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July, 2008 Issue

Web Development New MSN Direct API sends locations from web to GPS New MSN Direct API sends locations from web to GPS

July 30, 2008 / Emil Protalinski
MSN Direct is a digital service which allows certain portable devices to receive information from MSN services. At CES 2008, Microsoft launched an MSN Direct feature called "Send to GPS" that lets Live Search Maps send information to a GPS device. Now the company has released a free application programming interface (API) that builds on this feature by allowing any website to offer visitors the ability to send addresses, business listings, or other locations directly from the site to GPS units. Microsoft claims that the new API for developers "is simple to integrate and uses standard Web programming techniques."

Internet & Networks Nortel to provide London 2012 network infrastructure Nortel to provide London 2012 network infrastructure

July 30, 2008 / David Meyer
Nortel is to be the official network infrastructure supplier to the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Games Epic Games: Unreal Engine 4 ready in 2012 Epic Games: Unreal Engine 4 ready in 2012

July 30, 2008 / Michael Thompson
While the announcement that the Unreal 4 Engine is in development isn't anything new, Epic Games president Michael Capps' has revealed a rough release date for the technology. Speaking at Gamefest in Seattle, Capps talked about the engine's development and said that it won't come out until the next generation of consoles.

Home & Education Video site scooped the journalism star Video site scooped the journalism star

July 30, 2008 / Greg Sandoval
Could YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen become this generation's version of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the famed newspaper reporters who broke the Watergate scandal?

Internet & Networks The best test for vulnerability to the DNS flaw The best test for vulnerability to the DNS flaw

July 30, 2008 / Michael Horowitz
Not only is there is a flaw in the Domain Name System, there is also a flaw in the suggested ways to test whether your computer is vulnerable.

Internet & Networks For MySpace, both new hires and layoffs For MySpace, both new hires and layoffs

July 30, 2008 / Caroline McCarthy
MySpace, the social network owned by News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media, announced Wednesday that it has hired five new members for its executive team--three senior vice presidents and two vice president--in fields ranging from engineering to customer service. They're coming from a mixed background of media and tech.

Games EA plans to start selling gaming PCs EA plans to start selling gaming PCs

July 30, 2008 / Michael Thompson
It seems that Electronic Arts isn't content to just put out PC games anymore. Destructoid is reporting that, as of its appearance at Comic Con, the publisher is planning to start selling pre-built PCs that will not only be capable of playing higher-end games, but will also be branded to the theme of the upcoming Crysis Warhead.

Business One-third of China's carbon emissions tied to exports One-third of China's carbon emissions tied to exports

July 30, 2008 / Elsa Wenzel
One-third of China's carbon emissions come from manufacturing electronics and other goods that are then exported worldwide, according to a July report in the journal Energy Policy.

Internet & Networks MySpace could be flooded by Elvis impersonators MySpace could be flooded by Elvis impersonators

July 29, 2008 / Caroline McCarthy
There's going to be an Elvis karaoke contest on MySpace. That is not a joke. I can't seem to figure out whether it's trying to market Elvis to a younger generation or MySpace to an older one--or if it's just for kicks.

Internet & Networks BT guns for Android and Skype with Ribbit buy BT guns for Android and Skype with Ribbit buy

July 29, 2008 / David Meyer
BT has bought internet-telephony company Ribbit, in a move that will bring the communications giant up against competitors ranging from Skype to Google's Android platform.

Games Street Fighter IV on Wii a possibility Street Fighter IV on Wii a possibility

July 29, 2008 / Andrew Webster
While PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 owners will get a chance to play the retro-licious Street Fighter IV from the comfort of their own couches, Wii owners are left out in the cold. But, according to SFIV producer Yoshinori Ono, if Wii owners complain enough, they might just get it.

Internet & Networks 'Scrabulous' disappears from Facebook after Hasbro suit 'Scrabulous' disappears from Facebook after Hasbro suit

July 29, 2008 / Caroline McCarthy
Facebook users in the U.S. and Canada can no longer access Scrabulous, the faux-Scrabble game that quickly became one of the most popular applications on its developer platform.

Games Ghostbusters cancelled? Not so fast Ghostbusters cancelled? Not so fast

July 29, 2008 / Andrew Webster
The Ghosbusters game has been receiving a fair amount of buzz, so it came as a bit of a surprise when rumors began to swirl that the upcoming game was being canceled. These rumors stemmed from a release schedule published by Activision/Blizzard where a few notable titles were absent, including Ghostbusters, 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand, World in Conflict, Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, and Brutal Legend.

Internet & Networks Ex-Googler creates 'Cuil' search engine, but results fall short of rivals Ex-Googler creates 'Cuil' search engine, but results fall short of rivals

July 29, 2008 / Tim Conneally
New search engine Cuil has opened to the public, and with it, the requisite comparisons and challenges to Google, former employer of Cuil's engineering team. But the site is experiencing much downtime in its first day.

System & Utilities Microsoft offers a glimpse of Sphere Microsoft offers a glimpse of Sphere

July 29, 2008 / Ina Fried
A group of academics will be among the first people outside Microsoft to see Sphere, a spherical surface computer developed by Microsoft Research.

Graphics & Design Flickr founder knocks Yahoo's culture Flickr founder knocks Yahoo's culture

July 29, 2008 / Alex Serpo
During a visit to Australia this week, Flickr founder and former Yahoo staffer Stewart Butterfield criticised the search giant for its lack of an innovative culture compared to rival Google.

System & Utilities Microsoft to post videos of users who liked Vista after thinking it was new OS Microsoft to post videos of users who liked Vista after thinking it was new OS

July 29, 2008 / Jacqueline Emigh
On Tuesday, Microsoft plans to post actual videos from its "Mojave Experiment" -- an effort to dispel negative stereotypes about Vista -- on a recently set up "teaser" Web site, BetaNews has learned.

Business Virgin Mobile USA to buy Helio for $39M Virgin Mobile USA to buy Helio for $39M

July 28, 2008 / Matt Hamblen
Complex deal also provides Virgin Mobile with huge investment infusion

Home & Education Gates and Bloomberg donate $1.75 billion to fight tobacco use Gates and Bloomberg donate $1.75 billion to fight tobacco use

July 28, 2008 / Emil Protalinski
As many as 1 billion people this century could die from tobacco-caused illnesses. With the goal of combating the tobacco use epidemic, Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates have announced plans to collaborate to help governments in developing countries trying to implement proven tobacco-control policies. Bloomberg's Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, which started in 2005 with a $125 million commitment, supports projects that educate and advocate for changing how tobacco is used and perceived. The Bloomberg Initiative will be extended with a $250 million four-year commitment, while the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will invest $125 million over the next five years.

Internet & Networks Escaped spammer found dead in murder-suicide Escaped spammer found dead in murder-suicide

July 28, 2008 / Tim Conneally
"Spam King" Edward Davidson, who recently disappeared from the Colorado minimum security facility where he was serving 21 months for tax evasion and e-mail fraud, was found dead yesterday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Internet & Networks AT&T challenges WiMax joint venture AT&T challenges WiMax joint venture

July 28, 2008 / Marguerite Reardon
AT&T is looking to halt the proposed merger of Sprint Nextel's nationwide WiMax assets with those of Clearwire.

