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| Oct 2008 | Sep 2008 | Aug 2008 | Jul 2008 | Jun 2008 | May 2008 | Apr 2008 | Mar 2008 | Feb 2008 | Jan 2008 | Dec 2007 | Nov 2007 |Thu, 29 Nov 07
Google Mobile Finds You, No Satellite Required
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60518.html
Google on Wednesday announced version 2.0 of Google Maps for mobile featuring a beta version of its new "My Location" service that serves as an alternative to GPS technology. Rather than relying on global positioning satellites for identifying a mobile user's location, My Location uses cell tower ID information to provide users with their approximate location, helping them determine where they are.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Can the GOP Leverage Web 2.0 in Time?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60501.html
Eight contenders for the Republican presidential nomination will be debating each other Wednesday night, courtesy of YouTube and CNN. To be sure, the debate itself will be quite telling, with some pundits already laying odds that front-runner Rudy Giuliani may be dislodged from his perch by the evening's end.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Google Eyes Online Storage
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60502.html
Google may be able to add storage to the list of services it provides for businesses and consumers, according to a report. The service would further the current push toward cloud computing or network-hosted applications. The service could allow users to store files normally kept on their PCs on Google's servers and access their files from any online computer or mobile device.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Data Breaches More Expensive Every Year
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60508.html
Companies that fail to prevent data breaches will pay higher costs to repair the damage in 2008, according to a recent report. Data breach incidents will also cost these companies additional revenue from lost business opportunities and reduced customer retention. Data breaches cost companies $197 per compromised customer record in 2007, compared to $182 in 2006.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Apple's War on Customers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60490.html
Cell phone carriers have created an impenetrable mess with a business model built on subsidizing mediocre handsets to lock in customers on long-term service contracts. I had no idea the situation could become so weird so fast. As I noted previously, the introduction of Apple's iPhone was a significant development.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Million Book Project Sprints Way Ahead of Target
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60503.html
The Million Book Project has eclipsed its name. On Tuesday, Carnegie Mellon University officials announced their international venture to digitize 1 million books has exceeded its goal by 500,000 works of literature, with 7,000 more added daily. "By the time we sat down and counted it, it was up to 1.5 million" books, said computer science professor Michael Shamos, director of the project and a copyright lawyer.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
New Super Map Makes Antarctica Crystal Clear
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60507.html
A team of researchers from U.S. and Britain unveiled a newly completed map of Antarctica on Tuesday that is expected to revolutionize research of the continent's frozen landscape. Researchers from NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation and the British Antarctic Survey completed the Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Verizon Plans Radical Shift to Global Network Standard
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60537.html
Verizon, the No. 2 mobile phone carrier in the U.S., announced Thursday that it and joint owner Vodafone plan to develop and deploy technology based upon Long Term Evolution as its fourth generation mobile broadband network. The shift away from its current standard, CDMA, would essentially open the mobile carrier's networks, making it more compatible with standards used in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Micron Jumps Into Solid State Drive Fracas
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60536.html
Micron Technology has entered the solid state drive market by announcing plans to deliver 32 GB and 64 GB SSDs in early 2008. The Boise, Idaho-based semiconductor company already produces a wide variety of DRAM, NAND flash memory, CMOS image sensors and other semiconductor components.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Greenpeace and High-Tech's Gargantuan Green Gap
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60522.html
Why can't tech companies go green? With such luminaries as Google, IBM and HP forming the vanguard of the clean tech movement, it may seem a silly question to ask. Headlines trumpeting these companies' initiatives -- not to mention the nonstop announcements of new energy-saving IT products -- would seem to suggest the tech industry is green all over. Greenpeace, though, says otherwise.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Blazingly Faster iPhones Slated for 2008
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60532.html
Apple iPhone owners craving for faster performance from the spiffy device might want to prepare for a trade-in next year. Speaking Wednesday at the Churchill Club in Santa Clara, Calif., AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said a 3G version of the iPhone is in the works. Stephenson said, simply, "You'll have it next year."
