Research

ShoreTel Adds More VOIP Options for SMBs

2007-04-23T18:40:00.001+08:00

ShoreTel Adds More VOIP Options for SMBseWeek, MA - April 23, 2007
IP PBX provider ShoreTel on April 23 will launch a mixed bag of IP Telephony enhancements designed to make end users more productive and organizations more efficient, and to reduce the total cost of ownership of ShoreTel IPT products.
ShoreTel, whose sweet spot in the VOIP market is SMBs (small and midsize businesses), has released a new version of its software, added new, smaller-footprint IP PBX hardware and built its first SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)-based IP phone.

Taking Hosted VoIP To The Next LevelCRN, NY April 23, 2007

Many small-business VARs may never have had access to phone revenue before because they lacked experience selling PBX solutions. But the game is changing.
Hosted VoIP services are not only opening the doors to IP telephony sales, but play to the channel's core strengths in network integration and management.
And now, Microsoft's new Office Communications Server, which will allow VARs to integrate VoIP services with Office applications, promises to open additional avenues for VARs to add value around VoIP without having to wrestle with PBX switches and custom integration work.

Time Warner, Fon in Wi-Fi joint dealLos Angeles Times, CA - April 23, 2007

In a big win for a little Wi-Fi start-up called Fon, Time Warner Cable Inc. will let its residential broadband customers turn their connections into public wireless hot spots, a practice shunned by most U.S. Internet service providers. For Fon, which has forged similar agreements with Internet service providers across Europe, the deal will boost its credibility with U.S. consumers.

FON, Time Warner deal confirmed Techcrunch, Written by Om Malik, April 23, 2007
It has been more than twenty days since we reported that FON, the share-your-Wi-Fi service company was in talks with Time Warner Cable. Today, a news report from Associated Press confirms the deal and adds, that Time Warner Cable “will let its home broadband customers turn their connections into public wireless hotspots, a practice shunned by most U.S. Internet service providers.” Time Warner spokesperson confirmed the deal, though the two companies didn’t give any specifics.

Review: A Virtual Solution To SpamCRN, NY - April 23, 2007

The unending tide of spam is increasing in volume and sophistication, clogging mail servers and sapping productivity. Battling spam, in fact, has become one of the most important tasks handled by security administrators on networks of any size.
Smaller networks seem to be more vulnerable to the effects of spam due to tighter budgets and less sophisticated technology. Yet, larger networks are not immune to the problem, struggling under its burden despite rollouts of more costly security technologies.

Hotmail still riddled with spamiT News, Australia - April 23, 2007

The company's own research found that between 40 and 98 percent of messages sent to users of Hotmail, now being rebranded as Windows Live Hotmail, are unsolicited or fraudulent in nature.

The findings will disappoint Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, who predicted at the 2004 Davos World Economic Forum that spam would be "eliminated" within two years.

RIM Announces New BlackBerry Application Suite for Windows Mobile ...Web Services Journal, NJ - April 23, 2007

Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM)(TSX: RIM) today announced plans to expand its support for Windows Mobile®-based devices with a new software application suite that will enable devices from third-party manufacturers to benefit from the popular BlackBerry® software applications and services. RIM plans to begin offering the new software application suite later this year for select devices based on Windows Mobile 6. Once installed, the software will provide users with a virtual BlackBerry application experience, including support for BlackBerry email, phone, calendar, address book, tasks, memos, browser, instant messaging and other applications developed for the BlackBerry platform. Devices running the BlackBerry application suite will be able to connect to BlackBerry services via BlackBerry® Enterprise Server as well as BlackBerry® Internet Service.

Mozilla Updates Thunderbird E-Mail Client

2007-04-20T18:01:00.000+08:00

April 20, 2007

Mozilla Updates Thunderbird E-Mail ClientPC World – Apr 20, 2007

Mozilla Corp. unveiled the final version of its open-source Thunderbird 2 e-mail client on Thursday, improving how users can organize and label their messages.

Users can now add customized tags to messages, a feature that has proven popular with other blog and photo-sharing sites, Mozilla said. The tagging function replaces static labels that users can assign to messages in older versions of the client. Also new is a feature to sort through e-mail by history, similar to what a user can do in a Web browser.

Mozilla releases Thunderbird 2iT News, Australia – Apr 20, 2007

A new find-as-you-type feature in the free e-mail client winnows displayed messages on the fly, making searches faster.

Mozilla Corporation released Thunderbird 2, its free, open source e-mail client for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems in 30 languages.

The new release boasts improved security and a variety of new features. Chief among them is message tagging, the ability to label and categorise e-mail for easier searching and organisation. In addition to default tags, users can create their own

Google takes the pun out of shoppingZDNet – Apr 19, 2007

Acknowledging that it's better to be clear than clever, Google is rebranding "Froogle" as "Google Product Search" and simplifying the interface to match the main search site, a top executive said on Wednesday.

Froogle was launched in late 2002 when it was trendy for portals to have vertical sites dedicated to specific industries or areas. But the site didn't grow fast, and Google removed the link to the site from its main page last year.

Goodbye Froogle
Michael Arrington , Techcruch.com – Apr 19, 2007

Froogle has been renamed “Google Product Search” says Marissa Mayer, Google’s VP of Search & User Experience. It also sports a redesign, and product results are now returned at the top of normal Google search results at appropriate times.

Sender ID Framework Reaches Tipping PointPR Newswire (press release), NY – Apr 19, 2007

Today, at the third annual Authentication and Online Trust Summit, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) published results culminating from a two-year-long study on the effectiveness of Sender ID Framework e-mail authentication in helping counter deceptive e-mail. With Windows Live(TM) Hotmail(R) alone detecting over 3.8 billion deceptive messages daily, Sender ID is helping provide real results as a cost-effective solution. Sender ID has enjoyed a threefold increase in adoption, accelerating to 8 million domains worldwide in just under a year.* This technology is helping to realize the promise established by the industry and government agencies to improve trust and confidence in e-mail communications for consumers and marketers alike.

Large Enterprises Still Serving up SpamPC World - 3 hours ago

Well-known enterprise companies are still having their IT systems hijacked by spammers despite investing in many different types of technologies aimed at stopping the problem.

Last week, researchers at network security company Support Intelligence isolated an IP address within insurance giant Aflac that was being used by spammers to distribute mass amounts of e-mail messages, most of which were related to erectile dysfunction.

Microsoft Live Spaces Rolls Out New Features
Michael Arrington , Techcrunch.com – Apr 20, 2007

Microsoft Live Spaces (rebranded last summer from MSN Spaces) is rolling out some new features this morning and announcing recent usage updates. The enhancements are aimed at making Live Spaces more of a social network and less of a simple blogging/home page service. The changes should be live at 6 am PST.

Google Acquires Marratech; Gets Into WebEx Territory
Michael Arrington , Techcrunch.com – Apr 20, 2007

After reporting a monster fiscal quarter (the company has close to $12 billion in cash sitting around now and has hired nearly 2,000 new employees this year), Google made a quiet announcement on its corporate blog tonight - they’ve acquired Swedish startup Marratech for an undisclosed price.

Google Rains On StumbleUpon Parade: Launches Direct Competitor

2007-04-19T14:08:00.000+08:00

April 19, 2007

Google Rains On StumbleUpon Parade: Launches Direct Competitor
Michael Arrington, techcrunch.com - Apr 19, 2007

On the same day that the news breaks that eBay is acquiring StumbleUpon for $40ish million, Google announces that they are building strikingly similar functionality into their Toolbar. Google (along with AOL) were reportedly in the running to acquire StumbleUpon until very recently.

Yahoo exec: We must improve social net standing
InfoWorld, CA – Apr 18, 2007

Yahoo Inc. must leverage its multiple Web sites and services to gain a stronger position in social networking, a company executive said Wednesday.

Yahoo's social-networking service Yahoo 360 hasn't attained the position the company expected, but Yahoo has a strong collection of social Web properties, said Jeff Weiner, executive vice president of Yahoo's network division.

Don’t Blame Panama: The Real Threat Facing Yahoo
Written by Kevin Kelleher, gigaom.com - April 18, 2007

Taking a look at Yahoo’s first quarter number, one word comes to mind: heedless
Not “heedless”, as in Yahoo executives who led the Street on until it believed that, thanks to its vaunted Panama search technology, revenue and profits would surge in the first quarter of 2007. Or even “heedless”, as in investors who had gotten a little ahead of themselves by betting that Panama would deliver sooner than promised.

E-mail Security Appliance Uses Profiling to Thwart Spam
PC World – Apr 18. 2007
Barracuda Networks has announced new features for its Spam Firewall e-mail security appliance that help detect spam even when senders attempt to hide their identity.
One new feature is predictive sender profiling, a technique that relies on Barracuda's network of 40,000 customer in-boxes to analyze sender behavior and detect when a spammer is trying to evade reputation systems by hiding behind another sender's identity, according to company officials

Barracuda Spam Firewall Moves Beyond Traditional Reputation ...
TMC Net, CT - Apr 18, 2007

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Barracuda Networks, Inc., the leading provider of application security appliances, today announced the Predictive Sender Profiling capabilities of the Barracuda Spam Firewall. These capabilities provide industry-leading protection against spammers' latest attempts to evade traditional reputation analysis. Utilizing a network of more than 40,000 customer systems worldwide, Barracuda Networks has the most diverse compilation of email available for profiling the behavior of spammers. Using this data enables the Barracuda Spam Firewall to more easily determine a sender's identity when identity obfuscation techniques are used.

Blackberry Outage Caught Users Off Guard
InformationWeek, NY – Apr 18, 2007
NEW YORK - Users of the hand-held BlackBerry e-mail device, a communications lifeline for movers and shakers from the White House to Wall Street, endured hours of disrupted service before the system was restored Wednesday

BlackBerry outage annoys some users; others vow to stay with service
Computerworld, MA – Apr 18, 2007

BlackBerry wireless e-mail service was restored this morning after a half-day outage in North America, irking some customers but leaving others resigned to stick with Research in Motion Ltd.

"I'm actually really mad about it," said David Maynor, a BlackBerry customer for three years who is chief technology officer at Errata Security LLC in Atlanta. "I'm mad enough to switch to another service."

Mail2World Rolls Out a New Suite of Dynamic Webmail Features ...
Emediawire (press release), WA – Apr 18, 2007

LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- April 16, 2007 -- Adding to a wealth of sophisticated tools and user interactions within its Web-based messaging and collaboration service, Mail2World today rolled out 37 new feature enhancements to its award-winning Pangia Communications & Collaboration Platform™. All features are available immediately to new and existing Mail2World customers. Taken as a suite, the feature set creates a new level of convenience and productivity characterized by personalization and dynamic interactivity.

CEO Eric Schmidt Presents Google's Friendly Face At Web 2.0 Expo

2007-04-18T16:20:00.000+08:00

April 18, 2007

CEO Eric Schmidt Presents Google's Friendly Face At Web 2.0 Expo
InformationWeek, NY – Apr 17, 2007

At the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco Tuesday morning, Google CEO Eric Schmidt presented his company as everyone's friend, an enabler of communities and an amiable business partner rather than a would-be monopolist of advertising, online software, and user data.
Google's capacity for evil, or at least monopolistic dominance of the Internet, has long been a concern raised by competitors and pundits, not to mention human rights and privacy activists.

Google’s Office Suite Complete: Google “PowerPoint” Confirmed
Michael Arrington, Apr 17, 2007 – Techcruncg.com
There’s no need for further speculation: Today at the Web 2.0 Expo Google CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed (here also) that Google will soon launch a PowerPoint clone, completing their basic office suite (they already have Word and Excel covered). Expect these services to be combines with Gmail, Google Calendar, GTalk and other services under a single brand for small businesses.
Schmidt also said that they’re office suite isn’t a threat to Microsoft. That, of course, is complete spin.

4 bits from Web 2.0 Expo
Written by Om Malik, April 16, 2007 - gigaom.com

There is nothing I can say about the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco that hasn’t already been said before. And if you didn’t read it, then you perhaps watched it live. Here are some news snippets that you might be worth your time, and need further exploration.

Mixercast is a new service allows you to remix your photos and videos and present them as a hybrid show - that is more than a pure slide show and less than a full blown video. Inspired by the photocasting concept popularized by Apple, it is a lush, rich and attractive service that allows you to mix-and-match photos and videos on your desktop with those on popular web services such as Flickr and YouTube. Trust me - they will make your photos and videos look like a million bucks. A full review when the Web 2.0 Expo madness ends.
Read the rest of the story

Web 2.0 hotness: Hitwise predicts the next YouTube
Computerworld, MA – Apr 17, 2007

Hitwise, which collects Internet usage data directly from ISPs to measure the traffic to more than 800,000 Internet sites, has tapped the six Web 2.0 companies most likely to reach the soaring success of YouTube, Wikipedia or Flickr. To do so, it looks at the types of early adopters now using the sites.

TotalBlock goes for Webmail feature
iT News, Australia - Apr 17, 2007
Local anti-spam vendor adds Webmail capabilities for a three-in-one offering.
TotalBlock has added webmail capability to its anti-spam solution, giving it a three-in-one offering, as it also guards against network overloads caused by storming, harvesting and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
Peter Stewart, CEO of TotalBlock, said the company introduced Webmail in response to customer demand. Users need to log-in once to use the new facility and check TotalBlock’s control panel.

WiMAX Devices, Coming Soon
Written by Katie Fehrenbacher ,April 17, 2007 – gigaom.com

Operation WiMAX is underway, and carriers are spending some serious moolah on building out the networks. South Korea launched a WiBro network last year and in the U.S. Sprint and Clearwire are working on mobile WiMAX services, too. It’s about time for some attention on the devices themselves, which are starting to get sold in South Korea, and in the U.S., likely some time in 2008. Here’s some WiMAX goodies from Nokia, LG, Samsung, ZTE, and ZyXEL that should find their way to the market relatively soon.

Study finds weak participation on Web 2.0 sites
ZDNet – Apr 18, 2007

Web 2.0, a catchphrase for the latest generation of Web sites where users contribute their own text, pictures and video content, is far less participatory than commonly assumed, a study showed on Tuesday.

Free Our Mobile Email

2007-04-17T15:52:00.000+08:00

April 17, 2007

Free Our Mobile Email
Written by Katie Fehrenbacher, gigaom.com - April 16, 2007
The over-funded and over-litigated world of push mobile email is about to get an upstart free service from an entrepreneur with substantial roots in the industry. The New York Times writes about Nicholas Fodor, the founder of Coral Gables, Florida-based SetNet, which will launch a free mobile push email option called Freedom Mail, perhaps as early as next month.
Read the rest of the story

100 Megabits to the home by 2015?
Written by Om Malik, gigaom.com April 16, 2007

Can Americans dream about a day when they get a 100-megabit-per-second broadband connection, delivered over fiber? FTTH Council, says yes, and is pushing the US government to adopt a 100 Megabit Nation policy. The Council says that we have the technology, and the carriers (and cable providers) have the networks to make it all a reality - with a little pressure from Washington D.C.

Netvibes Launches Universe: Customized Public Pages
Michael Arrington, techcrunch.com – Apr 16, 2007

This afternoon Netvibes will announce the launch of Netvibes Universe, allowing users to create highly customized versions of Netvibes and publish them for public access. Netvibes has created 100 or so branded versions for the launch - users will be able to create these in about six weeks.

In addition to making the page public, publishers can also highly customize their Universe page by adding their own CSS and HTML.

WEB 2.0 : Wikis, blogs, RSS aim for the workplace
Computerworld, MA – April 16, 2007

As businesses worldwide debate the pros and cons of using wikis, tagging, Web mashups, syndicated feeds and blogs, the Web 2.0 Expo opened Sunday in San Francisco with a gaggle of vendors betting these Internet tools belong in the workplace.
The promise of simplified and more effective collaboration among employees, partners and clients has caught the attention of business managers. Still, although a hit among consumers, these Web 2.0 products must meet special requirements for business use in areas like availability, performance, scalability and security.

New webmail feature gives TotalBlock three-in-one appeal
Computerworld Australia, Australia – Apr 17, 2007

TotalBlock Pty Ltd has added webmail capability to its Australian-developed anti-spam solution. This makes TotalBlock a unique three-in-one offering, as it also guards against network overloads caused by storming, harvesting and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

New IM worm targets Skype users
ZDNet – Apr 16, 2007

A new instant-messaging pest that spreads using the chat feature in Skype has surfaced, security firm F-Secure warned Monday.

The worm, dubbed Pykse.A, is similar to threats that affect instant-messaging applications. A targeted Skype user will receive a chat message with text and a Web link that looks like it goes to a JPEG file on a Web site, F-Secure said on its Web site.

New worm wriggles on Skype
PCWorld, New Zealand – Apr 16, 200

A worm targeting Skype’s VoIP (voice over internet protocol) application is harvesting email addresses and directing users to a range of sites hosting other malicious software, security vendors said Monday.

Once a machine is infected, the worm sends a malicious link via instant messages to other users in person’s Skype contact list, according to F-Secure’s blog.

JangoMail Improves E-Mail Marketing Campaign Deliverability with ...
TMC Net, CT - 17 hours ago

JangoMail Improves E-Mail Marketing Campaign Deliverability with Support for DomainKeys and the Emerging DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) Authentication Protocol

2007-04-16T15:16:00.000+08:00

April 16, 2007

Microsoft unveils Silverlight as Flash killer
InfoWorld, CA – Apr 15, 2007

Microsoft Corp. this week will reveal new technology to deliver rich media applications on the Web, part of a broader strategy to go head to head with Web and design tools powerhouse Adobe Systems Inc.
As described by Forest Key, a director of product management for Microsoft's Server and Tools Division, Silverlight is a browser plug-in that allows Web content providers to offer rich video and interactive media experience from directly within Web sites. The technology, which leverages Vista's new graphics framework Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), will debut at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference, being held this week in Las Vegas.

Microsoft sheds light on Flash rival
ZDNet – Apr 15, 2007

Microsoft's answer to Adobe Systems' Flash Player has an official name--Silverlight--and a coveted target audience: media and entertainment companies bringing video to the Web.

On Monday at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft is expected to launch Silverlight, a Web browser plug-in for playing media files and displaying interactive Web applications.

Storm worm variant ignites e-mail virus deluge
CNET News.com, CA - Apr 13, 2007

Thursday likely marked the largest proliferation of e-mail virus attacks in more than a year, according to security company Postini.

Postini said that two variations of the Storm worm virus, which originally spread across the Internet in January, have quickly driven global virus levels 60 times higher than their daily average. E-mail users should be on alert for messages with "love"-related subject lines and an executable attachment that would contain a Trojan virus, as well as messages with "Worm Alert!" subject lines that contained a .zip file full of malicious code.

Storm worm variant ignites e-mail virus deluge
ZDNet Asia, Asia – Apr 16, 2007

Thursday likely marked the largest proliferation of e-mail virus attacks in more than a year, according to security company Postini.

Postini said that two variations of the Storm worm virus, which originally spread across the Internet in January, have quickly driven global virus levels 60 times higher than their daily average. E-mail users should be on alert for messages with "love"-related subject lines and an executable attachment that would contain a Trojan virus, as well as messages with "Worm Alert!" subject lines that contained a .zip file full of malicious code.

More Free WiFi: Fon Gets Competition From Whisher
Business 2.0, CA - Apr 14, 2007

Tomorrow a new startup will launch from Spain called Whisher that is adding a new twist to the concept of a WiFi sharing community. Like Fon, another Spanish startup backed by Google and Skype that is up and running with 50,000 shared WiFi hotspots around the world, the idea is that you make your WiFi router available to other members and when you are traveling or in another neighborhood you can gain access to their WiFi networks. The difference is that Fon requires you to use a WiFi router it ships to you and you have to install, whereas Whisher is a simple software download that turns your existing WiFi router into a shareable Whisher router.

Coming Soon: A Wi-Fi iPod?
PC World – Apr 16, 2007

Apple rumor du jour: DigiTimes is reporting that we may see an iPod with built-in Wi-Fi in the third quarter of 2007. The theory is based on scuttlebutt from Taiwanese electronics manufacturers who are supposedly involved in manufacturing the thing.

How Apple will use Wi-Fi iPod to crush competitors
iTWire, Australia – Apr 15, 2007

The news that iPods equipped with Wi-Fi are imminent has raised speculation about how Apple intends to make use of the new wireless capabilities of its fastest selling device. Some commentators believe that wireless data transfer is the most probable use. However, this seems unlikely given previous comments from Apple. Music sharing - now that's another story.

Microsoft looking into Hotmail problems

2007-04-13T17:39:00.000+08:00

April 13, 2007

Microsoft looking into Hotmail problemsCNET News.com, CA – Apr 12, 2007

Microsoft engineers were looking into problems with Windows Live Hotmail and Live Messenger on Thursday after users reported problems getting onto the services. The company was unsure of the cause or the scope of the problems, which began around 9 a.m. PDT. There was no impact on customer data, the company said.

VoIP adopted by one in five US firmsComputerworldUK, UK – Apr 12, 2007

Voice-over-IP technology has rolled out to one-fifth of all U.S. business, and adoption will continue to grow at a robust rate, according to research firm In-Stat.

In-Stat measured VoIP adoption by talking to both equipment vendors and carriers, and by analyzing reports of shipments of products and installations of VoIP services by carriers and other providers, said David Lemelin, an analyst at In-Stat in Scottsdale, Ariz., said today.

You've Got WebmailPC Magazine - Apr 9, 2007

Three years ago, the world of Webmail was at a standstill. The category's three giants—AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo!—were content with their respective market shares to avoid significant innovation. Then, on April Fool's Day, 2003, Google threw down the gauntlet, introducing a Webmail service that went lengths to reinvent the space, both in terms of its innovative interface, and perhaps even more significantly, in terms of storage, offering a then unheard of 1GB storage. For free. On Gmail's first birthday, Google outdid itself again, doubling the amount of storage offered.

CBS shows soon on MSN and Joost?ZDNet – Apr 12, 2007

CBS is close to announcing deals to distribute TV shows to various Web sites, including Microsoft's MSN and Time Warner's AOL, according to a Thursday report on The Wall Street Journal's Web site.

The Journal said CBS could announce the agreements on Thursday. The deals will make previously aired episodes of CBS shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the Evening News with Katie Couric and some sports programming available to the sites, the paper said.
Major Search Engines Improve Sitemaps ProtocolPC World - Apr 11, 2007

The rare collaboration between search rivals Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. over site maps has yielded its first result.

On Wednesday, the vendors announced they have enhanced Sitemap, a protocol designed to simplify how webmasters and online publishers submit their sites' content for indexing in search engines

Survey: Google draws 64 percent of search queriesZDNet - Apr 11, 2007

Web search leader Google's market share inched up to 64 percent of all queries among U.S. Internet searchers in March, gaining further ground against Yahoo and Microsoft, a survey released on Wednesday by Hitwise found.

Is Vonage Toast?VoIP News, CA – Apr 12, 2007

What with Verizon’s recent court victory against it, Vonage has been getting pounded—on the stock market and in the blogosphere. But the jury’s still out on whether the biggest name in VoIP is toast

FON Updates User Policy, Gives Away Free Routers

2007-04-12T18:00:00.000+08:00

April 12, 2007

FON Updates User Policy, Gives Away Free Routers
DailyTech, IL – Apr 11, 2007

FON hopes to keep users by upgrading routers after enacting a new user policyA service that aims to give users more access to wireless Internet is offering free routers while changing user policies. FON claims to be the largest WiFi community in the world, with members sharing WiFi at home or the office so they can enjoy WiFi from other Foneros members.

AOL shamed by loss of thousands of emails
iT News, Australia - Apr 10, 2007

The move comes after several AOL customers complained to consumer watchdog Which that their saved emails had disappeared.

One customer, Jacqueline Fleming, said that almost 2,000 emails were wiped from her account over Christmas. "There were business emails, sentimental ones and even details of my holiday booking," she said. A few weeks later, her January emails disappeared.

AOL shamed by loss of thousands of emails
IT Week, UK - Apr 10, 2007

AOL has assigned technical staff to help UK customers whose email archives were wiped of thousands of messages.

The move comes after several AOL customers complained to consumer watchdog Which that their saved emails had disappeared.

Yahoo China Launches Blog and Networking Service
PC Magazine - Apr 10, 2007

SHANGHAI (Reuters)—Yahoo China on Tuesday launched a new blogging and networking service, in a move aimed at diversifying its revenue streams as it steps up expansion in the world's second-largest Web market by subscriber numbers.

Security Firm Says China Fixing Spam Problem; US Isn't
PC World – Apr 11, 2007

THE amount of spam originating from China dropped dramatically in the first three months of the year, an IT security firm says.In the period from January to March, China accounted for 7.5 per cent of all worldwide spam, Sophos said in a statement. This compared with 21.9 per cent in the year-earlier period.

US Remains Biggest Spam Culprit, Says Report
TMCnet – Apr 11, 2007

Though arguably one of the most advanced in terms of e-mail and Internet usage, the U.S. also has the dubious honor of relaying almost a fifth of the world’s spam, according to a report by IT security and control company Sophos.

VOIP Too Complicated for Prime Time?

