Facebook cops to tracking logged-off users ... Apple's OS market share jumps ... IT spending to see slow start in '08

In this issue:
- Facebook admits Beacon tracks logged-off users
- Microsoft buys startup to boost Web, mobile services
- Study: IT spending to see anemic start in 2008
- French auction regulator sues to close down eBay France
- Vista a year later: Why IT clung to the status quo
- Exploding cell phone kills man - or does it?
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Facebook admits Beacon tracks logged-off users
Facebook has confirmed findings of a CA security researcher that the social-networking site's Beacon ad service is more intrusive and stealthy than previously acknowledged, an admission that contradicts statements made previously by Facebook executives and representatives.

Microsoft buys startup to boost Web, mobile services
Microsoft has purchased Seattle startup WebFives, which provides a Web-based file-sharing service for Internet and mobile video, photos, audio, and blogs.

Study: IT spending to see anemic start in 2008
The new year will see belt-tightening in the IT industry, as many customers look to hold down their technology spending, according to a study from ChangeWave Research.

French auction regulator sues to close down eBay France
The French auction regulatory authority is seeking to close down eBay France for operating an online auction without a permit, it announced Monday.

Shell, Rolls Royce reportedly hacked by Chinese spies
Britain's domestic intelligence agency is warning cybercrime by China is on the rise following attacks against Rolls-Royce and Royal Dutch Shell.

Activision hopes Blizzard merger can take it online
Activision hopes a planned merger with Vivendi's games units, Blizzard Entertainment and Sierra Entertainment, will help it take its game portfolio online, company executives said Monday.

Apple seizes 6.81% online market share
Apple has jumped to 6.81 percent market share of the OS market, according to the latest research from Net Applications.


OPINION

Vista a year later: Why IT clung to the status quo
Shane Schick, ComputerWorld Canada

On this, Vista's anniversary, the occasion feels less like a cause for celebration but a ritual in self-righteousness on the part of those who want to prove how astute they were. I'm not going to bother, because Vista's prospects weren't that difficult to forecast. ...continue


ITWHIRLED

Exploding cell phone kills man - or does it?
A Korean quarry worker was found dead on the job, his cell phone battery melted and burn marks on his torso consistent with an explosion in his shirt pocket. The police drew the obvious conclusion -- the cell phone done it! Perhaps unsurprisingly, LG, the phone's manufacturer, protests that such an incident is "virtually impossible."

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GIVEAWAY

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POLL

What's your current cell phone opinion?

- Confusing gewgaw
- Frivolous annoyance
- Necessary evil
- Fun plaything
- Life-affirming miracle gadget

Vote now!

Vista a year later: Why IT clung to the status quo ... Vivendi, Activision to create computer games giant

In this issue:
- Vista a year later: Why IT clung to the status quo
- Shell, Rolls Royce reportedly hacked by Chinese spies
- Vivendi, Activision to create computer games giant
- Facebook's Beacon more intrusive than previously thought
- Intel's Diamondville will be based on Silverthorne processor
- Alfresco aligns with Adobe, bashes SharePoint
- Exploding cell phone kills man - or does it?
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Intel's Diamondville will be based on Silverthorne processor
Intel's Diamondville is to use the Silverthorne core, which will also target markets in consumer electronics, embedded applications, and Internet mobile devices.

Alfresco aligns with Adobe, bashes SharePoint
Quickly following up on its recent integration with Facebook, Alfresco is expected to release the 2.9 version of its open-source content management platform on Tuesday. Features in the release include integrations with popular Web-based services like iGoogle and MediaWiki, as well as Adobe's Web development tools.

Vivendi, Activision to create computer games giant
Vivendi plans to acquire a majority stake in games publisher Activision and merge the company with its own gaming unit to form a massive video games publisher.

Russia's SUP buys LiveJournal
Russian online media company SUP acquired blogging and community site LiveJournal from Six Apart on Monday, giving the company ownership of Russia's most popular blogging site.

Shell, Rolls Royce reportedly hacked by Chinese spies
Britain's domestic intelligence agency is warning cybercrime by China is on the rise following attacks against Rolls-Royce and Royal Dutch Shell.

Attackers target unpatched QuickTime flaw
Attackers are trying to exploit an unpatched vulnerability in Apple's QuickTime software that could let them run code on a victim's computer, Symantec warned in a DeepSight Threat Management System alert issued Sunday.

CA: Facebook's Beacon more intrusive than previously thought
A CA security researcher is sounding the alarm that Facebook's controversial Beacon online ad system goes much further than anyone has imagined in tracking people's Web activities outside the popular social networking site.

Verizon's 4G move may signal consolidation
The decision by Verizon Wireless to start testing LTE (Long-Term Evolution) mobile technology for rollout early in the next decade may lead to an even bigger change down the road.

Suit over Intel chip speeds pushed back
An Illinois judge threw out a ruling that would have launched a nationwide class-action lawsuit against Intel for misrepresenting the speed of Pentium 4 chips.


OPINION

Vista a year later: Why IT clung to the status quo
Shane Schick, ComputerWorld Canada

On this, Vista's anniversary, the occasion feels less like a cause for celebration but a ritual in self-righteousness on the part of those who want to prove how astute they were. I'm not going to bother, because Vista's prospects weren't that difficult to forecast. ...continue


ITWHIRLED

Exploding cell phone kills man - or does it?
A Korean quarry worker was found dead on the job, his cell phone battery melted and burn marks on his torso consistent with an explosion in his shirt pocket. The police drew the obvious conclusion -- the cell phone done it! Perhaps unsurprisingly, LG, the phone's manufacturer, protests that such an incident is "virtually impossible."

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's your current cell phone opinion?

- Confusing gewgaw
- Frivolous annoyance
- Necessary evil
- Fun plaything
- Life-affirming miracle gadget

Vote now!

Ed Zander replaced at Motorola ... EFF: Comcast blocks P-to-P ... Google to make Street View anonymous

In this issue:
- Ed Zander replaced at struggling Motorola
- Google working to make Street View anonymous
- EFF: Comcast continues to block P-to-P
- Samsung in crisis following federal raid
- Government-sponsored cyberattacks on the rise, McAfee says
- Google to bid for 700MHz spectrum
- After winning patent suit, z4 sues Microsoft again
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Ed Zander replaced at struggling Motorola
Ed Zander will step down as CEO of Motorola at the end of the year, as the company continues to battle declining revenue and profit.

Google working to make Street View anonymous
Google is thinking about changing its Street View map feature to protect the privacy of those who appear in its photographs.

