Report: Spam Levels Rise For Fifth Month In A Row

2 March 2007

Report: Spam Levels Rise For Fifth Month In A RowInformationWeek, NY - 4 hours ago

For the fifth straight month, spam levels continued their upward trek, accounting for 77.8% of all e-mail sent in February.
MessageLabs' Intelligence Report for February shows that Valentine's Day and the surge of spam and hoaxes it brought with it this year, greatly contributed to the amount of spam that went out last month. The holiday even brought its own round of not-so-sweet malware.


Spam levels rise againIT Week, UK - 2 hours ago

For the fifth consecutive month spam levels have increased with 77.8 per cent of all emails sent in February being junk mail.
The increase has been linked to the predictable focus on Valentine’s Day-related messages. February also saw a hike in seasonal hijacking threats, including the 'For My Valentine' malware with attachments such as 'Greetings Card.exe', according to vendor MessageLabs.

Berners-Lee pushes Congress on 'nondiscriminatory' WebZDNet - 6 hours ago

WASHINGTON--World Wide Web father Tim Berners-Lee told politicians on Thursday that it's critical to shield his seminal innovation from control by a single company or country.

A top priority for policymakers going forward must be "making sure the Web itself is the blank sheet, the blank canvas, something that does not constrain the innovation that's around the corner," the knighted engineer told a U.S. House of Representatives panel that writes Internet and telecommunications laws.

Web Inventor Tells Congress to Consider Net NeutralityPC World - 8 hours ago

Timothy Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, advocated that the U.S. Congress protect net neutrality and questioned the value of digital rights management Thursday. Berners-Lee, speaking before the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet in the U.S. House of Representatives, said it was "very, very important" for lawmakers to protect the ability of users to access the Web content they want regardless of their Internet service provider.


Social Networking Without The Big BoysCBS News, NY - 13 hours ago

CBS/AP) Web browser pioneer Marc Andreessen helped bring the Internet to the masses during the 1990s. Now the Netscape Communications co-founder is trying to help Web surfers build online communities outside the walls of social networking leaders MySpace.com and Facebook.com.


Netscape Co-Founder to Build CommunitiesForbes, NY - Feb 28, 2007

Web browser pioneer Marc Andreessen helped bring the Internet to the masses during the 1990s. Now the Netscape Communications co-founder is trying to help Web surfers build online communities outside the walls of social networking leaders MySpace.com and Facebook.com.


Inbox.com Leading Webmail Service Provider Announces Major Upgrade

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Boca Raton, FL, United States, 03/01/2007 - This latest upgrade of Inbox.com webmail service includes tools for organizing users’ emails. Along with its 5GB capacity email accounts and other features, Inbox.com is one of the world’s largest webmail services.


Inbox.com, Inc. today announced its latest upgrade of Inbox.com free webmail service including tools for organizing users’ emails. With its 5GB capacity email accounts, Inbox.com is one of the world’s largest free webmail services with email label categorization in combination with folders.

IBM To Pipe Google Gadgets Into Company Sites

01 March 2007

IBM To Pipe Google Gadgets Into Company SitesInformationWeek, NY – Feb 28, 2007

IBM has reached a deal with Google Inc. to bring the consumer Internet into the office by piping YouTube and thousands of other Web programs into IBM software used by millions of office workers.


IBM teams up with Google over gadgetsZDNet Asia, Asia - Feb 28, 2007

IBM and Google are teaming up to bring mini applications called gadgets from the consumer Web to corporate networks.

The two tech giants on Wednesday are expected to announce a partnership that will allow business users to access Google gadgets from IBM's WebSphere Portal software.

Google Maps adds real-time traffic dataCNET News.com, CA - Feb 28, 2007

Google has added real-time traffic data for several major cities to its mapping service, the company said Wednesday.

The traffic information is integrated with Google Maps and is available in more than 30 American cities, including San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago and New York.


Google Mashup Helps You Avoid Traffic BackupsInformationWeek, NY - Feb 28, 2007

Google on Wednesday rolled out a new feature on Google Maps that serves up instant traffic information for more than 30 major cities in the United States.

Using the new feature, commuters can see up-to-date traffic conditions in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and other cities, to help them plan their routes around congested areas. Google follows in the footsteps of Microsoft and Yahoo, which also offer live traffic data through their mapping services.

Tiny Open-Source Company Tackles E-Mail ExchangePC World - Feb 26, 2007

A tiny provider of open-source e-mail exchange software is using a disruptive pricing model to compete against Microsoft Corp. and other large providers of proprietary e-mail service technology.

Small Player Scores Big Open-Source WinBusinessWeek Feb 28, 2007

In the scrappy open-source software world—where software is developed in the open, rather than within the confines of corporate patents—successes are hard-won and often come in small chunks. Typically it's a few thousand government employees in Munich, Brasilia, or Amsterdam who begin using the Linux operating system or the Open Office suite of business programs, shunning comparable offerings from the likes of Microsoft (MSFT).