2007-04-11T18:48:00.000+08:00

April 11, 2007

VOIP Too Complicated for Prime Time?
PC World – Apr 10, 2007
PC-based VoIP services like Skype and Google Talk are just too complicated to really make it with the non-geek crowd. That's the gist of a new research report from Forrester Research, anyway.
Forrester analyst Zayera Khan says most European VoIPers use IM-based services (also called VoIM) to make VoIP calls. So the Forrester report takes a look at the top five VoIM services in Europe--Google Talk, ICQ, Microsoft MSN Messenger, Skype, and Yahoo! Messenger.

VoIP too complicated for mass markets
iT News, Australia - Apr 10, 2007
In a survey of VoIP users, a Forrester Research analyst has found the low-cost calling technology to be too complicated to appeal to mass-market users.
Forrester's Zayera Khan found voice-over-IP navigation systems generally to be a problem with users who are bewildered by a plethora of icons, buttons, rollovers, and navigation features. Khan cited the lack of clear keyword search capability as another problem.

AOL Expands Search Ads
PC World - Apr 9, 2007

Businesses interested in advertising on AOL LLC's Web search engine will now be able to do it, thanks to an agreement between the Time Warner Inc. subsidiary and Google Inc.
AOL's Web search engine has for years displayed ads from Google's AdWords network. But until now, AOL couldn't directly offer its advertisers ad space on its search engine site.

AOL to offer ads on its search
InfoWorld, CA - Apr 9, 2007

Businesses interested in advertising on AOL's Web search engine will now be able to do it, thanks to an agreement between the Time Warner subsidiary and Google.
Businesses interested in advertising on AOL's Web search engine will now be able to do it, thanks to an agreement between the Time Warner subsidiary and Google.

Online users turning to social networking sites for help with buying decisions
Computerworld, MA – Apr 10, 2007

Social networking sites like MySpace and YouTube have become target Internet destinations for a growing number of adults looking for help in making for purchasing decisions, according to a report released today.

The iProspect Social Networking User Behavior Study, which was funded by search engine marketing firm iProspect and carried out by JupiterResearch, found that one in four adult Internet users regularly visited the most popular social networking sites in the past year. The survey defined a social networking site as one that contains user-generated feedback.

Viacom Enters Web Search Deal with Yahoo
eWeek, MA – Apr 10, 2007

Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. said on Tuesday that it had chosen Yahoo Inc. to provide search advertising for 33 of its Internet sites in a major boost to Yahoo's new Web ad system

Yahoo to serve ads to Viacom sites
ITworld.com, MA – Apr 10, 2007

Yahoo Inc.'s new search marketing system continues to gain momentum with an announcement that Viacom Inc. plans to use the system on all of its 33 Web sites.
Yahoo will be the exclusive provider of sponsored search and contextual ads for the sites which include MTV.com, VH1.com, Nickelodeon.com, Comedycentral.com, BET.com and others. The multiyear deal could be expanded to over 140 additional Viacom Web sites around the world, the companies said.

Mozilla unveils Thunderbird 2.0 RC1 e-mail client

2007-04-10T15:39:00.000+08:00

10 April 2007

Mozilla unveils Thunderbird 2.0 RC1 e-mail clientPC World Magazine, Australia - Apr 10, 2007

Mozilla on Friday posted release candidate code for the newest version of its e-mail client, Thunderbird 2.0, which emphasizes message organization and support for Windows Vista.

Unless the 50,000 testers in Mozilla's beta community find flaws with the Thunderbird 2.0 Release Candidate 1 code, the final version will be rolled out by the end of this month, said Scott MacGregor, lead engineer for Thunderbird.

Thunderbird 2.0 Almost HatchedWired News - Apr 9, 2007

Earlier today Mozilla made the first release candidate for Thunderbird 2.0 available for download. While this still isn’t a final release, the new version is thus far bug free, stable and considerably faster than the previous betas.

If you’ve been using earlier betas you should download the new RC1 and rest assured that the issues we’ve mentioned in previous reviews of Thunderbird betas have been solved.

Spam makes users turn away from emailiT News, Australia - Apr 9, 2007

The increasing volume of spam email messages is driving users to look for alternative media such as instant messaging and low cost VoIP calls, analyst firm IDC predicts in a new study.

"Spam volumes are growing faster than expected due to the success of image-based spam in bypassing antispam filters and of email sender identity spoofing in getting higher response rates," said Mark Levitt, program vice president for IDC's Collaborative Computing and Enterprise Workplace research.

Does email have a future?ZDNet - Apr 9, 2007

The days of email as a mission-critical application appear to be limited, according to an IDC report.
IDC said it is projecting that 97 billion emails will be sent worldwide in 2007 and more than 40 billion of those will be spam. That 40 billion spam mark means that junk email will surpass person-to-person email. Overall, email volume in 2007 will approach 5 exabytes, doubling the amount over the past two years.

Google tests directory assistance for phonesComputerworld, MA - Apr 9, 2007

Computer Web search leader Google Inc. on Friday stepped up an experiment to use speech recognition on telephones so consumers can ask for local information, in a challenge to directory assistance providers.

The company is inviting U.S. callers to dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone to test a voice-activated service free of charge that it calls Google Voice Local Search, which is available on its experimental Google Labs site.

Google Connects Calls to Businesses Free with Beta 411 ServicePC World – Apr 9, 2007

Does Google know any bounds when it comes to offering diverse new services? On Friday it began testing a free telephone directory listing service that will look up business listings and connect the call for free. You can also have a text message of the phone number sent to your mobile phone.

Is Skype secure enough for businesses?ZDNet Asia, Asia – Apr 10, 2007

Though Skype touts security features, is it safe enough to be a serious option for businesses? Stewart Baines from ZDNet Asia sister site silicon.com hears from the skeptics and explains how to secure the popular VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) software for enterprises that decided to use it.

Company claims 100 percent spam free mail

2007-04-04T15:07:00.000+08:00

04 April 2007

Company claims 100 percent spam free mailZDNet UK, UK – Apr 2, 20074
A company is offering a guarantee that they can provide an email service to small businesses that is 100 percent spam free.

ClearMyMail claims its service stops all forms of spam by using filtering processes that have been developed over the past year.

UK COMPANY LAUNCHES WORLD'S FIRST 100 NO SPAM GUARANTEESourceWire (press release), UK – Apr 2, 2007

After a full year of testing ClearMyMail offers the world’s first 100% Spam blocking guarantee for home and small business users.Northampton based tech company ClearMyMail has today launched the world’s first ever 100% no-spam guarantee for home and small business email users.

Open source e-mail lands on commodity mobilesPC World Magazine, Australia - Apr 1, 2007

E-mail and groupware will take another step towards ubiquity this month when open source mobile software developer Funambol will release client software for Motorola and Nokia handsets.

Vonage's lucky break?ZDNet – Apr 02, 2007

Internet telephony provider Vonage, which is facing a possible shutdown of its service this week because of a patent dispute, may have gotten a stay of execution.
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company has signed a deal with a wholesaler of voice over Internet Protocol services called Voiceone, owned by a company called VoIP Inc., that could provide it with a work-around for at least two of the three patents owned by Verizon Communications. Voiceone also offers wholesale voice over IP service to several large companies including Broadwing Communications, iBasis and Google.

Vonage catches a lucky breakCNET News.com, CA – Apr 02, 2007

Vonage may finally be catching a lucky break. The company has supposedly signed a deal with a company called VoIP Inc. that sells wholesale VoIP services, which could save the company from having to shut down its service due to an impending injunction.
DoubleClick to set up digital ad exchangeCNET News.com, CA – Apr 3, 2007

DoubleClick, which delivers marketing messages to Web sites and monitors how many clicks they get, plans to announce Wednesday that it is setting up a Nasdaq-like exchange for the buying and selling of digital advertisements.

Yahoo & Spymac a Great Combination: Spymac Pays Members to try ...PR Newswire (press release), NY - Apr 3, 2007

NEW YORK and MUNICH, Germany, April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Spymac, the first international Web 2.0 community that shares its revenue with its uploaders, offers members a US$10 pay-back for trying out featured Yahoo! services.

Free trials of Yahoo! Music, with over two million full-length songs to download, and Yahoo! Mail Plus, the web's most popular premium email service, are available via www.spymac.com/promo/yahoo. Spymac members receive a payment of US$10 for each service they try out.

2007-04-03T14:49:00.000+08:00

03 April 2007

Spam Costs $712 Per Employee Annually
InformationWeek, NY - Apr 2, 2007

As a luncheon meat, Spam is a bargain. As unsolicited marketing, spam is a rip-off: $712 per employee per year, or $71 billon to all U.S. businesses annually.

That's the cost of spam in terms of lost productivity, according to a survey released Monday by IT research firms Nucleus Research and KnowledgeStorm.

Spam Soars In Q1, Small Businesses Under Fire
InformationWeek, NY - Apr 2, 2007

Despite a small dip in March, the year's first quarter saw spam levels spike, slamming small and midsize businesses.

MessageLabs, a messaging and Web security company out of New York, released a report Monday showing that spam levels jumped 76.3% in the first quarter of 2007. And that's despite a 2.6% drop in March from the month before.

FON to team with Time Warner Cable
GigaOm, CA - Apr 2, 2007

FON, the share-your-Wi-Fi service company, that recently announced a new round of funding and partnership with British Telecom is rumored to be in close talks with Time Warner Cable, where FON software and service could be bundled with TWC’s broadband residential gateways. The news could be announced later this week.

VoIP Provider SunRocket Amasses 200000 Subscribers
TMCnet - Apr 2, 2007

Each day, new subscriber are signing on with VoIP providers, and those providers are all introducing new features and services to attract even more new customers. Those include major service additions like IPTV and FMC (fixed/mobile convergence), or they may mean expansion of service offerings as a whole into new territories, or it may mean the availability of new hardware, like a new wireless router. Regardless, each of these service enhancements is drawing the attention of new subscribers. In addition, subscriber numbers are being boosted by consumers tiring of paying exorbitant rates to their cable MSOs and local telcos and are switching at least some services to lower cost ISPs.

VoIP Phones, Round Three
PC Magazine - Apr 2, 2007

We've seen a lot of VoIP handsets pass through our labs in the past few months. Back in mid-December, we took a look at three Skype-friendly phones, for our "Movable Skype" round up. Late last month, we broadened our scope a bit, with two Skype-specific and one Vonage-friendly phone for "VoIP Phones, Round Two." Since then, we've been bombarded by even more handsets, and with these five new phones, anything is fair game in terms of VoIP services—though, not surprisingly, given Skype's massive popularity, handsets for that service continue to dominate.

Google vs. Microsoft: Vying for DoubleClick
BusinessWeek – Apr 2, 2007

Google and Microsoft are squaring off in a fight for the online ad outfit DoubleClick that shows Internet advertising is moving far beyond search. The three leading search engines—Google (GOOG), Yahoo! (YHOO), and Microsoft (MSFT)—are competing to become one-stop shops for companies that want to advertise across the Web. To achieve that goal, Net players need more than a ton of traffic on their own online properties and the ability to match up tiny text ads to search queries. They also need to sell ads on popular Web sites beyond their borders and obtain more user information.

Mobile Telcos Rush to Social Networking
BusinessWeek – Apr 2, 2007

As the social networking phenomenon continues to gather pace, mobile-phone providers are champing at the bit to become members of the club. On Mar. 28, France Telecom's (FTE) Orange UK mobile arm said it would begin offering its customers access to social networking site Bebo this summer.

Microsoft unveils 'Deepfish' mobile Web browser

2007-03-30T11:32:00.000+08:00

30 March 2007

Microsoft unveils 'Deepfish' mobile Web browser
InfoWorld, CA – Mar 29, 2007

Microsoft late Wednesday unveiled a mobile Web browser aimed at making surfing the Internet on wireless devices as convenient and feature-rich as browsing on a PC.

Code-named Deepfish, a preview of the technology is available from Microsoft's Live Labs Web site. The company said it is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and will close access to Deepfish once downloads reach a certain, unspecified number.

Mobile browser wars: Microsoft previews Deepfish
Computerworld, MA – Mar 29, 2007

The latest entry in the growing mobile browser wars is Deepfish. Microsoft Corp. late Wednesday announced a technology preview of the new mobile browser, which is designed for delivery of content such as Web pages to Windows Mobile devices.

The Microsoft Live Labs team said in a statement that the preview was available for download for Windows Mobile 5.0 and higher devices, with a limited number of slots available that will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. (link to register)

Free E-Mail Aggregator for Your Cell Phone
PC World – Mar 29, 2007

Setting up e-mail on a standard cell phone is often more trouble than it's worth, and it usually involves additional fees from your carrier. Flurry, a San Francisco-based startup, offers a solution. I met up with the guys behind this mobile application at CTIA this week.

Flurry provides a free Java-based application that aggregates your e-mail messages from multiple accounts--such as AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, and any POP3 or IMAP e-mail client--and sends them to your handset. Here's what the inbox looks like:

Reignmaker Increases Hosted VoIP Presence
TMCnet – Mar 30, 2007

VoIP is no longer a new phenomenon, as evidence by its increasing adoption rate among both business and residential users, and by the significant number of VoIP service providers that have flooded the market with offerings, especially in the hosted space. One primary reason is the tremendous opportunity the SMB space offers.

E-mail users want more control of inboxes
Reuters.uk, UK - Mar 30, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bombarded by spam, e-mail users are eager for tools like a "report fraud" button that would help weed out unwanted messages that litter inboxes, according to a survey by the Email Sender and Provider Coalition released on Tuesday.

More than 80 percent of e-mailers already use tools such as "report spam" and the "unsubscribe" button to manage their in-boxes, the survey found.

Dell to sell Linux on laptops, PCs
iT News, Australia – Mar 30, 2007

After floating the possibility last month that it might begin selling some of its laptops and desktop PCs preloaded with Linux, Dell said on Wednesday that it will definitely offer Linux on select desktop and notebook computers due to consumer demand.

In an announcement on the company’s IdeaStorm website, Dell said it will provide specific models and details about the configurations and Linux versions offered in the next few weeks.

Dell Confirms it Will Preload Linux on PCs
TMC Net, CT – Mar 29, 2007

Responding to an avalanche of customer requests, PC maker Dell (News - Alert) reiterated an earlier promise to offer Linux as an alternative to Windows on its personal computers, according to several online reports.

Dell first revealed in February it was going to preload Linux on its PCs on its IdeaStorm blog. Dell has been getting positive feedback on offering Linux in recent weeks, prompting the company to make the move to be the first major PC vendor offering the operating system.

Google Apps Gmail service goes down for third time in a month

2007-03-29T12:36:00.000+08:00

29 March 2007

Google Apps Gmail service goes down for third time in a month
Computerworld UK – Mar 28, 2007

Google Apps is the suite of hosted services that many consider a potential threat to Microsoft's Office.
The latest problem began affecting users on Tuesday. It remained unresolved several hours later, also affecting regular Gmail users who are not on Google Apps, a company spokesperson said.

Google Apps' Gmail faces downtime problems
Computerworld – Mar 28, 2007

For at least the third time this month, Google is grappling with performance and availability problems in the Gmail service of Google Apps, the suite of hosted services that many consider a potential threat to Microsoft's Office suite of desktop software.

LG to Add Google Services to Phones
eWeek, MA – Mar 28, 2007

SEOUL (Reuters)—South Korea's LG Electronic Inc. and Internet search giant Google Inc. on Wednesday said they would pre-install Google services on LG mobile phones.

LG handsets with Google products and services, such as Google Maps, Gmail and Blogger, will be shipped to North America, Europe and Asia starting in the second quarter of 2007, the companies said.

It's Google on LG, Yahoo on Virgin
ZDNet – Mar 28, 2007

Google and Yahoo separately announced on Wednesday that their services will be featured on two different mobile phones.

Yahoo has partnered with Virgin Mobile USA to have Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Messenger preloaded on several of Virgin's handsets. Yahoo Mobile Web also will be the search tool of choice for Virgin's Surf the Web service.

Users want more tools to slay spam
Computerworld, MA – Mar 28, 2007

Even though most e-mail users already rely on antispam tools to keep their in-boxes from being overwhelmed by unsolicited messages, they're still not satisfied, a survey reported today.

More than 80% of 2,200 online users polled know about -- and use -- the "Report Spam" features in their e-mail software or within their Web-based services of choice, said the poll, which was sponsored by the Email Sender and Provider Coalition (ESPC).

Latest GPLv3 takes hard line on Microsoft-Novell deal
Computerworld, MA – Mar 28, 2007

The Free Software Foundation on Wednesday released the penultimate draft of its planned third version of a popular license for free and open-source software, the GNU general public license (GPL).

Created by Richard Stallman in 1989 for the GNU free operating system project, the GPL was last fully revised 16 years ago. The license gives users the right to freely study, copy, modify, reuse, share and redistribute software.

Latest Draft of GPL 3 Comes Under Fire
eWeek, MA - 2 hours ago

Corporate reaction to the release of the third discussion draft of the GNU GPL (General Public License) has been swift, much of it critical of the changes with how patents are dealt with.

2007-03-28T12:07:00.000+08:00

28 March 2007

Yahoo Mail to offer unlimited storage
ZDNet – Mar 28, 2007

Yahoo will begin offering unlimited storage for its free Web-based e-mail in May, the company announced late Tuesday. The move makes Yahoo the first of the major free e-mail providers to offer unlimited storage, but it likely will not be the last.

Yahoo currently offers 1 gigabyte for its free mail service and 2GB for its premium fee-based service. Google's free Gmail service offers more than 2.5GB of storage, and Windows Live Hotmail offers 2GB for free.

Yahoo to offer unlimited e-mail storage
Reuters – Mar 27, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc. plans to offer unlimited e-mail storage to its roughly quarter of a billion users, starting in May, it said on Tuesday.

The world's biggest e-mail service is scrapping its free e-mail storage limit of 1 gigabyte, or about a billion bytes of data, responding to explosive growth in attachment sizes as people share ever more photos, music and videos via e-mail.

Open-source bug hunt project expands
ZDNet – Mar 27, 2007

The effort, supported by a research contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is now scanning code of 150 open-source projects, up from the original 50.

"This allows open-source developers to find and resolve defects introduced into the project," David Maxwell, open-source strategist for Coverity, said in a statement. Coverity makes source-code analysis tools and shares the DHS contract with Stanford University and Symantec.

Department of Homeland Security ups its investment in open source ...
InfoWorld, CA – Mar 27, 2007

A year ago the Department of Homeland Security contracted with Coverity, a maker of a source code analysis tool, to harden open source software. (Stanford University and Symantec are also involved.) Basically, developers at open source projects (not primarily affiliated with a corporation) can submit their code to scan.coverity.com and have it scanned for security vulnerabilities. The project, as announced today, has been very successful.

Adobe Sets Creative Suite 3 Ship Date For April
InformationWeek, NY – Mar 27, 2007

Adobe Systems today said that its Creative Suite 3 design and development software would begin shipping in April.
"Creative Suite 3 is the biggest launch in Adobe's 25-year history and a milestone for the creative industry," said Bruce Chizen, CEO of Adobe, in a statement. "This release reflects the powerful integration between Adobe and Macromedia and how our products bridge the gap between designers and developers."

Adobe overhauls suite for design professionals
InfoWorld, CA – Mar 27, 2007

Adobe Systems on Tuesday unveiled details about how it has completely revamped its tools suite for high-end graphics and Web designers by combining for the first time products from both the former Macromedia and its own portfolio.

MySpace wants to bar 'spam king'
CNET News.com, CA – Mar 27, 2007

MySpace.com on Tuesday said it has filed suit against Sanford Wallace, seeking to bar the "spam king" and his affiliated companies from the social-networking site.

In the suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, MySpace accuses Wallace of violating state and federal laws including the federal Can-Spam Act and California's antispam and antiphishing statutes, the company said in a statement.

MySpace sues 'Spam King' for phishing
SC Magazine US – Mar 27, 2007

Social networking site MySpace announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against "Spam King" Sanford Wallace for spearheading a phishing scheme to steal login credentials.
Wallace, who claimed in 1998 that he was quitting the spam business, allegedly used that information to create profiles, groups and forums to spam users into visiting deceptive websites, according to a statement..

2007-03-27T12:03:00.000+08:00

27 March 2007

IBM Develops Superfast Optical Chip
InformationWeek, NY – Mar 26, 2007

The chip was made using existing production methods and works by converting electrical signals to laser light, allowing it to transmit 160 Gbits of data per second.

IBM Monday said it has developed a tiny chip capable of transmitting an entire high-definition movie in a single second, a breakthrough that could make computers faster and more energy efficient.

IBM Unveils Speedy Optical Chipset
iT News, Australia – Mar 27, 2007

The prototype streams data within computer systems over light pulses eight times faster than optical components in use today, IBM claims.

IBM on Monday announced the manufacture of a tiny optical chipset capable of moving data at speeds of 160GB per second, a feat that would make it possible to down a high-definition movie in a second.

Sugar-fuelled battery soon to juice up portable electronics
Computerworld Australia, Australia – Mar 26, 2007

Fuel cell technology that is currently in development boasts the ability of extracting energy from virtually any sugar source to power portable electronics like cellular phones, laptops, and sensors. The new technology is expected to be biodegradable, environmentally friendly and more energy efficient than current options, providing a green alternative to current Lithium-ion batteries.

Sugar-fuelled batteries - sweet!
iTWire, Australia – Mar 26, 2007

Researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri have adapted enzymes from nature that can strip charges from sugar to generate electricity in fuel cells, reports Live Science.
Batteries powered by anything sugary - even flat lemonade - could run gadgets up to four times longer than conventional lithium ion batteries

China's Latest Export Scare: Spam
BusinessWeek - 3 hours ago

In the No. 1 junk e-mailing country in Asia, mainland business can't afford not to fight. Here's the latest on the battle to control it.

Next to offshore outsourcing, spam is the other thing that has become synonymous with China.

AOL to further integrate instant messaging and Web mail
ITworld.com, MA - 7 hours ago

In the coming weeks, AOL LLC will upgrade the beta version of its latest Web mail offering to include an expanded integrated instant messaging capability.

AOL also announced on Monday a new Vista-compatible instant messaging client and toolbar.

AOL Announces Updates to AIM Service
Business Wire (press release), CA – Mar 26, 2007

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AOL announced today that it will soon start beta testing a new version of AOL Web Mail that includes expanded integration of the AIM service. AOL also announced availability of new Vista-ready versions of the AIM service and AOL Toolbar.

Startup applies P-to-P to calendar scheduling

2007-03-26T14:45:00.000+08:00

26 March 2007

Startup applies P-to-P to calendar schedulingComputerworld Australia, Australia – Mar 26, 2007

Tungle will deliver on Friday a beta version of a plug-in application designed to let users create a peer-to-peer network of people for the sole purpose of simplifying the process of scheduling meetings.
Tungle, which plugs into calendar applications, allows users to view blocks of time their contacts are free in order to schedule meetings. That can help cut down on the back-and-forth that often happens when people try to coordinate meetings.

Tungle attacks the calendar coordination problemZDNet - Mar 23, 2007

At the Under the Radar event, Tungle introduced a beta version what it describes as a peer-to-peer meeting coordinator. Users with different calendaring solutions can coordinate meetings independent of application or platform, according to the company. Tungle uses a proprietary, secure and enterprise-friendly P2P network and requires a download plug in.

NBC.com To Offer Social Networking FunctionsInformationWeek, NY – Mar 25, 2007

BC.com users will be able to share NBC videos with friends and post them on other
blogs or social networking sites\.
NEW YORK - Media company NBC Universal said Thursday it would introduce social networking and video sharing functions to its NBC.com Internet site in another move to compete for viewers with the likes of YouTube and MySpace.

Verizon logs win in VoIP battleAustralian IT – Mar 26, 2007

A FEDERAL judge dealt a blow to Vonage Holdings that sent its stock reeling on, when he agreed to bar the company from using internet phone call technology patented by Verizon Communications.

Vonage said it was confident its customers would not experience service interruptions, but investors sent its shares down nearly 26 per cent.

Judge Rules Against Vonage on PatentsForbes, NY - Mar 23, 2007

A federal judge on Friday ordered a permanent injunction against Internet phone carrier Vonage for use of rival Verizon Communications Inc.'s patents. But the injunction, which could potentially cause major disruptions to the service provided by Vonage to its 2 million customers, will not take effect for at least two weeks. U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton said he will wait two weeks to officially enter the injunction while he considers Vonage's request for an extended stay.

Start-up Zimbra takes Web e-mail offlineZDNet – Mar 25, 2007

E-mail software company Zimbra on Sunday is set to release an early version of Zimbra Desktop, Web e-mail software that will run online and offline.

The company has built an open-source, Web-based alternative to existing mail servers and clients such as Microsoft Exchange and Outlook. Zimbra uses Ajax, a Web development technique that runs across browsers and operating systems.

Windows Mail bug may expose Vista usersZDNet - Mar 23, 2007

A possible security vulnerability in Windows Mail could let attackers run applications on PCs running Vista.
An attacker could send an e-mail with a malicious link that, when clicked on, would execute a program on the PC without warning, according to a description of the problem published Friday on a widely read security mailing list called Full Disclosure. Windows Mail is the successor to Outlook Express, Microsoft's free e-mail client, and ships with Vista.

