The Conservative Party have offered a one million pound cash prize for developers that can create a website to ‘harness the wisdom' of the general public, in order to test Government policies
TECHNOLOGY POWERING BUSINESS
December 2009
Orange Touts High Definition Voice Quality
Orange is hoping to steal a march on its competitors in 2010 after announcing that the quality of its voice calls is to go 'high definition'
Apple Tablet Rumour Frenzy After iSlate Discovery
The rumour mill surrounding Apple's tablet device has gone into overdrive after reports suggested that Apple now owns the islate.com domain name
TJX Hacker Admits To More Hacking Charges
TJX hacking mastermind Albert Gonzalez is facing a longer stretch in prison after pleading guilty to yet more hacking charges
Microsoft Downplays Concerns Of IIS Zero-Day Bug
Microsoft is attempting to downplay concerns over a security vulnerability in IIS, and insists it would need an insecure configuration to be exploited
Security Worries Over Smuggled Mobiles In Prison
The number of illegal mobile phones and SIM cards in prison has trebled in just two years leading to concerns that they could be helping to fuel crime and terrorism
Escaped Prisoner Still Using Facebook To Taunt Police
An escaped prisoner continues to use Facebook to taunt British police for their inability to catch him over the Christmas break
Mobile Industry Downplays Cracking Of GSM Code
The mobile industry has downplayed worries that GSM phone users are now vulnerable to having their telephone calls intercepted
Nokia Takes Apple Complaint To Trade Commission
Nokia has extend its patent infringement claims to most of Apple's product portfolio after taking its case to the International Trade Commission
Palm Improves User Experience With WebOS Update
Palm has delivered a WebOS upgrade for its Pre and Pixi smartphones, which contains a number of fixes whilst promising an improved user experience
Government Reveals True Cost Of Filesharing Clampdown
The Government has revealed that its Internet piracy measures will cost consumers £500 million, or an additional £25 a year for each broadband connection
PC Industry Faces Memory Shortage In H2 2010
Analysts has warned of a potential shortage of Dynamic RAM (DRAM) chips, the most common form of computer memory, in the second half of 2010
Symbian Touts Capabilities In Face Of Rising Competition
The Symbian Foundation has touted the strengths of its mobile platform as it faces an increasing challenge from rival mobile operating systems
O2 Blames iPhone Demand For Network Failures
O2 has apologised for the problems with its network in London and has blamed the increasing use of smartphones, such as the iPhone
What’s Behind Google’s Nexus One Strategy?
Google will reportedly offer the Nexus One by invitation only, a strange strategy at a time when Android is fighting Apple's iPhone to gain market share
What Microsoft Must Do To Succeed In 2010
Microsoft had a relatively successful year. But 2009 is nearly history and Microsoft must look ahead to 2010
IBM Makes 2010 Smart City Predictions
IBM offers a series of five predictions about how cities will grow smarter and what technologies will aid in that transformation over the next five years
Survey Details Interrnet Surfing Habits
A survey finds US adults spend an average of 13 hours a week logged online
Rumours Suggest 5-Megapixel iPhone In June
A conference hall booking and an order for camera units - does this add up to Apple's iPhone 4G?
Kingston Adds Liquid Cooling To DRAMs
Liquid cooling, used to make servers greener, will be offered to hobbyists for faster plug-in DRAMs by Kingston
Escaped Criminal Uses Facebook To Taunt Police
The unsavoury side of Facebook has been exposed after an escaped criminal used it to taunt police, and the social networking site is also being cited in an increasing number of divorce cases
iPlayer Increasingly Used In Bed As Top Gear Dominates
Top Gear is one of the most watched programs on the iPlayer, and according to the BBC, people are increasingly taking their laptops to bed to watch it
WLAN Maker Meru Goes For IPO
Bucking the trend, WLAN maker Meru plans a stock market flotation in 2010 - but is the wireless LAN moving to the cloud?
Twitter Buys Location Service Provider
Twitterers will be saying what's happening... and where, with Mixer becoming part of Twitter
Apple Plans Major Product Launch In January
The rumour mill has gone into overdrive after reports said that Apple has booked a venue in California for a major product launch, slated for 26 January
Telefonica To Acquire Jajah For £129 Million
Telecom giant Telefonica has dipped into its cash reserves to acquire small Silicon Valley VoIP provider, Jajah, for $207 million (£129 million)
Microsoft Publishes Moonlight Patent Covenant
Microsoft has pledged not to sue end users developing third party distributions of Moonlight, after it published the patent covenant
Glide Beats Chrome OS – And Turns IE Into An OS
Transmedia has stolen a march on Google's Chrome OS with Glide, which turns Internet Explorer into a browser OS with its own storage
Open Source Resolution: Try Harder In 2010!
If Linux vendors are serious about displacing Windows, they could try harder, says Jason Brooks. How about a New Year's resolution to fix annoyances?
All I Want For Christmas Is An iPhone
Apple's 3G iPhone is the most popular handset in the United States, closely followed by the BlackBerry 8300 Series
Netbook Growth Expected To Slow Going Forward
2009 has been an excellent year for netbook sales, but one industry watcher has warned that growth will slow going forward
Vodafone Offers Free Internet For Christmas
Vodafone UK has entered into the Christmas spirit after it announced that it is giving away free internet access between Christmas and the New Year
BlackBerry Users Suffer Second Outage In A Week
Not again. BlackBerry users in North America have suffered a second network outage in seven days
Researchers Look To Body Heat As Power Source
Researchers have developed a device that “harvests” the waste heat from human bodies and converts it into usable power for wearable sensors
Latest OLPC Design Resembles Potential Mac Tablet
The tablet follow-up to the $100 laptop appears to follow a similar design to that mooted for Apple's rumoured touch-screen device
UN Secures IT’s Role In Limited Copenhagen Agreements
Even getting IT on the agenda at the UN talks was a "painful challenge" according to insiders
Obama Finally Appoints US Cyber-Security Chief
U.S. President Barack Obama has chosen Howard Schmidt to step into the role of cyber-security coordinator
Microsoft Facing Word Sales Ban In Jan 2010
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upholds lower court decision that orders world's largest software maker to stop selling its popular Word program effective Jan. 11.
