ITworld Today

Monday, December 10, 2007

Oops! Skype forgets to tell users of bug or patch job

Skype Ltd. on Monday blamed an "unintentional communication oversight" for not notifying users a month ago that it had patched the Windows version of its voice-over-IP client software against a critical bug. ...continue reading 'Oops! Skype forgets to tell users of bug or patch job'

Microsoft fixes bug in Windows Live file-sharing service

Microsoft confirmed it has fixed a bug in its online file storage and sharing service Windows Live FolderShare after users reported problems that the service was deleting files without user authorization. ...continue reading 'Microsoft fixes bug in Windows Live file-sharing service'

Tempe Wi-Fi network on the block

An early municipal Wi-Fi network in Tempe, Arizona, has only 500 subscribers, but it may have a buyer. ... continue reading 'Tempe Wi-Fi network on the block'

Beware of 'blended threats,' phishing zombies in 2008

'Blended threats' - online security attacks that combine several techniques - are likely to become more pervasive in 2008, security industry insiders say. ... continue reading 'Beware of 'blended threats,' phishing zombies in 2008'

Microsoft details Vista SP1 changes

Microsoft Corp. has posted a detailed account of the changes to Windows Vista in the service pack it is scheduled to roll out as a public beta this week. ... continue reading 'Microsoft details Vista SP1 changes'

'08 IT forecasts: XP lives and the greening of tech

The predictable flood of 2008 IT prognostications has rolled in over the past few weeks and we have listened to analysts, vendors, consultants and our geek friends, accepting some forecasts and rejecting others. Turns out we did pretty well culling the wheat from the chaff last year and gazing ahead, though maybe we weren't bold enough in our declarations. So, this year we'll stretch a little. ... continue reading "'08 IT forecasts: XP lives and the greening of tech"

CIA no role model for CIOs

The recent news that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency destroyed videotapes of interrogations of two terrorist suspects may offer a timely reminder for CIOs at private companies in the U.S., tasked with electronic evidence preservation rules since last December. ... continue reading 'CIA no role model for CIOs'

Facebook partners quiet on Beacon fallout

Many of the companies that were part of the launch of Facebook's new advertising platform intend to continue, despite privacy concerns. ...continue reading 'Facebook partners quiet on Beacon fallout'

NetSuite IPO auction begins

NetSuite on Monday said the auction period for its first initial public offering has begun and that it expects the price will be finalized after the stock market's close on Dec. 19. ...continue reading 'NetSuite IPO auction begins'

Mobile Linux group releases first specification

While Google's Linux mobile phone platform, Android, has been stealing the spotlight, another longer-standing mobile Linux group is also moving ahead. ...continue reading 'Mobile Linux group releases first specification'

CNBC taps Microsoft for banner, contextual ads

CNBC has picked Microsoft to be the exclusive provider of display and contextual advertising in the U.S. for the CNBC.com Web site. ...continue reading 'CNBC taps Microsoft for banner, contextual ads'

Toshiba launches its first tablet PC with LED screen

Toshiba on Monday launched its first tablet PCs with LED screens, taking some thunder away from Dell, which later in the day is expected to launch Latitude XT, its convertible PC with an LED screen. ...continue reading 'Toshiba launches its first tablet PC with LED screen'

Paris on Rails welcomes Ruby on Rails 2.0

Organizers of the Paris on Rails conference that opened Monday were so busy preparing over the weekend that they hadn't heard the good news: Version 2.0 of the Ruby on Rails software development framework was released Friday. ...continue reading 'Paris on Rails welcomes Ruby on Rails 2.0'

EMC adds VMware support to Invista SAN tools

The first upgrade of EMC's Invista networked storage virtualization tool will feature the ability to integrate with VMWare virtual servers. ...continue reading 'EMC adds VMware support to Invista SAN tools'

Iona upgrades open, closed source SOA technologies

On Monday, Iona Technologies is updating its Artix and Fuse SOA product lines, which feature the Artix closed source enterprise service bus and the Fuse open source technologies. ...continue reading 'Iona upgrades open, closed source SOA technologies'

World of Warcraft helps boy survive moose attack

When 12-year-old Hans Jørgen Olsen and his sister encountered an ornery moose while walking in the forest near their Norwegian home, the boy applied skills he acquired playing World of Warcraft. He first diverted the beast's attention away from his younger sister and then played possum, 'just like you learn at level 30', to avoid being attacked. ...continue reading 'World of Warcraft helps boy survive moose attack'