Storm Worm Attacking Blogs, Bulletin Boards And WebmailInformationWeek, NY – Feb 28, 2007

A variant of the well-known and troublesome Storm worm is being used in a spam attack that is luring blog, bulletin board, and Webmail (Internet-based e-mail) users to connect to a malicious Web site, according to Dmitri Alperovitch, a principal research scientist at Secure Computing Corp.

In China, Google grapples with Gmail domain dispute

28 February 2007

In China, Google grapples with Gmail domain disputeCNET News.com, CA - Feb 26, 2007

Google, fighting to consolidate its trademark globally, faces an obstacle in the world's second largest Web market--China's www.gmail.cn, which is refusing to sell its Internet address to the U.S. giant.
A legal source told Reuters on Monday that Google was trying to buy the Internet domain name www.gmail.cn, which is run by Beijing-based ISM Technologies.

RPT-Gmail domain dispute looms for Google in ChinaReuters - Feb 26, 2007

Google Inc., fighting to consolidate its trademark globally, faces an obstacle in the world's second largest Web market -- China's www.Gmail.cn, which is refusing to sell its Internet address to the U.S. giant.


Feature List for Upcoming Firefox 3.0 BrowserPC World - 5 hours ago

Mozilla's open-source browser update is likely to contain a host of new features, including offline support for Web applications and new bookmark and search features.

When Firefox 3.0 is released later this year, the open-source browser is likely to contain a host of new features, including offline support for Web applications and new bookmark and search features. Mozilla released the second alpha version of Firefox 3.0 earlier this month.


Firefox 3.0 opens door to Web apps, Mozilla saysComputerworld Australia, Australia - 3 hours ago

Think the new built-in phishing filters in Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 will protect your private data? Think again. The number of sites devoted to phishing skyrocketed last year, and the number of Americans taken in by phishing schemes has nearly doubled. In November 2006, the last month for which data is available, the Anti-Phishing Working Group found 37,439 new sites, up an astounding 709 percent from the 4630 sites in November of 2005. (Click on the "Image Enlargement" icon above to see the chart showing this trend.)

Dell to Linux users: Not so fastInfoWorld, CA - Feb 27, 2007

Despite obvious support for the idea last week from thousands of visitors on its new customer suggestion Web site, IdeaStorm, the company said it's not yet building machines with Linux pre-loaded for the consumer and business markets.
Dell's Not Ready To Go Mainstream With Business LinuxInformationWeek, NY - 7 hours ago

Dell is warming up to the idea of reintroducing Linux desktops and notebooks, but for now the computer maker plans to remain on the sidelines and wait until there's a clear winner among the various distributions of the open source operating system.

Two vendors bridge cellular and Wi-Fi netsComputerworld, MA - Feb 26, 2007

Two vendors are separately releasing products that let enterprise networks do something even the carrier networks aren't yet doing: bridge the gap between corporate wireless LANs and cellular nets.

Both Siemens Communications and startup DiVitas Networks can switch voice calls between cellular and Wi-Fi nets, without dropping the call. The goal in both cases is keep enterprise users tied into corporate VOIP services -- both fixed and mobile -- and data services, and let users both make and take calls over either wireless net.

Options widen for fixed-mobile convergenceiT News, Australia - Feb 25, 2007

The decision now for most businesses is whether to support fixed-mobile networking on their own or wait for telecom carriers to upgrade their networks..

It's been a big month for fixed-mobile convergence--the integration of wireline and wireless networks. The decision now for most businesses is whether to support converged networking on their own or wait for telecom carriers to upgrade their networks. Both approaches have their drawbacks.

Voice-mail-to-text now available for Skype users

27 February 2007

Voice-mail-to-text now available for Skype usersiT News, Australia – Feb 27, 2007
SimulScribe service transcribes voice messages in an e-mail while the original audio is contained in an attached .wav file..
Skype users can have their voice mail messages delivered to their email and SMS addresses starting Monday through a voice-mail-to-text service offered by SimulScribe.


Voicemail-To-Text Now Available For Skype UsersInformationWeek, NY – Feb 27, 2007
Skype users can have their voice mail messages delivered to their e-mail and SMS addresses starting Monday through a voice-mail-to-text service offered by SimulScribe.
Utilizing its proprietary voice-recognition algorithms that transcribe voice mail to text, the service works with wireless, networked, and voice-over-IP services, SimulScribe says, adding that the feature typically can save a user three hours a month in wasted time that would be spent listening to voice mail.


Flaws in tech support tools open PCs to attack
CNET News.com, CA - February 26, 2007
Multiple flaws in commonly used technical support tools can open Windows PCs to cyberattack, security experts have warned.

The vulnerable tools are often used by Internet service providers, PC makers and others to provide support functions such as remote assistance, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team said in an alert published Thursday. The tools, provided by SupportSoft, contain multiple vulnerabilities, it warned.


Norton 360 Security Suite ShipsPC World - 8 hours ago

As Symantec Corp. launched its Norton 360 consumer security suite Monday, the company acknowledged that some users may be put off by the price, which is nearly double the list price of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Live OneCare.