HP Investigates African-American Facial Recognition Issues
Hewlett-Packard is investigating the facial recognition software used with some of its PCs after a YouTube video seemed to show it can't recognise African-Americans
Scareware On The Rise Over 2009 Says FBI
From serving malicious ads to poisoning search engine results for recently deceased actress Brittany Murphy, rogue antivirus operations have been going strong all year
Red Hat Announces 18 percent Q3 Rise In Profits
Red Hat reported financial results for its fiscal year 2010 third quarter, showing revenues up 18 percent
IT Firm Aims To Make Buildings Green
Telent plans to cut costs by making buildings smarter, uniting heating and lighting with IT, and modernising the facilities management Luddites
Testers Get Speedy Opera 10.5 Pre-Alpha
The pre-alpha version of the Opera 10.5 browser has been released, which Opera is claiming is up to seven times faster than the engine in Opera 10.10
Sales Of Mobile Devices To Almost Double In Five Years
Shipments of mobile devices, including smartphones, netbooks, and consumer electronics are expected to nearly double by 2014
Users Risk Christmas Penalty From Too Much Online TV
An increasing number of people are watching their favourite TV shows online, but are risking a penalty for excessive downloading
Apple Ships Firmware Update For Problem iMacs
Apple has issued a firmware update after complaints that some of its 27-inch iMacs were suffering from flickering screens
Companies Warned About Christmas Switch Off
If British businesses were to switch off their electronic equipment in empty offices during the Christmas period, they could save up to £110 million
IBM And Vodafone Use Mobile Tech To Combat Malaria
IBM and Vodafone are using SMS and web technology to manage the supply of anti-malarial drugs in Tanzania
Project Canvas Wins Provisional Approval From BBC Trust
The BBC Trust has given its provisional approval for the BBC to participate in Project Canvas, a video-on-demand service in conjunction with five other broadcasters
Wind-Powered Data Centre Launched in Illinois
Other World Computing (OWC) has become the first US data centre operator to run its entire operation using an on-site wind turbine
Hungary Backs Open Standards But Lags On Open Source
Hungary's decision to back open standards is seen as evidence that the government is ahead in adopting open approaches to IT, but some experts are skeptical about the announcement
BT Targets Olympic Deadline For NGA Rollout
The rollout of superfast broadband is ahead of schedule and BT has said it should be installed in 40 percent of homes in time for the 2012 Olympic Games
Dell Updates Inspiron Mini 10 Notebook
Dell will offer an updated Inspiron Mini 10 netbook in early January
Palm Releases Ares Mobile Development Tools Beta
Palm announces the public beta availability of Project Ares, which the company says is the first complete set of integrated mobile development tools hosted entirely in the browser
IBM Plans To Boost Cloud Tech In 2010
IBM will ramp up its cloud computing efforts in the messaging and collaboration market in 2010
Ford Turns Hot-Rods Into Hot-Spots
Ford says it will introduce the second generation of its Sync in-car connectivity system
Microsoft CFO Drives Off To GM
Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell will become the vice chairman and chief financial officer of General Motors in 2010, with plans to step down from his position at Microsoft on 31 Dec.
Twitter Makes A Profit Thanks To Google And Microsoft
Twitter is now making a profit thanks to two lucrative search deals with Google and Microsoft
E-Reader Content Deals Signal Increasing Competition
A number of content deals is pointing to an intensifying battle between the various makers of e-readers devices
Intel Readies New Atom Chips
Intel has unveiled its next-generation Atom chip platform, which will integrate graphics with the central processing unit for the first time
Windows 7: Looking Back On A Pivotal Year For Microsoft
With a lot riding on the acceptance of Windows 7 by both consumers and the enterprise, eWEEK looks back on the development of Microsoft's aggressive 2009 marketing campaign
Vodafone Opts Not To Trigger iPhone Price War
Consumer hopes of a price war for the ever-popular iPhone were dashed after Vodafone confirmed that it would not undercut its rivals
O2 Admits Data Network Failure
O2 has admitted responsibility for some iPhone users being unable to connect to the Internet over the past 48 hours, but has so far failed to resolve the problem
Cisco Helps Cops Capture Crooks With Video Cloud
The networking giant's technology is being used to underpin an online evidence repository developed by stun-gun maker Taser International
EU Breaks Down National Boundaries With Telecoms Rules
Borders no longer count when it comes to providing telecoms services across Europe says the European Union, with new rules covering broadband provision and file-sharing
Illegal File-Sharing Rife In UK, Claims BPI
Illegal file-sharing is as widespread as ever, despite plans for new government legislation to cut off pirates, but Rage Against the Machine proves there is still hope for legal downloading
Calls Emerge To Tackle Space Junk Problem
As space debris grew 13 percent in 2009, engineers and scientists are facing a daunting challenge: how to mitigate the dangers to the $200 billion-a-year satellite and launch industries
Details Emerge Of Latest Twitter Attack
The attack that took down Twitter on 17 Dec. used legitimate credentials to log in and redirect Twitter.com to a site purporting to be under the control of the Iranian Cyber Army
Avatar Movie Could Boost 3D TV Sales
As James Cameron's 3-D sci-fi epic "Avatar" lands in cinemas, Sony and 3-D cinema technology specialist RealD announce a partnership to bring that 3-D experience home via Sony's Bravia LCD HDTVs
Google Develops One-Click Translation Service
The newly added one-click translation feature of the Google Sites wiki application lets visitors automatically translate site content
Microsoft Delays Visual Studio 2010 For More Testing
Microsoft has decided to push back the launch of Visual Studio 2010 to take more time to address performance issues reported by testers
Ellison Sheds Light On Sun’s Future Strategy
Larry Ellison has said that once Oracle acquires Sun, it focus on the high-end market and leave the low-margin, high-volume server space to the likes of HP and Dell
