Unix admin tried to axe power grid

A California man pleaded guilty Friday to charges that he shut down the data center responsible for managing the state's electrical supply. ...continue reading 'Unix admin tried to axe power grid'

FTC chairman won't recuse herself in Google deal

U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras won't recuse herself from considering the antitrust implications of Google's proposed acquisition of DoubleClick, despite a request from two privacy groups that she do so. ...continue reading 'FTC chairman won't recuse herself in Google deal'

Sun will offer back-line support for OpenOffice

Sun Microsystems on Monday plans to announce that it will provide support for the OpenOffice.org productivity software suite, citing a wave of momentum behind the open-source project. ...continue reading 'Sun will offer back-line support for OpenOffice'

Opera seeks tougher remedy in Microsoft case

With its fresh antitrust suit filed with the Commission this week, browser maker Opera Software is hoping for a tougher penalty to rein in what it sees as Microsoft's illegal bundling of its Internet Explorer (IE) browser with Windows. One legal expert said that this time around, Microsoft might not be so lucky. ...continue reading 'Opera seeks tougher remedy in Microsoft case'

Google's Picasa optimized for iPhone

Google has introduced specific support for its online photo gallery service Picasa on the iPhone. ...continue reading 'Google's Picasa optimized for iPhone'

Cisco's WiMax focus is in developing world

Cisco Systems sees a big market for WiMax, but not primarily in high-profile deployments in the developed world such as Sprint Nextel's nationwide network, planned for commercial launch in the U.S. next year. ...continue reading 'Cisco's WiMax focus is in developing world'

AMD's Ruiz 'blew it' in 2007, but still gets raise

AMD Chairman and CEO Hector Ruiz acknowledged Thursday that 2007 was a bad year for his company, but that didn't stop AMD's board of directors from raising his salary anyway. ...continue reading 'AMD's Ruiz 'blew it' in 2007, but still gets raise'

After attacks, Apple fixes QuickTime bug

Apple has released a new security patch for QuickTime, its eighth update this year for the media player software. ...continue reading 'After attacks, Apple fixes QuickTime bug'

FTC, law firm hiding DoubleClick conflict

The Web site of a law firm employing the husband of U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras contradicts an FTC explanation that Majoras has no conflict of interest in reviewing DoubleClick's $3.1 billion acquisition by Google, two privacy groups said Thursday. ...continue reading 'FTC, law firm hiding DoubleClick conflict'

Google develops Wikipedia rival

Google is developing an online publishing platform where people can write entries on subjects they know, an idea that's close to Wikipedia's user-contributed encyclopedia - but with key differences. ...continue reading 'Google develops Wikipedia rival'

Forrester: 2008 to be a slow year for IT spending

Forrester Research has revised projections for IT investment in 2008 down from previous research published in October, predicting the year ahead will be a slow one both in the U.S. and globally. ...continue reading 'Forrester: 2008 to be a slow year for IT spending'

Atheros to acquire GPS chip maker u-Nav

Silicon vendor Atheros Communications has agreed to acquire u-Nav Microelectronics, a GPS (Global Positioning System) chip maker, for approximately $54 million in cash and stock, the companies announced after the close of trading Thursday. ...continue reading 'Atheros to acquire GPS chip maker u-Nav'

AMD gives up on 2007, aims Barcelona, profitability for 2008

AMD has delayed general availability of some key products until early next year, when it projects the chips, along with other new processors, will return it to profitability. ...continue reading 'AMD gives up on 2007, aims Barcelona, profitability for 2008'

10 reasons IT should not support the Apple iPhone

Al Sacco, CIO.com

A new report from Forrester Research suggests that the iPhone may never get a chance to succeed in business. Forrester says IT departments should refuse to support the devices for the following 10 reasons. ...continue reading '10 reasons IT should not support the Apple iPhone'

10 reasons IT should not support the Apple iPhone

Al Sacco, CIO.com

A new report from Forrester Research suggests that the iPhone may never get a chance to succeed in business. Forrester says IT departments should refuse to support the devices for the following 10 reasons. ...continue reading '10 reasons IT should not support the Apple iPhone'

Microsoft releases beta of Hyper-V virtualization technology

Microsoft Thursday did something it rarely does. The company released a beta for a long-awaited technology -- in this case its Windows Server 2008 virtualization technology Hyper-V -- ahead of schedule. ...continue reading 'Microsoft releases beta of Hyper-V virtualization technology'

Study predicts data center energy spike

An AMD study has revealed fascinating changes to global data center energy use, suggesting that even small shifts in operational procedures could cut new electricity consumption. ...continue reading 'Study predicts data center energy spike'

AMD fuses GPU, core logic, CPU on new 'Swift' chip

AMD plans to combine the functions of three chips - the GPU (graphics processing unit ), core-logic chipset and CPU (central processing unit) - into one code-named 'Swift', an executive said Thursday. ...continue reading 'AMD fuses GPU, core logic, CPU on new 'Swift' chip'