Exploit-for-sale hacker pins bug on Vista's e-mail appComputerworld Australia – Mar 26, 2007

A just-disclosed bug in Windows Vista's built-in e-mail program can be used by hackers to run malicious code on a victimized PC, said a researcher Friday who two weeks ago touted an exploit-for-sale service.

Microsoft acknowledged the report, and said it is investigating the vulnerability.

Use Disposable E-Mail Addresses to Shut Down Spammers

2007-03-23T14:10:00.000+08:00

23 March 2007

Use Disposable E-Mail Addresses to Shut Down Spammers
PC World – Mar 22, 2007

Anyone who has ever had an inbox full of penny-stock tips, pharmaceutical offers, and phishing attempts has had two fantasies: To turn off the spigot, and to find out who gave the spammers their address. Throwaway e-mail addresses can make both fantasies come true, at least for some of your spam.

NBC, News Corp. in Online Video Venture
Forbes, NY - Mar 22, 2007

In Big Media's latest attempt to combat Google Inc.'s YouTube, NBC Universal and News Corp. are banding together with AOL, MSN and Yahoo Inc. to form an ad-supported online video network for full-length TV shows, video clips and movies.

News Corp., NBC Plan Answer to YouTube
PC Magazine - Mar 22, 2007

News Corp. and NBC Universal said on Thursday they will jointly launch an online video site this summer, in a move to compete directly with Google Inc.'s YouTube.

The site will feature full-length television shows, movies and clips, including popular shows such as "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons," and hit films like "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Borat."

Trojan Roaming Skype Network
Information Week Weblog, NY - Mar 22, 2007

Skype users are being hit with a Trojan that using the infected machine to reach out and infect the user's friends and colleagues.

Websense issued an alert on Thursday afternoon warning that the malicious code, known as both Warezov and Stration, is spreading through the Skype network again. An earlier version initially attacked late in February.

Trojan roaming skype network

iT News, Australia - Mar 22, 2007

Websense issued an alert on Thursday afternoon warning that a malicious code, known as both Warezov and Stration, is spreading through the Skype network again. An earlier version initially attacked late in February.

The advisory noted that Skype users can receive a message that says, "check up this," with a URL containing a hyperlink. When users click on the link, they are redirected to a site hosting a file named file_01.exe. If the user runs the file, several other files are downloaded and run.

Analyst: Google building software, not mobile phone
iT News, Australia - Mar 22, 2007

Google isn't building its own mobile phone, as many have speculated, but software to run services on mobile phones, a Wall Street analyst said Thursday..

Google is building software to run services on mobile phones rather than gearing up to build its own phone, as many industry sources have speculated, one Wall Street analyst said Thursday

Google building software, not cell phone: analyst
Reuters – Mar 22, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) is building software to run services on cell phones rather than gearing up to build its own phone, as many industry sources have speculated, one Wall Street analyst said on Thursday.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said in a research note to clients that Google appears to be building software for Web search on cell phones and location-finding services to work with Apple Inc.'s (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) iPhone and other cell phones.

2007-03-22T15:37:00.000+08:00

22 March 2007

Mozilla fixes single Firefox flaw
Computerworld, MA - Mar 21, 2007

March 21, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Mozilla Corp. late yesterday updated the Firefox browser to patch a single security vulnerability and fix several bugs it unintentionally introduced in earlier versions.

Mozilla currently supports two branches of the open-source application, and the upgrades -- Firefox 2.0.0.3 and Firefox 1.5.0.11 -- are now available, according to the release notes posted on the company's Web site.

Firefox Hit by Fewer Flaws Than IE in 2006
PC World - Mar 21, 2007

Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox suffered from 26 percent fewer vulnerabilities in the second half of 2006 than Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer, a security company's research said Monday.

According to Symantec's tally, 40 Firefox vulnerabilities were disclosed between August and December 2006; Internet Explorer (IE), meanwhile, was hit with 54 bugs. Opera and Safari -- the browser Apple Inc. bundles with Mac OS X -- had four flaws each.

AOL: The biggest Wi-Fi privacy invader ever?
Computerworld, MA - Mar 21, 2007

Worried about Wi-Fi invaders? Then forget Hot Spot hackers. By far, the biggest
culprit is an AOL business partner that has put together a massive, private database of 16 million Wi-Fi routers throughout the U.S. and Canada, including network name and precise location. The odds are that if you have a home wireless network, you're in it.

Microsoft to release VOIP server beta on Monday
InfoWorld, CA - Mar 21, 2007

Microsoft will open up beta versions of its unified communications server and client software to the public for download on Monday, a senior company executive said Wednesday.

Microsoft IP PBX still needs to grow up
PC World Magazine, Australia - Mar 21, 2007

VOIP capabilities within Office Communicator Server 2007 from Microsoft can offer significant business advantages for corporations, but it's not all plug-and-play yet.

China's spam fight takes flight
ZDNet Asia, Asia – Mar 22, 2007

Next to offshore outsourcing, spam is the other thing that has become synonymous with China.
Ranked second after the United States as the source from which spam originates, China faces an uphill battle in keeping spammers off its networks.

Yahoo Expands Mobile Search
PC World – Mar 21, 2007

Yahoo has opened up its mobile oneSearch offering to anyone with a phone who can access the Internet. The service, which aims to offer more than a simple list of search results, was previously available as part of Yahoo Go for Mobile, a mobile phone-optimized content offering that is compatible with only certain handsets

Free Rider Web Hosting Offers Email Marketing Tool

2007-03-21T14:45:00.001+08:00

21 March 2007

Free Rider Web Hosting Offers Email Marketing ToolPR.com (press release), NY – Mar 20, 207

Scottsdale, AZ, March 20, 2007 --(PR.COM)-- Free Rider Web Hosting has recently added a new tool that allows businesses to send emails to customers quickly, easily and legally. With Express Email Marketing, personalized emails can be sent to customers to promote products and services.

Spam scam can swamp blogs with porn linksiT News, Australia – Mar 21, 2007

Spammers using blogs' trackback technology allow them to post thousands of links to porn sites.
Security experts are warning bloggers and Web site administrators that trackback spam is flooding legitimate sites with links to pornography.
Sophos, security vendor, reports that Newsbreak, a Filipino online news service found more than 27,000 links to pornographic Web sites posted on its own Web site.

Skype to Offer Money-Transfer System via PayPaleWeek, MA – Mar 20, 2007

SAN JOSE, California (Reuters)—Web telephone calling service Skype will shortly begin allowing users to send money to other Skype users via the PayPal online payments system, Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom said on Tuesday.

Money transfer via PayPal coming to SkypeiTWire, Australia – Mar 20, 2007

A forthcoming version of Skype will allow users to transfer money from their PayPal account to that of another Skype user, founder Niklas Zennstrom has told a conference in San Jose.

People with family and friends overseas are significant users of free voice services such as Skype, and are often also users of money transfer services such as Western Union.
Global Crossing Expands it VoIP Local Service, Adds New FeaturesTMC Net, CT – Mar 20, 2007

Global Crossing, which operates one of the largest IP communications networks in the world, has reportedly added an automated business-to-business Local Number Portability (LNP) interface, as well as a new Calling Name Delivery Service (CNAM), to its VoIP Local service - an inbound local service that provides Direct Inward Dialing/Direct Dial Inward (DID/DDI) functionality through a single IP interconnection. In addition, the company has extended the service into Rome, Milan and Hong Kong, as well as 83 additional communities in the U.S.

Oracle CEO: Linux support program workingInfoWorld, CA – Mar 20, 2007

Oracle has gotten off to a "very strong start" with its support program for users of Red Hat's Enterprise Linux, according to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison

Ellison announced the program back in October at Oracle's OpenWorld conference in San Francisco, but since then, the company has declined to comment on the progress of the support offering aimed at both Oracle and non-Oracle users.

Larry Ellison: Oracle replaced Red Hat support at YahooZDNet – Mar 20, 2007

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison was spreading the love for his competitors on the company's third quarter conference call.

Notably, Ellison said Oracle replaced Red Hat for Linux support at Yahoo. Oracle's Linux support, which is aimed at undercutting Red Hat, is off to a solid start with Dell and others reselling service. Ellison also noted that Oracle has sold some large enterprise contracts.

Zimbra open source mail client geeks it up

2007-03-20T15:25:00.000+08:00

20 March 2007

Zimbra open source mail client geeks it up
iTnews , March 2007

Flashy features buy mindshare, but plain uptime brings in the revenues.
Open source collaboration and messaging service Zimbra is banking on geek features to create popularity, but enterprise sales are still driven by straightforward business demands.

A quick demonstration of Zimbra is bound to delight the average software enthusiast. The application is essentially Outlook on steroids.

Most Computer Attacks Originate in US
Forbes, NY – Mar 19, 2007

The United States generates more malicious computer activity than any other country, and sophisticated hackers worldwide are banding together in highly efficient crime rings, according to a new report.

Researchers at Cupertino-based Symantec Corp. (nasdaq: SYMC - news - people ) also found that fierce competition in the criminal underworld is driving down prices for stolen financial information.

Report: US most prolific source of online attacks
ZDNet Asia, Asia - Mar 19, 2007

U.S. networks pumped out the highest percentage of attacks during the second half of last year, with China running a distant second, according to a report released Monday by security firm Symantec.

The U.S. accounted for 31 percent of malicious activity originating from computer networks, while 10 percent came from China and 7 percent from Germany, Symantec said in its Internet Security Threat Report.

Yahoo! Reinvents Search for the Mobile Web
TMC Net, CT – Mar 19, 2007

SUNNYVALE, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO) has today expanded the reach of the popular new Yahoo! oneSearch service to the Mobile Web in the United States. Yahoo! oneSearch reinvents search to give consumers exactly what they want on their mobile device - instant answers. The innovative search service that initially launched in Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0 is now accessible on more than 85 percent(1) of mobile phones through the mobile Web and is also available through the gamma version of Yahoo! Go for Mobile 2.0. The service leverages Yahoo!'s deep experience, investment and expertise in search on the desktop as well as relationships with leading content providers to deliver an un-matched search experience to consumers.

Yahoo jumps ahead of Google on mobile phone search
Reuters.uk, UK - Mar 19, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, March 19 (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc. (YHOO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) introduced on Monday a new Internet search system for mobile phone users that delivers locally relevant answers, a move that vaults it ahead of what rival Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) now offers.

Starting in the United States, with international markets to follow later this year, the Sunnyvale, California-based company said it planned to take advantage of the inherently local nature of many Web searches performed on phones.

AIM Plug-in IDs Users' Locations
PC World - Mar 19, 2007

Users of AOL LLC's AIM instant messaging system now have access to a plug-in that identifies their geographic location in a more precise manner than a similar plug-in developed last year.

The new plug-in, created by AOL with technology licensed from Skyhook Wireless Inc., requires a Wi-Fi enabled PC, because it determines locations by identifying nearby hot spots. Skyhook calls this method its Wi-Fi Positioning System.

AOL to let you see where IM buddies are
MSNBC – Mar 19, 2007

NEW YORK - AOL is offering users of its AIM instant messaging service new capabilities to see where people on their buddy lists are physically located.

The first phase of this push is with an unusual software plug-in developed by Skyhook Wireless, whose backers include Intel Corp. Skyhook tracks locations by using the continuous wireless pulses emitted by all Wi-Fi transmitters and Wi-Fi-enabled computers, rather than more common satellite-based approach.

Can Google’s G-Phone hit the G-spot

2007-03-19T14:38:00.000+08:00

19 March 2007

Can Google’s G-Phone hit the G-spot
iTWire, Australia – Mar 19, 2007

Is there anything Google can’t do? It seems nothing is impossible, and impossible is nothing for the world’s dominant search engine company, who now want to expand into the world of mobile computing, Internet access and telephony with their own branded phone.

What Next For The Google Phone?
VoIP News, CA - Mar 16, 2007

The past two days have seen literally hundreds of rumors swirling about a proposed 'Google Phone' with hypesters seeking to make it out to be a competitor to Apple's iPhone and detractors poo-pooing the very notion.

The rumors were kicked off by an interview with Spanish news site noticias.com where Isabel Aguilera, the top director for Google in Spain and Portugal, said that Google engineers had been working on a mobile phone. The original article is here (in Spanish).

Yahoo preps Chinese version of Flickr
ZDNet - Mar 16, 2007

Yahoo said on Friday that it plans to launch a Chinese-language version of its popular photo-sharing site, Flickr, this year to tap demand from Chinese digital-photo enthusiasts.

The development comes as Sunnyvale, Calif.-headquartered Yahoo tries to localize and expand its services--such as bookmark-sharing site Delicious, Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Groups--that center on user-generated contributions.

Yahoo eyes big picture as Flickr set for new launch
China Daily, China - Mar 17, 2007

Yahoo Inc said yesterday it plans to launch a Chinese-language version of its popular photo-sharing site Flickr.com this year.
The aim is to tap into demand from Chinese digital photo enthusiasts.

The Mad Scramble over VoIP Patents
BusinessWeek - Mar 18, 2007

Anthony Cataldo, chief executive of Internet-calling provider VoIP, Inc. (VOII), closely watched the recent patent dispute between Verizon Communications (VZ) and Vonage Holdings (VG). Upon learning of the Mar. 8 decision by a jury that Vonage infringed on Verizon patents, Cataldo asked lawyers to start proceedings against companies that he says are using his company's technology. "You are going to see a lot of demand letters going out from us," he says.

The VoIP Week in Review
TMC Net, CT - Mar 16, 2007

Welcome to another edition of TMCnet’s VoIP Week in Review. This week, the VoIP industry continued to focus on the “fallout” from last week’s Verizon vs. Vonage (News - Alert) VoIP Patent infringement case. As I’m sure you already know, an eight-member jury decided in federal court last week that Vonage must pay Verizon $58 million in past damages for infringing on several of its patents related to VoIP technology. The jury also declared that Vonage must pay a 5.5 percent royalty rate on any sales going forward. While still a far cry from the $197 million in damages sought by Verizon, Vonage shareholders saw the company’s stock price slip during the past week - so there is very real damage here beyond just the monetary settlement. Last Friday, Vonage issued a statement architected to quell investor jitter (pun intended), stating that it is “not going out of business” and furthermore that customers will not see any changes in their phone service.

Ballmer On Google: Same FUD, Different Day
InformationWeek, NY - Mar 17, 2007

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer yesterday bad-mouthed Google for being successful at only one business (even though it's a business Microsoft has been trying unsuccessfully to break into). But the target doesn't matter. It could have been Linux. Or Apple. I'm just worn out by the repetition. Ballmer's trash-talking is a tired routine. He needs to get a new act.

For a couple of years now Microsoft has been trying to figure out how Google does it -- how the world's premiere search company provides Web-based services and makes its money by selling advertising. Google has done extremely well at both, and its success has made it the darling of Wall Street.

Ballmer Questions Google Business Strategy
PC World - Mar 16, 2007

Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer criticized rival Google Inc., saying it is devoted primarily to ad-supported search while Microsoft has reinvented itself many times over.

In a presentation Thursday at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, Ballmer said a truly entrepreneurial company invents something, builds a business around it and then starts the cycle again. But Google hasn't yet emerged beyond ad-supported search, he said.

Red Hat Launches Open-Source Exchange

2007-03-16T14:39:00.000+08:00

16 March 2007

Red Hat Launches Open-Source Exchange
BusinessWeek - 21 hours ago

Ever since its launch in 1993, Red Hat (RHAT) has kept a laser-like focus on one thing: creating software capable of competing with tech giants Microsoft (MSFT) and Sun Microsystems (SUNW). In fact, the No. 1 distributor of Linux—the operating system for PCs and server computers—has done quite well for itself. Red Hat's revenues for the year ended Feb. 28 are expected to top $400 million, up 40% from fiscal 2006. And the Raleigh (N.C.) company just introduced the first new version of its flagship product in two years, which is expected to stir a fresh wave of growth.

Red Hat Makes Virtualization Push In Enterprise Linux
InformationWeek, NY - Mar 14, 2007

Red Hat on Wednesday introduced the latest version of its Enterprise Linux platform, adding technology that reflects a major push on the part of the open-source vendor into virtualization.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 incorporates Xen virtualization software, which has been integrated with the Linux kernel. Red Hat has been working on Xen for the last two years with IBM and the development community of the open-source technology.

Microsoft: 'financial incentives' for Live Search data
InfoWorld, CA - 50 minutes ago

In an apparent attempt to boost its disappointing Web search market share, Microsoft is giving financial incentives to large enterprise customers whose employees use Microsoft's Live Search engine.
All Lenovo computers worldwide will soon come bundled with Microsoft's Windows Live software, the companies announced Wednesday.

Lenovo loads up on Windows Live Search
ZDNet - Mar 14, 2007
By April, the Windows Live Search portal will be the default Web search service of Lenovo PCs. Installed browsers will also include the Windows Live Toolbar, which uses the Live Search engine, the companies said.

Campaigner vows to "Make Spammers Pay!"
Reuters.uk, UK - 9 hours ago
LONDON (Reuters) - An Internet consultant who won damages in a Scottish court after he received a single unwanted e-mail has launched a campaign to help people tackle "spammers".
Gordon Dick, 30, has set up a Web site with the motto "Make the Spammers Pay!" that tells people how to take legal action against those who send unsolicited e-mail.

Court winner launches anti-spam campaign
iT News, Australia - 3 hours ago

A man who won £750 ($1,840) in compensation from a UK firm after receiving a single spam email has set up Scotchspam.com to help other internet users bring spammers to court.

Edinburgh's Sheriff Court ordered Transcom Internet Services to pay a total of £1,369 ($3,360) including costs to 30 year-old Gordon Dick.

"If you are fed up with increasing amounts of spam email in your mailbox then make a legal claim now and make the spammers pay for their actions," Dick states on his website

Voice SMS Patent Granted to Kirusa
TMC Net, CT - 11 hours ago

Imagine being able to use your voice to enhance the way SMS messaging has worked in the past on your mobile device. Well this is what Voice SMS technology from Kirusa will bring to subscribers.

The company's move to provide functionality beyond what text SMS capabilities offer is now backed by a patent, the company announced today.

Google Aims to Bolster Privacy of Web Surfer Data

2007-03-15T15:35:00.000+08:00

15 March 2007

Google Aims to Bolster Privacy of Web Surfer Data
PC Magazine – Mar 14, 2007

Google Inc., faced with a mountain of data on its users' Web search habits, is taking steps to bolster consumer privacy protections in coming months, the company said late on Wednesday.

The world's leading provider of Web search said it is taking steps to anonymize, or obscure details, after 18 to 24 months on the surfing habits of tens of millions of Web users that could potentially be used to identify individuals.

Google adding search privacy protections
ZDNet – Mar 14, 2007

Google is changing its data retention practices to make it harder to identify the specific computers used in searches.
Google's servers log information every time someone conducts a Web search, keeping data such as the keywords used, the Internet Protocol address or unique number assigned to that person's computer, and information from Web cookies, which are small bits of data exchanged between a server and a Web browser each time the browser accesses the server. Cookies are used to authenticate the user and maintain information such as the user's site preferences.

A la Mobile platform supports dual-mode phones
InfoWorld, CA - 6 hours ago

Linux-based mobile phone software package makes convergence and integration on mobile devices a much simpler process.A la Mobile is hoping to help fuel the supply of converged Wi-Fi and GSM phones with a new version of its Linux-based mobile phone software package.

VoIP Linux Stack for Dual-Mode Phones
Cellular-News, UK – Mar 14, 2007

The Linux mobile phone systems supplier, a la Mobile has announced the immediate availability of a complete Voice over IP (VoIP) Linux system stack for WiFi/GSM dual-mode phones. Designed for market entry readiness, it is the first of the company's new Made-Ready Series of Linux software offerings tuned for mobile phones.

Skype Launches Foray Into Online Communities
TMCnet – Mar 14, 2007

Seeking to broaden its reach beyond broadband voice, Skype (News - Alert) has announced online software that enables users to share knowledge with one another.
The programs, designed to run under Skype 3.1 for Windows, include SkypeFind and Skype Prime. According to Skype, the programs will enable its users to go beyond simple voice and video calls into markets where access to expertise and knowledge are essential.

Skype Goes Beyond Voice and Introduces SkypeFind and Beta Version ...
Business Wire (press release), CA – Mar 14, 2007

Skype today announced Skype™ 3.1 for Windows, introducing SkypeFindTM and Skype PrimeTM (Beta), giving people new ways to share knowledge with one another. These new additions take Skype beyond simple voice and video calls into new markets where access to expertise and knowledge are essential commodities.

Broadband subsidy cut-backs guarantee intense competition
Computerworld Australia, Australia – Mar 15, 2007

Broadband subsidy cut-backs guarantee intense competition
ISPs forced into the commercial battlefield
Koala Telecom today declared it has not received one red cent from the government's Broadband Connect program proudly stating that it is business as usual at the Adelaide-based Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Effective spam-blocking can save $$ millions

2007-03-14T14:30:00.000+08:00

14 March 2007

Effective spam-blocking can save $$ millionsARNnet, Australia - By David Frost, CEO PR Deadlines Pty Ltd

Image spam, botnets, attacks by fast-evolving Trojans that are followed so closely by waves of spam that these elude Web defences before the anti-virus vendors have time to issue fixes for the Trojans… These are all current news items.

Stories about spam-borne threats to email users have a common thread – malware eludes the filters used by almost all data security vendors.

Stonewalled by spamITWorld Canada, Canada – March 13, 2007

For a long time now it's been a tough slog for anti-spam software companies, whose offerings never seem to have the impact they should.

Some low-technology workaround is developed that soon enough licks whatever protective shield vendors try to put in place – and spam continues unimpeded until the next "dream" product is announced and the cycle starts all over again.

China To Tighten Internet ControlAll Headline News – March 13, 2007
State press reports that China will be drafting new regulations to impose stricter control on Internet blogs and webcasts that allow users to bypass government censorship.
"Advanced network technologies such as blogging and webcasting have been mounting new challenges to the government's ability to supervise the Internet," Press and Publication Administration head Long Xinmin said, according to Xinhua news agency.

Chinese Government to tighten control on blogsiTWire, Australia – March 13, 2007

The Chinese Government is to regulate blogs more tightly, a move foreshadowed over six months ago.
The Peoples Daily quotes Long Xinmin, deputy of the Beijing delegation to the National People's Congress and director of the Administration of Press and Publication saying that at present, the Administration of Press and Publication is working with other departments to formulate regulations for the internet. Once decided, these regulations will help monitor online publishing such as web books and newspapers.

Microsoft fixes OneCare, but it's too late for some usersComputerworld, MA – March 13, 2007

Microsoft Corp. quietly deployed a patch to its Windows Live OneCare security suite earlier than expected to fix a bug that has erased some users' e-mail.

"On Sunday, March 11, the Windows Live OneCare team released a new antimalware engine that will fix the issue of OneCare erroneously quarantining certain Outlook .pst or Outlook Express .dbx files when infected files were detected within them," a Microsoft representative confirmed today. "Windows Live OneCare customers whose PCs are connected to the Internet will automatically get this fix."

Microsoft: Sorry for OneCare fiascoZDNet.com.au, Australia – March 14, 2007

Microsoft Australia has apologised to users who have lost their entire Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail archives due to a flaw in Windows Live OneCare.

The product is Microsoft's antivirus and security application for consumers and small businesses which was released locally over a month ago and last June in the US. According to recent postings on Microsoft's OneCare forum, users were complaining that the security suite had been accidently deleting their e-mails.

Dual Mode Handsets for VoIP & PSTN UsersTMCnet – March 13, 2007

Voice over IP (VoIP) is becoming increasingly popular, both with business customers as well as consumers. With each passing day, more and more people are realizing the benefits of VoIP — the cost savings, the features, the flexibility… but mostly the cost savings, at least in the consumer market.

Seagate debuts the world's most secure laptop drive

2007-03-13T12:03:00.000+08:00

13 Mar, 07

Seagate debuts the world's most secure laptop drive
Computerworld, MA - March 12, 2007

Seagate Technologies today announced the availability of the first laptop hard drive with native encryption capabilities, which is aimed at protecting data if a machine is lost or stolen.
Seagate's Momentus 5400 FDE.2 drive, with native 128-bit AES encryption, can also be purchased with Wave Systems Embassy Trust Suite management software from Wave Systems Corp., which will allow IT administrators to manage data encryption, keys and passwords at the enterprise level.

Seagate's encrypted hard drives on route
BusinessWeek – Mar 12, 2007

Seagate Technology LLC, the world's largest hard drive maker, announced Monday the first manufacturer to sell laptop PCs with its new built-in encryption technology.
The hard drives, to be available in laptops made by ASI Computer Technologies, will include a chip that makes it impossible for anyone to read data off the disk, or even boot up a PC, without some form of authentication.

