Take-Two settles 'Hot Coffee' sex content case

In this issue:
* Take-Two settles 'Hot Coffee' sex content case
* 17 charged in massive ID theft bust
* Consortium unleashes A$50 million worth of IT jobs
* Nigeria favors Mandriva over Microsoft once more
* Top 10 Wi-Fi boosts, tweaks, and apps


TODAY'S NEWS

Take-Two settles 'Hot Coffee' sex content case
Game developer Take-Two Interactive Thursday announced a preliminary settlement on all consumer class action lawsuits in the U.S. related to a software modification called Hot Coffee, which unlocked sex scenes on the popular game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."

Google shares fall back below $700
Shares of Internet darling Google Inc. dropped below US$700 for the first time in seven trading days Thursday, in part due to fears the U.S. housing loan mess will spill over into the wider economy.

17 charged in massive ID theft bust
The operators of a New York business have been charged with running a massive identity-theft and money-laundering operation that raked in more than US$35 million over a four-year period.

Consortium unleashes A$50 million worth of IT jobs
More than A$50 million (US$46.4 million) worth of Australian IT jobs and scholarships worth A$250,000 are on offer in the next 12 months, a consortium of ICT (information and communications technology) industry leaders including IBM, Microsoft, CSC and KPMG announced Thursday.

Nigeria favors Mandriva over Microsoft once more
Microsoft may not have beaten French Linux vendor Mandriva in a large deal to supply Nigerian elementary schools with laptop computers and software after all.


ITWHIRLED

She's a 10

> 10 reasons why software managers tend to suck
> Most notable notebooks of 2007
> Top 10 Wi-Fi boosts, tweaks, and apps

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

Red Hat, Amazon deliver Linux on demand ... Android just a press release, says Ballmer ... HP zooms out of camera business

In this issue:
* AMD brings GPU technology to high-performance computing
* Trend Micro arms PlayStation against bad Web sites
* IBM gives autonomic computing a brain
* High availability and disaster recovery are not the same thing
* Red Hat, Amazon deliver Linux on demand
* Google's Android just a press release, says Ballmer
* HP zooms out of camera business
* Sam Adams takes on Sam Adams over Sam Adams-themed URL


TODAY'S NEWS

AMD brings GPU technology to high-performance computing
AMD introduced a high-performance processor that uses a technology common in graphics chips, called parallelism, for general purpose computing.

Trend Micro arms PlayStation against bad Web sites
Trend Micro has introduced a security service for Sony's PlayStation 3 that blocks access to malicious Web sites, the company's first product for gamers.

IBM gives autonomic computing a brain
To keep up with growing complexities of data center maintenance, IBM on Thursday announced a new set of self-management tools that can reduce the cost and manpower needed to run data centers

Google's Android just a press release, says Ballmer
Microsoft's Steve Ballmer declined to comment on Google's Android platform on Thursday saying it was nothing but a press release at present.

Hard drive prices drop as PC demand rises
Prices are dropping on notebook and desktop hard drives as demand for PCs and consumer electronics skyrockets.

Opposition to Google's DoubleClick deal mounting
For some privacy advocates, Google's proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick represents a major threat.

HP zooms out of camera business
HP shifts its digital camera business model, channeling investments from design and distribution to its photo printing strategy.

Red Hat, Amazon deliver Linux on demand
Red Hat Wednesday made its Enterprise Linux OS available on demand by releasing it for the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) service that hosts business applications.

Washington AG goes after search engine fixer, again
The Washington State Attorney General's Office is back in court, trying again to get a company that sells search engine ranking services to change its business practices.

Fast mobile on track but faces curves
A new mobile technology offering several megabits per second is working as planned, but that doesn't guarantee that kind of speed at its launch date in 2010.


STORAGE

High availability and disaster recovery are not the same thing
By David Hill, Mesabi Group

IT organizations may confuse the terms "high availability" and "disaster recovery." You need both, but if you think that the two are synonymous you may do one or the other and think that you have done the other. And that could be a problem as the two, while interrelated, are not the same. ...Continue


NETWORKING

Netuitive 2.0
By James Gaskin, ITworld

Can you define Business Services Management without looking at the latest vendor advertising? Not looking at vendor information, I call it managing the systems your customers use to verify they are receiving the service you designed the system to deliver. Above all else, customers must be satisfied or they become ex-customers. ...Continue


ITWHIRLED

Sam Adams takes on Sam Adams over Sam Adams-themed URL
Sam Adams is running for mayor of Portland, Ore., and as you might expect, he's secured a number of URLs with his name in them, including www.samadamsformayor.com and www.mayorsamadams.com. This raised the ire of the Boston company that brews Samuel Adams beer, which promptly started sending out cease and desist letters. When Sam Adams (the candidate) pointed out that he's been Sam Adams since 1963 -- 21 years before Samuel Adams (the beer) was trademarked, the brewers finally backed down.

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


POLL

What's your Wikipedia usage like?

- I would never use anything so notoriously unreliable
- I use it as a starting point to find out about subjects I'm unfamiliar with
- I sometimes contribute to articles on subjects I'm knowledgeable about
- I can follow from link to link for hours, and have done major surgery on a number of articles
- I'm currently engaged in at least three very heated edit wars

Vote now!

Google and Firefox: Cause for concern? ... Microsoft fires CIO ... This week in wacky auctions: Pol Pot's limo

In this issue:
* Google and Firefox: Cause for Concern?
* China's Founder agrees to preinstall Windows on more PCs
* Gphones cool, but may take time to catch on, says ARM CEO
* Microsoft's Centro becomes 'Essential' business server
* Salesforce.com falls for phishing scam, warns customers
* Microsoft fires CIO
* Facebook gives social spin to online ads
* Up for auction: Small Texas town, Pol Pot's limo


TODAY'S NEWS

China's Founder agrees to preinstall Windows on more PCs
Founder Technology Group, China's second-largest PC maker, agreed to preinstall Windows Vista on laptop computers and commercial desktops, closing a loophole in an earlier deal with Microsoft that potentially exempted commercial PCs from agreements to preinstall Windows.

Gphones cool, but may take time to catch on, says ARM CEO
Google's new mobile phone software may raise hype over possible 'Gphones,' but it may take a while to catch on , the head of ARM said Wednesday.

Microsoft's Centro becomes 'Essential' business server
Microsoft will release a public beta version of a bundle of server software products for medium-size businesses, code-named 'Centro,' in the first half of next year.

Salesforce.com falls for phishing scam, warns customers
Salesforce.com is warning customers that they may be the targets of malicious software or phishing scams, after one of its employees was tricked into divulging a corporate password.

Microsoft fires CIO
Microsoft fired its Chief Information Officer, Stuart Scott, after an investigation for violation of company policies.

