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Sun, 30 Nov 08
Leadership, the Internet and the 'Tribes' of the World
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65273.html
Author Seth Godin is all about change. In "Tribes," as he has in his previous books such as "Purple Cow" and "The Dip," he challenges the status quo with a straight-on, get-with-it kind of attitude, and you got to love him for it. His books are sweetly short, and they manage to be breezy and thought-provoking at the same time. This time out he tackles the oft-dissected concept of leadership. But he does so with a twist. He delves into the surfacing of a new kind of leader.

Sun, 30 Nov 08
'Star Wars' on iPhone: The Force Isn't So Strong With This One
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65291.html
"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" demonstrates the potential of the iPhone as a gaming platform, but it leaves much to be desired in execution. While LucasArts generated much fanfare around the release of the game for various video game consoles, the mobile version feels like an afterthought, as if someone on the development team heard about the pending debut of the App Store and decided to throw a few people at a quickie game that would make a few bucks simply because it has the name "Star Wars" attached to it.

Sun, 30 Nov 08
FOSS: Price Is Zero, Value Is Priceless
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65263.html
The battle of the operating systems is intensifying in Nepal, and it looks like free open source software like Linux is emerging as a viable alternative to commercial software. People usually are only too happy to grab anything labeled "free," but free and open source software was finding it difficult to make much headway against the commercial giants. Ironically, it was the fact that pirated Windows operating systems are cheap and sometimes come free with the hardware that made it difficult for FOSS to have a following.

Sat, 29 Nov 08
BlackBerry Battle Royale: Storm vs. Bold
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65320.html
With the touchscreen Storm, Research In Motion offers a response to Apple's iPhone. Unfortunately, the Storm is more like a flurry, failing to add much more than a trace of innovation. If you use a BlackBerry, you quickly will grasp the basics of how to work this phone. But if you're a smartphone newbie -- the kind of person RIM wants to lure -- who's looking for a touchscreen model, there are better choices. The Storm is sleek and offers nice multimedia functions; videos look great. But navigating the phone can be cumbersome.

Sat, 29 Nov 08
Elbowing Into the Set-Top Scene: Q and A With Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65310.html
Blockbuster on Tuesday threw its hat into the increasingly crowded ring of set-top boxes with the announcement of a deal with hardware maker 2Wire. Blockbuster's system will bring video directly to viewers' televisions on demand via a broadband Internet connection. The move follows similar offerings from competitors. The Web-connected hardware comes months after chief rival Netflix came out with a set-top box manufactured by Roku. However, Blockbuster's system draws video from the Web differently, and it charges using a different pay structure.

Sat, 29 Nov 08
SCO Vows to Appeal Judge's Patent Ruling
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65302.html
The Utah-based SCO Group has been cleared to appeal a court ruling that might lead to a revival of its dispute with IBM over copyright claims to the freely distributed Linux operating system. Utah Federal Judge Dale A. Kimball has signed a final judgment in a case involving Novell, in which he had awarded Novell $2.5 million for some of the revenues SCO obtained in licensing the Unix computer operating system. The judgment is the latest development in the case that began in 2003 when SCO sued IBM saying the Unix code that SCO claimed to own had been the basis for code placed in Linux.

Sat, 29 Nov 08
Sounding a Warning on Those Ubiquitous Earbuds
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65293.html
Justin Roberts has wildly curious young fans, the type who might lean into a live monitor during one of his concerts just to see what it sounds like. But the popular children's entertainer knows a blast of loud music isn't the only risk to a child's hearing. What parents and kids really need to watch is the everyday use of earbuds that come with iPods and other MP3 players, said Roberts, who has teamed up with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss.

Thu, 27 Nov 08
Watchdogs Give Video Game Raters, Vendors High Marks
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65315.html
The National Institute on Media and the Family released its 13th annual video game report card Tuesday. The report's findings this year are relatively upbeat, with improved grades for retailers and the ESRB for making changes that the institute thinks will decreased the chances that inappropriate games will make their way into the hands of young children. "The report card presents a snapshot of how the [video game] industry is doing in terms of its responsibility to young players," said David Walsh, president and founder of the NIMF.

Thu, 27 Nov 08
At Home With Robots: The Coming Revolution
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65290.html
You might not think you have robots in your house, but think again. There's your dishwasher, for instance; you put dishes in it, walk away, and a half hour later they're clean. Same thing with your washing machine. Or your programmable coffeemaker. Though these everyday mechanical devices aren't humanoid, they are on the robotic spectrum, in the sense that they perform functions with minimal human involvement. "People use the word 'robotics' a lot, and it means a lot of different things," said robotics consultant Rich Hooper.

Thu, 27 Nov 08
The Survivors Will Be Stronger: Q&A With Adap.tv CEO Amir Ashkenazi
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65294.html
From its beginnings in 2006, when the online video advertising industry had little revenue, to an estimated revenue of over $900 million this year, the industry has exploded. Amir Ashkenazi, CEO of Adap.TV, a San Mateo, Calif.-based online video advertising platform provider, shares those thoughts in an exclusive interview with ECT News Network. He reports that the online video ad spend is projected to grow to about $3.9 billion to $4 billion by the year 2012. And he expects the continued movement of traditional TV advertising to the online space.

Thu, 27 Nov 08
Thanksgiving in Space: Irradiated Turkey, Freeze-Dried Stuffing
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65309.html
The smoked turkey resembles sliced deli meat but stiffer, the candied yams are bland inside, the green beans taste like they've been microwaved to death, and the corn bread stuffing has a broth-heavy, institutional flavor. Grandma's home cooking, it's not. Then again, Grandma's Thanksgiving dinners were never irradiated, freeze-dried, vacuum-packed into plastic pouches and then launched into space to be served 220 miles above Earth. That's what the Turkey Day meals for the astronauts aboard space shuttle Endeavour have endured.

Thu, 27 Nov 08
Broadway's Bright Lights Get a Tinge of Green
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65308.html
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- with the help of green friends like "Wicked" witch Elphaba -- launched the "Broadway Goes Green" initiative Tuesday that includes plans to use energy-saving bulbs and recycle stage sets. The aim of the campaign is to reduce Broadway's carbon footprint, a measure of greenhouse gases produced by human activity. Ten theaters already have replaced some 10,000 bulbs with more energy-efficient ones. And within the next 12 months, all of Broadway's theaters will have made the switch.

Thu, 27 Nov 08
Rocket Man Clears 1,500-Foot Gorge With Jet Pack
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65306.html
Daredevil Eric Scott broke the world distance record for a jet pack Monday by flying over the Royal Gorge, almost doubling the old record, which he also held. Scott, 45, a former stunt man, flew a 130-pound, 800 horsepower jet pack 1,500 feet across the precipitous canyon in 21 seconds, barreling at over 70 mph before touching down light as a feather on the other side. "I had total confidence in the machine," a jubilant Scott said after landing. Not everyone did.

Wed, 26 Nov 08
'Fallout 3' Mod Pack to Let Gamers Redecorate the Post-Apocalypse
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65299.html
Bethesda Softworks announced Tuesday that it will software tools to allow gamers and developers to tinker with the publisher's recent PC and console release, "Fallout 3." Dubbed the "Garden of Eden Creation Kit," or G.E.C.K., the editor will enable gamers to create mods, or personal modifications of the PC version of the game. Bethesda will make the editor available as a free download in December. Games for Windows users will be able to create and add their own content to the game.

Wed, 26 Nov 08
Online Suicide Watchers - Connected but Detached
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65288.html
Last Wednesday, a troubled teenager went home, logged onto the Internet, and discussed his unhappiness with strangers at a discussion board he liked to frequent. He wanted to kill himself, he said. And then Abraham Biggs Jr. did just that -- on live videocam. The camera stopped running approximately 12 hours later when the police came to the door. Biggs had told viewers what he was going to do. Some reportedly urged him on. Some discussed among themselves whether the dosage of pills he was taking was enough.

Wed, 26 Nov 08
Opera 4.2 Browser Blooms in Android's Unwalled Garden
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65296.html
Opera Software has thrown open the doors to reveal the final version of its popular Opera Mini 4.2 browser for mobile phones. The 4.2 version has been in beta the last few weeks, and now that Opera Software has opened a new server park, users of the browser in the United States should see a 30 percent speed boost. This release is the first version officially available for Google's Android mobile platform -- and the T-Mobile G1 smartphone. It's also the first Web browser alternative to the built-in browser on the open Android platform.

Wed, 26 Nov 08
Blockbuster Pits a la Carte Menu Against Netflix's Buffet
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65295.html
Movie rental giant Blockbuster announced Tuesday it has teamed with hardware maker 2Wire to launch a content delivery service on the 2Wire MediaPoint digital media player. The set-top box will provide users with direct access to Blockbuster OnDemand content via their televisions. The small set-top box works with either WiFi or a wired broadband connection. It features outputs for composite cable, HDMI, component cable and Toslink. Once connected to the Web, the set-top box will quickly download movies the user selects, said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster chairman and chief executive officer.

Wed, 26 Nov 08
Apps That Live Where the Air Is Rarified, Part 2
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65280.html
Some "applications" are misnomers of a sort. "Oddly enough, I'm not sure that true cloud innovation is happening quite yet at the application level," said Charles King, principal with Pund-IT. "Instead, we're seeing a variety of what people call 'cloud-enabled' or 'cloud-oriented' apps and services that don't seem terribly different. Still, there are Web 2.0-style online communities and collaboration tools that are supporting some intriguing means for users to seamlessly access and share information.

Wed, 26 Nov 08
My iPhone, Myself
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65262.html
Breathless, my body trilling with excitement, I hold the small, sleek box in my hand. The sun breaks through the clouds and a choir of angels seems to sing as I open it. Behold! In the hands of this mere mortal -- an iPhone! No mere telephone this. It is an MP3 player, digital camera, text messager, calendar, GPS, voice recorder, tiny TV, and cell phone. You can check your e-mail anywhere, anytime! Clearly it is a wondrous and magnificent item because you must stand in line at the Apple store for hours to have one bestowed upon thee.

Wed, 26 Nov 08
Security Sleuths See Rising Tide of Virtualized Malware
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65287.html
Virus writers are likely to unleash increasingly sophisticated strains of malware next year in an attempt to bounce back from some high-profile botnet shutdowns in 2008, according to new predictions from managed security provider MessageLabs. The company predicted that hackers will launch new attacks in which malware will exist as a virtualization layer running directly on the hardware and undiscoverable by the operating system. "The operating system does not know it's there, and the malware will be intercepting low-level operating system calls," explained MessageLabs' Paul Wood.

Wed, 26 Nov 08
Astronauts Cheer Success of Urine Conversion Machine
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65285.html
After several days without luck, astronauts finally ran a successful test on equipment that turns urine into drinking water -- a necessity for supporting the international space station's crew, which will soon double. "Not to spoil anything, but I think up here the appropriate words are 'Yippee!'" space station commander Mike Fincke told Mission Control early Tuesday morning, shortly before bedtime. "There will be dancing later," Mission Control replied. Astronauts had spent a frustrating five days trying to get the urine processor working.

Tue, 25 Nov 08
Study: Gluttonous Gaming Machines Could Use Lesson in Power Management
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65281.html
As many industries focus on green technologies like hardware and devices that use less energy, a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests that makers of video game consoles could do more to cut their hardware's hunger for electricity. In the U.S., video game consoles consume roughly the same amount of electricity that it takes to power every home in San Diego, according to the NRDC. In fact, the bulk of consoles' energy usage takes place not while users are playing games, but after game play has come to an end and the systems are left turned on but running idle.

Tue, 25 Nov 08
YouTube Pays Homage to Its Stars at Live Event
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65269.html
President-Elect Barack Obama didn't show, but Obama Girl was there. So was Obama's unofficial Web troubadour, will.i.am. A real politician, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, presented an award to a real member of royalty, Queen Raina of Jordan, while Chad Vader, the unambitious, not-so-real brother of a member of pseudo-royalty, Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader, looked on. It was that kind of night at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on Saturday for the first-ever YouTube Live event.

