue reading 'Yahoo will hold annual shareholder meeting on Aug. 1'

Google, Louis Vuitton face off in trademark spat

Europe's highest court will hear a trademark infringement suit concerning Google's keyword advertising system, a case that ventures into an untested area of law that could impact the company's lucrative ad revenue. ...continue reading 'Google, Louis Vuitton face off in trademark spat'

Sun aims to flood servers with solid-state drives

In a bid to remove hard drives from servers, Sun on Tuesday announced that it will offer solid-state drives (SSDs) later this year as a replacement for spinning disk drives. ...continue reading 'Sun aims to flood servers with solid-state drives'

Windows XP SP3 omits critical security update

Microsoft Tuesday confirmed that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) omits a critical security update issued by the company in November 2006. ...continue reading 'Windows XP SP3 omits critical security update'

Yahoo releases Address Book API

Yahoo opened up on Wednesday the application programming interface (API) to its Address Book service, so that external developers can build applications that use Yahoo members' lists of contacts. ...continue reading 'Yahoo releases Address Book API'

CRM systems to get free company contact data

Customers of a number of leading CRM (customer relationship management) systems will be able to import large sets of company contact data at no charge through a service from data provider Jigsaw. ...continue reading 'CRM systems to get free company contact data'

Simplicity, shame work best in securing Craigslist

Craigslist often relies on very simple mechanisms and the kindness of honest users to combat fraud on its pages, the site's founder said on Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Simplicity, shame work best in securing Craigslist'

Shareholder lawsuit claims Yahoo derailed Microsoft bid

Yahoo has lost a battle to keep information about its operations confidential after a judge decided to unseal documents filed by shareholders suing the company over its handling of Microsoft's unsolicited acquisition offer. ...continue reading 'Shareholder lawsuit claims Yahoo derailed Microsoft bid'

Gates bids adieu to developers

It's fitting that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivered his final publicly scheduled speech as a full-time Microsoft employee on Tuesday to a roomful of software developers. ...continue reading 'Gates bids adieu to developers'

Don Grantham, Sun global sales head resigns, bound for HP

Sun Microsystems' global head of sales and services, Don Grantham, has resigned from the company and is now senior vice president and chief sales officer at rival Hewlett-Packard. ...continue reading 'Don Grantham, Sun global sales head resigns, bound for HP'

Wikia Search opens up to broad participation

Wikia Search, the open-source search engine that is the brainchild of Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, will begin letting anyone participate in building its index by adding, deleting and rating Web pages. 'This is a complete overhaul of everything,' said Wales. ...continue reading 'Wikia Search opens up to broad participation'

Microsoft extends XP deadline for low-cost PCs

Microsoft has further extended the life of Windows XP so that computer makers can include the operating system on low-cost desktop PCs, the company announced at the Computex trade show on Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft extends XP deadline for low-cost PCs'

Intel says Atom shortage will ease soon

Taiwanese hardware makers expressed concern over a shortage of Intel's Atom processor, but Intel said production volumes will increase. ...continue reading 'Intel says Atom shortage will ease soon'

Windows XP SP3 includes vulnerable Flash Player

Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) ships with an out-of-date version of Adobe's Flash Player that's vulnerable to recently-spotted attacks, according to Microsoft's support documentation. ...continue reading 'Windows XP SP3 includes vulnerable Flash Player'

Facebook open sources parts of its app development platform

Facebook is releasing as open-source software parts of its application development platform in order to make it easier for programmers to create applications for the social-networking site, the company announced Monday. ...continue reading 'Facebook open sources parts of its app development platform'

U.S. citizen arrested in Singapore for e-mail insult

A U.S. citizen has been arrested in Singapore for allegedly insulting a judge in an e-mail. ...continue reading 'U.S. citizen arrested in Singapore for e-mail insult'

Microsoft, HP do search deal for PCs

Ramping up its efforts to build search market share, Microsoft signed a deal to embed a Live Search toolbar on all Hewlett-Packard consumer PCs in North America starting next year. ...continue reading 'Microsoft, HP do search deal for PCs'

Microsoft: CardSpace attack works but was too rigged

Microsoft is disputing that its CardSpace authentication management technology can be hacked despite a research paper that outlines a proof-of-concept attack. ...continue reading 'Microsoft: CardSpace attack works but was too rigged'

Adobe launches hosted services, adds Flash to Acrobat

Adobe on Monday is set to unveil the next version of its Adobe Acrobat software, which adds support for the company's Flash multimedia technology. The company also plans to launch a new Web site offering users free hosted services for document creation, sharing and storage. ...continue reading 'Adobe launches hosted services, adds Flash to Acrobat'

Extreme wins patent suit against Enterasys

Extreme Networks this week said it won a year-old patent infringement case against competitor Enterasys Networks. ...continue reading 'Extreme wins patent suit against Enterasys'

Explosion has data center scrambling, users venting

The Planet.com Internet Services Inc. hopes to have all 9,000 of its servers in its Houston data center back online later Monday night following a blast that shut down the facility on Saturday afternoon. ...continue reading 'Explosion has data center scrambling, users venting'

Hackers hit Mars lander's Web site

The Web site for the Phoenix Mars Mission, NASA's most recent arrival on the Red Planet, was hacked over the weekend by a Turkish crew, according to a defacement database. ...continue reading 'Hackers hit Mars lander's Web site'

Google highlights OpenSocial, Gears at I/O event

Google has upgraded its OpenSocial platform with a new REST (representational state transfer) API for applications that need to tap back-end servers for data and functionality. ...continue reading 'Google highlights OpenSocial, Gears at I/O event'

Firefox 3 download day may make record books

Mozilla is aiming to create what may be the geekiest world record ever with its upcoming Firefox 3 browser release. ...continue reading 'Firefox 3 download day may make record books'

Symantec backtracks on Adobe Flash warning

After warning on Tuesday that hackers were exploiting an unpatched bug in Adobe Systems' Flash Player software, Symantec has backtracked from this claim, saying the flaw is 'very similar' to another vulnerability that was patched last month. ...continue reading 'Symantec backtracks on Adobe Flash warning'

U.S. files trade complaint against E.U. tech product taxes

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has filed a trade complaint against the European Union, saying the E.U. has violated a World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement by taxing the import of some tech products. ...continue reading 'U.S. files trade complaint against E.U. tech product taxes'

Intel delays Centrino 2 launch over chipset issues

Intel will delay the launch of its upcoming Centrino 2 platform for laptop computers by nearly two months to resolve issues related to the chipset and the antenna used with the wireless chipset. ...continue reading 'Intel delays Centrino 2 launch over chipset issues'

Ray Ozzie hints at Microsoft's search future, downplays Yahoo

Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie on Wednesday suggested that Microsoft has its own clear ideas on the next direction it will take in Internet search, downplaying any deal the company might still make with Yahoo in favor of highlighting Microsoft's own ambitions. ...continue reading 'Ray Ozzie hints at Microsoft's search future, downplays Yahoo'

Windows 7 to have touch-screen interface

Microsoft demonstrated its multitouch interface for its upcoming Windows 7 operating system on Tuesday. The interface provides a touch-screen input for users to interact with their computers. ...continue reading 'Windows 7 to have touch-screen interface'

FTC halts pretexting operation connected to Hewlett-Packard

A judge ordered a Florida business connected to the 2006 Hewlett-Packard spying scandal to halt the sale of personal telephone records and ordered defendants in the case to pay more than $605,000 after a complaint by the FTC. ...continue reading 'FTC halts pretexting operation connected to Hewlett-Packard'

Apple fixes 70 issues with Mac OS X 10.5.3 update

Apple on Wednesday update Mac OS X fixing 70 issues with the operating system and its components. ...continue reading 'Apple fixes 70 issues with Mac OS X 10.5.3 update'

Belgian newspapers ask Google for $77.5 million in damages

A group of Belgian newspaper publishers wants Google to pay up to €49.2 million ($77.5 million) in damages for violating copyright law by publishing their articles on Google News and caching their web pages. ...continue reading 'Belgian newspapers ask Google for $77.5 million in damages'

Court finds Dell guilty of fraud

Dell was found guilty on Tuesday of fraud, false advertising, deceptive business practices and abusive debt collection practices in a case brought by the New York attorney general. ...continue reading 'Court finds Dell guilty of fraud'

Mozilla makes Firefox 3.0 bug-fix decision

Mozilla decided Tuesday to roll out a second release candidate for Firefox 3.0 that will include fixes for about 40 bugs. The alternative was to declare the open-source browser good "as is," then patch the problems with a later update. ...continue reading 'Mozilla makes Firefox 3.0 bug-fix decision'

Google sets pricing for app hosting service

Google is announcing pricing for its App Engine service for Web application hosting Wednesday, maintaining a free tier, then charging for storage of more than 500MB of data. ...continue reading 'Google sets pricing for app hosting service'