Intel brings EMC to small-business storage
Intel has added processing brawn and big-name brains in its second shot at home and small-business storage.

Facebook gives social spin to online ads
Facebook presented its master plan for boosting its advertising revenue now that it has the challenge of living up to its stratospheric $15 billion valuation.


OPINION

Google and Firefox: Cause for Concern?
Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

It's pretty clear that without Google, Mozilla would not exist. Mozilla gets 85 percent of its revenues from Google, and even though it's a non-profit (a designation that in reality is functionally meaningless), Mozilla isn't just a bunch of volunteer geeks -- it's a big business in and of itself, with an office to run and payroll to meet. ...Continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Yahoo blasted over involvement in Shi Tao affair ... Microsoft fires its CIO ... Salesforce.com warns customers they are targets of phishing scam

More podcasts


ITWHIRLED

This week in wacky auctions
Have you ever wanted to buy a small Texas town? How about Pol Pot's limousine? Both can be yours in the wonderland that is eBay. You've already missed your chance to buy a mailbox hit by a meteorite.

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


POLL

What's your Wikipedia usage like?

- I would never use anything so notoriously unreliable
- I use it as a starting point to find out about subjects I'm unfamiliar with
- I sometimes contribute to articles on subjects I'm knowledgeable about
- I can follow from link to link for hours, and have done major surgery on a number of articles
- I'm currently engaged in at least three very heated edit wars

Vote now!

HTC to be first with Google phone ... After crash, China won't sell Olympic tix online ... Red Hat joins open source Java project

In this issue:
- HTC already working on Google phone
- Red Hat signs on to Sun's open-source Java project
- MySpace launches self-serve ad service
- Microsoft unveils enterprise search products
- China abandons plans to sell Olympics tickets online
- Google's mobile move: awe-inspiring and terrifying
- Apple posts QuickTime security fix
- Human race to split into two species: One attractive, the other ugly


IN THE NEWS

Red Hat signs on to Sun's open-source Java project
Red Hat has signed on to contribute to Sun's open-source Java project and to align its Java development efforts for Linux with the project, OpenSDK.

Microsoft unveils enterprise search products
Microsoft is set to release a pair of low-cost enterprise search products, a move one company official said comes at a time when the market in question is 'at a tipping point.'

China abandons plans to sell Olympics tickets online
Organizers of the Beijing Olympics Monday gave up on online ticket sales after the ticketing system crashed last week.

HTC already working on Google phone
Taiwanese mobile phone maker High Tech Computer (HTC) is already working on a Google phone, and will start selling it in the second half of next year, an executive said Tuesday.

Google's mobile move: awe-inspiring and terrifying
Google's announcement on Monday of a mobile development platform that could radically alter the wireless market is yet another example of the lengths the company will go to keep its advertising business growing at a jaw-dropping rate.

Google's Android adds to mobile complexity
While Google may be pitching its new mobile software platform as a way to unify the mobile market, even members of the new alliance think differently.

Apple posts QuickTime security fix
Apple has released an update to its QuickTime media player, fixing a number of critical security bugs in the software.

MySpace launches self-serve ad service
MySpace plans to launch a self-serve advertising service targeted to small-business owners, musicians, politicians and others looking to reach MySpace users


WINDOWS TIP

Page files, system volumes, and large memory 64-bit systems
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises

Conventional wisdom is that your page file should be 1.5 times the size of your system's RAM. But since 64-bit Windows servers often have huge amounts of memory, do you really need to allocate a whopping 48 GB of hard drive space just to your page file on a system that has 32 GB of RAM? ...continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Google announces software for mobile phones ... HTC to be first with Google phone ... Organizers abandon online ticket sales for 2008 Olympics


ITWHIRLED

Human race to split into two species: One attractive, the other ugly
A British evolutionary theorist believes that our far future ancestors will be taller and have better hair and deeper voices -- if they're part of the elite. The underclass will spawn a race of stocky, goblin-like creatures. ...read more


POLL

What's your Wikipedia usage like?

- I would never use anything so notoriously unreliable
- I use it as a starting point to find out about subjects I'm unfamiliar with
- I sometimes contribute to articles on subjects I'm knowledgeable about
- I can follow from link to link for hours, and have done major surgery on a number of articles
- I'm currently engaged in at least three very heated edit wars

Vote now!

Google details 'Android' mobile platform ... MySpace launches self-serve ad service ... Dell to acquire EqualLogic

In this issue:
* Google details highly anticipated 'Android' mobile platform
* MySpace launches self-serve ad service
* Dell to acquire SAN vendor EqualLogic
* HP's Windows Home Server box goes on sale
* RIM offers BlackBerry software for small businesses
* Gartner: SAAS purchasing decisions 'are bypassing IT'
* LG's iPhone look-alike launched in Europe
* Kick-start your job search with new Yahoo social network
* Celebrity nerds outed


IN THE NEWS

Google details highly anticipated 'Android' mobile platform
Google on Monday announced a widely expected open-development platform for mobile devices backed by industry heavyweights like T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm and Motorola that could shake the wireless market to its core by simplifying and reducing the cost of developing mobile applications.

MySpace launches self-serve ad service
MySpace plans to launch a self-serve advertising service for small businesses.

Dell to acquire SAN vendor EqualLogic
Dell has entered into an agreement to acquire SAN (storage area network) vendor EqualLogic for $1.4 billion

HP's Windows Home Server box goes on sale
The first hardware boxes with Microsoft's Windows Home Server goes on sale worldwide Monday, as the company announces more partner support for its first server OS aimed specifically for home use.

RIM offers BlackBerry software for small businesses
Research in Motion has released a BlackBerry software package deigned for businesses with up to 30 wireless users.

Gartner: SAAS purchasing decisions 'are bypassing IT'
Three-quarters of all software as a service (SAAS) has been bought by business unit managers rather than IT managers, Gartner research vice-president Ben Pring has warned.

LG's iPhone look-alike launched in Europe
The iPhone-like handset that LG Electronics unveiled at August's Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) trade show is now on sale in Europe.

Kick-start your job search with new Yahoo social network
Yahoo Inc. launched a new professional social network called Y! Kickstart Sunday aimed at helping college students take the social networking skills they perfected for fun during college and use them to launch their professional lives.


OPINION

Printer Security Issues
James Gaskin, ITworld.com

I hoped the "hacked zombie printer" stories were just security company scare tactics. When someone asked me about securing printers during an Altiris ManageFusion security panel, I questioned it and said no one I knew has suffered from a hacked printer.

