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Saturday, January 31

Venture firm picks up Transmeta chip patents
Intellectual Ventures has acquired the patent portfolio of Transmeta, formerly a supplier of Intel-compatible x86 processors.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Massachusetts school makes leap to wind power
After three years of planning, the city of Medford, Mass., dedicates a 100-kilowatt wind turbine at a middle school, having secured funding mainly through grants.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Senate approves digital-TV delay, again
The bill is essentially the same that passed the Senate earlier this week, but with a few minor modifications from the House.
(From Reuters)

Surviving, thriving amid busts--Rearden Commerce
The 9-year-old company, which offers online business-management services, persevered through one tech bust and is growing during the current recession. What's its secret?
• One way to survive the recession: Hibernate
• Tech layoffs up nearly 75 percent in 2008
(Posted in Webware by Jim Kerstetter)

Google fakes out Hotmail for Chrome support
Instead of waiting for Microsoft to tweak its Hotmail site, Google decided to tweak its Chrome browser.
• Gist hopes to solve your e-mail overload woes
• Google delays stock option exchange program
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Microsoft adds fancy search option for Firefox
A free add-on lets the open-source Web browser tap more directly into Microsoft search results.
(Posted in Microsoft by Stephen Shankland)

Facebook Connect syncs up with iPhoto
In a quasi-surprise move, the Facebook Connect login standard has started to come to desktop applications as well. With the Mac software iPhoto, it promises to make image uploading more seamless.
• Better JPEG standard due in 2009
• Mark Zuckerberg's sentiment engine?
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Friday, January 30

Super Bowl tech ads sitting on sidelines
This Sunday's game will feature fewer tech-centric spots than in years past, but the industry is still scrambling for the spotlight.
• Are the ads worth the price?
• Roundup: Tech suits up for Bowl

Is Steve Jobs a music visionary?
In a lengthy 2003 interview, Apple's CEO offered predictions for the music sector, the iPod, and his company overall. Here's how his forecasts panned out

Just in

More details on Dell's supposed smartphone
Engineers have been working on the phones for more than a year, The Wall Street Journal reports, with one prototype built on Google's Android operating system and another on Windows Mobile.
• T-Mobile USA faces stiff competition
• BlackBerry Storm parts pricier than iPhone's
• New iPhone App Store section for premium games?
• New iPhone firmware reveals code for next model
• Wireless saving phone companies during recession
(Posted in Crave by Leslie Katz)

Virtual Windows 7 not the same thing
CNET News' Ina Fried gets Windows 7 beta running under VMware on an iMac, but the OS loses a little bit of its luster--and pep.
• Windows 7 on a Mac Mini
• Full coverage: Windows 7
• Screenshots: Virtual look at Win 7
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Conficker spreads as Waledec delivers mal-entine
The Conficker/Downadup worm continues spreading via a Windows hole and USB devices, while a Waledec worm tricks victims with Valentine e-mail.
• 'Obama worm' probably a student prank, experts say
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

iTunes Plus lets users upgrade inpidual songs
No longer will users who want to upgrade music to a higher bitrate be forced to swap out all eligible music. Apple now lets them choose which songs they want at a higher quality.
• More states join iTunes tax debate
• Microsoft: More Zunes coming in 2009
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Amazon's 4Q revenue jumps, beats Wall Street
Despite the weak economy, the e-commerce giant reports an 18 percent increase in fourth-quarter revenues on strong holiday sales.
(Posted in Digital Media by Dawn Kawamoto)

Thursday, January 29

Virtual Windows 7? Not so fast
CNET News' Ina Fried gets Windows 7 beta running under VMware on an iMac, but the OS loses a little bit of its luster--and pep.
• Windows 7 on a Mac Mini
• Full coverage: Windows 7
• Screenshots: Virtual look at Win 7

photos Take a spin through the new Porsche Museum
The iconic German automaker finally unveils a serious answer to Galleria Ferrari. The museum opens its doors to the public starting Saturday.