Google sets pricing for app hosting service

Google is announcing pricing for its App Engine service for Web application hosting Wednesday, maintaining a free tier, then charging for storage of more than 500MB of data. ...continue reading 'Google sets pricing for app hosting service'

Microsoft open policy faces scrutiny

Microsoft may have a way to go to placate a market that often views the software giant as a bully not to be trusted. The fact that the market tends to scrutinize every move that Microsoft makes, looking for ulterior motives, may make it even harder for the company to overcome market skepticism. ...continue reading 'Microsoft open policy faces scrutiny'

New Adobe flaw being used in attacks, says Symantec

An unpatched bug in Adobe Systems' Flash Player software is being exploited by online criminals, Symantec reported Monday. ...continue reading 'New Adobe flaw being used in attacks, says Symantec'

Vodafone CEO Sarin steps down, to be replaced by Colao

Vodafone Group CEO Arun Sarin will step down from the top job at the mobile operator in July at the company's annual general meeting. He will be replaced by Vittorio Colao, the group's deputy CEO. ...continue reading 'Vodafone CEO Sarin steps down, to be replaced by Colao'

Google beefs up Mini search appliance for SMBs

Google's Mini search appliance for small and midsize businesses has grown a new set of capabilities for crawling and categorizing documents, the company announced in a blog post Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Google beefs up Mini search appliance for SMBs'

GameStop discontinues Zune sales

GameStop will no longer sell Microsoft's Zune digital media players in its stores once it runs out of its current inventory, the company said. ...continue reading 'GameStop discontinues Zune sales'

Via releases laptop design as open source

Via Technologies released the hardware design for a low-cost laptop with WiMax support under an open-source license on Tuesday, a move intended to make customization easier and shorten design cycles for system makers. ...continue reading 'Via releases laptop design as open source'

Via releases laptop design as open source

Via Technologies released the hardware design for a low-cost laptop with WiMax support under an open-source license on Tuesday, a move intended to make customization easier and shorten design cycles for system makers. ...continue reading 'Via releases laptop design as open source'

Future Apple devices may be solar powered

Employees at Apple have filed a patent for integrating solar cells into portable devices by placing them underneath the layers of a touch-sensitive display, according to the filing. ...continue reading 'Future Apple devices may be solar powered'

TJX staffer sacked after talking about security problems

A low-level TJX employee has lost his job for speaking in public about information security problems he uncovered while working for the company. ...continue reading 'TJX staffer sacked after talking about security problems'

RIM says it can't provide e-mail interception in India

Research In Motion (RIM) has said it is unable to give the Indian government access to messages sent by its enterprise clients over the BlackBerry service. ...continue reading 'RIM says it can't provide e-mail interception in India'

San Francisco's BART in talks for full Wi-Fi rollout

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is negotiating with a startup for a Wi-Fi network that would provide fast Internet access to riders throughout its 104-mile (167 kilometers) regional rail system. ...continue reading 'San Francisco's BART in talks for full Wi-Fi rollout'

Sierra Leone set for solar-powered school PC center

Plans are set to install the first computer center powered by solar
energy in Sierra Leone. ...continue reading 'Sierra Leone set for solar-powered school PC center'

Microsoft Surface developer seeks new canvas

What if you threw out your mouse and laid down a touch-sensitive flat-panel monitor on your desktop? That's essentially what Andy Wilson, one of the designers of Microsoft Surface, has done with his latest project, called LaserTouch. ...continue reading 'Microsoft Surface developer seeks new canvas'

Craigslist tops U.S. mobile browsing

Mobile Web surfers in the U.S. spend more time on classified-ad site Craigslist than on any other Web site, and they spent nearly twice as much time browsing as their British counterparts in March. ...continue reading 'Craigslist tops U.S. mobile browsing'

Larry Page: U.S. government should open up its spectrum

The U.S. government should explore ways to conduct real-time auctions of its vast, and often unused, wireless spectrum holdings, with agencies holding spectrum to get the profits from the sales, Google cofounder Larry Page said Thursday. ...continue reading 'Larry Page: U.S. government should open up its spectrum'

Microsoft's embrace of ODF cautiously welcomed

Microsoft's support for the OpenDocument Format (ODF) could mean greater opportunities for software makers already using the format, observers said Thursday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft's embrace of ODF cautiously welcomed'

Google extends search dominance

Google grew its share of search queries in April at the expense of rivals Yahoo, Microsoft, AOL and Ask.com. ...continue reading 'Google extends search dominance'

Yahoo postpones board meeting, director resigns

Facing a battle for its board, Yahoo on Thursday pushed back its annual meeting until the end of July and announced the resignation of a board member. ...continue reading 'Yahoo postpones board meeting, director resigns'

Criminal banned from posting clips of himself on YouTube

A man who posted more than 80 videos of himself and others apparently committing crimes on Google's YouTube video-sharing website has been banned from uploading any more clips or images of himself. ...continue reading 'Criminal banned from posting clips of himself on YouTube'

Users will be able to transfer N-Gage games, says Nokia

N-Gage owners will be able to transfer games from one phone to another, according to Nokia. Miscommunication is blamed for users not being told. ...continue reading 'Users will be able to transfer N-Gage games, says Nokia'

Mozilla IDs 10 bugs, 3 'critical' in Firefox 3.0 RC1

Mozilla has identified 10 high-priority bugs in Firefox 3.0, three of them pegged 'critical,' but won't decide until next week whether to release the browser anyway or restart the final stretch by issuing a second release candidate (RC2). ...continue reading 'Mozilla IDs 10 bugs, 3 'critical' in Firefox 3.0 RC1'

Symantec: Microsoft to blame for Windows XP SP3 registry corruption

Symantec Thursday said it was Microsoft's code that crippled some PCs after upgrades to Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) emptied Device Manager, deleted network connections, and packed the registry with thousands of bogus entries. ...continue reading 'Symantec: Microsoft to blame for Windows XP SP3 registry corruption'

Facebook security flaw could compromise accounts

A researcher has spotted a security problem in Facebook that could lead to hackers taking control of user accounts. ...continue reading 'Facebook security flaw could compromise accounts'

Extreme IT: IT at weather stations helping farmers in Kenya

Rebecca Wanjiku, IDG News Service

At a time when Kenya's subsistence farmers are suffering from low yields, farmer Beth Wanjiku Njiiri says she expects a good harvest and underscores the importance of timely, accurate weather information, which allows her to plant before the onset of the rains. ...continue reading 'Extreme IT: IT at weather stations helping farmers in Kenya'

Analysts: Microsoft likely eyeing Yahoo search assets

Although Microsoft provided no details Sunday about what deal it might cut with Yahoo, it seems highly likely that search advertising would be a major piece. ...continue reading 'Analysts: Microsoft likely eyeing Yahoo search assets'

Mass SQL injection attack targets Chinese Web sites

Web sites across China and Taiwan are being hit by a mass SQL injection attack that has implanted malware in thousands of Web sites, according to a security company in Taiwan. ...continue reading 'Mass SQL injection attack targets Chinese Web sites'

'Tukwila' Itanium servers due early next year, Intel said

Intel will start shipping a quad-core version of its Itanium processor to system vendors in about six months, with the first servers based on the chip due in early 2009, Intel said Monday. ...continue reading ''Tukwila' Itanium servers due early next year, Intel said'

China limits entertainment sites during mourning

The Chinese government has limited access to online entertainment content during a three-day period of national mourning beginning Monday. ...continue reading 'China limits entertainment sites during mourning'

I spy your PC: Researchers find new ways to steal data

Researchers have developed two new techniques for stealing data from a computer that use some unlikely hacking tools: cameras and telescopes. ...continue reading 'I spy your PC: Researchers find new ways to steal data'

Facebook CEO wants to talk on Google Friend Connect

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to sit down with Google and work out the privacy issues that caused Facebook to block Google's Friend Connect last week, he said Monday. ...continue reading 'Facebook CEO wants to talk on Google Friend Connect'

First Firefox 3.0 release candidate launches

Mozilla has launched Firefox 3.0 release candidate 1, which it claims includes 14,000 updates. ...continue reading 'First Firefox 3.0 release candidate launches'

Microsoft puts new Yahoo deal on the table

Microsoft said on Sunday that it has raised the possibility of a new deal with Yahoo, one that may involve buying a part of the company but not all of it. ...continue reading 'Microsoft puts new Yahoo deal on the table'

Microsoft explains Vista's most misunderstood features

In its continued attempt to convince business customers to adopt Vista, Microsoft has outlined and tried to explain some of what it calls the OS's most 'misunderstood' features in a document posted to -- then mysteriously removed from -- its Web site this week. ...continue reading 'Microsoft explains Vista's most misunderstood features'

EDS buy could give HP edge over Dell, analysts say

Hewlett-Packard's acquisition of Electronic Data Systems won't hurt Dell in the next few years, but it could affect Dell's chances of getting larger services contracts in the long term, analysts said. ...continue reading 'EDS buy could give HP edge over Dell, analysts say'