Unfortunately, printer hacks do exist, according to Jesper Jurcenoks, CTO of NetVigilance. He was a panelist on my Security 2008: What You Need Now panel at the ITEC show in Chicago, and he has first hand experience.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft convinces Nigeria to switch to Windows ... Google to announce open-source mobile OS ... OLPC under pressure from commerical laptops


ITWHIRLED

Many celebrities also nerds
The worlds of the geek and the Hollywood movie star may seem to be miles apart, but many celebrities from the entertainment world have their nerdy side. For instance, Blossom's Mayim Bialik is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience; Robin Williams is a hardcore gamer; and legendary beauty Hedy Lamarr patented spread-spectrum technology, which underlies both Ethernet and cell phone communication.


POLL

What's your Wikipedia usage like?

- I would never use anything so notoriously unreliable
- I use it as a starting point to find out about subjects I'm unfamiliar
with
- I sometimes contribute to articles on subjects I'm knowledgeable about
- I can follow from link to link for hours, and have done major surgery
on a number of articles
- I'm currently engaged in at least three very heated edit wars

Vote now!

LG launches iPhone look-alike ... Google to announce open-source mobile OS ... Cheap Linux laptops threaten OLPC

In this issue:
* LG's iPhone look-alike launched in Europe
* RIM offers BlackBerry software for small businesses
* Google to announce mobile platform on Monday
* Cheap Linux PCs may pressure One Laptop Per Child
* Mozilla offers stability update to Firefox
* Microsoft swoops in to claim Nigeria Linux deal
* Celebrity nerds outed
* Poll: What's your Wikipedia usage like?


IN THE NEWS

LG's iPhone look-alike launched in Europe
The iPhone-like handset that LG Electronics unveiled at August's Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) trade show is now on sale in Europe.

Samsung to target enterprise servers with new SSDs
Samsung Electronics is moving towards commercialization of solid-state disk drives that use the high-speed SATA II interface.

RIM offers BlackBerry software for small businesses
Research in Motion has released a BlackBerry software package deigned for businesses with up to 30 wireless users.

Google to announce mobile platform on Monday
Google negotiators this weekend continue to hammer out agreements with wireless carriers, handset makers, software developers and hardware providers, as the company prepares to announce on Monday an ambitious platform for creating mobile applications.

Cheap Linux PCs may pressure One Laptop Per Child
OLPC's XO laptop faces pricing and adoption pressure from tumbling prices of commercial laptops.

Mozilla offers stability update to Firefox
It doesn't include planned Leopard enhancements, but Firefox developers have released an update to their open-source software, fixing bugs that had been causing the browser to crash at startup, render Web pages improperly or disable add-ons for some users.

Survey: Open source gaining traction in U.S. government
A survey says more than half of all IT decision-makers in the U.S. government have implemented open-source software

Microsoft swoops in to claim Nigeria Linux deal
Linux vendor Mandriva had agreed to supply a customized Linux OS for 17,000 Intel Classmate PCs, which are rugged laptops aimed for educational use in developing countries. But Nigeria has since decided that it will strip the OS from the Classmate PCs and install Microsoft's Windows OS instead.


OPINION

I used to know what XML is. Now I am not so sure.
By Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

I used to know what XML is. With one hundred percent certainty I used to know that XML is a way of annotating text to make the structure of the text both open and explicit to machines. I have written a lot of stuff about it over the years. In the years since the acronym has crossed the chasm into, um, the chasms that follow the first chasm, there has been an enormous proliferation in the usage scenarios for XML. Not all of them wholly appropriate in my opinion but let us not go there today. For today's purposes, let us focus on two illustrative divergences in the interpretation of that humble TLA "XML". ...Continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft convinces Nigeria to switch to Windows ... Google to announce open-source mobile OS ... OLPC under pressure from commerical laptops


ITWHIRLED

Many celebrities also nerds
The worlds of the geek and the Hollywood movie star may seem to be miles apart, but many celebrities from the entertainment world have their nerdy side. For instance, Blossom's Mayim Bialik is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience; Robin Williams is a hardcore gamer; and legendary beauty Hedy Lamarr patented spread-spectrum technology, which underlies both Ethernet and cell phone communication. ...Read more


POLL

What's your Wikipedia usage like?

- I would never use anything so notoriously unreliable
- I use it as a starting point to find out about subjects I'm unfamiliar with
- I sometimes contribute to articles on subjects I'm knowledgeable about
- I can follow from link to link for hours, and have done major surgery on a number of articles
- I'm currently engaged in at least three very heated edit wars

Vote now!

Sub-$300 Linux laptops coming next year ... Top 10 auto "Out of Office" replies ... Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say

In this issue:
- China's Olympic ticketing system crashes on first day
- Symantec CEO sees more acquisitions ahead
- MySpace joins Google's OpenSocial project
- Sub-$300 Linux notebooks coming next year
- Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say
- Mozilla, Microsoft drawing sabers over next JavaScript
- Unix file system names demystified
- Top ten auto "Out of Office" replies


IN THE NEWS
_______________

China's Olympic ticketing system crashes on first day
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games' (BOCOG's) plans for a 'high-tech' 2008 Olympics got off to a rocky start this week, when the online ticketing system for the games crashed under a crush of visitors shortly after tickets went on sale to the general public.

Symantec CEO sees more acquisitions ahead
More acquisitions lie in the future of Symantec as it looks to strengthen key business areas and keep pace with evolving security threats, its CEO said Friday.

MySpace joins Google's OpenSocial project
Google's OpenSocial got a major boost on Thursday when MySpace, the world's most popular social networking site, announced it will participate in the project to streamline the creation and adoption of social Web applications.

Everex to launch Linux notebooks under $300 next year
After introducing a $198 Linux desktop Wednesday, PC vendor Everex will bring Linux laptops under $300 to users next year.

Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say
While it isn't yet clear what type of mobile announcement Google plans to make, it is clear what Google should do and why the company is interested in mobile services, experts say.

Mozilla, Microsoft drawing sabers over next JavaScript
Mozilla CTO Brendan Eich and Microsoft's Chris Wilson are trading heated rhetoric over the proposed next version of ECMAScript, better known as JavaScript.


UNIX TIP

Unix file system names
By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld.com

One of the questions that Unix users are sometimes reluctant to ask is how all the directory names -- like /etc, /var and /usr/local -- came about in the first place. Why did we adopt the particular names we use today instead of names that might make more sense to the casual user? What do these file system and directory names tell us about the intended content? ...Continue reading 'Unix file system names'


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Google screenshot raises questions about link between search and ad sales ... Everex plans to sell sub-$300 laptops next year ... Cisco to spend $16 billion in China


ITWHIRLED

Top tens:
- The ugliest products in tech history
- Top Ten auto "Out of Office" replies
- Top 10 Google Products You Forgot All About

Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say ... China's president talks IT warfare ... Top ten auto "Out of Office" replies

In this issue:
- Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say
- With screenshot out, Google denies rank tampering
- Licensing change opens Leopard Server to virtualization
- Dell in compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements
- Report: Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11
- Bluetooth picks Wi-Fi as UWB drags along
- China's president Hu talks IT warfare
- The ugliest products in tech history


IN THE NEWS

Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say
While it isn't yet clear what type of mobile announcement Google plans to make, it is clear what Google should do and why the company is interested in mobile services, experts say.