Just in

Microsoft: More Zunes coming in 2009
Despite the latest sales figures, a representative for Microsoft's music device business insists that the company is going to keep building Zunes.
(Posted in Digital Noise: Music and Tech by Matt Rosoff)

Conficker spreads as Waledec delivers mal-entine
The Conficker/Downadup worm continues spreading via a Windows hole and USB devices, while a Waledec worm tricks victims with Valentine e-mail.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Better JPEG standard due in 2009
JPEG XR image format, created initially by Microsoft, passes a standardization milestone and should become a published standard this year.
(Posted in Underexposed by Stephen Shankland)

AMD, Intel, Nvidia face bleak graphics market
Jon Peddie Research said Thursday that estimated graphics chip shipments took a steep pe in the fourth quarter of 2008. And it's going to get worse.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

More states join iTunes tax debate
Mississippi and North Carolina are among states considering digital goods taxes, while North Dakota will consider exempting digital goods from being taxed.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Amazon's 4Q revenue jumps, beats Wall Street
Despite the weak economy, the e-commerce giant reports an 18 percent increase in fourth-quarter revenues on strong holiday sales.
(Posted in Digital Media by Dawn Kawamoto)

Apple pulls MacBook graphics update
Just two days after posting a software update meant to fix some issues with external displays and Nvidia's integrated graphics chips, Apple has removed that file.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

BlackBerry Storm parts pricier than iPhone's
Market research firm iSuppli finds that in sum, the components of RIM's touch-screen smartphone cost about $29 more than those used to build Apple's 8GB iPhone 3G.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Lenovo flips on the Switchbox
The PC maker buys the mysterious start-up that "develops consumer technologies."
(Posted in Business Tech by Erica Ogg)

Tech layoffs up nearly 75 percent in 2008
Nearly three-quarters of the cuts came during the last six months, bringing unemployment in the industry to levels not seen since 2003, according to a new report.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

New iPhone firmware hints at next-gen model
A bit of digging around inside the latest iPhone firmware release has uncovered code that suggests a next-generation iPhone is waiting in the wings.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

New App Store section for premium games?
PocketGamer.biz says Apple is developing a new premium game section in the iPhone App Store for games priced at about $20 and will likely introduce it in June.
(Posted in Apple by Marguerite Reardon)

Daily Tidbits: Glam Media acquires AdaptiveAds
The content network buys the display ad-targeting specialist for an undisclosed sum and makes plans to set up shop in Mumbai, India.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

Wednesday, January 28

Running Windows 7 on a Mac Mini
Hi, I'm a Mac and a PC. CNET News' Ina Fried tries out Microsoft's latest OS on an older Intel-based Mac.
• Full coverage: Windows 7

Gmail offline: A guided tour
Offline Gmail works mostly the same as online Gmail. But there are some steps required to enable it. Here's what to expect.

Just in

Our guide to sports statistics sites

 Google, universities offer tool to detect Net filtering, blocking

 Share MP3s as tweets with Songly

 Gmail offline: A guided tour

 New study challenges attorneys general on predator danger

 A better way to understand cloud computing

 For Fring mobile VoIP app, a Last.fm add-on

Google, universities offer tool to detect Net filtering, blocking
A new open platform from Google, the New America Foundation, and PlanetLab allows consumers to monitor their broadband connection for Internet provider interference.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Heartland sued over data breach
Lawsuit filed on behalf of Minnesota woman accuses payment processor Heartland of negligence in handling of data breach that exposed millions of accounts.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Dude, Putin is so not getting a Dell
At World Economic Forum, Russia's prime minister tells Michael Dell his country doesn't need help and his residents "are not invalids."
(Posted in Business Tech by Erica Ogg)

Our guide to sports statistics sites
Want to find statistics on your favorite ballplayers? We have the list to help you out.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