Internet & Networks Google detects a trillion URLs Google detects a trillion URLs

July 28, 2008 / Nick Farrell
An American trillion, that is

Internet & Networks Google-Digg acquisition talks fall through Google-Digg acquisition talks fall through

July 28, 2008 / Jennifer Guevin
Google has ended negotiations to buy social-news site Digg.com, according to TechCrunch.

MP3 & Audio UK UK "MP3 Police" Evidence Unchallenged, Not For Public Consumption

July 28, 2008 / enigmax
This week, ISPs agreed to work with the BPI to reduce file-sharing in the UK. When someone gets ‘caught’ the ISPs will send out a warning, 100% based on music industry provided ‘evidence’. Not even the ISPs know if the claims of the BPI are true, so the evidence is totally unchallenged, a perfect position for the music industry.

Graphics & Design ImageShack's Free Torrent Download Service Expands ImageShack's Free Torrent Download Service Expands

July 28, 2008 / Ernesto
ImageShack, one of the largest media hosting websites, has implemented some significant upgrades to their torrent download service. One of the most innovative new features is the “video preview”, which allows users to browse through stills of the video they are downloading, to get an impression of the quality of the file.

System & Utilities Microsoft lies to XP users - and they start to love Vista Microsoft lies to XP users - and they start to love Vista

July 28, 2008 / Emil Protalinski
In about two weeks, Redmond has managed to turn a marketing idea into something that may just shock you. Microsoft blogger Ina Fried is reporting that Microsoft managed to trick XP users in San Francisco into loving Vista simply by telling them a small fib. The company told these users that they were using a new version of Windows, codenamed "Mojave." When asked about their experience with using Mojave, over 90 percent said they were impressed with what they saw. Then Microsoft told them they had been using Vista all along.

Internet & Networks Internet Explorer 8 final to arrive by the end of 2008 Internet Explorer 8 final to arrive by the end of 2008

July 28, 2008 / Emil Protalinski
Microsoft blogger Mary Jo Foley has just broken the news on a deadline for the final version of Internet Explorer 8. Microsoft has remained very tight-lipped about this, but we now know there will be a new version of the world's most popular browser released this year:

Internet & Networks New DNS exploit now in the wild and having a blast New DNS exploit now in the wild and having a blast

July 27, 2008 / Joel Hruska
About two weeks ago, we covered the release of a DNS security fix meant to patch a vulnerability in the system that matches domain names with IP addresses. The flaw had been discovered by security researcher Dan Kaminsky some months earlier but, at the time, details on the exploit were being kept secret. That information has since leaked thanks to an accidental blog post by someone at Matasano Security. Fast forward four days, and hackers, enterprising little children that they are, have released an exploit aimed squarely at the vulnerability.

System & Utilities No Yahoo talks; Windows 7 on track No Yahoo talks; Windows 7 on track

July 27, 2008 / Ina Fried
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday in the US that its on-again, off-again talks with Yahoo were firmly in the "off-again" phase.

Internet & Networks Researchers redefine the internet blacklist Researchers redefine the internet blacklist

July 27, 2008 / Matthew Broersma
Security researchers have taken a page out of Google's book in reinventing the blacklist, a tool for blocking internet attacks.

System & Utilities Nearly 7 years after original, a new Windows XP goes gold Nearly 7 years after original, a new Windows XP goes gold

July 27, 2008 / Nate Mook
On August 24, 2001, Microsoft released to manufacturing the final version of Windows XP. 6 years and 11 months later, a new version of XP has gone gold, this time for the OLPC XO computer, also known as the "$100 laptop."

Internet & Networks China now counts more Internet users than the US China now counts more Internet users than the US

July 27, 2008 / Michael Hatamoto
Even though the government places heavy restrictions on the Internet with censorship and routine crackdowns on cyber dissidents, China has finally surpassed the United States for the most online users in the world.

Web Development Microsoft cozies up to open source, donates $100,000 to Apache Microsoft cozies up to open source, donates $100,000 to Apache

July 27, 2008 / Ed Oswald
As part of a renewed embrace of open source, Microsoft will contribute $100,000 annually to join the Apache Software Foundation, as well as pledging new protocols to the Open Specfication Promise and contributing a patch for ADOdb.

Internet & Networks One spammer sentenced to prison as another escapes One spammer sentenced to prison as another escapes

July 27, 2008 / Tim Conneally
One Internet spammer was sentenced this week to nearly four years in prison, while another fled a correctional facility and is currently on the run.

Games Microsoft refunding gamers, Games for Windows Live goes free Microsoft refunding gamers, Games for Windows Live goes free

July 24, 2008 / Frank Caron
PC gaming wasn't a huge factor at this year's E3, but it seems that Microsoft was merely biding its time before making its big moves to try and perk up the waning PC gaming market. The company made a variety of positive announcements at the GameFest technology conference in Seattle this week, including the announcement of DirectX 11 and the removal, and in some cases refunding, of subscription fees for Games for Windows Live.

Home & Education E-gold execs plead guilty in money-laundering case E-gold execs plead guilty in money-laundering case

July 24, 2008 / Tom Espiner
The executives in charge of online payment system E-gold have pleaded guilty to money-laundering charges, the US Department of Justice said on Tuesday.

System & Utilities iPhone users warned of phishing threat iPhone users warned of phishing threat

July 24, 2008 / Robert Vamosi
Security researcher Aviv Raff said on Wednesday that the iPhone's Mail and Safari applications are prone to URL spoofing and could allow phishing attacks against users.

Web Development Google App Engine sort of getting Perl support Google App Engine sort of getting Perl support

July 24, 2008 / Stephen Shankland
Google programmers are adding support for the Perl programming language to its App Engine service for hosting Web applications, but so far it's not really an official project.

System & Utilities Microsoft looks to 'Mojave' to revive Vista's image Microsoft looks to 'Mojave' to revive Vista's image

July 24, 2008 / Ina Fried
REDMOND, Wash.--After months of searching for ways to defend its oft-maligned Windows operating system, Microsoft may just have found its best weapon: Vista's skeptics.

Web Development Drizzle project to trim down MySQL Drizzle project to trim down MySQL

July 24, 2008 / Chris Duckett
Brian Aker, MySQL's director of architecture, has unveiled Drizzle, a project to create a trimmed-down, faster version of the database system aimed at web-based applications and cloud components.

System & Utilities Hacking Caller ID: unblocking blocked phone numbers Hacking Caller ID: unblocking blocked phone numbers

July 24, 2008 / Michael Horowitz
Do you block your phone number from appearing on Caller ID? If so, don't count on it. At The Last HOPE hacker conference, Kevin Mitnick, arguably the most famous hacker of all, demonstrated how call blocking can be hacked, and the hidden phone number exposed.

Internet & Networks Google launches Wikipedia rival Knol Google launches Wikipedia rival Knol

July 24, 2008 / Elinor Mills
Google's Wikipedia competitor, Knol, was opened to the public on Wednesday morning.