EFF: Comcast continues to block P-to-P
Comcast continues to slow down customers' connections to some P-to-P (peer-to-peer) applications, using hacker-like techniques against its own subscribers, according to a report released by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

Samsung in crisis following federal raid
Samsung appears to be in deep trouble Friday, after 40 government investigators raided its key financial offices.

Government-sponsored cyberattacks on the rise, McAfee says
Governments and allied groups worldwide are using the Internet to spy and launch cyberattacks on their enemies, targeting critical systems including electricity, air traffic control, financial markets and government computer networks, according to McAfee's annual report examining global cybersecurity.

Google to bid for 700MHz spectrum
Google intends to bid on wireless spectrum in the 700MHz band when the U.S. Federal Communications Commission begins auctioning that resource in late January, the company announced Friday.

After winning patent suit, z4 sues Microsoft again
A company that was just awarded more than $140 million from Microsoft in a patent-infringement suit has sued the software giant again, this time for alleged infringements in Windows Vista and Office 2007.

Cloudsmith service pushes 'virtual distros'
A new company, Cloudsmith, has created a Web-based service meant to let developers access and exchange 'virtual distros' or custom configurations, of open-source software


UNIX TIP

File extensions and you
By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld

It's good to have a resource available to help you identify the type of unusual files when you run across them or to learn a little more about the format of a familiar file type.


ITWHIRLED

20 worst VC investments
All those hilarious, cringe-inducing dot-com flops? They were getting money from somewhere, and we all know it wasn't from making a profit from their business. One venture capitalist discusses how VC fools and their money were parted.

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's your current cell phone opinion?

- Confusing gewgaw
- Frivolous annoyance
- Necessary evil
- Fun plaything
- Life-affirming miracle gadget

Vote now!

Google to bid for 700MHz spectrum ... Will iPhone use mobile data instead of GPS? ... 20 worst VC investments

In this issue:
- Google to bid for 700MHz spectrum
- iPhone to use mobile data instead of GPS?
- Privacy concerns prompt U-turn at Facebook
- Ed Zander replaced at struggling Motorola
- Cell phone battery didn't kill Korean worker, LG says
- Unix tip: File extensions and you
- 20 worst VC investments
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Google to bid for 700MHz spectrum
Google intends to bid on wireless spectrum in the 700MHz band when the U.S. Federal Communications Commission begins auctioning that resource in late January, the company announced Friday.

iPhone to use mobile data instead of GPS?
There is speculation that Apple could introduce Google's 'My Location' technology to the iPhone, which has been criticized for lacking a GPS receiver.

Privacy concerns prompt U-turn at Facebook
Social networking site Facebook has modified a controversial service that broadcast details of its users' online activities outside the site to their friends, following complaints about its privacy implications. The service now requires users to opt in before their actions are broadcast.

Ed Zander replaced at struggling Motorola
Ed Zander will step down as CEO of Motorola at the end of the year, as the company continues to battle declining revenue and profit.

Cell phone battery didn't kill Korean worker, LG says
A South Korean construction worker reportedly killed by an exploding cell phone battery was actually killed in an industrial accident, reports said Friday.

HP, Acer beat up on Dell in Q3 PC rankings
HP expanded its lead over Dell in the overall PC market during the third quarter, while Acer snatched the number two spot from Dell in notebooks, market researcher iSuppli said Thursday.

Police raid botmaster blamed for 1 million infections
Police have raided the home of the alleged ringleader of an international group of cybercriminals said to be responsible for infecting more than one million computers.

Dell revenue rises despite U.S. consumer business fall
Dell experienced a drop in its U.S. consumer business, but managed to record revenue growth for the third quarter boosted by an increase in global notebook sales.

Google looks for help finding malicious Web sites
Google has created an online form designed to make it easy for people to report sites they suspect of hosting malicious code.


UNIX TIP

File extensions and you
By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld

It's good to have a resource available to help you identify the type of unusual files when you run across them or to learn a little more about the format of a familiar file type. ...continue


ITWHIRLED

20 worst VC investments
All those hilarious, cringe-inducing dot-com flops? They were getting money from somewhere, and we all know it wasn't from making a profit from their business. One venture capitalist discusses how VC fools and their money were parted.

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's your preferred investment strategy?

- Angel-funding promising startup
- High risk, high growth stocks
- Stock in reliable blue chip companies
- Professionally managed mutual funds
- Money market funds or CDs
- Canned goods and ammunition for my bunker

Vote now!

Microsoft releases SP1 for Exchange Server 2007

Microsoft has released the first service pack for Exchange Server 2007, but partners said the product can use even more improvements. ...continue 'Microsoft releases SP1 for Exchange Server 2007'

Police raid botmaster blamed for 1 million infections

Police have raided the home of the alleged ringleader of an international group of cybercriminals said to be responsible for infecting more than one million computers. ...continue reading 'Police raid botmaster blamed for 1 million infections'

AMD may build a chip plant in India, Ruiz says

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is warming to the idea of building a chip manufacturing plant in India, which would be a significant breakthrough for the country's high-tech ambitions. ...continue reading 'AMD may build a chip plant in India, Ruiz says'

Infineon-Siemens joint venture gets green light from EU

The European Commission gave German technology companies Infineon and Siemens the go-ahead Thursday to form a joint venture to produce bipolar high-power semiconductors, concluding that their combined strengths won't distort themarket. ...continue reading 'Infineon-Siemens joint venture gets green light from EU'

Silverlight 2.0 to launch early next year

Instead of labeling the next version of its Silverlight cross-platform browser plug-in 1.1, Microsoft will call it 2.0, and will release a beta version early next year, according to a corporate blog post Thursday. ...continue reading 'Silverlight 2.0 to launch early next year'

Zonbu launches barebones subscription laptops

Zonbu on Wednesday launched a subscription notebook PC that the company claims will free users from the hassle of computer maintenance. ...continue reading "Zonbu launches barebones subscription laptops"

Yahoo, Adobe to put online ads in PDFs ... Cell phone battery explodes in the night

In this issue:
- Yahoo and Adobe team up to put online ads in PDFs
- Cell phone battery explodes in the night
- Google service uses cell towers to locate users
- As ISPs choke file-sharing, users look elsewhere
- Verizon Wireless' open network earns praise
- Amazon's Kindle eBook Device Makes an Impact
- Robots, cockroaches join forces
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Yahoo and Adobe team up to put online ads in PDFs
Yahoo and Adobe are partnering to allow publishers to run dynamically generated ads on PDF files posted on the Web or distributed via e-mail, opening up a new frontier in online advertising.