Bender launches Sugar Labs to promote OLPC's UI

Former One Laptop Per Child President of software and content Walter Bender has launched Sugar Labs, an organization that will promote the development of the open-source user interface originally developed for the XO laptop. ...continue reading 'Bender launches Sugar Labs to promote OLPC's UI'

EU raises privacy issue for Google Street View

Europe's data protection supervisor, Peter Hustinx, urged Google Thursday to respect local privacy rules as it prepares to launch its Street View function this side of the Atlantic. ...continue reading 'EU raises privacy issue for Google Street View'

Twitter restored after outage

Twitter resumed normal service just before 6 p.m. PDT Thursday following an unscheduled outage, the company confirmed on its blog. ...continue reading 'Twitter restored after outage'

Rent-a-botnet makes cyber crime a breeze

Online fraudsters that aren't highly skilled in the arts of cyber crime can now rent a service that offers an all-in-one hosting server with a built-in Zeus trojan administration panel and infecting tools, allowing them to create their own botnet. ...continue reading 'Rent-a-botnet makes cyber crime a breeze'

EBay seller pleads guilty to software piracy charges

A 23-year-old Oregon man has pleaded guilty to charges that he used identity theft to set up bogus accounts on eBay, where he sold counterfeit software with a retail value of more than $1 million, the U.S. Department of Justice said. ...continue reading 'EBay seller pleads guilty to software piracy charges'

Study: Comcast, Cox slowing P2P traffic around the clock

Cable broadband providers Comcast and Cox Communications are slowing BitTorrent traffic at all times of the day, not just during peak traffic, according to a new study by a German computer research group. ...continue reading 'Study: Comcast, Cox slowing P2P traffic around the clock'

Icahn takes on Yahoo board

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has sent a letter to Yahoo's board announcing he is nominating 10 candidates to replace all incumbent directors at the company's shareholders meeting in July. ...continue reading 'Icahn takes on Yahoo board'

DNS trouble knocks National Security Agency off Internet

A server problem at the U.S. National Security Agency has knocked the secretive intelligence agency off the Internet. ...continue reading 'DNS trouble knocks National Security Agency off Internet'

U.S. online ad revenue hit $21.2 billion in 2007

U.S. online ad spending increased 26 percent in 2007 over 2006, as the Google-dominated search format not only remained the market's largest, but also increased its share of the overall pie. ...continue reading 'U.S. online ad revenue hit $21.2 billion in 2007'

Yahoo Search Monkey opens to all developers

Yahoo will make available to all developers its Search Monkey platform on Thursday, another step in its wide-ranging effort to open up its sites and services. ...continue reading 'Yahoo Search Monkey opens to all developers'

AOL to open its e-mail sites to third-party applications

AOL plans to launch later this year a program that will allow third-party developers to develop applications and content, including instant messaging and social networking, for its e-mail sites. ...continue reading 'AOL to open its e-mail sites to third-party applications'

CBS to buy CNET Networks for $1.8 billion

CBS has agreed to pay $1.8 billion in cash for online media company CNET Networks in a deal that has the backing of both companies' boards. ...continue reading 'CBS to buy CNET Networks for $1.8 billion'

IBM boosts BlackBerry access to Cognos, Lotus software

IBM has released software that allows BlackBerry users to access more of its applications, including its Cognos business intelligence software and Lotus Connections. ...continue reading 'IBM boosts BlackBerry access to Cognos, Lotus software'

Comcast to buy Plaxo for social networking

Comcast will acquire social-networking company Plaxo to power upcoming community features on its TV, broadband data and phone services. ...continue reading 'Comcast to buy Plaxo for social networking'

AT&T limits iPhone, one per customer

AT&T is now limiting iPhone sales to one unit per customer, presumably to stretch out available stock pending release of the new version iPhone. ...continue reading 'AT&T limits iPhone, one per customer'

Report: Icahn to launch proxy fight against Yahoo

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn will proceed with his plan to replace Yahoo's entire board in an effort to force the company to reopen merger negotiations with Microsoft, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Report: Icahn to launch proxy fight against Yahoo'

Craigslist countersues eBay, escalating legal fight

Classified-advertising site Craigslist is countersuing eBay, accusing the online auction company of using its stake in Craigslist to misappropriate proprietary information and engage in false advertising, trademark infringement and a host of other wrongdoings. ...continue reading 'Craigslist countersues eBay, escalating legal fight'

Hacker writes rootkit for Cisco's routers

A security researcher has developed malicious rootkit software for Cisco Systems' routers, a development that has placed increasing scrutiny on the routers that carry the majority of the Internet's traffic. ...continue reading 'Hacker writes rootkit for Cisco's routers'

SEC charges former Broadcom executives with backdating

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged two current and two former officers of semiconductor vendor Broadcom for their alleged participation in a supposed five-year scheme to backdate stock options granted to almost all of the company's employees. ...continue reading 'SEC charges former Broadcom executives with backdating'

FCC takes first step toward spectrum re-auction

The Federal Communications Commission has taken a first step toward re-auctioning a band of spectrum that failed to sell in the 700MHz auctions that ended in March. ...continue reading 'FCC takes first step toward spectrum re-auction'

Philly won't fight to save Wi-Fi network

The city of Philadelphia is moving on after its brief municipal Wi-Fi relationship with EarthLink, no longer trying to find a way to keep the network up and running. ...continue reading 'Philly won't fight to save Wi-Fi network'

Virgin USA in talks over mobile operator Helio

Virgin Mobile USA is in talks with SK Telecom over a possible deal involving Helio, the U.S. mobile operator that gears itself toward affluent youngsters but has struggled to make a profit since its launch. ...continue reading 'Virgin USA in talks over mobile operator Helio'

Powerset unveils test version of Google-killer

The public will get its first chance Monday to test a search engine from start-up Powerset that eschews conventional keyword technology and instead is designed to understand the meaning of Web pages. ...continue reading 'Powerset unveils test version of Google-killer'

BlackBerry Bold beats iPhone to 3G

Amid swirling rumors about the impending announcement of a 3G iPhone, Research in Motion today introduced its slickest, speediest, most powerful, and most connected BlackBerry to date: the BlackBerry Bold 9000. ...continue reading 'BlackBerry Bold beats iPhone to 3G'

China earthquake takes out mobile network in Chengdu

An earthquake registering 7.8 on the Richter Scale knocked out mobile phone service in the western Chinese city of Chengdu, although fixed-line networks remained in service, Chinese state television reported Monday afternoon. ...continue reading 'China earthquake takes out mobile network in Chengdu'

Vertica moves BI database to Amazon's cloud

Database maker Vertica Systems is moving its technology to Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud infrastructure (EC2), hoping to score customers who want a hosted, pay-as-you-go model for data warehousing and BI (business intelligence), the company announced Monday. ...continue reading 'Vertica moves BI database to Amazon's cloud'

MSI's upcoming Wind laptop priced from $560

Taiwanese hardware maker Micro-Star International's upcoming Wind laptop can be preordered starting from US$560. ...continue reading 'MSI's upcoming Wind laptop priced from $560'

AMD refreshes low-power Quad-Core Opterons lineup

Advanced Micro Devices is shipping B3 versions of its low-power Quad-Core Opteron processors. ...continue reading 'AMD refreshes low-power Quad-Core Opterons lineup'

Hackers create their own social network

Hackers now have their own social network, backed by GnuCitizen, a high-profile 'ethical hacking' group. ...continue reading 'Hackers create their own social network'

Srizbi grows into world's largest botnet

The prodigious Srizbi botnet has continued to grow and now accounts for up to 50 percent of the spam being filtered by one security company. ...continue reading 'Srizbi grows into world's largest botnet'

Microsoft to limit capabilities of cheap laptops

Microsoft is launching a program to promote the use of its Windows OS in ultra low-cost PCs, one effect of which will be to limit the hardware capabilities of this type of device. ...continue reading 'Microsoft to limit capabilities of cheap laptops'

FBI worried as DoD sold counterfeit networking gear

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is taking the issue of counterfeit Cisco equipment very seriously, according to a leaked FBI presentation that underscores problems in the Cisco supply chain. ...continue reading 'FBI worried as DoD sold counterfeit networking gear'

Hackers find a new place to hide rootkits

Security researchers have developed a new type of malicious rootkit software that hides itself in an obscure part of a computer's microprocessor, hidden from current antivirus products. ...continue reading 'Hackers find a new place to hide rootkits'

Microsoft to appeal $1.3 billion EU fine

Microsoft is appealing the US$1.3 billion (€899 million) fine imposed on it by the European Union for failing to honor a 2004 antitrust agreement, the company said Friday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft to appeal $1.3 billion EU fine'