Vista marketing draws antitrust complaints
A marketing program designed to improve the Microsoft Windows operating system has drawn complaints from hardware makers and others, government attorneys told a judge Wednesday.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

House rejects DTV delay, keeps Feb. switchover
Even after gaining support from the Senate and the Obama administration, efforts to delay the digital-television transition failed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

AOL to lay off 700 employees
CEO Randy Falco cites deepening recession and desire to focus on core businesses as rationale for consolidation plan and 10 percent workforce reduction.
(Posted in Digital Media by Elinor Mills)

Gartner: Multicore chips leave software trailing
The growth of multicore processors is too fast for software, which struggles to use the technology effectively, research firm says.
(Posted in Business Tech by Colin Barker)

Google Chrome and Firefox speeds blow past IE, Opera
Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome, plus the WebKit developer project included in Chrome and Safari, are dramatically faster than proprietary browsers, according to recent tests.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

Nvidia names Stanford scientist its research chief
Bill Dally, chairman of Stanford University's computer science department, will join the company as chief scientist and vice president of Nvidia Research.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Intel adopts shareholder request for 'say on pay'
Company's compensation policies and practices will be put to an advisory vote at its next shareholders meeting.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Which HD video Web service is the best?
Lots of sites let you upload HD video, but is your upload time well spent? We compare six services, including YouTube, Facebook, and SmugMug.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Tuesday, January 27

Despite net loss, Yahoo beats the Street
Internet pioneer reports a net loss, but excluding various charges, beat Wall Street's expectations. New CEO Carol Bartz steers people toward the bright side.
• Yahoo's quarter: All eyes on Bartz
• The Bartzometer: Off the charts

Apple gets its Papermaster
Chip and server guru Mark Papermaster settles a noncompete dispute with his former employer, IBM, and sets a date to begin leading the iPhone team.

Just in

Monday, January 26

Gates Foundation ups philanthropic ante
Even as the recession takes a toll on its coffers, Bill Gates says the foundation will boost spending this year to $3.8 billion.
• Gates: Economy makes work harder, not different

Microsoft aiming to recover mobile ground
Andy Lees, head of Windows Mobile efforts, admits some past mistakes and hints at plans to deal with them. There's more to come at a trade show next month.

Just in

Analyst: New iMacs could be around the corner
Apple's all-in-one desktop is getting closer to a refresh, according to a Kaufman Brothers analyst, though Apple may be trying to figure out if it should use dual-core or quad-core processors.
• Apple's iLife '09 to ship Tuesday
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Knol: Too soon for Google scrap heap
The Knol project for sharing and storing bits of information hasn't set the world afire. But it's cheap to run, has some potential, and shouldn't be written off yet.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

User data stolen from job site Monster
Database containing information such as passwords, e-mails, and phone numbers illegally accessed. Stolen data doesn't include resumes or Social Security numbers, says Monster.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Obama orders review of California emissions bid
President is ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to review its denial of California's attempt at stricter fuel efficiency standards.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Sprint Nextel to cut 8,000 jobs
And for those who keep their jobs, a salary freeze will continue into a second year. Plus, Sprint suspends its 401k match and tuition reimbursement program.
• Philips to cut 6,000 jobs
(Posted in Wireless by Dawn Kawamoto)

BlackBerry Storm customers complain
RIM's BlackBerry Storm has gotten off to a rough start with lots of customers complaining of glitches, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• Verizon Wireless unveils Internet phone
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Barrett's legacy at Intel includes shortfall
A man whose name is nearly synonymous with the world's largest chipmaker transformed the company's manufacturing process and anticipated Intel's need to diversify, but failed to pull it off.
(Posted in Business Tech by Tom Krazit)

The Knot marries WedSnap
The Knot enhances its wedding site network with the acquisition WedSnap, the company behind the popular nuptial-planning Facebook application Weddingbook.
(Posted in Digital Media by Dawn Kawamoto)