Cell phone battery explodes in the night
A New Zealand man was woken in the middle of the night when his cell phone battery exploded and burst into flames, the second exploding battery incident reported this week.

Google service uses cell towers to locate users
Google launched a location service for mobile users on Wednesday that doesn't rely on GPS.

As ISPs choke file-sharing, users look elsewhere
As ISPs constrict file-sharing services such as Bittorrent, new data shows that users are moving to file-hosting Web sites to avoid the bandwidth lockdown.

Verizon Wireless' open network earns praise
Verizon Wireless' decision to open its network to outside mobile devices and applications has won praise from several groups, including past critics.

Security risks of temp workers being ignored
Temporary workers have too much access to computer systems, exposing businesses to potential security risks, says a survey carried out by Websense.

Advertiser settles 'test it, keep it' charges for $650,000
The FTC has reached a $650,000 settlement with online advertiser Adteractive Inc. for its use of misleading ads offering free laptops, TVs and gaming systems.


BLOG INSIGHTS

Amazon's Kindle eBook Device Makes an Impact
By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

Amazon has some big marketing power behind it, and because its name has become synonymous with books, the company has a much greater chance of making a go of this than mainstream computer companies. Here's what the blogosphere has to say about it.


ITWHIRLED

Mad scientists convince robots, cockroaches to join forces

We all know that the humble cockroach will survive whatever apocalyptic disaster our technology and weapons will visit upon the earth. And we all know that sinister robots will one day outsmart us and rise up against humanity to bring that apocalypse about. Nevertheless, it seems to us that Belgian scientists' decision to forge an alliance between the robots and the roaches might accelerate the whole unfortunate process. ...read more

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GIVEAWAY

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More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's your preferred investment strategy?

- Angel-funding promising startup
- High risk, high growth stocks
- Stock in reliable blue chip companies
- Professionally managed mutual funds
- Money market funds or CDs
- Canned goods and ammunition for my bunker

Vote now!

OLPC sued for patent infringement ... New tools drive Mac apps to Penryn ... Top 5 storage predictions for 2008

In this issue:
- OLPC sued for patent infringement
- New tools from Intel drive Mac apps to Penryn
- Business Objects to help SAP in new class of applications
- Web apps, Office among top security headaches, says SANS
- Top five storage predictions for 2008
- Toshiba, NEC collaborate on 32-nanometer chips
- Samsung develops RFID chip for mobile handsets
- Gartner: x86 servers gain as Unix shipments fall
- Samsung's dual-format HD disc player coming in December
- Rogue cell phone bedevils Iowa 911 operators
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

OLPC sued for patent infringement
A Massachusetts company has sued the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Association for patent infringement, charging the project with stealing its designs for a multilingual keyboard.

New tools from Intel drive Mac apps to Penryn
Intel upgraded its software development tools on Wednesday to help Mac OS X Leopard applications perform better on Intel's Penryn processors, suggesting the power-efficient chips may be offered soon in Apple Macs.

Business Objects to help SAP in new class of applications
SAP's acquisition of Business Objects will accelerate its strategy to bring to market a category of software called business user applications.

Web apps, Office among top security headaches, says SANS
Web-based applications and security holes in Microsoft products are among the biggest threats facing Internet users today, according to the SANS Institute.

Top five storage predictions for 2008
Hitachi Data Systems released its top five storage predictions for 2008, with data de-duplication rated the hottest and most innovative technology to hit the market since virtualization.

Toshiba, NEC collaborate on 32-nanometer chips
Toshiba and NEC Electronics will work together on advanced chip manufacturing technologies to help them continue the steady miniaturization of consumer electronics products.

Samsung develops RFID chip for mobile handsets
Samsung Electronics has developed an RFID (radio frequency identification) chip it hopes will turn mobile phones into more useful tools to tell people about the products and services they want.

Gartner: x86 servers gain as Unix shipments fall
As adoption of x86 servers increased globally, Unix-based server shipments witnessed a slowdown during the third quarter, a Gartner survey released on Monday said.

Samsung's dual-format HD disc player coming in December
Samsung looks ready to make good on its plan to release a dual-format Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD player in time for the year-end holidays.


ITWHIRLED

Rogue cell phone bedevils Iowa 911 operators
Under FCC rules, cell phones that have long been disconnected from any cell phone provider must still be able to call 911. That's exactly what one mysterious phone in Iowa keeps doing -- 400 times in one week, with nobody on the line. Officials can't find the phone or associate it with a real person, but by law must answer each and every call.

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's your preferred investment strategy?

- Angel-funding promising startup
- High risk, high growth stocks
- Stock in reliable blue chip companies
- Professionally managed mutual funds
- Money market funds or CDs
- Canned goods and ammunition for my bunker

Vote now!

Dell upgrades workstation lineup ... Orange to offer unlocked iPhone ... Rogue cell phone bedevils 911 operators

In this issue:
- Dell targets the enterprise with new workstations
- Lotus Notes vulnerable to e-mail attack
- Orange to offer unlocked iPhone for €649 in France
- Verizon Wireless opens up network to outside devices
- Online shoppers spent $733M on 'Cyber Monday'
- Rogue cell phone bedevils Iowa 911 operators
- There's never an Office doctor around when you need one
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Dell targets the enterprise with new workstations
Dell Tuesday upgraded its line of workstations, introducing a quad-core system that packs graphics and processing power that the company said is the highest level of performance available on its workstations.

Lotus Notes vulnerable to e-mail attack
A serious bug in IBM's Lotus Notes software could be used by attackers to run unauthorized software on a victim's PC, researchers at Core Security Technologies reported Tuesday.

Orange to offer unlocked iPhone for €649 in France
French mobile phone operator Orange will sell unlocked iPhones for €649 ($964), far less than the €999 that T-Mobile charges in neighboring Germany. The price falls to €399 with a special iPhone airtime contract of at least one year, the same as in Germany.

Verizon's move called an opening for industry
Verizon Wireless gave a boost to the whole U.S. mobile data industry with its plan to open up its network to third-party devices and applications, according to industry observers.

Verizon Wireless opens up network to outside devices
Verizon Wireless will open its network to outside mobile handsets, devices and applications by the end of 2008, the company announced Tuesday.

Lawsuit charges CRT makers with price-fixing
A class-action lawsuit was filed against six monitor manufacturers on Tuesday, alleging the companies of being a 'global cartel' involved in price-fixing of CRT monitors.

