No bangs, just whimpers. The year 2008 started with a bang up in Seattle – or it would have, if the city's fireworks show had gone off as planned. Instead, a glitch in the software running the pyrotechnics forced the technicians to reboot their computer several times. The show finally started six minutes into the new year, but then from only one side of the Space Needle. And yes, the computer was running Windows No bangs, just whimpers. The year 2008 started with a bang up in Seattle – or it would have, if the city’s fireworks show had gone off as planned. Instead, a glitch in the software running the pyrotechnics forced the technicians to reboot their computer several times. The show finally started six minutes into the new year, but then from only one side of the Space Needle. And yes, the computer was running Windows. No word whether delays were caused by having to Confirm or Cancel each explosion. Sears: Where Spying Begins. There’s a new player in the spyware game: Sears. According to researchers at CA and Harvard, Sears customers who sign up to join My SHC Community at Sears.com end up installing software that records all of their Web activities and sends them onto Sear’s partner in data snooping, ComScore. Info gathered includes secure online banking and shopping transactions, email headers, and even how fast you type. Worse, Sears actually has two privacy polices regarding its tracking software — a vague one for people who haven’t yet installed the spyware, and a more explicit one for those whose PCs are already under surveillance. I understand Sears will be rolling out a similar plan in retail stores: Along with your next Lady Kenmore dishwasher, you’ll be able to buy a service plan where a repair tech comes to your home and peeks through your windows.Bhutto the empire slayer. Seems like the mainstream media is still struggling to get the hang of them Internets. Example du jour: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 19 year old son of slain Pakistani leader Benizar Bhutto. In their rush to get facts about the new leader of Pakistan’s opposition party, newspapers and TV stations quoted from Zadari’s Facebook profile. Problem is, it was a prank profile containing quotes lifted from “West Wing” and an homage to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” To my colleagues in the MSM, I have just one word: Google. Use it or lose it. Got more news of a tech nature? Lay it on me bro or post it below. Top tipsters qualify for cool stuff of a swaggish nature.Think you’ve got the right stuff to pass our tech quizzes? They’re not as easy as they look: • The InfoWorld News Quiz • Test Your Geek IQ • Test Your Network Security IQ Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business