IBM teams up with universities on cloud project
The company joins forces with Carnegie Mellon, Qatar, and Texas A&M universities to develop one of the first cloud-computing platforms in the Middle East.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Police Blotter: Pedophile loses legal battle over site
The Internet's most famous pedophile loses his fight to overturn a court order banning him from posting photographs of minors on his Web site, even if they're taken at public events.
• Man kills wife over Facebook update to 'single'
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Deutsche Telekom spawns cloud vendor Zimory
The German open-source start-up aims to be a market maker in cloud computing by providing a "marketplace that matches buyers and sellers of distributed computing power."
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

AMD low-power chips headed for HP, Dell servers
Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices releases low-power processors that are set to find their way into servers from Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Sun Microsystems, and Rackable Systems.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Sunday, January 25

Google's one-trick pony remains healthy
Its search-ad business benefited from more searches and by showing ads more often. Now: let's keep those employees happy.
• Google rises over profit, revenue estimates
• What would it take to beat Google?

photos Apple's Mac through the years
Take a stroll down memory lane, as we take a look at how the Macintosh has evolved over its 25-year history. My, how it's grown.
•  What's next for Apple's Mac?
• Readers reminisce
• Larry Magid's 1984 review of the original Macintosh
• Complete coverage: Mac at 25

Just in

Report: VC infusion values Twitter at $250 million
TechCrunch reports that the microblogging company may have signed a term sheet for new funding, giving it more time to find a stable business model.

Saturday, January 24

Wikipedia considers limiting user edits
After its site is edited to say Sens. Kennedy and Byrd had died, user-generated resource looks at allowing only trusted users to immediately publish content changes.

Report: IBM quietly lays off North American staff
Big Blue has laid off as many as 2,800 employees in Canada, and cuts could be coming to its U.S. locations this week, according to reports online.

Revolution, Facebook-style
Can social networking turn disaffected young Egyptians into a force for democratic change?
(From The New York Times)

Windows 7 beta to be available through Feb. 10
In a blog posting, Microsoft says it will make the test version available longer than expected, but suggests people download sooner rather than later.

Conn. AG to MySpace: Turn over sex offender data
Connecticut attorney general serves subpoena on MySpace and says independent research about sex offenders on the social-networking site is the "tip of the iceberg."

NASA hacker wins right to appeal against extradition
Gary McKinnon has won the right to a judicial review of a prior decision to extradite him to the United States, where he could face up to 70 years in prison.

What the EU might force Microsoft to do
In its quarterly filing with the SEC, Microsoft cautions that it may have to offer access to other browsers and potentially disable parts of Internet Explorer.

Piracy: More Oscar-contending films end up online
Programmer tracks movies nominated for an Academy Award and how many land on the Web. This year saw the highest percentage ever.

noname1Campaign to delay DTV transition gets a boost
Senate Republicans are now backing a bill that would delay the transition from analog to digital TV until June of this year.

Google's wildcard watch
No company is immune to the drag of an economic slowdown, not even Google. But does the company have the chops to innovate its way to more banner results? That proverbial jury remains out.

Sun confirms 1,300 layoffs
Company sheds 1,300 people from workforce with a target of 6,000 jobs set to be lost. Job cuts are part of a plan first announced in November.

Friday, January 23

For clean-tech pros, a financing struggle
Renewable energy projects are being hamstrung by the structure of U.S. tax-based subsidies, hit by the credit crisis and slumping economy.

Verizon Wireless unveils Net phone
The new Verizon Hub lets you tie your wireless phone service to Internet calling at home. Bad news for Vonage?