Webroot to buy service vendor Email Systems
Security software vendor Webroot plans to acquire Email Systems Ltd., a provider of e-mail and Web protection services.

Online shoppers spent $733M on 'Cyber Monday'
Online shoppers in the U.S. set a record for one-day sales on Cyber Monday, racking up $733 million in purchases, comScore Networks said Tuesday.


OPINION

There's never an Office doctor around when you need one
Joel Shore, ITworld.com

For many, the Microsoft Office 2007 experience has been, well, something that falls well short of bliss. For others, it is a breath of fresh air. It would seem I fall somewhere in the middle. ...continue


ITWHIRLED

Rogue cell phone bedevils Iowa 911 operators
Under FCC rules, cell phones that have long been disconnected from any cell phone provider must still be able to call 911. That's exactly what one mysterious phone in Iowa keeps doing -- 400 times in one week, with nobody on the line. Officials can't find the phone or associate it with a real person, but by law must answer each and every call.

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


GIVEAWAY
____________

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's your preferred investment strategy?

- Angel-funding promising startup
- High risk, high growth stocks
- Stock in reliable blue chip companies
- Professionally managed mutual funds
- Money market funds or CDs
- Canned goods and ammunition for my bunker

Vote now!

Dubai investment fund buys a stake in Sony ... New PSP sells a million ... Get bad grades? Blame your name

In this issue:
- Tracking down a reboot using DOS commands
- Dubai investment fund takes 'substantial' stake in Sony
- Did badly in school? Blame your initials
- New PSP sells a million in Japan
- Broadcom will pursue injunction against Qualcomm
- French gov't plans to disconnect content pirates
- Rap video by Singaporean officials becomes viral hit
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Dubai investment fund takes 'substantial' stake in Sony
Dubai International Capital has bought a 'substantial' stake in Sony, the fund's first investment in Japan, it announced Monday.

Online holiday shopping starts strong in the U.S.
Americans flocked to Web sites to do holiday shopping over the weekend and spending was up on last year, according to several reports.

New PSP sells a million in Japan
Sony's slimmer and cheaper PlayStation Portable has struck a chord with Japanese shoppers racking up sales of 1 million units in its first two months on sale.

Broadcom will pursue injunction against Qualcomm
A U.S. court ruling has cleared the way for wireless chip maker Broadcom to pursue an injunction against rival Qualcomm over a long-running patent dispute.

French gov't plans to disconnect content pirates
The French government plans to extend measures to deal with digital piracy, cutting off the Internet connections of those suspected of illegal filesharing.

Rap video by Singaporean officials becomes viral hit
A rap video produced by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) has attracted tens of thousands of viewers on YouTube, turning the four-minute clip into a viral hit.


TIP

Tracking down a reboot using DOS commands
By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld

When one of only a handful of Windows servers that I manage dropped off my radar for a while, I wasn't sure what to think. I had been running an application, for which this system was the server and it stopped responding. When I tried reconnecting, it was clearly not available. The system was rebooting, but it took me a while to figure that out. How do I go about determining if a Windows server has rebooted?


ITWHIRLED

Did badly in school? Blame your initials
If you were a mediocre student, don't blame yourself for your bad study skills, or your teachers for failing to inspire a love of learning. Blame your parents for naming you Chester or Doris. Researchers at UC San Diego found that people whose first names begin with C or D are more likely to be C or D students. Those who had K as a first initial were more likely to be good pitchers ("K" being the baseball shorthand for a strikeout). ...read more

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NEW GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's your preferred investment strategy?

- Angel-funding promising startup
- High risk, high growth stocks
- Stock in reliable blue chip companies
- Professionally managed mutual funds
- Money market funds or CDs
- Canned goods and ammunition for my bunker

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T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Germany ... E-mail flaw found in Leopard ... New project aims to end online stupidity

In this issue:
- Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Germany
- Philips reeled into CRT 'cartel' investigation
- Group pushing for open data portability stack
- OpenSocial targets social apps API 'balkanization'
- E-mail flaw comes back from the dead in Leopard
- Hackers jack Monster.com, infect job hunters
- New project aims to end online stupidity
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Under pressure, T-Mobile unlocks iPhone in Germany
T-Mobile will sell an unlocked version of Apple's popular iPhone in Germany while it fights a legal challenge from rival Vodafone, the company said on Wednesday.

Philips reeled into CRT 'cartel' investigation
Koninklijke Philips Electronics became the latest company named in a worldwide investigation into possible price-fixing in the market for cathode-ray tubes used in TVs and computer monitors.

Group pushing for open data portability stack
A new workgroup says the social networking-Web 2.0 boom has created a conundrum: How to securely deliver sets of personal data across the ever-growing flock of such applications and Web sites with a minimum of pain and complexity.

OpenSocial targets social apps API 'balkanization'
Google's OpenSocial initiative to establish common, standard APIs for creating social-networking applications is still in its early days. But its impact for end users, developers, Web site owners, social-network operators and even business application vendors could be huge in the long run. In this interview, Scott McMullan, Google Apps partner lead in Google's Enterprise division, described OpenSocial as an attempt to simplify the lives of developers by addressing what the vendor considers is a 'balkanization' of social-networking APIs.

Firefox adds security, search with 3.0 beta release
Mozilla has released a beta version of Firefox 3.0, moving its next-generation browser one step closer to general release.

E-mail flaw comes back from the dead in Leopard
A serious security flaw in Apple Mail, patched more than a year ago in 'Tiger,' also known as Mac OS X 10.4, has reared its head again in the latest version of the operating system, according to Heise Security.

Hackers jack Monster.com, infect job hunters
Monster.com confirmed Tuesday that it took down a portion of its online job search service after attackers hacked the site and used it to feed exploits to visitors.


ITWHIRLED

New project aims to end online stupidity
A pair of developers are working on an open source filtering project that aims to eliminate stupidity in online communication, employing the same kind of Bayesian filtering methods that email programs use to eliminate spam. The obvious question: If perfected, won't such a system shut down the Internet entirely?

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Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

Gentlemen: What facial hair do you sport?

- Mustache alone
- Soul patch
- Sideburns
- Goatee (with mustache)
- Goatee (without mustache)
- Goatee plus sideburns
- Full beard (neatly trimmed)
- Full beard (somewhat unruly)
- Full beard (mountain man style)
- None -- a clean face is a sign of a clean soul

Vote now!