MS eScience group offers database advice to scientists

Microsoft Research's eScience group is helping scientific researchers use database and online sharing tools in ways they might not have imagined, and sharing those experiences with Microsoft product groups that can tweak their software for easier use by the scientific community. ...continue reading 'MS eScience group offers database advice to scientists'

Infidelity a problem? Offset your cheating online

A Web site is offering people the chance to offset their infidelity by paying random strangers to remain faithful in a satirical bid to highlight its view of carbon offsetting as an 'inadequate' and 'misguided' response to climate change. ...continue reading 'Infidelity a problem? Offset your cheating online'

Doris Lessing and the Internet: "We never thought to ask"

Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

The tech blogs have been abuzz with criticism of British writer Doris Lessing's Nobel Prize acceptance speech, in which she referred to the "inanities" of the Internet. Much of the blogosphere took immediate offense. But as much as we love to defend our favored medium, one cannot deny the hard truth of the matter. She's right, the Internet is indeed full of inane and meaningless nothings, wild inaccuracies and unpolished drivel. But we cannot limit this observation to the Internet alone, and blame technology; there is also a high crap-to-quality ratio on television, and yes, even in printed books. ...continue reading Doris Lessing and the Internet: "We never thought to ask"

Opera files EU antitrust suit against Microsoft

Opera Software has filed an antitrust suit against Microsoft in the European Union, accusing it of stifling competition by tying its Internet Explorer Web browser to Windows, the Norwegian company said Thursday. ...continue reading 'Opera files EU antitrust suit against Microsoft'

AMD to face tough questions at analyst meeting

Amid further delays of AMD's quad-core server chip and plans to write off goodwill from the acquisition of ATI, AMD executives are going to face tough questions when they meet financial analysts in New York Thursday. ...continue reading 'AMD to face tough questions at analyst meeting'

Group asks FTC chairman to step down from DoubleClick review

U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras is consulting with the agency's ethics officer to see if she should recuse herself from a review of Google's planned acquisition of online ad network DoubleClick. ...continue reading 'Group asks FTC chairman to step down from DoubleClick review'

International Trade Commission rules in Nokia's favor

A U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) judge made an initial ruling in Nokia's favor in an ongoing and long-running dispute with Qualcomm. ...continue reading 'International Trade Commission rules in Nokia's favor'

Facebook to license its platform for other social sites

Facebook already encourages developers to build applications that work with its site, publishing details of the tags and APIs needed to exchange data. Now it plans to license those details for use by other social networking sites and platforms, according to the Facebook Developers blog. ...continue reading 'Facebook to license its platform for other social sites'

HP looks to SMBs with new shared storage

HP is preparing to launch a new MSA2000 disk array product family for clustered servers, which it is targeting at SMB deployments and remote offices. ...continue reading 'HP looks to SMBs with new shared storage'

Centric CRM changes name, releases 5.0 version

Centric CRM said Wednesday it has changed its name to Concursive Corp., a move that coincides with the 5.0 release of its product. ...continue reading 'Centric CRM changes name, releases 5.0 version'

Top 10 tech stories of 2007

Marc Ferranti, IDG News Service

This year has been a time of realignment and redefinition, as Apple launched its second zeitgeist-defining product of the new century, Dell and Intel battled to regain their former dominance, the software sector consolidated, Google rallied industry heavyweights around a common mobile device platform, and major vendors scrambled to embrace social networking. So without further ado, here are the top 10 stories of the year. ...continue reading 'Top 10 tech stories of 2007'

Microsoft buys Multimap to boost advertising strategy

Microsoft continues to make acquisitions to boost its online services and advertising strategy. Early Wednesday the company said it snapped up Multimap, a U.K. company that provides online mapping for Europe, North America and Australia. ...continue reading 'Microsoft buys Multimap to boost advertising strategy'

Groups launch new white spaces campaign

A coalition of technology vendors, consumer groups and think tanks has launched a campaign to persuade the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to approve wireless devices that would operate in unused television spectrum. ...continue reading 'Groups launch new white spaces campaign'

OpenLogic wants to count open-source users - openly

Open-source enterprise software developer OpenLogic wants open-source users to stand up and be counted in a worldwide census -- and is offering a new software tool to help the process. ...continue reading 'OpenLogic wants to count open-source users - openly'

Ex-JBoss head Fleury joins startup

JBoss founder Marc Fleury has resurfaced as a paid advisor to Appcelerator, a startup based in Atlanta that makes a toolkit for developing rich Internet applications (RIA). ...continue reading 'Ex-JBoss head Fleury joins startup'

iPhone malware attacks for 2008

Security researchers are warning that the iPhone may generate a new hacker crime wave, becoming 'a primary target for hackers in 2008.' ...continue reading 'iPhone malware attacks for 2008'

