News

Over 50 percent of companies fire workers for e-mail, Net abuse

Managers cite accessing porn, using offensive language in e-mail, and breaching confidentiality rules as grounds for firing, according to survey

Intel plans dual-core version of Diamondville

Dual-core Diamondville takes Intel into low-cost desktop market, competing with vendors such as Via Technologies, supplier of processors in sub-$300 desktops

Struggling Sprint offers unlimited talk, data, and Web access for $100

Sprint-Nextel's Simply Everything plan would offer unlimited voice, data, e-mail, and push-to-talk services for $99.99 per month

eBay settles patent dispute with MercExchange

Under terms of deal, eBay will purchase from MercExchange three patents that were part of the lawsuit, along with additional technology and inventions related to dispute

Google previews online medical data repository

Google showed off screenshots of its proposed Google Health e-health initiative, which provides a central place to store and exchange medical records

Too much SOA governance is a bad thing

Daily news beat for Feb. 28, 2008

Rights groups seek to intervene in Wikileaks case

EEF, ACLU, and others file brief in support of whistleblower Web site, citing First Amendment right to 'receive information and ideas'

NetSuite tries to encourage more apps through new dev suite

NS-BOS is aimed at enticing more ISVs to build vertical offerings on top of NetSuite's core platform

Does OOXML vote really matter?

Some experts believe there will ultimately be a merging of the OOXML and ODF document formats, while others fear OOXML adoption will lead to problem of duplicate formats

An old Visual Studio problem rears its ugly head in VS08

Sprint Nextel bleeds $29.5 billion, keeps losing customers

Sprint Nextel's battering in its fourth fiscal quarter was caused by a write-down from its 2005 acquisition of Nextel and a shrinking number of mobile subscribers

Storage vendors line up behind Windows Server 2008

Symantec Backup Exec, CA ARCserve, and FalconStor Message Recovery for Exchange have all been certified for the new Windows Server 2008 operating system

Health care organizations see cyberattacks as growing threat

Another pressure on health care organizations: Surprise HIPAA security audit from the feds

MySpace, Tudou join CCTV as Olympic partners

Social networking companies gain rights to offer Olympics-related content on their sites in China

The greenest ultraportable PC

Microsoft’s own Murphy’s Law

McNealy: Telcos falling behind in Internet race

Sun Chairman Scott McNealy says telecom companies need to go beyond just providing bandwidth and begin acquiring Internet destination sites that are heavily trafficked

PayPal warns: Steer clear of Apple’s Safari browser

Safari doesn't make PayPal's list of recommended browsers because it doesn't have two important anti-phishing security features

JotSpot re-emerges as Google Sites

Retooled hosted wiki service aims to be a simpler, more scalable, and less expensive alternative to products like Microsoft's SharePoint and IBM's Lotus Notes

Google transforms JotSpot into Web-site-building tool

Decision against Qualcomm in Nokia case stands

A judge with the ITC has decided to uphold an earlier decision denying Qualcomm's bid to have some Nokia phones banned from the U.S.

DOJ clears Oracle’s BEA acquisition

The U.S. government has approved Oracle's proposed $8.5 billion acquisition of BEA, though the deal still must be approved by the European Commission

eBay Red Team confab aims to help security officers

Company's annual Red Team conference allows CISOs to network, exchange ideas, and discuss areas of common concern

Update: Opera chooses Google as default search in mobile browser

Google has picked up another foothold int he mobile market as it is now the default search engine on Opera's mobile browsers, Opera Mobile and Opera Mini

Ballmer launches Windows Server 2008, lauds user base

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer claimed that IT workers are the heart and soul of the industry and claimed that Windows Server 2008 will 'enable the heroes'

Microsoft touts Longhorn security

The company says that a better firewall, IPv6 support, better onboard encryption, and network access protection make Windows Server 2008's security a primary selling point

Lawmakers debate mobile consumer rights bill

The proposed legislation would require mobile carriers to offer unsubsidized handsets, service with no early termination fees, and detailed coverage maps

Another unseen benefit to green IT equipment

Daily news beat for Feb. 27, 2008

Finjan finds illegal database with more than 8,700 stolen FTP credentials

Stolen data enables cybercriminals to upload malware to compromised systems more easily

Denmark: OOXML vote won’t affect public sector

Denmark considers OOXML an open standard, regardless of whether it is approved by the ISO

What’s really behind Microsoft’s promises to be more open

Debate on OOXML standard continues behind closed doors

After the meeting closes, national standards bodies each will have 30 days to decide whether to approve the revised text and seal OOXML's fate as an international standard

Microsoft tries to steer a better course on app development

Microsoft says it's now more responsive to user feedback; proof could be in big product launch

EC approves Acer’s buying Packard Bell

Acer gets the go-ahead for a takeover aimed at thwarting rival Lenovo from buying Packard Bell and gaining a foothold in the European market

Test Center preview: Inside Google’s Android SDK

Blockbuster year for mobile phones

More than 1 billion phones were sold globally for the first time in 2007, a 16 percent increase from 2006 sales

HP holds top spot in Indian PC market

As branded players get aggressive on pricing they are winning share in the Indian market, which is still dominated by assemblers of unbranded PCs

Google ad drop may not signal problems

Some analysts say the 7 percent decline in ad clicks — the second straight for Google — shows that business on the Web is slowing down

Update: EU fines Microsoft another $1.3 billion for antitrust abuse

Microsoft's latest punishment — for continued failure to honor the 2004 antitrust ruling against it– brings the total of fines to just under $2.6 billion

Microsoft’s high hopes for Windows Server 2008

Server revenue could slow in 2008, after strong 2007

Slower spending in 2008 could give a boost to initiatives such as consolidation of IT resources and virtualization

It’s a different world than when XP came along

Microsoft hopes Windows Server 2008 will overcome Vista resistance

Ballmer touts integration betwen Longhorn and Vista as a reason for IT to stop holding on to XP

Longhorn busts loose

Windows Server 2008, more than five years in the making, finally hits the streets

WaveMaker to ship upgrade to AJAX apps framework

Version 3.1.1 of the framework features form generation and will be available as both a commercial and open-source product

Verizon’s first open-network specs coming March 19

Verizon plans an 'Any Device, Any App' network that will be accessible via any device that meets basic criteria, and it will release version 1.0 of that criteria in March

MTI shows methanol fuel cell prototypes

Direct methanol fuel cells are easier to recharge and last longer in portable devices than traditional batteries

Mundie: Google owes business to Microsoft

Microsoft Chief Research and Stretgy Officer Craig Mundie says that Google's online success is due to Microsoft's success with the PC