With screenshot out, Google denies rank tampering
An image with dollar figures next to Google search results prompted speculation that commercial considerations affect Google rankings, but Google denies it.

Licensing change opens Leopard Server to virtualization
A change to the licensing agreement for Apple's OS X Leopard Server will allow users to run virtual machines on Apple hardware for the first time, industry players say.

Dell in compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements
After facing delisting on Nasdaq multiple times for failing to file earnings reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on time, Dell announced on Thursday it is fully compliant with the stock exchange's listing requirements.

Report: Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11
Security experts are saying that a reported al-Qaeda cyber jihad attack planned against Western institutions should be treated with skepticism.

Bluetooth picks Wi-Fi as UWB drags along
The Bluetooth community has decided to make a fast version of Bluetooth running over the Wi-Fi protocol, because handset makers and operators are increasingly frustrated by the wait for ultra-wideband (UWB) to finally appear in handsets.

IBM launches server consolidation tool
IBM has just launched an analysis tool that it reckoned would help businesses find under-utilized x86 servers that could profitably be consolidated.

Critic: FTC needs to take action on targeted ads
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission needs to take action to protect consumers against invasive targeted advertising practices, one critic said Thursday.


OPINION

Defense comes to forefront at China's Communist Party Congress
By Steven Schwankert

China's current president, Hu Jintao, was specific in his references to one area of IT guaranteed to raise eyebrows outside the country: defense. 'We must build strong armed forces through science and technology. To attain the strategic objective of building computerized armed forces and winning IT-based warfare, we will accelerate composite development of mechanization and computerization, carry out military training under IT-based conditions, modernize every aspect of logistics, intensify our efforts to train a new type of high-caliber military personnel in large numbers and change the mode of generating combat capabilities.' ...Continue


PODCAST

Acer files patent counterclaim against HP ... Google's stock price breaks $700 mark ... NEC gets order for new supercomputer


ITWHIRLED

Geek Comic of the Week: Bayeux Rhythms
Who would have thought that the iconic Bayeux Tapestry could be such a barrel of laughs? History geeks will love this thrice-weekly comic, which places embroidered characters from the days of William the Conqueror in very silly situations.

Top tens:
- The ugliest products in tech history
- Top ten auto "Out of Office" replies
- Top 10 Google products you forgot all about

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


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!

Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11 ... Lenovo loses ground to Acer ... The ugliest products in tech history

In this issue:
- Lenovo has another strong quarter, but loses ground to Acer
- Cisco to spend $16B in China over next five years
- Report: Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11
- NEC gets first order for SX-9 supercomputer
- Google shares break $700 on reports of wireless talks
- Privacy groups call for do-not-track list
- How to influence anyone
- The ugliest products in tech history


IN THE NEWS

Lenovo has another strong quarter, but loses ground to Acer
Lenovo turned in another big jump in revenue and net income during its fiscal second quarter, boosted by strong demand for PCs in China and other markets. But a strong performance during the period wasn't enough to stay ahead of Acer.

Cisco to spend $16B in China over next five years
Cisco Systems Chairman and CEO John Chambers announced on Thursday $16 billion in new investments in China, including manufacturing, investment and educational programs.

Report: Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11
Security experts are saying that a reported al-Qaeda cyber jihad attack planned against Western institutions should be treated with skepticism.

NEC gets first order for SX-9 supercomputer
A week to the day since NEC launched its new SX-9 supercomputer, the company has its first order.

Google shares break $700 on reports of wireless talks
Google's stock topped $700 for the first time on Wednesday, as reports about its mobile software plans heated up.

Privacy groups call for do-not-track list
A coalition of nine privacy and consumer groups have proposed a U.S. do-not-track list that would allow consumers to opt out of advertising efforts that track their movements online.


TIP

How to influence anyone
By David Maxfield

When it comes to influence, we stink. We stink as individuals, we stink as organizations, and we stink as a society. But here's a new view of influence that will help you lead change within your IT organization and beyond. ...Continue


PODCAST

Acer files patent counterclaim against HP ... Google's stock price breaks $700 mark ... NEC gets order for new supercomputer

More podcasts


ITWHIRLED

Geek Comic of the Week: Bayeux Rhythms
Who would have thought that the iconic Bayeux Tapestry could be such a barrel of laughs? History geeks will love this thrice-weekly comic, which places embroidered characters from the days of William the Conqueror in very silly situations.

Top tens
- The ugliest products in tech history
- Top Ten auto "Out of Office" replies
- Top 10 Google Products You Forgot All About

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


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!

Google shares break $700 ... Hackers sneak malware into MySpace band pages ... Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat

In this issue:
- Google shares break $700 on reports of wireless talks
- Hackers sneak tricks into MySpace band pages
- Privacy groups call for do-not-track list
- Google makes social networking power move -- finally
- Companies tap RSS to tame info overload
- Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat for future growth
- Woman reacts to bad cable service with hammer attack
- Gadget giveaway ends this week. Enter now!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/nl/11/80161174/


IN THE NEWS

Google shares break $700 on reports of wireless talks
Google's stock topped $700 for the first time on Wednesday, as reports about its mobile software plans heated up.

Iron Mountain to buy e-discovery company
Major storage provider Iron Mountain said Wednesday it intends to purchase Stratify, a maker of document discovery software, for about $158 million in cash.

Hackers sneak tricks into MySpace band pages
Several band MySpace profiles have been rigged to serve up malicious software, according to security vendor FaceTime Communications

Privacy groups call for do-not-track list
A coalition of nine privacy and consumer groups have proposed a U.S. do-not-track list that would allow consumers to opt out of advertising efforts that track their movements online.

Google makes social networking power move -- finally
Belatedly recognizing the importance of social networking as an online service and advertising vehicle, Google Inc. this week will unleash its strongest response yet to the rising threat and skyrocketing popularity of MySpace and Facebook.

Companies tap RSS to tame info overload
As employees struggle to read an increasing amount of work-related material, some companies have turned to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology to improve productivity.

Microsoft plots ambitious SOA roadmap
Microsoft Tuesday laid out an ambitious SOA roadmap around a set technologies code-named Oslo that will be blended into its middleware, development, and management tools and some of its emerging enterprise online services.

Researchers dig for hidden links in spam
Two researchers at the University of Quebec are refining a way to identify links advertised in spam messages.

Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat for future growth
Having established itself as the leading enterprise Linux vendor, Red Hat is in a pivotal phase of reinventing itself as a broader open-source software provider and a long-term technology leader.