TomorrowNow execs resign ... Red Hat 4 gets a facelift ... Tesla finally victorious over Edison

In this issue:
- Swatters tricked AT&T while making fake 911 calls
- TomorrowNow CEO resigns; SAP might sell subsidiary
- HP records quarterly profit
- Red Hat 4 gets a facelift
- AT&T buys pay-per-call advertising company
- Vendors, analyst ponder Microsoft's enterprise search play
- Study: Internet could run out of capacity in two years
- Amazon finds a new use for 3G with Kindle
- Tesla finally victorious over Edison
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Swatters tricked AT&T while making fake 911 calls
Criminals have been using social engineering skills to gain access to AT&T networks and place fake 911 calls, a practice called 'swatting.'

TomorrowNow CEO resigns; SAP might sell subsidiary
SAP said Monday that the CEO and other top executives of its TomorrowNow subsidiary have resigned and that the enterprise software maker may sell the business.

HP records quarterly profit
Buoyed by a sharp improvement in its software business, Hewlett-Packard Co. reported a quarterly profit on Monday.

Lust, virus: film fans in China hit with virus attack
Lust seems to be prevailing over caution for computer users in China who download certain unauthorized copies of Ang Lee's latest film: some of them are receiving dozens of viruses instead.

Red Hat 4 gets a facelift
Red Hat has followed up its release of release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.1 two weeks ago with an update to its older RHEL 4 line of operating systems, including kernel updates and hardware tweaks.

AT&T buys pay-per-call advertising company
AT&T plans to buy online advertising company Ingenio for an undisclosed sum, in a move that puts the telephone company in competition with Google and other online advertisement leaders.

Vendors, analyst ponder Microsoft's enterprise search play
Microsoft's recent announcement of a pair of enterprise search products came as the market is at a 'tipping point' in the words of one spokesman.

Study: Internet could run out of capacity in two years
Consumer and corporate use of the Internet could overload the current capacity and lead to brown-outs in two years unless backbone providers invest billions of dollars in new infrastructure, according to a study released Monday.

Amazon finds a new use for 3G with Kindle
Amazon.com isn't the first company to sell an electronic book reader with an easy-on-the-eyes E-Ink display, but its method for delivering those books may have opened up a whole new use for mobile data networks.


OPINION

Where does all the time go?
Sean McGrath, ITworld

In my formative years, I was lucky enough to be exposed to JSP. No, not JSP as in Java. The other one. The previous one. The one that stands for Jackson Structured Programming. This lead me to JSD (Jackson Structured Design) and, to cut a long story short, the wiring of my brain was changed forever. ...Continue


ITWHIRLED

Tesla finally victorious over Edison
In the 1880s, America was rocked by the "War of Currents", as two great inventors waged a publicity battle to determine the nature of the electric distribution grid that would soon blanket the country: Thomas Edison was a proponent of direct current (DC), while Edison's erstwhile employee Nikola Tesla advocated alternating current (AC). While AC eventually became predominant, the New York-area utility Consolidated Edison -- the utility founded in part by and named after Edison -- still provided DC current to a few dozen customers. But that service has at last come to an end.

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POLL

Gentlemen: What facial hair do you sport?

*Mustache alone
*Soul patch
*Sideburns
*Goatee (with mustache)
*Goatee (without mustache)
*Goatee plus sideburns
*Full beard (neatly trimmed)
*Full beard (somewhat unruly)
*Full beard (mountain man style)
*None -- a clean face is a sign of a clean soul

Vote now!

7 ways to be a jerk about Web 2.0 ... Yahoo stock soars on Microsoft buyout rumor ... EMC gears up for consumer push

In this issue:
- AMD launches platform for multimedia users
- EMC gears up for consumer market push
- EarthLink takes hard look at muni Wi-Fi unit
- Microsoft buyout rumors resurface, send Yahoo stock rising
- Dell XPS One strips the tease
- Greatest hits of viral video
- 7 ways to be a jerk about Web 2.0
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

AMD launches platform for multimedia users
Advanced Micro Devices on Monday is expected to launch the 'Spider' platform, which combines the company's next-generation quad-core processors, graphics cards and chipsets in one platform to deliver better graphics, performance-per-watt and improved high-definition video.

EMC gears up for consumer market push
As it targets the consumer market, EMC plans to ship both its own branded products and products branded and supported by partners like Intel.

EarthLink takes hard look at muni Wi-Fi unit
EarthLink Inc.'s municipal Wi-Fi signal grew weaker on Friday as the company said it may sell the business that built wireless networks in Philadelphia and other cities.

Microsoft buyout rumors resurface, send Yahoo stock rising
A blogger is making dormant rumors that Microsoft is looking to buy Yahoo active again after a Microsoft executive outlined plans this week for the company to improve its online search market share from about 10 percent to 30 percent.

Dell XPS One strips the tease
After teasing the public for a while, Dell on Friday revealed an all-in-one computer that combines the monitor and CPU in one box.

AMD could bite Intel with cash infusion
Facing severe pressure from chip rival Intel and four consecutive quarterly net losses, a cash infusion by an Abu Dhabi government investment arm could help struggling chip maker Advanced Micro Devices remain competitive.

Why pagers are stupid without SOA
Nortel Networks Corp. and IBM Corp. are providing a software toolkit and other products that would let companies provide Web services using unified communications equipment. The manufacturers are initially targeting the retail and health-care sectors but will also target telecom carriers and service providers.

Vista in danger of being bypassed by businesses
With Windows 7 due in late 2009 or 2010, Vista uptake at this point really depends whether Vista SP1 (due in Q1, 2008) will smooth over all the problems. If it doesn't, companies are much more likely to stick with XP, analysts say.

Google and Sun may butt heads over Android
There may be trouble brewing between Google and Sun. Google has written its own virtual machine for Android, 'most likely as a way to get around licensing issues with Sun.'


FEATURE

Greatest hits of viral video
Mark Sullivan, PC World

There's no formula for creating a video that millions of people will be inspired to watch and tell their friends about, but if there were, it would have to include some portion of humor (often unintentional), embarrassment, obscenity, and plain old goofiness. Since the advent of YouTube in 2005, many viral videos have been made, but few surpass the popularity of these 25, um, classics. ...Continue


ITWHIRLED

7 ways to be a jerk about Web 2.0
Really a primer on how to be a jerk about practically anything, but with a Web 2.0 twist, you'll learn how to adopt a convincing "I'm so over that" attitude. ...Read more

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POLL

Gentlemen: What facial hair do you sport?

*Mustache alone
*Soul patch
*Sideburns
*Goatee (with mustache)
*Goatee (without mustache)
*Goatee plus sideburns
*Full beard (neatly trimmed)
*Full beard (somewhat unruly)
*Full beard (mountain man style)
*None -- a clean face is a sign of a clean soul

Vote now!