Google takes Street View snaps in Paris; lawsuits may follow

Google has begun scanning the streets of Paris, gathering data for its Street View service, which adds street-level photography to the satellite views offered by Google Maps. The search company will gather a wealth of data from the project but, thanks to France's strict privacy laws, it may also pick up a few lawsuits on the way if it chooses to publish the photos unedited. ...continue reading 'Google takes Street View snaps in Paris; lawsuits may follow'

Vint Cerf supports municipal broadband networks

Municipal broadband networks could help boost the availability of high-speed Internet access and even help to ensure Net neutrality in the U.S., said Vint Cerf, vice president and chief Internet evangelist at Google. ...continue reading 'Vint Cerf supports municipal broadband networks'

AT&T yanks iPhone free Wi-Fi info from site

Only hours after posting information that indicated iPhone owners would receive free access to AT&T's public wireless hotspots, the company pulled all references to the service from its Web site. ...continue reading 'AT&T yanks iPhone free Wi-Fi info from site'

Microsoft reportedly inquiring about Facebook's availability

In the wake of collapsed talks with Yahoo, Microsoft reportedly is sniffing around social-networking site Facebook as a possible acquisition target, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Neither company would comment on the rumor, and the Journal reported there are no active talks between the two. ...continue reading 'Microsoft reportedly inquiring about Facebook's availability'

MySpace makes data portability move

Responding to the momentum around data portability, MySpace has launched its own 'Data Availability' effort with big-name partners Yahoo, eBay, Twitter and fellow News Corp. unit Photobucket. ...continue reading 'MySpace makes data portability move'

Google grilled on human rights

Google's shareholders, following the advice of the board, voted down two proposals on Thursday that would have compelled the search giant to change its human rights policies, but the issue dominated the company's annual shareholder meeting nevertheless. ...continue reading 'Google grilled on human rights'

Four Microsoft security patches due next week

Microsoft plans to fix critical bugs in its Word, Publisher and Jet database software next week. ...continue reading 'Four Microsoft security patches due next week'

Facebook partners with AGs for kids' safety

Facebook is following in the footsteps of its rival MySpace by reaching an online safety agreement with the attorneys general of 49 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. ...continue reading 'Facebook partners with AGs for kids' safety'

Microsoft adds $3 million to small-business subsidies

Microsoft has invested several million more dollars into an incentive program it recently unveiled for small businesses, hoping to make it easier for customers in that market to run their businesses using Microsoft products. ...continue reading 'Microsoft adds $3 million to small-business subsidies'

Broadband group: Some P-to-P blocking reasonable

Broadband providers are engaging in reasonable network management when they slow their customers' access to P-to-P (peer-to-peer) networks, a representative of the cable industry told U.S. lawmakers Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Broadband group: Some P-to-P blocking reasonable'

Windows XP SP3 released after delay

Microsoft Tuesday released the third service pack for Windows XP to the Web after last week delaying its scheduled release because of an incompatibility with one of its other software applications. It also resumed automatic distribution of Windows Vista, Service Pack 1 (SP1), which had been halted because of a similar problem. ...continue reading 'Windows XP SP3 released after delay'

Trojan adware hiding in MP3s, McAfee says

Security vendor McAfee reported Tuesday that it's seen a huge spike in fake MP3 files spreading on peer-to-peer networks. Although the files have names that make them look like audio recordings, they're really Trojan horse programs that try to install a shoddy media player and adware on your computer. ...continue reading 'Trojan adware hiding in MP3s, McAfee says'

Broadband group: Some P-to-P blocking reasonable

Broadband providers are engaging in reasonable network management when they slow their customers' access to P-to-P (peer-to-peer) networks, a representative of the cable industry told U.S. lawmakers Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Broadband group: Some P-to-P blocking reasonable'

Google puts open-source project back up

Google has reinstated an open-source project just days after pulling it in response to a copyright-related takedown notice. ...continue reading 'Google puts open-source project back up'

Microsoft GM to Yahoo: Good-bye to you

While Yahoo would have given Microsoft's Internet business an immediate boost, Microsoft has closed that chapter and is focused on moving forward, a Microsoft official said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft GM to Yahoo: Good-bye to you'

Yahoo CEO still open to higher Microsoft bid

Facing shareholder ire and a plunging stock price, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang said Yahoo board members would still sell the company to Microsoft or another suitor if the price is right. ...continue reading 'Yahoo CEO still open to higher Microsoft bid'

HTC beats Apple to 3G with Microsoft-based iPhone rival

High Tech Computer announced the HTC Touch Diamond on Tuesday, a smartphone running Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and with a touch screen designed for one-handed use. ...continue reading 'HTC beats Apple to 3G with Microsoft-based iPhone rival'

AMD must double processor market share to survive

Advanced Micro Devices needs to more than double its share of the microprocessor market to survive, according to a brief filed by the company's lawyers in its antitrust lawsuit against Intel. ...continue reading 'AMD must double processor market share to survive'

After abandoning iTunes, NBC shows up on Zune

After a pricing spat with NBC to pull its video content from iTunes, the broadcaster has struck a deal with Microsoft's Zune online store. ...continue reading 'After abandoning iTunes, NBC shows up on Zune'

Yahoo faces shareholder ire over failed Microsoft bid

Two public pension funds from the city of Detroit plan to expand a complaint against Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang and other members of Yahoo's board of directors, saying they failed to act in the best interest of shareholders in rejecting Microsoft's bid to buy Yahoo. ...continue reading 'Yahoo faces shareholder ire over failed Microsoft bid'

Vodafone and Telecom Italia to sell iPhone in Italy

Vodafone will sell Apple's iPhone in ten countries including Italy from later this year, while Telecom Italia will also sell the phone in Italy, the companies said in separate announcements Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Vodafone and Telecom Italia to sell iPhone in Italy'

SAP, IBM still chummy after BI acquisitions

Executives from IBM and SAP said the two companies won't fall out even though they now compete head-on in the market for BI (business intelligence) software, with their respective purchases of Cognos and Business Objects. ...continue reading 'SAP, IBM still chummy after BI acquisitions'

HP brings storage, servers into one rack

To help IT departments prepare for the coming onslaught of data, HP on Tuesday introduced a platform that combines storage and computing in one rack with a single file system and management console. ...continue reading 'HP brings storage, servers into one rack'

Yahoo shares take a hit on Monday

Yahoo's stock lost significant value on Monday, the first day of trading after Microsoft's decision over the weekend to give up on acquiring Yahoo. ...continue reading 'Yahoo shares take a hit on Monday'

Microsoft should sideline search, focus on strengths

Microsoft should consider putting its search-advertising endeavors on the back burner for now and attempt an end run at Google by trying to become a leader in the display-, video- and mobile-advertising markets, where no company is a clear leader yet. ...continue reading 'Microsoft should sideline search, focus on strengths'

Qwest drops Sprint for Verizon

Qwest Communications International will resell Verizon Wireless mobile service, ending a five-year deal with Sprint Nextel. ...continue reading 'Qwest drops Sprint for Verizon'

Google backs open-source CERT group

Google has thrown its weight behind a fledgling security reporting group for the open-source community. ...continue reading 'Google backs open-source CERT group'

Microsoft and Yahoo: Now what?

Microsoft's three-month courtship of Yahoo has ended but it changed both companies forever and neither can expect to return to the way they were. ...continue reading 'Microsoft and Yahoo: Now what?'

OpenSolaris ready for prime time

After working on OpenSolaris for three years, Sun now has a supported distribution, called 2008.5, available. ...continue reading 'OpenSolaris ready for prime time'

Yahoo's stock slides as US markets open

As expected, Yahoo's stock took a hit after the U.S. financial markets opened Monday morning, as investors react to Microsoft's decision over the weekend to give up on acquiring Yahoo. ...continue reading 'Yahoo's stock slides as US markets open'

Battery shortage should evaporate by Q3

A shortage of lithium-ion batteries currently hurting laptop computer shipments will likely ease in the third quarter, an executive said Friday. ...continue reading 'Battery shortage should evaporate by Q3'

Three HP user groups combine forces

The Hewlett-Packard user community now has a virtual supergroup, as Encompass, HP Interex EMEA and ITUG have consolidated into a single organization called Connect. ...continue reading 'Three HP user groups combine forces'

Google takes down open-source project after DMCA complaint

Google has removed an open-source project that enables the proprietary CoreAVC high-definition video decoder to run in Linux following a complaint from the codec's developer -- but the project could soon return. ...continue reading 'Google takes down open-source project after DMCA complaint'

Google requests open access pledge from Verizon

Google has asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to obtain a pledge from Verizon Wireless that it will honor the open-access conditions on a band of 700MHz spectrum before selling the spectrum to the carrier. ...continue reading 'Google requests open access pledge from Verizon'

Microsoft abandons Yahoo acquisition

Microsoft has dropped its three-month-long pursuit of Yahoo, ending a historic acquisition attempt whose failure takes Microsoft back to square one in its quest to boost its online business to better compete against Google. ...continue reading 'Microsoft abandons Yahoo acquisition'

Ballmer's withdrawal letter to Yang

The full text of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's letter to Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang concerning Microsoft's withdrawal of its acquisition bid. ...continue reading 'Ballmer's withdrawal letter to Yang'

Google's shadow hung over Microsoft-Yahoo deal

In the end, Google played a significant part in the undoing of Microsoft's bid for Yahoo, the latest example of Google's ability to interfere with Microsoft's attempts to boost its online advertising business. ...continue reading 'Google's shadow hung over Microsoft-Yahoo deal'

OLPC names new president, COO

The One Laptop Per Child Project appointed a new president and chief operating officer on Friday to run daily operations at the nonprofit effort, sending a signal that it could be recovering from the loss of top personnel over the past few months. ...continue reading 'OLPC names new president, COO'

100 e-mail bouncebacks? You've been backscattered.