"There will definitely be some price sensitivity" on the part of users, said Mark Kanok, 360's product marketing manager. "But the breadth and execution of Norton 360's functionality is greater [than OneCare's]. And I don't think anyone should undersell the intelligence of users."

Dell takes small steps toward LinuxZDNet - 6 hours ago
Dell has acknowledged that 83,000 users have urged it to sell PCs with Linux pre-installed, but it has fallen short of accepting their suggestion.

The requests were made through a new user forum, Dell IdeaStorm, which was launched by Dell 10 days ago, shortly after Michael Dell regained the chief executive's seat. Dell IdeaStorm gives users the chance to tell the PC vendor what kind of systems it should offer.


Dell to Sell Linux PCsPC World – Feb 26, 2007

After collecting some 1,800 new product and service ideas from IT users and customers using an online "suggestion box," Dell Inc. has announced that it's taking the user suggestions seriously and will soon debut and sell a new line of certified, user-ready Linux-loaded desktop and laptop computers.


Study: Yahoo benefits from search ad systemInfoWorld, CA - 7 hours ago
People are clicking more often on ads served up by Yahoo Inc.'s search engine since the company switched to a new ad-ranking system earlier this month, according to comScore Networks Inc., a firm that measures Web usage and traffic.


Yahoo sees better results with new ad platformiT News, Australia – Feb 27, 2007
Project Panama's success is critical in Yahoo's effort to boost revenue and recapture market share from Google.
Yahoo's new search advertising system appears to be working. Since the introduction of Yahoo's new ad ranking model on February 5, the second phrase in the rollout of the company's Project Panama ad platform upgrade, Yahoo sites have seen better sponsored search click-through rates.

One-third of US Net surfers have gone wireless

26 February 2007

One-third of US Net surfers have gone wirelessZDNet – 25 Feb 2007
One-third of U.S. Internet users have connected to the Web using a wireless network to send e-mails, check the latest news or read other things, according to a survey released on Sunday by the Pew Internet Project.

The survey also found that 20 percent of Internet users now have wireless networks available at home, double the number recorded in January 2005.

One-Third of Net Users Go WirelessForbes, NY - AP 02.25.07
About one-third of Internet users in the U.S. have used a wireless connection to surf the Web or check e-mail, according to a survey released Sunday.
The survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project showed that 34 percent of Internet users have gone online through Wi-Fi service or a cell phone network, including 27 percent who have logged on from somewhere other than their home or workplace.

Samsung speeds up GDDR4 graphics memoryInfoWorld, CA - Feb 23, 2007

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is using a more advanced production method to push graphics memory chips to a higher speed.
The company, which is one of the world's biggest chip makers, said Friday it has managed to make GDDR4 (graphics double data rate 4) memory chips that work at 4G bps (bits per second). That's two-thirds faster than the current fastest GDDR4 chips generally available, which operate at 2.4G bps, Samsung said.

Samsung boosts GDDR4 graphics memoryEarthtimes.org - Feb 24, 2007.

South Korean electronics giant Samsung Corp. has increased the speed of its graphics memory GDDR4 by about two-thirds. Billed as the world's fastest graphics card, the GDDR4 is mainly used to process video images in PCs, laptops and notebooks.

Apple, Cisco make 'iPhone' peace, will share nameComputerworld, MA - Feb 23, 2007
February 22, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Apple Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. agreed yesterday to share the "iPhone" name, putting an end to a dispute that threatened the June launch of Apple's highly anticipated multimedia phone.

The deal ends a six-week legal trademark tussle that began Jan. 10, a day after Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced his company's iPhone, when Cisco filed suit in a northern California federal court, claiming the name as its own via a 2000 acquisition. Cisco currently sells a line of Linksys VoIP devices under the iPhone label.

Cisco-Apple Truce Murky on Details
Wyoming News, WY - February 25, 2007.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The short-lived legal battle between Cisco Systems Inc. and Apple Inc. over the "iPhone" name was only on the surface a trademark-infringement dispute involving identically named multimedia telephones.

Cisco has maintained since the start of the squabble six weeks ago that the dispute was not about money, even though it stood to profit handsomely from any settlement.


Tech vendors look to cash in on Google's new app offeringiT News, Australia – Feb 26, 2007

Several companies are jumping on the Google Apps bandwagon because they see an opportunity to offer add-on products to the search king's office software products.

A number of companies are jumping on the Google Apps bandwagon in an effort to take advantage of the search king's move to place office software products online.

Google Apps aims beyond Microsoft Office
PC World Magazine, Australia - Feb 26, 2007

Following Google's announcement that it would offer an enhanced version of its Google Apps, dubbed Google Apps Premier Edition, the company left no doubt about the direction in which it was heading.

Not only has it added key business applications -- a word processor and spreadsheet -- to Google Apps, but the company is offering the kind of support corporate IT would expect: IT management tools, technical support, and service level agreements for uptime.