LinkedIn opens site to developers, jazzes up design

LinkedIn will let developers build applications for its professional networking site, an approach recently undertaken by social networking competitor Facebook, to make its site more interactive, the company said Monday. ...continue reading 'LinkedIn opens site to developers, jazzes up design'

Toshiba to make flash-based notebook drives

Toshiba will begin manufacturing flash-based solid-state drives for laptops early next year, which the company said will offer faster boot times and lower power consumption than hard disk drives. ...continue reading 'Toshiba to make flash-based notebook drives'

Dutch government threatens to sideline Microsoft

Proposed legislation that would mandate the use of the Open Document Format (ODF) across the entire Dutch government has infuriated Microsoft. A group promoting open standards sees no threat, however, and has invited Microsoft to join its ranks. ...continue reading 'Dutch government threatens to sideline Microsoft'

Via shrinks the PC with Artigo do-it-yourself kit

Via Technologies is shipping a do-it-yourself computer kit, called Artigo, that's based on the credit card-sized Pico-ITX motherboard announced by the company earlier this year. ...continue reading 'Via shrinks the PC with Artigo do-it-yourself kit
'

Fraud charges for former Microsoft employee

A former Microsoft employee has been charged with fraudulently charging the company $1 million in domain name registration fees. ...continue reading 'Fraud charges for former Microsoft employee'

Stolen laptop had 268,000 blood donor IDs

Following a laptop theft, Memorial Blood Centers in Minnesota is notifying 268,000 blood donors that their Social Security numbers may have been stolen. ...continue reading 'Stolen laptop had 268,000 blood donor IDs'

Delay, repairs, even success hit Palm's profit

Struggling smartphone maker Palm can't win for losing. The company's shares plunged Friday after it forecast a revenue shortfall and a loss for its fiscal second quarter ended Nov. 30. Even the success of its newly introduced Centro hurt its financial results, Palm said in a news release. ...continue reading 'Delay, repairs, even success hit Palm's profit'

Free software group files copyright suit against Verizon

A group of lawyers focused on protecting open-source and free software has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Verizon Communications, alleging that routers the company uses with its Fios broadband service violate the GNU GPL (General Public License). ...continue reading 'Free software group files copyright suit against Verizon'

Friday, December 07, 2007

Mozilla, Opera look to make video on the Web easier

New features in the Firefox and Opera browsers could make it less complex and cheaper for people to incorporate video into their Web sites, representatives of Mozilla and Opera say. ...continue reading 'Mozilla, Opera look to make video on the Web easier'

Google disables Gmail accounts by mistake

Google this week mistakenly disabled the Gmail accounts of an undetermined number of users due to an apparently overzealous attempt by the company to combat spammers. ...continue reading 'Google disables Gmail accounts by mistake'

Senate passes extension of R&D tax credit

The U.S. Senate has passed a one-year extension to a research and development tax credit program supported by many technology trade groups. ...continue reading 'Senate passes extension of R&D tax credit'

Analyst: NetSuite IPO should find success

NetSuite's decision to hold an auction-style initial public offering later this month will probably pay off, one analyst judged on Friday. ...continue reading 'Analyst: NetSuite IPO should find success'

Hackers launch major attack on national labs

Hackers have succeeded in breaking into the computer systems of two of the U.S.' most important science labs, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. ...continue reading 'Hackers launch major attack on national labs'

'Zombie' exploits cached by search engines

Over a year after first coming to light, the cache engines of major search engines are still providing a safe hiding place for malicious code, warns security company Aladdin. ...continue reading ''Zombie' exploits cached by search engines'

Facebook doesn't budge on Beacon's broad user tracking

Facebook's CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg has profusely apologized for missteps in the design and deployment of the Beacon ad system, but he remains unrepentant about what privacy advocates consider a particularly egregious feature. ...continue reading 'Facebook doesn't budge on Beacon's broad user tracking'

Microsoft uses new XBRL data tags in SEC filing

Microsoft has submitted data to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) using a newly released taxonomy for a financial reporting language designed to make it easier to compare companies' financial figures. ...continue reading 'Microsoft uses new XBRL data tags in SEC filing'