Home & Education Coulomb unveils electric-car charging stations Coulomb unveils electric-car charging stations

July 23, 2008 / Elsa Wenzel
The city of San Jose, Calif., will be the first to test electric-car charging stations from start-up Coulomb Technologies.

MP3 & Audio Does BuckCherry Think The BitTorrent Community is Stupid? Does BuckCherry Think The BitTorrent Community is Stupid?

July 23, 2008 / enigmax
Some artists, bands and labels claim that their lives are ruined by their material being available on P2P networks. BuckCherry are complaining that a track from their latest album has leaked to BitTorrent. How do they complain? Via an Atlantic Records press release. I smell a rather large free-publicity rat.

Internet & Networks .org first top level domain to adopt DNS security protocol .org first top level domain to adopt DNS security protocol

July 23, 2008 / Joel Hruska
ICANN has unanimously approved a request by the Public Interest Registry (which handles .org domains) to become the first generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) to switch to the DNS security protocol DNSSEC. As part of the agreement, PIR will trailblaze DNSSEC, while simultaneously developing an education and adoption plan that can later be disseminated across the Internet's infrastructure, PIR's use of DNSSEC is a significant step forward, but a mixture of contentious political and technological issues have slowed the worldwide development and deployment process.

Business Yahoo claims 'strong' quarter despite dip in earnings Yahoo claims 'strong' quarter despite dip in earnings

July 23, 2008 / Stephen Shankland
Yahoo's earnings for its second quarter came in one cent lower than expectations, with net income declining 19 percent and revenue also declining slightly.

Internet & Networks SF mayor gets codes to hijacked city network SF mayor gets codes to hijacked city network

July 23, 2008 / Steven Musil
The computer network hostage crisis in San Francisco is over, thanks to the city's mayor.

Internet & Networks Comcast to provide Web video services to rival cable operators Comcast to provide Web video services to rival cable operators

July 23, 2008 / Ed Oswald
A division of cable provider Comcast has struck deals with three other rival cable operators to help them serve online video to their customers.

Internet & Networks Details on DNS flaw inadvertently leaked; researcher says patch now Details on DNS flaw inadvertently leaked; researcher says patch now

July 23, 2008 / Jacqueline Emigh
The cat is out of the bag before Black Hat. That isn't a passage from a Dr. Seuss children's book, but a description of what happened on Monday when a Web site accidentally posted details about a DNS flaw uncovered by security researcher Dan Kaminsky earlier this month.

Internet & Networks MySpace support bolsters OpenID, but the logins won't be portable MySpace support bolsters OpenID, but the logins won't be portable

July 23, 2008 / Ed Oswald
Popular social networking site MySpace said Tuesday it will join the open source authentication platform OpenID, further bolstering the idea of a unified system to carry online identities between Web sites. But for now, MySpace's OpenID accounts cannot be used elsewhere.

Internet & Networks Servers in the home remain scarce Servers in the home remain scarce

July 23, 2008 / Ina Fried
With its first update to Windows Home Server, Microsoft has fixed a critical bug that threatened to undermine the product's main utility--securely and reliably backing up computer files.

Home & Education Movie industry eyeing 3D movies for the home theater Movie industry eyeing 3D movies for the home theater

July 22, 2008 / Joel Hruska
3-D display technology has had an on-again/off-again relationship with the film industry for decades, but has never established itself on the small screen. Modern technology has made 3-D broadcasting a more realistic proposition, but there's currently no standardized method for how such content should be formatted, processed, and displayed. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers intends to tackle this problem, and has given the problem over to the newly formed 3-D Home Display Formats Task Force.

Business Brocade to buy Foundry Networks Brocade to buy Foundry Networks

July 22, 2008 / Erica Ogg
Brocade has announced plans to acquire Foundry Networks, in a deal valued at approximately $3bn (£1.5bn).

Internet & Networks Georgian president suffers cyberattack Georgian president suffers cyberattack

July 22, 2008 / Tom Espiner
The website of the Georgian president was the subject of a distributed-denial-of-service attack over the weekend.

Business Microsoft stands to gain from Icahn-Yahoo pact Microsoft stands to gain from Icahn-Yahoo pact

July 22, 2008 / Dawn Kawamoto
Microsoft may be the biggest winner in the proxy-fight settlement between Yahoo and activist investor Carl Icahn, whose peace accord was announced on Monday.

Business Apple reports record Mac sales Apple reports record Mac sales

July 22, 2008 / Tom Krazit
Apple has reported record Mac sales and one of its best third quarters ever, but delivered its usual conservative guidance for the next quarter.

Internet & Networks AOL expands health site AOL expands health site

July 22, 2008 / Stephen Shankland
AOL announced partnerships to bolster its AOL Health site with content from Caring.com, Health.com, and HealthCare.com, the Time Warner subsidiary said Monday.

Internet & Networks Social Engineering 101: Mitnick and other hackers show how it's done Social Engineering 101: Mitnick and other hackers show how it's done

July 22, 2008 / Elinor Mills
NEW YORK--Kevin Mitnick knows that the weakest link in any security system is the person holding the information.

Business Report: Yahoo shareholder seeks compromise Report: Yahoo shareholder seeks compromise

July 21, 2008 / Steven Musil
A dissident shareholder is pushing Yahoo to accept a mixed board of directors drawn from company nominees and those presented by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, according to a report by Reuters.

Internet & Networks AT&T Finally Delivers Free iPhone Wi-Fi AT&T Finally Delivers Free iPhone Wi-Fi

July 21, 2008 / Brian Heater
The country's largest wireless provider announced Friday that it will finally be making good on its promises of free nation-wide hotspots for iPhone owners, first announced back in April.

System & Utilities Schneier research team cracks TrueCrypt Schneier research team cracks TrueCrypt

July 20, 2008 / Matthew Broersma
Researchers led by BT security expert Bruce Schneier have shown that deniable file systems — designed to hide data so effectively that there is no trace of its existence on a user's system — may not be so deniable after all, due to the interference of standard applications and of the operating system itself.

Business Sony Ericsson to cut 2,000 jobs as profits tumble Sony Ericsson to cut 2,000 jobs as profits tumble

July 20, 2008 / David Meyer
Sony Ericsson barely broke even in the second quarter of 2008, prompting fears among analysts over the company's prospects for the rest of the year.

Home & Education Court rules university can publish Oyster crack Court rules university can publish Oyster crack

July 20, 2008 / Tom Espiner
A university can publish details of research detailing the cryptographic cracking of the Oyster travel smartcard, a Dutch court has ruled.

MP3 & Audio QuebecTorrent Clone Outmanoeuvres Music Industry QuebecTorrent Clone Outmanoeuvres Music Industry

July 20, 2008 / enigmax
Just days after the QuebecTorrent BitTorrent tracker was taken down by an injunction in a blaze of publicity, a near identical clone of the 108,000+ member tracker has appeared out of nowhere. Allegedly the product of the old team, Torrent411.com is up and running with 109,000+ members - and counting.

Internet & Networks Protecting against Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID data attacks Protecting against Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID data attacks

July 19, 2008 / Elinor Mills
NEW YORK--Using a laptop, cell phone headset, building access badge, credit cards, or even a passport can make you a walking target for data thieves and other criminals, a security expert warned at the Last HOPE hacker conference here late Friday.