The bounceback e-mail messages come in at a trickle, maybe one or two every hour. The subject lines are disquieting: 'Cyails, Vygara nad Levytar,' 'UNSOLICITED BULK EMAIL, apparently from you.' What's going on? Have you been hacked? Nope, you're just getting a little backscatter. ...continue reading '100 e-mail bouncebacks? You've been backscattered.'

Dell hurries to fix faulty laptop keyboards

Dell on Friday said it has stopped shipment of two Vostro laptop models in Europe after discovering a faulty keyboard design with a few keys out of place. ...continue reading 'Dell hurries to fix faulty laptop keyboards'

Sun blames revenue drop on weak US economy

With its US$1 billion acquisition of MySQL now behind it, Sun reported financial results on Thursday that show the company is still struggling to boost its revenue. ...continue reading 'Sun blames revenue drop on weak US economy'

IBM to build apps marketplace for SMBs

IBM is trying to rally support for an online applications marketplace for small and mid-sized businesses that it plans to launch later this year. ...continue reading 'IBM to build apps marketplace for SMBs'

Microsoft releases new version of Web design tools

Microsoft Thursday unveiled a version of its toolset for Web and multimedia designers that includes the first native support for its Silverlight technology across all of the products in the suite. ...continue reading 'Microsoft releases new version of Web design tools'

AT&T treats iPhone owners to free Wi-Fi

AT&T Inc. is offering free wireless access to iPhone owners at several thousand of its public hot spots, including those it recently acquired in a deal with the high-end coffee shop chain Starbucks, users in the U.S. reported Thursday. ...continue reading 'AT&T treats iPhone owners to free Wi-Fi'

Microsoft hit with patent suit over RoundTable

A company that develops cameras that produce 360-degree videos is suing Microsoft for alleged patent infringement in its RoundTable conferencing product. ...continue reading 'Microsoft hit with patent suit over RoundTable'

Laptops may get more battery life from silver-zinc

Laptop users may soon get longer battery life from their machines, with ZPower set to plug in its new silver-zinc batteries, which it claims last significantly longer than traditional lithium-ion batteries. ...continue reading 'Laptops may get more battery life from silver-zinc'

Laptops may get more battery life from silver-zinc

Laptop users may soon get longer battery life from their machines, with ZPower set to plug in its new silver-zinc batteries, which it claims last significantly longer than traditional lithium-ion batteries. ...continue reading 'Laptops may get more battery life from silver-zinc'

Adobe establishes Open Screen Project for Flash, AIR

Adobe launched a new community development project on Thursday aimed at using its Flash and AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) technologies to create a consistent application interface across all devices -- whether they are smartphones, PCs or set-top boxes. ...continue reading 'Adobe establishes Open Screen Project for Flash, AIR'

Analyst: IBM's services arm an asset for BI

If implementing business intelligence is more of an art than a science, IBM's Cognos division has a vivid palette at its disposal given IBM's stature as a services provider, Forrester Research analyst Boris Evelson suggested in a recent blog post. ...continue reading 'Analyst: IBM's services arm an asset for BI'

HP researchers build intelligent memory

Researchers at Hewlett-Packard have developed a working unit of a memory circuit that has existed in theory for 37 years, which could ultimately replace RAM and make computers more intelligent by tracking data it has retained. ...continue reading 'HP researchers build intelligent memory'

Infogrames to buy rest of Atari for $11 million

Infogrames Entertainment plans to buy the rest of beleaguered video games pioneer Atari for US$11 million, the companies said Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Infogrames to buy rest of Atari for $11 million'

AT&T to launch mobile TV in 58 US markets

AT&T will launch its mobile television service on Sunday, behind schedule and nearly a year after competitor Verizon Wireless began offering broadcast TV services. ...continue reading 'AT&T to launch mobile TV in 58 US markets'

EMC extends Mozy online storage to Macs

The MozyHome online backup service became generally available on Thursday after a long beta test and the acquisition of its creator by EMC. ...continue reading 'EMC extends Mozy online storage to Macs'

Report: Microsoft board meets over Yahoo bid

Microsoft's board met Wednesday to decide how to proceed with the company's bid to acquire Yahoo, although no final decision was reached, The Wall Street Journal reported. ...continue reading 'Report: Microsoft board meets over Yahoo bid'

Symantec ends fiscal year with strong earnings

With more than half of its revenue now coming from outside the U.S., Symantec ended its fiscal year on a high note on Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Symantec ends fiscal year with strong earnings'

Former Monster exec charged with backdating stock options

James Treacy, former chief operating officer and president of online job board Monster Worldwide, has been charged with securities fraud and conspiracy in connection with the backdating of millions of dollars worth of employee stock options, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Former Monster exec charged with backdating stock options'

Report: AT&T will subsidize iPhone price by $200

AT&T will subsidize US$200 of the purchase price for new iPhones this summer, according to a story posted by Fortune Wednesday, reducing consumers' out-of-pocket expense for the popular device to as low as $199. ...continue reading 'Report: AT&T will subsidize iPhone price by $200'

SugarCRM to support iPhone, BlackBerry

SugarCRM is bridging the distance between mobile phones and PCs with a new version of its Web-based customer relationship management software now available for beta testing. ...continue reading 'SugarCRM to support iPhone, BlackBerry'

Xerox's research arm now a business, execs say

Since its establishment in 1970, the Palo Alto Research Center funded by Xerox has developed groundbreaking technologies, including Ethernet, the GUI (graphical user interface) and the computer mouse. PARC was spun off from Xerox in 2002 and now focuses its research on technologies that it can commercialize through its parent or startup companies. ...continue reading 'Xerox's research arm now a business, execs say'

United Online to buy FTD Group

Internet service provider United Online -- the owner of NetZero and Juno -- plans to get into the flower business. On Wednesday, it said it would pay about US$456 million in stock and cash to acquire FTD Group, the company that provides flowers and related services to about 20,000 retailers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland. ...continue reading 'United Online to buy FTD Group'

LG enters thin-TV race with Scarlet sets

LG Electronics has officially thrown its hat into the thin TV ring with the launch this week of its Scarlet TV set. The TV, which was first unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January in Las Vegas, is LG's thinnest flat-panel TV yet. ...continue reading 'LG enters thin-TV race with Scarlet sets'

SpringSource launches Java application server

SpringSource, maker of the Spring Framework for Java development, will announce a new application server on Wednesday that it claims will 'liberate' Java users from 'antiquated legacy Java technologies.' ...continue reading 'SpringSource launches Java application server'

SAP cuts investment in ByDesign as net income falls

SAP is putting the brakes on the roll-out of Business ByDesign, its offering for small businesses, it said Wednesday, as it reported first quarter net income down 22 percent compared to a year earlier, on revenue up 14 percent. The quarter is the first to incorporate the results of Business Objects, which SAP acquired Jan. 21. ...continue reading 'SAP cuts investment in ByDesign as net income falls'

Alcatel-Lucent's losses continue

For the fifth quarter running, Alcatel-Lucent reported a net loss: during the first quarter of 2008, it increased to €181 million. ...continue reading 'Alcatel-Lucent's losses continue'

Sony Ericsson combines Java and Flash

Sony Ericsson is hoping to promote 'wow' mobile-phone applications by enabling developers to combine the best of Java and Flash in the same applications. ...continue reading 'Sony Ericsson combines Java and Flash'

Asus: Eee PC shipments to soar in second quarter

Asustek Computer on Wednesday forecast it will nearly double shipments of the popular Eee PC low-cost laptop in the second quarter, compared to the first. ...continue reading 'Asus: Eee PC shipments to soar in second quarter'

Skype claims improved voice quality for version 3.8 software

Skype has released an upgraded version of its VOIP (voice over IP) software client for Windows PCs that cuts out more background noise and drops fewer calls, the eBay subsidiary said. ...continue reading 'Skype claims improved voice quality for version 3.8 software'

Time Warner to sell cable division

Time Warner plans sell its stake in its cable division, the company said Wednesday during its quarterly earnings call. ...continue reading 'Time Warner to sell cable division'