Does Free Domain Registration Promote Malware?
PC World – Mar 12, 2007

Cheap or free registration of new domain names drives the growth in Web sites used for spamming or hosting malicious software, according to research from McAfee.
The study, released Monday, highlights continuing problems concerning how Web sites are registered and the ease with which bad actors can change Web sites to continue online scams

Riskiest web sites are outed
IT Week, UK – Mar 12, 2007

Each month internet users make more than 550 million clicks to risky web sites and even relatively safe domains like Germany (.de) or the UK (.uk) account for millions of risky clicks, according to a survey by McAfee.
McAfee analysed and ranked 265 top-level domains like Japan (.jp), France (.fr) and commercial (.com) based on its web safety tests for spyware, spam, exploits and scams. The report, Mapping the Mal Web, reveals surprisingly large differences in safety from one domain to another.

OneCare users hopping mad at Microsoft over deleted e-mail
Computerworld, MA - March 12, 2007

Users, still angry about Windows Live OneCare's habit of making e-mail disappear, are slamming Microsoft Corp.'s support and claiming that its suggested fix doesn't recover their messages.

Third-party anti-virus products ‘outperform’ Microsoft’s OneCare
ComputerworldUK, UK – Mar 12, 2007

Nearly a year after Microsoft introduced Windows Live OneCare, the company's first foray into the security market is still getting low marks from analysts and users.
A recent report from AV-Comparatives, comparing the antivirus products of various vendors, ranked Microsoft's product at the bottom in terms of detecting potential security threats.
At the same time, users are complaining that OneCare, which includes firewall, antivirus, backup and anti-spyware software, quarantines the entire mail store of their Outlook and Outlook Express programs, making it impossible for them to retrieve e-mail.

Fon lands $13 million more for community Wi-fi
InfoWorld, CA - Mar 9, 2007

Wi-fi startup Fon Technology SL has secured an additional €10 million (US$13.1 million) in funding for its plan to establish a global network of shared hotspots, the company said Friday
The funding came from new and previous investors, which have included Google Inc., Skype Ltd., Index Ventures and Sequoia Capital Operations LLC, Fon said. The new investors were not named. Index and Sequoia invested €18 million in Fon in February 2006.

Microsoft's antivirus deletes users' emails

2007-03-12T14:00:00.001+08:00

12 March 2007

Microsoft's antivirus deletes users' emailsZDNet UK, UK - Mar 9, 2007

Microsoft has admitted that its Live OneCare security suite has been accidentally deleting some users' Outlook and Outlook Express emails.

According to postings on Microsoft's OneCare forum, erasures have been caused when the antivirus programme finds a virus in an email attachment. Instead of then quarantining that single email, users have reported that entire .pst or .dbx files — the personal folder where non-Exchange Server users' messages and other details are kept — have been quarantined or, in some cases, even deleted.

Wikipedia Founder Says Intends to Challenge Google, YahooPC Magazine - Mar 9, 2007

The online collaboration responsible for Wikipedia plans to build a search engine to rival those of Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., the founder of the popular Internet encyclopaedia said on Thursday.
Wikia Inc., the commercial counterpart to the non-profit Wikipedia, is aiming to take as much as 5 percent of the lucrative Internet search market, Jimmy Wales said at a news conference in Tokyo.

Wikia targets Q4 unveiling of open-source search engineComputerworld Australia, Australia – Mar 12, 2007

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is targeting the fourth quarter of this year for the unveiling of an open-source search engine that he hopes could challenge the dominance of market-leaders Google and Yahoo.

WSJ: Google selling, tailoring cable TV adsZDNet - Mar 10, 2007

Google is working with a small broadband provider in Concord, Calif. to tailor cable television ads to specific audiences. In other words, Google is trying to do the same targeting in cable television that it does with keywords.

Google Testing Cable TV Ads -- ReportForbes, NY - Mar 10, 2007

Google is reportedly testing replicating its success in targeted Internet search ads on cable television. The company has started a pilot program in Concord, Calif., with cable provider Astound Broadband, a division of privately held WaveDivision Holdings, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
VoIP Provider Vonage Reassures CustomersTMCnet - Mar 9, 2007

Losing a $58 million patent suit to Verizon has on the surface not rattled Vonage (News - Alert).

The broadband telephone services provider issued a reassuring statement to its customers after the U.S. District Court found the company infringed on three key Verizon (News - Alert) patents. Besides having to pay Verizon for past damages, Vonage is being forced to pay Verizon a 5.5 percent royalty rate on any sales going forward.

VoIP gets more interesting as it becomes more mobile and usefulCRN Australia, Australia – Mar 12, 2007
Avaya, Cisco, and Microsoft showcase products intended to overcome the technology's drawbacks.

While Voice Over IP is making significantinroads into the workplace, quality problems, expensive equipment, integration issues, and limited mobile capabilities have kept some companies from embracing it. Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and Avaya were among the vendors at last week's VoiceCon conference offering products that look ready to overcome those issues.

Google Calls on Gmail Users to Report Spam

2007-03-09T14:05:00.001+08:00

9 March 2007

Google Calls on Gmail Users to Report SpamInformationWeek, NY – Mar 8, 2007

The SEC on Thursday suspended stock trading for 35 companies touted in alleged spam scams. Applauding the move, Google is urging its users to strike their own blow against spammers.
In a blog post today, Google anti-spam engineer Brad Taylor calls upon Gmail users to use the service's "Report Spam" button "early

SEC shuts down trading for 35 companies due to spamComputerworld - Mar 8, 2007

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has suspended trading for 35 companies that allegedly benefited from spam e-mail campaigns to hype their stocks.

Yahoo tests social network component for AnswersComputerworld, MA – March 8, 2007

March 08, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- Yahoo Inc. has started testing a social-network component for Yahoo Answers, a search engine in which people post questions and answers that has become a highly popular service for the Sunnyvale, Calif., company.

On Thursday, Yahoo Answers Network debuted as a beta service designed to let the 90 million users of this question-and-answer search engine create "personal networks" with each other. They can also invite acquaintances who don't use Yahoo Answers to join their network

Yahoo Tests Social Network Component for AnswersPC World – March 8, 2007

Yahoo is testing a social-network component for Yahoo Answers, a search engine in which people post questions and answers that has become a highly popular service for the Sunnyvale, California, company.

Vonage to pay $58 million in Verizon patent caseZDNet – March 8, 2007

Internet phone provider Vonage has been ordered to pay $58 million to Verizon Communications for infringing on three of the company's patents.

Vonage, which provides a service that turns broadband connections into phone lines, was found by a Virginia jury to have infringed patents that cover the technology used to connect these voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) calls to the regular phone network, as well as some features for implementing call-waiting and voice-mail services.

Vonage Ordered to Pay Verizon $58 Million
Forbes, NY – March 8, 2007

Internet phone company Vonage must pay Verizon Communications (nyse: VZ - news - people) $58 million for infringing on three patents that enable the upstart's low-cost telephone service, a jury ruled Thursday.

MessageLabs Service Monitors Email
InformationWeek, NY - March 8, 2007

Two software services help managers monitor and control what confidential, malicious, or inappropriate information and images go in or out of company e-mail.

MessageLabs launched a version update today for software that helps managers control what information flows in and out of company e-mail.

The New York-based messaging security company released V3.0 of its E-mail Content Control and V2.0 of its Email Image Control services

Yahoo to run on millions of Windows Mobile phones

2007-03-08T17:02:00.000+08:00

08 March 2007
Yahoo to run on millions of Windows Mobile phonesZDNet – March 7, 2007
Yahoo has added mobile phones running Microsoft's Windows Mobile software to a growing list of handsets from device makers that feature its services on their phone screens.
Marking progress in its drive to make Web services widely available not just only computers but phones, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company said the Windows Mobile push will expand its base of mobile Internet users by millions.
HTC and Yahoo! Declare Strategic Mobile PartnershipTMCnet - 2 hours ago

High Tech Computer (HTC), a provider of Microsoft (News - Alert) Windows Mobile-based smart devices, and Yahoo! have entered into a new strategic global partnership to preload and distribute Yahoo!'s mobile services on millions of HTC devices.

Public beta due soon for new Microsoft VOIP serverInfoWorld, CA - 13 hours ago

Microsoft will release a public beta of new VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) server software by the end of this month.The software smoothly integrates with legacy phone networks and its Office application suite, the company said.

Microsoft Shifts Into VoIP MarketTMC Net, CT - 2 hours ago

In a move further signaling that VoIP is now serious business, Microsoft (News - Alert) announced at the VoiceCon Spring 2007 conference it would enter the booming VoIP market, and release a public beta of its VoIP server software by the end of March.

Spam victim wins court caseIT Week, UK - 2 hours ago

A man has won damages of £750 from an internet company after he was sent a single unsolicited email.

Gordon Dick, an electronic marketing specialist, launched a civil case against Transcom after it sent him an unwanted email on an address that was known only to one company. His case is the first time a British court has set a level of compensation for spam.

Scottish man gets revenge on spammersUSA Today – March 7, 2007

LONDON — Most people just grumble and hit delete, but when Gordon Dick received a spam message advertising Internet services, he fought back.
The 30-year-old Web marketing specialist from Edinburgh sued the sender, Transcom Internet Services Ltd., in small-claims court. The court ordered the company to pay $1,445 in damages and $1,190 in court costs.

Yahoo gets morale boost from new online ad formulaUSA Today - Mar 6, 2007

Yahoo Inc.'s month-old upgrade to its advertising formula for making money from online search requests so far has done more to lift the Internet powerhouse's morale than its finances, the company's two top executives said Tuesday.

Microsoft chastises Google on copyrights

2007-03-07T14:08:00.000+08:00

07 March 2007

Microsoft chastises Google on copyrightsZDNet - 3 hours ago

Google's narrow view of the protections that copyright law offers creators has famously made enemies of book publishers, news organizations and professional photographers over the last few years.

Now Microsoft, which is increasingly competing with Google in business software and other areas, is piling on its rival as well

Microsoft Attorney Accuses Google of Copyright ViolationsInformationWeek, NY - 4 hours ago

In prepared remarks delivered today at Association of American Publishers annual meeting in New York, Thomas Rubin, associate general counsel for copyright, trademark, and trade secrets at Microsoft, called Google's business model "troubling" and accused Google of violating copyright law.

The Association of American Publishers no doubt welcomed Rubin's remarks, given that the organization sued Google in October 2005 for seeking, as AAP president Patricia Schroeder put it at the time, "to make millions of dollars by freeloading on the talent and property of authors and publishers" through its Book Search project.

My Yahoo upgrade coming soonComputerworld, MA - March 06, 2007

Yahoo Inc.'s My Yahoo service, which lets users aggregate content and services on a single Web page, will soon get a significant upgrade, the company's CEO said Tuesday.
The enhancement to My Yahoo is part of the company's continued emphasis on giving users tools to personalize their Internet experience, said CEO Terry Semel at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference in San Francisco, which was webcast.
Use Skype in your business without risking your PCsiTWire, Australia – March 6, 2007

IW Distribution is selling in Australia and New Zealand a Skype-certified gateway that enables Skype to be used for incoming and outgoing calls over multiple lines via a standard PBX on analogue telephones.

IW Distribution releases a new generation of PBX-to-Skype GatewaysComputerworld, - March 6, 2007

IW Distribution announces the availability in Australia and NZ of new VoSKY Exchange 9040 and 9080 Skype PBX gateways for small and mid-sized businesses

IW Distribution announced the launch of two new PBX-Skype gateway products, the VoSKY Exchange 9040/9080, capable of adding 4 or 8 Skype lines to the PBX with no change in phone or additional equipment

Microsoft Office finds its voiceZDNet – March 07, 2007

After months of anticipation, corporate customers will soon get their hands on a beta version of Microsoft's voice over IP software, an event that marks an important step in the evolution of corporate communications.

Microsoft is staging the long-awaited coming-out party for its IP telephony software with an announcement that the public beta release of Office Communications Server 2007, Microsoft's voice over IP and unified communications server, and Office Communicator 2007, Microsoft's unified communications client, will be available to testers later this month.

MS' Unified Communications Server and Client to Get Public BetaseWeek, MA – March 7, 07

Microsoft will distribute the public beta of its voice over IP and unified communications server, Office Communications Server 2007, and its unified communications client, Office Communicator 2007, to millions of testers later this month.

Microsoft is also, for the first time, making the interoperability specifications for both products available to partners.

Novell delivers Open XML translator for OpenOffice

2007-03-06T14:10:00.000+08:00

06 March 2007

Novell delivers Open XML translator for OpenOfficeComputerworld, MA – Mar 5, 2007

Novell Inc. posted an Open XML translator for the OpenOffice.org productivity suite today, making good on a December 2006 promise to add Microsoft Office 2007 file format capability to the open-source application bundle.

The translator -- which works with both the Linux and Windows versions of OpenOffice.org -- lets users open and save Word 2007's native documents within the open-source suite's word processor application.

Novell makes ODF-OOXML translator availableZDNet – Mar 5, 2007

Novell has released for download an Open XML translator that allows users to open and save Microsoft Office Open XML-formatted word-processing documents in OpenOffice.

Novell officials said late last year that they planned to create a version of OpenOffice that would include Office Open XML (OOXML) file-format compatibility.

Cisco buys another social-networking firmInfoWorld, CA – Mar 5, 2007
Cisco Systems is continuing to buy its way into social networking, acquiring some assets of the company that operates Tribe.net while letting the site remain independent.
Cisco announced Monday it has bought selected assets of Utah Street Networks, a seven-person San Francisco company founded in 2003. It did not acquire Tribe.net, a social-networking site that has been overshadowed by the success of big names such as Friendster, Facebook, and News Corp.'s MySpace. Cisco did not reveal the terms of the deal, which has already been completed, in a statement Monday.

Cisco Buys 'Select' Utah Street AssetsForbes, NY – Mar 5, 2007
Cisco Systems Inc., the world's biggest networking equipment company, said Monday it bought "select assets" of Utah Street Networks Inc., the operator of the social networking site Tribe.net.

Panasonic Releases the Wi-Fi Phone for SkypeTMCnet – Mar 5, 2007
Panasonic has announced the availability of the Panasonic Wi-Fi phone for use with Skype (News - Alert). The KX-WP1050 is an easy to install and use Wi-Fi Panasonic product and is one in a series of planned products that are Skype Certified.

Microsoft's OneCare Finishes Last in Antivirus TestsPC Magazine – Mar 5, 2007
A well-regarded antivirus testing laboratory has released its latest quarterly results, and placed Microsoft's OneCare antivirus solution squarely at the bottom of the list
In each of three categories – viruses, macros, worms and scripts; backdoors, trojans, and other malware; and a third category, combining the results of the first two – OneCare received the worst score out of seventeen products tested, according to AV-Comparatives.org, a group of IT graduate students who have published formal analyses of antivirus tools since Feb. 2004. The effort is led by Andreas Clementi, the project tester and a graduate student at the University of Innsbruck.

Last place: Don't use Microsoft OneCare for antivirusiTWire, Australia - Mar 5, 2007
Microsoft says they’ve put security first in Vista and have even brought their own Internet Security and antivirus software to market. So why then in new tests by AV Comparatives has Microsoft come last?
When Microsoft launched their anti-virus and Internet Security product OneCare, rival companies were concerned that Microsoft was trying to muscle in on their market. But if the results of both a new test by research firm AV Comparatives and previous tests that ranked Windows Defender relatively lowly are anything to go by, rival security companies such as Symantec, McAfee, Trend, F-Secure, ZoneAlarm, Kaspersky and others have nothing to worry about – or at least, not yet.

Google warns of Microsoft, Yahoo competition

2007-03-05T16:22:00.000+08:00

05 March 2007

Google warns of Microsoft, Yahoo competitionZDNet - 15 hours ago
Google is warning shareholders of the “formidable competition” it faces from both Microsoft and Yahoo.
Google considers Microsoft and Yahoo to be its primary competitors, acknowledging in particular that their Internet portals may have a greater ability to attract and retain users than Google does.
Analysts: Outlook grim for Microsoft online businessInfoWorld, CA - Mar 2, 2007

Despite its CEO's claims that Microsoft eventually will trump Google to be number one in online search revenue, the company's online business is "massively underperforming" against the competition, according to a leading financial analyst.

On a conference call Friday, Heather Bellini, an analyst with UBS Investment Research, said Microsoft is actually losing ground against competitors Google and Yahoo in online search revenue and the frequency of search queries that leverage its Windows Live Search engine.

FCC: Local telephone carriers must connect to VOIPInfoWorld, CA - Mar 2, 2007

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has ruled that incumbent local exchange carriers must connect to VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) services, overruling two state public service commission opinions.

The FCC on Thursday granted a petition from Time Warner Cable Inc., which had complained that the South Carolina and Nebraska public service commissions had allowed rural local exchange carriers to refuse access to wholesale telecom vendors connecting to Time Warner's VoIP service.

FCC Orders 'You Will Connect VoIP'VoIP - 05 March 2007

In a ruling that overturns two state directives, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that rural carriers must connect VoIP services.
Following a petition submitted by Time Warner Cable in response to rulings in South Carolina and Nebraska that local exchange carriers could refuse to allow access to their networks on the basis that VoIP was not a "telecommunications service". The petition was submitted almost a year ago.
IBM teams up with Google over gadgetsUSA Today - Mar 3, 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 announced a partnership that will allow business users to access Google gadgets from IBM's WebSphere Portal software.

IBM and Google collaborate on mash-upsComputerworld – Mar 5, 2007

IBM's WebSphere Portal users are about to find a brand new bag of tricks on their doorstep. Next month, the WebSphere Portal catalog will include Google Gadgets, which means portal page designers and portal dwellers will have access to utilities that provide links to research databases, package delivery tracking tools, Google Maps utilities, traffic information, and applications such as Google Docs & Spreadsheets.

Google's 2nd attempt to buy Chinese Gmail domain name gets no responseEarthtimes.org - Mar 2, 2007

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA: Internet business giant Google is finding the Chinese namesake of its Gmail service playing hard-to-get. According to one report, the US company approached Beijing-based ISM Internet Technology Development Co. Ltd., the firm behind the Chinese email service, with an offer to acquire the Gmail.cn domain name. But ISM offered no comment saying it did not understand the situation clearly.

Does it matter if Google can't have Gmail.cn?Cnet Asia, CA - Mar 3, 2007

A few days ago Reuters published an article about Google's attempts to buy the Gmail.cn domain from a Chinese company. It seems Google has been frustrated in its attempts to get its hands on the domain, which was first registered back in 2003, before Google announced Gmail, by a Chinese domain registrar called ISM Technologies. Naturally enough, ISM runs a Webmail service on the domain. It even uses a multicolored logo that, while not a direct ripoff of the Gmail logo, is certainly suggestive. But this isn't a new story.

Report: Spam Levels Rise For Fifth Month In A Row

2007-03-02T16:54:00.000+08:00

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

2007-03-01T14:00:00.000+08:00

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

2007-02-28T12:50:00.001+08:00

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

2007-02-27T11:59:00.000+08:00

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

2007-02-26T12:24:00.000+08:00

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.

No Holiday for China's Spam Fighters

2007-02-23T11:34:00.000+08:00

23 February 2007

No Holiday for China's Spam FightersMSNBC - Feb 22, 2007

And that is the original sin from which the other problems arise, according to spam expert Suresh Ramasubramanian, head of anti-spam operations for Hong Kong-based e-mail provider Outblaze. Chinese PCs and servers running on fake software are tempting targets for would-be fraudsters searching for security weak spots worldwide that they can exploit remotely. "You have a bunch of pirated software with no anti-virus [applications] installed," he says. "That makes for a very dangerous combination."

Google sees video anti-piracy tools as priorityComputerworld, MA – Feb 22, 2007

February 22, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Google Inc., racing to head off a media industry backlash over its video Web site YouTube, will soon offer antipiracy technologies to help all copyright holders thwart unauthorized video sharing, its chief executive said yesterday.

"We are definitely committed to [offering copyright protection technologies]. It is one of the company's highest priorities," said Google CEO Eric Schmidt in an interview.

Google Sees Video Anti-Piracy Tools As PriorityInformationWeek, NY - Feb 22, 2007

To head off a media industry backlash against YouTube, Google will implement anti-piracy measures to thwart unauthorized video sharing.
SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc., racing to head off a media industry backlash over its video Web site YouTube, will soon offer anti-piracy technologies to help all copyright holders thwart unauthorized video sharing, its chief executive said Wednesday.

Google Continues To Gain Search Market ShareInformationWeek, NY - Feb 22, 2007

Google gained U.S. search market share again in January, capturing 47.5% of search queries, according to Internet metrics firm comScore Networks. That represents a 0.2 percentage point increase from the previous month.

Search scorecard: Google dominates, MSN up, Ask downZDNet - Feb 21, 2007

For those of you keeping score at home Google's search market share continues to be dominant but the share gains appear to be slowing. MSN is creeping up and Ask is off the pace a bit.

Vendor study: 90% of e-mails will be spam by year's endComputerworld, MA - February 22, 2007

Up to 90% of all e-mails will be spam by the end of this year, according to research released yesterday.

Security vendor Marshal Ltd.'s Threat Research and Content Engineering (TRACE) team monitored spam traffic from spots located across 18 countries and recorded a 30% increase over the past week, which smashed global record levels.

Spam reaches an all-time highPC World Canada, Canada - February 22, 2007

Up to 90 percent of all e-mails will be spam by the end of this year, according to research released Wednesday.Security vendor Marshal Ltd.'s Threat Research and Content Engineering (TRACE) team monitored spam traffic from spots located across 18 countries and recorded a 30 percent increase over the last week, which smashed global record levels.

Google sees video anti-piracy tools as priorityComputerworld, MA - 9 hours ago

February 22, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Google Inc., racing to head off a media industry backlash over its video Web site YouTube, will soon offer antipiracy technologies to help all copyright holders thwart unauthorized video sharing, its chief executive said yesterday.

"We are definitely committed to [offering copyright protection technologies]. It is one of the company's highest priorities," said Google CEO Eric Schmidt in an interview

Google Targets Microsoft With Launch Of Business Applications

2007-02-22T15:12:00.000+08:00

22 February 2007

Google Targets Microsoft With Launch Of Business ApplicationsInformationWeek, NY – Feb 21, 2006

The search engine giant adopts a subscription model with its corporate software bundle to counter Microsoft Office and Windows Live.
Having won over millions of consumers with its online search and productivity tools, Google is now looking to displace Microsoft as the desktop application provider of choice in corporate America by offering a range of low-cost, zero maintenance software that office workers can access through the Internet

A Google Package Challenges MicrosoftNew York Times, NY – Feb 21 , 2006

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 21 — Google is taking aim at one of Microsoft’s most lucrative franchises.
On Thursday, Google, the Internet search giant, will unveil a package of communications and productivity software aimed at businesses, which overwhelmingly rely on Microsoft products for those functions.

AMD speeds up and cools down desktop processorsComputerworld, MA - Feb 20, 2007

February 20, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has pumped up the performance of its Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor and cooled down two single-core Athlon 64 processors.

The top-of-the-range AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor is now the 6000+, with a clock speed of 3 GHz and 2MB L2 cache. It sells for $464 in quantities of 1,000 or more. The previous fastest model, the 5600+ with a clock speed of 2.8 GHz, now sells for $326 in quantities of 1,000 or more.

AMD's CPUs OMG LOL IMHO (and pie HOWTO)Computerworld, MA - 18 hours ago.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has pumped up the performance of its Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor and cooled down two single-core Athlon 64 processors. The top-of-the-range AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor is now the 6000+, with a clock speed of 3 GHz and 2MB L2 cache ... There's no speed boost for the single-core Athlon 64 processor, but AMD is now manufacturing the 3500+ and 3800+ models using a 65-nanometer production process ... The latest versions consume 45 watts, compared to 62 watts for the previous [90nm] generation ... Two weeks ago, AMD introduced new dual-core Opteron processors for servers that are either faster or consume less power than previous chips.

Serious flaw in Google Desktop gets fixCNET News.com, CA - Feb 21, 2007

Several flaws in the popular Google Desktop software could open PCs up to intruders and possible data theft, a security company has warned.
The search giant has released patches for the issues, which were reported by Watchfire in a paper published Wednesday (PDF and demonstration). One of the problems is a cross-site scripting flaw that could let an outsider look through files on a compromised machine.

Big patch for big hole in Google DesktopComputerworld, MA – Feb 21, 2007
February 21, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Google Inc. has closed a potentially major cross-site scripting vulnerability in its Google Desktop software that could have allowed remote attackers to take control of a victim's computer and its contents.

Google Desktop allows users to search and index the contents of their PCs in the same way that Google.com does on the Web. The flaw was discovered by Waltham, Mass.-based Web application security vendor Watchfire Inc. and reported to Google on Jan 4.

AOL Tacks Ad to Bottom of E-Mail
The Associated Press February 21, 2007

Short text advertisements touting AOL products and services are now being tacked to the bottom of e-mail messages sent from some AOL accounts.

The change, which began Tuesday, affects e-mails sent from AOL accounts using the internet provider's AOL 9.0 software, which is available to AOL's 13 million paid subscribers and others who have downloaded the program.