System & Utilities Malware bad guys tout new trojan guaranteed to evade filters Malware bad guys tout new trojan guaranteed to evade filters

July 19, 2008 / Joel Hruska
One of the players in the burgeoning malware industry has apparently crafted itself a new "super" Trojan, and is offering it up for sale as a guaranteed detection evader—or your money back. At least, one assumes there's an "or your money back" clause in there somewhere, since black hats willing to pay $1,300 for an illegal software license are probably also willing to pay a desperate Russian peasant $1,300 to beat a malware author to death with a leftover bust of Lenin, before tossing his body in the Volga river.

Business Yahoo Uses Home Page to Lobby Against Icahn Yahoo Uses Home Page to Lobby Against Icahn

July 19, 2008 / Nancy Gohring
Yahoo has added a button on its main Web site linking to a page that lobbies shareholders to vote against Carl Icahn's plans for the company, stepping up its rhetoric in the days leading up to its annual meeting.

Business Nokia sees boost in handset sales Nokia sees boost in handset sales

July 19, 2008 / Marguerite Reardon
Nokia beat sales expectations on its mobile handset business on Thursday when it announced its earnings for the second quarter of 2008.

Business Microsoft pledges more funds for online services Microsoft pledges more funds for online services

July 19, 2008 / Ina Fried
Microsoft plans to continue its investment in online services.

System & Utilities Cabinet Office heads government 'green' IT drive Cabinet Office heads government 'green' IT drive

July 19, 2008 / Kablenet.com
Government departments have been asked to take 18 steps to reduce the carbon emissions generated by ICT.

Internet & Networks Spam uses Angelina Jolie's name and fame to spread malware Spam uses Angelina Jolie's name and fame to spread malware

July 18, 2008 / Emil Protalinski
BitDefender researchers are reporting that new spam messages are using fake events ostensibly involving actor Angelina Jolie and claiming the MSN Featured Offers program. Users that fall for them will be tricked into infecting their PCs with Trojan.Agent.AGGZ. The e-mail typically attempts to lure users into downloading a binary file entitled video-nude-anjelina.avi.exe. As usual, the spam message itself is written using poor grammar and uses multiple obfuscations to trick spam filters.

Internet & Networks Police, courts to save millions via streamlining tech Police, courts to save millions via streamlining tech

July 18, 2008 / Nick Heath
UK courts and police forces could save tens of millions of pounds thanks to technology to aimed at streamlining the criminal justice system.

System & Utilities Privacy watchdog may get powers to raid Privacy watchdog may get powers to raid

July 18, 2008 / Nick Heath
The UK's privacy watchdog could get new powers to raid organisations under government proposals to "sharpen its teeth".

Software Development Torvalds attacks IT industry 'security circus' Torvalds attacks IT industry 'security circus'

July 18, 2008 / Liam Tung
Linux creator Linus Torvalds has labeled makers of the OpenBSD operating system a "bunch of masturbating monkeys," as part of a wider critique of what he said was self-centered behavior in the IT security industry.

Business Microsoft testing self-serve Google AdSense rival Microsoft testing self-serve Google AdSense rival

July 18, 2008 / Ina Fried
Microsoft is ready to start expanding its AdCenter engine to allow at least some publishers to include contextual advertising from Microsoft on their site.

Business Microsoft in talks over AOL merger Microsoft in talks over AOL merger

July 18, 2008 / David Meyer
Microsoft is in discussions with Time Warner over how to combine Microsoft and AOL's online groups, The Wall Street Journal has claimed.

Internet & Networks Amazon launches new video store Amazon launches new video store

July 17, 2008 / Greg Sandoval
Fresh from a failed attempt at online video, Amazon is giving it another go.

Games AddictingGames makes play for social-network gaming AddictingGames makes play for social-network gaming

July 17, 2008 / Stefanie Olsen
Nickelodeon's AddictingGames, one of the largest gaming sites for teens in the United States, is turning itself into a social hangout for generation Y and their younger brothers and sisters.

Games MySpace kicks off contest for Asian game developers MySpace kicks off contest for Asian game developers

July 17, 2008 / Caroline McCarthy
The game development platform du jour might be the iPhone 2.0 software, but News Corp.'s MySpace hopes to make a splash with a new contest in its Asian market: TheGame08, which pits developers against one another in an attempt to create a hit social game that runs on MySpace's platform. It all leads up to the legendary Tokyo Game Show this October.

System & Utilities Microsoft revises DirectX security bulletins Microsoft revises DirectX security bulletins

July 17, 2008 / Elinor Mills
Microsoft issued two critical security bulletin revisions on Wednesday related to vulnerabilities in Microsoft DirectX.

Business eBay sees 22 percent jump in profits eBay sees 22 percent jump in profits

July 17, 2008 / Greg Sandoval
eBay has said that its profits jumped 22 percent from last year. The boost came from an increase in item listings and sales growth at the company's PayPal division.

Internet & Networks Opera Software releases Opera Mobile 9.5 beta Opera Software releases Opera Mobile 9.5 beta

July 17, 2008 / Jessica Dolcourt
It's time that Opera Mobile got its due. Long overshadowed by Opera Mini--the light, server-fed browser for Java phones--Opera Mobile is a robust browser built on Web standards (and written with C and C++) that's known for delivering a full Web experience to Windows Mobile and Symbian phones.

Business Report: Intel faces new EU antitrust charges Report: Intel faces new EU antitrust charges

July 16, 2008 / Steven Musil
Intel is expected to face new antitrust charges from European regulators that focus on the chip giant's marketing and sales practices, according to a report Tuesday night on The Wall Street Journal's Web site, citing unidentified people familiar with matter.

Internet & Networks Cern paves the way for lightning-speed networks Cern paves the way for lightning-speed networks

July 16, 2008 / Nick Heath
Enough information to fill multiple CDs every second is flowing across the world on a network 1,000 times faster than home broadband.

Business Yahoo takes defense of Google ad deal to Capitol Hill Yahoo takes defense of Google ad deal to Capitol Hill

July 16, 2008 / Declan McCullagh
Yahoo defended its planned advertising deal with Google at a U.S. Senate hearing on Tuesday, while Microsoft assailed it as anticompetitive and perhaps even "illegal."

Internet & Networks Google's US search share nears 70 percent Google's US search share nears 70 percent

July 16, 2008 / Stephen Shankland
Google's steadily increasing search share neared 70 percent in June in the US, according to new figures released on Tuesday by Hitwise.

Internet & Networks US tech worker arrested in city network hijack US tech worker arrested in city network hijack

July 16, 2008 / Elinor Mills
A network administrator for the city of San Francisco has been arrested on charges of taking control of the city's computer network and locking administrators out, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Internet & Networks Critics attack 'dangerous' gov't comms-snooping plan Critics attack 'dangerous' gov't comms-snooping plan

July 16, 2008 / Tom Espiner
Internet service providers are to be invited to tender for a government scheme to monitor all internet communications and telecommunications.