Tue, 25 Nov 08
Crackle.com to Take a Crack at Online-Only Programming
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65266.html
Sony Pictures Entertainment's online video network, Crackle.com, has announced its upcoming season of online programming, which will start airing next month. Unlike much of the pro content accessible on the Internet, Crackle's shows are primarily made for distribution exclusively over the Web, not regular TV. Crackle's claim to fame is short, original episodes produced and filmed with the same basic high-quality production values that go into producing network or cable television. In other words, Crackle is not about blurry and poorly lit webisodes filmed in some dude's basement.

Tue, 25 Nov 08
Google's New SearchWiki Tool Lets Users Give Their Two Bits
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65259.html
Google has released a new search editing tool that gives users more control over their results. SearchWiki enables users to customize their searches by re-ranking, deleting, adding and even commenting on their search results. Users will also be able to see how others have edited their searches; however, the edits will only apply to their personal searches. "It will enable the end-user by contributing to the Wiki and the community aggregation to give Google more input on how the relevancy of search engine results," Gene Alavarez, a Gartner Research analyst, told TechNewsWorld.

Tue, 25 Nov 08
Apps That Live Where the Air Is Rarified, Part 1
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65258.html
"Cloud computing is not magical, but it is more economical, more easily scaled and more easily managed," said Lance Walley, chief executive officer of Engine Yard, a hosting and infrastructure support company for Ruby on Rails applications. It's getting more so, too. That's because it's so practical, more applications are sure to appear every year. "It's like running your own generators or buying power from the public grid," Walley said. "What this will do is make more apps appear and prosper than would have before."

Tue, 25 Nov 08
EMC in Sync With Move to the Cloud
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65247.html
It was an interesting week last week, made even more interesting by a bunch of news services calling our U.S. president-elect either the new Hitler or a Marxist, suggesting these folks got some really bad eggnog. This should be filed under NOT HELPING. While tempted, I'll avoid further mentioning that insanity in the hope they sober up and instead focus on some interesting tech moves. EMC formed Decho, which could be its most powerful unit yet focusing on cloud-based services for next generation sync and backup.

Tue, 25 Nov 08
One More Reason for Linux Lovers to Give Thanks
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65256.html
Thanksgiving may still be around the corner, but already Linux users have something to be thankful for. Yes, Adobe apparently saw the writing on the wall at last, and last week released a 64-bit version of Flash for Linux. The righteous have been rewarded! The news made no small splash on the Linux blogs, as one might expect, with geeks far and wide praising the new technology. Indeed, once the geeks started expressing their enthusiasm, there appeared to be no end to the gushing of love.

Tue, 25 Nov 08
iPods, iPhones and the Enterprise Data Clampdown
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65248.html
It's a safe bet that most enterprise employees don't haul their personal laptops into the workplace. However, with the ever-increasing capabilities of iPods and iPhones these days, are workers introducing new issues for IT security? The Apple iPod touch now comes with a whopping 32 GB of storage space and built-in WiFi capable of attaching to nearly ubiquitous corporate wireless networks. The iPhone doesn't currently have as much storage space, but it too has WiFi. While most organizations should be running relatively secure wireless networks, is there still a security risk?

Mon, 24 Nov 08
Consumer Turnoffs: Ugly Tech, Garish Gadgets
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65230.html
Fed up with ugly routers and clunky hard drives, a growing number of consumers are looking for well-designed gadgets that complement decor instead of cluttering desktops and clashing with furniture. Many credit Apple's iPhone, with its strikingly simple forms, for raising the bar on expectations for good design in consumer electronics. And while art and design professionals say that gadgets like mobile phones and personal computers are becoming increasingly well-designed, they also say many electronic products still need to work on their appearance.

Mon, 24 Nov 08
China's Softening Resistance to Reporting Bad News
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65255.html
The Chinese media's increased reporting of protests over land, labor and investment issues reflects an attempt by the government to manage the impact of bad news by acknowledging it, according to two well-placed sources. "The Chinese government has started to loosen its control on the negative information," said one of the sources, an academic close to the propaganda authorities who declined to be identified. "They are trying to control the news by publicizing the news."

Mon, 24 Nov 08
When Society's Ills Invade Fantasy Worlds
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65228.html
It was meant to be an escape, a break from the day-to-day routine, a fantasy world where 13-year-old Missouri high-school student Megan Meier could retreat from reality. But when Meier began corresponding with 16-year-old Josh Evans on her MySpace page, it rapidly turned into a nightmare. Instead of the sweet, flirtatious communications she had hoped for, he started telling her "everybody hates you" and "the world would be a better place without you in it." Twenty minutes later her mother found her hanging in her cupboard. She died the next day.

Mon, 24 Nov 08
Apple's Superlative Sequel: The Latest iPod Touch
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65227.html
They say sequels often fail to live up to the original. That's not so with the second generation of Apple's iPod touch. Apple has managed to make the touch look better, work better, and deliver more features -- all for a $229 starting price, significantly cheaper than the previous entry-level $299 version. The changes, while subtle, are so significant that I give the second-generation touch a rare perfect score. The touch, while an iPod, is close to the iPhone in lineage. It has the same touchscreen and plays music and videos the same way.

Sun, 23 Nov 08
Social Networking Rule No. 1: Don't Be Stupid
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65215.html
It has never been easier to get in trouble while catching up with friends. Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace are great ways to reconnect with old acquaintances and meet new ones. But posts can be problems -- the work rant you didn't expect the boss to see or the photos your old roommate posted that document your familiarity with keg stands. More than 70 million users have registered online for Facebook accounts this year alone. With recent college graduates, older professionals and other adults flocking to the site, some are learning hard lessons.

Sun, 23 Nov 08
A Treat for the Ears, a Torment for the Pocketbook
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65250.html
For as long as companies have sold portable music players, a free pair of headphones has been part of the deal. It started with round, foam-covered, over-the-head models packaged with the original Sony Walkman cassette player in the late 1970s. Nearly 30 years later, the white earbuds included with Apple's iPod line have become a fashion statement on their own. Fashion statements aside, packaging headphones along with the music player is more about convenience than anything else. And it's certainly not about sound.

Sat, 22 Nov 08
Agassi's Electric Car Plan Gets Bay Area Jump-Start
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65252.html
In four years, driving a car in the San Francisco Bay area may involve a variation of the "plug and play" concept. Think "plug and drive," if the mayors of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose and start-up Better Place have their way. The company, founded by former SAP executive and Wired magazine cover subject Shai Agassi, announced a private-public partnership Thursday with the three mayors and regional entities to begin building the support infrastructure for electric car use in the Bay Area.

Sat, 22 Nov 08
Bond Goes Commercial: Quirky Gadgets Out, Product Placements In
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65234.html
The history of James Bond films is the history of our fascination with technology: booby-trapped briefcases, jetpacks, cars with machine guns and ejector seats, super-magnet watches, cars driven by remote control, acid-filled fountain pens, cars that become invisible, sharks with frickin' lasers... Sorry, wrong spy movie franchise on that last example. But you get the point, one that's been made several times during the remarkable 46-year-long run of the 007 films.

Sat, 22 Nov 08
Obama's Cell Phone Records Breached in Verizon Inside Job
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65249.html
President-elect Barack Obama may not find it that hard to give up his BlackBerry after all. Verizon Wireless has announced that some of its employees accessed his personal cell phone account records. The wireless provider apologized to the president-elect and said it would discipline the employees involved. Verizon apparently realized this week that Obama's records had been breached. The account is linked to a flip phone that does not have e-mail or advanced data capabilities, and it has been inactive for several months.

Sat, 22 Nov 08
HP's Wrath, Baidu's Greed and Other Deadly Sins
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65245.html
TV shows like "The Hills" focus on the petty squabbles that go on in the world of spoiled, vapid socialites. I can't think of a program that gets into the catfights that go on in the IT world, and I don't know whether there'd really be a huge audience for something like that, but they do happen, and court documents in an ongoing lawsuit have revealed some juicy tidbits. The class-action suit concerns the promises made by some PC makers that their computers -- even some really weak-kneed models -- could shoulder the weight of Microsoft's latest operating system, Vista.

Sat, 22 Nov 08
iPhone Update Soups Up Street Smarts, Stabilizes Safari
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65246.html
Apple has released a new software update for the iPhone, bringing users more than a dozen new features and fixes. Among them is the "I-want-that-too" Google Street View maps feature that was first available on BlackBerry and Java-enabled phones. "Apple has been releasing major updates to iPhone OS every few months," Raven Zachary, founder of iPhoneDevCamp and a contributing analyst for The 451 Group, told MacNewsWorld. Apple released the previous 2.1 update in September.

Sat, 22 Nov 08
No Love, but Plenty of Like, for the G1
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65239.html
I've been using a T-Mobile G1 for about a month now, and while it's the best phone I've ever owned (yes, I bought it), I haven't yet found myself saying "I love this phone." I like it plenty, don't get me wrong, but like any device, it's got things about it that are frustrating and other things that are pretty cool. The G1 is the first phone to use Google's Android software stack, though by no means the last or the only. Others are said to be in the works from the likes of Motorola and LG. This one is an implementation of the HTC Dream.

Sat, 22 Nov 08
Mac Bloggers Dig Psystar's Grave, Decry DRM, Defend Apple TV
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65235.html
There's a lot of great Apple-focused news hitting the blogosphere this week, including rumors that Apple's next OS X version, Snow Leopard, could hit in the first quarter of 2009 -- and that Apple may be waiting on Intel to deliver Core 2 Quad processors for its next revision to the iMac line. Of course, the hottest news is a judge's smackdown of Psystar's claim that Apple is violating federal and state antitrust laws. Elsewhere, there are rumors/hopes that Apple is getting closer to offering DRM-free songs on iTunes from three more of the four major record labels.

Sat, 22 Nov 08
Social Networking: It's a Good Thing
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65241.html
Some might call it unproductive. Or maybe a bad habit. Or just a frivolous distraction. Or even dangerous. Julianne Howell, a freshman at St. Joseph's Academy in St. Louis, calls her daily Facebook routine time well spent. "It's like a social connection," she said. "It's not a waste of time. It's like talking on the phone -- that isn't a waste of time." Howell's justification for the hours she spends on the social networking site is dead on, according to a study released Thursday by the MacArthur Foundation.

Sat, 22 Nov 08
Did Microsoft Lie? Depends on the Meaning of 'Vista'
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65242.html
Microsoft sought to bring a quick end Thursday to the lawsuit that has produced a steady flow of sometimes embarrassing internal e-mails about Windows Vista, a product whose reputation in the marketplace was already tarnished before it launched nearly two years ago. The company asked a federal judge in Seattle to dismiss the remaining claims in the class-action suit brought by PC buyers challenging its "Vista Capable" marketing program as deceptive, and to decertify the class.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
IBM, Academics Seek to Create a Computer That's More Like Us
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65237.html
IBM and five universities are receiving funding from a government agency to build a supercomputer -- but not just any supercomputer. They've been tasked with building hardware and software that mimics the human brain. "There are no computers today that can even remotely approach the robust and versatile functionality of the brain," said Dharmendra Modha of IBM Research. Cognitive computing is the quest to engineer mind-like intelligent business machines by reverse engineering the computational function of the brain and packaging it in a small, low-power chip.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
MySpace Suicide Case Exposes Legal Gap
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65232.html
So far, the testimony in the Lori Drew cyber-bullying trial, which began Wednesday in Los Angeles, has generated headlines for its inherent drama and tragedy: the mother of a teenage daughter, accused of using the MySpace social network to stage an elaborate hoax that ends with the suicide of a troubled 13-year-old classmate, Megan Meier. But the legal foundation for the prosecution's case seems like it belongs to a different court proceeding, one that doesn't involve a mother's tears and stories of teen girl gossip-mongering.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
Samsung Factories Pump Out Jumbo Solid State Drives
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65233.html
Samsung announced Thursday it has begun mass production of a 256 gigabyte solid state drive designed for use in notebook an desktop PCs. The drives round out Samsung's line of SSDs, which includes 8, 16, and 32 GB SSD models for low-density designs and 64 and 128 GB for higher densities, the company said. "The significance of this launch is in that Samsung is improving SSD performance and it shows that the industry is still improving SSD technology," Jeffrey Janukowicz, an analyst at IDC, told TechNewsWorld.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
NASA Tests New Deep Space Cyber-Net
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65219.html
NASA has announced it has successfully tested the first deep-space communications network. The new network, modeled on the Internet, was able to transmit scores of space images between Earth and a NASA science spacecraft located more than 20 million miles away. Dubbed the "Interplanetary Internet," the software protocol was a joint venture between NASA and Vint Cerf, a vice president at Google, that began in 1998. However, it was a team of engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., that used Disruption-Tolerant Networking to transmit the images.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
Nokia Chases BlackBerry Market With IBM Lotus Notes Deal
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65231.html
Nokia and IBM are teaming up to bring corporate e-mail, calendar, address book and messaging functions to mobile workers. Nokia's move is its latest attempt to compete with Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry e-mail device. The Finland-based phonemaker signed a similar deal with Microsoft in September. The deal with Big Blue will let Nokia smartphone owners access IBM Lotus Notes e-mail starting next month. Nokia has more than 40 different smartphone models that can use the new Lotus Notes service.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
By the People: Citizen Involvement the Open Source Way
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65213.html
Everything's going open source nowadays. Why not government? That's precisely the question that some analysts and consultants are asking, along with citizens themselves. President-Elect Barack Obama has begun to implement a bit of open source thinking with his Presidential Transition Project Web site, which allows citizens to send in comments, ideas and suggestions for public policy, as well as apply for jobs within the Obama administration. And others in and around government are likely to follow his lead in enacting what might be called "Legislation 2.0."