Microsoft helps law enforcement get around encryption

The growing use of encryption software -- like Microsoft's own BitLocker -- by cyber criminals has led Microsoft to develop a set of tools that law enforcement agents can use to get around the software, executives at the company said. ...continue reading 'Microsoft helps law enforcement get around encryption'

LG enters thin-TV race with Scarlet sets

LG Electronics has officially thrown its hat into the thin TV ring with the launch this week of its Scarlet TV set. The TV, which was first unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January in Las Vegas, is LG's thinnest flat-panel TV yet. ...continue reading 'LG enters thin-TV race with Scarlet sets'

SpringSource launches Java application server

SpringSource, maker of the Spring Framework for Java development, will announce a new application server on Wednesday that it claims will 'liberate' Java users from 'antiquated legacy Java technologies.' ...continue reading 'SpringSource launches Java application server'

Microsoft delays release of Windows XP SP3

Microsoft has delayed the release of a third service pack for Windows XP, blaming a 'compatibility issue' between the software and a retail-chain-management application. ...continue reading 'Microsoft delays release of Windows XP SP3'

Microsoft System Center gets cross-platform support

Microsoft has released beta technologies that allow its network-management software to manage non-Windows environments as part of the company's strategy to make its software more conducive to managing large data centers. ...continue reading 'Microsoft System Center gets cross-platform support'

AOL and Yahoo make IM VoIP moves

AOL and Yahoo separately on Tuesday made changes to the Internet telephony features within their IM (instant message) services. ...continue reading 'AOL and Yahoo make IM VoIP moves'

Microsoft botnet-hunting tool helps bust hackers

Microsoft is giving law enforcers access to a special tool that keeps tabs on botnets, using data compiled from the 450 million computer users who have installed the Malicious Software Removal tool that ships with Windows. ...continue reading 'Microsoft botnet-hunting tool helps bust hackers'

IBM buys trading data vendor Infodyne

IBM has scooped up Infodyne, a privately held maker of software that quickly crunches hundreds of market data sources together into a standardized form for the trading industry, it said Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ...continue reading 'IBM buys trading data vendor Infodyne'

New 3Com CEO Mao to be based in China

3Com, the U.S. networking vendor now looking to operations in China for a competitive edge, has named a new CEO who will be based in that country. ...continue reading 'New 3Com CEO Mao to be based in China'

Dream job at Microsoft too good to be true? Yep.

A New York man is facing up to four years in prison after pleading guilty last week to posting fake job ads for technology companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo and PayPal. ...continue reading 'Dream job at Microsoft too good to be true? Yep.'

Apple adds support for Java SE 6 to Leopard

Apple added support for Java SE 6 to Mac OS X 10.5 via a software update Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Apple adds support for Java SE 6 to Leopard'

Prototyping tool eases design of iPhone apps

Enterprises that want to create applications for Apple's iPhone will be able to build and try out prototypes using a special programming template unveiled on Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Prototyping tool eases design of iPhone apps'

Microsoft System Center gets cross-platform support

Microsoft has released beta technologies that allow its network-management software to manage non-Windows environments as part of the company's strategy to make its software more conducive to managing large data centers. ...continue reading 'Microsoft System Center gets cross-platform support'

AOL and Yahoo make IM VoIP moves

AOL and Yahoo separately on Tuesday made changes to the Internet telephony features within their IM (instant message) services. ...continue reading 'AOL and Yahoo make IM VoIP moves'

Oracle acquisition of BEA closes

Oracle has finalized its $8.5 billion deal to buy BEA Systems following the European Commission's approval, it announced Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Oracle acquisition of BEA closes'

Microsoft botnet-hunting tool helps bust hackers

Microsoft is giving law enforcers access to a special tool that keeps tabs on botnets, using data compiled from the 450 million computer users who have installed the Malicious Software Removal tool that ships with Windows. ...continue reading 'Microsoft botnet-hunting tool helps bust hackers'

LinkedIn prepares for lucrative push into Europe

LinkedIn is building up its European operations in order to carve out a larger piece of the social-networking pie. ...continue reading 'LinkedIn prepares for lucrative push into Europe'

Linux visionary convicted of murder

Linux visionary Hans Reiser has been convicted of first-degree murder for killing his estranged wife in 2006 and faces life imprisonment. ...continue reading 'Linux visionary convicted of murder'

Ribbit launches phone service for Salesforce

The Internet telephony startup Ribbit announced Tuesday that one of its initial flagship projects -- an integration with Salesforce -- is now available. ...continue reading 'Ribbit launches phone service for Salesforce'

MySpace user ad targeting will be optional

MySpace will give users the option of whether they want to participate in a targeted advertising system that mines their profile's information, a senior company official said on Tuesday. ...continue reading 'MySpace user ad targeting will be optional'

Xerox showcases erasable paper, smart documents

Xerox's research arm Monday showcased its latest innovations, including erasable paper and tools that make documents "smart" by adding a deeper meaning to words and images. ...continue reading 'Xerox showcases erasable paper, smart documents'

Sony, Samsung launch new Blu-ray Disc products

Sony and Samsung, two of the biggest backers of the Blu-ray Disc format during its battle with rival HD DVD, are releasing new Blu-ray Disc products with the anticipation that consumers are finally ready to start upgrading to high-definition video discs. ...continue reading 'Sony, Samsung launch new Blu-ray Disc products'

Gadget tracks a good nights' shuteye

Lee Loree gave up a career as a stockbroker in Atlanta about eight years ago to work on his invention -- a wristwatch and software system designed to record a person's sleep pattern. ...continue reading 'Gadget tracks a good nights' shuteye'

Microsoft highlights efforts to police the Net

Microsoft spends millions of dollars each year developing security products that it gives to law enforcement agencies, knowing that it may not make any money directly in return. The work is part of the company's efforts to be a good corporate citizen, although there are also some business benefits from the work it does. ...continue reading 'Microsoft highlights efforts to police the Net'

Check Point adds VPN access for iPhone

Check Point Software Technologies on Monday announced support for the iPhone through its VPN-1 product, a Virtual Private Networking (VPN) software tool. ...continue reading 'Check Point adds VPN access for iPhone'

Security vendors slam Defcon virus contest

There will be a new contest at the Defcon hacker conference this August, inviting hackers to find new ways of beating antivirus software. Contestants will get some sample virus code that they must modify and try to sneak past the antivirus products. ...continue reading 'Security vendors slam Defcon virus contest'

Report sheds light on failure to sell safety spectrum

Lease payments sought by public-safety agencies on an adjoining block of spectrum were not the only factor in the failure of a portion of wireless spectrum to sell in the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's recent 700MHz spectrum auction, the FCC's inspector general said Friday. ...continue reading 'Report sheds light on failure to sell safety spectrum'

Mobile, Fios push Verizon income up

Verizon Communications posted net income of US$4.3 billion in the first quarter of 2008, up 14.1 percent from a year earlier, driven by customer demand for its mobile voice and fiber-based Internet and television services. ...continue reading 'Mobile, Fios push Verizon income up'

Microsoft finally stays on message about services

The deadline Microsoft gave Yahoo for making a deal or facing a proxy fight came and went this weekend without a word from either party. But even if Microsoft doesn't succeed now in its bid for Yahoo, the company made clear last week, both in private meetings with reporters and in public comments, that it's determined -- come hell or high water -- to move forward with its services strategy. ...continue reading 'Microsoft finally stays on message about services'

AMD Business Class plan to help SMBs shave costs

AMD Monday announced Business Class, an initiative to gain market share among small to medium enterprises. Opening the door for longer lifecycles, it will lower PC total cost of ownership, according to AMD. ...continue reading 'AMD Business Class plan to help SMBs shave costs'

Dell to factory-install Windows XP after June 30

Dell will continue to install Windows XP on new PCs after Microsoft's June 30 retirement date by taking advantage of a little-known clause in the downgrade rights that come with Vista Ultimate and Vista Business. ...continue reading 'Dell to factory-install Windows XP after June 30'

Bank of Ireland data loss toll reaches 31,500 policies

The Bank of Ireland has admitted that the unencrypted personal details of 31,500 customers - three times as many as previously disclosed - went missing with the theft of four laptops last year. ...continue reading 'Bank of Ireland data loss toll reaches 31,500 policies'

Microsoft/Yahoo deadline passes with no deal

Yahoo failed to agree to an acquisition deal with Microsoft by Saturday, the deadline Microsoft had set for wrapping up negotiations. ...continue reading 'Microsoft/Yahoo deadline passes with no deal'

Payment fraud moves to Internet in Europe, says Commission

Despite recent efforts to clamp down on electronic payments fraud, the crime is still rife and is undermining citizens' confidence in buying and selling over the internet, the European Commission said Monday. ...continue reading 'Payment fraud moves to Internet in Europe, says Commission'

Researcher finds new flaw in QuickTime for Windows

A security think tank says it has found a vulnerability in Apple's QuickTime multimedia player that can be exploited remotely to compromise Windows Vista PCs upgraded to Service Pack 1, as well as XP SP2. ...continue reading 'Researcher finds new flaw in QuickTime for Windows'