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Amazon Invites Web Surfers to Share Info on Everything
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60534.html
Amazon.com on Thursday launched a site that invites visitors to ask questions and receive answers from fellow users, who will be lured with Amazon currency to share their expertise and opinions. Amazon is aiming to use Askville.com to leverage its own expertise in sharing consumer opinions and to drive both traffic and sales at the same time.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Network Security: Gullible Users Are the Weakest Link
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60520.html
Despite improvements in system and network security, wily cybercriminals remain a significant threat, adjusting their methods to take advantage of unwary Internet users, the SANS Institute says in its report on the top 20 Internet security risks of 2007, released Tuesday. Hackers and cyberspies have shifted their focus and moved in favor of more targeted assaults that rely upon unsuspecting users' gullibility.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Startup Certifies Open Source ERP Software for Leopard
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60513.html
xTuple, a startup maker of open source enterprise resource planning software, announced Wednesday that it has certified its OpenMFG and PostBooks software products for use on Apple's new Mac OS X Leopard operating system. The products are advanced ERP software solutions built with open source components, such as the PostgreSQL database, the Qt toolkit for C++ and the OpenRPT report writer.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
6 Hidden Leopard Gems
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60494.html
By now, you've likely heard all about the big new features in Leopard: Time Machine, Spaces, the beefed-up Mail application, the improved Spotlight and the rest. What you may not have heard about, indeed what you may not even know about despite already having installed Leopard on your Mac, are many of Leopard's small new features.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
TV Guide's Bob Shallow on the Evolution of Mobile Video
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60477.html
Mobile video is here to stay, and wireless carriers, handset makers and content providers are all racing to keep up with the high expectations of savvy consumers who crave more bandwidth and entertainment options at reasonable prices. Television industry vet TV Guide has jumped on the mobile video bandwagon, displaying its television listings, reviews and news on wireless devices.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
A Case for Separating Enterprise App and Facilities Networks
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60530.html
Today, many diverse systems use one physical network to share information within a single application and between multiple applications requiring the same information. Systems for enterprise resource planning, accounting, human resources and customer records share network bandwidth with HVAC controls, lighting controls, security cameras, building power management and access control systems.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Facebook Gives an Inch in Privacy Melee
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60526.html
Facebook said it made a technical change to its popular social networking Web site to strengthen privacy protections for members. However, the alteration isn't likely to satisfy privacy advocates who complain that an advertising program launched earlier this month invades the privacy of users by forcing them to opt out of a system that otherwise shares their purchase information with their friends.
Thu, 29 Nov 07
Publishers Aim to Set New Limits for Search Crawlers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60525.html
The desire for greater control over how search engines index and display Web sites is driving an effort launched Thursday by leading news organizations and other publishers to revise a 13-year-old technology for restricting access. Currently, Google, Yahoo and other top search companies voluntarily respect a Web site's wishes as declared in a text file known as "robots.txt."
Wed, 28 Nov 07
Dell Adds Big Brother to XPS Laptop Line
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60499.html
Dell's high-end laptop lineup just picked up a new brother -- the XPS M1530, a 15.4-inch notebook complete with webcam, fingerprint reader and touch-sensitive multi-media buttons, not to mention the stylish design found in Dell's previously released M1330 13.3-inch notebook. While the M1530 is certainly larger than the M1330, it's not exactly a heavyweight at a mere 5.78 pounds.
Wed, 28 Nov 07
After Upgrades, Vista Eats XP's Dust
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60491.html
The third Service Pack for Microsoft Windows XP, expected to be publicly released next year, might boost the operating system's speed to the point where it is substantially faster than Vista, its successor OS, according to a new study. In a benchmarking comparison between a beta version of XP Service Pack 3 and Vista with Service Pack 1, Devil Mountain Software found that XP left Vista in the dust.
Wed, 28 Nov 07
Verizon Unchained
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60495.html
Verizon Wireless will throw open the doors to its wireless network, the company said Tuesday. Until now, the second largest U.S. wireless carrier was keeping its network locked up tight to third-party developers. Beginning early next year, that will all change when the company intends to publish its technical standards for wireless applications and device manufacturers.