Fri, 21 Nov 08
Touchy Feely BlackBerry Storm a Worthy iPhone Rival
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65222.html
The much-anticipated BlackBerry Storm goes on sale Friday through Verizon Wireless, threatening to create some serious waves for what has been smooth sailing for the popular Apple iPhone. I've been testing an evaluation unit for the better part of a week and can say that the sleek new Storm is the most compelling rival yet, incorporating many of the iPhone's revolutionary features but adding a distinctly BlackBerry style and some new tricks of its own. Corporate types waiting for a major upgrade to the BlackBerry are going to love the Storm's brilliant display.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
Microsoft Lures Zune Subscribers With Free Tracks
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65221.html
Microsoft is giving an early holiday gift to people who pay for all-you-can-listen access to the Zune digital music store: 10 songs to keep each month, included in the $14.99 monthly subscription fee. The decision may appeal to people who have been reluctant to test out the subscription model, preferring to own their music instead of rent it. Microsoft's Zune Pass, RealNetworks' Rhapsody and others give users unlimited access to millions of songs in exchange for a monthly fee. But as soon as the user stops paying, the music stops playing unless he or she buys each track.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
Mozilla Cautions Against Experimental Firefox Plug-Ins
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65226.html
Mozilla has advised Firefox customers not to try add-ons classed as "experimental," such as the recently released China Channel, because they could cause computer problems. Firefox add-ons allow users to personalize their browsing and add additional features, and because Firefox is open source, many of these add-ons are thought up by third-party developers. Add-ons classed as "experimental" are those still being tested, although they are available for public use. However, Mozilla does not recommend users downloading such add-ons unless they are very technically minded.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
Astronauts Clamp Down on Procedures After Tool Bag Floats Away
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65224.html
Astronauts vowed to double-check, even triple-check all their tethers to make sure a bag of tools is properly tied down during a spacewalk Thursday so it doesn't float away like one did earlier this week. Within two hours of waking up, lead spacewalker Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Shane Kimbrough were inside their spacesuits, ready for the second of four spacewalks planned for their mission. "We're definitely not going to do it again. You're not going to see us lose another bag," Stefanyshyn-Piper said.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
Who Needs Cable and Satellite TV Services?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65225.html
It's time to fire the cable guy. And the satellite guy. If you have a high-speed Internet connection, you have so many new ways to watch shows and movies on TV that you don't need those guys any more. I can connect my laptop to my TV to watch YouTube videos and network shows -- NBC, CBS, ABC -- online. And now that Netflix movies can be watched on Macs, just about any computer can download and play movies. Later, cable company.

Fri, 21 Nov 08
Apple TV's Unrealized Potential
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65214.html
Apple has been particularly aggressive in setting standards and showing leadership with the iPhone and new MacBooks. They've removed FireWire from the MacBook, to many people's alarm, moved to DisplayPort video technology, and, on the iPhone side, completely disrupted an industry that was asleep at the wheel. And yet when it comes to the digital living room, Apple has shown very little leadership. From time to time, we've heard rumors about all kinds of neat ideas for Apple to seize the initiative in casual home theater.

Thu, 20 Nov 08
'Animal Crossing: City Folk': Slow, Boring, Lonely
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65217.html
Among the titles Nintendo highlighted during E3 this year, "Animal Crossing: City Folks" stood out. Previously a bestselling franchise on the Nintendo GameCube, the updated Wii version, Nintendo said, would take advantage of the console's Internet connection and new Wii Speak microphone accessory to connect gamers with other players near and far. The purported ability to take part in voice chats while interacting with other players in the game sounded intriguing; however, after playing the game I am more frustrated than impressed.

Thu, 20 Nov 08
A Decade-Plus of a Web Gone Worldwide
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65198.html
Perhaps the greatest invention of the 20th century is the hardware and software infrastructure that makes up the data communications system known as the Internet. It's led to revolutions in the way people and businesses communicate, advertise and sell. Although the technology underpinning the Internet had been in development and use for several decades -- and although by some definitions the Internet itself went online in the 1960s -- it wasn't until the mid-1990s that the Web began to infiltrate people's daily lives.

Thu, 20 Nov 08
Parallels 4.0 Not Quite Fully Baked
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65195.html
After Apple began selling Macintosh systems based on Intel processors, a program called "Parallels Desktop" was released that let you run Windows in a window on a Mac. It instantly became the de facto standard for breaking down walls between operating systems on the Mac OS. Parallels uses a technique called "virtualization," which creates a virtual computer running within the physical, real computer. Called a "virtual machine," it can use different operating systems, allowing Mac users to simultaneously run, say, Windows or Linux.

Thu, 20 Nov 08
The New Dawn of the 3-D Film Era
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65210.html
If Dreamworks Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg is right, you'll soon be out shopping for the latest in designer glasses. 3-D glasses that is. Hollywood studios such as Dreamworks, Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox are betting 3-D will finally become the next big thing in film, luring moviegoers to the theater with advancements in a technology that first caught viewers' attention in the 1950s. "In five to seven years, all movies will be made in 3-D," Katzenberg said Wednesday at the start of an inaugural four-day 3-D festival in Singapore.

Thu, 20 Nov 08
Life Magazine's Giant Photo Album Lives On Online
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65209.html
Google has opened an online photo gallery that will feature millions of images from Life magazine's archives that have never been seen by the public before. The new service debuted Tuesday with about 2 million photos. Eventually, Google plans to scan all 10 million photos from Life's library so they can be viewed on any computer with an Internet connection. About 97 percent of Life's archives have not been publicly seen, according to Life. The photos can be printed out for free as long as they aren't being used as part of an attempt to make money.

Thu, 20 Nov 08
Facebook to Give Apps Seal of Approval - For a Price
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65208.html
Facebook plans to start charging for verifying applications built for the social network -- an optional process that has upset some developers despite the company's assurances it will bring plenty of positive benefits. Platform program manager Sandra Liu Huang said Tuesday that Facebook opened the verification process to developers on Monday. The process is meant to increase users' trust of applications that are posted on the site and to help developers wanting to build a serious business get more visibility with users, she said.

Thu, 20 Nov 08
Stem-Cell Trachea Transplant Sets New Treatment Standard
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65207.html
Doctors have given a woman a new windpipe with tissue grown from her own stem cells, eliminating the need for antirejection drugs. "This technique has great promise," said Eric Genden, MD, who did a similar transplant in 2005 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. That operation used both donor and recipient tissue. Only a handful of windpipe, or trachea, transplants have ever been done. If successful, the procedure could become a new standard of treatment, said Genden, who was not involved in the research.

Wed, 19 Nov 08
National Geographic's First Gaming Adventure a Trip Into Herod's Tomb
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65203.html
National Geographic, publisher of the iconic magazine of the same name, announced a new division Tuesday. National Geographic Games will publish and develop games for consoles, handheld systems, mobile systems and online platforms. The games will be developed and published with partners Namco Bandai Games America and Sony Computer Entertainment. "I was very excited to read about National Geographic's game efforts this morning. Using games to communicate and educate while also entertain is an area that is vastly underexplored," said video game consultant Mark DeLoura.

Wed, 19 Nov 08
New Specs to Allow Blazing-Fast USB Devices
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65200.html
The USB 3.0 Promoter Group has finalized specifications for the next-generation transfer technology. The completion of the roadmap for USB 3.0 means the technology is now ready for device manufacturers to bring the so-called SuperSpeed USB technology to the market. "The finalization of the specification is very significant and has been anticipated in the industry since work on the specification was announced a little over a year ago," said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF president and chairman.

Wed, 19 Nov 08
Google Voice Search: Worthy of the iPhone's Bottom Row
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65202.html
The new voice-actived Google Mobile app for iPhone is now available. For those who missed the news stories that -- somewhat prematurely -- predicted its arrival last Friday, it basically lets you say any search term or phrase into your iPhone and get search results within seconds -- even GPS-aware localized responses. So ... is it any good? Wow. That's right, wow. I mean, yeah, it's that good. I've been an iPhone owner since day one, upgraded to the 3G model, and this is the first application that's inspired me to remove one of the four core bottom applications on my home screen.

Wed, 19 Nov 08
Yes, PCI Applies to You
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65180.html
Folks in IT tend to ask a lot of questions. We're a curious breed by nature. In fact, we have to be. Change comes about so quickly in our industry, technology moves so fast, and our businesses adapt so fluidly that we have to ask questions just to keep up. Some might even say that a healthy curiosity is the hallmark of a successful IT professional -- and I wouldn't disagree. So when I'm in the field and an IT professional has a question about some specific technology, about some new regulation, or about their information security program, it's not usually cause for comment.

Wed, 19 Nov 08
The Linux Licensing Labyrinth
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65185.html
It's a small wonder that the Linux operating system remains vibrant in multiple industries and is poised to make a dash for more consumers' desktops, considering how often misunderstandings get in the way of its advancement. For instance, Linux was not immediately recognized as a real OS in the way that consumers and business owners viewed the Apple computer or IBM PC in the early days of computing. Linux was available in too many confusing distributions. Even today, many non-Linux users misunderstand the open source model.

Wed, 19 Nov 08
Emergency Communications Systems: 5 Do's and 5 Don'ts
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65179.html
What mistakes will cause emergency communication systems to undergo excessive stress or possibly fail in a disaster, and what steps should be taken to improve performance? One of the biggest challenges for emergency communication centers is the wide range of situations that require responses -- including man-made emergencies such as power outages, terrorist attacks, gunshots, toxic fumes and epidemics, as well as natural disasters such as fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes.

Wed, 19 Nov 08
Yet One More Challenge for the Prez: Life Without BlackBerry
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65191.html
Before he ran for president, Barack Obama quit smoking. Now that he's won the job, he may have to break another addiction: checking his BlackBerry for e-mail. The president's e-mail can be subpoenaed by Congress and courts and may be subject to public records laws, so if a president doesn't want his e-mail public, he shouldn't e-mail. Also, there may be security issues about carrying around trackable cell phones. Though no decision has been made public, it seems unlikely he'll carry his BlackBerry, and he may be in for some withdrawal pains.

Wed, 19 Nov 08
Will Zune's Latest Marketing Song Make Buyers Dance?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65192.html
A video for the title track on hip-hop veteran Common's forthcoming album, "Universal Mind Control," begins with a digital music player pulsing to the beat. The viewer is pulled through the screen into the gadget's guts, where the cool, collected rapper lets loose an easy stream of lyrics. It takes hitting rewind a few times to notice that the music player isn't one of Apple's slim new iPods. It's a Zune, and it's made by Microsoft. Since it first landed two years ago, the Zune has been the butt of many jokes.