Multimedia sharing off limits on NAS drive

Concerned about piracy of multimedia files, Western Digital has disallowed the sharing of multimedia files on its 1T-byte network-attached storage drive, the WD My Book World Edition. ...continue reading 'Multimedia sharing off limits on NAS drive'

IBM system to scan streets at Beijing Olympics, NYC

When the 2008 Olympic Games kick off in Beijing next year, organizers will be using a sophisticated computer system to scan video images of city streets looking for everything from troublemakers to terrorists. ...continue reading 'IBM system to scan streets at Beijing Olympics, NYC'

Report: Apple threatens shops selling iPhone in Singapore

Apple recently threatened retailers in a Singapore mall with legal action if they continue to sell unlocked iPhones, prompting many to stop selling the handsets, The Straits Times newspaper reported Friday. ...continue reading 'Report: Apple threatens shops selling iPhone in Singapore'

HP touts BI services growth, NeoView success

Hewlett-Packard's business intelligence (BI) services business saw its customer base grow 50 percent in fiscal 2007, the company said this week, while also trumpeting the success of its Neoview data warehousing appliance. ...continue reading 'HP touts BI services growth, NeoView success'

IDC: Disk storage capacity sales soared in Q3

The capacity of disk storage systems shipped worldwide in the third quarter grew by nearly 50 percent from a year earlier, and EMC maintained its lead in most types of disk storage systems, research company IDC reported Thursday. ...continue reading 'IDC: Disk storage capacity sales soared in Q3'

Media formats to be the focus of upcoming Microsoft patches

Microsoft will issue seven security updates next Tuesday, including critical sets of patches for Windows and Internet Explorer. ...continue reading 'Media formats to be the focus of upcoming Microsoft patches'

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Seagate buys e-discovery company

Storage vendor Seagate Technology said Thursday it plans to buy MetaLINCS, an e-discovery software firm. The vendor's move follows Iron Mountain's purchase earlier this year of Stratify, which is also focused on e-discovery. ...continue reading 'Seagate buys e-discovery company'

The big-name backers of Silicon Valley's proposed wireless network are looking for a new company to build and operate the system after potential financiers rebuffed the original vendor. ...continue reading 'Silicon Valley wireless group seeks new builder'

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Facebook dims Beacon ... Google releases iPhone Web app ... Santa please bring me an HDTV

In this issue:
- Facebook tweaks Beacon again, Zuckerberg apologizes
- Tech groups call on Congress to extend R&D tax credit
- Novell delays financial results due to SEC inquiry
- Google releases iPhone Web app
- Big brands slip up in antivirus tests
- Santa please bring me an HDTV
- Ron Paul spam traced to Ukrainian botnet
- Google integrates AIM into Gmail
- Ten highest-radiation cell phones

TODAY'S NEWS

Facebook tweaks Beacon again, Zuckerberg apologizes
Facebook is giving members of its social network the ability to completely decline participating in the company's controversial Beacon ad system, a reaction to intense criticism that Beacon is too intrusive and compromises people's privacy.

Tech groups call on Congress to extend R&D tax credit
More than 40 trade groups, many representing the IT industry, have renewed their calls for Congress to extend a research and development tax credit that expires this month, saying the tax break protects U.S. jobs.

Novell delays financial results due to SEC inquiry
Novell on Wednesday said it has postponed announcing its fiscal fourth quarter and year-end 2007 results due to an SEC review of its accounting practices.

Google releases iPhone Web app
Google on Wednesday announced the release of a new interface to enable iPhone users to navigate Google's various services through a unified interface.

Big brands slip up in antivirus tests
Many big-brand security products fail to spot commonly-circulating malware, testing outfit has Virus Bulletin found in its latest tests.

Santa please bring me an HDTV
High-definition televisions and high-end game consoles are at the top of holiday wish lists in 2007, according to the results of a new web poll conducted by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

Ron Paul spam traced to Ukrainian botnet
Security researchers have shut down a network of computers responsible for sending out nearly 200 million spam messages supporting the U.S. presidential candidate last month, and after analyzing the server's software, it's clear that there is no such thing as a Ron Paul botnet, according to Joe Stewart, a senior security researcher with SecureWorks. "It probably wasn't even set up by a Ron Paul supporter," he said. "This whole system has been around since 2004. This [spam] somehow just landed in this underground spam economy."