CAREER TIP

How to influence anyone
By David Maxfield

When it comes to influence, we stink. We stink as individuals, we stink as organizations, and we stink as a society. But here's a new view of influence that will help you lead change within your IT organization and beyond. ...Continue


PODCAST

Intel ships updated Itanium 2 processor ... Asustek's Eee PC coming to America ... Google reportedly developing mobile-phone software


GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends this week. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Woman reacts to bad cable service with hammer attack
When for some reason 75-year-old Mona Shaw's Comcast "triple play" package - TV cable, phone, and Internet - wouldn't turn on, she did what any reasonable person would: she went to the local Comcast office and started attacking office equipment with a hammer. She says she has no regrets, though she doesn't agree with those who call her a hero.


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!

Google makes social networking power move ... Security geeks say Leopard needs fixing ... Woman reacts violently to bad cable service

In this issue:
- Iron Mountain to buy e-discovery company
- Poor results at Alcatel-Lucent prompt layoffs
- Google makes social networking power move -- finally
- Dell to unveil simpler, cheaper products at Oracle OpenWorld
- Security geeks say Leopard needs fixing
- Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat for future growth
- Woman reacts to bad cable service with hammer attack
- Gadget giveaway ends this week. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

Iron Mountain to buy e-discovery company
Major storage provider Iron Mountain said Wednesday it intends to purchase Stratify, a maker of document discovery software, for about $158 million in cash.

Poor results at Alcatel-Lucent prompt layoffs
Alcatel-Lucent said it plans further layoffs after its post-merger financial performance continued to disappoint.

Google makes social networking power move -- finally
Google will unveil an initiative this week to make it easier for developers to create applications for multiple social networking sites via a set of open APIs.

Dell to unveil simpler, cheaper products at Oracle OpenWorld
Michael Dell plans to announce a lineup of new products at the Oracle OpenWorld conference on Nov. 14.

Companies tap RSS to tame info overload
As employees struggle to read an increasing amount of work-related material, some companies have turned to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology to improve productivity.

Security geeks say Leopard needs fixing
The security features introduced in Apple's Leopard operating system need work say security experts who have been putting the OS through its paces.

Dell restates earnings after internal probe
Dell completed an internal accounting investigation Tuesday and restated its financial results from fiscal 2003 to the first quarter of 2007, bringing it into compliance with listing requirements specified by the Nasdaq stock exchange.

Storm Worm sent 15 million pump-and-dump e-mails last month
The Storm Worm botnet network may be shrinking in size, but it has managed to send out 15 million of those annoying audio spam messages in October, according to antispam vendor, MessageLabs.

Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat for future growth
Having established itself as the leading enterprise Linux vendor, Red Hat is in a pivotal phase of reinventing itself as a broader open-source software provider and a long-term technology leader.


WINDOWS TIP

OneNote OCR
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises

Occasionally I need to extract some text from an image, and typically you need some form of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to do this. Since I spend a lot of my time in the 2007 Office System family of products however, it would be nice if there was some built-in functionality that could serve this purpose. Well, it turns out that there is -- I just discovered that Microsoft OneNote 2007 includes an OCR feature called Copy Text From Picture, and you can use this method to copy text from all kinds of images including scanned documents like the kind you typically find on a site like The Smoking Gun. ...continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Intel ships updated Itanium 2 processor ... Asustek's Eee PC coming to America ... Google reportedly developing mobile-phone software ...listen now

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GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends this week. Don't wait. Enter now!

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ITWHIRLED

Woman reacts to bad cable service with hammer attack
When for some reason 75-year-old Mona Shaw's Comcast "triple play" package - TV cable, phone, and Internet - wouldn't turn on, she did what any reasonable person would: she went to the local Comcast office and started attacking office equipment with a hammer. She says she has no regrets, though she doesn't agree with those who call her a hero. ...read more

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POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

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McAfee buys Web site security company for $51M ... ODF group abandons format ... Hardware hacker shows his 'art'

In this issue:
- McAfee buys Web site security company for $51M
- Yahoo Messenger deepens social networking features
- Covad sells to private equity firm for $304 million
- San Francisco gallery shows hacker Joe Grand's work as art
- ODF group abandons format in favor of W3C alternative
- OLPC developing new cow, yo-yo powered 'supercharger'
- Distant future to be blighted by Paris Hilton
- Gadget giveaway ends this week. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

McAfee buys Web site security company for $51M
McAfee will acquire ScanAlert, a web application security vendor, for $51 million, the companies announced Tuesday.

Yahoo Messenger deepens social networking features
Yahoo, disconcertingly unable to develop a popular social networking site, will try to accentuate the social networking capabilities in a beta upgrade of of Yahoo Messenger.

Covad sells to private equity firm for $304 million
Platinum Equity LLC will acquire Covad Communications Corp. for about $304 million, making the communications services company the latest technology company to sell to a private equity firm.

ODF group abandons format in favor of W3C alternative
A group formed to promote the Open Document Format (ODF) is abandoning its support of the file format in favor of a document format governed by the W3C, a move that throws a wrench into the already acrimonious business of creating one global file format for office documents.

OLPC developing new 'supercharger'
As One Laptop Per Child prepares to ship its highly anticipated XO laptops in two weeks, it is developing a "supercharger," a mass battery recharger that will draw power from cows and yo-yos to help the laptops run longer.

Developers upgrading for Leopard
Apple developers continue to hustle Leopard compatibility updates out the door.

San Francisco gallery shows hacker Joe Grand's work as art
Hardware hacker Joe Grand has never really thought of himself as an artist, but he's having his first gallery opening with the show 'When Electronics Become Art' at the 20 goto 10 gallery in San Francisco.


OPINION

Non-Mainstream IT Needs Still Need to be Addressed
By Joel Shore, ITworld

A couple of weeks ago, I dropped by a road show put on by NAPP, the National Association of Photoshop Users (www.photoshopuser.com). Making its way across the country, thousands of people gladly pay between $80 and $100 to see lots of new gee-whiz features demonstrated step by step. These people all use computers, of course, and lots of them are looking for systems help. But what struck me are the systems opportunities that these attendees represent -- often without themselves even knowing it. ...continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Kodak image viewer attack - FTC spoof spam - Yahoo Messenger gets social

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GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends this week. Don't wait. Enter now!

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ITWHIRLED

Distant future to be blighted by Paris Hilton
As we visualize the awesome, distant future, there are no doubt many great things coming: flying cars, domed cities on the moon, robot servants - and no Paris Hilton! But now that the omnipresent socialite has learned that cryogenics is her key to immortality, our great-great-great-grandchildren will also be forced to endure her antics.