Wed, 28 Nov 07
Google Ignites Coal-Free Revolution
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60496.html
Google will invest heavily in a green power initiative during 2008 and beyond, with the ultimate goal of developing a renewable energy source that creates electricity at a lower cost than coal, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Google's initiative, which it has dubbed "Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal" will begin with a focus on solar thermal, wind power and geothermal technologies.
Wed, 28 Nov 07
MMO Security: Are Players Getting Played?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60476.html
The video gaming industry has seen huge growth over the past few years with the emergence of the massive multiplayer online model. These video games, examples of which include "World of Warcraft" and "Everquest II," allow thousands of players to interact simultaneously over the Internet in a persistent virtual world.
Wed, 28 Nov 07
Tech Firms Put Out Welcome Mats for Outside Developers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60487.html
Sony, Apple and other tech companies want more computer programmers to write software for their products -- even if the programmers aren't employees. Their goal: boosting sales by increasing the number of games and other applications that run on a single device. "There are more companies doing this today than ever before," says Matt Thompson, a senior director with computer-maker Sun Microsystems.
Wed, 28 Nov 07
Seanodes Targets Wasted Space With New Virtualized Storage Tool
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60472.html
French company Seanodes has introduced software architecture that it says allows companies to leverage unused processing power in its storage infrastructure to create a virtual storage pool. The introduction of this application, the firm claims, has in effect created a new category in the storage space that it is calling "Shared Internal Storage."
Wed, 28 Nov 07
Greenpeace Slams MS, Nintendo for Console Chemicals
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60481.html
Microsoft and Nintendo are taking too long to phase out toxic chemicals from their game consoles, and TV producers Philips and Sharp have poor policies on taking back and recycling outdated products, Greenpeace said Tuesday in its latest environmental ranking of leading electronics companies.
Wed, 28 Nov 07
Firefox Vulnerable to New QuickTime Exploit
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60484.html
Apple has been presented with yet another security headache by an independent researcher. Krystian Kloskowski has posted a proof-of-concept exploit for a vulnerability in Apple's QuickTime multimedia software. The researcher said that a successful attack could enable the remote execution of malicious code.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
ABC Targets Facebook Crowd to Bulk Up News Audience
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60474.html
ABC wants to increase its network news viewers by tapping Facebook's constituency -- a younger crowd than the usual audience for its evening news program. The social networking site, for its part, is always on the prowl for new features to keep its 56-million and growing user base happy -- and sticky.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
AT&T Aims to Dazzle Consumers With Shine Cell Phone
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60473.html
AT&T released its new Shine phone from LG Electronics just in time for Black Friday. The Shine by LG, offered exclusively through AT&T, is a sliding form-factor device that features a silver exterior and comes with video, music and camera features and a 2.2-inch mirror LCD screen.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
'Rock Band' Ready to Rumble With 'Guitar Hero III'
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60469.html
The debut last week of "Rock Band" from MTV and EA has turned the holiday shopping season into the staging ground for an historic battle of the music video game bands, with "Rock Band" going up against the current industry heavyweight, Activision's "Guitar Hero III." The competition will be steep, with "Rock Band" the underdog entering a market which "Guitar Hero III" previously dominated.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
Scientists Fear Nanotech Threat to Environment, Health
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60466.html
The potential health and environmental consequences of nanotechnology are a source of greater concern to scientists than to the public at large, according to a new study. The research included a national telephone survey of American households along with a sampling of 363 leading U.S. nanotechnology scientists and engineers.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
Amazon's Kindle, Microsoft's PBX, Dell's XPS One, Product of the Week
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60413.html
Last week was a short week, and while you know the outcome of Black Friday, that is still in my future. We did have two big announcements, though. Amazon made a run at the eBook market with what is the best eBook in the world; in addition, the Dell XPS One, which follows the Gateway One to market, is an impressive piece of work and probably makes Apple wish it had updated the iMac more aggressively.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
Thinking Through Your 2008 Security Budget