Just in

New bill approaches patent reform 'part and parcel'
A bill introduced in the House and the Senate this week aims to improve patent law by creating more judicial expertise on the subject.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Zune sales plummeted during holidays
The software maker noted in its SEC filing that its Zune sales were down by $100 million, or 54 percent, from where they were a year earlier.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Apple reaches settlement in Nano scratch suit
But the company denies wrongdoing, says it settled the 2005 class action suit only "to avoid burdensome and costly litigation."
(Posted in Apple by Dawn Kawamoto)

Hacking programmable road signs
According a report on i-hacked.com, the programmable road signs that are ubiquitous these days are often unprotected against being re-programmed by unauthorized people.
(Posted in Geek Gestalt by Daniel Terdiman)

Microsoft delays plans for Iowa data center
The project, announced only five months ago, is now on hold as the software maker looks to trim its capital expenses.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Recalling Apple's '1984' Super Bowl commercial
Twenty-five years ago, the landmark ad helped pave the way for big-budget commercials and brought Apple to the mainstream's attention.
• Mac wins when humans fall short
• Today's Macs related to original?
• Complete Mac at 25 coverage
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Microsoft merging Office Live, Windows Live
Software maker isn't changing the development cycle or leadership of either effort, but it says consumers will be able to get to both services from a common Web location.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Intel Chairman Craig Barrett to retire in May
Chairman and former CEO, who joined the chipmaker 35 years ago, plans to retire from the board at annual shareholders meeting in May.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Mac, iPod average prices decline during Apple's Q1
Macs were 8 percent cheaper while iPods were 18 percent cheaper, suggesting that either Apple was discounting its products or buyers chose less expensive options.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

RIM store will turn away some BlackBerry apps
Handset maker will be relaxed about the types of applications it will allow developers to offer in its upcoming storefront, but warns it will clamp down on bandwidth hogs.
(Posted in Wireless by David Meyer)

Microsoft Game Studios hit hard by layoffs
Among the casualties is ACES, producer of Flight Simulator, Microsoft's longest-running game. But the company says the game franchise will continue in one form or another.
(Posted in Gaming and Culture by Daniel Terdiman)

Al Gore headlining Google event: Google Ocean?
The former vice president will speak at an event to share news about Google Earth. Could this be the 3D view of the Earth's oceans?
(Posted in Cutting Edge by Stephen Shankland)

Thursday, January 22

Google beats profit, revenue estimates
The search and ads giant fares better than analysts expected and unveils program to give employees more valuable stock options.
•  Microsoft cutting jobs, but not products

photos Apple's Mac through the years
Take a stroll down memory lane, as we take a look at how the Macintosh has evolved over its 25-year history. My, how it's grown.
•  What's next for Apple's Mac?
• Readers reminisce
• Larry Magid's 1984 review of the original Macintosh
• Complete coverage: Mac at 25

Just in

AMD $1.4 billion loss bigger than expected
Advanced Micro Devices announces its ninth consecutive quarterly loss. The chipmaker, like Intel and TSMC, has seen a precipitous drop in orders from customers.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Meet Plinky, an eclectic Q&A service
Looking for inspiration on something to blog? Check out Plinky, a new service that offers up something new for you to answer every day.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Trojan found in pirated Apple iWork software
Intego warns about Trojan horse in Apple iWork '09 software found on pirate sites.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

RIM co-CEOs could face $100 million penalty
Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazardis aren't looking forward to getting e-mail on their BlackBerrys about a possible fine from a Canadian regulator over stock options.
(Posted in Wireless by Tom Krazit)

First e-mailing prez: Obama keeps his BlackBerry
White House spokesman confirms that as part of a "compromise," the new U.S. president will be able to hang on to his RIM device, making him the first to use e-mail.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Apple easing back retail expansion
A decline in average revenue per retail store appears to have moved Apple to slow its rate of expansion amid a troubled economy.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Microsoft cutting jobs, but not products
But is Redmond doing enough to keep the recession at bay? Some analysts say the software maker needs to scale back its ambitions even further.
• Microsoft cutting 5,000 jobs
• Ballmer's e-mail to workers
• Microsoft, eBay drag down market
• Microsoft's internal org chart down
• Recession takes toll on Microsoft
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Daily Tidbits: Zoho imports Google Notebooks
Company behind the online productivity suite is capitalizing on the suspension of Google Notebook with a new import feature in its own Zoho Notebook.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