Google integrates AIM into Gmail
Google has integrated AOL's popular AIM instant-messaging service into its Gmail Web-based e-mail client, the company announced on Tuesday.

OPINION

Tim Berners-Lee on Redefining the Web
Dan Blacharski, ITworld

Tim Berners-Lee coins a new term "giant global graph", and gets the joint a buzzin.

ITWHIRLED

Ten highest-radiation cell phones
Worried about all those power emissions coming off of your phone and going straight into your brain, but can't untether yourself from the gadget? This list lets you know which models you should be most freaked out about.

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

POLL

What's your current cell phone opinion?

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

Vote now!

Berners-Lee on Redefining the Web ... Verizon hedges on using Android ... Ron Paul is not a botmaster

In this issue:
- Tim Berners-Lee on Redefining the Web
- Verizon hedges on using Android
- Ron Paul spam traced to Ukrainian botnet
- Salesforce offers data sharing for customers
- Orange sells 30,000 iPhones in five days
- Former Motorola CTO takes the same position at Cisco
- Ten highest-radiation cell phones
- Poll: What's your current cell phone opinion?

TODAY'S NEWS

Salesforce offers data sharing for customers
Salesforce.com has introduced new features for its on-demand enterprise software designed to let customers share hosted data among themselves.

Ron Paul spam traced to Ukrainian botnet
Ron Paul is not a botmaster.

Orange sells 30,000 iPhones in five days
French mobile phone operator Orange sold 30,000 iPhones in the five days following its Nov. 29 launch, the company said Wednesday.

PDF approved as international standard in ISO vote
Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) 1.7 has been approved as an international standard by the International Standards Organization (ISO), according to a company executive.

Verizon hedges on using Android
Despite reports to the contrary, Verizon Wireless hasn't yet decided whether it will use Android.

Red Hat aims MRG software at IBM, Tibco
Red Hat on Tuesday unveiled software that combines messaging, real-time and grid capabilities for enterprises that need an OS that can process messages and transactions at lightning speed, such as those in the financial services industry.

Former Motorola CTO takes the same position at Cisco
Padmasree Warrior, who quit as Motorola's CTO Monday, will take the same title at Cisco Systems.

Google integrates AIM into Gmail
Google has integrated AOL's popular AIM instant-messaging service into its Gmail Web-based e-mail client, the company announced on Tuesday.

OPINION

Tim Berners-Lee on Redefining the Web
Dan Blacharski, ITworld

Tim Berners-Lee coins a new term "giant global graph", and gets the joint a buzzin.

ITWHIRLED

Ten highest-radiation cell phones
Worried about all those power emissions coming off of your phone and going straight into your brain, but can't untether yourself from the gadget? This list lets you know which models you should be most freaked out about.

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

POLL

What's your current cell phone opinion?

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

Vote now!

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

700MHz filing deadline: What's next? ... SAP puts Web 2.0 spin on CRM ... Nokia plans more Internet services

In this issue:
- SAP puts a Web 2.0 spin on CRM upgrade
- Nokia lays plan for more Internet services
- UPDATE: Sun to dangle prize money over open-source efforts
- F-Secure: Malware samples doubled in one year
- Court lets T-Mobile sell locked iPhones in Germany
- New cell phone service helps Londoners find public toilets
- Poll: What's your current cell phone opinion?

TODAY'S NEWS

SAP puts a Web 2.0 spin on CRM upgrade
SAP on Tuesday announced an update to its customer relationship management software with a Web 2.0-style interface that could help to increase usage rates among workers.

Nokia lays plan for more Internet services
Nokia unveiled an ambitious plan on Tuesday to move beyond cell phones and deeper into the world of Internet services, where it will compete more directly with Google, Apple and Microsoft.

UPDATE: Sun to dangle prize money over open-source efforts
Sun Microsystems on Wednesday will release details of a new award program meant to spur growth and activity within the company's open-source efforts, according to a post by Sun's open-source officer, Simon Phipps, on his corporate blog.

F-Secure: Malware samples doubled in one year
Finnish security vendor F-Secure has collected twice as many malicious software samples this year than it has over the last 20 years, a trend that highlights the growing danger of malicious software on the Internet.