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POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

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Michael Dell hints at more acquisitions ... BEA lets Oracle's $17/share offer expire ... Security experts blast New Jersey AG

In this issue:
- Michael Dell hints at more, bigger acquisitions
- Oracle bid for BEA expires as expected
- Microsoft builds custom 'skin' for new T-Mobile phone
- Security experts blast New Jersey AG
- Computer error, schmapture error, I want my $1.6 million
- Nissan adds a robot helper to its concept car
- Gadget giveaway ends this week. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

Verizon income up due to wireless, fiber growth
Verizon Communications posted net income of $4.2 billion for Q3, up 19 percent from a year ago, driven largely by new wireless and fiber broadband customers.

Hutchison 3 to release Skypephone in 8 countries
U.K. operator Hutchison 3 launched a 3G mobile phone on Monday that lets Skype users call each other for free, as well as send instant messages.

Michael Dell hints at more, bigger acquisitions
Michael Dell hinted on Monday that his company could be shopping for more acquisition targets and that they could be larger than those acquired to date.

Oracle bid for BEA expires as expected
BEA Sunday let a 5 p.m. Pacific Time deadline expire on Oracle's $6.7 million bid for the company.

Microsoft builds custom 'skin' for new T-Mobile phone
Microsoft built a custom Windows Mobile user interface for a new T-Mobile, evidence that Microsoft may be getting more serious about the consumer mobile market.

News Corp., NBC launch beta of Hulu video venture
News Corp. and NBC Universal Monday debuted their joint-venture online video service Hulu.com with a private beta adding a new rival to Google's YouTube.

Security experts blast New Jersey AG
Security experts are scratching their heads at a New Jersey Attorney General's request that banks send out bulk e-mail warning of phishing.


FUTURE TECH

Nissan adds a robot helper to its concept car
With data showing that happy drivers are less accident-prone, Nissan has mounted a robot passenger in the dashboard of its Pivo2 concept car whose job is to keep the driver happy, give spot-on directions, and even check your e-mail.

Watch the video


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
BEA lets Oracle's $17/share offer expire ... Microsoft develops new interface for Windows Mobile ... China's Alibaba gets ready for IPO

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GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends this week. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

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ITWHIRLED

Computer error, schmapture error, I want my $1.6 million
Gary Hoffman was very excited to win more than a million dollars at a New Mexico casino last earlier this year. The win was all the more exciting because the machine's supposed maximum payout was $3,500. Now the casino owners are saying that the displayed jackpot was a result of a programming error -- but Hoffman's suing to get what he says is coming to him.


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!

Review: Leopard roars ... Senate passes 7-year Net tax ban ... The Web's trippiest optical illusions

In this issue:
- Review: Leopard is an upgrade that roars
- Senate passes seven-year Internet tax moratorium
- BEA: We'll let Oracle deadline expire
- Acer eclipses Lenovo, takes aim at Dell
- Technology's 10 most mortifying moments
- Oracle calls BEA's price 'impossibly high'
- Apple's Leopard pounces on Tokyo
- Nissan adds a robot helper to its concept car (video)
- Gadget giveaway ends soon. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

Senate passes seven-year Internet tax moratorium
The U.S. Senate has passed legislation that would extend a moratorium on Internet access taxes for seven years, giving supporters hope that an extension will be signed into law before the current moratorium expires Nov. 1

BEA: We'll let Oracle deadline expire
BEA Systems on Friday reiterated that it would not accept Oracle Corp.'s $17 per share acquisition bid, and also said it would allow a deadline Oracle had set for Sunday 5 p.m. PDT to expire.

Acer eclipses Lenovo, takes aim at Dell
Acer has passed Lenovo Group as the world's third largest PC vendor with its purchase of Gateway, and now it's gunning for U.S. giant Dell.

Enterprises tune into travel-tracking Web app
The Web 2.0-social networking phenomenon's seemingly irresistible force field has ensnared yet another niche: travel.

Apple's Leopard pounces on Tokyo
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service, Tokyo Bureau
The update to Apple's Mac OS X operating system, called Leopard, went on sale at the Apple Store in Tokyo on Friday evening, part of a global launch that will unfold around the world over the next 24 hours.

Oracle calls BEA's price 'impossibly high'
Oracle has rejected BEA Systems' proposed purchase price of US$21 per share, calling it "impossibly high" for Oracle or any other company to pay.

Sky's CRM plans were too vague to blame us, says EDS
Lawyers representing EDS said in court this week that a £48 million ($90 million) customer relationship management project for BSkyB was too poorly defined for the IT provider to have committed fraud when pitching for the contract.


REVIEW

Leopard is an upgrade that roars
Jason Snell, Macworld.com

As with every OS X update since version 10.1, there's no single feature in Leopard that will force Mac users to upgrade immediately. Instead, it's the sheer deluge of new features that's likely to persuade most active Mac users to upgrade, especially since this is the longest gap between OS X upgrades -- two and a half years -- since the product was introduced. Sure, some items on Apple's list of 300 features might seem inconsequential, but if even a handful of them hit you where you live, that will be more than enough motivation for you to upgrade.


FUTURE TECH

Nissan adds a robot helper to its concept car
With data showing that happy drivers are less accident-prone, Nissan has mounted a robot passenger in the dashboard of its Pivo2 concept car whose job is to keep the driver happy, give spot-on directions, and even check your e-mail.

Watch the video


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
BEA, Oracle haggle over acqusition price ... NEC pushes supercomputer speed limits ... Nissan testing robot for cars

More podcasts


GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends soon. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

She's a 10

- Technology's 10 most mortifying moments
- The trippiest optical illusions on the Web
- 10 videos to change how you view the world
- Top ten rules for a top ten list

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


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!


WHAT YOU SAID

What's your favorite smell?

Cookies - 25.0%
Coffee - 22.7%
Flowers - 18.2%
Bacon - 18.2%
Cologne/perfume - 5.7%
Money - 10.2%

Answer another poll

Acer eclipses Lenovo ... BEA, Oracle haggle over price ... Why I Gmail ... Tech's 10 most mortifying moments

In this issue:

Acer eclipses Lenovo, takes aim at Dell

Technology's 10 most mortifying moments

Why I Gmail

Oracle calls BEA's price 'impossibly high'

Apple's Leopard pounces on Tokyo

Nissan adds a robot helper to its concept car (video)

Microsoft beats Street, reports strongest Q1 in years

Gadget giveaway ends soon. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

Acer eclipses Lenovo, takes aim at Dell
Acer passed Lenovo as the world's third largest PC vendor with its purchase of Gateway, and now it's gunning for Dell.

Oracle calls BEA's price 'impossibly high'
Oracle has rejected BEA Systems' proposed purchase price of $21 per share, calling it 'impossibly high' for Oracle or any other company to pay.

Apple's Leopard pounces on Tokyo
The update to Apple's Mac OS X operating system, called Leopard, went on sale at the Apple Store in Tokyo on Friday evening, part of a global launch that will unfold around the world over the next 24 hours.