Leopard hacked to run on sub-notebook PC ... 30 failed tech predictions ... Abu Dhabi firm takes $622M stake in AMD

In this issue:
- Google and Sun may butt heads over Android
- Google needs telco partner for 700MHz bid, say analysts
- Leopard hacked to run on Asus sub-notebook
- Abu Dhabi firm takes $622M stake in AMD
- Microsoft wins patent suit over boot-up technology
- Eight signs of evil in high-tech companies
- Top 30 failed technology predictions
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Google and Sun may butt heads over Android
Google could be heading for a showdown with Sun over the way Android, Google's new mobile phone software platform, handles Java.

Google needs telco partner for 700MHz bid, say analysts
Google is said to be preparing a solo bid for frequencies to operate a wireless network in the U.S. -- but analysts say it will need a carrier partner.

Users complain new Gmail version slow, crashes browsers
A major upgrade to Gmail is getting the thumbs down from users who complain that the new version is extremely slow, often fails to load pages and even crashes their browsers.

Leopard hacked to run on Asus sub-notebook
Apple's Leopard has made a jump to a sub-notebook PC, with news today that a hacker has managed to install the OS onto an Asus Eee PC.

Abu Dhabi firm takes $622M stake in AMD
AMD said Friday it has received a $622 million investment from a unit of Mubadala Development Company, an investment company based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Microsoft wins patent suit over boot-up technology
Microsoft said it won a patent dispute Thursday over technology that helps computers boot up more quickly.

VMWare fires back at Oracle's VM performance claims
A VMWare official on Friday scoffed at Oracle's contention that its recent entry into the virtualization market performs better than 'the existing leader server virtualization product.'


FEATURE

Eight signs of evil in high-tech companies
Tom Wailgum, CIO

We don't ask perfection of the companies we deal with. But we all like to believe that, at least on a philosophical level, our employers, suppliers and customers are inherently good. An occasional faux pas can be pardoned (we're all human beings, right?), but moral degeneracy is something else again. Evilness will not be tolerated.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Aby Dahbi govt invests in AMD ... Microsoft delays WinHEC ... Garmin pulls out of Tele Atlas bidding war

More podcasts


ITWHIRLED

Top 30 failed technology predictions
Predictions nearly always come back to bite you -- eventually. Here are some especially delicious ones that should remind us to never say never.

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NEW GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

Gentlemen: What facial hair do you sport?

- Mustache alone
- Soul patch
- Sideburns
- Goatee (with mustache)
- Goatee (without mustache)
- Goatee plus sideburns
- Full beard (neatly trimmed)
- Full beard (somewhat unruly)
- Full beard (mountain man style)
- None - a clean face is a sign of a clean soul

Vote now!

8 signs of evil in high-tech companies ... Microsoft delays WinHEC ... First Facebook enterprise app launches

In this issue:
- Abu Dhabi firm takes $622M stake in AMD
- First enterprise application for Facebook launched
- Microsoft delays WinHEC by six months
- Citigroup signs 30,000 seat deal with Salesforce.com
- Microsoft wins patent suit over boot-up technology
- Top 30 failed technology predictions
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Abu Dhabi firm takes $622M stake in AMD
AMD said Friday it has received a $622 million investment from a unit of Mubadala Development Company, an investment company based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Citigroup signs 30,000 seat deal with Salesforce.com
Citigroup has signed a deal with Salesforce.com that will make it the on-demand customer relationship management vendor's biggest user.

Microsoft wins patent suit over boot-up technology
Microsoft said it won a patent dispute Thursday over technology that helps computers boot up more quickly.

Dell acquires Everdream to boost IT services portfolio
In an effort to boost its managed IT services portfolio, Dell on Thursday agreed to acquire desktop services management company Everdream.

Microsoft delays WinHEC by six months
Microsoft is delaying by six months its annual conference for hardware engineers, where it reveals its upcoming software plans to PC makers and other system builders.

First enterprise application for Facebook launched
Open source enterprise content management company Alfresco has integrated its application with the social networking site to enable its users to communicate more effectively with customers and partners. Alfresco claimed that it was the first Facebook application specifically developed for business users.


FEATURE

Eight signs of evil in high-tech companies
Tom Wailgum, CIO

We don't ask perfection of the companies we deal with. But we all like to believe that, at least on a philosophical level, our employers, suppliers and customers are inherently good. An occasional faux pas can be pardoned (we're all human beings, right?), but moral degeneracy is something else again. Evilness will not be tolerated.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Aby Dahbi govt invests in AMD ... Microsoft delays WinHEC ... Garmin pulls out of Tele Atlas bidding war

More podcasts


ITWHIRLED

Top 30 failed technology predictions
Predictions nearly always come back to bite you -- eventually. Here are some especially delicious ones that should remind us to never say never.

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


NEW GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's most likely to keep you from getting a good night's sleep?

- Work
- Video games
- Caffeine
- TV
- Web-surfing
- Parties (that I attend)
- Parties (being held next door, keeping me up)
- Crying baby
- Stress
- Nothing (zzzzzz)

Vote now!

Businesses may bypass Vista ... EBay to host "Red Team" security conference ... Apple issues Panther security patch

In this issue:
- IBM turns data centers into 'computing clouds'
- Vista in danger of being bypassed by businesses
- EBay to host "Red Team" security conference
- Dell will help corporations go green
- Five favorite Facebook widgets for business users
- Apple issues Panther security patch
- Halo 3 fan punches mom, cops when forced to stop playing
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

IBM to turn data centers into 'computing cloud'
IBM will release new products next year that turn data centers into a 'cloud' of computing resources that can be assigned wherever they are needed.

Vista in danger of being bypassed by businesses
Vista may be skipped over by business users in favor of Windows 7, the next version of the OS, if Microsoft ships it on schedule.

EBay to host "Red Team" security conference
EBay plans to host its own security conference next February, called 'Red Team eBay'.

OPENWORLD: Dell will help corporations go green
Dell plans to release a reference architecture in the future that will pave the way for enterprises to reduce power consumption and go green in the future, Dell CEO Michael Dell said in a keynote at the Oracle OpenWorld 2007 conference on Wednesday.

Disappearing Gmail messages baffle users
When Jeneane Sessum logged into her Gmail account on the afternoon of Oct. 27, she was greeted with a horrifying sight: an empty inbox.

Apple issues Panther security patch
Mac OS X 10.3.9 Panther users also came in for a software update from Apple last night, in the form of the latest security update for the systems.