Tue, 18 Nov 08
Adobe Promises Flash-ier Smartphones by 2009
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65183.html
That blur you saw at the edges of your vision just now? That would be the Internet continuing to move at light speed to your cell phone and other mobile devices. So Adobe's argument is, how can anything move that fast without Flash? The company is staging its MAX 2008 conference in San Francisco this week, and Adobe is putting the spotlight on announcements focusing on its market-dominating Flash Web media platform. The news item getting the most early attention is a deal with mobile microprocessor technology company ARM.

Tue, 18 Nov 08
CA Launches Systems Management Command Center Suite
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65186.html
CA has released a suite of enterprise IT management software tools that it's calling the next "killer app" for virtualization. The first phase in the nascent industry -- server consolidation -- is well underway; the next big trend, according to CA, is the comprehensive management of virtual systems. "We have been working on managing virtual machines for many of our products already," said CA executive Stephen Elliot. The new suite bundles previously released applications with new tools for support and management of both physical and virtual infrastructures.

Tue, 18 Nov 08
Intel Ships Core i7 Chips for High-Horsepower Desktops
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65182.html
Intel's latest high-end desktop processor series, the new Core i7 lineup, has officially hit the sales channels with offerings from computer makers like Dell, Gateway and others. The processors, which were codenamed "Nehalem" by Intel, are based on a new microarchitecture designed to deliver high performance and energy efficiency. "Typically, when Intel makes an update as significant as Core i7, the first adopters are typically in the high-end desktop," Charles King, principal analyst for Pund-IT, told TechNewsWorld.

Tue, 18 Nov 08
Court Docs Reveal Fury of a PC Maker Scorned
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65181.html
Court documents in a class action lawsuit over Microsoft's "Windows Vista Capable" logo show intense dissatisfaction by top executives at HP, one of the software giant's largest PC partners. "You have demonstrated a complete lack of commitment to HP as a strategic partner and cost us a lot of money in the process," HP executive Richard Walker wrote in an e-mail to Jim Allchin, who was Microsoft's ranking Windows executive at the time. "Your credibility is severely damaged in my organization."

Tue, 18 Nov 08
The Demand/Capacity Crossroads
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65172.html
In the past, network management mainly consisted of monitoring whether routers and switches were up or down -- as long as the power light was on, it was available, and the network administrator could proclaim, "It's not the network." With pervasive wireless connectivity and handheld devices capable of accessing the Internet from nearly anywhere, networks have become more advanced. In turn, users are focused on the level of service the network provides, rather than it simply being available.

Tue, 18 Nov 08
Tech Forest Will Be Stronger After the Fire
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65163.html
Over the last several days I've attended two conferences that are focused on predicting and changing the future of technology and technology companies. The first was put on by Digital River, a firm that specializes in setting up or improving profitable online stores like Apple and Dell have, and we were focused on strategies for increasing company revenues and profits in these troubling times. The second was the Phoenix Technology Strategy 2009 conference, and there the focus was on what major changes we would likely see in technology over the next several years.

Tue, 18 Nov 08
OS X vs. Windows: A Tale of Two Security Strategies
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65177.html
Patches are all in a day's work for Microsoft and Apple engineers. Indeed, the second Tuesday of every month has become known in tech circles as "Patch Tuesday." That's when Microsoft issues its latest updates for its operating systems and applications. Apple disseminates patches on a less-predictable schedule. Does Apple need to adopt a more regular routine as its platform becomes more popular among consumers, or is Patch Tuesday more about enterprise users? Or is a more flexible, whenever-it's-needed strategy a better idea, regardless of who's using the OS?

Tue, 18 Nov 08
Who's the Greatest Geek of All Time?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65171.html
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who are the greatest geeks of us all? That question -- posed in an Australian iTnews article, "The Top 10 Greatest Geeks of All Time" on Monday -- sparked quite a discussion in the blogosphere last week, garnering more than 1,300 Diggs and 280 comments by Friday. Who was top of the list? We'll give you a hint: He's the father of our favorite operating system. Other notables on there? Richard Stallman in 9th position, and Paul Allen at 10.

Mon, 17 Nov 08
What the Market Crash Taught Me About Tech
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65142.html
OK, so the market crashed, and we're in a recession. There's also some good news to go around. Warren Buffett's buying. The elections are finally over. The Phillies won the World Series. I've got a year's supply of Halloween candy pilfered from my kids. The Wall Street crisis has also taught me a great deal about technology. For years I've listened to software companies tell us that, with technology, our decision-making will be made easier. And we'll be making better decisions. We'll have better facts.

Mon, 17 Nov 08
Avatar Strays, Real Guy Suffers Consequences
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65175.html
A virtual affair is ending a real-life marriage in southwest England. Amy Taylor filed for divorce when she discovered her husband cheating in Second Life -- an online community where players adopt personas called "avatars," mingle with others and teleport themselves into a series of artificial worlds. "I caught him cuddling a woman on a sofa in the game," Taylor told the South West News Service press agency. "It looked really affectionate. He confessed he'd been talking to this woman player in America for one or two weeks, and said our marriage was over and he didn't love me any more."

Mon, 17 Nov 08
Buyer Beware: 'Tis the Season for Faux iPods
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65166.html
With bad economic times and Christmas around the corner, bargain hunters are going to be out in droves. But if a deal seems too good to be true, it likely is. Apple's various iPods have sold millions of units worldwide, and the unscrupulous are trying to cash in on that trend by selling knock-offs. Clever copies of Apple's iPod shuffle and nano models have popped up for sale on the Internet, often priced substantially cheaper than the real deal. Lockport, N.Y., resident Jake Crandall bought his phony iPod nano off eBay in early November for $99.99, $50 cheaper than a store-bought version.

Sun, 16 Nov 08
The Laptop Junkie's Burden
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65147.html
An article in the Chicago Tribune the other day told the story of one of Barack Obama's Chicago buddies, Eric Whitaker, who lugged his laptop to a party at the Democratic convention in Denver last summer. The piece quoted another Obama buddy, Marty Nesbitt, on Whitaker's "addiction." "We were going to a cocktail party at 10 at night. A party!" Nesbitt said. "And he had his cord and laptop." Nesbitt called this "hilarious." In other words, "deeply sad." Everybody knows about BlackBerry addicts. Less is written about the laptop addict.

Sun, 16 Nov 08
Zeroing In on Great GPS Apps for the iPhone
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65145.html
One of my favorite features in modern smartphones is the ability to talk to the Global Positioning Satellite system, which allows the phone to determine where it is on the planet. The combination of mobile communications, computing power and being location-aware is a powerful one. Some of the most interesting applications for the current generation of GPS-enabled phones make great use of this feature. One of the reasons I bought the iPhone 3G when it was released in July was that it added true GPS capabilities to the phone.

Sun, 16 Nov 08
Android: No iPhone Killer
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65130.html
Recently, I stopped by a local T-Mobile store, the home of the new G1 phone. This is the so-called Google phone, the mobile device with Google's Android operating system. Many in the press have anointed the Google phone as a potential "iPhone killer." That is, a device capable of knocking the iPhone off its pedestal as the most desirable and most well-reviewed smartphone on the market. While the iPhone is not yet the leader in sales, it's moving along here as well; latest reports show that the iPhone has surpassed RIM's BlackBerry to reach second place in smartphone rankings.

Sat, 15 Nov 08
AMD to Open Up Graphics Processors' Streaming Floodgates
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65168.html
AMD announced Thursday it will release an update to its ATI Catalyst driver in December. The free download will enable users to tap into their ATI Radeon graphics cards' heretofore hidden ATI Stream acceleration capabilities the company has already built into millions of the graphics cards. This means any application that is written to make use of the graphic processing unit's parallel processing abilities will see significant performance improvements, according to the company. The drivers will be made available around Dec. 10.

Sat, 15 Nov 08
Game Makers Going Soft? Don't Count on It
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65144.html
The military squad members from the hyperviolent "Gears of War" video game franchise are on your TV screen, sandwiched in between football scoring drives or reality show arguments or autopsies on "CSI Des Moines." Only there's not a insectoid killer alien to be seen for miles in this particular commercial. Instead, the game's central character, Marcus Fenix, broods under a lone tree in a field. Another character uses his sniper scope ... to zoom in on a flower. Another sits besides a massive vehicle, gazing at a smudged photo of a pretty lady from happier times.

Sat, 15 Nov 08
YouTube's Identity Crisis, Circuit City's Cash Crisis: A Week to Forget
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65161.html
Now you can get your fix of "Bulletproof Monk" and "American Gladiators" -- all without leaving the comfort of YouTube. Yes, the king of user-generated, short-form video is now embracing the other kind: studio-generated, feature-length films. Yes, this is the same YouTube that said long-form video was anathema to its business model. But I guess when the big MGM lion comes roaring, you make an exception. Some of the stuff that MGM will be contributing belongs on the who-cares list: dusty, old movies that never did well in the theaters or on DVD, such as the aforementioned "Bulletproof Monk."

Sat, 15 Nov 08
Google to iPhoners: Talk to the App
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65165.html
A new feature for Google's iPhone search application that listens to spoken searches will be made available soon, according to the search company's iPhone application page. At press time, the feature had not been rolled out through Apple's online App Store, though a report states it may come as early as Friday. As it's currently available, Google's iPhone search app lets users type in search questions via the device's keyboard, and it delivers location-aware results. So users looking to find a local pizzeria can type in "pizza" and get the results mapped.

Sat, 15 Nov 08
Game Sector Hauls In October Treats
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65164.html
Facing down the nastiest alien creatures in "Gears of War 2" may seem like a cakewalk compared to the big boss battle awaiting the video game industry this Christmas -- maintaining strong sales during an extremely challenging economic environment that has resulted in gaming retail outlets Circuit City filing for bankruptcy and Best Buy warning of consumer spending slowdowns. Yet October sales figures give the industry some momentum as it heads into the crucial holiday buying period.

Sat, 15 Nov 08
Parallels 4.0 Bridges OS Universes
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65162.html
Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac became available recently. If you live mostly in one computing environment but need access to life on another operating system, say hello to a product that could well become your new BFF. This latest release marks the fourth generation of Parallels' hypervisor-based desktop virtualization program. This enables users to run Windows, Linux and other operating systems side-by-side with Mac OS X. Given a choice between Apple's own Boot Camp dual-boot solution, Parallels Desktop 4.0 is the clear better choice.

Sat, 15 Nov 08
Where Are the Japanese Googles?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65156.html
Last week, a select group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs traveled to Tokyo to learn about Japan's tech sector and new opportunities. What they found was a country in transition, a few surprises, and a group of Japanese entrepreneurs itching to plunge headfirst into the international marketplace. The goal was to "build bridges -- geographical, cultural, and topical" between Silicon Valley and Japan, said Ellen Levy, VP of corporate development and strategy at LinkedIn and founder of Silicon Valley Connect, the organizing body for the trip.

Sat, 15 Nov 08
Mac Bloggers Soak In Search, Douse Non-Compete Agreements, Whet Appetites for Carbon
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65155.html
There are a lot of interesting nuggets in the Apple-focused blogosphere this week, but a few in particular rise to the top. First, there's the rumor that Apple might make its MacBook Air even lighter with carbon fiber. Then you have the ongoing tug-o-war between Apple and IBM over chip genius Mark Papermaster. Apple CEO Steve Jobs says the iPhone and iPod touch are "viable" games devices. Meanwhile, is Apple looking to shake Google's boat with a new search engine of its very own?

Sat, 15 Nov 08
Is Proprietary Software to Blame for the World's Ills?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65148.html
So here we are. Home prices and incomes are falling, foreclosures are rising, layoffs are multiplying, and wealth is evaporating. Everyone is looking for signs of stability, but each new day brings new despair and uncertainty. Amidst the reckoning, it's hard to imagine the future, but regardless, it will arrive soon enough. While different countries of the world deal with this economic crisis and its effects in different ways, it seems blatantly evident that the status quo has failed. From trickle-down economics to proprietary software, We The People have been sold snake oils.

