News

Microsoft buys 3D company for Virtual Earth

Caligari's 3D modeling software could help enrich the graphics experience in Microsoft's Virtual Earth mapping system

Samsung shows latest Ultra-edition handset

Samsung's 'Soul' phone is a slider-type handset with an eye-catching touch panel under the display

You don’t know tech: The InfoWorld news quiz

Match your weekly tech news wits against our snarky quiz master

First Google Android phone to debut next week?

Report says British chipmaker ARM will debut first phone to use Android platform at next week's Mobile World Congress

Technorati CEO sees opportunity in the changing Web

In an interview, Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra talks about executive upheaval, expansion plans, and the future of the company

Antivirus company’s Web site downloads … a virus

The download section of AvSoft's S-cop Web site has been hacked and is being used to install malicious code on visitors' computers

Microsoft to end digital downloads for Vista upgrades

Starting February 20, Microsoft is cancelling the downloadable Vista upgrades in the Windows Anytime Upgrade program and shifting them to DVDs

Microsoft responds to “Save XP” petition

Company says it will listen to customers, cites earlier XP extension

Civil liberties groups sue over device searches

Lawsuit follows request for Department of Homeland Security to detail policies for searching laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, and other electronic devices

CEO Jim Whitehurst pilots Red Hat into future

Red Hat's new leader talks about plans for JBoss, Red Hat's evolution, Microsoft's patent claims on Linux, and more

Intel, STMicroelectronics double the density of PCM

Phase-change memory could one day replace flash memory chips in portable devices as it is more reliable, faster, and more durable

Licensing organization files patent suit against Intel

Foundation says Intel Core 2 Duo chips use a University of Wisconsin, Madison-patented invention without permission

Microsoft readying slew of critical updates for next week

Next Tuesday will see Microsoft release one of its largest-ever update bundles, including seven critical fixes for Windows, Office, and Internet Explorer

VCs still hot on security

Due to increasingly sophisticated attacks and stringent compliance demands, companies are boosting spending on IT security, making the segment attractive to VCs

Patent reform debate heats back up

Large tech companies have renewed their push for patent reform legislation in Congress

Cobra language slithering to open source

The Cobra .Net-based project aims to offer the best features of multiple languages

9 steps to a virtual oriented utility strategy

Update: Major vendors join OpenID board

IBM, Google, Microsoft, VeriSign, and Yahoo give a boost to OpenID Foundation's efforts to simplify the process of signing into Web sites

‘Modu’ mobile can transform into a new phone

Instead of buying a new mobile phone every couple years, Modu lets customers slide a new external casing over the core phone

Technology gets chic

The Boston Museum of Science demonstrates that the IT industry can be in vogue during a fashion show that blended technology with threads

Middle East cables will be repaired by Sunday

Flag Telecom says damage to two cables that disrupted Internet and other communications to the Middle East and India will be repaired by Sunday

India targets infrastructure management services

Indian outsourcers aim to more than double revenue from the market for remote infrastructure management services to $15 billion by 2013

Access shows browser widgets for cell phones

Japan's Access has developed a widget system for the latest version of its NetFront browser that can be used on cell phones

Windows Server 2008 may be victim of Vista effect

Facebook links up with Vodafone on mobile platform

The Facebook for Mobile Operators platform is designed to make Facebook's social networking app work better on portable devices

Google Apps edition bypasses the IT department

IT managers who object to employees using unauthorized software at work have another tool to worry about: Google Apps Team Edition, which requires no IT participation to implement

Cape Clear ESB vendor acquired

Sun’s Schwartz cites MySQL’s growth rate as incentive

Speaking at SugarCRM conference, the Sun CEO touts MySQL's open source model and growth rate

Vista SP1, Server 2008 RTMs leak to Web

The final versions of both operating systems hit BitTorrent tracker sites Wednesday, several weeks ahead of their anticipated commercial release dates

Apple fixes critical QuickTime bug

The flaw in QuickTime's Real Time Streaming Protocol had been worrying security researchers for close to a month

Zimbra customers spooked by Microsoft’s Yahoo bid

Zimbra users fret that the open-source competitor to Microsoft Exchange will be shut down if Microsoft successfully buys Yahoo

Yahoo still mulling its options, Yang says

Yahoo is said to be 'lukewarm' on Microsoft's buyout offer and is hoping a counteroffer or even a deal with Google will emerge that will allow it to stay independent

Autonomy adds virtualization to e-discovery

Autonomy's ZANTAZ division says its software is now capable of finding information stored in virtual environments

Update: Global reach helps Cisco post strong Q2 earnings

Recession worries have so far not touched networking giant, which posted sales increase of 16.5 percent for quarter ended Jan. 26

Ruby.Net lead backing alternative

Tech CEOs push for green computing

Newer technology allows for a decrease in energy consumption both inside and outside the IT world, leading tech CEOs to promote IT as part of an overall green agenda

Time Warner to split AOL Internet business

AOL will be divided into two businesses — one for Internet access, one for audience — which is part of an overall Time Warner strategy of divesting from the access business

3 safeguards for securing ActiveX controls

Security pros: Kill ActiveX

Wave of IE plug-in bugs prompts US-CERT to recommend disabling ActiveX

Danish ISP may fight order to fence in The Pirate Bay

Tele2 was ordered to shut off access to The Pirate Bay file-sharing search engine, but plans to meet with other telecom companies to decide whether to challenge the ruling

IBM adds fuel to Information on Demand strategy

First result of IBM's acquisition of BI vendor Cognos is the unveiling of an array of product offerings and services that tie into Big Blue's Information on Demand strategy

Microsoft, BT host aspiring developers

Adobe fixes undisclosed vulnerabilities in Reader

Adobe has not given out details of the fix, which could indicate the vulnerabilities are serious and could result in a compromised PC, security expert says

India emerges as fastest growing market for SAP

SAP more than doubled its number of customers in India from a year earlier

Defining SOA governance twice and for all

India’s IT market to reach $24 billion by 2011

Despite fears of a global recession India is showing rapid growth, with Indian firms increasing their IT budgets an average of 13 percent this year

Fujitsu launches global WiMax business

Fujitsu enters the WiMax market with three BroadOne base stations

Attackers zero in on Yahoo Jukebox’s ActiveX flaw

Flaw in an ActiveX control used by Yahoo's Music Jukebox allows attackers to install software and malicious files on the victim's computer

Dell tries to patch up support for enterprises

Dell's ProSupport is a more customizable program that can be tailored to buy specific support modules depending the customer's products and services support needs

Apple beats Microsoft, Motorola in Q4 phone sales

Research in Motion had the largest share of the converged-device market in the United States in Q4, followed by the iPhone and Windows Mobile devices