News

Time for InfoWorld Green 15 awards

Storm worm gets holiday boost

Christmas-themed spam and a long holiday season helped the Storm worm more than double it network of infected PCs

Update: Jeff Raikes to retire from Microsoft this year

Raikes, who as president of Microsoft's Business Division oversaw the Office Dynamics, and Exchange software lines, plans to retire in September

Oracle to ship critical security patches next week

In its first security update of 2008, Oracle will ship 27 bug-fixes that affect its database, as well as several other products

App dev skills hot, youth not

Microsoft to provide virtual access to Library of Congress

In a joint effort, Microsoft will provide the technology for the Library of Congress to allow visitors to virtually map out which exhibits they want to see

An IT headhunter with integrity?

Update: New York launches antitrust investigation of Intel

New York is investigating whether Intel violated antitrust laws by coercing customers to exclude its rival AMD from the worldwide market for PC CPUs

Colombian man pleads guilty to computer fraud

Man pleads guilty in identity theft scheme in which he installed keylogging software on hotel business center computers and Internet lounges to steal personal information

Update: Mitch Kapor to phase out involvement in OSAF

Open Source Applications Foundation announces a major funding and personnel shakeup

Microsoft acquisitions head Bruce Jaffe to leave

Microsoft's corporate VP for corporate development, responsible for the company's acquisitions and joint ventures strategies, will retire on Feb. 29

Ask.com names new CEO, president

Ask.com CEO Jim Lanzone quits to join a venture capital firm and is replaced by Jim Safka

Outing open source security flaws

Slouching toward Convergence 2.0

At CES 2008, the spotlight was on new mobile services, devices that connect to wireless broadband networks, and deals between content companies and computer vendors

Network Solutions stands by controversial name policy

Network Solutions is under fire for its policy of automatically registering some domain names that are the subject of searches on its Web site

Google Fellows discuss parallel processing model

Spam your printer from the Web? Researcher shows how

A researcher has found that exploiting a little-known capability present in most Web browsers could allow attackers to take over a network printer

Former OLPC CTO aims to create $75 laptop

Mary Lou Jepsen is hoping that Pixel Qi can utilize the technology she developed at OLPC to create low-cost, power-efficient computers and consumer electronics

Microsoft preps Vista to thwart rogue gadgets

Windows Sidebar Protection, which automatically disables malicious 'gadget' applets in Vista, has been classified a high-priority update

IBM exec: Information on Demand is coming together

In an interview, IBM's Ambuj Goyal talks about the progress the company has made on its Information on Demand strategy and which markets it's pursuing

IBM launches Retail Integration Framework

RIF will ease integration between legacy and packaged applications

Google employees trade on optimism

Digital music industry challenged to follow fans’ lead

At Billboard Digital Music Live conference, music industry executives discuss consumer-led changes and what they must do to stay relevant

Comcast welcomes FCC inquiry into traffic management

In response to complaints that it is intentionally slowing some P-to-P traffic on its network, Comcast said it would be fine with undergoing an FCC investigation

Vonage hopes new services will improve prospects

Having been battered by intellectual property lawsuits, Vonage is trying to rejuvenate its business with MyVonage servies and new hardware like the V-Portal router

Corporate interests, communism, and the greater good

Startup Frontline Wireless shuts down

Frontline was one of the major advocates of a plan to build a wireless network that emergency responders could share with commercial interests

Social networks challenged to remain relevant

Yahoo, AOL, and iMeem discussed at CES the next step for social networks as they continue to evolve and serve the changing needs of their communities

OLPC America to launch in 2008

OLPC America aims to distribute low-cost laptops to needy students in the United States

Vendors look to ease recycling costs on users

HP, Dell, and Sony are among the vendors pushing legislation that will make it easier for users to recycle their consumer electronics

Update: EU drops antitrust probe against Apple

Apple moves to equalize iTunes music download prices across Europe

OLPC developing dual-boot Windows, Linux OS for laptops

Microsoft is working with OLPC to put a dual-boot system on laptops aimed at kids in developing countries

Buyers’ guide to SIM

Yahoo tests support for OpenID

Yahoo appears close to implementing its OpenID Web authentication standard, which could provide a spark for broader support for the open-source project

New rootkit uses old trick to hide itself

Criminals have been installing a master boot record rootkit, known as Trojan.Mebroot, since mid-December

OLPC would welcome Intel back

OLPC says it is not anti-competition and never asked Intel to abandon its Classmate PC rival low-cost laptop

Stake in China HP for sale to the highest bidder

Hewlett-Packard's Chinese partner looks to sell a 30 percent stake and sets a minimum price of $133 million

For CPU power draw, trust Apple, not Intel

FCC chief: Switch to digital TV won’t be postponed

FCC chair Kevin Martin has confirmed that the February 2009 deadline to switch to digital TV is still in effect, meaning the 700MHz spectrum auction is also on schedule

Java panned, defended

Microsoft adds to Visual C++

Microsoft’s bid for FAST bolsters enterprise search

Microsoft's $1.2 billion offer for FAST marks the arrival of enterprise search as a software category, and analysts predict more consolidation and opportunities

Sprint insists its WiMax network is on track

Wireless provider claims that recent setbacks, including CEO's departure and end of major partnership, haven't affected company's plans

Qualcomm lawyers reprimanded in Broadcom case

Judge fines Qualcomm $8.6 million for withholding thousands of documents pertaining to lawsuit against Broadcom

Open source entering the mobile computing space

Companies like Wake3, Funambol, and Wind River look to use open source to bring iPhone-style capabilities and e-mail to mobile devices

Microsoft: Flaw could lead to worm attack

Microsoft's first set of patches for 2008 includes fixes networking flaws and Windows bugs

Report: IRS information security still poor

The latest GAO report shows that the IRS still has pervasive information security issues that place it at risk for fraud or the disclosure of sensitive information

Tech to change human behavior, big-time

Enterprises seeing Web 2.0 ‘explosion’

A quarter of the respondees to ChangeWave Research's survey said that they use Web 2.0-style social networking, and another 8 percent said they plan to implement it

Botnets: The new political activism

Security researchers find evidence of politically motivated botnet DOS attacks that appear to be tied to recent Russian and Ukrainian elections