AOL Tacks Ads on E-MailPC World – Feb 21, 2007

If you pay an ISP for an e-mail account, is it reasonable for the company to tack ads onto the bottom of your e-mails a la free Webmail providers such as Yahoo Mail? Most of us, I'm guessing, would not have to give that question much thought before answering "No way!"
But not, apparently, AOL.

Viacom in Licensing Deal With Joost

2007-02-21T15:42:00.000+08:00

21 February 2007

Viacom in Licensing Deal With JoostForbes, NY - 3 hours ago

Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. agreed Tuesday to license television shows and movies to Joost, the new online video distribution channel launched by the founders of Kazaa and Skype.

Cold to Google, Viacom partners with JoostiT News, Australia - 3 hours ago
Joost, a downloadable video playback application, uses peer-to-peer technology to distribute video files in a secure environment.

Viacom today announced a content distribution partnership with Internet TV startup Joost, just weeks after the media giant's relationship with Google fell apart.

Cisco says 77 of its routers open to 'drive-by pharming'Computerworld, MA - 4 hours ago
February 20, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Cisco Systems Inc. is warning users that nearly 80 of its routers are vulnerable to a hack tactic that got play last week.

Dubbed "drive-by pharming" by Symantec Corp. and university researchers who first publicized the danger in a paper, the attack involves luring users to malicious sites where a device's default password is used to redirect them to bogus sites. Once they are at those sites, their identities could be stolen or malware could be force-fed to their computers.

Millions Vulnerable to New Hack AttackSci-Tech Today - Feb 19, 2007
Drive-by pharming is dangerous not only because it directs users to malicious sites, but also because an attacker can permanently change router settings, exposing unwitting victims to ongoing attacks. Symantec recommends that users change their /default router passwords and employ a multilayered security strategy.

Service Pack 2 for SQL Server arrivesCNET News.com, CA - 8 hours ago
Microsoft has released a second free service pack for its popular SQL Server 2005 database application.

SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2--a large, recommended bundle of tweaks--aims to make the database software compatible with Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system and Office 2007 suite. The update, released Monday, also adds a number of data compression, manageability and interoperability enhancements.

SP2 for SQL Server arrivesZDNet - 9 hours ago

Microsoft has released a second free service pack for its popular SQL Server 2005 database application.

SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2--a large, recommended bundle of tweaks--aims to make the database software compatible with Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system and Office 2007 suite. The update, released Monday, also adds a number of data compression, manageability and interoperability enhancements.

Webmail.us Launches Two SolutionsWeb Host Industry Review - Feb 19, 2007

February 19, 2007 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Email hosting email provider Webmail.us (webmail.us) announced on Friday that it has added two new solutions: Bcc Archiving in the control panel and Webmail 6.2.

Bcc Archiving in the control panel, offered to new small business customers who sign-up online, enables email administrators to archive all incoming and outgoing emails for specific domains and email accounts by routing all messages to a specified email account.

Adobe Ships Photoshop LightroomPC World - Feb 19, 2007

Adobe has released the first commercial version of its Photoshop Lightroom photographic software.

The software costs initially $199 in the U.S., rising to $299 after April 30. Adobe has said that Lightroom will not be included in the current or next versions of the Creative Suite.

Adobe Lightroom 1.0 out of darkroom at lastiTWire, Australia - 15 hours ago

Not to be outdone by Apple’s Aperture software for Macs, Adobe’s new Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 has been processed, developed and is ready for pickup!

Need more photo management grunt than iPhoto can deliver? Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom is for you, enabling photographers to import, select, develop and present large volumes of digital photographs, with the express aim of letting photographers spend less time sorting and organizing images so they can spend more time what they love doing most – taking photos.

Hack lets intruders sneak into home routers

2007-02-16T12:39:00.000+08:00

16 February 2007

Hack lets intruders sneak into home routersZDNet - February 15, 2007, 3:33 PM PT
If you haven't changed the default password on your home router, let this recent threat serve as a reminder.
Attackers could change the configuration of home routers using JavaScript code, security researchers at Indiana University and Symantec have discovered. The researchers first published their work in December, but Symantec publicized the findings on Thursday.

Web attack could hit home routersInfoWorld, CA - - February 15, 2007
If you haven't changed the default password on your home router, do so now. That's what researchers at Symantec and Indiana University are saying, after publishing the results of tests that show how attackers could take over your home router using malicious JavaScript code.

MySpace adopts system to block pirated videoComputerworld, MA - Feb 13, 2007
The rabidly popular MySpace social network on Monday launched a pilot program to prevent its users from uploading unauthorized copyrighted video material to the site.
The MySpace video-filtering system, based on fingerprinting technology from Audible Magic Corp., screens video clips posted to the site by its members and blocks those uploaded without permission from the copyright owner.

MySpace Cracks Down on Video PiracyCIO Today, CA - 21 hours
In an attempt to thwart digital piracy on social networks, MySpace is experimenting with a new pilot program to block videos that contain unauthorized copyrighted content.
The Fox Interactive Media property is licensing digital-fingerprinting technology from Audible Magic and will use it to screen videos that social networkers upload to the site. The filter will block any video that matches a digital fingerprint in the MySpace database.

Scientists dubious of quantum computer claimsCNN – Feb 15, 2007

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (AP) -- Quantum computing is such an elusive goal that even the company claiming to have the "world's first commercial quantum computer" acknowledged it isn't entirely sure the machine is performing true quantum calculations.

And independent quantum computing researchers said they are dubious of some of the claims made by D-Wave Systems Inc. because the privately held Canadian company has not yet submitted its findings for peer review, a standard step for gaining acceptance in scientific circles
Scientists dubious of quantum claimsBusinessWeek - Feb 14, 2007

Quantum computing is such an elusive goal that even the company claiming to have the "world's first commercial quantum computer" acknowledged it isn't entirely sure the machine is performing true quantum calculations.

Aguse.net Arms Internet Users to Combat Questionable URLs and Spam ...Thursday February 15, 8:20 pm ET
TOKYO, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Vmall Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, launches an English beta version of aguse.net, a Japan based website designed to aid Internet users with the power of information gained from simply inputting either an URL of a website or Internet headers from Spam/virus email. Aguse.net is a free service that allows Internet users to arm themselves with information from sources that may be a nuisance.

USA.NET, Inc. Named 'Top Player' in Rapidly Growing Hosted Email ...Earthtimes.org - 9 hours

DENVER, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- USA.NET, Inc., the recognized leader in outsourced electronic messaging (eMessaging) services, was cited as the Top Player in the "Hosted E-mail Market 2006 Market Quadrant" report by The Radicati Group, Inc.
USA.NET was recognized as the industry leader by The Radicati Group for its global presence, professional services for implementation and training, and full suite of services including Hosted Microsoft(R) Exchange, its proprietary hosted email, wireless services, encryption, and more.

IBM Eyes Denser Memory As Way To Boost Microprocessor Performance

2007-02-15T18:47:00.000+08:00

Feb 15, 2007

IBM Eyes Denser Memory As Way To Boost Microprocessor Performance
InformationWeek, NY – Feb 14, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — IBM Corp. will detail a method for tripling the amount of memory on a microprocessor, potentially doubling its performance. By combining techniques in process and circuit design, IBM believes it can put as much as 48 Mbytes of fast DRAM on a reasonably sized CPU when its 45nm technology becomes available in 2008.

IBM to double performance of its chipsInfoWorld, CA - Feb 14, 2007

In an upgrade that could improve chip performance for gamers and multimedia users, IBM plans to double the performance of its microprocessors in 2008 by using smaller, more efficient memory, according to a paper presented at the ISSCC (International Solid State Circuits Conference) trade show in San Francisco Wednesday.

Belgian Court Deals Google a BombshellBusinessWeek - 14 hours ago

It has all the makings of an epic David vs. Goliath battle: A band of scrappy Belgian publishers, citing copyright infringement, have taken on Google and emerged victorious. On Feb. 13, a Belgian court said the search giant could not reproduce certain copyrighted titles and summaries on its Belgian Google news or Google.be Web site. What's more, the Mountain View (Calif.) company must pay €25,000 a day ($32,500) until it removes all related content. Google says it will appeal.

Google suffers blow in Belgian copyright caseZDNet UK, UK - Feb 14, 2007

A ruling against Google in a copyright case in Belgium may influence courts in other European countries, but not the US where laws are more permissible, copyright lawyers said on Tuesday.

Intel to Stay with Wi-Fi in New CentrinoPC World – Feb 15, 2007

Just weeks before launching its new Centrino notebook platform, Intel said today it had cancelled plans to provide wireless access with an HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) module built by Nokia.

Instead, the next-generation Centrino Duo platform, code-named "Santa Rosa," will rely solely on Wi-Fi technology to give mobile PC users wireless Internet access. Intel plans to launch the platform in the second quarter of 2007.

Intel to launch new Centrino platform without HSDPAInfoWorld, CA - 14 hours ago

Just weeks before launching its new Centrino notebook platform, Intel said Wednesday it had cancelled plans to provide wireless access with an HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) module built by Nokia.
Instead, the next-generation Centrino Duo platform, code-named "Santa Rosa," will rely solely on Wi-Fi technology to give mobile PC users wireless Internet access. Intel plans to launch the platform in the second quarter of 2007.

Intel's 80-core musclechip (and TRUE/FALSE/MAYBE)

2007-02-14T18:54:00.000+08:00

14 February 2007

Intel's 80-core musclechip (and TRUE/FALSE/MAYBE)Computerworld, MA - Feb 12, 2007
Faster than a speeding IT Blogwatch: in which Intel crows about its new 80-core CPU prototype. Not to mention a new Boolean constant...

Ben Ames reports:
Following their march from standard processors to dual-core and quad-core designs in 2006, Intel Corp. researchers have built an 80-core chip that performs more than a trillion floating-point operations per second (TFLOPS) while using less electricity than a modern desktop PC chip ... 80 cores [on] a 275-square-millimeter, fingernail-size chip ... Intel ... [is] using the chip to explore new forms of tera-scale computing, in which future users could process terabytes of data on their desktops to perform real-time speech recognition, conduct multimedia data mining, play photorealistic games and interact with artificial intelligence.

Intel Prototype May Herald a New Age of ProcessingNew York Times, NY - Feb 12, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11 — Intel will demonstrate on Monday an experimental computer chip with 80 separate processing engines, or cores, that company executives say provides a model for commercial chips that will be used widely in standard desktop, laptop and server computers within five years.

AMD licenses graphics technology for mobile devicesInfoWorld, CA - 20 hours ago

Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday made its graphics technology available for licensing by handheld device makers, and announced plans to step up its development of graphics technology for mobile applications.

AMD Launches Three Chips For Mobile DevicesInformationWeek, NY - Feb 12, 2007

Advanced Micro Devices on Monday unveiled three microprocessors for mobile devices focused on video, audio, and high-resolution photos.
The AMD Imageon 2298, 2294, and 2192 media processors can support camera functions up to 12 megapixels, and DVD-quality video playback and recording, the Sunnyvale, Calif., chipmaker said. The chips also support TV output, video telephony, and other functions.

Microsoft, Novell Detail Their Linux-Windows RoadmapInformationWeek, NY - 13 February 2007

Three months after they first announced their intention to jointly develop enterprise solutions that combine Windows and Linux, Microsoft and Novell released details about specific projects they plan to tackle.

The companies said they will focus their joint efforts on building more efficient, cost-effective products for facilitating server virtualization, Web services implementations, directory and identity interoperability, and document format compatibility
Microsoft/Novell to allow reciprocal virtualizationInfoWorld, CA - 13 February 2007

The latest from the MS/Novell deal is that Windows Server will allow SUSE Linux to run virtualized. More importantly, Microsoft will allow SUSE to host Windows as a paravirtualized guest on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10, using the Xen virtualization technology embedded in the Linux operating system.

One interesting fact is that Microsoft licensing terms forbid Vista to be run in virtual instances. I wonder if they will allow it run under SUSE now that this deal has been struck?

Google, Vodafone to develop mapsBusinessWeek - Feb 12, 2007.

Vodafone Group PLC, the world's largest mobile phone network operator, said Monday it agreed with Google to develop maps for mobile telephones.

The company said it will, in conjunction with Google Maps, provide easy-to-use maps and local listings, as well as local search and navigation capabilities.

Google, Vodafone Agree to Develop MapsForbes, NY - Feb 12, 2007
Vodafone Group PLC, the world's largest mobile phone network operator, said Monday it agreed with Internet search leader Google Inc. to develop maps for mobile telephones.

Vodafone (nyse: VOD - news - people ) said it will, in conjunction with Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) Maps, provide easy-to-use maps, local listings and search and navigation capabilities.

Nokia hopes to push mobile e-mail in enterprise

2007-02-13T12:28:00.000+08:00

Tuesday, 13 February 2007

Nokia hopes to push mobile e-mail in enterpriseInfoWorld, CA – Feb 12, 2007

Nokia is aiming to boost the use of mobile e-mail in the enterprise with a new release of its Intellisync software and several new handsets aimed at business users.
The new products, announced during the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, may help Nokia better compete with Microsoft, which introduced the latest version of its mobile phone software, Windows Mobile 6.0, at the conference. Windows Mobile 6.0 and Intellisync both enable mobile access to corporate e-mail.

Nokia Unveils 3 New Phones at ConferenceForbes, NY - Feb 12, 2007

Mobile phone maker Nokia Corp. unveiled three new phones Monday, promising that its latest arrivals would let users take advantage of the Internet to accomplish more in their daily lives.

Intel's Teraflops Chip: An Architecture That's 'Outside The Box'InformationWeek, NY - - Feb 12, 2007

The design is likened to a mainframe on a chip, or the equivalent of 80 blade processors plugged into a high-speed backplane.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Research into competing architectures for the multicore processors of the future will take center stage this week when Intel Corp. demonstrates its Teraflop Research Chip—code-named Polaris—at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco.

Intel unveils its 80-core processorZDNet UK, - Feb 12, 2007

Intel has built its 80-core processor as part of a research project, but don't expect to take advantage of it just yet.

Chief technical officer Justin Rattner demonstrated the processor in San Francisco last week for a group of reporters, and the company will present a paper on the project during the International Solid State Circuits Conference in the city this week.

Yahoo Mail gains IM integrationInfoWorld, CA - Feb 13, 2007

Yahoo Inc. will soon start to fulfill a promise it made to users several months ago to tie its new Web mail service with its instant messaging application.
Starting Monday and continuing over the coming months, Yahoo will activate this feature for users of the new version of Yahoo Mail, which is in beta, or test, phase but available to all users of the service.

Yahoo Mail gains IM integrationComputerworld New Zealand, New Zealand –Feb 13, 2007
Yahoo will soon start to fulfill a promise it made to users several months ago to tie its new web mail service with its instant messaging application.
Starting yesterday (Monday) and continuing over the coming months, Yahoo will activate this feature for users of the new version of Yahoo Mail, which is in beta, or test, phase but available to all users of the service

HP unveils smart phone at 3GSMCNET News.com, Feb 12, 2007
Hewlett-Packard will offer its own smart phone with voice command and remote-access features this spring, the company announced Monday.
The iPaq 500 smart phone--unveiled by HP at the 3GSM World Congress 2007 in Barcelona--will run on the new Windows Mobile 6.0 platform and come with voice over Internet Protocol compatibility, push e-mail, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook Mobile.

HP Intros iPAQ Smartphone With VOIP CapabilitiesPC Magazine - 9 hours ago
Hewlett-Packard on Monday introduced a new VOIP-enabled smartphone, the iPAQ 500, with support for Windows Mobile 6.
The 51X (numbered 510 in the US, 512 in Asia and 514 in Europe) is part of HP's strategy to dominate the enterprise space. HP wants to sell complete corporate solutions, including desktops, laptops, servers, and mobile devices.

Intel shows off 80-core processor

2007-02-12T18:09:00.000+08:00

12 February 2007

Intel shows off 80-core processorZDNet – Feb 12, 2007
Intel has built its 80-core processor as part of a research project, but don't expect it to boost your Doom score just yet.

Chief Technical Officer Justin Rattner demonstrated the processor in San Francisco last week for a group of reporters, and the company will present a paper on the project during the International Solid State Circuits Conference in the city this week.

Intel Squeezes Second Round Of Publicity Out Of 80-Core Processor ...InformationWeek, NY - Feb 11, 2007

The chip giant will disclose technical details on its 80-core Teraflops research processor at a chip conference in San Francisco this week.

In a unusual bout of Sunday newsmaking, Intel today issued a press release announcing that its researchers have developed what the chip giant is billing as the world's first programmable processor that delivers supercomputer-like performance from 80-core chip

YouTube coming soon to Vodafone in UKZDNet - Feb 9, 2007.

YouTube will soon be available to Vodafone Group mobile phone users in the U.K.

YouTube Mobile users will be able to view a selection of videos that is updated daily, forward their favorite links to friends, and upload their own videos directly from their phones.

Vodafone launches YouTube mobileInfoWorld, CA - Feb 9, 2007

In the third content deal in as many days, Vodafone Group announced a service that will allow its mobile customers to view and upload videos to YouTube.
The announcement follows others this week from Vodafone with MySpace.com and eBay. The deals point to a growing interest from online content providers to offer their services to mobile customers as well as continued efforts by operators to drive usage of their wireless data networks.

IBM aims to lower cost of using Linux, Apple PCsReuters – Feb 12, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - IBM (IBM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Sunday it will offer an open desktop software system for businesses that puts the cost of managing Apple or Linux computers on a more equal footing with Microsoft's Windows software, improving the economics of Windows alternatives.

IBM Open Client bridges Windows, Linux gapSearch Enterprise Linux – Feb 12, 2007
IBM today announced a suite of productivity tools that runs on all the major desktop operating systems -- Microsoft Windows, Apple, and Red Hat and Novell Linux distributions.
Yahoo to unveil mobile marketing platformBusinessWeek - 1 hour ago

Yahoo Inc. will sell branded advertising aimed at mobile phone customers outside the United States as part of the Internet powerhouse's efforts to build other revenue sources beyond the Web.

Yahoo to Unveil Mobile Marketing PlatformForbes, NY - 1 hour ago

Yahoo Inc. will sell branded advertising aimed at mobile phone customers outside the United States as part of the Internet powerhouse's efforts to build other revenue sources beyond the Web.

Yahoo: Pipe in data, and mash it up

2007-02-09T10:57:00.000+08:00

09 February 2007

Yahoo: Pipe in data, and mash it upZDNet - 09 February 2007
Yahoo wants more mashups.

The Web giant on Wednesday released Yahoo Pipes, a hosted visual-development tool that lets people manipulate data feeds from Web sites to create new applications.

Mashup applications combine data from different Web services; some of the most popular mashups involve taking data from one source, such as real-estate listings, and displaying them on Web-based mapping services.

Yahoo: Pipe in data, then mash it upCNET News.com, CA - 09 February 2007
Yahoo wants more mashups.
The Web giant on Wednesday released Yahoo Pipes, a hosted visual-development tool that lets people manipulate data feeds from Web sites to create new applications.

Mashup applications combine data from different Web services; some of the most popular mashups involve taking data from one source, such as real-estate listings, and displaying them on Web-based mapping services.

Nokia offers free mapping program, phone searchInfoWorld, CA - 09 February 2007
Nokia will give away mapping software to its customers as well as users of Window Mobile devices. Mobile users can download the Smart2go maps that cover 150 countries and include 15 million points of interest, such as restaurants and accommodation. Users can store the map data on a memory card in the handset. The data can be downloaded over the air or via a connection to a PC.

Nokia Releases Free Mapping and Search SoftwarePC Magazine - 09 February 2007
Nokia said on Thursday it will start offering its smart2go mapping and navigation platform free to mobile customers using select Nokia S60 and Windows Mobile 5.0 devices. Smart2go (www.smart2go.com) allows users to map routes in more than 150 countries and is supported for full turn-by-turn satellite navigation in over 30 countries, according to the Finnish mobile phone maker
Microsoft to update Windows for wirelessBusinessWeek - 09 February 2007 REDMOND, Wash.
Microsoft Corp. plans a launch this spring of its next-generation operating system for wireless devices, Windows Mobile 6, which is important for the company's efforts to grab market share beyond the desktop

Microsoft Presents New Windows Mobile VersioneWeek, MA - 9 hours ago

A Microsoft spokesperson has told eWEEK that the company will show its new version of Windows Mobile to the world on Feb. 12 at the 3GSM trade show in Barcelona, Spain.
The new version, Windows Mobile 6, is an upgrade to the popular Windows Mobile 5, now widely used in smart phones, PDAs and some cell phones. The new version adds a number of capabilities not present, or in some cases incomplete, in the earlier version.

Google opens Gmail to allCNET News.com, CA - Feb 7, 2007Google on Wednesday said its Gmail service is now open to anyone who wants an account. Previously the service, which provides users with 2.8GB of e-mail storage space, has been by invitation only.

Google Poised to Open Gmail to AllTechNewsWorld, CA - 08 February 2007

With reportedly tens of millions of users, Gmail still lags far behind Web e-mail giants Microsoft and Yahoo. One reason may be that, until now, users could obtain a Gmail account by invitation only. Though finding an invitation is no longer difficult, Google has promised to soon drop the invitation-only requirement in North America.

Hackers slow Internet root servers with attack

2007-02-08T14:12:00.000+08:00

08 February 2007

Hackers slow Internet root servers with attackComputerworld, MA - 12 hours ago
February 07, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- Online attackers have briefly disrupted service on at least two of the 13 "root" servers that are used to direct traffic on the Internet. The attack, which began Tuesday at about 5:30 a.m. Eastern time, was the most significant attack against the root servers since an October 2002 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, said Ben Petro, senior vice president of services with Internet service provider Neustar Inc. Root servers manage the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS), used to translate Web addresses such as Amazon.com into the numerical Internet Protocol addresses used by machines.

Zombie botnets attack global DNS serversIT Week, UK - 07 Feb 2007
Zombie computers could have brought the web to its knees
Hackers launched a sustained attack last night against key root servers which form the backbone of the internet.Security firm Sophos said that botnets of zombie PCs bombarded the internet's domain name system (DNS) servers with traffic."These zombie computers could have brought the web to its knees," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

Tivo, Amazon unveil download dealInfoWorld, CA - 07 Feb 2007
Owners of Tivo's popular digital video recorders (DVR) will soon be able to download films and television shows for rental and purchase from Amazon.com, the two companies announced Wednesday.

Amazon Thinks Inside TiVo's BoxInformationWeek, NY - 07 Feb 2007
Unbox users will soon be able to rent and purchase movies and television shows for less than Wal-Mart's recently launched service.
The available titles come major film studios and TV networks -- CBS, Fox Entertainment Group, Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment -- rather than, say, two guys with a video camera and more diet cola than they know what to do with

Vodafone Signs Deal With MySpaceForbes, NY - 02.07.07, 1:35 PM ET
Vodafone Group PLC said Wednesday it is the first European cell-phone carrier to sign a deal with networking Web site MySpace, allowing its customers to access and update their MySpace pages from their mobile phone
Vodafone in deal to access MySpace via mobilesZDNet - 07 Feb 2007
British mobile phone company Vodafone Group unveiled a deal with News Corp.'s MySpace on Wednesday that will allow its customers to access the popular Web-based social network using cell phones.
The exclusive deal will help Vodafone, Europe's biggest mobile operator, boost mobile usage and with it data revenue, and also helps MySpace launch itself in the European mobile market.
AMD cranks out new OpteronsZDNet - 07 Feb 2007
Advanced Micro Devices released several new Opteron server processors Wednesday, including new low-power models.
Three low-power Opterons and two processors in the mainstream power category were added to AMD's product list. The low-power chips are said to consume no more than 68 watts, while the mainstream processors consume no more than 95 watts.

AMD Offers Low-Power Opteron ProcessorseWeek- 07 Feb 2007
Continuing its pricing battle with rival Intel, AMD is also offering lower prices for the newest upgrades to its server processors.
Advanced Micro Devices, the world's second-largest maker of PC and server processors, is looking to offer new, lower power-per-watt configurations in its dual-core Opteron server chip line.

Hackers Attack Key Net Traffic Computers

2007-02-07T11:21:00.000+08:00

07 February 2007

Hackers Attack Key Net Traffic Computers
By TED BRIDIS. AP. WASHINGTON (AP) 2/6/2007, 9:19 p.m. ET
Hackers briefly overwhelmed at least three of the 13 computers that help manage global computer traffic Tuesday in one of the most significant attacks against the Internet since 2002.
Key Net servers in suspected attackZDNet - 1 hour ago Feb 07, 2007
There are signs that hackers attacked key parts of the backbone of the Internet on Tuesday, but no damage seems to have been done, experts said. The attack appears to have focused on the Domain Name System, which maps text-based domain names, such as "News.com," to the actual numeric IP addresses of servers connected to the Internet, and vice versa. Several key DNS servers saw traffic spike in the early in the morning on Tuesday, several experts said--a sign of an attack.
HP tries harder to woo Sun customers
February 6, 2007 9:54 AM PST
CNet News.com
Hewlett-Packard on Tuesday unveiled an expanded program to woo Sun server customers using either Sun's Sparc processors or x86 chips from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices.