Microsoft beats Street, reports strongest Q1 in years
Strong sales of new and old products alike led Microsoft to its fastest first-quarter growth in seven years, with the company reporting growth in all five business segments and both revenue and earnings per share (EPS) that beat analyst expectations.

Wall Street Beat: EMC, Apple, Microsoft shine
Microsoft, EMC and Apple cheered IT investors this week even as macroeconomic concerns linger.

CTIA: Search startups vie for position in mobile market
Startups in the mobile search market explained why operators might not want to partner with Google or Yahoo.

AMD tuning out distractions to bring ATI on board
Worldwide lawsuits against Intel and four straight quarterly losses have distracted AMD during its integration of ATI Technologies, but the merger remains on track, according to industry analysts.


FUTURE TECH

Nissan adds a robot helper to its concept car
With data showing that happy drivers are less accident-prone, Nissan has mounted a robot passenger in the dashboard of its Pivo2 concept car whose job is to keep the driver happy, give spot-on directions, and even check your e-mail.

Watch the video


OPINION

Why I Gmail
By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld.com

I recently closed an email account that I had been using since I moved to the Delmarva peninsula nearly seven years ago. I have switched to Gmail. Had the account I closed not been a local provider for most of the years that I was a customer and had I not put a good deal of value of electronic stability (I'd been sandra@ that provider for many years), I would never have hung on so long. Gmail is everything I need and then some.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
BEA, Oracle haggle over acqusition price ... NEC pushes supercomputer speed limits ... Nissan testing robot for cars

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GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends soon. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

She's a 10

- Technology's 10 most mortifying moments
- The trippiest optical illusions on the Web
- 10 videos to change how you view the world
- Top ten rules for a top ten list

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


POLL

What's your favorite smell?

- Cookies
- Coffee
- Flowers
- Bacon
- Cologne/perfume
- Money

Vote now!

BEA counters Oracle: wants $21 a share ... Facebook chooses Microsoft over Google ... Inside Leopard: Spotlight

In this issue:
- BEA counters Oracle: $21 a share sounds better
- Inside Leopard: Spotlight (product review)
- Facebook chooses Microsoft over Google
- OLPC experiments with cow-powered laptops ... seriously
- Study: Tech jobs NOT among the most depressing
- Gadget giveaway ends soon. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

BEA counters Oracle: $21 a share sounds better
BEA Systems Inc.'s board of directors has named an acquisition price to competitor and suitor Oracle Corp.: $21 a share, $4 more than Oracle's initial offer.

Facebook chooses Microsoft over Google
Facebook will sell a $240 million minority stake to Microsoft, which as part of the deal will also expand the advertising services it provides to the social networking phenom.

OLPC experiments with cow-powered laptops ... seriously
The One Laptop Per Child Project (OLPC) is toying with a novel source of power for its low-cost XO laptops: cows.

Symantec earnings show lackluster enterprise growth
Symantec's latest quarterly earnings show that the company's consumer business is growing faster than its enterprise group.

Opera improves bookmark synching in browser beta
Opera Software ASA has released a beta of its upcoming desktop browser, code-named Kestrel, which can synchronize bookmarks between a PC and a mobile device.

EMC profit propelled by VMware's growth, IPO
Storage maker EMC Corp.'s profit increased dramatically compared to last year's third quarter, lifted again by continued growth of its VMware Inc. subsidiary and EMC's recent sale of a slice of the company.

Poll: Internet video should be regulated
More than half of U.S. residents want the government to regulate Internet video in some way, according to a poll released Wednesday.


PRODUCT REVIEW

Inside Leopard: Spotlight
Mac users upgrading to Leopard will find a different Spotlight waiting for them. OS X 10.5 refines the search technology in several significant - and welcome - ways. This revamped Spotlight can conduct phrase searches that actually produce useful results; it also supports a new feature in Leopard called Quick Look.


PODCAST

Today's IT News Audio Update
Facebook chooses Microsoft over Google ... OLPC turns to cow power ... Samsung, Epson show OLED TV prototypes

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GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends soon. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
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Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Think your job's depressing? Try changing diapers
IT workers may like to kvetch about their work, but engineers and other techies actually fell into the category that had the lowest rate of depression among full-time workers, according to a recent study. The highest rates were among personal care workers -- like those who take care of infants, the disabled, and the elderly. In general, those who had a job -- any job -- had lower rates of depression than the unemployed. ...read more


POLL

What's your favorite smell?

- Cookies
- Coffee
- Flowers
- Bacon
- Cologne/perfume
- Money

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Google, Microsoft woo Facebook ... Adware maker DirectRevenue shuts down ... Facebook teams up with RIM

In this issue:
- CTIA: Facebook teams up with RIM
- Adware maker DirectRevenue suddenly shuts down
- DOD, VA still working on sharing e-health records
- Oracle buys operations planning vendor Interlace
- Google and Microsoft slobbering over Facebook
- Microsoft withdraws remaining European appeals
- YouTube gets anti-piracy religion
- Texting driver broadsides train
- Gadget giveaway ends soon. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

CTIA: Facebook teams up with RIM
College parties met business e-mail on Wednesday as Facebook Inc. said it is adding its social-networking platform to Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry devices.

Hounded by spyware charges, Direct Revenue shuts down
Notorious adware maker DirectRevenue LLC has closed shop, giving no reason for the move.

DOD, VA still working on sharing e-health records
The U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs still aren't able to share complete electronic health records of military members and veterans despite working on a project for nine years, employees of the two agencies told a congressional committee Wednesday.

Oracle buys operations planning vendor Interlace
Oracle Corp. continues to snap up smaller software companies even while it battles to acquire middleware vendor BEA Systems Inc. On Wednesday Oracle said it had agreed to buy Interlace Systems Inc., which makes operations planning software, for an undisclosed price.

Intel settles patent case with Transmeta
Intel on Wednesday agreed to settle a dispute with Transmeta for $250 million, ending patent litigation between both companies.

Adobe makes Flex Builder free for students, faculty
Adobe is hoping to woo new developers by making Flex Builder 2 available free for educational institutions.

Report: Google and Microsoft slobbering over Facebook
Google and Microsoft are intensely courting Facebook, as the social-networking upstart tries to decide which of the two will be allowed to buy a minority stake in the company.

Oracle ships Windows version of 11g database
http://www.itworld.com/AppDev/119/071024oracle11g/index.html
Oracle has released the Windows version of its flagship 11g database, a few months after the company shipped the Linux version. Along with assorted performance improvements, the Windows release features beefed-up integration with Microsoft's platform on both the administrative and developer levels.

MS ANTITRUST: Microsoft withdraws remaining European appeals
Microsoft Corp. has dropped two outstanding appeals of European antitrust rulings, following the deal struck with the European Commission at the beginning of this week, the company said in a statement Wednesday.