Business Symbian CEO Says Collaboration With Google Is Possible Symbian CEO Says Collaboration With Google Is Possible

July 16, 2008 / Chiara Castañeda
Broader collaboration between Symbian and Google at either the application or operating system level is possible in the future, Symbian's CEO said Wednesday.

Internet & Networks Woman Fired Over Death Threat Sent From Work E-mail Woman Fired Over Death Threat Sent From Work E-mail

July 16, 2008 / Robert McMillan
An employee of 1-800-Flowers.com has been fired after an e-mailed death threat was linked to her account.

Web Development WordPress 2.6 Supports Version Tracking, Google Gears WordPress 2.6 Supports Version Tracking, Google Gears

July 16, 2008 / Neil McAllister
Blogging is increasingly popular, both for individuals and businesses alike. That's because blogging software is one of the easiest ways to publicize information about your company. The best packages offer near-infinite customizability while still making it easy for new users to get up and running with a bare minimum of installation and configuration.

Graphics & Design Adobe Readies 'Gumbo' Upgrade to Flex Adobe Readies 'Gumbo' Upgrade to Flex

July 16, 2008 / Paul Krill
Seeking to bolster Flash and AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) application development, Adobe is working on "Gumbo," the next version of the Flex platform.

Internet & Networks CyberLink Sees Opportunities in Netbooks, Linux CyberLink Sees Opportunities in Netbooks, Linux

July 16, 2008 / Dan Nystedt
Multimedia software maker CyberLink sees a lot of opportunities in the fast-growing netbook segment of the computer market, from online access to files stored on home PCs to multimedia software made for Linux OSs.

Games 'Warcraft' maker wins round in exploit 'bot lawsuit 'Warcraft' maker wins round in exploit 'bot lawsuit

July 15, 2008 / Declan McCullagh
A federal judge has sided with the maker of World of Warcraft in its attempt to shut down a third-party application that allows players to advance more quickly in the game than they normally could.

Business Google wants businesses to have faith in the cloud Google wants businesses to have faith in the cloud

July 15, 2008 / Stephen Shankland
A large number of Google Docs users couldn't use their online word processor or presentations for about an hour last Tuesday. The glitch illustrated not just the trouble with cloud computing, but also the gradual progress so far in making the concept palatable.

Business Viacom, YouTube agree user-info deal Viacom, YouTube agree user-info deal

July 15, 2008 / Greg Sandoval
YouTube will be allowed to mask important user information from records it must turn over to Viacom, Google said in a blog post on Monday.

Internet & Networks BT to roll out fibre to 10m UK homes BT to roll out fibre to 10m UK homes

July 15, 2008 / David Meyer
BT is to roll out fibre connectivity to millions of UK homes, the communications and IT giant announced on Tuesday.

Internet & Networks Microsoft beats Apple, Ubuntu in service reliability Microsoft beats Apple, Ubuntu in service reliability

July 14, 2008 / Stephen Shankland
A company that measures internet service reliability has given Microsoft the top score in a test of operating system update services.

Internet & Networks If you browse with Internet Explorer, get the latest version If you browse with Internet Explorer, get the latest version

July 14, 2008 / Dennis O'Reilly
Microsoft's Internet Explorer remains the most popular browser in the world. This despite report after report calling the program less secure than Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and other free competitors.

Games Is E3 game gathering still influential? Is E3 game gathering still influential?

July 14, 2008 / Daniel Terdiman
The video game industry's best-known event, E3, kicks off this week in Los Angeles, but most observers are expecting a lack of the kind of knock-your-socks-off news the show has been famous for in years past.

Business Google, Viacom now clashing over YouTube employee records Google, Viacom now clashing over YouTube employee records

July 13, 2008 / Greg Sandoval
Viacom wants to know which videos YouTube employees have watched and uploaded to the site, and Google is refusing to provide that information, CNET News has learned.

Internet & Networks No Anti-BitTorrent Precedent Achieved in Canada No Anti-BitTorrent Precedent Achieved in Canada

July 13, 2008 / enigmax
Following comments which suggested that the closure of QuebecTorrent was “a major victory” for the recording industry, we have a statement from the owner of the site to balance things up. The smaller battle against this site is over, the larger one against Canadian BitTorrent sites in general appears unaffected.

System & Utilities Rambus files patent suit against Nvidia Rambus files patent suit against Nvidia

July 13, 2008 / Erica Ogg
Rambus is suing Nvidia, accusing the company of violating 17 Rambus-held patents on memory controllers. The suit was filed on Thursday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

Business Yahoo to MS: Drop the nudnik, maybe we do a deal Yahoo to MS: Drop the nudnik, maybe we do a deal

July 13, 2008 / Charles Cooper
The headlines this evening report yet another Yahoo rejection of an offer to sell its search business to Microsoft. But the wording of the latest chapter in the epistolary negotiations between these companies drops intriguing hints about a possible denouement.

System & Utilities A victim of its own success: troubled times ahead for VMware A victim of its own success: troubled times ahead for VMware

July 13, 2008 / Peter Bright
VMware shareholders received a double-whammy of bad news earlier this week. A combination of reduced growth forecasts for 2008 and the surprise announcement that CEO and cofounder Diane Greene was being ousted saw VMW lose 24 percent of its value on Tuesday. VMware still expects revenues to grow healthily—"modestly below the previous guidance of 50 percent growth"—but it's clear that EMC wants more control of the company it purchased in 2003. Greene will be replaced by Paul Maritz, formerly of Microsoft. Maritz has been at EMC since it purchased his startup Pi Corporation earlier this year. Prior to being made VMware CEO, he ran EMC's cloud computing unit.

Internet & Networks Truphone's VoIP app dials up iPhone Truphone's VoIP app dials up iPhone

July 12, 2008 / Hanna Sistek
Getting poor Skype sound and want to cut down on international call costs? Truphone's new iPhone app might be worth checking out.

Internet & Networks Now you can find your cell phone...when it screams, 'I'm lost!' Now you can find your cell phone...when it screams, 'I'm lost!'

July 12, 2008 / Jacqueline Emigh
The next time you lose your cell phone, you might hear it scream something like "I'm stolen!" or "I'm lost - take me home," through new location-based technology now under development by a company called Yougetitback.com.

System & Utilities Vista Compatibility Center up and running Vista Compatibility Center up and running

July 12, 2008 / Ina Fried
I've certainly given them a hard time about it, so it's only fair to point out that as of Friday morning, Microsoft's Vista Compatibility Center Web site is now live.

Business Antitrust hearing to draw Yahoo, Microsoft, Google legal eagles Antitrust hearing to draw Yahoo, Microsoft, Google legal eagles

July 12, 2008 / Dawn Kawamoto
Top legal counsel for Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft will address a Congressional hearing Tuesday, as lawmakers examine the Yahoo-Google search advertising agreement and its potential anticompetitive effects on the future of Internet advertising.

System & Utilities Seagate announces 1.5TB in a single drive Seagate announces 1.5TB in a single drive

July 12, 2008 / Colin Barker
Seagate on Thursday unveiled 1.5TB desktop and half-terabyte notebook hard drives, claiming industry firsts for both.