VMware Survey Touts Virtualisation Benefits
A VMware survey has, somewhat predictably, touted the benefits that virtualisation can offer small to medium businesses
Cisco Closes $2.9 Billion Starent Acquisition
Cisco has strengthened its credentials in the mobile Internet space after it closed on the acquisition of Starent Networks
UK Government e-Borders Scheme In Disarray
The government's decision to gather personal data on every traveller into and out of the UK is under threat from EU rules concerning free movement
Nokia Brings Booklet 3G To The UK For £649
A netbook that is already expensive gets another £280 slapped on it, compared with the US price
Bluetooth Group Formally Adopts Low Energy Standard
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has quietly issued a new set of standards that will allow low-powered devices, such as watches or sensors, to use Bluetooth
Snowed-In Workaholics Turn To Video Conferencing
Vendors push video conferencing as a way for dedicated workers to overcome hazardous weather conditions
Astronomers Discover Earth-Like Exoplanet
Astronomers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have found a new exoplanet using ground-based RC Optical Systems telescopes
Intel To Launch Next-Generation Chips In January
Intel will launch its first 32-nm Core i3 and i5 processors, as well as new i7 chips, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month
Mobile Web Browsing To Overtake PCs By 2014
Within five years more users will access the Internet using mobile devices than via desktop PCs, according to Morgan Stanley's 'Mobile Internet Report'
Novell’s Mono Project Launches Moonlight 2.0
Novell's Mono Project has announced the release of Moonlight 2.0, an open source Linux implementation of Microsoft's Silverlight Internet application platform.
Iraqi Militants Hack US Predator Drones
Militants have hacked Predator drone feeds using software that costs less than $30, but US military officials insist hackers have not been able to disrupt the drone missions
Twitter Hacked By Iranian Cyber Army
Twitter was hijacked between 10pm and 11pm Pacific time on 17 December, and was replaced it by a screen which read: "This Website Has Been Hacked by Iranian Cyber Army"
CERN Embraces Huge Cloud For Scientific Community
The CERN laboratory in Switzerland, home of the Large Hadron Collider, is piloting the world's largest cloud computing environment for scientific research
Shuttleworth Steps Down As Canonical CEO
In a surprise move, Mark Shuttleworth the CEO of Canonical has announced he is stepping down to refocus his attention on cloud computing
Symantec Targets Mobile Devices With New Offerings
In a sign of the increasing proliferation of mobile devices in the workplace, Symantec has rolled out three solutions in order to secure and control them
Apple Silences Psystar With Permanent Injunction
Apple may well have finished off Psystar after it was granted a permanent injunction against the Mac clone maker
Smartphone Addicts Set To Cause Christmas Friction
Things could get tense in some households after a survey found that the majority of smartphone users are unlikely to get a real break from work over the festive period
Carphone Warehouse To Sell Nokia N900 After Christmas
Nokia's N900 tablet phone will be available from the Carphone Warhouse from 26 December and Vodafone in the New Year
UK Communities Awarded Free Wi-Fi Access
Communities across the UK have been awarded free Wi-Fi access, but BT has questioned the ability of wireless to plug holes in broadband coverage
Review: Sophos Endpoint Security and Data Protection 9
Sophos Endpoint Security and Data Protection 9 is a solid contender in the enterprise endpoint security market, with strong deployment and a streamlined management GUI
IBM Says Disability No Barrier To Career In Tech
IBM is pushing its equal opportunities policy but has been hit by anti-discrimination rules in the past
Oracle Set To Win Battle For MySQL
The standoff between Oracle and the antitrust regulators of the European Commission has finally been broken, according to knowledgeable sources, and that an agreement is imminent.
Microsoft Confirms MSN China Microblogging Site Plagarism
Microsoft publicly admitted that a MSN China microblogging site, Juku, improperly copied code from Taiwanese startup Plurk
Facebook Tops 100m Users In US
ComScore says Facebook had over 100 million users in the United States in November
Microsoft Launches Bing App For iPhone
Microsoft launched a Bing App for iPhone on 16 Dec, with similar functionality to its Bing for Windows Mobile application
Research Points To 2010 Tech Job Recovery
IT workers can expect to see more jobs open up in 2010, but companies are continuing to be cautious about staffing and spending, two recent studies show
Green Atom PC Launched To Tackle Digital Divide
Cherrypal, a socially conscious, green PC maker, introduces a $99 (£61) netbook with an Intel Atom processor
Bing And Google Grow At Yahoo’s Expense
Bing and Google continue to grow their respective market share in the search engine sector, mostly at the expense of Yahoo
Microsoft Settles Browser Dispute With EC
Microsoft has settled its long-standing dispute with the European Commission over the inclusion of Internet Explorer with Windows
UK Companies Still Fret Over SaaS And The Cloud
British companies are lagging in the adoption of SaaS compared to other countries, and they also remain cautious about using the cloud model for their business apps
FTC Slaps Intel With Anticompetitive Lawsuit
Intel's lawyers are set for a busy Christmas after the US Federal Trade Commission said it is suing the chip giant for hampering competition
JISC Issues ‘Top Tips’ For Green IT Department
With tough targets looming over carbon emissions, a list of simple steps has been compiled for IT departments looking to save energy
Google’s Android App Market Reaches 20,000
Google has seen a spike in apps being submitted to its Android Marketplace following the launch of Motorola's Droid, but it still lags behing Apple
HP: IT Will Never Return To Pre-Crisis State
Traditional spend and approaches to IT have been irreversibly changed by the financial crisis and IT departments must react accordingly, HP warns
HP Unwraps Cloud Computing Christmas Presents
Amid the Christmas markets and festive spirit of Hamburg, HP has taken the wrapping off new software designed to better integrate the management of physical and cloud infrastructure.