Sat, 15 Nov 08
Extrasolar Planets Get Spot in Hubble Photo Album
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65157.html
Earth seems to have its first fuzzy photos of alien planets outside our solar system, images captured by two teams of astronomers. The pictures show four likely planets that appear as specks of white, nearly indecipherable except to the most eagle-eyed experts. All are trillions of miles away -- three of them orbiting the same star, and the fourth circling a different star. None of the four giant gaseous planets are remotely habitable or remotely like Earth, but they raise the possibility of others more hospitable.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
EA to Join Wii Fitness Craze
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65153.html
Video game publisher Electronic Arts announced Thursday that it will add to the growing number of fitness games for the Wii with its own entrant, "Sports Active," set for release in Spring 2009. Developed in collaboration with Bob Greene, fitness expert and personal trainer for Oprah Winfrey, the fitness game will be the first in a new line of EA Sports-branded fitness and sports performance offerings aimed at users of all ages. As with all games for the Wii, EA's fitness software takes advantage of the Wii's motion-sensing controller.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
Windows Live Makes Web 2.0 Leap
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65150.html
Microsoft has upgraded Windows Live, its group of Web 2.0-style online services, with a new set of social networking apps. Many of these new applications are upgraded versions of the services that Windows Live has been extolling since its inception, including photo sharing, e-mail and instant messaging. The new package also offers integration with multiple third-party sites, as well as tools to leverage users' own digital content. The new package also offers integration with multiple third-party sites, as well as tools to leverage users' own digital content.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
AMD's Big Hopes Ride on Small Shanghai Chips
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65149.html
AMD on Thursday began shipping its latest quad-core Opteron processor, codenamed "Shanghai." Shipping earlier than previously planned, the chips arrive on the market shortly before the expected arrival of new Nehalem processors, competing hardware made by rival Intel. The new offering, according to the company, provides up to 35 percent better performance than the company's Barcelona quad-core Opteron, and as much as a 35 percent decrease in power consumption at idle.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
Cloud Computing, Part 3: SLA Spirit in the Sky
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65137.html
Google arguably is the granddaddy of cloud computing, at least in its current incarnation. So, whenever the Googleplex develops a new feature or capability -- or service offering -- the rest of the industry takes notice. That was the case last month when Google rolled out a service level agreement that guarantees 99.9 percent system accessibility for users of its Google Apps Premier Edition -- a cloud-based suite that includes business-oriented messaging and collaboration apps, along with support and integration capabilities.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
YouTube Finds Revenue Model Right at Home
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65146.html
YouTube will begin selling advertising on YouTube search results pages, the company announced Wednesday. The move appears to be the latest attempt by search engine giant Google to monetize the popular video content site, which it acquired for $1.65 billion two years ago. Google calls the new YouTube feature "Sponsored Videos." YouTube also runs in-video ads that appear over the bottom 20 percent of the video, mostly for short videos.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
iPhone Apps for Cheapskates
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65132.html
Let's face it -- most of the wares in the iPhone App Store are not exactly killer. Many are useful. Many are fun. Many are worthy of taking up space on one's smartphone. But Apple itself took care of most of the truly essential applications, the ones people really buy an iPhone for -- the Safari browser, e-mail, an iPod, YouTube and Maps. Almost everything else is at best a nicety. Maybe it's worth a couple of bucks, and plenty of people may well download it if they happen to discover it in passing.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
Open Source in a Down Economy: The Money Race Is On
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65124.html
The sour economy is causing industries and individuals alike to tighten their belts in just about all areas of spending, including software. Downloading free and low-cost open source software is often an attractive alternative to proprietary commercial products. The potential for enterprises and other users switching from high-priced software to open source alternatives poses a new opportunity for open source developers. Can open source meet this new niche of use in response to the economic slide industries are facing?

Fri, 14 Nov 08
BlackBerry Storm Rolls In With $200 Price Tag
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65140.html
Verizon Wireless said on Thursday that it would sell the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm for $199.99 after a rebate -- in line with pricing for its popular rival, Apple's iPhone. The wireless venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group said the first touchscreen phone from Research In Motion would cost $199.99 after a $50 rebate for customers who sign a new two-year service contract. Pricing for the highly anticipated device, which goes on sale online and in Verizon stores on Nov. 21, has been the source of much speculation.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
New Tech to Turn Astronauts' Wee Into Water
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65141.html
NASA cleared space shuttle Endeavour for a Friday night launch to the international space station, but the weather outlook was not too promising. A cold front was making its way toward Florida on Wednesday and was expected to bring rain and thick clouds by the weekend. Forecasters put the odds of acceptable conditions at 60 percent for the scheduled 7:55 p.m. Friday liftoff and only 40 percent for Saturday. The chance of success goes up dramatically Sunday. "The timing of the front is really going to be the major factor," said shuttle weather officer Kathy Winters.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
Google Search Tool May Provide Heads-Up on Flu Outbreaks
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65135.html
Google has announced the debut of Google Flu Trends, a tool designed to identify flu-outbreak patterns through an analysis of search data. An early version of the technology deployed during the 2007-2008 flu season accurately estimated flu levels across nine regions in the U.S. as much as two weeks faster than reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a Tuesday posting on the official Google blog.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
Big Blue Taps Power Grid to Bring Broadband to the Boonies
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65131.html
IBM announced a partnership with International Broadband Electric Communications Tuesday that will see the two companies begin deploying Broadband over Power Line networks at electric cooperatives throughout the eastern U.S. The two companies are working to resolve an issue that has plagued U.S. residents in rural areas -- no access to broadband Internet services. More than 900 electric cooperatives in the U.S. provide 45 percent of the total electric grid and cover 75 percent of the country's land mass.

Fri, 14 Nov 08
Google Adds Webcam Support for Chatty Gmailers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65134.html
Google is ratcheting up the sophistication of its messaging and collaboration applications by adding voice and video chat to Gmail. The enhancement is in part a tactical play -- Google would like to scoop up more video users among its enterprise customer base, according to Rajen Sheth, Google senior product manager. However, it is also part of a larger strategic move on the part of Google which aims to press along all points of the enterprise in order to make as many inroads as possible.

Wed, 12 Nov 08
Cisco's New Router Lives on the Edge
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65121.html
Cisco Systems' new ASR-9000 edge router promises faster delivery of all that rich Internet media destined for personal computers and mobile devices. The $80,000 question for potential customers: Will it prove to be too rich during challenging economic times? The company's new piece of telecommunications equipment -- introduced Tuesday after four years and $200 million in the making -- comes with a promise and a prediction. Cisco says it will give customers like cable and mobile phone companies and Internet service providers six times the capacity of products from competitors.

Wed, 12 Nov 08
iPhone Claims Top Spot, RAZR Rusts
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65122.html
Apple's iPhone is now the best selling mobile phone in the United States, according to recent analysis by research firm NPD Group. To take the top spot in the third quarter of this year, the iPhone had to beat out the Motorola RAZR, a phone that's been on the market since 2004. The Motorola RAZR is a thin flip feature phone, and it was actually debuted at an asking price of $600. In the ensuing years, however, it's entered the mainstream with a variety of price drops, colors, versions and plans.

Wed, 12 Nov 08
Your Very Own Lightsaber - No Jedi Training Required
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65109.html
Just like anyone else who saw the original "Star Wars" when it was released back in the late '70s, I've always wanted to enter the galactic fray and emerge triumphant in a lightsaber duel, to cross swords with a Dark Side opponent and hear the vwhoom-vwhoom as my saber slices through the air and sparks fly. It's a fantasy that I expected would remain unfulfilled -- until, that is, LucasArts decided to develop and release a game that focuses solely on lightsaber battles and uses the Nintendo Wii's unique motion sensor controllers to facilitate play.

Wed, 12 Nov 08
Smooth Install, Decent Picture Make For Slick Netflix Streaming
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65101.html
Netflix has released their Silverlight plug-in for beta testing that allows its customers with Intel-based Macs to instantly view a movie from an available library of 12,000 titles. Testing on a MacBook Pro revealed that the plug-in works well, and no problems were encountered. Testing was conducted on a unibody, 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro with 4 GB RAM and Mac OS X 10.5.5 during the week of Nov. 3 through 7. Movies viewed in real time streaming consisted of: "Groundhog Day," "The Madness of King George," and "Next."

Wed, 12 Nov 08
Dell Dispels Music Player Rumors
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65112.html
Dell, struggling to recharge its lineup of consumer product offerings, indicated Monday that a digital music player is not in the computer maker's near-term plans despite speculation that such a product is in the works. The company said in a blog posting that its digital entertainment strategy "has never been about a music player." The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Monday that Dell decided to postpone the launch of a music player.

Wed, 12 Nov 08
New Social Net Gives Young Vets a Place to Congregate
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65116.html
Veterans of past wars have long found companionship over beer and conversation at their local veterans hall. But many of those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan seek that companionship elsewhere -- online. Hoping to tap into that virtual community, a public service campaign starting Tuesday, Veterans Day, encourages Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to log onto a new social networking site called "CommunityofVeterans.org." The site was developed by the nonprofit organizations Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Ad Council.

Wed, 12 Nov 08
Sun Launches High-Performance Storage Appliances
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65113.html
Looking for a big boost out of its current financial doldrums, Sun Microsystems unveiled a line of data storage systems this week that it hopes will establish the Santa Clara, Calif., company as a new force in a growing market. Sun is unveiling three new "storage appliances" -- industrial-strength computers designed for corporations and other organizations that need to store and retrieve large amounts of data -- that represent the first extensive use of its open source software with solid-state memory drives, in combination with more commonly used rotating disk drives.

Wed, 12 Nov 08
Phoenix Mars Lander Presumed Dead
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65114.html
NASA on Monday declared an end to the Phoenix mission, some five months after the spacecraft became the first to land in Mars' arctic plains and taste water on another planet. Mission engineers have not heard from the Phoenix lander in over a week. It fell silent shortly after a raging dust storm blocked sunlight from reaching its solar panels. Although ground controllers will direct two satellites orbiting Mars to listen for Phoenix for several more weeks, the chances that it will respond are slim.

Tue, 11 Nov 08
Study: Headphone Magnets Mess With Pacemakers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65110.html
After some back-and-forth in the medical community, it has generally been decided that iPods and MP3 players do not seriously interfere with pacemaker functions. However, a study points to an entirely new concept of the risk involved with these devices. It is not the music player itself that can cause disruption. Rather, say researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, it is the headphones, which rely on magnets to operate.

Tue, 11 Nov 08
VMware Eyes Smartphones as Next Virtualization Bonanza
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65100.html
VMware, a provider of virtualization solutions for PCs and servers, wants to get into mobile phones, carve up their software and create virtual operating units -- much like the company's products already do with servers in enterprise data centers. The company announced its intentions Monday regarding its nascent VMware Mobile Virtualization Platform, which uses technology it acquired from Trango Virtual Processors last month. The basic idea of abstracting the applications and data from the hardware itself has several reasons behind it.

Tue, 11 Nov 08
YouTube Bags a Lion
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65103.html
All those singing cats and clumsy kittens you currently see on YouTube will soon be getting some more feline company at the online video Web site: Leo, the roaring, toothy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion. The movie studio announced Monday that it would allow a very limited selection of full-length movies and TV shows from its library, along with one- to two-minute clips from MGM films. The first offerings can be found at the action-oriented Impact Channel -- clips from "Rocky," "Pray for Death," "The Dirty Dozen," "Rollerball," along with full-length films "Lone Wolf McQuade" and "Bulletproof Monk."

Tue, 11 Nov 08
TrackVia: Powerful Search Tool for All the Nooks and Crannies
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65091.html
Search and databases often have troubled relationships. Web-based search utilities have become essential business tools. The database is the lifeblood of many a business' record-keeping system. Both are vital -- just don't try to put the two together or integrate spreadsheets and other documents with them. For example, searching just doesn't exist with Oracle or Microsoft Access. Users with technical skills can build a structured query, but these products do not have the sort of simple search features found at Google's or Yahoo's home pages, for instance.