Black Duck buying Koders for code search

Black Duck Software plans to announce Monday that it has purchased the assets of Koders, maker of a code search engine and other tools, for an undisclosed sum. ...continue reading 'Black Duck buying Koders for code search'

Microsoft: Massive site attacks not our fault

Microsoft late Friday denied that vulnerabilities in its Web and SQL server software had been exploited to hack hundreds of thousands of Internet pages. ...continue reading 'Microsoft: Massive site attacks not our fault'

What's behind Apple's P.A. Semi purchase

Apple's purchase of a microprocessor design firm has triggered a wave of speculation over what the computer maker plans to do with its newly acquired assets. Perhaps, the thinking goes, the purchase means a new chip to power future iPhone models. Or maybe it will push Apple into new areas of portable computing. It might even mean a return of sorts to the company's PowerPC days. ...continue reading 'What's behind Apple's P.A. Semi purchase'

Two more indicted on E-Rate fraud charges

The former owner of three Kansas computer services vendors and his mother have been indicted on charges related to defrauding a government program designed to help schools and libraries in poor areas connect to the Internet, the U.S. Department of Justice said. ...continue reading 'Two more indicted on E-Rate fraud charges'

Spammers ramp up siege on Google's Blogger via bots

Spammers are using an automated method to create bogus pages on Google's Blogger service, again highlighting the diminishing effectiveness of a security system intended to stop mass account registrations, according to security vendor Websense. ...continue reading 'Spammers ramp up siege on Google's Blogger via bots'

Vodafone, China Mobile and Softbank team on mobile Internet

Vodafone, China Mobile and Softbank are putting together a Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) to accelerate the roll-out of mobile Internet services. They plan to formalize the arrangement later this year. ...continue reading 'Vodafone, China Mobile and Softbank team on mobile Internet'

Microsoft completes FAST purchase

Microsoft has completed its US$1.2 billion purchase of FAST Search & Transfer and will install the company's CEO as head of a newly formed enterprise search group, it said Friday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft completes FAST purchase'

Skype tests application for mobile phones

EBay-owned Skype has released into open beta testing a client for mobile phones that supports phone calls, chat and other features of the popular VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) application. ...continue reading 'Skype tests application for mobile phones'

Researchers 'poison' Storm botnet

A group of German researchers has unveiled the first publicly released research attempting to actively disrupt a peer-to-peer botnet - using as their case study the notorious Storm worm. ...continue reading 'Researchers 'poison' Storm botnet'

Sony, Samsung to spend US$1.8B on new LCD line

Sony and Samsung are reaffirming their alliance in LCD (liquid crystal display) panel manufacturing with plans to jointly construct a third flat-screen factory in South Korea. ...continue reading 'Sony, Samsung to spend US$1.8B on new LCD line'

Samsung Q1 soars on strong displays, mobile phones

Samsung Electronics posted its strongest profit gain in years in the first quarter as sales of LCD screens and mobile phones beat expectations and its chip business didn't perform as badly as feared. ...continue reading 'Samsung Q1 soars on strong displays, mobile phones'

Dell phasing out customer service centers in Canada

Dell's facilities in Canada are being hit by the company's efforts to save US$3 billion over the next three years, with customer service centers in the country being phased out. ...continue reading 'Dell phasing out customer service centers in Canada'

Microsoft considers life without Yahoo

Microsoft reiterated Thursday that it is prepared to withdraw its offer to buy Yahoo and said it believes it has the engineering talent to succeed on the Internet even without the acquisition. ...continue reading 'Microsoft considers life without Yahoo'

Sun buys processor startup Montalvo Systems

Sun Microsystems acquired microprocessor startup Montalvo Systems for an undisclosed sum, the company confirmed Thursday. ...continue reading 'Sun buys processor startup Montalvo Systems'

Firms getting blindsided by social networking

Still thinking about building a social-networking site for your employees? Sure they haven't started without you? Check Facebook, you might get a surprise. ...continue reading 'Firms getting blindsided by social networking'

Researcher finds new way to hack Oracle database

Security researcher David Litchfield has released technical details of a new type of attack that could give a hacker access to an Oracle database. ...continue reading 'Researcher finds new way to hack Oracle database'

Microsoft earnings flat, despite server launches

Microsoft on Thursday reported quarterly earnings in line with Wall Street expectations but down slightly from the same quarter last year, reflecting the challenges the software giant faces in an increasingly competitive market. ...continue reading 'Microsoft earnings flat, despite server launches'

3G iPhone due on June 9, analysts say

The 3G iPhone will be announced June 9, the likely date of Apple CEO Steve Jobs' keynote at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, analysts said in research notes on Thursday. ...continue reading '3G iPhone due on June 9, analysts say'

No change in XP plan despite Ballmer comment, Microsoft says

Comments by Steve Ballmer at a press conference in Europe on Thursday have led to speculation that Microsoft is reconsidering its June 30 deadline to stop selling most new Windows XP licenses. A spokeswoman from Microsoft's public relations firm said Thursday that there is no plan for a change in deadline, however. ...continue reading 'No change in XP plan despite Ballmer comment, Microsoft says'

Yahoo to radically open its platforms

Yahoo is swinging the doors of its Web platforms wide open to let outside developers create applications across its network of sites, as well as radically stitching together its online services under the social profile concept. ...continue reading 'Yahoo to radically open its platforms'

France 'suspends' creation of big-brother database

The French government will 'suspend' the use of new software for recording the personal habits and affiliations of its citizens in a police database, following an outcry by civil rights groups. ...continue reading 'France 'suspends' creation of big-brother database'

Ballmer: Microsoft could walk away from Yahoo deal

Microsoft gave its first hint that it may abandon its $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo, as it approaches the deadline for a threatened proxy battle to oust Yahoo's board. ...continue reading 'Ballmer: Microsoft could walk away from Yahoo deal'

Motorola's loss grows during Q1 as handset sales drop

Slowing phones sales have hit Motorola, which Thursday reported a first-quarter net loss of $194 million, compared to a $181 million loss for the same quarter last year. ...continue reading 'Motorola's loss grows during Q1 as handset sales drop'

DOJ nets two more guilty pleas in E-Rate fraud charges

Former co-owners of DeltaNet, a New Jersey computer service provider, have agreed to plead guilty to charges related to defrauding a government program designed to help schools and libraries in poor areas connect to the Internet, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. ...continue reading 'DOJ nets two more guilty pleas in E-Rate fraud charges'

China worries hackers will strike during Beijing Olympics

While CNN recently faced distributed denial-of-service attacks from Chinese hackers angry about the television network's coverage of a recent Chinese crackdown in Tibet, Chinese security officials remain worried hackers will strike while the Olympic Games are being held in Beijing. ...continue reading 'China worries hackers will strike during Beijing Olympics'

Why Windows Update should be redesigned

Using off-the-shelf tools, exploits for software vulnerabilities can be crafted in as little as 30 seconds after studying the vendor's patch, giving hackers plenty of time to find vulnerable machines while Microsoft is in the process of distributing patches through Windows Update, according to a recently published research paper. ...continue reading 'Why Windows Update should be redesigned'

Strong Mac sales boost Apple's quarterly earnings

Apple on Wednesday reported strong earnings for the second quarter of 2008, with Macintosh computer sales overriding weak growth in iPod shipments. ...continue reading 'Strong Mac sales boost Apple's quarterly earnings'

Vista SP1 released to Automatic Update

Windows Vista customers can now receive the first service pack for the operating system via the Microsoft Automatic Update service, Microsoft said Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Vista SP1 released to Automatic Update'

Google launches mobile banner ads

Google joined a handful of other companies by announcing that it is delivering mobile banner ads. ...continue reading 'Google launches mobile banner ads'

Customers balk at Dell XPS One update. Is it legit?

Some Dell customers were left scratching their heads after Dell sent out a recent firmware update for the company's XPS One desktop systems. ...continue reading 'Customers balk at Dell XPS One update. Is it legit?'

So what is an enterprise mashup, anyway?

Big vendors like Oracle, IBM and Microsoft are all over the show floor at the Web 2.0 Expo this week, testimony that new Web-based technologies are making their way into the enterprise. But some attendees are still wondering, what is an enterprise mashup, and what will it do for me? ...continue reading 'So what is an enterprise mashup, anyway?