MPs Join Protest Over McKinnon Extradition
The Liberal and Conservative leaders protest outside the Home Office, while the Home Secretary says hacker Gary McKinnon must face charges
Ten Reasons Why Nexus One Could Out-Sell The iPhone
Google's Nexus One could be the first device to give the Apple iPhone a run for its money, mainly because it comes from another well-respected company and is not tied to a single US operator
Mobile Sales Flat in 2009, Says Gartner
Mobile device sales were flat in 2009, according to Gartner, but the firm predicts a boost in 2010, partly due to more aggressive smartphone pricing and shorter contracts
Sony Ericsson Intros Two New Green Handsets
Sony Ericsson has expanded its GreenHeart portfolio with two new environmentally friendly handsets
White House Agrees To Restore Bush-Era Emails
With the cooperation of the Obama administration, Executive Office of the President agrees to restore 94 days of missing Bush era e-mails
Analyst Questions Success Of Google Nexus One Mobile
Google is saying loud and clear what its intentions are for the Nexus One smartphone — the blogosphere just chooses to ignore it, says one analyst
HP Partners With Microsoft, Red Hat To Entice Sun Customers
HP, which has been aggressive in enticing Sun customers, is partnering with operating systems makers Microsoft, Novell and Red Hat in its efforts
Citrix Boosts Disaster Recovery For Microsoft Virtualisation
In its Citrix Essentials 5.5 for Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix is integrating its StorageLink Site Recovery feature, which gives user greater disaster recovery capabilities for their Hyper-V-based virtual data centres
Stratus Makes Cash Pledge For Fault-Tolerant Server
Stratus is so confident in its ftServer 6300, that it has pledged to pay $50,000 for any customer that experiences unexpected downtime
New Adobe Zero-Day Vulnerability Discovered
More bad news for Adobe after a new vulnerability affecting Reader and Acrobat has been uncovered, with attacks already under way
Spiceworks Updates Free Management Software
After witnessing an increased take-up of its free IT management software, Spiceworks has expanded its capabilities
Bloodhound Detector Sniffs Out Mobile Phones
A US company has developed the “Bloodhound detector” which apparently 'sniffs out' and locates mobile phones being used in restricted environments
Review: HP ProBook 5310m Design Smears System
The HP ProBook 5310m is thin and light, and offers business-class features and performance, but the unit is let down by some questionable design choices
IT: Do We Save The World – Or Save Our Jobs?
The IT industry believes that smart technology can reduce CO2 emissions, but Peter Judge wants to know: did they ask the CIOs whether they actually have the time and influence to do the job?
Review: Palm Pixi Is Worthy Successor To Centro
The Palm Pixi offers good integration with Microsoft Exchange and ActiveSync, but is let down by the unit's poor battery life and inconsistent performance
Microsoft Pushes Green Mapping Amid Copenhagen Talks
Tech giant Microsoft has joined the likes of Cisco and Intel, who are keen to bask in the green glow from the summit
Microsoft Admits Windows Mobile 7 Delays
The next version of Windows Mobile is supposed to finally take on the iPhone. By the time it gets here, will anyone care?
Nuance Close To Spinvox Buyout?
Nuance could be on the verge of a £92m buyout of British speech-to-text firm Spinvox, despite rumours earlier this year that its technology was bogus
Europe Talks Tough On Piracy and Copyright
Organised criminals are "freeloading on the ingenuity" of others, according to the European Commission
Analyst Names And Shames Two-Factor Security Failings
Gartner points out where strong two-factor authentication is falling short when it comes to preventing fraud and online attacks.
Apple Increases Integration Of App Store With iTunes
Apple has rolled out some aesthetic changes to the App Store in reaction to the service's popularity
Rival Adds To IBM’s Mainframe Legal Woes
Neon Systems is suing IBM, claiming Big Blue's anticompetitive behavior violated trademark laws and cost Neon business
Oracle Responds To EC Over MySQL Case
Oracle said that it "has engaged in constructive discussions with the European Commission regarding the concerns expressed by the commission about the Oracle/Sun Microsystems transaction".