Tue, 11 Nov 08
Anticipating the First US CTO
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65096.html
I am breathing a long sigh of relief this week now that the election is over and it appears, for once, the most qualified candidate actually got the job. This seems to rarely happen, and my only remaining hope is Apple gets a clue from McCain's loss and switches off the negative advertising and instead works on improving its own products. Speaking of improvement, one of the things on our new president's to-do list is getting the U.S.'s first CTO, or chief technology officer.

Tue, 11 Nov 08
On Politics, Porn Detectors and Linuxy Tricks
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65092.html
So the election came to an end at last, and the people made their choice. All throughout the blogosphere, fireworks could be heard as Obama supporters reveled in their triumph. Long live the Internet, and the new political landscape it has produced! Things will never be the same again, that's for sure. Zeroing in on the Linux blogs, more repercussions could be felt as bloggers wondered whether Obama would usher in a new, more open type of government.

Tue, 11 Nov 08
The Day Apple Issues a License to Drive OS X
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65058.html
Ever since Mac OS X started shipping, licensing it for use on any other hardware than a Mac would have been crazy. Mountains of text have been written about why Steve Jobs canceled the clone licenses of the '90s and how it would damage Apple's hardware business today. However, times change, and three key changes to Apple's business could make the move as natural as the move to Intel CPUs. I know full well what I'm saying here, and this is, after all, an editorial. That's where I get to explore possibilities.

Tue, 11 Nov 08
Avaya Aims to Shore Up Efficiencies With New Communication Tools
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65094.html
Avaya is targeting unmet pockets of user demand in the telecom industry with the release of three new offerings this week. Kevin Kennedy, who will be taking over as CEO in January, is appearing at VoiceCon on Monday to unveil the new products: a contact center product focused on outbound messaging and self-service, a speech-to-text application, and a unified communications package that bundles licenses of various products. The unifying theme of the rollout is Avaya's go-to-market strategy of deploying technology that makes life easier for the business user.

Mon, 10 Nov 08
Global Security: The Sky's Unblinking Eyes
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65090.html
The secretive National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is rushing to get the latest, high-definition satellite photos of Afghanistan into the hands of U.S. ground troops as they ramp up operations in the country's tangled terrain. The NGA analysts aren't tapping the government's huge network of highly classified spy satellites; they're getting the pictures from commercial vendors. That's the same stuff pretty much anyone can get, either through free, online programs, such as Google Earth, or by buying it from the same companies supplying Uncle Sam.

Mon, 10 Nov 08
Hadoop: Funny Name, Powerful Software
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65084.html
Behind Yahoo's push to open up Web search and advertising is software powerful enough to sort through the entire Library of Congress in less than half a minute. The software, called "Hadoop," is part of Yahoo's massive computing grid and is transforming the way that Yahoo and corporate giants like IBM extract meaning from enormous streams of data. Universities are also using the code -- an open source version of software Google relies on for daily operation -- to train a new generation of computer scientists and engineers.

Mon, 10 Nov 08
'Guitar Hero' for Mac Rocks Out With Aerosmith
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65083.html
"Guitar Hero" is one of those "Why didn't anyone think of this before?" kind of games, so it's no surprise that the series' popularity eventually led it to the Mac. Aspyr Media licensed "Guitar Hero III" and published it for Windows and Mac at the beginning of this year, and now they've followed that up with the Aerosmith edition, which is a standalone game, as opposed to being an expansion pack. The gameplay in "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" is the same as the original.

Sun, 9 Nov 08
Stream of Social Consciousness: Election Day's Lively Digital Conversation
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65081.html
Like millions of other people, I was glued to the television Tuesday night. But I also was sending text messages on my cell phone and using my BlackBerry to check e-mail and read my Facebook friends' updates as they reacted to election results. Change has come indeed. This year's election made new use of the Internet to share information, raise money and foster civic engagement among younger voters. There was enormous hype around digital strategies created by the campaigns, partisan groups and the media.

Sun, 9 Nov 08
Virtual Learning and the Avatar Generation
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65082.html
Online learning is evolving into much more than discussions via Blackboard. Today's online learners are spending time engaged in discussions, meeting in virtual classrooms, and combining online and on-the-ground learning, even if they live time zones away from campus. In response, universities are adjusting their curriculum, learning expectations, and changing how instructors approach topics online. One major challenge, creating and maintaining learning communities in virtual space, is testing both existing and emerging online tools.

Sun, 9 Nov 08
Apple: Soon to Be a Mobile Gaming Force
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65066.html
I didn't expect much from games on the iPhone. I had visions of casual games, perhaps a fancy take on solitaire or a version of poker that takes advantage of the handset's touchscreen. Surely not a true mobile gaming experience. Boy, was I wrong. For the last few days I've been sampling some of the games available from the iTunes Store on the iPod touch, and I've been stunned at how elaborate and involved they are. On the iPod touch I've played a version of Gameloft's "Real Soccer 2009" that rivals the version of the game on the Nintendo DS, and I didn't even miss the buttons.

Sat, 8 Nov 08
Web TV Dashboard: Useful Controls, Dodgy Navigation
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65088.html
It seems like every month or so another video site rolls out online. There's YouTube, Joost, Jaman, iTunes, Miro, PluggedIn and Yahoo, not to mention offerings from ABC, Cartoon Network, ESPN Fox, Hulu and Spike, just to name a few. As the choices for Internet TV viewers multiply, a need has arisen for utilities that bring order to the chaos. One called "ZeeVee," an Internet TV technology firm, launched a limited beta for its Zviewer Monday. The open platform is a free downloadable application that provides a one-stop destination for some of the top video content sites on the Web.

Sat, 8 Nov 08
FBI Hunts Extortionists Holding Health Data on Millions
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65087.html
Someone is trying to extort money from a company that handles drug prescription benefits for 50 million Americans in what could be one of the more damaging cases of data loss on record. The incident may raise red flags for industry hopes of putting more health care information online in an effort to control costs. The FBI is looking into the extortion attempt against St. Louis-based Express Scripts, which Thursday notified federal authorities that it received a letter in early October that included personal information on 75 members and a demand for money.

Sat, 8 Nov 08
Election Night TV 2008: Technology for Technology's Sake
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65073.html
CNN reporter Jessica Yellin has probably heard a lot of compliments during her career, which has included stints at ABC and MSNBC. But I'm guessing anchor Wolf Blitzer's closing comment to her following her live report from Chicago early Tuesday evening was a new one for her. "Alright Jessica, you're a terrific hologram," Blitzer told Yellin, as her image, "Star Wars"-like, appeared in front of Blitzer right there in the Time Warner studios in New York.

Sat, 8 Nov 08
AT&T: iPhones Will Soon Connect Laptops to Web
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65086.html
AT&T will soon provide an official data tethering solution for iPhone users, the carrier has confirmed. Such a solution will basically let an iPhone owner turn the handset into a modem and then connect to a Mac or PC, allowing the computer to access the Internet via the iPhone's AT&T cellular data service. "We're working with Apple on a tethering option for iPhone and we hope to offer it soon," Wes Warnock, a spokesperson for AT&T Mobility, told MacNewsWorld. "Can't provide any details beyond that," he added.

Sat, 8 Nov 08
Choosers Can Be Beggars; Bloodied Hands Applaud Amazon
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65080.html
Yahoo was quite the chooser last spring when Microsoft offered to buy it -- the Yahoo board held out for a higher price. Now it's looking more and more like the beggar. Its relationship with Google is pretty much finished before it even had a chance to begin, and it appears Yahoo is reaching the end of its rope. Used to be that Google was all hard-headed about going through with an ad revenue sharing partnership with Yahoo, regardless of what the Department of Justice had to say about it.

Sat, 8 Nov 08
Why So Many Java Mugs?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65068.html
Web developers have many options for the servlet containers they use to host Java apps. Included in these choices are both classic proprietary and a host of open source containers. For the typical Java application developer, the container that holds one or more Java applications together is fairly transparent. From a non-techy's perspective, servlet containers are largely redundant. The feature sets often overlap, so it seems to make little difference whether Java developers build on Apache Tomcat, Jetty, JBoss or WebObjects.

Sat, 8 Nov 08
Mac Bloggers Sweat the Small Stuff: Tiny iPhone Keypads, Shrinking Flash Prices, Mac Minis
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65076.html
The Apple-focused blogosphere has been filled with lots of action this week, but few items of note drew on Apple's new launches this fall -- like new iPods and MacBooks. Indeed, the news this week has been about a multitude of smaller items, like Apple's Tony Fadell, the "grandfather of the iPod," stepping down. Meanwhile, news over Apple and IBM's tug-o-war with Mark Papermaster, a top IBM chip designer, continues. In any event, which nuggets of blog traffic have the potential to affect Apple product users?

Sat, 8 Nov 08
Is a MySpace Music Player on the Drawing Board?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65078.html
MySpace, the popular online social network owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., could develop a digital music player in the future, pitting it against Apple's hot-selling iPod. However, there are no immediate plans to make or sell such a device, MySpace cofounder and chief executive Chris DeWolfe said at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco on Thursday. "It's possible" that MySpace, which recently launched a music joint venture with major music labels, could eventually build a device for listening to music, DeWolfe said.

Sat, 8 Nov 08
Craigslist Aims to Rid Site of Strumpets
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65079.html
Under the watchful eye of law enforcement in 40 states, Craigslist pledged Thursday to crack down on ads for prostitution on its Web sites. As part of Craigslist's agreement with attorneys general around the country, anyone who posts an "erotic services" ad will be required to provide a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. The Web site will provide that information to law enforcement if subpoenaed. Craigslist's CEO said the deal will allow legitimate escort services to continue advertising.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
Can Microsoft Really Shoehorn Windows 7 Into Netbooks?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65075.html
More details about Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7 operating system emerged Wednesday. The OS will have a shorter boot time; offer greater reliability; more efficient memory usage and improved battery life for laptops, according to Microsoft's Jon DeVaan, Steven Sinofsky and Mike Anguilo, who spoke at the Windows Hardware Engineering conference. Perhaps most significantly, Sinofsky and Anguilo demoed Windows 7 running on a miniature notebook, or netbook, with a 16 GB solid-state drive and 1 GB of random access memory running an Intel Atom dual-core 1.6 GHz processor.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
New SanDisk Tech Makes SSDs Speedier Scribes
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65072.html
SanDisk unveiled new technology Wednesday that it said could increase solid-state drive performance by up to 100 times in computers running Windows Vista. Dubbed "Extreme FFS," the next-generation flash management system is an advanced file system for SSDs that accelerates performance and reliability for computing applications, according to SanDisk. "Extreme FFS is a step in the right direction for SSDs," Jeffrey Janukowicz, an analyst at IDC, told TechNewsWorld.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
Jailbreak Makes Android a Little More Open
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65074.html
It seems as though the wide-open door for the Google Android-based T-Mobile G1 wasn't nearly wide enough. Intrepid hackers have blown the door right off the hinges and shined a big spotlight inside the smartphone software. What did they find? Full root privileges to the G1 file system. Breaking into a G1 is in some ways easier and in other ways harder than it is to jailbreak an Apple iPhone, according to a variety of reports stemming from a post on the XDA developers forum.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
Who's Obama's Best Bet for Boosting U.S. Technology?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65070.html
It appears that Silicon Valley will hold Barack Obama to his promise to consider naming a national technology czar/chief technology officer for his administration, and industry observers already have a few suggestions for the president-elect. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has been mentioned as a contender, largely due to his public support for Obama, which included campaign appearances in mid-October. During this week's Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco, Kleiner Perkins venture capitalist John Doerr threw Sun Microsystems cofounder Bill Joy's hat into the ring.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
CNN Holo-Gimmick: Less Than Meets the Eye
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65063.html
For TV networks, a presidential election isn't just a chance to report history-making news. With so many millions of people watching, it's also a chance to show off new technological toys. On Tuesday night, CNN unveiled its new psuedo-holographic imaging technique reminiscent of the "Star Wars" movies. During its election night broadcast, the cable news network "beamed" correspondent Jessica Yellin -- or at least an apparent 3-D image of her -- into the Atlanta, Ga., studio from her location inside a tent in Chicago's Grant Park for a virtual appearance with host Wolf Blitzer.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
Cloud Computing, Part 2: A Who's Who
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65061.html
There have been a number of attempts to size the cloud computing market. The most eye-popping figure, arguably, is from Merrill Lynch. It has famously said that by 2011, the cloud computing market will reach $160 billion. Whether or not this is a realistic projection -- and there are many who contend it is not -- it is clear that there is a vendor rush to enter the space. Companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, IBM and Salesforce.com have introduced cloud offerings. So have a myriad of smaller, best-of-breed vendors.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
Ruminations on Microsoft's Future
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65054.html
In this episode of BriefingsDirect Insights Edition, our experts examine the state of Microsoft at the onset of the annual Professional Developers Conference. Two narratives emerge from our roundtable discussion, that Microsoft is behind on many new IT trends and is tied to past business models. The opposing view is that Microsoft will ride pedestrian app dev, business intelligence, data services, Xbox, unified communications, virtualization and cloud computing to become bigger and more pervasive than ever.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
Ex-Intel Engineer Stole $1B in Trade Secrets, Feds Say
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65062.html
A former Intel engineer has been charged with stealing trade secrets worth $1 billion from the chip maker while he worked for its main rival, Advanced Micro Devices. Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts alleged this week in a five-count indictment that Biswamohan Pani, 33, illegally downloaded more than a dozen confidential documents from Intel's computer system in California during a four-day stretch in June. He had already resigned from Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel, but remained on the payroll and still had access to the company's computers while he burned unused vacation days.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
Tech-Oriented Biz Ideas May Hit Sweet Spot in New Orleans Contest
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65064.html
A new business advocacy group has launched in New Orleans -- a city that three years out from Hurricane Katrina is still trying to entice all of its former residents to move back home. Called "504ward," a play on the New Orleans' area code of 504, the group's main goal is to help the city attract and retain a key worker and consumer constituency: the 21-to-35-year-old age group. Toward that end, it is kicking off its operations with a $100,000 contest for entrepreneurs to submit the best business idea for retaining this demographic.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
Apple's Furiously Fast Future
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65052.html
With the transition to Intel complete, Apple has a new goal: Create next-generation Macs that are so fast, they outright embarrass PCs running Windows. That will create a market differentiation that will poise Apple for its next assault on Microsoft. Steve Jobs loves fast computers. For years, Jobs and his sidekick in keynote demos, Phil Schiller, showed how much faster an IBM PowerPC CPU in a Mac was than Intel CPUs in a PC at typical Photoshop tasks. The problem was that Apple couldn't get any real market traction.