Internet & Networks Location, location: YouTube tests geo video search Location, location: YouTube tests geo video search

July 12, 2008 / Stefanie Olsen
It can be hard to find a needle in YouTube's vast video haystack, despite the fact that the site is owned by search expert Google.

Web Development Google releases Web 2.0 security tool Google releases Web 2.0 security tool

July 11, 2008 / Matthew Broersma
Google has released as open source a web application assessment tool, Ratproxy, that was designed to root out potential security flaws.

Internet & Networks Open WiFi network viable defense against infringement charge - at least in Germany Open WiFi network viable defense against infringement charge - at least in Germany

July 11, 2008 / Jacqui Cheng
An appeals court in Germany has ruled that the owners of a network are not responsible for the copyright infringement of their users. The decision overturns a previous judgment that held an open WiFi network owner liable for damages, even if the infringer is a stranger making use of the network. Although the latest ruling may affect others across Europe, it's not likely to carry much weight in the US.

Software Development Symbian Foundation gets nine new members Symbian Foundation gets nine new members

July 11, 2008 / David Meyer
The Symbian Foundation has announced a slew of new members, including the mobile operator 3.

Internet & Networks Yahoo crowdsources search innovation with new BOSS platform Yahoo crowdsources search innovation with new BOSS platform

July 11, 2008 / David Chartier
Yahoo today made good on a promise of opening up its search platform for third parties—including search startups—to build their own services and search engines. Dubbed "BOSS" for Build Your Own Search Service, Yahoo's offering is a major step for search innovation, but also a quiet statement that Yahoo isn't planning on taking the lead.

MP3 & Audio Last.fm wants to pay artists, won't address past Last.fm wants to pay artists, won't address past

July 11, 2008 / Nate Anderson
Last.fm, the UK-based streaming music service that recently offered up free streams for millions of tracks, has just launched its "Artist Royalty Program." It's a way for artists and indie labels to get paid directly by Last.fm, taking a cut of the ad revenue that they generate for the site. Artists getting paid? Sounds great. But "virtual fifth major" Merlin warned its members yesterday that the move didn't address "past illegal use of repertoire" by Last.fm and should be scrutinized carefully.

System & Utilities Asus reveals specs, pricing for Eee 904 and 1000 Asus reveals specs, pricing for Eee 904 and 1000

July 10, 2008 / David Meyer
Asus has released the final specifications and UK pricing for its two new Eee PC models, the 904 and the 1000.

Software Development Ballmer: We'll look at open source, but we won't touch Ballmer: We'll look at open source, but we won't touch

July 10, 2008 / Matt Asay
Steve Ballmer is at least willing to talk with the open-source crowd now, as his comments at Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2008 demonstrate. He's just not willing to actually engage in open source as an appreciable part of his company's business. Fair enough.

System & Utilities Microsoft patches problem between Office 2003 and WSUS 3.0 Microsoft patches problem between Office 2003 and WSUS 3.0

July 10, 2008 / Emil Protalinski
Earlier this month Microsoft confirmed that some computers with Microsoft Office 2003 installed were having trouble grabbing updates from servers running either Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 or WSUS 3.0 SP1. Although there was no specific security vulnerability associated with the problem, Microsoft released a security advisory since the inability to install security updates in itself warranted some sort of notification. In just over a week, the company has found a solution to the problem:

Internet & Networks Victims of WiFi Theft Not Responsible For Illegal Uploads Victims of WiFi Theft Not Responsible For Illegal Uploads

July 10, 2008 / enigmax
A German court has ruled that Internet users operating a WiFi router are not responsible if others use their equipment to infringe copyright on P2P networks. The news is likely to be seen as yet another blow for lawyers Davenport Lyons who have been insisting that German law decisions would be mirrored in the UK.

Games Yahoo to offer ad-supported online games Yahoo to offer ad-supported online games

July 10, 2008 / Dawn Kawamoto
Yahoo Games announced on Thursday that it will expand into ad-supported online games by the end of the year, a move not without its controversy.

Software Development Google open sources 'Protocol Buffers' Google open sources 'Protocol Buffers'

July 10, 2008 / Matthew Broersma
Google has open sourced an internal development tool called 'Protocol Buffers', a data description language that forms a basic part of the operation of the company's vast computing cluster.

System & Utilities ISO leadership encourages rejection of OOXML appeal ISO leadership encourages rejection of OOXML appeal

July 10, 2008 / Ryan Paul
In the wake of ISO's controversial decision to grant fast-track approval to Microsoft's Office Open XML (OOXML) document format, the national bodies of several participating countries attempted to appeal the vote. The formal complaints submitted to ISO by these countries will now be reviewed by a Technical Management Board (TMB), which has until August to decide whether further action should be taken.

Internet & Networks Gmail users protected from fake eBay, PayPal emails Gmail users protected from fake eBay, PayPal emails

July 10, 2008 / Elinor Mills
Google on Tuesday said it is now using an email-authentication technology to keep phishers from luring Gmail users to fake eBay and PayPal web pages in order to steal usernames and passwords.

System & Utilities Microsoft warns of targeted Word attacks Microsoft warns of targeted Word attacks

July 10, 2008 / Tom Espiner
Microsoft has warned of a potential vulnerability in Word that has reportedly been the subject of targeted attacks.

Internet & Networks More WiMax network rollouts in UK More WiMax network rollouts in UK

July 10, 2008 / David Meyer
The spread of WiMax networks across the UK is continuing, with two providers announcing extensions of their business-oriented networks in the past week.

Internet & Networks Displaced by Flooding, Des Moines, Iowa, City Government TV Station Keeps Broadcasting Displaced by Flooding, Des Moines, Iowa, City Government TV Station Keeps Broadcasting

July 10, 2008 / GovTech
The city government television station of Des Moines, Iowa, Channel DMTV7, is using a portable production studio to produce and air daily press conferences and updates on the flood emergency. Station personnel moved from DMTV7's production studio in city hall on June 11th after the floods hit the city. DMTV7 is currently producing from the Des Moines Central Library. The production staff has moved operations twice since then.

System & Utilities Midori: a non-Windows OS in the works, not just experimental Midori: a non-Windows OS in the works, not just experimental

July 9, 2008 / Emil Protalinski
Every once in a while, an article gets posted somewhere in the blogosphere about how Microsoft needs to release a complete Windows rewrite, something along the lines of what Apple did with Mac OS X. Most people realize that Microsoft is in no position to pull a stunt like that at the moment; it's hard to see Microsoft phasing out support for a billion-Windows-PC-strong user base, but that day may one day come, perhaps thanks to robust virtualization technology.

Business Privacy watchdog airs Google Street View concerns Privacy watchdog airs Google Street View concerns

July 9, 2008 / Tom Espiner
The Information Commissioner's Office has said it has concerns about Google's Street View and thinks the company could be breaching data-protection law.

Home & Education China Aims to Protect Olympic Content From Pirates China Aims to Protect Olympic Content From Pirates

July 9, 2008 / Sumner Lemon
China's government warned Internet sites and mobile content providers to steer clear of broadcasting any video of Olympic events without permission, including the torch relay and opening ceremony, saying that anyone who infringes the rights of the state-owned broadcaster to these events will face severe penalties.