Sun Teams With Intel, Aims For Broader x86 User BaseComputerworld, MA - February 06, 2007
The IT direction that Canadian insurer Medavie Blue Cross has set for itself illustrates one of the reasons why Sun Microsystems Inc. announced last week that it has agreed to once again sell servers based on Intel chips. When Medavie started running Web applications in 2000, Sun’s UltraSparc-based systems dominated that market, and software vendors were desigining applications specifically for Sun’s Solaris operating system, said Don McPhee, director of technical services at the Moncton, New Brunswick-based insurer.

RSA: New threats could make traditional antivirus tools ineffectiveComputerworld, MA February 06, 2007
An emerging breed of sophisticated malware is raising doubts about the ability of traditional signature-based security software to fend off new viruses and worms, according to experts at this week's RSA security conference here.
New Threats Could Hamper Antivirus ToolsPC World - February 07, 2007
Signature-based technologies are now "crumbling under the pressure of the number of attacks from cybercriminals," said Art Coviello, president of RSA Inc., the security division of EMC Corp. This year alone, about 200,000 virus variants are expected to be released, he said. At the same time, antivirus companies are, on average, at least two months behind in tracking malware. And "static" intrusion-detection systems can intercept only about 70% of new threats.
Microsoft Pledges Support for OpenIDPC World
Microsoft Corp. has thrown its weight behind OpenID, an emerging Web authentication standard.
The announcement was made Tuesday at the RSA Conference in San Francisco during a joint keynote by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie that was long on vision and short on specifics

Microsoft Courts OpenID
By Michael Singer InformationWeek Feb 06, 2007 02:46
Bill Gates touts collaboration with an open source identity framework to augment Microsoft's Windows CardSpace initiative and Web security standards.
Despite recent security improvements to its next generation of software, Microsoft announced plans Tuesday to augment its own identity authentication standards with the OpenID framework.

VMware Reaches Out to SMB Market

2007-02-06T16:23:00.000+08:00

06 February 2007

VMware Reaches Out to SMB MarketInfoWorld, CA - 3 hours agoVMware, well situated at the top of the virtualization mountain with its Fortune 500 customers, is once again extending its hand to the small-to-medium ...

VMware Set for SMB PlayeWeek, MA - Feb 4, 2007By Scott Ferguson. VMware, which has been a leader in virtualization software in the enterprise, is making a bolder move into the small and midsize business ...

Excel under zero-day attack, Microsoft warnsCNET News.com, CA - 16 hours agoSpreadsheet-focused attack affects several versions of company's Office software, including the one for Macs. By Dawn Kawamoto ...

Excel under zero-day attack, Microsoft warnsZDNet Asia, Asia - 6 hours agoBy Dawn Kawamoto, CNET News.com. Microsoft is warning of an Excel-focused zero-day attack that affects several versions of its Office software, ...

Euro Telecoms Mull Mobile Search EngineTechNewsWorld, CA - 10 hours agoBy Walaika Haskins. Several major European telecoms are reportedly in talks to create a new search engine targeted at mobile Internet users. ...

Google and Yahoo May Face Tough Resistance in Mobile SearchTMCnet - 9 hours agoBy Raju Shanbhag. As search engine giants Google and Yahoo prepare to introduce mobile search, a group of major telecom giants, including Vodafone, ...

Company offers Google ad alternativeZDNet Asia, Asia - 5 hours agoBy Elinor Mills, CNET News.com. Fast Search & Transfer unveiled on Monday a platform that will allow media companies, online classifieds and others to serve ...

Company offers Google ad alternativeCNET News.com, CA - 6 hours agoFast AdMomentum lets companies sell and serve up ads on their Web sites--without a middleman. By Elinor Mills. Fast Search & Transfer unveiled on Monday a ...

Novell could be banned from selling Linux

2007-02-05T14:41:00.000+08:00

Novell could be banned from selling Linux InfoWorld, CA - Feb 3, 2007Via Reuters: The Free Software Foundation is reviewing Novell Inc.'s right to sell new versions of Linux operating system software after the open-source ...

FSF says Novell could be banned from selling LinuxCNET News.com, CA - Feb 3, 2007The open-source community criticized Novell for partnering with Microsoft, and now the Free Software Foundation is reviewing Novell's right to sell new ...

Wi-Fi Phone Buyer's GuideCRN, NY - Feb 2, 2007By Peter Jacobson, InformationWeek. The days of trying to make an important call from the bowels of a data center, only to find that your cell phone doesn't ...

Leveling the Playing Field With VoIPE-Commerce Times - 16 hours agoBy Doreen DeRose. It's important to note that system vendors are moving away from traditional phone systems. This means as VoIP technology advances, ...

Google loses European claim to Gmail nameIT Week, UK - Feb 2, 2007Google has lost its claim to register the Gmail trademark throughout Europe, following a court case brought by the German G-mail website. ...

Google loses European claim to Gmail nameiT News, Australia - 4 hours agoBy Matt Chapman, 5 February 2007 10:04 AEST Internet. Google has lost its claim to register the Gmail trademark throughout Europe, following a court case ...

Dutch Man Fined $97000 for 9B SpamForbes, NY - Feb 2, 2007AP 02.02.07, 11:43 AM ET. A spammer whom authorities say e-mailed more than 9 billion unwanted advertisements for products like erection pills faces a hefty ...

Dutch man fined for 9 billion spamMSNBC - Feb 2, 2007AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A spammer whom authorities say e-mailed more than 9 billion unwanted advertisements for products like erection pills faces a hefty ...

South Korean Duo Arrested for 1.6 Billion Spam E-Mails

2007-01-31T18:41:00.000+08:00

1.South Korean Duo Arrested for 1.6 Billion Spam E-Mails
South Korean Duo Arrested for 1.6 Billion Spam E-Mails By Reuters January 30, 2007
SEOUL (Reuters)—Two South Korean computer programmers have been arrested on suspicion of sending out 1.6 billion spam e-mail messages in violation of the country's commerce laws, police said on Tuesday.

2.Police arrest spam pair
PC Pro, UK - 2 hours ago
Two South Korean computer programmers have been arrested on suspicion of sending out 1.6 billion spam e-mail messages in violation of the country's commerce ...
Arrests follow huge illegal spam scam Independent Online
Korean Duo Accused of Sending 1.6 Billion Spam E-Mails FOX News

3.Yahoo sets its sites on 100 top brands
Los Angeles Times, CA - 1 hour ago
Using its vast knowledge of how people use the Internet, Yahoo Inc. knows what's hot. Now the online giant is trying to capitalize on that knowledge by ...
Yahoo plans 100 more Web sites for entertainment CNET News.com

4.Yahoo Planning to Add 100 Web Sites for Entertainment
New York Times, NY - 4 hours ago
30 — Yahoo said Tuesday that it planned to build individual Web sites around 100 entertainment “brands” this year that would pull together content from ...

5.Mobile Gmail: It's better to receive
Daily Breeze, CA - Jan 29, 2007
So I was initially dismissive of the prospects of checking Google Inc.'s Gmail e-mail service on a cell phone. But within hours, Google's new Gmail mobile ...

6.Google’s VOIP Strategy
VoIP News, CA - 14 hours ago
If you have a Gmail account, Google Talk automatically loads your contacts as potential persons to call or IM. In addition, you can save IM chats to your ...
Ones to Watch in the World of VoIP VoIP News

7.Vista Arrives With Limited Fanfare
New York Times, NY - 7 hours ago
That is because customers are shifting from buying programs out of the box to paying for updates online and using free programs like Gmail over the Internet ...

8.Vista hits store shelves, but buyers holding off
Whittier Daily News, CA - 7 hours ago
s long-delayed Windows Vista, but unlike the mad midnight rushes retailers saw with the recently released video game consoles, some stores saw only a ...
A frat party for Vista's debut CNET News.com

Phishing Scam Uses PayPal Secure Servers

2006-06-20T14:47:00.000+08:00

Phishing Scam Uses PayPal Secure Servers

A cross-site scripting flaw in the PayPal Web site allows a new phishing attack to masquerade as a genuine PayPal log-in page with a valid security certificate, according to security researchers.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, June 16 2006

VoIP Will Kill Off Traditional Landlines In Europe: Report

VoIP will kill off the use of traditional landlines in Europe, due to the appeal of new fixed-mobile telephone services, says two new reports by JupiterResearch.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 15 2006

Skype and Vonage: Can You Hear The VoIP Bubble Bursting?

It's looking more and more as if the VoIP hype bubble is going the way of the Internet bubble. Skype, bought for up to $4.1 billion by eBay, is turning out to be a bad investment, and as for the Vonage IPO -- it's more than 40% under its IPO price of a few weeks ago, and heading south.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 16 2006

This Social Networking Site Means Business

Few if any social networking Web sites, and none of the big ones, have yet claimed to make money. But one has come close.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, June 16 2006

Welsh email filterer can use 'spam' in trademark

It has settled an 18-month dispute with US foodstuffer Hormel over the right to use the popular term for unsolicited email in naming its product Botspam. Hormel lawyers discovered they were not as likely to stop NetBop registering the name as they had thought, when Patent Office officials indicated NetBop were likely to win at a preliminary hearing in February.

For more on this:
-read full story from The Register, June 16 2006

Yahoo Mail Worm May Be First Of Many As Ajax Proliferates

Companies are quickly embracing Ajax and related techniques for Web applications. Expect more security problems like the Yamanner worm along the way.

For more on this:
-read full story from TechWeb.com, June 19 2006

EBay links US buyers and sellers via Skype

EBay pressed its bid to bolster trading at its online auction site by announcing on Wednesday that it would enable United States-based buyers to connect with sellers using its internet telephony service Skype.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, June 19 2006

Microsoft Shift Puts Networking Front And Center

Ray Ozzie's new gig as Microsoft Chief Software Architect exemplifies the company's reset course in a Software-as-a-Service world. Ozzie takes on the title from company co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates as part of a two-year transition that will give Gates more time for philanthropic work. Craig Mundie is now chief research and strategy officer. Both Ozzie and Mundie had been chief technology officers.

For more on this:
-read full story from Networkingpipeline.com, June 16 2006

EBay to unveil further Skype tie-ins

2006-06-14T16:24:00.000+08:00

EBay to unveil further Skype tie-ins

Online marketplace eBay Inc. is set to detail on Tuesday how it plans to combine its Skype Web telephone-call service into its core U.S. auction business, executives said on Sunday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 13 2006

Internet pioneers: VOIP wiretapping complicated

U.S. government efforts to require most VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) providers to permit law enforcement agencies to wiretap phone calls could introduce new cybersecurity problems to the Internet, a group of Internet security experts said Tuesday.
For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 13 2006

Major Microsoft Patch Releases Block Infected E-Mail

Network administrators were busy today as Microsoft released its largest collection of security patches in more than a year.The monthly security update includes 21 vulnerabilities on 12 updates, the most since February 2005, said Jonathan Bitle, product manager with Qualys.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, June 13 2006

Yahoo says e-mail worm now contained

Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) said Tuesday it has contained a malicious program aimed at the millions of people who use its e-mail service, which ranks as the world's largest.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, June 13 2006

Wi-Fi Adapter For Smart Phone Paves Way For Mobile VoIP

Wi-Fi capability for smart phones, targeted initially for high-speed data connectivity, is beginning to spur the introduction of VoIP to mobile phone subscribers.

For more on this:
-read full story from TechWeb.com, June 13 2006
Yahoo Mail Worm May Be First Of Many As Ajax Proliferates

The Yamanner worm that infested Yahoo Mail was quickly countered by making a change to the Internet servers that administer Yahoo's popular email program. Nevertheless, over a 36-hour period, the world got a glimpse of what's in store for it unless stricter measures are followed in building Web applications.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, June 13 2006

Residential VoIP To Boom To 44 Million Users: Report

Residential VoIP subscribers will skyrocket from 10.3 million today to 44 million in 2010, according to a new report from market research firm IDC. The report forecasts that VoIP will be used in 62% of broadband households by 2010.

For more on this:
-read full story from Networkingpipeline.com, June 13 2006

MySpace may auction off search business

MySpace, the social networking phenomenon that has become one of the world's most popular Web sites, may "auction off" its search business to a major search engine operator, an executive from its parent company, News Corp., said Tuesday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 12 2006

AOL tests search-enhanced Webmail

2006-06-13T18:02:00.000+08:00

AOL tests search-enhanced Webmail

AOL is now publicly testing an enhanced Webmail service for its subscribers and instant messaging users.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 12 2006

Microsoft: Exchange 2007 tuned for mobile workforce

Microsoft showed off new mobility features on Monday that will be available in Exchange Server 2007, the next version of the company's e-mail and messaging software.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 12 2006

Worm Attacks Yahoo E-Mail

A mass-mail worm that exploits a vulnerability in Yahoo's Web-based e-mail is making the rounds but the impact appears to be low, security vendor Symantec said today.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, June 12 2006

MessageLabs Offers IM Security Software

MessageLabs launched today encrypted IM software, designed for companies that use consumer IM clients for collaboration and document sharing.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, June 12 2006

eBay to Detail Skype Plans On Tuesday

Online marketplace eBay Inc. is set to detail on Tuesday how it plans to combine its Skype Web telephone-call service into its core U.S. auction business, executives said on Sunday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, June 12 2006

Japanese watches to carry mobile phone messages

Data-flashing mobile telephones may have lessened the need to wear watches, but a Japanese firm is hitting back, creating a wristwatch for the technophile on the move.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, June 12 2006

AOL extends AIM developer program

AOL is broadening the operating system support of its developer tools beyond Windows with the addition of Mac OS X and Linux. AOL is also adding support for the Java programming language and the Pocket PC mobile platform, and is offering new tools for computer-to-computer communication, IM robots and detecting users’ geographical location.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, June 12 2006

Nokia makes the mobile 'a full member of the internet'

Nokia may be the most unlikely convert to the open internet model, but it is becoming one of the most enthusiastic.

For more on this:-read full story from The Register, June 12 2006

Court upholds VOIP wiretapping

2006-06-12T17:38:00.000+08:00

Court upholds VOIP wiretapping

A U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling requiring VOIP providers to give law enforcement agencies wiretapping capabilities is legal, a court ruled Friday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 9 2006

Windows 98, ME sent to pasture with critical flaw

With support for its Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (ME) operating systems about to expire, Microsoft has given up on the idea of patching a critical security vulnerability in the products, the company said.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 9 2006

McAfee SiteAdvisor to add site blocking, extend ratings beyond Web

McAfee Inc. is planning enhancements to its recently acquired SiteAdvisor software that will allow the Web-rating application to block inappropriate Web sites, offer safety ratings for online transactions and rate Web links that appear in e-mail and instant message windows.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 9 2006

TI sees strong demand for mobile phones in Q2

Texas Instruments, the world's largest maker of chips for mobile phones, raised its sales outlook for the second quarter on Thursday, a sign that demand for wireless handsets and other devices remains brisk.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 9 2006

Microsoft takes on Google in book search

Microsoft is expanding its book search service, an offering that will compete with a similar service from Google, it announced Friday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 9 2006

Spam: Made in Taiwan?

The majority of spam servers are physically located in Taiwan, according to CipherTrust.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, June 9 2006

Cyber Criminals See Profit Potential In Vulnerable IP Telephony Networks

IP phone crooks are learning how to rake in the dough. An owner of two small Miami Voice over IP telephone companies was arrested last week and charged with making more than $1 million by breaking into third-party VoIP services and routing calls through their lines. That let him collect from customers without paying any fees to route calls.

For more on this:
-read full story from Internetweek.com, June 8 2006

Google Launches Browser Sync

Google Inc. has released a Firefox extension that synchronizes the browser's settings, including bookmarks, history, persistent cookies and saved passwords, across multiple computers..

For more on this:-read full story from Techweb News, June 9 2006

Intel eggheads push network envelope

2006-06-09T16:33:00.000+08:00

Intel eggheads push network envelope

A high-performance wireless LAN chip, a multifunction personal sensor device and a new method of securing VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) were all on display Wednesday at Intel Corp. as researchers from around the company played show-and-tell with media and analysts.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 8 2006

Microsoft: Windows antipiracy tool not spyware

Microsoft defended its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool this week against charges that it acts like spyware because it constantly checks in with Microsoft when a user boots a PC with the tool installed.

For more on this:
-read full story from Inforworld.com, June 8 2006

Public Internet Channel project launched

A nonprofit organization focused on connecting poor people to the Internet launched on Thursday a campaign to create a wide-reaching central Web site designed to provide health, education and safety information.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 8 2006

Google develops browser sync tool for Firefox

In another boost to Mozilla, Google has created a tool that lets users synchronize the settings of their Firefox browsers across multiple computers.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 8 2006

Google Crushes Competitors

Google held on to its commanding lead as the preferred search engine in the U.S. in May, processing almost 60 percent of all queries filed, way ahead of its two closest competitors Yahoo and Microsoft.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, June 8 2006

Weird "Ghost Spam" Testing Addresses

A wave of strange e-mails with strings of numbers as their only message are most likely a spammer's or hacker's test of his mailing list, several security companies concluded Thursday, and may presage a junk mail campaign or a malware attack.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, June 8 2006

Spam Zombies Jump

The volume of spam surged in May by 20 percent, a security company said Thursday, as the number of new zombies -- compromised computers spewing junk mail without their users' knowledge -- increased by about the same amount.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, June 8 2006

India has more than 100 million mobile phone users

The mobile subscriber base in India crossed the 100-million mark in May, making it one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, although it still lagged far behind China.

For more on this:-read full story from Yahoo!New, June 8 2006

AOL fixes major email problem

2006-06-05T14:51:00.000+08:00

AOL fixes major e-mail problem

AOL LLC has fixed a major problem that affected its tens of millions of e-mail users worldwide for several hours on Thursday, but what caused the snarl remains a mystery to the Internet access and services provider.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 2, 2006

China Passes Internet Piracy Law

Officials in China say the decision aims to balance copyright owners' rights with those of Internet service providers (ISPs) and users who download content from the Web. The provisions pertain to text, video and audio. They include 27 articles that take effect on July 1, said intellectual property attorney Gang Bai on Friday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, June 2, 2006

Study Finds Companies Snooping On Employee E-Mail

Big Brother is not only watching but he is also reading your e-mail. According to a new study, about one-third of big companies in the United States and Britain hire employees to read and analyze outbound e-mail as they seek to guard against legal, financial or regulatory risk.

For more on this:
-read full story from Varbusiness.com, June 2, 2006

Phishing Scam Takes Aim at MySpace.com

A phishing site that harvested the login and credentials of MySpace.com users was removed as of Friday from a California server, a security vendor reported.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, June 2, 2006

Google Adds Chat To Gmail

Google on Thursday incorporated instant messaging into its Web mail, making it possible to immediately chat with an email sender.

For more on this:
-read full story from Internetweek.com, June 1, 2006
Review: Motorola's 'BlackBerry killer'

Motorola's latest phone, out this week, shares its name with the iconic gadget guru of the James Bond movies: Q.

For more on this:
-read full story from CNN.com, June 2, 2006

Dell hooks up with Skype

Computer giant Dell has announced that it has paired off with global internet communications company Skype in the latest tech sector marriage. News of the happy union comes hot on the heels of Dell's recent infatuation with Google, and search engine Yahoo's hook-up with Skype's parent company, eBay.

For more on this:
-read full story from theregister.co.uk, June 2, 2006

Microsoft Drops PDF From Office

Microsoft has decided to delete from the next version of Office an option to save documents in PDF after Adobe Systems threatened to take legal action.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, June 2, 2006

Skype, Vapps offer free conference calling

2006-06-02T16:49:00.000+08:00

Skype, Vapps offer free conference calling

Users of Skype's Internet telephony service can now create free conference calling with up to 500 participants on each call under a new service offered with VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) vendor Vapps, the companies said Thursday.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, June 1 2006

Report: Micron, Hynix e-mails point to price-fix scheme

Newly disclosed e-mails from computer chip makers Micron Technology and Hynix Semiconductor provide details that point towards a global price-fixing conspiracy that could support allegations made by Rambus, the Wall Street Journal reported.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, June 1 2006

Yahoo launches new video site

Yahoo is set to launch a new video Web site in a bid to cash in on the popularity of viral video, which has pushed YouTube front and center.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, June 1 2006

IBM Touts Missing Link To Utility Computing And Shared IT Resources

It's hard to implement shared IT resources or a utility computing environment if you can't accurately measure usage and bill the proper people or departments accordingly. IBM says it has solved that problem with the introduction Thursday of Tivoli Usage and Accounting Manager, which it describes as the missing link necessary to tie IT infrastructure management to actual business usage.

For more on this:
-read full story from Internetweek.com, June 1 2006

Microsoft to offer premium server license

Microsoft Corp. will offer a premium license for the upcoming version of its Exchange e-mail server that will let users do things like retrieve voice mails from their e-mail inboxes or give their computer a voice command to check their calendar or alert co-workers they're going to be late for a meeting.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, June 1 2006

AOL e-mail delayed by software glitch

Millions of AOL users encountered delays sending and receiving e-mail for several hours Thursday before the company identified and fixed a software glitch.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, June 1 2006

Google Adds Chat To Gmail

Google on Thursday incorporated instant messaging into its Web mail, making it possible to immediately chat with an email sender.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, June 1 2006

Study: Asia leads spam relay

More spam is relayed through Asia than any other continent â?“ a sharp difference from the situation two years ago when the United States accounted for over half of all spam sent to the world.

For more on this:-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, June 1 2006

Google answers analyst questions

2006-06-01T17:37:00.000+08:00

Google answers analyst questions

Google executives said they have no plans to build a browser and downplayed threats from Microsoft's new advertising system and plans to bundle search into the next version of its operating system.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, May 31, 2006

Next-generation Wi-Fi tech to deliver IPTV

Airgo Networks, which makes Wi-Fi chips, announced Tuesday that Caton Overseas and STMicroelectronics will use its latest generation of wireless technology to distribute video over Wi-Fi links throughout the home.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, May 30, 2006

Chicago seeks city-wide wireless Internet access

Chicago could soon become the world's largest Internet cafe now that the city hall has put out a request for bids to build a city-wide wireless Internet system.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, May 31, 2006

Gartner: Skype Bugs Bad News For Enterprise

The most recent bug in Skype is another clue to enterprises that they should steer clear of the VoIP service, research firm Gartner recently warned.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 31, 2006

Dell Agrees To Ship Skype With Mobile Entertainment PCs

Dell Inc. on Wednesday said it has agreed to ship its latest mobile entertainment PCs with Skype Internet telephony software pre-installed.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 31, 2006
NTT DoCoMo eyes Web search tie-up

NTT DoCoMo, the world's second-largest mobile-phone firm, may ally with online search engines to encourage users to spend more on internet services, challenging a tie-up between KDDI and Google.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, June 1, 2006

Ask.com adds new search tools for blogs

Ask.com is adding new tools to appeal to the growing online audience trying to track the latest commentary on blogs, marking the online search engine's latest move to become a more prominent player in its field.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, June 1, 2006

Coming soon: The Web toll

What if the Internet were like cable television, with Web sites grouped like channels into either basic or premium offerings? What if a few big companies decided which sites loaded quickly and which ones slowly, or not at all, on your computer?

For more on this:-read full story from CNN.com, May 25, 2006

Gonzales pressures ISPs on data retention

2006-05-30T12:28:00.000+08:00

Gonzales pressures ISPs on data retention

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller on Friday urged telecommunications officials to record their customers' Internet activities, CNET News.com has learned.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, May 26 2006

EU to tax e-mail, text messages?

European Union lawmakers are investigating a proposed tax on e-mails and mobile phone text messages as a way to fund the 25-member bloc in the future.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, May 26 2006

Google Accounts For Half Of all U.S. Web Searches

Google in April accounted for one in two U.S. Web searches, a milestone for the search engine, a market research firm said Friday.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 26 2006

Phishers use Microsoft Word hole as bait

Microsoft last week said it would rush to deliver a patch for a recently discovered hole in Microsoft Word that was being used in sophisticated online attacks.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, May 29 2006

Middle class goes broadband as price falls

Middle- and working-class Americans signed up for high-speed Internet access in record numbers in the past year, apparently lured by a price war among phone companies.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, May 29 2006

China Ready To Swipe Spam Crown From U.S.

U.S. junk e-mailers sent more spam than those in any other country during the first quarter, a security company recently reported, although China is hot on America's heels.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, May 28 2006

AT&T, Yahoo Jointly Offer VoIP

AT&T Inc. and Yahoo Inc. Wednesday officially rolled out integrated Internet-based voice services.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, May 26 2006

New Service Turns Phones Into Mini-PCs

Sun claims, "The network is the computer." For social computing company TransMedia, the computer is the phone.