UK Lags In Super-Fast Broadband Stakes
The UK is lagging behind in next-generation broadband (i.e. fibre), but is holding its own regarding penetration and price
MySQL Founder Takes On Oracle Over Acquisition
MySQL creator Monty Widenius has taken a hard line against Oracle getting its hands on the open source database
Apple Delays 27-Inch iMacs After Complaints
Santa will not be handing out the 27-inch iMac this Christmas, after Apple said it was delaying shipments of the machine
IT Plays Crucial Role During Recession, Finds Accenture
Businesses have heavily reliant on their IT infrastructure to see them through the worst of the economic downturn, a study from Accenture has found
Amazon Gets Flexible Over EC2 Pricing
Amazon has added flexibility to its pricing structure after launching an auction-style purchasing package for its EC2 cloud computing service
US And Russia In Talks To Prevent Cyber Arms Race
The US is in talks with Russia and the UN to improve Internet security and prevent the breakout of cyber warfare
TeliaSonera Readies 4G Network As O2 Conducts LTE Trial
Users in Scandinavia will soon be able to enjoy a 4G mobile broadband service while, in the UK, O2 announced its own LTE trial in Slough
Computer Reuse Standard Could Help Meet WEEE Aims
Computer waste experts are working on a re-use standard that could keep old electronic equipment out of landfill sites and help meet the WEEE
Personal Data At Risk After SQL Flaw Discovered
A SQL injection flaw on a social networking app developer site has compromised the security of users and could lead to identity theft
Carbon Trading VAT Fraudsters Net €5bn
Carbon credits are on their way in the UK - and if the system is open to fraud, companies are advised to get solid IT support in place
Motorola Droid Hacked Open, Sells Out In UK
The Motorola Droid landed in the UK, and sold out in hours. Meanwhile, US users have got access to features Verizon wanted to keep from them
Analyst Puts Brave Face On 2010 IT Spending
Over half of companies say IT budgets will remain flat or even decline in 2010, but Gartner is still optimistic about the potential of technology to ease the recession
Review: Iomega’s Low-Cost StorCenter ix2-200
Iomega's StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage, with improved iSCSI support, will serve small offices, departments and power users well as a network storage device.
EU Allows Local Language URLs
The process of making the web more inclusive rolls on with non-Latin letters allowed in website domains using the .eu suffix
Games Industry Reflects Wider Tech Sales Slump
The video game industry continues its sales slump as consumers cut back on purchases of hardware, software and accessories
Skype Beta Developed For Symbian/Nokia Smartphones
Skype is coming to Nokia smartphones, at least in a beta version
Google Demos Tree-Saving Tech At Copenhagen Talks
Google debuts a new technology at the climate change conference in Copenhagen that helps scientists track global deforestation
US Wants To Make It Easier To Develop Green Tech
US commerce secretary Gary Locke tells delegates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen that nations must stop subsidising the production and consumption of fossil fuels
Google’s Nexus One Phone Coming in January
Called the Nexus One, the Google phone is coming in January 2010 after Google admitted it had given employees devices to test
Palm Releases Mobile Development Platform For Testing
Palm has released a new mobile development platform, known as Ares, to a select group of developers
Senate Panel Approves E-Waste Bill
The US senate has given its blessing to legislation that will provide funding for the recycling of old IT equipment
Sun Ships Java EE 6 and Updated NetBeans IDE
Sun released version 6 of the Java Enterprise Edition, as well as new versions of its GlassFish web application server and NetBeans development tool
WiGig Offers 7Gbps Wireless Standard To Wi-Fi
Faster wireless could be on the shelves by Christmas 2010, if the new 60GHz standard takes off
Festive ‘Free’ Laptops May Be A False Economy
Users tempted by so-called 'free' laptops with broadband should remember, a 3G contract is for a year, not just for Christmas
Darling’s Broadband Sums Don’t Add Up
It would be good to get 90 percent of the UK on superfast broadband by 2017, as Alistair Darling promised this week, but Peter Judge can't see how he can afford to do it using the broadband tax
Privacy Comments By Google Boss Irk Mozilla Founder
Google CEO Eric Schmidt's rant concerning privacy concerns has prompted one of the founders of Firefox to urge users to switch to Bing
Apple Countersues Nokia In Patent Fight
As eWEEK Europe predicted earlier this year, Nokia's patent suit against Apple was just the first stage in a likely war
Dell Pushes Ahead With Converged Data Centre Strategy
Dell ups its game in the converged data centre market with new management software and a unified networking fabric based on 10GbE.
Yahoo Indexes Tweets In Search Results
Yahoo is indexing tweets on its search engine, but updates only appear minutes or hours after they are sent, long after Google's Twitter results which appear in real-time
Microsoft Cleans Open Source From Windows 7 Tool
Code which violated the GPLv2 licence has been removed from a Microsoft utility designed to load Windows 7 on netbooks
Apple iPhone Sales Reach 100,000 In China
Apple has sold around 100,000 iPhones in China through its partner China Unicom, but Apple is still in negotiations with China Mobile to expand the reach of the device
IBM Opens Cloud Data Centres In Pacific Region
IBM is opening two new data centres and a cloud computing laboratory in the Pacific region, looking to grow its market presence through greater cloud computing capabilities
Mobile Internet Users To Top A Billion By 2013
People's need of the Internet shows no sign of slowing, with an IDC report predicting that there will be one billion mobile Internet users in four years time
Americans Wolf Down 34GB Of Data Per Day
America's addiction to data has been revealed after a university reported that the average American consumes a whopping 34GB of data per day
Apple Tablet PC Expected March or April, Claims Analyst
Apple's rumoured tablet PC could be making an appearance sometime in the next four months, according to a research analyst
McKinnon Launches Fresh Bid To Halt Extradition
Hacker Gary McKinnon is launching a fresh legal challenge to the decision to extradite him to the United States
Japan Most Likely To Cut Emissions Using ICT
IDC has revealed which G20 nations have the ability to use Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to reduce their CO2 emissions
10 Email Security Lessons To Be Learned From Climategate
With climate change critics using hacked emails to discredit scientists ahead of COP15, eWEEK looks at what IT managers and security administrators can do to protect their own inboxes
Price War: Tesco Offers iPhone At £20 A Month
And with £222 up front, that works out at £462 over the one year contract.