Court lets T-Mobile sell locked iPhones in Germany
T-Mobile Germany need not sell an unlocked version of Apple's iPhone, a court in Hamburg ruled Tuesday.

CDT urges changes to wiretapping legislation
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) has urged the U.S. Congress to make changes to a bill that would extend a controversial wiretapping program.

700MHz filing deadline: What's next?
Companies wishing to bid in the upcoming 700MHz auctions at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission were largely silent about their plans Monday, the deadline for submitting bid applications.

Motorola CTO leaves company
Motorola's chief technology officer has left the company, just days after Motorola announced it will replace CEO Ed Zander.

Adobe upgrades Flash to high definition
Adobe on Tuesday slashed the price of its Flash Media Server, making the system compatible with additional movie codecs and potentially opening the floodgates to making more video content available online.

Dell pressures suppliers to cut emissions
Dell has become the first IT company to sign up to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) plan to report on supply chain carbon emissions.

GO FIGURE

IT personnel are to blame in 30% of all data breach incidents. That's the finding of new research from security services firm Orthus. The next-highest offender is the customer service department at 22%.

ITWHIRLED

New cell phone service helps Londoners find public toilets
The city of Westminster, a part of the bustling core of greater London, has launched a service where you can send a 50-cent text message to get directions to the nearest free public bathroom. Officials hope this makes a dent in the increasingly gross problem of public urination -- they estimate that 10,000 gallons of urine end up on city streets every year.

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

POLL

What's your current cell phone opinion?

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

Vote now!

Beacon tracks non-Facebook users ... System restores made easy ... Intel, AMD price war winds down

In this issue:
- CA: Beacon's reach extends to non-Facebook users
- Microsoft: Windows flaw could steer IE to hackers
- Sun to dangle prize money over open-source efforts
- Windows Tip: System restores made easy
- Price war between Intel and AMD winding down, study says
- Microsoft to beef up anti-piracy checks in Vista SP1
- New cell phone service helps Londoners find public toilets
- Win a Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt!

TODAY'S NEWS

CA: Beacon's reach extends to non-Facebook users
If you think that just because you have never signed up for Facebook you're immune to the tracking and collecting of user activities outside of this popular social networking site, think again.

Anti-virus testing guidelines coming early next year
Consumers should have more accurate information with which to compare security software suites under a new set of software testing guidelines to be finalized early next year.

Price war between Intel and AMD winding down, study says
Pinched by microprocessor price wars, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices are trying to move away from competing over prices, to competing on microprocessor features and functionality instead, according to a study released by iSuppli on Monday.

EBay, Yahoo Japan to tie up in auctions
EBay and Yahoo Japan are tying up to make it easier for their respective users to bid on and buy goods available on each other's sites.

Microsoft: Windows flaw could steer IE to hackers
Microsoft Corp. said Monday that a flaw in the way its Windows operating system looks up other computers on the Internet has resurfaced and could expose some customers to online attacks.

Sun to dangle prize money over open-source efforts
Sun Microsystems on Wednesday will release details of a new award program meant to spur growth and activity within the company's open-source efforts, according to a post by Sun's open-source officer, Simon Phipps, on his corporate blog.

Real-time Linux launched by Red Hat
Red Hat has launched a real-time version of Linux, aimed at applications needing predictable responses, from process control to financial market traders.

Microsoft to beef up anti-piracy checks in Vista SP1
Microsoft will change the user experience of its automatic anti-piracy checks in Windows Vista and also make it harder for hackers to bypass the system in the first service pack for the OS due out early next year.

WINDOWS TIP

System restores made easy
By Mitch Tulloch, Microsoft MVP

Restore a backup to a different hardware platform using virtualization. ...continue reading 'System restores made easy'

ITWHIRLED

New cell phone service helps Londoners find public toilets
The city of Westminster, a part of the bustling core of greater London, has launched a service where you can send a 50-cent text message to get directions to the nearest free public bathroom. Officials hope this makes a dent in the increasingly gross problem of public urination -- they estimate that 10,000 gallons of urine end up on city streets every year. ... read more

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!

Monday, December 03, 2007

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."

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!

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!

Friday, November 30, 2007

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.

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POLL

What's your current cell phone opinion?

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

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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!

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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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!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

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.

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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!

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!

Monday, November 26, 2007

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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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!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

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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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

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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

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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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!

Monday, November 19, 2007

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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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!