TJX stores hold sale after settling over data breach
Retailer is having a one-day sale Thursday, with its stores offering 15 percent off. Company showing appreciation for customers' support following data breach two years ago.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Recession hits mobile-phone market
Nokia, the largest handset maker in the world, reports a 69 percent drop in profit and a 19 percent drop in sales. Decline's scale comes as a surprise to most investors.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

New national cyber adviser to report to Obama
Obama administration releases homeland security agenda that includes plans to create a national cyber adviser position to report directly to the president.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

iMeem starts charging for uploads
As competition heats up, iMeem and other digital music services looks for ways to generate more cash.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Digg to trim workforce, hire new sales team
For the first time, social media aggregation site is building out its own advertising support structure. "We believe we can get to profitability this year," says CEO.
(Posted in Webware by Rafe Needleman)

Wednesday, January 21

New Whitehouse.gov: Much ado over openness
President Obama's new White House Web site has been lauded for being more open than President Bush's. There's just one problem with that theory: it's wrong.
• Whitehouse.gov relaunch bugs
• Inauguration roundup

Day in the life of a Sundance filmmaker
Ondi Timoner gives CNET News a chance to see what it's like from the inside of the festival, and her film just happens to be all about the Internet.
• Sundance roundup

Just in

Payment processor Heartland reports breach
Breach at payment processing company Heartland exposes millions of accounts and could make it the largest security breach ever.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Hackborn won't seek re-election to HP board
Richard Hackborn has been the lead independent director since the firing of Patricia Dunn in the wake of the company's spying scandal.
(Posted in Business Tech by Erica Ogg)

Hitwise: Twitter surpasses Digg's market share
The rise of the microblogging service seems to have been hastened by people's use of the site to post musings on an airplane crash.
(Posted in Digital Media by Daniel Terdiman)

IBM earnings beat analyst expectations
Results stronger than expected as company reports 12 percent rise in fourth-quarter earnings, despite the economic meltdown.
• IBM to buy Chinese e-mail company
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Google kills off print-advertising project
Despite being very successful in online search ads, Google is throwing in the towel for a program to help advertisers with print ads that it says hasn't created anticipated impact.
(Posted in Digital Media by Stephen Shankland)

The White House reboots
Barack Obama takes office as the 44th president with an agenda that includes a fresh take on technology.
• Obama inauguration traffic not good for everyone
• Counting the crowd with satellites, balloons, math
• Inauguration Day, by the numbers
• Live updates on Inauguration Day via the social Web
• Spectators crowd the Mall and wireless networks
• Obama's presidential inauguration: the most interactive
• Photos: Obama inauguration viewed from space

Ethanol firms clear deals for non-food feedstocks
With cellulosic ethanol plants delayed by the economic downturn, Range Fuels and Verenium plan to make ethanol from wood chips and grasses starting next year.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Microsoft unloads Comcast stake
According to an SEC filing from Friday, the software maker now owns no shares of the cable company. It owned 150 million shares as of March.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

What this Firefox user misses about Chrome
Google's Chrome isn't revolutionary, but switching back to Firefox for the time being prompts a longing for some user interface features.
• Browser battle? They're more alike than different
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Qualcomm grabs AMD handheld, graphics tech
Communications chipmaker buys handheld assets from Advanced Micro Devices, including graphics chip technology. AMD will get $65 million in cash.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Coupons.com hires Google Android executive
A prominent engineer leading work on Google's open-source phone operating system has left to become chief technology officer at the online coupons site.
(Posted in Digital Media by Stephen Shankland)

McKinnon extradition on hold until February
Admitted hacker's potential extradition to the United States has been stayed while the High Court in London deliberates.
(Posted in Security by Tom Espiner)

At earnings time, Apple heads back to business
It has been a tough couple of months for the consumer electronics industry, but Apple is expected to report Wednesday that it has weathered the storm relatively well.
• Apple selling used goods in China
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Tuesday, January 20