Internet & Networks DWP attacked over delays to benefit-fraud IT system DWP attacked over delays to benefit-fraud IT system

July 9, 2008 / Kablenet.com
The Department for Work and Pensions has been accused of failing to measure benefit fraud properly because of its tardiness in improving IT systems.

Home & Education NXP sues university over 'Oyster crack' NXP sues university over 'Oyster crack'

July 9, 2008 / Tom Espiner
Chip company NXP Semiconductors is to sue Radboud University in an attempt to halt the publication of a paper detailing the cryptographic cracking of the Oyster smartcard, used widely on the London transport network.

Games Game Industry Braces for Activision-Vivendi Merger Game Industry Braces for Activision-Vivendi Merger

July 9, 2008 / Georg Szalai
Activision shareholders will today vote on a $18.9 billion deal establishing Activision Blizzard as a market leader.

Business Microsoft Rural Innovation Winner Finds Gold in Green Microsoft Rural Innovation Winner Finds Gold in Green

July 9, 2008 / Dan Nystedt
A team from Indonesia took home a US$10,000 prize in the Rural Innovation segment of Microsoft's Imagine Cup this year by developing a way for people to report environmental problems with their mobile phones.

Internet & Networks Synchronised, multi-vendor DNS patches released Synchronised, multi-vendor DNS patches released

July 9, 2008 / Robert Vamosi
A security researcher has responsibly disclosed a fundamental flaw within the Domain Name System, or DNS, the addressing scheme behind the common names used on the internet.

Software Development Microsoft pushes hybrid SaaS model Microsoft pushes hybrid SaaS model

July 9, 2008 / Victoria Ho
Microsoft is to make bigger efforts pushing its 'software plus services' model, based on the belief that customers still want on-site applications, according to a top company executive.

Business DreamWorks executive on why it switched from AMD to Intel DreamWorks executive on why it switched from AMD to Intel

July 9, 2008 / Brooke Crothers
Intel has upstaged Advanced Micro Devices at DreamWorks Animation. The movie studio has decided to drop AMD and go with processors from Intel, citing better performance and a more promising roadmap.

Business Trend-tracking site BuzzFeed gets $3.5 million in funding Trend-tracking site BuzzFeed gets $3.5 million in funding

July 9, 2008 / Greg Sandoval
BuzzFeed, a start-up trend-tracking site, has received $3.5 million in its first round of funding, the company said Tuesday.

Business Video surveillance firm gets $10 million in VC funding Video surveillance firm gets $10 million in VC funding

July 9, 2008 / Elinor Mills
Video surveillance firm VideoIQ is set to announce on Wednesday morning a $10 million Series B funding round.

Business Bank of America may finally embrace Firefox Bank of America may finally embrace Firefox

July 9, 2008 / Steven Musil
The largest bank in the United States has officially ignored the second most popular Web browser--until recently.

Business Icahn also fighting clock in Yahoo board challenge Icahn also fighting clock in Yahoo board challenge

July 8, 2008 / Dawn Kawamoto
Investor activist Carl Icahn needed a sign, a tangible sign, that Microsoft was still interested in buying Yahoo, or at a minimum, its search business, if he were to increase his chances of winning his proxy fight to unseat the company's entire board of directors.

Games AZ high school students show off game design skills AZ high school students show off game design skills

July 8, 2008 / Michael Thompson
Arizona teenagers are getting a hand with learning how to break into the video game industry, thanks to a new program at Arizona State University called "Camp Game." The program is now in its second year, and it lets fifteen students from local high schools spend six weeks under the instruction of Ashish Amresh, a lecturer in the School of Computing and Informatics, and two other industry veterans. During this time, the students work on a number of amateur games and then put their final projects on display on the last day of the program.

Internet & Networks Virgin Media: 'Absolutely No Possibility' of Disconnecting File-Sharers Virgin Media: 'Absolutely No Possibility' of Disconnecting File-Sharers

July 8, 2008 / enigmax
Virgin Media, plagued by a recent flurry of bad publicity thanks to its policy of working with the music industry to warn file-sharers, has announced today that there is “absolutely no possibility” that it will disconnect its users from the Internet or hand over their details to the music industry.

Business After dumping German plant, Nokia to pitch in on 'Growth for Bochum' After dumping German plant, Nokia to pitch in on 'Growth for Bochum'

July 8, 2008 / Jacqueline Emigh
Although Nokia has now made a financial concession to Bochum, Germany worth well over $30 million USD, the city will still be left without its main source of income, after Nokia pulls up stakes and moves its factory to Romania.

Internet & Networks Spammers gearing up for Beijing Olympics Spammers gearing up for Beijing Olympics

July 8, 2008 / Vivian Yeo
Online scammers are expected to exploit the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, opening in a month's time, according to a Symantec security report.

Business Microsoft, Icahn plot Yahoo takeover Microsoft, Icahn plot Yahoo takeover

July 8, 2008 / Reuters
Microsoft has said it would be willing to reopen talks to buy all or part of Yahoo, but only if a new Yahoo board is elected. The announcement is a major boost for investor Carl Icahn's board slate.

Internet & Networks Top Torrent Sites Ranked by Google Top Torrent Sites Ranked by Google

July 8, 2008 / Ernesto
BitTorrent’s popularity is growing every day. Despite the lawsuits that some of the larger torrent sites are involved in, they continue to grow traffic wise. Let’s take a look at how Google ranks the top torrent sites.

Games British film board ready to review video games for younger audiences British film board ready to review video games for younger audiences

July 8, 2008 / Michael Hatamoto
The agency responsible for classifying movies in the UK wants more power to review and pass judgment on video games intended for younger audiences, and is answering critics who claim it would create a monumental bureaucracy.

Internet & Networks Mozilla: Firefox is our RIA platform Mozilla: Firefox is our RIA platform

July 8, 2008 / Scott M. Fulton, III
"This is where we think the future of the Internet is going -- you can start to see these applications breaking out of the confines of the browser space, and try to move onto the desktop," a key Mozilla engineer told BetaNews.

System & Utilities Microsoft probing ActiveX attacks targeting Access feature Microsoft probing ActiveX attacks targeting Access feature

July 7, 2008 / Elinor Mills
Microsoft issued a security advisory on Monday warning about targeted attacks being launched that exploit a hole in the ActiveX control for the Snapshot Viewer in the Microsoft Access database management system.

Business World Bank: Biofuels lift food prices 75 percent World Bank: Biofuels lift food prices 75 percent

July 7, 2008 / Martin LaMonica
Demand for biofuels in Europe and the United States has forced up food prices 75 percent around the world, according to a World Bank report that was leaked and published in The Guardian newspaper on Friday.

Business Microsoft letter backs Icahn, renews Yahoo focus Microsoft letter backs Icahn, renews Yahoo focus

July 7, 2008 / Dawn Kawamoto
Microsoft on Monday released a letter in support of activist investor Carl Icahn's efforts to unseat Yahoo's board, as well as confirming its interest to explore a bid to buy the entire company--or just its search assets, with a new board.

Internet & Networks ISPs prepare for video revolution ISPs prepare for video revolution

July 7, 2008 / Marguerite Reardon
Video may have killed the radio star, but it doesn't have to kill the Internet.