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60445.html
For some people, November is all about festivity: turkey, cranberry sauce and the start of the long ramp-up to the December holidays. However, that's not always the case if you happen to be in IT security. If you are, you know that November can be anything but festive -- unless your idea of "festive" includes end-of-the-year network freezes, the inevitable holiday malware, spam out the wazoo, and, worst of all, the 2008 budget.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
Nothing Says Holiday Cheer Like Free Software
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60446.html
So you want to give the best this holiday season? How about a nice bundle of free software? Hold on, this isn't a lesson in Scrooge 101 but a way to give some really good software on a shoestring budget, or to lend a hand to charities, struggling college students, underprivileged kids, even help out the un-geeks who want to do more on their computer but haven't a clue about software.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
Avatar Control: It's All In Your Head
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60458.html
You can always spot the novices in the virtual reality world of Second Life: Their online characters -- or avatars -- stumble around awkwardly and walk into objects, as their real-world users fumble with the keyboard controls. Now, technology from Japan could help make navigating online virtual worlds simpler by letting players use their own bodies -- or even brain waves -- to control their avatars.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
iPod Out Loud: Which Speakers Speak to You?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60417.html
Dock it, charge it and play it. That's the idea behind the endless number of iPod speaker systems on the market today. Who can say which is best? It depends on where you use it, how loud you want it and the kind of sound you like. Is it for the home or office? The iCube, for example, is a good choice for solo listening, though it wouldn't cut it at a party.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
Gene Therapy Tests Resume Following Probe Into Patient's Death
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60460.html
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed Targeted Genetics to restart its gene-therapy trial for rheumatoid arthritis after an investigation indicated the treatment did not contribute to the death of an Illinois woman in July. The trial was put on hold when 36-year old Jolee Mohr died of a massive fungal infection weeks after being injected with the second dose of an arthritis treatment.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
China Shows Off Probe's First Lunar Snapshot
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60456.html
China displayed the first image of the moon captured by its Chang-e 1 lunar probe at a gala ceremony Monday, marking the formal start of the satellite's mission to document the lunar landscape. Unveiling the image at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, Premier Wen Jiabao hailed it as a major step in "the Chinese race's 1,000-year-old dream" of exploring the moon.
Tue, 27 Nov 07
To iPod or Not to iPod?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60463.html
This might be hard for some people to fathom, but there are digital music players made by other companies beside Apple. However, before you think I'm about to write some type of heresy -- the iPod is not the best? -- here's the point: The iPod has keen competition, if you look. There can be good reasons for not picking an iPod. One, other players often include an FM radio; iPods do not.
Mon, 26 Nov 07
China's E-Waste Inferno
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60419.html
The air smells acrid from the squat gas burners that sit outside homes, melting wires to recover copper and cooking computer motherboards to release gold. Migrant workers in filthy clothes smash picture tubes by hand to recover glass and electronic parts, releasing as much as 6.5 pounds of lead dust.
Mon, 26 Nov 07
Getting iWork and AppleWorks to Work Together
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60443.html
A reader writes: I recently bought a new iMac, system 10.4, and installed a copy of iWork '08, which contains Apple's current word-processing program, called "Pages." However, it seems that iWork will not open any document written using AppleWorks, the word-processing program which runs on iMac.
Mon, 26 Nov 07
Will Developers Embrace Android?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60434.html
Google said it doesn't want to build one mobile phone -- it wants to build an army of thousands. Over the past year, the industry eagerly waited for the Mountain View, Calif., Internet giant to announce its big mobile play. Rumors circulated that the company was working on the Gphone, something that could rival the Apple iPhone.
Mon, 26 Nov 07
Giving Friends' Online Recommendations a 'Whrrl'
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60420.html
The Internet is handy for finding restaurants, stores and nightclubs, but word-of-mouth recommendations still rule. Jeff Holden, 39, co-creator of a new service called "Whrrl," hopes to marry the two. The goal: create a social discovery experience that combines the power of the Internet with the dead-on trustworthiness -- and fun -- of getting recommendations from friends.