OLPC switch to Windows on XO is 'muddled,' developers say

Open-source developers should stop bickering, unite and jointly develop a Windows user interface to make XO laptops more appealing to users, One Laptop Per Child Chairman Nicholas Negroponte has urged in a public note to that community. ...continue reading 'OLPC switch to Windows on XO is 'muddled,' developers say'

Gartner: CRM market to grow 14 percent in 2008

The worldwide market for CRM (customer relationship management) software will grow 14.2 percent to US$8.9 billion in 2008, according to a Gartner estimate. ...continue reading 'Gartner: CRM market to grow 14 percent in 2008'

SANS: Pressure on vendors can prevent security woes

Companies are having more success in pressuring software vendors into baking security into their products, a trend that vendors are resisting less, the director of research for the SANS Institute said Wednesday. ...continue reading 'SANS: Pressure on vendors can prevent security woes'

EU Parliament approves Galileo navigation system

The European Parliament gave its assent to the creation of the Galileo satellite navigation system Wednesday, clearing the way for the European Union's most ambitious technology project to date. ...continue reading 'EU Parliament approves Galileo navigation system'

Microsoft reveals Mesh folder-sharing and sync platform

Microsoft revealed a Web-based service on Tuesday, called Live Mesh, that lets people share data folders across different PCs and devices. ...continue reading 'Microsoft reveals Mesh folder-sharing and sync platform'

IBM turns server sideways for Web 2.0 build-out

IBM has designed a new type of rack-mount server specifically for companies running heavily trafficked 'Web 2.0' sites such as Facebook and MySpace, the company announced Wednesday. ...continue reading 'IBM turns server sideways for Web 2.0 build-out'

Report: Apple buys low-power processor designer PA Semi

Apple has acquired a fabless semiconductor company, PA Semi, according to a report at Forbes.com. ...continue reading 'Report: Apple buys low-power processor designer PA Semi'

Sony to buy Gracenote music data company

Sony Corp. of America will buy Gracenote, which made its name with software that identifies digital music files, for about $260 million. ...continue reading 'Sony to buy Gracenote music data company'

Microsoft mislabels Skype as adware

Skype users who have been getting strange error messages from Microsoft's security products over the past week can breathe easy now. It was all a mistake. ...continue reading 'Microsoft mislabels Skype as adware'

CNN site hit by China attack

After being called off Friday, the on-again, off-again cyber attack against CNN's Web site again picked up steam early this week, according to network security analysts. ...continue reading 'CNN site hit by China attack'

Yahoo grows earnings and revenue in Q1

Yahoo grew its revenue and net income and exceeded Wall Street's expectations for both categories during its first quarter of 2008, arguably one of the closest-watched earnings reports of its history, as it tries to fend off an acquisition attempt by Microsoft. ...continue reading 'Yahoo grows earnings and revenue in Q1'

Microsoft eyes management as key to virtualization

Microsoft is targeting system management as a way to differentiate itself from competitors in the virtualization market, the company said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft eyes management as key to virtualization'

EBay files governance lawsuit against Craigslist

EBay has filed a lawsuit alleging that some changes made by Craigslist's board of directors have diluted eBay's investment in the online classified site. ...continue reading 'EBay files governance lawsuit against Craigslist'

Seagate ships one-billionth hard drive

Seagate announced Tuesday that it has shipped 1 billion hard drives since pioneering an industry that shows no signs of slowing down 29 years later. ...continue reading 'Seagate ships one-billionth hard drive'

Comcast peer-to-peer blocking was widespread, says FCC chairman

Comcast's slowing of peer-to-peer traffic appeared to be more widespread than the company has disclosed, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Comcast peer-to-peer blocking was widespread, says FCC chairman'

Corel CEO resigns as company mulls going private (again)

The CEO of Corel Corp. plans to resign, two weeks after an investment firm that owns a majority stake in the Ottawa-based graphics and desktop applications software vendor offered to acquire all of the remaining shares and take the company private for the second time in five years. ...continue reading 'Corel CEO resigns as company mulls going private (again)'

Sun looks to free up the rest of Java

Sun Microsystems is stepping up efforts to boost Java usage in Linux shops by working to remove some final encumbrances in the open-source Java platform. ...continue reading 'Sun looks to free up the rest of Java'

The 5 quickest returns on your green investment

By Darrell Dunn, Computerworld

'There is so much 'fat' inside most data centers, that it's not that difficult to make a business case where you can make operations greener and save money at the same time,' says Simon Mingay, an analyst at Gartner. Here are five fairly straightforward improvements that don't take years to implement or bring return. ...continue reading 'The 5 quickest returns on your green investment'

Microsoft to host partner software

Microsoft will soon detail ways that partner companies will be able to deliver their services based on Microsoft's hosted services, the software company said on Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft to host partner software'

Microsoft rewriting applications for hosted offerings

Microsoft is rewriting many of its applications to offer them in a hosted fashion, an executive said on Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Microsoft rewriting applications for hosted offerings'

Wireless and data push AT&T income, revenue up in Q1

AT&T reported net income of $3.5 billion for the first quarter of 2008, up from $2.8 billion in the first quarter of 2007. Strong wireless and data revenue drove the results. ...continue reading 'Wireless and data push AT&T income, revenue up in Q1'

Photobucket opens API, seeks developers

Photobucket plans to release an API on Tuesday that will allow external developers to create applications that include content and functions from the photo- and video-sharing Web site. ...continue reading 'Photobucket opens API, seeks developers'

SugarCRM, NetSuite get boost from BT deal

BT said Tuesday it will sell enterprise software products from NetSuite and SugarCRM to its small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers. ...continue reading 'SugarCRM, NetSuite get boost from BT deal'

Linux expanding into mid-range phones

Linux is expanding its influence outside of the world of smartphones, and is poised to take a significant share of the mid-range mobile phone market as well, according to a new study from ABI Research. ...continue reading 'Linux expanding into mid-range phones'

Microsoft data show Web attacks taking off

Criminals changed tactics in the last six months of 2007, dropping malicious e-mail in favor of Web-based attacks, according to data reported to Microsoft by Windows users. ...continue reading 'Microsoft data show Web attacks taking off'

Asustek to share Eee PC at Taiwan open source summit

Asustek Computer plans to share its experience with open-source software in its popular Eee PC low-cost laptop at the OpenTechSummit Taiwan 2008, which runs from April 25 to 29, the company said. ...continue reading 'Asustek to share Eee PC at Taiwan open source summit'

Report: Apple plans nonexclusive iPhone deal in Italy

Telecom Italia has signed a nonexclusive deal to distribute Apple's iPhone in Italy -- and the phone will be a newer model, compatible with 3G (third generation) networks, according to a report Monday in the Rome daily newspaper La Repubblica. ...continue reading 'Report: Apple plans nonexclusive iPhone deal in Italy'

Samsung's last 'Ultra edition' handset goes on sale

The latest and final handset in Samsung's Ultra edition range of cell phones goes on sale in the U.K., France and Germany this week and will be available in most other GSM markets by the end of May, the phone maker said Monday. ...continue reading 'Samsung's last 'Ultra edition' handset goes on sale'

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online goes GA

Microsoft will announce Tuesday that Dynamics CRM Online, the Microsoft-hosted version of Dynamics 4.0, is generally available in North America. ...continue reading 'Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online goes GA'

Apple aims to patent IM features on iPhone

A recent patent filing indicates that Apple is getting closer to adding its own instant messaging client to the iPhone. ...continue reading 'Apple aims to patent IM features on iPhone'

HP's Upline hosted storage service remains down

Hewlett-Packard said its new online storage service will protect your data 'whether your hardware fails, your computer is lost or catastrophe strikes.' ...continue reading 'HP's Upline hosted storage service remains down'

Mac hack contest bug had been public for a year

When Charlie Miller won $10,000 for hacking into a Macbook Air laptop last month, he exploited a flaw that had been publicly disclosed nearly a year before the contest. ...continue reading 'Mac hack contest bug had been public for a year'

China faced with severe botnet problem

China faces a serious threat from botnets, networks of computers infected with software that allows them to be controlled remotely for denial-of-service attacks and to send spam, according to a report issued by China's National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team (CNCERT). ...continue reading 'China faced with severe botnet problem'

Asus, Intel team up for PC recycling in Taiwan

Asustek Computer and Intel have teamed up with electronics retailer Tsann Kuen Enterprise to promote PC recycling in Taiwan, the companies announced Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Asus, Intel team up for PC recycling in Taiwan'

Sony delays PlayStation Home again

The delayed PlayStation Home community online service for the PlayStation 3 console is to be delayed again, Sony Computer Entertainment said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Sony delays PlayStation Home again'

AT&T to lay off more than 4,000 employees

Telecom giant AT&T plans to lay off 1.5 percent of its employees, primarily in management, in an effort to streamline its operations, the company announced Friday. ...continue reading 'AT&T to lay off more than 4,000 employees'

Oracle to expand SAP lawsuit, may target execs

Oracle plans to expand its lawsuit against SAP to include charges that its TomorrowNow subsidiary stole software applications from Oracle, and that it did so with the knowledge of SAP executives, according to court papers filed Thursday. ...continue reading 'Oracle to expand SAP lawsuit, may target execs'

PayPal to block users with old browsers to curtail phishing

PayPal, eBay's electronic payment service, plans to take the dramatic step of locking out people using older versions of Web browsers in order to stem phishing attacks. ...continue reading 'PayPal to block users with old browsers to curtail phishing'