Fri, 7 Nov 08
Road-Tripping With Linux
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65057.html
Multimedia infotainment devices are a hot seller in today's automotive market and can be the deciding factor in which vehicle a customer ultimately chooses. The automotive infotainment market has successfully navigated the initial wave of consumer devices invading the automobile, offering basic connectivity for consumer electronics in the passenger cabin. Consumers seek continued improvement in the convergence between their beloved consumer electronics, such as iPods and cell phones, and their vehicles.

Thu, 6 Nov 08
FCC Opens Gate to White Spaces Playground
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65056.html
Despite dissent in some quarters of the television and cable broadcasting community, the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday voted to allow the use of open broadcast television spectrum to provide broadband data and other services to consumers and businesses. However, the wireless devices needed to implement those services are not yet available. The FCC's order appears to take into account incumbent broadcasters' concerns that these new devices will trample on their spectrum.

Thu, 6 Nov 08
BlackBerry Bold Makes Its Bow
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65055.html
Research In Motion and AT&T finally put the much-delayed BlackBerry Bold on store shelves Tuesday. The device, aimed at corporate and business users, offers international wireless coverage with global 3G capabilities, built-in GPS, WiFi and access to thousands of services and applications available from AT&T's consumer and business application developers. The phone, exclusively available through AT&T, had been held up for undisclosed reasons for several months following its initial unveiling in May.

Thu, 6 Nov 08
Home Networking: More Than Entertainment
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65037.html
Increasingly, consumers are connecting their stereos, plasma TVs, DVRs, PCs, laptops and gaming systems to intelligent entertainment systems designed to record, store and share media across devices throughout the home. As the home networking market continues to gain traction, what devices will they hook up next? Some home networks have begun incorporating practical appliances; security systems, lighting and energy management solutions are gaining more intelligence.

Thu, 6 Nov 08
Ear Docs' Warning Rings Loud and Clear: Turn Down the iPod!
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65042.html
With millions of iPods and other MP3 players in the hands of consumers, the portable media players have made a racket in the marketplace for years. Now some experts warn that the devices make too much noise. A new study from the European Union cautions that people who listen to personal music players for too long, at too high a volume setting, may do serious damage to their hearing. The report estimates that up to 10 percent of users could start losing their hearing within five years, and most don't realize it.

Thu, 6 Nov 08
The Network Is Us: Q&A With Metacafe CEO Erick Hachenburg
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65041.html
Two major factors that have spurred the rapid growth of online video include the increasing availability of broadband Internet access and Web 2.0 technology that allows user interaction with and control of content. Those, according to Metacafe CEO Erick Hachenburg, are the main reasons online video is outpacing traditional TV in the contest for viewers' eyeballs. With 37 million unique monthly visitors, the online video network Metacafe is the second-largest online video site. Only YouTube has more monthly visitors.

Thu, 6 Nov 08
Obama Celebrations Rock Cyberspace
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65048.html
From YouTube to Flickr, from Facebook to Twitter, images and sentiments from celebrations across the nation flooded into the Internet's media-sharing sites, just moments after Barack Obama clinched the presidential election. Some were simple photos of TV screens claiming the Democrat's win. Others were unfiltered images of jubilant celebrations captured immediately after polls closed Tuesday on the West Coast, when Obama was declared the president-elect.

Thu, 6 Nov 08
Who Wins Battle of the Band Games?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65049.html
As one historic duel -- the presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain -- ends, another is heating up. The stakes are high: nothing less than the soul of rock 'n roll. The competition is fierce. And you will decide -- with your wallet. In one corner is "Guitar Hero," the franchise that revolutionized the rhythm-game genre in 2005. In the other corner is upstart "Rock Band," which rewrote the rules last year by adding drums and vocals to the mix. Several third-party candidates are waiting backstage, hoping that one of the two major contenders hits a false note.

Thu, 6 Nov 08
AT&T Tries On Data Cap
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65047.html
AT&T, the country's largest Internet service provider, is testing the idea of limiting the amount of data that subscribers can use each month. AT&T will initially apply the limits in Reno, Nev., and see about extending the practice elsewhere. Increasingly, Internet providers across the country are placing such limits on the amount of data users can upload and download each month, as a way to curb a small number of "bandwidth hogs" who use a lot of the network capacity.

Wed, 5 Nov 08
Fujitsu Invigorates LifeBook Line
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65045.html
Fujitsu debuted two updated models and an entirely new model in its LifeBook line of notebook computers Tuesday. The new U820 and P1630 are new versions of models the hardware maker released in 2007. The all-new LifeBook N7010 features two screens -- a traditional 16-inch wide display as well as a 4-inch color touchscreen situated near the keyboard. The 5.6-inch LifeBook U820 weights 1.32 pounds and features an Intel Atom Z-series processor. Fujitsu promises 7.5 hours of life with a four-cell battery and 3.5 hours with a new two-cell unit.

Wed, 5 Nov 08
The Enterprise E-Mail Data Sieve
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65035.html
Enterprises invest a sizable portion of their IT budgets in ensuring that sensitive data remains secure and inaccessible to individuals in the outside world. However, a tool that most enterprise employees use daily -- e-mail -- can easily become a leak in company's defensive dam. Businesses can lose vital information through inappropriate employee e-mail activity and inadequate prevention measures. This so-called leaking e-mail poses a growing impediment to keeping sensitive information secure.

Wed, 5 Nov 08
A Blade Server Guy in an iPod World: What Gives?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65040.html
A former IBM executive is going against the company's wishes and joining Apple. Mark Papermaster, previously vice president of IBM's blade server unit, will become head of the iPod and iPhone development team, Apple has confirmed. IBM has already filed a lawsuit to try to stop his hire. Papermaster is under a one-year non-compete agreement, IBM says, due to his inside knowledge of the company's workings. Litigation is now pending, with IBM promising to take the case to its fullest potential in court.

Wed, 5 Nov 08
Nimble Salesforce Scoops Sluggish Giants With Facebook Play
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65036.html
You can't say you were not warned or that you had no idea of what was happening. The socialization of CRM took a big step forward on Monday when Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff told the keynote audience at Dreamforce 2008 in San Francisco that his company has developed technology that will integrate Facebook and Salesforce.com. Amazingly, despite all of the talk about marrying social media and CRM that has taken place over the last two to three years, it was not any of the larger and older -- and richer -- software giants that made the announcement.

Wed, 5 Nov 08
Service Providers Compete on Technology - Why Not Support?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65026.html
The competitive environment that characterizes today's broadband and value-added services landscape benefits the growth of many digital lifestyle products and services. Consumers are also primary beneficiaries of increased competition among carriers. Case studies reveal that when at least two service providers on relatively equal footing in terms of offerings are actively battling to acquire and retain customers, the end results tend to be 1) lower prices; 2) additional value-added offerings, and 3) improved customer support.

Wed, 5 Nov 08
States Stand Aside as Open Source Bandwagon Rolls By
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65025.html
Many computer users know that if you want to save money, go open source. Open source software is programming that is freely available on the Internet and whose programming language -- literally the software's DNA -- is available to all users. There are open source software equivalents of nearly every professional software product on the market, most sporting the same features as their for-profit counterparts. At first glance it would seem West Virginia state government could benefit from incorporating open source software in its computers.

Wed, 5 Nov 08
Will Better Graphics Hardware Make Apple Gaming Blossom?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65029.html
Apple's new MacBooks had gamers singing their praises when CEO Steve Jobs unveiled them last month. The company dropped integrated Intel graphics chipsets in favor of Nvidia's new GeForce 9400M, which is also integrated but which promises more than a basic step up in 3-D performance. "The new graphics chips are going to be at least twice as fast as the older MacBooks, and that should put them in the range to support more games," said Glenda Adams, who heads up internal development at Aspyr Media.

Tue, 4 Nov 08
Microsoft Report: More Software Threats but Fewer Flaws
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65032.html
Microsoft on Monday released its Security Intelligence Report, which covers the first half of 2008. The report, according to the software maker, is an in-depth look at the overall software security threat environment. It's based on data received from hundreds of millions of computers around the globe. During the first half of 2008, the report found, software makers and security vendors made significant inroads in protecting their customers from malicious threats. As a result, reports of vulnerabilities have gone down.

Tue, 4 Nov 08
Have Pollsters Been Dialing the Right Numbers?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65030.html
As the U.S. presidential election season winds down, a handful of political polls that include mobile phone users show Democrat Barack Obama beating Republican John McCain by a substantially wider margin than polls that do not include cell phone users. In polls that extended to cell phones, Obama beat McCain by an average of 10 points versus just 5 points in polls limited to land lines, according to a survey released on Sunday by political blog site FiveThirtyEight.com.

Tue, 4 Nov 08
System Mechanic 8.0: Smooth Layout, Rough Start
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65019.html
Putting Iolo Technologies' System Mechanic 8.0 through its paces was a long-overdue reunion with an old friend of sorts. I had used a much earlier version when it was a different label years ago. I had forgotten how adept the program's design was even back then at rooting out the hundreds of glitches and clutter that fall into the deep recesses of the Windows operating system. This latest version has numerous automated features and more extensive diagnostic routines that extend the program's self-help functionality.

Tue, 4 Nov 08
Amazon to Save Consumer Fingernails, Tempers With Simpler Wrappings
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65034.html
Consumers will get a break from having to wrestle with tough-to-open parcels this holiday season with the advent of "frustration-free" packaging from Amazon.com. The online retail giant will try to cut down on the sheer volume of packaging materials used to ship purchases from the site. The effort begins with products from 19 manufacturers, including software powerhouse Microsoft, and toymakers Fisher-Price and Mattel. The news will undoubtedly be welcomed by parents ordering some of the more popular toy items this holiday season.