Welsh Supercomputing Facility To Deliver Tech Jobs
More than 400 tech jobs could be created in a new supercomputing facility in Wales, which will focus on training and establishing links between academia and business
Experts Question Hungary’s Role As European Open Source Leader
Ingres claims the central European country should be an example to other states but Hungarian open source experts disagree
Acer Unleashes Latest Ferrari Formula One Notebook
Acer, a Ferrari Formula One team sponsor, looks to embody the sport's focus on speed, agility and high-tech performance with its newest Ferrari One notebook
Microsoft, IBM, Cisco Unite To Make Cloud More Accessible
IT vendors such as Cisco, HP, IBM, Microsoft, and EMC have joined the Enterprise Cloud Buyers Council,
Motorola Droid Beats iPhone In Gadget Review
The Motorola Droid smartphone tops Time's list of Top 10 Gadgets for 2009
Computer Monitor Maker Pleads Guilty To Price Fixing
Chi Mei Optoelectronics agrees to pay a $220 million (£135m) fine for participating in a worldwide conspiracy to fix prices
Google Breathes Life Into News Publishing With Living Stories
Google is working with The New York Times and the Washington Post on Living Stories, a news platform that streamlines topical news content on one page
Facebook Delivers Privacy Revamp
Facebook is asking its 350 million-strong user base to update their privacy settings after rolling out a number of new tools
Microsoft Confirms Office 15 Already In The Works
Office 2010 is only expected in six months time, but Microsoft has confirmed it already working on its successor
IBM Unveils New Mainframe Bundles for Linux
IBM is taking aim at high-end x86 systems after announcing new mainframe systems designed just for Linux
Intel Sees Big Hope For ICT’s Carbon Contribution
Only ten percent of computers have their power managed. It's time we did better, Intel's eco-tech manager told us, from the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen
Broadband Tax Approved In Pre-Budget Report
Chancellor Alistair Darling has confirmed in his Pre-Budget Report that the 50p-per-month bradband tax will be included in the Finance Bill
Government Urged To Support Online Retail As Stores Close
Shops are out of fashion, as Nokia closes its flagship store, Amazon denies any plans to open one, and the government comes under pressure to support online retailers
eWEEK Labs’ Top Products Of 2009
eWEEK Labs names the products that stood out in 2009, focusing on the ones that either provide significant innovation or make day-to-day life easier for IT professionals
Why Windows 7 Is Not One Of eWEEK’s ‘Products Of 2009’
Windows 7 was one of the biggest product launches of 2009, but a lack of true innovation has kept it off eWEEK Labs' "Products of the Year" list
Open Source Is Smart Choice For Business Intelligence
Analyst report points to growing interest in open source alternatives to traditional business intelligence tools
UK Leads Europe In E-commerce While Ireland Lags On Net Usage
Internet usage in Ireland is the lowest in Western Europe while the UK leads the way when it comes to e-commerce, supported by wider broadband access
Symantec Briefs Lords On Cyber Terrorism Threat
Security vendor Symantec is to present evidence to the House of Lords about the possible impact of natural disasters and cyber terrorism on the UK
Microsoft Tweets About End Of Windows XP Support
Microsoft has used blog postings and Twitter feeds over the past few days to remind users that support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows 2000 will expire in July 2010
Microsoft Floats New Server And Cloud Division
Microsoft forms a group that will focus on cloud computing and moving the lessons learned in the cloud into Microsoft's server products and vice versa
Apple Removes Apps Over Fake Review Claims
Apple pulls applications from its iPhone App Store after an accusation surfaces that the developer, Molinker, posted fake reviews about the mobile applications
Google Finally Releases Chrome For Mac And Linux
After a long wait, Google releases stable beta versions of Chrome for Mac, Chrome for Linux and Chrome extensions
US Fast-Tracks Green Tech Patents
Under a new pilot program, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office hopes to slice at least a year off the process for green technology patent applications
Oracle Adds To Governance And Compliance Apps
Oracle has beefed up its enterprise regulatory portfolio with new offerings for governance, risk and compliance
HP Targets SMBs With All-in-One PC Launch
HP has launched an environmentally friendly PC with a small physical footprint, for budget-conscious IT managers
IBM Offers Data Centre Monitoring Via The Cloud
IBM is giving IT managers the ability to monitor their data centre remotely thanks to Tivoli Live Monitoring Services
Samsung Reveals Bada Development Capabilities
Samsung has officially launched its mobile operating system, Bada, and is touting its developer friendly capabilities
Five Reasons Microsoft Should Be Worried About Android
Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS is likely to be among the hardest hit by the rise of Android, unless Mobile 7 proves to be the substantial improvement that Microsoft promises
Telehouse To Open Green Data Centre In London In 2010
A new green data centre in London's Docklands will provide heat energy to the surrounding housing developments
Smart Meters Allow Companies To Monitor Home-Worker Carbon
A new service could help businesses more easily include remote staff in carbon calculations
Cisco: Smart Grids Can Improve The World
Cisco claims smart grids can help improve the societal and economic problems around the world, but some experts have raised concerns about the security issues
Not Many Bugs Infesting Amazon.com Researchers Find
Amazon.com has fewer bugs on its Website than Wal-Mart or Target, according to a study by software-testing company uTest, which had 600 testers scour the sites in November
Most Phishing Scams Fail But Enough Succeed
New research from Trusteer shows that while the majority of phishing attacks are unsuccessful, those that slip past security defenses are costing millions
Google Reveals Details Of Mobile Goggles, What’s Nearby?