For more on this:-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, May 26 2006

Google to Distribute Online Video Ads

2006-05-23T17:51:00.000+08:00

Google to Distribute Online Video Ads

Google Inc. will begin distributing online video ads for the first time later this week, continuing the Internet search engine leader's effort to diversify beyond the static written messages that generate most of its profits.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, May 23 2006

Helio Offers Cell Phones for the MySpace Crowd

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about mobile service newcomer Helio. So on my recent trip to Los Angeles, I stopped by the company's headquarters and checked out its Hero and Kickflip cell phones.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, May 23 2006

Motorola Unveils 'Q' Cell Phone

Motorola Inc. unveiled its highly anticipated "Q" cell phone Monday, joining other manufacturers in aiming for businesspeople who want their e-mail to go.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, May 22 2006

Bugs plague Windows Live Mail beta

Microsoft acknowledged on Friday problems with its most recent beta release of Windows Live Mail, the company's revamp of the Hotmail hosted e-mail service.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, May 22 2006

Skype Patches Security Flaw

Skype is advising users to upgrade to a more recent version of its VoIP software to fix a security bug reported late last week by a security researcher in New Zealand.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, May 22 2006
Trillian Dumped From Google Pack

Google has dropped Trillian from its Google Pack software suite with nary an explanation, prompting a terse reaction from Cerulean Studios, maker of the popular instant messaging application.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, May 22 2006

Making the Web fit for mobile

The World Wide Web Consortium last week published a first public working draft of Device Independent Authoring Language, which is aimed at making it easy to present content on a wide variety of mobile devices.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, May 22 2006

Yahoo IM Worm Hijacks Browsers, Plays Migraine Music

A worm running through Yahoo's instant messaging network is installing a browser of its own -- a first for IM malware -- that leads users to adware and spyware sites, several security firms said Monday.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 22 2006

Skpe grows harder to block

2006-05-19T17:54:00.000+08:00

Skype grows harder to block

The larger Skype's user base grows, the less likely it is that telecommunications operators or regulators will successfully block the VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service, said the head of Skype's European operations, during an interview at the VON Europe conference in Stockholm.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, May 18 2006

Google takes another step into mobile Web

KDDI, Japan's No. 2 cellular carrier, will add a Google search box to its EZWeb mobile Internet service from July, the company said Thursday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, May 18 2006

Vodafone, Softbank to join on handsets, content

By working together Softbank hopes to be able to exert more pressure on handset makers to develop leading edge devices for its services.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, May 18 2006

Consumers Continue To Push Wireless Networking Growth

Consumers are continuing to adopt wireless networking technologies at a rapid rate, according to a market study released Thursday by British market research firm GfK.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 18 2006

Microsoft Introduces New Search Technology To Ease Information Overload

Bill Gates on Wednesday introduced new enterprise information management software to shield workers from the information explosion caused in no small part by the popularity of his company's previous products.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 17 2006

Symantec sues Microsoft over storage tech

Symantec has launched a suit charging Microsoft with misappropriating its intellectual property and with violating a license related to data storage technology.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, May 18 2006

ISP snooping plans take backseat

A prominent Republican in the U.S. Congress has backed away from plans to rewrite Internet privacy rules by requiring that logs of Americans' online activities be stored.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, May 18 2006

Blue Security Waves White Flag on Spam Attack

2006-05-18T17:14:00.000+08:00

Blue Security Waves White Flag on Spam Attack

Israeli anti-spam firm Blue Security is ceasing operations after a crippling series of attacks launched against its services earlier this month by a Russian spammer named PharmaMaster.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 17 2006

AOL Introduces Video Social Networking Community

AOL Inc. quietly rolled out a video social networking community on Monday. The site called AOL UnCut, which has thousands of beta users, will officially launch "end of June or beginning of July," the company said.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 16 2006

AOL Gives Free Phone Numbers To Users Over 18

A day after Skype inaugurated a free North American calling plan, AOL began its AIM Phoneline service Tuesday with a free phone number for AIM users who can receive free unlimited incoming calls and free voicemail.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 16 2006

Will video break the Internet?

Every day, it seems, a new service pops up offering to send you video over the Internet. "Desperate Housewives," Stephen Colbert heckling the president, clips of bad dancers at wedding parties: It's all there.

For more on this:
-read full story from CNN.com, May 17 2006

Web attacks end anti-spam effort

A series of web attacks by spammers have forced a security firm to end an initiative to curb junk mail.

For more on this:
-read full story from BBC.com, May 17 2006

Official: Africa Charges More for Net Use

African Internet users pay on average 90 times what Americans pay, crippling efforts by the world's poorest continent to become competitive, a senior Kenyan official said.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, May 18 2006

Geek to Live: Fast, one wire network (IP over FireWire)

Recently I wanted to transfer a ripped season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer from my desktop to my laptop for some entertainment on the road. All told the files turned out to be several gigabytes. An attempt to copy them over my home Ethernet network gave me flying documents, an unmoving progress bar and a completion estimate at about 10 hours.

For more on this:
-read full blog from Yahoo!News, May 18 2006

Symantec client to do network policy, security policework

Symantec is readying a new application for enterprise PCs that will integrate security and network policy enforcement technology the company picked up from recent acquisitions.

For more on this:-read full story from PCWorld.com, May 17 2006

Skype does free landline, mobile calls

2006-05-16T18:04:00.000+08:00

Skype does free landline, mobile calls

Skype users in the U.S. and Canada can call free to regular landline and mobile phones anywhere in those countries until the end of the year, the Internet voice company said Monday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, May 15 2006

Skype's next strategy: cash to frequent "free" callers via PayPal?

Yes, it is true, Skype calls from users in North America to landline and cell lines in the U.S. and Canada are going to be free for the remainder of this year.That is, of course, cheaper than two cents a minute.

For more on this:
-read full blog from ZDNet.com, May 15 2006

Nokia launches Google Talk on Web tablet

Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, unveiled a new version of its Internet tablet device running Google Talk communications software on Tuesday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, May 16 2006

Treo phone unveiled with Palm software

Palm on Monday introduced the first Treo phone with a high-speed wireless Web link running the Palm operating system called the 700p.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News.com, May 16 2006

Pushing all buttons to sell BlackBerry service

China Mobile, the mainland's largest cellular network operator, will begin a nationwide roll-out of the BlackBerry service this year, ensuring many more corporate thumbs will soon be tapping out wireless e-mail messages on the device.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, May 16 2006

New Wave Of Social Networking Sites Focus On Professionals

Social networking sites are pushing past teenagers and 20-somethings to build a new wave of Internet communities targeting professionals.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 15 2006

Word 2007 Adds Blog Posting Feature

Microsoft Word 2007 will sport the last-minute addition of a blog post authoring tool when the software rolls into Beta 2 in the next week or two, the Office 2007 development team announced Friday.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 15 2006

In-Flight Internet Could Renew Debate Over Phones On Planes

The Federal Communications Commission last week began auctioning off radio spectrum that will let airlines offer broadband Internet access during flights. That would be a welcome addition for business travelers, except for one thing: With Internet access comes the possibility of voice over IP.

For more on this:-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 15 2006

Google Introduces New Products for Users

2006-05-11T10:24:00.000+08:00

Google Introduces New Products for Users

Google Inc. on Wednesday fired another salvo aimed at maintaining the lead in Internet search while making its software more accessible outside Web browsers in its ongoing duel with rivals Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, May 11 2006

Texas Instruments Sees Phone Market Growth

Texas Instruments Inc., which makes chips for about half the world's cell phones, believes it can profit from both the fancy models favored by affluent consumers and the basic handsets catching on in developing countries.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, May 11 2006

Unison leads bids for air-ground wireless airwaves

Unison Spectrum LLC led the early bidding on Wednesday in the U.S. sale of wireless airwaves that would let companies offer Internet access and other communications services aboard commercial airplanes.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, May 10 2006

Yahoo, Telemundo form US Hispanic Web business

Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) and NBC Universal Television Group's Telemundo said on Wednesday they agreed to merge their Internet sites to form a single Web site targeted at the fast-growing U.S. Hispanic market.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, May 10 2006

Novell pitches alternative to Microsoft desktop

Novell took a swing at Microsoft's dominance on the corporate desktop this week with the release of the Novell Open Workgroup Suite, which repackages several open-source applications and tools under new licensing terms.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWord.com, May 10 2006

Microsoft Refreshes Outlook, OneNote

Besides patching Windows, Exchange, and the Flash Player Tuesday, Microsoft also released a pair of Office 2003 non-security, high-priority updates, and as usual, unveiled a tweaked version of its Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 10 2006

Competitors shouldn't expect any helping hand from PCCW

Richard Li Tzar-kai's PCCW certainly knows the value of its stake in the broadband television business, and allowing rivals to ride on the network to advance their interests just does not sit well with the telecommunications and media giant.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, May 10 2006

HP unveils new mobile computers

Following in the footsteps of rivals Hewlett-Packard, the world's second-largest computer maker, unveiled laptops with spiffier designs as well as more powerful processors.

For more on this:
-read full story from the SCMP.com, May 10 2006

Spam vigilante spat knocks out blog services

2006-05-09T16:55:00.000+08:00

Spam vigilante spat knocks out blog services

A dispute between a mysterious Russian spammer and an Israeli antispam firm spilled over to the rest of the Internet on Wednesday, when denial of service attacks aimed at the Israeli firm's Web site knocked out servers that host millions of blogs.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, May 4 2006

VOIP fees set to rise with regulation on the horizon

With the deadline for voice over IP (VoIP) carriers to comply with the FCC Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act [CALEA] less than a year away, VoIP vendors are beginning to roll out their wire tap technology.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, May 5 2006

Anti-spam measures tackle the symptom, not the problem

Government officials from throughout the Asia-Pacific region gathered in Calgary, Canada, last month for a two-day meeting devoted to the status of the anti-spam battle.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, May 9 2006

Survey finds 14pc of world's adults use internet

Calculating the international growth of the World Wide Web is largely guesswork, more than a decade after the commercial internet exploded into popular view.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, May 9 2006

AOL to offer free phone numbers to instant-messaging users

AOL is set to offer its instant-messaging users a free phone number to use for incoming calls, and for a fee, the ability to call regular phones from the software.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, May 8 2006

Microsoft Preps New Version of Windows CE

While Microsoft Corp. has been beset by delays in its new operating system for personal computers, developers quietly have been working on a new version of another Windows, this one found in everything from sewing machines to sophisticated cell phones.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, May 9 2006

E-Mail Is Exhibit A

Before you click that send" button, ask yourself these questions: Are you able to defend the statements made in that E-mail? Are you willing to do so under oath in court?

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 8 2006

Antispam Firm Claims Attack

The CEO of an antispam firm whose service was knocked offline by a spammer earlier this week claimed his company was the victim of a sophisticated attack carried out, in part, with the help of someone at a top-tier ISP.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, May 8 2006

Demand Media Buys Domain Squatter eNom and Wiki's eHow

2006-05-04T14:20:00.000+08:00

Demand Media Buys Domain Squatter eNom and Wiki's eHow

In yet another sign of the Internet boomlet, domain name speculation -- an archetypal late '90s business -- is once again hot. The Alarm:Clock venture-capital blog reports today that a new domain-name investment vehicle, Demand Media, has purchased eNom, a company with 6.4 million registered domains.

For more on this:
-read full story from alarm:clock, May 2 2006

Masters of their domains

In fact, plenty of domainers, as they call themselves, are having the last laugh. The boom in Internet advertising and the success of the pay-per-click ad model are making the go-go '90s look sluggish by comparison.

For more on this:
-read full story from CNNmoney.com, Nov 30 2005

YouTube sees user rebellion

Hypergrowth comes with hyper-growing pains -- just ask YouTube. The online video-sharing site is facing a rebellion among the formerly faithful. Yesterday, blogger and longtime YouTuber Miel Vanopstal lost his cool in a post titled "Screw YouTube." Vanopstal complains that YouTube's recent upgrades have made the site significantly slower, and that new efforts to enforce copyright and delete otherwise questionable material strike him as arbitrary.

For more on this:
-read full story from CNNmoney.com, May 3 2006

Skype Readies Version 2.5

Skype Technologies today released a beta version of its new Internet calling software, Skype 2.5. Designed for easier use, Skype 2.5 offers easier international dialing and new ways to pay for Skype's fee-based services.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, May 3 2006

Review: Samsung Q1 Has Load of Annoyances

Looking for a great PC that runs a fully fledged version of Windows XP but weighs less than two pounds? Well, it's here — at least if you can live without the "great" part.

For more on this:
-read full review from Yahoo!News, May 3 2006

Skype plans Web-phone conversations for groups

Web phone-calling company Skype is bringing social networking to crowds as it unveils a service for groups of up to 100 people to hold spontaneous conversations online.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, May 3 2006

Spammer identifies 'secure' e-mails

One spammer has managed to identify e-mail addresses on a "do-not-spam" list touted as secure, taking advantage of an obvious flaw with such lists and prompting critics to wonder what took so long.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, May 4 2006

Mobile E-Mail Usage Expected To Triple By 2011

E-mail access by mobile employees is set to triple between now and 2011, according to a report released Wednesday by U.K. Market research firm Informa Telecoms and Media. And much of that increased access will be on relatively simple devices such as standard cell phones, and not over more expensive devices such as smartphones, the study claims.

For more on this:-read full story from InternetWeek.com, May 3 2006

File-sharing is the new email

2006-05-04T14:19:00.000+08:00

File-sharing is the new email

As our digital photos and videos get bigger and bigger, email can't handle the load. Three stealthy startups say file-sharing is the answer.

For more on this:
-read full story from CNNMoney.com, May 1 2006

Google Complains About IE Search

Google said today that it has complained to the European Commission about the way that Microsoft bundles its own search mechanism in the newest version of Internet Explorer.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, May 2 2006

China Ready To Swipe Spam Crown From U.S.

U.S. junk e-mailers sent more spam than those in any other country during the first quarter, a security company recently reported, although China is hot on America's heels.

For more on this:
-read full story from CNN.com, April 28 2006

'Skypecasts' Allow 100-Person Conferencing

Skype, eBay Inc.'s Internet telephone subsidiary, is extending its reach with "Skypecasts" — free audio conferences for up to 100 participants.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, May 3 2006

First Ultra Mobile PC Comes to U.S.

Samsung has officially launched its new super-small PC, dubbed the Q1, that is essentially a cross between a laptop and a PDA. It lets users write on the screen, play movies and games, and stay connected to the Internet through wireless hotspots.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, May 2 2006

Spammers turn on anti-spam vigilantes

An effort to force spammers to stop soliciting certain e-mail addresses went bad on Monday, after at least one spammer began sending large volumes of unsolicited e-mail to members of a "Do Not Spam" list run by Israeli firm Blue Security.
For more on this:

-read full story from Yahoo!News, May 2 2006

Avaya VoIP Linux Style to The SMB

Avaya is now targeting its Voice over IP efforts at the small- to midsized-business (SMB) market with a new series of Linux-powered initiatives.

For more on this:
-read full story from Internetnews.com, May 2 2006

Microsoft Preps E-Mail, Collaboration Managed Solutions

Messaging and collaboration will be the first two Microsoft managed solutions to hit the market, but not in 2006.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 27 2006

AT&T, Yahoo Jointly Offer VoIP

2006-04-28T18:29:00.000+08:00

AT&T, Yahoo Jointly Offer VoIP

AT&T Inc. and Yahoo Inc. Wednesday officially rolled out integrated Internet-based voice services. The offering brings Yahoo Messenger with Voice to AT&T Yahoo high-speed Internet subscribers and Yahoo users in AT&T's 13-state local service area. Free voicemail and missed-call message retrieval are included.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 26 2006

US online search giant Yahoo adds text translation service

US Internet search engine Yahoo has added AltaVista's translation service Babble Fish to its menu of online services, the company announced.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 27 2006

Vonage Offers VoIP Mobile-Phone Calls in the UK

You've gotten rid of the wire that connects your phone to the world. Perhaps you're also paying a flat monthly fee for unlimited VoIP calls from your home or office. Now, if a move by Vonage UK becomes popular, you'll be able to make unlimited calls from your mobile phone as well.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 27 2006

Phishers try a phone hook

In a new twist on phishing, fraudsters are sending out e-mails that attempt to trick people into sharing personal information over the phone.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, April 27 2006

Is the Palm OS missing the multimedia boat?

It's been two years since the release of the last major upgrade to the Palm operating system for mobile devices, not counting the upgrade that never appeared in public.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, April 27 2006

Online population hits new high in US

The United States online population has hit an all-time high: 73 per cent of adults, or 147 million, now use the internet.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, April 27 2006

Skype has over 100 million registered users

Skype, the Internet-based phone and video phone service, on Friday said it now serves over 100 million registered users.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 28, 2006

Google Offers Free Version Of 3D Modeling Software

Google Inc. on Thursday launched a free version of the 3D modeling software the search engine acquired when it bought @Last Software last month.

For more on this:-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 28, 2006

Phishers Snare Victims With VoIP

2006-04-27T14:12:00.000+08:00

Phishers Snare Victims With VoIP

Phishers Snare Victims With VoIPA security firm on Tuesday reported discovering a phishing scheme in which the scammers used Internet telephony to copy a bank's automated voice system in order to steal customers' passwords, account numbers and other personal information.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 25 2006

Internet2 Network Aims to Boost Capacity

By sending data using different colors of light, operators of the ultrahigh-speed Internet2 network are hoping to boost capacity by as much as 80-fold to enable researchers to connect telescopes around the world and perform other bandwidth-intensive tasks.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 27 2006

Review: Webaroo Service Too Good to Be True

It sounds too good to be true: the highlights of the Web squeezed into a data file small enough to fit on your laptop or mobile phone, letting you browse even when you don't have a live Internet connection. After giving Webaroo a whirl, I found that it is, indeed, too good to be true.

For more on this:
-read full review from Yahoo! News, April 26 2006

Hotmail's new address

After months of reworking the venerable Web mail program, Microsoft's team had made all the easy fixes: They'd added more colors and even offered a way to make the new Windows Live Mail look just like the old Hotmail.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, April 26 2006

AT&T boosts DSL speeds, adds new services

AT&T has increased the speed of its broadband service and has struck deals with Starz Entertainment to offer a new video download service and with Yahoo to offer Internet telephony.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, April 26 2006

New Nokia Phones Make The Internet Connection

Nokia Corp. on Tuesday said it has sold 5 million Nseries multimedia phones since launching the product line last year, and plans to expand its offerings with three new devices.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetNews.com, April 25 2006

Google.com pushes Firefox browser

Mozilla's Firefox is getting promoted on one of the world's most popular Web pages, Google.com, as the open-source browser continues its David-vs.-Goliath battle against Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 26 2006

Sphere prepping to sort out the blogosphere

With more than 35 million blogs and over 50,000 posts per hour, the need for really good blogosphere search tools is even more critical. Technorati, IceRocket, Google and Yahoo, among others, are plowing the blog search ground. They are now trying to bring more intelligent filtering to the blogosphere, allowing the “cream” to rise to the top.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, April 25 2006

Firefox backers aim to 'destroy' IE with campaign

2006-04-26T13:59:00.000+08:00

Firefox backers aim to 'destroy' IE with campaign

A group of self-titled "political activists" in Massachusetts has started an aggressive campaign to get browser users to switch from Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer to Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 25 2006

Skype Announces Music Ringtones Deal

Skype, eBay Inc.'s Internet telephone subsidiary, announced a deal Tuesday with music publishers that will make audio clips from artists like Madonna, Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers available to its users as ringtones.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 26 2006

Microsoft Makes Using Pirated Office Software More Difficult

Microsoft has introduced a new program that will test to see if customers have a genuine version of its Office productivity suite, according to the company.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 25 2006

E-Mail Providers Look to New Spam-Fighting Techniques

E-mail providers are bolstering their defenses against the onslaught of spam and phishing attacks through the adoption of new e-mail-authentication technologies, according to information offered this week at a gathering of companies that focused on promoting safety and user trust in the e-mail ecosystem.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 20 2006

Spam Slayer: Biggest Spam Hassles Solved

Internal Revenue Service allows you to track your refund at its Get Refund Status site. Beware of any e-mail that claims you're due a refund or offers a way to check your refund status online.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 25 2006

XIN - a Web OS that wants to be a platform

"It's basically Windows' entire concept - only online."
Recently Mikael Bergkvist has been showing me his "It's basically Windows' entire concept - only online." new web-based OS, called XIN.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, April 19 2006

WebOS market review

It wouldn't surprise me if one of the small startups I've mentioned here goes on to become the next Linux.

For more on this:
-read full review from ZDNet.com, April 25 2006

Internet Explorer 7: New Public Beta

We're one step closer to a final Internet Explorer 7 with Microsoft's Monday night twin release of a new, more polished Internet Explorer 7 beta and an accompanying add-ons Web site.

For more on this:
-read full story from PCWorld.com, April 26 2006

E-Mail's Popularity Swamps Storage Systems And Raises Corporate Security Issues

2006-04-25T11:06:00.000+08:00

E-Mail's Popularity Swamps Storage Systems And Raises Corporate Security Issues

The increasing use of e-mail by consumers and businesspeople alike is making it a more attractive target for hackers and criminals, according to a study from IronPort Systems' Threat Operations Center that looks at the ancillary costs of dealing with spam.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 24 2006

AOL Preparing 'Something' In Social Networking

The blogosphere this week was abuzz on rumors that AOL was close to launching a social network that would take on the popular MySpace.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 20 2006

Microsoft developing next mobile OS

Microsoft, which has been carving a larger slice of the mobile device OS market, is developing a new product, code-named "Crossbow," which will incorporate features such as instant messaging, a Microsoft executive confirmed Monday.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 25 20006

Take A Closer Look At Google's Corporate Search Technology

People love Google not just for finding information but also for presenting it in a way that's easy to understand. The company is banking on its deceptively simple-looking user interface as it pushes inside the corporate firewall.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, April 24 2006

Net Neutrality: The Great Internet Divide

The debate over network neutrality is heating up as a congressional committee prepares to take the issue up next week.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, April 21 2006

GoodLink 4.8 Tweaks Security, Compliance

Good Technology has released an upgrade of its GoodLink wireless messaging solution. The company said that its GoodLink 4.8 release, available Monday, will support up to 1,500 users on a singe server while at the same time offering several new features including improved security and reliability additions.

For more on this:
-read full story from InternetWeek.com, April 24 2006

PC losing Net battle to mobiles

Mobile phones may soon challenge personal computers as the dominant platform for accessing the internet, a recent study suggests. Research by Ipsos Insight released last week showed that 28 per cent of mobile phone owners worldwide had browsed the internet on a wireless handset, up from 25 per cent at the end of 2004.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, April 25 2006

EFF's sender pay email debate ends in draw

Last night Mitch Kapor, Esther Dyson and Danny O’Brien debated the pros and cons of sender-pay email at a fundraiser for the Electronic Frontier Foundation held at the Roxie Film Center in the Mission district. Actually Mitch was the moderator, but the co-founder of EFF and Chair of the Open Source Applications Foundation got a few shots in.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, April 21 2006

Microsoft Patch 'Erases' Outlook Express Addresses; Users Irked

2006-04-24T14:22:00.000+08:00

Microsoft Patch 'Erases' Outlook Express Addresses; Users Irked

Another Microsoft patch from the batch released last week is apparently causing problems, at least according to numerous Windows users on the Redmond, Wash. developer's official message boards.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 20 2006

Google and Yahoo results show more room for ad growth

The two top Internet search engine companies proved last week there is still plenty of room for advertising growth, though Google's dominance marks a major advantage over Yahoo, according to analysts.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 23 2006

With e-mail, Microsoft looks to hook students 'for life'

The decision to outsource the University of Texas-Pan American's 17,000 student e-mail accounts to Microsoft for free was a simple one for Gary Wiggins, the school's top IT administrator.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, April 21 2006

China close to being top spammer

Statistics from security firm Sophos show that China is fast catching up the US as a source of junk e-mail. According to Sophos, 23.1% of spam comes from computers in the US and 21.9% comes from China. The UK is tenth on the list of spam sources.

For more on this:
-read full story from BBC News, April 23 2006

Pioneering Wi-Fi City Sees Startup Woes

Joe Lusardi's friends back in New York couldn't believe it when he told them he'd have free Internet access through this city's new Wi-Fi network. It's free all right, but residents are, to some extent, getting what they pay for.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 24 2006

Mobile phones gain on PCs for Internet

Mobile phones may soon challenge personal computers as the dominant platform for accessing the Internet, a recent survey suggests. A survey released this week by research firm Ipsos Insight showed that 28 percent of mobile phone owners worldwide have browsed the Internet on a wireless handset, up from 25 percent at the end 2004.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 21 2006

First Look: ThinkFree Web App Outshines

Microsoft OfficeIt sounds too good to be true: free word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation programs that are compatible with their Microsoft Office counterparts and that work in a browser. For more on this:-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 24 2006Database considered to stem phone theftA central database of mobile phone identification numbers is being considered to deter the sale of phones stolen in Hong Kong on the black market.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News,com

New internet customers boost China Netcom sales

China Netcom Group (Hong Kong), the nation's second-largest operator of fixed-line telephones, said first-quarter sales rose 4.7 per cent from a year earlier after the company added internet users.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, April 23 2006

AT&T, Yahoo Launch Enhanced Web Mail In Beta

2006-04-21T11:19:00.000+08:00

AT&T, Yahoo Launch Enhanced Web Mail In Beta

AT&T and Yahoo Inc. on Wednesday launched in beta a new version of their joint Web mail that includes several enhancements. The beta version, which is available to a limited number of AT&T Yahoo Mail users, includes drag-and-drop email organization, message preview and an integrated RSS reader for tapping into news feeds, blog entries and other Web content.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 19 2006

Microsoft to take on Google's Gdrive

Microsoft is developing an online storage service seemingly aimed at Google's Gdrive, which is under development, say sources familiar with Microsoft's plans. Microsoft spokesman Adam Sohn confirmed on Thursday the existence of a project code-named Live Drive, which allows searching and sharing files across PCs and devices with the Sharing Folders feature in Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger e-mail chat client.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, April 20 2006

Bad karma surrounds e-mail authentication plans

This week's powwow of e-mail heavyweights in Chicago returned the IT community's attention to the issue of e-mail message authentication, but the messaging community has too little to show for a year's worth of work, some say.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, April 20 2006

Google tests advanced results page

Google is testing a new page format for its general Web search results that lets users significantly expand the details provided below Web site links.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, April 20 2006

Google declines to rule out wireless airwave bid

Google Inc. on Thursday opened the door to the possibility that it could bid on U.S. licenses for wireless radio spectrum in order to offer Internet access services, but said no plans were imminent.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 21 2006

37% of mobile households have checked e-mail on their phones

52% of households with a mobile phone have sent or received a text message, while 37% have sent or received e-mail on their handsets.