OPINION

YouTube gets anti-piracy religion
By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

I've wondered aloud and within this space on numerous occasions, just what Google had in mind - and if they were in fact in their right mind - when they bought YouTube. At the time of the acquisition, YouTube was a vehicle for marginally useful home-made videos of poor quality, with no apparent revenue model. But it seems that the Googlers may have been crazy like a fox in the acquisition, and it may yet transform YouTube into something worthwhile, and maybe even profitable.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Oracle says BEA rejects buyout bid ... But BEA later says it wants higher price ... My SQL lays out database roadmap


GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends soon. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Texting driver broadsides train
Robert Gillespie was driving through Eugene, Oregon at 2 a.m. and trying to pull a trifecta: operating his car, sending a text message, and processing all the alcohol he had put into his system. Sadly, something had to give, and he ended up running into the side of a moving train. Nobody was hurt, but hopefully a lesson regarding text messaging (and booze) was learned.

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

What's your favorite smell?

- Cookies
- Coffee
- Flowers
- Bacon
- Cologne/perfume
- Money

Vote now!

Microsoft extends Dynamics support ... Google to use Nielsen TV audience data ... YouTube gets anti-piracy religion

Microsoft extends Dynamics support, promises roadmaps
Microsoft announced on Wednesday a major support upgrade, clearer road maps for its Dynamics range of business applications and new financing.

Ahead of merger, earnings fall at Business Objects
Business Objects SA reported a 19 percent rise in revenue for the third quarter, driven by services, but earnings were dragged down by a shortfall in license revenue, recent acquisitions and legal costs.

1Gb DRAM is now industry standard; most new PCs can use Vista
The 1G bit DRAM is now the industry standard, a sign most PCs coming off production lines can now use Microsoft's Vista OS.

First BlackBerry comes to China, with Alcatel-Lucent's help
RIM is showing off the first BlackBerry handset to be available in China, the BlackBerry 8700, at the PT/Expo Comm China 2007 exhibition this week in Beijing. But getting the device into the world's largest mobile-phone market wasn't easy.

BEA to Oracle: We're not opposed to a reasonable offer
BEA Systems Inc. has told Oracle Corp. the two companies can still make a deal -- just not the one on the table.

Rejected by BEA, Oracle sets bid deadline
Oracle Corp. Tuesday morning said that BEA Systems Inc. has officially rejected its offer to acquire the company. BEA had previously said the offer was too low.

MySQL to get injection of Google code
MySQL laid out its software road map through 2009, including code contributed by Google and security improvements due in MySQL 7.0.

Google to use Nielsen TV audience data
Google Inc., the new kid on the block in TV advertising, has signed up with The Nielsen Co., the venerable TV audience measurement company, in a deal that will increase the data available to participants in the Google TV Ads program.

Court turns tables on alleged ID thief, leaks his personal info
A man charged in connection with an ID theft has had his social security number exposed via the court's Electronic Case Files system.


OPINION

YouTube gets anti-piracy religion
By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

I've wondered aloud and within this space on numerous occasions, just what Google had in mind - and if they were in fact in their right mind - when they bought YouTube. At the time of the acquisition, YouTube was a vehicle for marginally useful home-made videos of poor quality, with no apparent revenue model. But it seems that the Googlers may have been crazy like a fox in the acquisition, and it may yet transform YouTube into something worthwhile, and maybe even profitable. ...continue reading 'YouTube gets anti-piracy religion'


PODCAST

Today's IT News Audio Update
Oracle says BEA rejects buyout bid ... But BEA later says it wants higher price ... My SQL lays out database roadmap

More podcasts


GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends soon. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Texting driver broadsides train
Robert Gillespie was driving through Eugene, Oregon at 2 a.m. and trying to pull a trifecta: operating his car, sending a text message, and processing all the alcohol he had put into his system. Sadly, something had to give, and he ended up running into the side of a moving train. Nobody was hurt, but hopefully a lesson regarding text messaging (and booze) was learned. ...read more

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


POLL

What's your favorite smell?

- Cookies
- Coffee
- Flowers
- Bacon
- Cologne/perfume
- Money

Vote now!

BEA to Oracle: We're not opposed to a reasonable offer

In this issue:

- BEA to Oracle: We're not opposed to a reasonable offer
- Cisco to buy WiMax startup Navini Networks for $330M
- MySQL to get injection of Google code
- Microsoft says next version of NAV not quite baked
- ID thieves have a 50-50 chance of going to prison
- Wireless tech makes jury duty slightly less onerous
- Macs, iPhone boost Apple's earnings
- MySpace to add games from Oberon
- Gadget giveaway ends soon. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

BEA to Oracle: We're not opposed to a reasonable offer
BEA Systems Inc. has told Oracle Corp. the two companies can still make a deal -- just not the one on the table.

Rejected by BEA, Oracle sets bid deadline
Oracle Corp. Tuesday morning said that BEA Systems Inc. has officially rejected its offer to acquire the company. BEA had previously said the offer was too low.

Cisco to buy WiMax startup Navini Networks for $330M
Cisco Systems Inc. has agreed to buy Navini Networks Inc., a developer of WiMax broadband wireless access systems for $330 million, marking Cisco's first foray into the technology.

MySQL to get injection of Google code
MySQL laid out its software road map through 2009, including code contributed by Google and security improvements due in MySQL 7.0.

Microsoft says next version of NAV not quite baked
Microsoft Corp. has delayed the release of the next version of Dynamics NAV, one of its ERP applications for mid-size companies, company executives said Tuesday.

Judge takes Qualcomm's side in patent spat with Nokia
Qualcomm Inc. scored a minor victory in its continuing spat with Nokia when a judge last week recommended ending the investigation Nokia bought against it in August for infringing patents.

ID thieves have a 50-50 chance of going to prison
A new study of Secret Service case files found that convicted ID thieves received prison time in half of all cases.

MySpace to add games from Oberon
MySpace will partner with Oberon Media to put interactive games on its users' personal profile pages starting next year.


WINDOWS TIP

Fixing Group Policy Gobbledygook
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises

A reader posed this question: "When I opened my Default Domain Policy in Group Policy Object Editor, some of the nodes under Administrative Templates were in different languages.... Do you know how to reverse this so that the outcome will be English only?" Here's one solution.


Get more Windows tips


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft's decision to comply with EC ruling to have profound effect ... Qualcomm wins small patent victory ... Macs, iPhone boost Apple's earnings

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GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends soon. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Jury duty to become slightly less onerous, thanks to wireless technology
One of the worst parts of jury duty is the time you spend sitting around in some musty courthouse waiting for your number to be called. But one Michigan court had the bright idea of handing out pagers -- like the ones restaurants use to let patrons know their table is ready -- to prospective jurors. Now people are a little less grumpy about their civic duty, and shops and restaurants near the courthouse are seeing more customers.


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