Google Android on the defensive
Google has explained the choices it offers developers, at a public demonstration of the Android software development kit in London.

3GSM ASIA: GSM group backs LTE for mobile broadband
The board of the GSM Association voted to back LTE (Long-Term Evolution) as the mobile broadband standard to succeed HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access), the CEO of the group said Tuesday.


FEATURE

Five favorite Facebook widgets for business users
C.G. Lynch, CIO

We scoured the widget libraries and came up with five of our favorites for business users based on their utility for getting the job done. ...Continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
IBM unveils Blue Cloud data center software ... Ellison discusses Fusion applications ... EBay to host its own security conference

More podcasts


ITWHIRLED

Halo 3 fan punches mom, cops when forced to stop playing
A Florida teen was enjoying playing Halo 3 on a Sunday night -- like, we mean, really enjoying it. So much so that when his mother told him to stop because it was late, he ignored her. And then when she shut the machine down, he attacked her. And attacked the sheriff's deputies who later arrived on the scene.

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NEW GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!
More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's most likely to keep you from getting a good night's sleep?

- Work
- Video games
- Caffeine
- TV
- Web-surfing
- Parties (that I attend)
- Parties (being held next door, keeping me up)
- Crying baby
- Stress
- Nothing (zzzzzz)

Vote now!

Oops, Gates gets it wrong ... When no password can be best ... Greatest hits of viral video

In this issue:
- Oops, Gates gets it wrong
- Tip: When no password can be best
- Apple could build Penryn into Xserve
- Greatest hits of viral video
- VeriSign to divest several lines of business
- Sun joins virtualization fray with xVM
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Apple could build Penryn into Xserve
While Apple is tight-lipped about the introduction of new Mac systems with Intel's latest Penryn processors, analysts said the company's Unix-based Xserve servers could be the first to include the power-efficient Penryn chips.

Oops, Gates gets it wrong
Bill Gates misspoke while speaking during Microsoft's shareholder meeting, pointing to the challenge around his move to spend less time working for the company.

VeriSign to divest several lines of business
VeriSign plans to refocus its business on its two core activities, managing DNS infrastructure and selling SSL security certificates for Web sites.

Leopard mauls competition, takes half Japan retail market
Apple's new Leopard operating system took a sizable bite of the Japanese retail operating system market during October and accounted for over half of all sales of packaged operating system software despite being on sale for only the last six days of the month.

Sun joins virtualization fray with xVM
Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz unveiled the company's virtualization product line, xVM, at Oracle's OpenWorld conference. XVM consists of two components: xVM Server, a hypervisor with support for Linux, Solaris and Windows guest operating systems; and xVM Ops Center, a management console.

Nortel, with IBM's help, unveils SOA strategy
Nortel this week announced a relationship with IBM to plot a service-oriented architecture and Web services framework for the development of communications-enabled applications and business processes.

Greatest hits of viral video
There's no formula for creating a video that millions of people will be inspired to watch and tell their friends about, but if there were, it would have to include some portion of humor (often unintentional), embarrassment, obscenity, and plain old goofiness. Since the advent of YouTube in 2005, many viral videos have been made, but few surpass the popularity of these 25, um, classics.

IBM: Most Symphony users are Microsoft customers
IBM Tuesday released the second beta of its Symphony rival suite to Microsoft Office, claiming that 88 percent of its users are Microsoft customers

AT&T mobile banking goes nationwide
AT&T fulfilled its promise of nationwide mobile banking on Tuesday, rolling out a service for customers of two banks that uses an application residing on the user's handset.

Apple's new phones lead to iTypos
iPhone users make mistakes more often when texting compared to users of phones with hard keys, a new study found.


WINDOWS TIP

When no password can be best
By Mitch Tulloch, Microsoft MVP

Best and worst approaches for securing built-in Administrator accounts. ...Continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Onecare 2.0 - iPhone in China - Verisign divestments - Nokia N82

More podcasts


ITWHIRLED

Geek Comic of the Week: Nekko and Joruba
Family drama, noir-ish adventure, and moody, shadowy artwork nicely complement the sci-fi themes in this online, ongoing graphic novel. Be sure to start from the beginning and work your way through to catch up!

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NEW GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!
More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's most likely to keep you from getting a good night's sleep?

- Work
- Video games
- Caffeine
- TV
- Web-surfing
- Parties (that I attend)
- Parties (being held next door, keeping me up)
- Crying baby
- Stress
- Nothing (zzzzzz)

Vote now!

Leopard mauls competition ... 10 career killers to avoid ... Microsoft's OneCare 2.0 due next week

In this issue:
- VeriSign to divest several lines of business
- Microsoft's OneCare 2.0 due next week
- Leopard mauls competition, takes half Japan retail market
- Nokia unveils successor to N95
- Judge to White House: Back up e-mail
- 10 career killers to avoid
- NASA research to ease drunkenness
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

VeriSign to divest several lines of business
VeriSign plans to refocus its business on its two core activities, managing DNS infrastructure and selling SSL security certificates for Web sites.

Microsoft's OneCare 2.0 due next week
Microsoft Corp. plans to release a major update to its Windows Live OneCare security suite next week, according to online retailer Amazon.com.

Leopard mauls competition, takes half Japan retail market
Apple's new OS X Leopard took a 53.9 percent share of the Japan OS market in October despite being on sale for only the last six days of the month.

Researcher: Half a million database servers have no firewall
Think your database server is safe? You may want to double-check. According to security researcher David Litchfield, there are nearly half a million database servers exposed on the Internet, without firewall protection.

Nokia unveils successor to N95
Nokia has unveiled a new high-end mobile phone with a 5 megapixel camera and a built-in GPS navigation system.

3GSM ASIA: China Unicom also open to iPhone talks, CEO says
China Unicom may be open to selling Apple's iPhone in China, giving Apple a second option for bringing its device to the world's most populous market.

Apple's new phones lead to iTypos
iPhone users make mistakes more often when texting compared to users of phones with hard keys, a new study found.

Former FBI, CIA employee pleads guilty to computer crime
A former employee of the FBI and CIA has pleaded guilty to charges of fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship and accessing a U.S. government computer system to unlawfully find information about her relatives and the Islamic organization Hizballah.

Judge to White House: Back up e-mail
Judge Henry Kennedy in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a restraining order banning the White House from deleting backup copies of e-mail messages.


CAREER TIP

10 career killers to avoid
Thomas Hoffman, Computerworld

Like other types of workers, IT professionals can be vulnerable to committing career sabotage -- sometimes without even recognizing it.