Open source and the corporate elephant

More and more open-source developers these days are employees of companies, paid to work on open-source projects, rather than independent programmers doing it for fun. The change raises issues for projects, programmers and employers alike. ...continue reading 'Open source and the corporate elephant'

Survey: Interop is top open-source customer worry

The Open Solutions Alliance, a nonprofit group backed by a number of commercial open-source vendors, released a survey on Wednesday that found interoperability is a foremost concern among open-source-software customers. ...continue reading 'Survey: Interop is top open-source customer worry'

US-CERT: Attackers targeting Access files

Online criminals are exploiting a flaw in the Microsoft Office Access database to install unauthorized software on computers, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) warned Monday. ...continue reading 'US-CERT: Attackers targeting Access files'

Innovators reminisce about the PC wonder years

PC innovators Jack Tramiel, Commodore's founder, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak reminisced about the old days of PCs in a panel discussion celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Commodore 64 PC. ...continue reading 'Innovators reminisce about the PC wonder years'

FTC charges payment company in $200M fraud

The Federal Trade Commission has filed charges against a payment processing company, accusing it of attempting to debit consumers' bank accounts for up to $200 million on behalf of dishonest merchants. ...continue reading 'FTC charges payment company in $200M fraud'

Led Zeppelin clips may be hard to wipe off YouTube

YouTube's technology for finding videos posted without the copyright holder's permission may be useless to identify footage posted to the site from Led Zeppelin's reunion concert on Monday. ...continue reading 'Led Zeppelin clips may be hard to wipe off YouTube'

Cisco's EOS online-content platform coming next year

Cisco will introduce next year its Entertainment Operating System (EOS), a platform for delivering multimedia content to online communities. ...continue reading 'Cisco's EOS online-content platform coming next year'

Nokia invests in contactless communications company

Nokia Growth Partners, the private equity and venture capital arm of Nokia, led a $38 million round of investments in Inside Contactless, the fabless semiconductor company that makes contactless chip platforms. Nokia did not reveal how much of the investment it contributed. ...continue reading 'Nokia invests in contactless communications company'

MSN puts ads on mobile phones

Microsoft began displaying advertisements to mobile users of its MSN site in the U.S. on Monday. ...continue reading 'MSN puts ads on mobile phones'

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'

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'

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'

IDC forecasts IT spending slowdown in '08

IDC forecasts slower growth in IT spending globally and particularly in the U.S., where economic uncertainty will take its toll. ...continue reading 'IDC forecasts IT spending slowdown in '08'

Microsoft reschedules PDC for October 2008

Microsoft has scheduled its Professional Developers Conference for next year after cancelling a meeting that was to be held in October. ...continue reading 'Microsoft reschedules PDC for October 2008'

Best Buy to distribute Dell PCs

In an effort to put more of its PCs on retail shelves, Dell on Thursday signed up with consumer electronics retailer Best Buy to sell its desktops and laptops. ...continue reading 'Best Buy to distribute Dell PCs'

Cisco warns of bug in desktop software

Cisco is advising Windows users of its Cisco Security Agent software to upgrade the product because of a security bug. ...continue reading 'Cisco warns of bug in desktop software'

'AT&T says its wireless network also open to outside devices

AT&T says its wireless network has been open to outside devices and applications for years. ...continue reading 'AT&T says its wireless network also open to outside devices'

Toyota premieres violin-playing robot

Toyota unveiled on Thursday a violin playing robot and said it hopes to have a viable human assistance robots in the early 2010s. ...watch Toyota's new violin-playing robot in action

SourceForge opens eBay-like marketplace

SourceForge Inc.'s open-source, project-hosting Web site now has an eBay-like marketplace, where users can offer support services for sale. ...continue reading 'SourceForge opens eBay-like marketplace'

Oracle buys Dutch apps performance manager Moniforce

Oracle has bought Moniforce, a Dutch vendor of Web application performance management software, for an undisclosed sum. ...continue reading 'Oracle buys Dutch apps performance manager Moniforce'

IBM researchers build supercomputer-on-a-chip

IBM may bring supercomputers to laptops with its newest research project in which pulses of light replace electricity to help cores on chips communicate. ...continue reading 'IBM researchers build supercomputer-on-a-chip'

Dell closes hardware design unit in India

Dell moves its hardware design operation out of India, focusing instead on software development in the country. ...continue reading 'Dell closes hardware design unit in India'

Microsoft to trial XP on OLPC in January

Microsoft said it plans to conduct field trials in January of Windows XP running on the One Laptop Per Child XO laptop. ...continue reading 'Microsoft to trial XP on OLPC in January'

Silicon Valley wireless group seeks new builder

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'

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!

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.


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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!

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!

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!