Yahoo! and IBM offer free enterprise search
by Brian TurnerYahoo! and IBM have teamed up to deliver a free enterprise search application for SME’s.
The IBM OmniFind Yahoo! Edition will apply IBM’s search technology but use an interface from Yahoo!.
The aim is to undercut products from rival companies such as Microsoft and Oracle, by delivering it for free to companies unwilling or unable to spend [...]
Apple iPhone delayed as iTunes crashes
by Brian TurnerExpectations that Apple may announce an iPhone in January may be dashed.
Suggestions and rumours that Apple were going to launch an “iPhone” with Motorola – a mobile device merging phone and iPod technology – have been alive for years.
Speculation became heightened that the long-awaited device would see a launch at this coming January’s MacWorld Expo.
This [...]
December 12, 2006
IBM writes faster than Flash memory
by Brian TurnerIBM have developed a memory chip that is 500 times faster than Flash memory.
It also uses only one half the power to write it as well.
The results were achieved using Phase Memory, which developers at IBM, Macronix and Qimonda, hope will be the successor to Flash.
Additional storage is going to be a prime requisite in [...]
Microsoft pushes VoIP in Communications Server 2007
by Brian TurnerMicrosoft has added VoIP to the list of applications to be supported by its Office Communications Server 2007.
It represents the latest in a string of core enterprise applications to be added to the server, such as audio & video webconferencing, plus support for applications from non-Microsoft companies, such as Siemens, NEC, Nortel, and Avaya.
A beta [...]
RIM sues Samsung over Black
by Brian TurnerResearch in Motion (RIM) – the company behind the iconic Blackberry – is taking Samsung to court after the rival company released rival products, branded with “black” in their name.
Proceedings were filed after Samsung released two products targeted at the same high-end markets as the Blackberry.
The BlackJack, and Black Carbon, are both smart phones released [...]
US uni hacked for a year
by Brian TurnerThe University of California, Los Angeles, has sent out warnings to nearly 1 million students and staff that their personal details may be in the hands of criminal gangs.
It comes after the discovery that the UCLA’s central database had been hacked into since October 2005 – and the intrusion wasn’t discovered until the end of [...]
Laptop security increased via Gatekeeper
by Brian TurnerIsraeli start-up, Yoggie Security Systems, is releasing a device to to provide corporate level security protection for laptops.
The Gatekeeper is a credit card-sized device that can easily interface with any laptop, without the apparent need for updates, software installs or similar.
Configued for Windows XP users at present, it promises to provide the following security protections:
firewall
VPN [...]
UK inflation runs rampant
by Brian TurnerUK inflation ballooned to 2.7% in November, from 2.4% the previous month.
The figures – reported by the ONS – show inflation at its highest rate for almost a decade.
The rise continues against a backdrop of repeated inflationary warnings through the year, coupled with an every weakening global economy.
The latest news increases speculation that the Bank [...]
Nasdaq makes hostile bid for LSE
by Brian TurnerThe US Nasdaq exchange has launched a hostile takeover bid for the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
It comes after more than a year of takeover offers and merger propositions from a range of companies, along with two previously rejected offers from the Nasdaq.
At present, the LSE is advising shareholders against Nasdaq’s hostile offer of £12.43/share, stating [...]
Bank penalty charges may be illegal
by Brian TurnerPenalty charges applied by banks may be illegal.
Currently, the six major UK banks generate around £4.5 billion through penalty charges.
However, under the 1999 Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations Act, penalty charges may only cover administrative costs, and not be for profit.
At present, no major bank will provide an actual administrative cost figure for penalty [...]
Google says clickfraud less than 2%
by Brian TurnerIn an interview with Google business product manager, Shuman Ghosemajumder, finds that invalid clicks detected by Google were less than 2% of total..
This means that Google currently detects that on average, around 2% of clicks purchased by Adwords advertisers as potentially fraudulent, and therefore invalidated before the advertiser even sees them.
The interview also showed that [...]
December 11, 2006
Sex.com – the story continues
by Brian TurnerThe story of the battle over Sex.com continues.
The domain was originally registered by Gary Kremen in 1994. However, in 1995, Stephen Michael Cohen hacked the computer system for domain registrations, moved it to himself, and then proceeded to make millions each year from the sale.
Kremen was only finally able to get it awarded back to [...]
December 5, 2006
XML developers reject W3C Schemas for Relax NG
by Brian TurnerAn argument among XML developers has seen a splinter group reject W3C Schemas for the Relax NG standard.
Main criticisms raised of the W3C schema focus on coding difficulties, and potential interoperability problems.
Proponents of RELAX NG – which stands for REgular LAnguage for XML Next Generation – point out that it is already a recognised ISO [...]
Open XML support grates on Linux critics
by Brian TurnerLinux users have voiced concerns about Novell’s planned support for Open XML in Open Office.
Since Novell signed an agreement with Microsoft, there has been a general perception that Novell have sold out.
The main accusation from vocal critics is that the agreement simply turns Novell – and their Linux Suse products – into a way in [...]
BT Partners With Motorola For Wireless City Initiatives
by Jan HarrisBT has selected Motorola, Inc to provide mesh Wi-Fi network infrastructure and services for six of BT’s Wireless City initiatives in the UK.
Under the terms of the agreement, Motorola will design, deploy and manage city-wide Wi-Fi networks with BT in cities such as Birmingham and Newcastle.
The Mesh Wi-Fi networks will deliver wireless broadband for [...]
December 4, 2006
Micrsoft bCentral directory to close?
by Brian TurnerThe Microsoft small business directory at bCentral appears to be closing down.
Microsoft is no longer accepting submissions to the directory, and additionally are directed to a new set of online services – which are focused on website design and development.
The news comes only weeks after the DMOZ directory broke.
Overall, while it’s not surprising that Microsoft [...]
Christmas shopping figures show downturn
by Brian TurnerChristmas is coming – but retailers are reportedly feeling a pinch in overall sales compared to the same period as last year.
The British Retail Consortium has warned that Christmas may not come to the high street until the last week or two before Christmas day itself.
Already retailers such as Argos, Currys, Debenhams and Borders are [...]
UN warns on internet privacy
by Brian TurnerThe UN has issued a warning about internet privacy.
The warning focuses on two key issues:
1. The trend for internet companies to gather as much user data as possible
2. The trend for internet users to re-use the same login information
Combined, it means that a security breach in one ISP could have bigger repurcussions, with user [...]
December 2, 2006
Google Adsense admin panel down
by Brian TurnerThe Google Adsense admin login is currently down.
This means that webmasters cannot currently access their Google Adsense stats.
The downtime is unscheduled, but Google Adsense is still running publisher sites.
No reason is given, other than technical difficulties:
The Google AdSense website is temporarily unavailable. Please try back later.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
Previous downtimes have continued to count [...]