Internet & Networks Minor UI changes for refresh of Yahoo Messenger for Vista Minor UI changes for refresh of Yahoo Messenger for Vista

July 7, 2008 / Emil Protalinski
Yahoo Messenger for Windows Vista has been in development since even before the RTM of Vista. Soon after the operating system's release, Yahoo showed off the first application that would run only on Windows XP's successor. On December 5, 2007, Yahoo! offered the first preview for download, which sported new features such as transparent windows, tabbed chatting, the ability to transfer files of up to 2GB, and a matching Windows Sidebar gadget. The first beta was released two months ago and brought voice features, SMS, and Mail alerts to the new IM client.

Business Japanese Shell subsidiary plans solar-panel plant Japanese Shell subsidiary plans solar-panel plant

July 7, 2008 / Hanna Sistek
Royal Dutch Shell subsidiary Showa Shell Sekiyu, Japan's fifth-largest oil refiner, plans to invest 100 billion yen, or about $938 million, in a solar-panel megaplant, according to AFP.

Graphics & Design Hologram Google Earth Hologram Google Earth

July 7, 2008 / gearthblog.com
Check out this cool display and interface with Google Earth:

Internet & Networks Credit crunch hits London datacentres Credit crunch hits London datacentres

July 7, 2008 / Nick Heath
London's datacentre sector has suffered a downturn, with no corporates taking up space in the capital this year.

Internet & Networks Beta test a portable Web browsing device Beta test a portable Web browsing device

July 6, 2008 / Nate Mook
Centercode is seeking beta testers in the New York City metropolitan area to try out a new device that serves as a portable Web browser. It works via cellular network, but comes already activated and won't require you to switch from your current phone to participate.

System & Utilities iPhone: Google Talk, new security threats iPhone: Google Talk, new security threats

July 6, 2008 / Robert Vamosi and Marguerite Reardon
Google is making its Google Talk instant-messaging application available for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch, however these new applications come in light of new security scares.

Internet & Networks Privacy advocates praise Google's new link Privacy advocates praise Google's new link

July 6, 2008 / Natalie Weinstein
Google apparently decided to keep it clean, in more ways than one.

Graphics & Design Adobe pushes its Flash 10 beta 2 refresh Adobe pushes its Flash 10 beta 2 refresh

July 6, 2008 / Tim Conneally
The latest beta update to Flash Player 10 has been made available, adding performance enhancements and many community-suggested features.

Internet & Networks Sync Your E-mail Messages Sync Your E-mail Messages

July 6, 2008 / Joe Kissel
If you want to make sure you have exactly the same e-mail messages--including all your saved and sent mail-on two or more Macs, there's an easy way and a hard way to do so.

System & Utilities Update to Windows Update will improve scan times Update to Windows Update will improve scan times

July 6, 2008 / Emil Protalinski
Windows Update infrastructure updates occur usually about once a year. Starting at the end of July, and continuing over the next few months, Microsoft will be rolling out this year's infrastructure update to Windows Update. Like all updates to Windows Update, this one consists of two parts: the back-end infrastructure that supports the service and the client-side code. This year's update will improve how quickly Windows Update scans for updates and how quickly the user receives signature updates. Microsoft claims that on certain computers scan times will decrease by almost 20 percent.

Internet & Networks Mozilla and Opera fix security flaws Mozilla and Opera fix security flaws

July 5, 2008 / Robert Vamosi
On Thursday, Opera released version 9.51. The new version fixes a few security vulnerabilities and resolves some stability issues. One of the fixes addresses an arbitrary code execution vulnerability that was not previously made public.

Home & Education Firefox 3 earns Guinness World Record Firefox 3 earns Guinness World Record

July 5, 2008 / Colin Barker
Firefox is now officially in the record books for receiving the most downloads from a website with a 24-hour period.

Internet & Networks BitTorrent Tracker Hosting Illegal Says Dutch Court BitTorrent Tracker Hosting Illegal Says Dutch Court

July 5, 2008 / Ernesto
Leaseweb, the former ISP of BitTorrent trackers such as Demonoid, What.cd and Waffles.fm lost the appeal against the Dutch anti-piracy outfit BREIN. The Amsterdam court concluded that Leaseweb has to permanently shut down the BitTorrent tracker everlasting.nu, and hand over the admin’s personal information.

System & Utilities Next Patch Tuesday has few security updates, big Vista reliability fix Next Patch Tuesday has few security updates, big Vista reliability fix

July 5, 2008 / Scott M. Fulton, III
In its monthly advance notice the weekend before the second Tuesday of the month, Microsoft said it will only be addressing four security issues this time around, two dealing with Windows. But a surprisingly big Vista bug fix is under way.

Internet & Networks Yankee Hotel Net Neutrality? Indie rockers back an open 'Net Yankee Hotel Net Neutrality? Indie rockers back an open 'Net

July 5, 2008 / Nate Anderson
What do terrorists and telco execs have in common? They hate us for our freedoms, naturally. And they especially hate our freedom to roam the verdant grasslands of the Internet as freely as the majestic bison once wandered the fruited plains of the West. A group of mostly-indie rockers from the Future of Music Coalition agree, and they're releasing a benefit CD later this month to help fund the Coalition's campaign for a neutral 'Net.

Internet & Networks 1 euro eBay baby goes home 1 euro eBay baby goes home

July 4, 2008 / Natalie Weinstein
The German baby taken from his parents after they put him up for sale on eBay for a euro--apparently as a joke--is back home, according to the Associated Press.

Internet & Networks Internet Explorer 8 to get anti-malware protection Internet Explorer 8 to get anti-malware protection

July 4, 2008 / Robert Vamosi
On Wednesday, Microsoft announced new security features in the upcoming release of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2.

Graphics & Design Adobe's PDF becomes ISO standard Adobe's PDF becomes ISO standard

July 4, 2008 / Josh Lowensohn
Adobe's popular Portable Document Format, or PDF, became the latest International Organization for Standardization standard as of Wednesday morning.

Business Google asks Viacom to respect YouTube user privacy Google asks Viacom to respect YouTube user privacy

July 4, 2008 / Greg Sandoval
Viacom is getting its hands on some of YouTube's sensitive user data as a result of the copyright-infringement lawsuit the conglomerate filed a year ago.

Internet & Networks EU proposal would task ISPs with blocking infected addresses EU proposal would task ISPs with blocking infected addresses

July 2, 2008 / Sharon Fisher
A paper will be published later this year with far-ranging recommendations for reducing cybercrime in Europe, including a statutory scale of damages against ISPs that do not respond promptly to requests to shut out compromised machines.

Business Linspire getting swallowed by Xandros Linspire getting swallowed by Xandros

July 2, 2008 / Ina Fried
Linspire, the Linux company started by Michael Robertson, is ready to fully assume its place as a footnote in operating system history.

Graphics & Design Adobe unveils Reader 9 with Flash Adobe unveils Reader 9 with Flash

July 2, 2008 / Elsa Wenzel
Adobe released on Tuesday the first Reader application to bake movies and animation into the Portable Document Format.

Web Development