Sun, 25 Nov 07
Consumer Tech: The Biggest Winners and Losers of 2007
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60441.html
Every year there are winners and losers in the consumer electronics business. However, rarely are they so acutely divided as they appear to be in 2007. Those products deemed winners not only won -- they won big. Those that lost tended to lose big, too. Some winners will come as no surprise. Apple continued to dominate the mobile media player business, its iPod brand still a synonym for the entire category.
Sun, 25 Nov 07
Sharing the Supercomputer Wealth
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60430.html
Yahoo uses its supercomputer cluster known as the "M45" to scan the Internet, fetch copies of the Web pages it finds on a search subject and create indexes. Carnegie Mellon University researchers soon will have access to the same hyperpowered system, where they can work on language translation, photo enhancement and other projects.
Sun, 25 Nov 07
MStation Stereo Orb: Looks Great Until It Starts to Sing
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60423.html
The mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb is a one-piece speaker and docking system for iPods -- and other devices. While it looks more or less like a colored bowling ball, it is actually a decent compact stereo system available in seven spiffy colors. Technically, there are two 2-inch front-facing drivers, a 3-inch rear-facing subwoofer, and a 30 watt power amplifier inside the Orb.
Sun, 25 Nov 07
Pitfalls in Marketing to Teens Online
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60405.html
With Facebook's decision to allow advertisers to display ads based on information users post on their profiles, the debate over online privacy has gained new momentum, especially since today's teenagers are living out a big chunk of their lives on social networking sites. Advertisers can now target underage consumers with relative ease, raising obvious ethical questions.
Fri, 23 Nov 07
Boob Tube Tech: A Golden Age for Couch Potatoes
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60410.html
TV lovers have never had it better. You don't have to stay glued anymore to the boob tube just to catch a favorite show. You don't even have to be home to watch. A bumper crop of gadgets and services can grab, deliver and play back television programs and movies anytime or anywhere to give couch potatoes their fix. All you need is a high-speed Internet connection.
Fri, 23 Nov 07
Wireless Links: Giving Businesses an Option
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60433.html
Consumers chafe at having only two choices -- phone line and cable -- for high-speed Internet service. For businesses, there are often even fewer options due to the limitations of cable. That's changing, at least in major cities. Internet service providers that use wireless technology to bypass the phone companies' near-monopoly now appear to be gaining traction after a false start at the height of the Internet boom.
Fri, 23 Nov 07
The iPhone and Everything Else
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60412.html
Apple's iPhone has shaken up the smartphone business and set other manufacturers scrambling to add features and make it easier to get e-mail, surf the Web and enjoy music and movies on a cell phone. Prices also have come down to the point where some of these feature-packed models cost little more than "dumb" phones. Sizes have come down too -- gone are the days when carrying a smartphone was a workout.
Fri, 23 Nov 07
UK Taxman Loses 25 Million Citizen Records
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60452.html
Personal data on roughly 25 million individuals and 7.25 million families in the United Kingdom have been lost, Chancellor Alistair Darling of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs office announced Tuesday. The lost data includes the names, addresses, dates of birth, national insurance numbers and bank account details of all people who receive a government child benefit.
Fri, 23 Nov 07
Microsoft Puts Finishing Touches on Vista, XP Service Packs
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60453.html
With the one-year anniversary of the launch of its Windows Vista operating system on the horizon, Microsoft for the past 10 months or so has been able to turn its attention to other projects. In particular, the software maker has been working to put out Vista's first service pack and a third service pack for its Windows XP operating system.
Fri, 23 Nov 07
Sony Sets Up Shop for PSP Gamers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60454.html
PlayStation Portable users will soon be saying good-bye to their old download service. Sony, maker of the PSP, announced Tuesday it has launched a new service, the PlayStation Store, for the PC from which PSP owners can purchase content directly. The current PSP download service will reportedly go dark at the end of January to make way for what Sony says is the next evolution for the PlayStation Network.
Fri, 23 Nov 07
Symantec Assigns Security Detail to Smartphones
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/60450.html
The capability gap between personal computers and mobile phones continues to narrow and, from a convenience and productivity point of view, that's a good thing. But along with the benefits come risks, according to Symantec. The company believes mobile devices are now advanced enough to make them vulnerable to the same security issues that threaten computers.