Tue, 4 Nov 08
MySpace, MTV Look for Piracy's Silver Lining
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65027.html
MySpace, MTV Networks and online ad platform Auditude are teaming up to try and squeeze money out of pirated video -- content distributed online without the permission of the rights holder. The trio's plan is to identify online pirated video clips, slap an ad overlay on top of them, and monetize their use, returning a portion of the proceeds back to the copyright holders. If, for example, a MySpace user posts a funny clip of Jon Stewart from "The Daily Show" on the social networking site, rather than demand the clip be removed at once, MTV might allow it to stay -- if it can hang an ad on it.

Tue, 4 Nov 08
It's Dangerous to Assume People Are Stupid
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65008.html
In the current US election, I would argue the winner actually will benefit from the excessive negative campaigning done by his opponent, who sacrificed trust and in many cases implied the U.S. voter was too stupid to go to the Web and look things up. The well-executed Mac vs. Windows ads, while at least funny and entertaining, drifted from solid hits to outright hypocrisy as Vista was improved and Apple seemed unable to remember its own advantages. Hint: As a percentage, Apple's ratio of marketing dollars to development dollars leads the industry.

Tue, 4 Nov 08
Salesforce.com Adds Web Site Development Layer to Cloud Services
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65033.html
Salesforce.com continues to push its cloud computing functionality into the enterprise, with the introduction of a new tool that allows users to harness the applications available on Force.com and apply them to corporate Web sites. Force.com Sites allows customers to run their Web sites in Salesforce.com's cloud. Users can leverage the database, workflow, logic, integration, customization and user interface capabilities in Force.com to share business data and applications with external users and Web sites.

Tue, 4 Nov 08
What Free Software Does the World Need Now?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65023.html
Halloween came and went last week, and we have yet to hear from anyone who wore a Tux costume. Sigh -- looks like we'll have to wait another year. Generating much more excitement than the spooky Linuxy possibilities, it seems, was the grand landing of Intrepid Ibex, which caused a veritable flurry of reviews, comparisons and general Ubuntu-related discussion. Indeed, more than 2,000 Diggs had been given to news of the big release by Friday, with other lengthy discussions devoted to reviews and Mark Shuttleworth's comments about its styling and design.

Tue, 4 Nov 08
What's Behind AT&T's Free iPhone WiFi Offer?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65016.html
I was sitting in a rather boring meeting last week when my iPhone buzzed. I took a peek at the SMS, hoping it was a text message from my daughter. It was not. Like millions of other iPhone owners from New York to L.A., I got a message stating that," Your Apple iPhone now has free AT&T WiFi access at thousands of hotspots nationwide, including Starbucks ..." "Well, that's pretty cool and about time," I thought and turned what was left of my waning attention back to the meeting.

Mon, 3 Nov 08
Election Night TV: Networks Aim to Dazzle With Gadgetry
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65000.html
It's election night, and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer is in New York talking to an Obama campaign strategist in Chicago. But instead of the split screen or window TV viewers might typically see during live remote interviews, the Obama spokesperson will be projected as a three-dimensional hologram, making it appear as if he or she is in the Manhattan studio with Blitzer. The network plans to conduct similar holographic interviews with representatives from the McCain campaign in Phoenix.

Mon, 3 Nov 08
Shuttleworth in No Hurry to Make a Profit
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65024.html
South African Internet billionaire Mark Shuttleworth has enough cash to pump into his software company, Canonical, saying he is being careful with his pennies but is willing to continue supporting a good investment. Shuttleworth founded Canonical in 2004 to develop free software for companies and private users around the world. He committed an initial $10 million, despite admitting he was not sure whether giving away its software could ever be commercially viable.

Mon, 3 Nov 08
Free to Be ... Mac and PC
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/64998.html
I'm a PC. For a long time I was fine with that. My computers booted up like molasses on a modest incline and booted down like that same molasses 20 degrees colder and 10 degrees more horizontal. But the software kept "working" from one system to the next, and I knew the rules. But then Apple started that never-ending ad campaign. It employed comic author John Hodgman and a foil to convince me that PC users are doughy glasses-wearers who look like comic author John Hodgman, while Mac users possess long hair that manages to look both clean and kempt.

Mon, 3 Nov 08
Why We Buy: Brain Waves Don't Lie
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/64954.html
Picture a mad scientist in his laboratory, cackling with glee as he tries to unlock the secrets of the human mind. Now, consider the unsettling possibility that the scientist may be on to something. Marketing expert Martin Lindstrom is that scientist, caught up in the excitement of research in his new book, "Buyology." Lindstrom first became aware of neurological marketing research through a Forbes magazine article, "In Search of the Buy Button."

Sun, 2 Nov 08
Garbage Juice: Turning Waste Into Wattage
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/64983.html
Standing atop the 400-acre 1-E landfill, you get a panoramic view of the Meadowlands sports complex to the north and the New York City skyline to the east. You're also standing on a critical part of New Jersey's, and the nation's, energy future. Decades' worth of household trash, construction waste and assorted refuse buried in the landfill are providing electricity to thousands of homes. "It's like you're buying back your own garbage, but in a different form," said Tom Marturano, director of solid waste and natural resources for the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission.

Sun, 2 Nov 08
10 Tips for Taking Your Business to the Cloud
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65020.html
There's little room for error if your company decides to make the transition from a provider of on-premise solutions to a service provider via cloud computing. If you don't take the time to develop reliable services that match the reliability of your on-premise offerings, your credibility will suffer -- and customers will lose faith in your ability to deliver on your service promises. However, done methodically and carefully, cloud computing allows you to bring products and services to market faster, using a delivery method that customers will increasingly demand.

Sun, 2 Nov 08
Playing With FireWire Is a Job for the Pros
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/64973.html
It's a well-known and painful fact that Apple elected to drop FireWire from the new aluminum MacBook announced Oct. 14. While many have suggested that Apple was just being fashionable or out of touch with customers, something else altogether is happening. While there are lots of ways to characterize Apple's decision -- the decline of FW400, space/cost on the motherboard and external connectors, corporate arrogance -- I see the move as a tendency by Apple to firmly but gently dictate its product profile in the market.

Sat, 1 Nov 08
Flaming Laptop Batteries Prompt Sony Recall
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65014.html
Sony issued a recall Friday for roughly 100,000 notebook batteries. Conducted in partnership with the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission, the recall affects laptop users worldwide. The lithium-ion batteries can overheat and pose a fire and burn hazard to users. There have been 19 reports of batteries overheating, including 17 instances in which flames or fire were reported, according to the USCPSC. Two consumers received minor burns as a result. The news follows massive battery recalls that began in 2006 when some 9.6 million Sony laptop batteries had to be returned.

Sat, 1 Nov 08
Google Woos Business Customers With Uptime Guarantee
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65021.html
On occasion, Google's Gmail service has gone dark, in some cases for hours at a time. Predictably, users of the free service flipped out and took to the Web to sound off. Google's response, up to now, has merely been to issue apologies and get the system up and running again. However, for users of its Google Apps Premier Edition -- a cloud-based suite that includes business-oriented messaging and collaboration apps, along with support and integration capabilities -- Google has rolled out an SLA that guarantees 99.9 percent system accessibility.

Sat, 1 Nov 08
Planetary Goo and the Threat of Vegetarianism
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65012.html
About 30 years ago, we Earthlings sent a probe to check out Mercury, the tiny planet closest to the sun, and concluded that it was just a big hot rock. But after poking around on the moon and Mars for a few decades, we decided to take another look at Mercury. Messenger, the probe that has now passed Mercury twice, has sent back a collection of photos that shake up our earlier assumptions about the planet. For example: There are a lot more volcanoes there than we originally thought -- many more than on the moon, which we used to think was a pretty close approximation.

Sat, 1 Nov 08
Internet Echo Chamber Drowns Out Real Campaign Issues
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/64999.html
This column is dedicated to the intersection of technology and traditional news media. With less than a week to go before America elects a new president, that intersection is looking more and more like the scene of a multi-vehicle pileup. The victims: democracy, the average voter, my patience. For me, the most telling collision of the past few weeks -- the one that serves as the best example of the old vs. new media/bias vs. objectivity paradigm that's now all the rage -- was the Oct. 23 WFTV-Orlando satellite interview with Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Sat, 1 Nov 08
Study Sees Ballooning iPhone Use Among Lower-Income Buyers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65013.html
Not all iPhone owners are among the most well-to-do Americans, according to a new report. While 43 percent of iPhone owners earn more than $100,000 a year, the strongest growth in users is now coming from those who earn less than country's the median household income. iPhone adoption since June 2008 rose 48 percent among those earning between $25,000 and $50,000 per year and by 46 percent among those earning between $25,000 and $75,000, according to a new ComScore report, "All about iPhone."

Sat, 1 Nov 08
Yahoo Crawls Out on Social Web Limb
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65010.html
Yahoo has rolled out a platform for third-party developers to build applications and widgets for its portal. Called "Y!OS," it is part of Yahoo's larger Open Strategy -- a go-to-market approach the company unveiled earlier this year with the goal of becoming a more inclusive -- and more trafficked -- Web site. "We're officially cutting the ribbon for talented developers everywhere," Jay Rossiter, senior vice president of Yahoo's Open Strategy, wrote in a corporate blog post.

Sat, 1 Nov 08
ICANN Almost Cracks Down on Spammy Domain Registrar
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65009.html
Just one day after notifying an Internet registrar notorious for allowing massive spamming that it would terminate its registrar accreditation, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has given the registrar a temporary stay of execution. ICANN sent a letter to EstDomains on Tuesday, informing the company that its ICANN accreditation agreement had been terminated because EstDomains' president, Vladimir Tsastsin, was convicted of credit card fraud, money laundering and document forgery in Estonia. Tsastsin was convicted on Feb. 6, 2008, according to the letter.

Sat, 1 Nov 08
Technological Singularity: Utopia or Annihilation?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65007.html
It's been called the "rapture of the nerds," but such derision didn't stop an estimated 500 enthusiasts from showing up to the Singularity Institute's conference in San Jose, Calif., last weekend to discuss the possibility of artificial intelligence overtaking that of humans. That's the concept of technological singularity, popularized by author and inventor Ray Kurzweil. Talking about something that might happen, will be world-changing and can't be predicted is quite the task. Yet some speakers gladly took it on.

Sat, 1 Nov 08
Mac Bloggers Surf While Sipping, Screen Blu-ray on Psystar, Stream With Silverlight
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65006.html
The Apple-focused blogosphere was relatively quiet this week -- that is, it's been populated with a wide range of smaller news items. But hey, Apple-lovin' bloggers can't have a new MacBook redesign to talk about every week. While Google is bringing the Earth to the iPhone, a few other interesting stories hit. For one thing, AT&T has brought back free WiFi for iPhone users -- this time for real. In addition, Psystar is broadening its Mac "clone" lineup, and movie monger Netflix is using Microsoft's Silverlight to bring streaming movies to the Mac.

Sat, 1 Nov 08
NASA's Remote Hubble Fix Does the Trick
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65011.html
The picture -- of two galaxies forming a "10" out in the darkness of space in the constellation Cetus, 400 million light years away -- is typical of the Hubble Space Telescope. Which means that it's out-of-this-world beautiful. It's also proof that after a month of unexpected, worrisome darkness, Hubble has returned to life. "Isn't it fabulous?" said Ridgefield planetary astronomer Heidi Hammel, who uses Hubble for her work studying Uranus and Neptune. "I'm really glad to know that."

Sat, 1 Nov 08
Building Online Success With Drupal
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/64996.html
In 2002, when Ron Huber Jr. and Chris Fuller joined Achieve Internet, a fledgling startup Huber's father launched a few years earlier to build Web sites, the pair was confident their previous business experience would be an asset in understanding other firms' needs and goals. "Chris and I ran a dot-com in the late 1990s and early 2000s, so we'd been on the other side of the fence," Huber said. "At that time there were no off-the-shelf or open source products, so we'd worked with a number of software developers to build custom content management Web sites."