To help IT professionals become more aware of potential career blunders, Computerworld spoke with John M. McKee, president of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, a Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based career coaching and consulting firm. McKee is the author of Career Wisdom: 101 Proven Strategies to Ensure Workplace Success. Here are 10 career-killers, with McKee's advice about how to recognize and avoid them.


ITWHIRLED

NASA research to ease drunkenness
Sometimes people grouse about all the tax money that goes to supposedly esoteric space-based research. How can it help us in the real world? Well, a test series NASA developed to detect Martian life is now being used to determine if a wine will cause the dreaded "red wine headache."

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Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!
More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's most likely to keep you from getting a good night's sleep?

- Work
- Video games
- Caffeine
- TV
- Web-surfing
- Parties (that I attend)
- Parties (being held next door, keeping me up)
- Crying baby
- Stress
- Nothing (zzzzzz)

Vote now!

China Mobile in talks to sell iPhone ... Microsoft spin-off opens mobile beta ... Windows Server 2008 pricing revealed

In this issue:
* China Mobile to sell iPhone
* Microsoft spin-off opens mobile beta
* OPENWORLD: Cisco helps speed up Oracle 11g
* Apple fixes security bug with iPhone update
* Windows Server 2008 pricing revealed
* Creating a chrooted FTP account
* Does your Website suck?
* Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

China Mobile in talks with Apple to sell iPhone
China Mobile is in talks with Apple to sell the iPhone in China, the company's CEO said on Tuesday. But he's not keen on the type of revenue-sharing model that Apple has insisted on elsewhere in the world.

Microsoft spin-off opens mobile beta
A Microsoft spin-off plans to release an open beta of a new mobile browsing user interface in mid-December.

OPENWORLD: Cisco helps speed up Oracle 11g
Cisco did its part for Oracle users as the OpenWorld conference opened Monday, announcing a protocol it developed with the software company for running Oracle databases over larger server clusters.

Apple fixes security bug with iPhone update
Apple has begun pushing out the iPhone 1.1.2 firmware update, fixing a flaw in the way the phone renders TIFF images.

Windows Server 2008 pricing revealed
Microsoft Monday outlined pricing on eight versions of Windows Server 2008 that are slated to ship early next year.

IBM agrees to buy Cognos for $5B
IBM has agreed to buy business intelligence software vendor Cognos for around $5 billion in cash, in a bid to expand delivery of BI beyond the traditional user base.

IT FORUM: Microsoft readies Stirling security console
Microsoft is on track to begin testing a console by the end of the year that will give customers a single tool for managing all of its Forefront enterprise security products.

OPENWORLD: Siebel On Demand to become 'social CRM'
At its OpenWorld show this week, Oracle Corp. is expected to announce an upcoming version of its Siebel CRM On Demand service that will include social networking features reminiscent of consumer portals such as Facebook or MySpace.


UNIX TIP

Creating a chrooted FTP account
By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld.com

Often referred to as a "chroot jail" or a "padded cell" because users cannot escape from the directories into which they are put when they log in, the basic concept of a "chroot" (change root) configuration is that a user's working view of the system's file system is dramatically modified so that only some particular directory and its contents is visible. However, in order to be useful, each chrooted environment should contain many of the same directories you would expect to find in the root file system on a typical Unix system. Here's what you need to know.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
China Mobile to sell iPhone ... India enters supercomputers list ... Asia carriers offer flat-rate data ... Chizen to step down as Adobe CEO

More podcasts


ITWHIRLED

Does your Website suck?
What with the advances in Web design -- your AJAX and your CSS and your what have you -- you may genuinely not know whether or not your site is a terrible abomination upon the Internet that must be banished and never spoken of again. Fortunately, this handy guide -- in decision flowchart form, the better to be understood by IT managers! -- will give you the lowdown on your probably awful site.

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NEW GIVEAWAY

Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!


POLL

What's most likely to keep you from getting a good night's sleep?

- Work
- Video games
- Caffeine
- TV
- Web-surfing
- Parties (that I attend)
- Parties (being held next door, keeping me up)
- Crying baby
- Stress
- Nothing (zzzzzz)

Vote now!

IBM agrees to buy Cognos for $5B ... Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

Highlights:

* Microsoft reveals Server 2008 pricing, Hyper-V brand
* Dell revamps PowerEdge line of servers
* Microsoft not happy with AV software performance
* IBM agrees to buy Cognos for $5B
* University sues Google over distributed search patent
* Intel launches power-efficient Penryn processors
* Hacker pleads guilty to creating botnets
* Top 10 ridiculous domain names
* Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!


TODAY'S NEWS

Microsoft reveals Server 2008 pricing, Hyper-V brand
Microsoft gave further details Monday of a group of server and virtualization products due next year that will set the tone for how well the company will compete in the enterprise software market.

Dell revamps PowerEdge line of servers
Bringing Intel's latest Penryn chip to its servers, Dell on Monday is expected to revamp its PowerEdge line of servers with new hardware and a new nomenclature to identify the systems.

Microsoft not happy with AV software performance
Microsoft is still experiencing growing pains as it brings its consumer and enterprise security products and service up to speed.

IBM agrees to buy Cognos for $5B
IBM has agreed to buy business intelligence software vendor Cognos for around US$5 billion in cash. The move follows a period of consolidation in the BI and performance management software market, where Oracle bought Hyperion, while Cartesis and ALG Software were snapped up by Business Objects, which is itself being swallowed by SAP. Cognos also bought the much smaller performance management software vendor Applix earlier this year.

University sues Google over distributed search patent
Google has been sued by a university and a start-up company in the U.S. for allegedly infringing on a patented technology to run its online search service.

Intel launches power-efficient Penryn processors
Intel on Sunday launched its long-awaited new line of power-efficient microprocessors, code-named Penryn, designed to deliver better graphics and application performance as well as virtualization capabilities.

Hacker pleads guilty to creating botnets
John Schiefer, 26, admitted that he and some associates developed malware that allowed them to create botnet armies of as many as 250,000 computers. Schiefer was able to collect information sent from the infected computers, including usernames and passwords for Paypal accounts. He and his associates were then able to make purchases using the Paypal accounts. They also shared the password information with others.


ITWHIRLED

- Top 10 ridiculous domain names
- Top 30 failed technology predictions
- If I can only subscribe to five podcasts, which five would I choose?

See these and other top 10 lists


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More than just a T-shirt; it's a public service. This fantastically functional shirt displays loud and proud the current wi-fi signal strength. Enter for a chance to win!