Changes to OOXML draft standard waved through

About four-fifths of the proposed changes to a draft standard for the OOXML document format were waved through, undiscussed, at the conclusion of a weeklong meeting in Geneva. ...continue reading 'Changes to OOXML draft standard waved through'

Microsoft cuts retail Vista prices

Microsoft Corp. on Thursday said it plans to slash prices for retail copies of Windows Vista up to almost 50% for certain editions in poorer countries, in order to boost sales that one analyst said have failed to meet expectations. ...continue reading 'Microsoft cuts retail Vista prices'

Green computing finds its place at Cebit

Cebit is taking on a green tinge this year, with the Climate Savers Computing Initiative playing a central role at the trade show, which opens March 4 in Hanover, Germany. ...continue reading 'Green computing finds its place at Cebit'

U.S., Canadian agencies seize counterfeit Cisco gear

U.S. and Canadian law enforcement authorities have seized more than $78 million worth of counterfeit Cisco Systems networking equipment in an ongoing investigation into imports from China, the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies announced Friday. ...continue reading 'U.S., Canadian agencies seize counterfeit Cisco gear'

Spam King trial set to start next month

Notorious spammer Robert Soloway will get his day in court next month when his criminal trial kicks off in Seattle. ...continue reading 'Spam King trial set to start next month'

Yahoo sued again by Chinese dissidents

Yahoo and at least one subsidiary face their second major lawsuit by Chinese dissidents claiming the company aided Chinese authorities by handing over e-mails and other electronic communications that ended up landing one plaintiff in jail. ...continue reading 'Yahoo sued again by Chinese dissidents'

Take-Two garners more takeover interest after EA bid

The publisher of the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series has received more takeover interest after its $2 billion offer from Electronic Arts (EA), the company said Thursday. ...continue reading 'Take-Two garners more takeover interest after EA bid'

Dell plans more low-cost models in Asian notebook push

Dell will introduce more low-cost notebooks in Asia this year as the company steps up the introduction of new models across its entire notebook line, a senior company executive said Friday. ...continue reading 'Dell plans more low-cost models in Asian notebook push'

With mobile browser, Mozilla hopes to shake up market

Mozilla is in informal talks with mobile operators about its mobile Firefox project, which the organization hopes will shake up the market as much as the introduction of the desktop browser did in 2004. ...continue reading 'With mobile browser, Mozilla hopes to shake up market'

Top 10 Ballads for Product Launches

By Shane Schick, Computerworld Canada

As I waited for Microsoft to launch Windows Server, SQL Server and Visual Studio 2008, I imagined how much better the world (or at least the IT industry) would be if some innovative company were to use ballads, instead of dance music, to introduce their breakthrough products. Sure, a lot of IT guys are metalheads, but even the heaviest thrash-rockers have been known to take it down a notch or two occasionally. And so, here's a list of ballads that could help set the tone for a new kind of relationship between vendors and the kind of IT managers they hope to woo. ...continue reading 'Top 10 Ballads for Product Launches'

Intel plans dual-core version of Diamondville

Intel's low-power processor code-named Diamondville will initially be available as a single-core processor, but the company is planning a dual-core version, said a source familiar with Intel's plans. ...continue reading 'Intel plans dual-core version of Diamondville'

LinkedIn users question Gates query

LinkedIn users responded in force to a question posed by Bill Gates, but some also wondered about his intentions. ...continue reading 'LinkedIn users question Gates query'

Dell revenue falls short of analyst estimates

Dell reported revenue of nearly $16 billion for the fourth quarter of 2008, up 10 percent from a year ago, but fell short of analyst estimates. ...continue reading 'Dell revenue falls short of analyst estimates'

Over 50% of companies fire workers for e-mail, 'Net abuse

Half of companies polled in a new survey say they've fired workers for violating e-mail and Internet policies. ...continue reading 'Over 50% of companies fire workers for e-mail, 'Net abuse'

EBay settles patent dispute with MercExchange

EBay has settled a patent dispute with MercExchange that in 2006 was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, which sided with the online auction house in what is considered to be an important ruling on intellectual property. ...continue reading 'EBay settles patent dispute with MercExchange'

DOJ clears Oracle's BEA acquisition

The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission gave the green light to Oracle's proposed acquisition of BEA on Wednesday, taking the deal one step closer to becoming final. ...continue reading 'DOJ clears Oracle's BEA acquisition'

Decision against Qualcomm in Nokia case stands

A December decision against Qualcomm's bid to keep some Nokia phones out of the U.S. will stand, Nokia said Wednesday. ...continue reading 'Decision against Qualcomm in Nokia case stands'

Apple's Safari lags in security features, PayPal warns

If you're using Apple's Safari browser, PayPal has some advice for you: Drop it, at least if you want to avoid online fraud. ...continue reading 'Apple's Safari lags in security features, PayPal warns'

Ballmer launches Windows Server 2008, lauds user base

Besides launching a set of updated products Wednesday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer lauded the company's IT user base, calling them the "heart and soul" of the industry. ...continue reading 'Ballmer launches Windows Server 2008, lauds user base'

Opera chooses Google as default search in mobile browser

Opera Mobile and Opera Mini users will start seeing a Google search bar on their browser start pages, based on an agreement between the companies. ...continue reading 'Opera chooses Google as default search in mobile browser'