Real-time search ruled the roost at Google's search event at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California
VMWare’s Dominance Of Virtualisation Under Threat
While VMware is still the dominant virtualisation technology in the data centre, IT professionals are increasingly willing to consider alternatives
MIT Wins ARPANet Anniversary Competition
Using an inverse pyramid approach, a team from MIT captures the $40,000 (£24,400) first prize to locate 10 large, red balloons at undisclosed locations across the United States
Handset Makers Targeted With Commercial Android Platform
A commercial version of Android has been released to help industry players build Android-based devices and test them for market readines
Staff Increasingly Use Own Laptops At Work
More and more staff are bringing their own personal laptops into work, according to a study from analyst house Gartner
HP Teams Up With SAP To Ensure Business Uptime
HP has launched two new services designed to help businesses maximise the uptime of their critical IT systems
Bluetooth Group Slates Dongle Use
A “Ditch the Dongle” campaign has begun in order to convince users to use their Bluetooth-enabled handsets to connect to the internet
EC Has ‘Incorrect’ Facts Concerning Oracle-Sun Case
An open source legal expert has informed the European Commission that its concerns about Oracle's takeover of Sun are based on “incorrect” assertions
Review: Google Chrome OS Developer Edition
The developer edition of Google Chrome OS is almost identical to the Google Chrome web browser, providing an intriguing look into the world of web-only computing
Government Pushes Online Public Services Despite Net Cut-Off Plan
The government is pushing ahead with plans to make the Internet a key way to access public services while also threatening to cut off the net access of persistent file-sharers
EU Pushes On With Single European Patent Plan
One common European patent court could help cut £260m of costs from European companies according to the EU
Russia Accused Of Climategate Hack
As the climate change summit opens, a UN scientist has accused Russia of releasing the emails which sparked a scientific row
Microsoft Ties-Up Search Deal With Yahoo
Microsoft and Yahoo have finalised a deal in which Microsoft Bing will power Yahoo search
Google Risks Criticism With Personalised Search Expansion
Google risked drawing the ire of privacy advocates on 4 December by making its personalised search results available to all of its users, whether they are signed in or not
AppJet Open Sources EtherPad Following Google Purchase
AppJet has said it will open source the code to EtherPad and the AppJet Web Framework in an effort to quiet the irate chatter from users in the wake of Google's purchase of the startup
Apple Super-Sizes Its Big Mac Desktop
Apple has quietly rolled out super-sized options for its Mac Pro desktop, including a 3.33GHz Quad Core Intel Xeon 3500 series processor
Intel Delaying Larrabee Gaming Chip
Intel officials say they are delaying the “Larrabee” graphics processor that the company had hoped would compete with AMD and Nvidia GPU products
Oracle Denies Report Of MySQL Compromise
Larry Ellison has dismissed a report suggesting he would compromise over MySQL in order to allay European competition concerns
Adobe Warns Of Zero-Day Vulnerability
Adobe is investigating reports of a new security vulnerability with Illustrator, after attack code started circulating on the Internet
Bing Downtime Blamed On System Error
There were red faces at Microsoft after its search engine, Bing, suffered an embarrassing 30 minute outage on Thursday
Microsoft ‘Has Acknowledged The Enterprise Role Of Linux’
Three years on from Microsoft's deal with Novell, the real importance is coming through, says Novell's OpenSUSE community manager, Joe Brockmeier
Man Gunned Down During Laptop Robbery
A man has been killed after being shot during a robbery in Manchester for the laptop and cash he was carrying
Motorola Droid Nears UK Release
Motorola's Droid handset, or Milestone for us Europeans, is to be launched on Monday, but so far no major UK operator has signed up for the device
IBM Takes University Data Centre Off The Grid
IBM has taken Syracuse University's data centre off the electric grid, thanks to tri-generation, which burns gas to provide heating, cooling and electricity in one
Microsoft-Backed Green Search Engine Attacks Google
Ecosia is being endorsed by the WWF and billed as an "eco-friendly" search engine but it is also based on Microsoft technology
Skype For SIP Beta Opens Up For Public Use
Businesses now have the opportunity to integrate Skype's VoIP services into their corporate telephone systems, after Skype for SIP opened to the public
Sustainable Use Of Storage Hitting Sales
Gartner reports that worldwide external disk storage revenue totaled more than $3.9 billion (£2.34bn) in the third quarter of 2009, a 7.3 percent decline from the same period in 2008
Google Launches Own Free Domain Name System
Google Public DNS, Google's own free Domain Name System, is an attempt to make Web pages load faster at a time when millions of users are accessing the Web several times a day, triggering multiple DNS requests and bogging down the Web ...
Microsoft’s Battle With EC Could Conclude This Year
Microsoft will have a new European Commission Competition Commissioner in mid-January 2010, as Neelie Kroes steps down to take another position within the EU law enforcement body
EFF Sues US Department Of Justice Over Twitter Searches
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Berkeley's Samuelson Clinic have sued the Department of Justice and five other government organisations for cloaking their policies for using Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to i ...
Cisco Pushes On With Tandberg Purchase
Cisco is moving ahead with the $3.4 billion purchase of Tandberg despite not getting control of the desired 90 percent of shares
Businesses Urged To Power Down At Christmas
Switch off those idle servers. British businesses are being urged to power down their non-essential equipment over the Christmas and New Year break
Intel Reveals 48-Core Chips For Cloud Data Centres
Intel says its experimental 48-core “single-chip cloud computer” will greatly improve performance and efficiency in future data centres
Microsoft Offloads Two Enterprise Products To Rocket
Microsoft is keeping its reasons to itself over the decision to offload two enterprise products to a software development company
Green IT and more (Part IV) – Changing Staff Attitudes and Taking Action
The time has come to get your hands dirty (well, green) and take action. This part is packed with ideas and inspiration for steps that you and your organisation can take towards a more sustainable future.