For more on this:
-read full blog from ZDNet.com, April 20 2006

Beware of tax refund 'phishing' scams

It's just the news that hardworking taxpayers want to see in their inbox: an update on their refund from the Internal Revenue Service. But instead of clicking on that e-mail's links, federal officials advise you to hit the delete key.

For more on this:
-read full story from CNN.com, April 14 2006

ChinaBlog.net Offers New Beta Features For Chinese Webloggers

ChinaBlog.net, which last month launched its beta version for Chinese users, has now expanded the service and offered a free open registration for all users.

For more on this:
-read full story from ChinaTechNews, April 19 2006

Yahoo Plagued By Slow E-Mail

2006-04-20T11:57:00.000+08:00

Yahoo Plagued By Slow E-Mail

A small security firm in Iowa says it has discovered why Yahoo's email is sometimes slow. An analysis of Yahoo Inc. mail servers found that they were only able to accept email about half the time on average, making it likely that email was taking longer than normal to deliver, the security firm said Friday.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 14 2006

Symantec Gets In The Ring With Spam, Zero-Day Threats

In a sign that it has finished integrating the technology from its June 2004 acquisition of BrightMail, Symantec on Monday will reveal plans to roll out an e-mail security offering next month that guards against spam and viruses while mitigating the dangers of zero-day exploits.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 17 2006

AOL Accused Of Blocking Critics' Emails

A coalition fighting AOL's upcoming pay-to-send email service claimed Thursday that the company was blocking delivery of emails that included a link to the group's Web site.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 13 2006

Review: Symantec Eyes Total E-Mail Security

For many businesses, e-mail has become the communication of choice. Unfortunately, e-mail has also become the communication of choice for schemers, hackers, advertisers, virus writers and so many others, which saps the efficiency of email for legitimate use.

For more on this:
-read full review from messagingpipeline.com, April 17 2006

Google unveils enterprise applications search with big-name backing

Consumer search darling Google shared the stage with a gaggle of prominent enterprise application vendors Wednesday to announce Google OneBox for Enterprise, a new feature that will enable the company's Google Search Appliances to do real-time searches on business applications.

For more on this”
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 18 2006

OECD urges more international cooperation on spam

Governments need to pass more antispam laws, give law enforcement agencies more resources and work better across borders to combat unsolicited e-mail clogging up inboxes, an international economic group said Wednesday.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 19 2006

Yahoo mulls free Wi-Fi for its IM users

Yahoo is considering giving users of Yahoo Messenger free access to tens of thousands of Wi-Fi hot spots worldwide so they can engage in instant messaging, including voice communications, while unplugged from their regular home or office Internet connection.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 19 2006

Microsoft updates SQL Server database
The company on Wednesday said Service Pack 1 for SQL Server 2005 includes new database mirroring tools and closer ties to SAP's NetWeaver software. Microsoft has also updated its free version of SQL Server 2005.
For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet.com, April 19 2006

AOL Accused Of Blocking Critics' Emails

2006-04-19T12:06:00.000+08:00

AOL Accused Of Blocking Critics' Emails

A coalition fighting AOL's upcoming pay-to-send email service claimed Thursday that the company was blocking delivery of emails that included a link to the group's Web site. The DearAOL.com Coalition, which is circulating online petitions to gather signatures for an open letter to AOL, said emails with the link www.DearAOL.com were bounced back to the sender with a message saying, "failed permanently."

For more on this:
- read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 13 2006

Hacked computers download spam tool

Computers infected with a well-known virus began downloading a new spam tool Sunday night used by hackers to send unwanted e-mail. Virus writers part of the infamous Bagle spam gang began sending a new spamming tool Sunday night to thousands of hacked computers, said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer for F-Secure, a security company based in Helsinki.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 17 2006

Fort Wayne Gets Wi-Fi 'Hot Zone'

The Indiana Data Center, an ISP serving some 25 communities in and around Fort Wayne Ind., has deployed a large Wi-Fi "hot zone" in Fort Wayne. The wireless distribution system was developed by Colubris Networks. The system utilizes dual-radio access points, which have been deployed on water towers, hospital rooftops, and fire stations.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 17 2006

Blackberry 8700g Reviewed (Verdict: Excellent), Now Available On T-Mobile

Less than three months after we first told you about the Blackberry 8700g's impending arrival in Spain and the UK, it hit our very own shores today as an exclusive to T-Mobile, which is carrying it for $399—or $299 after a $50 instant rebate and $50 mail-in rebate. We hate rebates, but whatever.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 17 2006

Microsoft's Sender ID to get Postmaster push at e-mail conference

MSN Postmaster Services provides information, best practices and tools for helping ISPs better manage their e-mail infrastructure for serving MSN and Windows Live mail users. Microsoft plans on Wednesday to promote adoption of the Sender ID e-mail specification and introduce a new program for helping ISPs protect the integrity of e-mail messages at the E-mail Authentication Summit in Chicago.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 18 2006

Google to search inside business software programs

Google Inc., the consumer Web search favorite, on Tuesday said it is looking to make the way office workers search for information lodged deep inside complex business software more relevant.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 19 2006

Google Upgrades Corporate Search Engine

Hoping to become less dependent on Internet advertising, online search engine leader Google Inc. is introducing a tool designed to make it easier for companies and their workers to find vital information scattered across a maze of complex software applications.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 19 2006

Intellon Offers Next-Gen Home Networking Technology

While powerline networking has been slow to take off in the United States, industry executives and analysts say the technology has a future as broadband television and home automation take hold.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 17 2006

Six Things You Need to Know About VoIP

2006-04-13T15:16:00.000+08:00

Six Things You Need to Know About VoIP

Think you know VoIP? Think again. There are plenty of myths and misunderstanding out there. We talk to 30 experts who tell you exactly what you need to know.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 10 2006

BlackBerry, meet China's RedBerry

China United Telecommunications (China Unicom), the country's second-largest mobile operator, has introduced a push e-mail service with a name that closely echoes Research In Motion's (RIM's) popular BlackBerry service.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 13 2006

Qualcomm chipset could triple cellular data speeds

New Qualcomm chipsets could triple mobile devices' wireless bandwidth next year. Qualcomm has said it will to introduce chipsets based on a technology called EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) Revision B, which is capable of boosting bandwidth on existing CDMA (code division multiple access) networks.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 12 2006

Prefound.com to wed social networks, search

The company plans to host a Kentucky Derby event it hopes will help build a critical mass of users for its search engine by leveraging popular social networks. The state of Kentucky is not known as a bastion of high-tech innovation. But Lexington-based Prefound.com hopes to use its home state's most popular sporting event to promote what Chief Executive Officer Steve Mansfield thinks is the next evolution of online searching -- the merging of search engines and social networks.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 12 2006

EBay eyes crossover with MeetUp

EBay Inc. has invested US$2 million in social networking company Meetup Inc., according to a form 8-k eBay filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday. Last month Meetup announced that it was receiving investment from several sources -- eBay among them -- but did not specify the amount of the investment. Other investors announced at the time included Omidyar Network, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Esther Dyson and Allen & Co.

For more on this:
-read full story from InfoWorld.com, April 12 2006

Internet search giant Yahoo launches travel service

United States Internet search engine Yahoo launched a travel service on Wednesday that promised to find the best deals on airfare and hotels, the company said.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, April 12 2006

Google to unveil calendar service

Online search engine Google is unveiling a calendar service that allows users to store appointments online, receive reminders about them and share those plans with others.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, April 13 2006

Helio inks Yahoo deal for easier mobile Web use

Helio LLC, the mobile venture of SK Telecom and EarthLink Inc., said on Thursday it agreed to put a link to Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news)'s Web search engine directly on its cellphone screens to make it easier to surf the Web on its devices.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 13 2006

Microsoft's Google Scholar rival set to go Live

2006-04-12T15:54:00.000+08:00

Microsoft's Google Scholar rival set to go Live

Microsoft plans to release a new search tool this week that will go head to head with the Google Scholar service, sources familiar with the company's plans say. The new Windows Live Academic Search service, which will be available in beta form sometime in the next several days, will allow users to search academic journals and other scholarly publications, according to information posted on the Liveside.net blog, which isn't affiliated with Microsoft.

For more on this:
-read full story from infoworld.com, April 11 2006

Europe's domain registry hijacked

The registry for the new .eu domain has grown to 1.4 million Web addresses since Friday morning -- but one registrar has accused the group that runs it of inept organization, allowing companies to cheat the system by setting up bogus registrars to work on their behalf.

For more on this:
-read full story from infoworld.com, April 11 2006

Skype to buy voice start-up Sonorit

eBay's Skype unit said Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire a San Francisco-based speech-processing start-up for roughly $27 million in stock.eBay will issue 700,000 shares of stock to buy Sonorit and its subsidiary, Camino Networks. Skype said it bought the company for its engineering team, which should help Skype build new voice products for the future.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet Technology News, April 11 2006

Google buys search technology from Australian university
Google Inc. said Tuesday that it has acquired search engine technology from an Australian university that the institution described last year as potentially revolutionary.

For more on this:
-read full story from infoworld.com, April 11 2006

Blogosphere suffers spam explosion

Boing Boing would allow its readers to leave comments and engage in a discussion on the wildly popular blog, if it weren't for spam. The editors of the technology and pop culture blog took down the comment option about two years ago. Back then, they wanted to put an end to abusive comments, personal attacks on the Boing Boing crew and some spam. Today, their reason for not bringing it back is simpler: an explosion in junk comment posts on blogs.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet Technology News, April 11 2006

MySpace.com hires online safety chief

MySpace.com on Tuesday said it had tapped a former federal prosecutor and Microsoft executive to be its online safety chief, the latest move by the social networking site to shore up security. The announcement comes one day after MySpace began running public service ads warning its users about the dangers posed by sexual predators on the Internet.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, April 12 2006

Now starring on the internet: YouTube.com

Internet video sensation YouTube.com seems like a startup straight out of Silicon Valley central casting. A year ago, co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen were in between jobs, a pair of twentysomething geeks running up big credit card debts as they tooled around a garage trying to develop an easy way for people to share homemade videos on the Web.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, April 12 2006

Microsoft Releases Three Windows Patches

Microsoft Corp. released three critical patches Tuesday for its Windows operating system, including one to fix an Internet Explorer browser flaw that had already been exploited in some Internet attacks. The critical patches — deemed by Microsoft to address the highest threats — fix flaws that could allow an attacker to take control of another person's computer without permission.

For more on this:-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 11 2006

Pump-and-dump Spam Works

2006-04-12T15:44:00.000+08:00

Pump-and-dump Spam Works

Pump-and-dump stock spam works, a pair of German researchers said Thursday as they presented findings at a security conference taking place in Vancouver, Canada.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 7 2006

Oracle Server flaw sparks warning

A software security expert warned users of Oracle Server that a software flaw could allow any user to read, modify, and delete data used by Oracle applications; he also says that Oracle may have unwittingly shown hackers how to exploit the previously unknown hole.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 10 2006

Google exploring new search technique

Google has launched a new search project with an Australian university student, designed to let people view more information per search result without having to click open every link.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet Technology, April 10 2006

MSNBC.com to test ad-supported mobile service

MSNBC.com will test an ad-subsidized news service for cell phones in a bid to gain a wider audience, the news Web site said Wednesday.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet Technology, April 5 2006

United Online to buy MyPoints.com from UAL

Low-cost Internet provider United Online Inc. said on Monday it agreed to buy MyPoints Inc., the travel and consumer rewards program owned by United Airlines parent UAL Corp., for about $56 million in cash.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 11 2006

Beijing Email User Sues Shanghai Spammer

Upset about the endless spam coming into her email inbox, a Beijing woman surnamed Wang is suing the spammer in the first Beijing court case about unsolicited commercial email.

For more on this:
-read full story from ChinaTechNews.com, April 10 2006

Email Accounts In China Will Reach 500 Million In 2010

A newly-released research report shows that China's total free and paid email accounts reached 270 million in 2005, an increase of 29% over the previous year.

For more on this:
-read full story from ChinaTechNews.com, April 7 2006

14 Chinese Websites Advocate Civilized Online BehaviorFourteen websites in China have together put forward proposals regarding the healthy management of their online domains. The 14 Chinese website companies are Qianlong.com, Sohu.com, Sina.com, Netease, Tom.com, China.com, Baidu.com, Ynet, Zhongsou.com, Xilu.com, Xici.net, Yahoo, Hexun and Daqi.com.

For more on this:-read full story from ChinaTechNews.com, April 10 2006

Newspapers sign on to syndicated blog service

2006-04-10T15:10:00.000+08:00

Newspapers sign on to syndicated blog service

A syndication service that delivers commentary from 600 bloggers for use by newspaper publishers is set to launch on Tuesday, further blurring the lines that divide blogs and mainstream media.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 9 2006

Cell Phone Industry Steps Closer to VoIP

Wojtek Felendzer held a mobile phone to his ear as he walked across the room, the call automatically switching behind the scenes from a Wi-Fi wireless hotspot to the regular cellular network.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 9 2005

Now Starring on the Internet: YouTube.com
Internet video sensation YouTube.com seems like a startup straight out of Silicon Valley central casting. A year ago, co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen were in between jobs, a pair of twentysomething geeks running up big credit card debts as they tooled around a garage trying to develop an easy way for people to share homemade videos on the Web.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 9 2006

Business Objects unveils new Web-delivered software

Business Objects SA will introduce a Web-based version of its database marketing software on Monday, the latest company to push into the fast-growing market for applications delivered over the Internet.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, April 9 2006

Microsoft readies searches to rival Google

Microsoft confirmed through its public relations firm Friday that it is readying two new searches -- Windows Live Product Search and Windows Live Academic Search.

For more on this:
-read full story from Infoworld.com, April 7 2006

Is Microsoft playing well with others?

At last year's LinuxWorld, Microsoft executive Bill Hilf stalked the stage dressed as a "Star Wars" storm trooper. This time, he tried a friendlier tack to charm the Linux faithful.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet Technology News, April 7 2006

Sendmail may turn tools over to open source

Sendmail, whose products are built on the software that delivers many e-mail messages, may release some substantial new technology as open source.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDNet Technology News, April 7 2006

Google wins SF wireless gig

Google has won the contract to operate San Francisco's municipal wireless network, in conjunction with Earthlink. San Francisco's mayor Gavin Newsom has described Wi-Fi as "a basic human right" - sort of like gay marriage, but for nerds.

For more on this:
-read full story from The Register, April 6 2006

AMAX Enters Appliance Business With E-Mail Server

2006-04-07T18:19:00.000+08:00

AMAX Enters Appliance Business With E-Mail Server

AMAX Information Technologies is offering VARs a mail server appliance based on its own e-mail software. The system builder and distributor is showing off the device at the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose this week. The Winmail e-mail server is aimed at small business and SOHO customers -- those that want an e-mail server "but don't need the complexity of [Microsoft's] Exchange," said James Huang, product marketing specialist at AMAX, Fremont, Calif.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 4 2006

Symantec Addresses IM Security, Compliance

Symantec released Monday a new version of its IM Manager designed to shore up vulnerabilities in instant messaging networks and address compliance issues.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 3 2006

Privacy complaint over Yahoo's mail leak

A complaint has been laid with Hong Kong's privacy commissioner alleging that the local arm of internet giant Yahoo provided information that led to the jailing of mainland journalist Shi Tao.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP, April 1 2006

Yahoo improves My Web

Yahoo was set to unveil on Thursday enhancements to its My Web service that lets people archive search results and share the links with each other. Now, users will be able to share interesting Web links not just with people who use Yahoo 360, but anyone, the company said.

For more on this:
-read full story from CNET News.com, April 6 2006
RIM To Offer Yahoo Services On The Blackberry

Research In Motion Inc. on Wednesday said it plans to add Yahoo Inc. Web services to the BlackBerry, including email, instant messaging and search. Later this year, new BlackBerries will include icons that will give users of the mobile device single-click access to Yahoo services from the Blackberry's main screen, a Yahoo spokesman said. Current BlackBerry users will be able to download the services in a couple of weeks.
For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, April 5 2006

Instant Messaging Is The Enterprise's Achilles Heel: Report

When it comes to security, the enterprise's Achilles Heel is instant messaging, and overall, IM-related threats are increasingly dangerous because IM has become nearly ubiquitous in both corporations and the home.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 5 2006

Microsoft Gains, Apache/Linux Declines in Web Server Market

Microsoft Corp. took a big chunk of the Web server market this month at the expense of Apache running on Linux, as a major domain registrar moved to the Windows platform, a research and security firm said Thursday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 6 2006

Collaborate online with Vyew

Web site Vyew (think view) lets you collaborate in real-time with other users in a web based meeting room. You can either start an anonymous meeting (requires no registration) and invite up to 2 users, or, if you go through the free registration, you can invite up to 20 participants and get a few other members-only benefits.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 6 2006

Google faces rivals for city Wi-Fi project

2006-04-03T18:27:00.000+08:00

Google faces rivals for city Wi-Fi project

As San Francisco leaders near a decision on who should build and operate a citywide Wi-Fi network, an experienced municipal wireless provider and a nonprofit group working with two IT heavy-hitters appear to remain in the fray along with Google and partner EarthLink.

For more on this:
-read full story from infoworld.com, April 3 2006

Phishers set hidden traps on eBay

With about 181 million users worldwide, eBay is arguably the world's most popular online marketplace. As such, the San Jose, Calif., company, with its online payment unit PayPal, is among the biggest targets for online scammers--including phishers.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDnet Technology News, March 31 2006
Microsoft aims to take the desktop 'Live'

Microsoft started testing Windows Live Mail Desktop this week. It will let people manage their Hotmail--or e-mail from other accounts such as Yahoo Mail and Gmail from Google--offline without accessing a Web-based server. They still must connect to the Web to send and receive e-mail.

For more on this:
-read full story from ZDnet Technology News, March 31 2006
Unease over how the net is run
Internet governance issues usually attract the attention of a relatively small number of net users. However, concerns associated with the current system have begun to grow, writes internet law professor Michael Geist.

For more on this:
-read full story from BBC News, April 3 2006

Government sites fail web tests
More than half of government and council websites contain errors and cause problems for disabled people, research shows. Some 60% of UK government websites contain HTML errors, according to a study by the University of Southampton.

For more on this:
-read full story from BBC News, April 3 2006
China's 'Net policies in spotlight
China's booming Internet usage continues unabated, with latest figures suggesting that as many as an estimated 110 million Web surfers are on the mainland.

For more on this:
-read full story from BBC News, March 26 2006

US newspapers try to cash in on blogs
With a new blog created every second, some media futurists have predicted that "citizen journalists" will be producing half of the world's news by 2021. A number of newspapers are trying to cash in on the trend by creating online venues where bloggers can share local news and opinions.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo!News, April 3 2006
BEA seeks to modularize app server
BEA Systems is working to modularize services from its WebLogic Server application server, enabling them to run independently with open source frameworks, a company official said on Thursday.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, March 30 2006

Microsoft Rebrands FrontBridge Mail Services

2006-03-31T10:22:00.000+08:00

Microsoft Rebrands FrontBridge Mail Services

Microsoft is re-branding FrontBridge hosted e-mail filtering, archiving, continuity, and encryption services as Exchange Hosted Services. The company is positioning the hosted lineup as the "in-the-cloud" alternatives to its on-premise Antigen and Spam Manager offerings. Microsoft bought Sybari and its Antigen line just over a year ago and FrontBridge, Marina Del Rey, Calif., last August.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, March 30 2006

BEA seeks to modularize app server

BEA Systems is working to modularize services from its WebLogic Server application server, enabling them to run independently with open source frameworks, a company official said on Thursday.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, March 30 2006

Chunghwa plans to raise spending on Internet, advanced mobile services

Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan's largest phone company by revenue, on Thursday said it planned to spend more to expand Internet and third-generation mobile phone services, despite its uncertainty about adding more subscribers.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, March 31 2006

China Mobile turns to developing markets for expansion

China Mobile (Hong Kong) will look to developing markets to further its overseas expansion following the acquisition of China Resources Peoples Telephone, according to chairman Wang Jianzhou.

Fore more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, March 31 2006

Google plans to sell 5.3m more shares

Google plans to sell a further 5.3 million shares of its prized stock, hoping to raise more than US$2 billion (HK$15.6 billion) to finance its ambitious plan to expand beyond its Internet-leading search engine.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, March 30 2006

U.S. Demands Files From ISPs, Tech Firms

The Justice Department is demanding internal files from dozens of Internet service providers and other technology firms as it seeks to defend a controversial Internet child protection law.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, March 31 2006

EBay: patent office dismisses MercExchange claims

Online retailer Online retailer eBay Inc. on Thursday said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had upheld an earlier decision that a patent recorded by MercExchange was "obvious" and should not have been issued.

For more on this:
-read full story from Yahoo! News, March 30 2006

Yahoo Japan, SMBC agree on online banking tie-up

Yahoo Japan said it has agreed to team up with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) in Internet banking. Yahoo Japan will take a 14.9 percent stake in a new holding company to be set up by SMBC, Japan's third largest bank, which will put its 57 percent stake in Japan Net Bank, a leading online bank, into the venture.

For more on this:-read full story from Yahoo! News, March 30 2006

JBoss Opens Up Messaging, Web Servers

2006-03-30T17:58:00.000+08:00

JBoss Opens Up Messaging, Web Servers

Open source company JBoss Inc. added messaging projects for service-oriented architecture (SOA) on Monday in an effort to boost the company's JBoss Enterprise Middleware Suite (JEMS) into the enterprise market. JBoss Messaging, a standards-based messaging platform, aims to help enterprises communicate via computers. JBoss Web Server provides Web server capabilities for Apache Tomcat and JBoss Application users.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, March 28 2006

Social Networking Connects For Business
Social networking companies such as Friendster, MySpace, and Google's Orkut have been generating a lot of buzz lately about helping users connect with friends. But it's not clear if these sites are generating much income. Google, like Yahoo and its Yahoo 360 service, can afford to build its user base before making it pay off, but cash-strapped startups need a real business model.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, March 27 2006

Spyware And Adware Continue To Plague PCs
The characters who create and distribute spyware eventually reach a crossroads. Some clean up their acts, present themselves as adware aficionados, and do their best to legitimize questionable marketing techniques. Others continue their shady work on the sly. One major player reached a dead end: Adware pusher Claria last week revealed plans to exit the controversial business.

For more on this:
-read full story from messagingpipeline.com, March 27 2006

Internet growth cools, dependence rises

Growth in the use of the Internet has come off its sizzling pace, even as people become more dependant on cyberspace for work and leisure, a global survey showed on Wednesday. Ipsos Insight's annual "Face of the Web" study showed the global online population grew just 5 per cent last year, well behind the 20 per cent growth rate seen in 2004.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, March 30 2006
PCCW pleads patience for mobile unit

PCCW chairman Richard Li Tzar-kai says the group's struggling mobile unit needs time to turn a profit, but the firm has no intention of investing in 3G and broadband television to the point of losses. At his first appearance at the results briefing in three years, Mr Li said the company posted 2.5 per cent net profit growth to $1.6 billion for last year, below analysts' forecasts of $1.99 billion.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, March 30 2006

Microsoft updates e-mail protection

Microsoft is releasing new versions of its software packages for safeguarding and archiving e-mails and other corporate messages. Microsoft Exchange Hosted Services, which was known as FrontBridge Technologies before Microsoft acquired that company, comprise of four products that can help companies do things like minimise spam and viruses and archive messages for legal and regulatory requirements.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, March 30 2006

Blogs come under attack in Iran

On his last visit to Iran, Canadian-based blogger Hossein Derakhshan was detained and interrogated, then forced to sign a letter of apology for his blog writings before being allowed to leave the country.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, March 29 2006

Philippine Net users 'to more than double by 2008'

The number of Internet users in the Philippines was expected to more than double to 13.5 million by 2008, an information technology research firm said on Thursday.

For more on this:
-read full story from SCMP.com, March 30 2006