Nokia Promises Symbian Overhaul In 2010
Nokia has said it will improve Symbian next year after concerns the mobile operating system is falling behind the likes of Apple and RIM
Microsoft Adds Street Imagery To Bing Update
Microsoft is updating its search engine and the new Bing Maps application will now include Streetside imagery similar to Google's Street View
Microsoft Leaves Users Hanging Following Black Screen Of Death
Microsoft has been reluctant to take responsibility the Black Screen of Death case, leaving users to deal with softaware and hardware problems on their own
CIOs Predict US Recruitment Surge in 2010
Increased workloads and expectations for new projects will lead to an increase in IT hiring in 2010, according to a survey by Robert Half Technology
Extreme To Help Businesses Virtualise Data Centres
Extreme Networks will outline its strategy for helping businesses migrate data centers from physical infrastructures to virtualised environments
Cameroon Is Most Dangerous Web Domain, Says McAfee
Attackers are using Cameroon's .cm domain name as part of typo-squatting schemes to infect users with malware, according to McAfee's Mapping the Mal Web report
IBM Includes Other Vendors’ Kit In Data Centre Containers
IBM follows other vendors into the mobile data centre market - and its shipping containers don't have to hold IBM kit
Ten Ways To Stay Safe This Christmas
Christmas may be a time of goodwill towards all men, but Unisys has come up with ten ways to beat the cheats and stay safe during the festive period
Cisco Expands SMB Push With New Offerings
Cisco continues to chase the SMB sector after expanding its small business portfolio with new networking, security and collaboration solutions
Psystar Agrees to Pay Apple Millions Over Lawsuit
In a settlement deal, mac clone maker Psystar has agreed to pay Apple millions of dollars in damages, but it seems that the legal fighting is not over yet
SAP Delays Maintenance Fee Price Rise
In a bit of good news for its users, SAP has said it will delay the price hike for maintenance fees until early 2010
Mandelson’s Cut-Off Plan Could Hold Back Innovation
Content producers should be pushed to embrace legitmate downloads or risk undermining the roll-out of UK broadband, says Andrew Donoghue
IT Could Help Meet G20 Carbon Targets, Says Analyst
IT could help the world hit targets for cuts in CO2 emissions by 2020, say analysts amid calls for more attention on tech at the UN talks in Copenhagen
Home Secretary Accused Of ‘Spineless’ McKinnon Decision
Gary McKinnon's Conservative MP has attacked the Home Secretary's decision to allow the extradition of the hacker who is "suicidal and sectionable"
Security Company Accepts Updates Unrelated To Windows Black Screen
Prevx has backed off of claims that Microsoft patches are contributing to a Black Screen of Death condition being experienced by some Windows users
Climate Unit Appoints Replacement Director
As Professor Phil Jones steps down from the beleagured Climatic Research Unit, the new acting director tells eWEEK the work will go on
Microsoft Denies Security Patches Caused Black Screen Of Death
Microsoft is contending that the reports circulating of a Black Screen of Death are not due to the security updates the company issued in November
Cisco Extends Deadline For Tandberg Purchase
Cisco pushes back the deadline for deciding whether to push forward with its $3.4 billion (£2bn) bid for video conferencing rival Tandberg
Nokia Sues Monitor Makers Over Price Fixing
Nokia has filed lawsuits against liquid crystal display and cathode ray tube makers that it alleges were involved in price fixing for a decade
Microsoft Bows To Blog Pressure Over Pro-China Bing Results
Microsoft claimed to eWEEK that it had fixed a controversial "bug" that made Bing Image Search deliver pro-Chinese-government results in response to politically sensitive queries
Cisco Helps Amsterdam Get The Dope On Carbon Emission
Networking giant Cisco is helping the city of Amsterdam provide detailed information on carbon emissions to its residents
Private Clouds Present Investment Opportunity, Says Gartner
Enterprises will invest more money in private cloud environments as the public clouds mature, according to Gartner, but eventually private and public clouds will unite to form hybrid environments.
Mandelson and IBM Say Analytics Will Make A ‘Hell Of A Lot’ of Jobs
IBM promises a flood of jobs from business analytics, while Lord Mandelson admits to failures in supporting Britain's techies
Google Looks To ‘Air Wands’ For Data Centre Cooling
Google's patent application for a new cooling method for its servers gives a rare insight into the workings of its data centres
Developer Ponders Release of Linux Malware
The lack of malware on Linux may be about to change after a developer admitted he has developed a 'package of malware for Unix/Linux'
Vibration Energy Touted As New Power Source
Within the next five years, mobile phones could be powered by kinetic energy harvested from vibrations in the environment, according to British scientists
Government’s New ICT Strategy Could Save £3.2bn
UK public services will be delivered via a government cloud and app store, with an emphasis on green IT and open source - according to a leaked five-year plan
Bit.ly Partners With Security Companies To Combat Short URL Hacks
Bit.ly, a URL shortening service popular among Twitter users, is partnering with VeriSign, Websense and Sophos to add a new level of security
Latest Ruby On Rails Web Development Framework Released
The Ruby on Rails community releases Rails 2.3.5. Version 2.3.5 of the Ruby on Rails Web development framework features improved support for Ruby 1.9 and more
IBM Confirms Guardium Security Acquisition
After initially refusing to comment, IBM gives in and confirms reports that it is acquiring Guardium
Starent Settles Lawsuits Blocking Cisco Purchase
Starent Networks, which Cisco Systems wants to buy for $2.9 billion (£1.8bn), settles one of several lawsuits seeking to block the sale
New Competition Commissioner Won’t Change Oracle Sun Case
The EC is due to make a decision on whether to sanction Oracle's $7.4 billion acquisition of Sun on 27 Jan 2010, so Oracle can continue to do business in Europe.