At earnings time, Apple heads back to business
It has been a tough couple of months for the consumer electronics industry, but Apple is expected to report Wednesday that it has weathered the storm relatively well.
• Apple selling used goods in China

special coverage Nation wakes up  Inauguration Day
From wireless networks to social-media sites, the tech world prepares for the swearing-in of Barack Obama.
• Live updates via social Web
• Upgraded networks put to test
• Video: Cell phones in D.C.
• Live inaugural video
• Full inauguration coverage at CBSNews.com

Just in

Logitech to cut up to 600 jobs
Mouse and peripherals maker announces layoffs as its posts a steep drop in its earnings and predicts continued weakness in the months ahead.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Finding the next Scorsese...on YouTube?
One of the short films being shown to industry insiders at this year's Sundance Film Festival is the winner of a YouTube contest, Project:Direct.
(Posted in Digital Media by Michelle Meyers)

Cisco plans big push into server market
The largest maker of networking equipment may disrupt its relationship with partners like IBM and Hewlett-Packard.
(From The New York Times)

Zimbra hits 20 million paid mailboxes
Yahoo's open-source e-mail and calendar software is scoring even more paid mailboxes, but it faces an uphill climb to the enterprise.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

Fake reviews prompt Belkin apology
Networking-equipment company says sorry after an employee offers to pay for good Amazon reviews.
(Posted in Business Tech by David Meyer)

Turn trash into energy in your office parking lot
IST Energy launches the Green Energy Machine (GEM), a machine the size of the semi-tractor truck flatbed that makes electricity and heat from plain old garbage.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Bush leaves behind a mixed technology legacy
Before September 11, 2001, President Bush was willing to devote time to technology topics. After, his presidency moved to a wartime footing, and with the exception of wiretapping, those policy areas were no longer a focus.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Intel cuts prices on some chips up to 48 percent
Chipmaker institutes broad price cuts on dual- and quad-core processors, as well as introducing new models.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Google wants to know which sites to search
An experimental search feature allows users to tailor their searches by creating a list of sites they would like to appear most in search results.
(Posted in Webware by Steven Musil)

Wozniak on Steve Jobs' health, Apple culture
Apple co-founder offers a unique perspective on his old friend's health, as well as the likely effect his absence will have on the company.
(Posted in Apple by Steven Musil)

EU eyes Microsoft like it's 1999
The notion of bundling a browser into an operating system isn't new. But that hasn't stopped European regulators from delivering fresh objections.
• EU objects to browser in Windows
• EU's notice to Microsoft
• Opera executive praises EU move
(Posted in Microsoft by Ina Fried)

Sundance--from the comfort of your home
No need to travel to Utah--you can get a taste of Robert Redford's indie festival by downloading up to 10 short films via iTunes.
(Posted in Digital Media by Michelle Meyers)

Monday, January 19

Bush leaves behind a mixed technology legacy
Before September 11, 2001, President Bush was willing to devote time to technology topics. After, his presidency moved to a wartime footing, and with the exception of wiretapping, those policy areas were no longer a focus.

The evolution of the Netbook
The line between an Atom-powered, low-cost Netbook and a traditional notebook is blurring.
• Test drive: Windows 7 on a Netbook
• New class of notebooks

Just in

Cisco plans big push into server market
The largest maker of networking equipment may disrupt its relationship with partners like IBM and Hewlett-Packard.
(From The New York Times)

Zimbra hits 20 million paid mailboxes
Yahoo's open-source e-mail and calendar software is scoring even more paid mailboxes, but it faces an uphill climb to the enterprise.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

Consequences of social-network parental controls
Larry Magid looks at possible negative consequences of proposals to verify a user's age on social-networking sites and require parental consent before a minor could log on.
(Posted in Larry Magid at Large by Larry Magid)

Fake reviews prompt Belkin apology
Networking-equipment company says sorry after an employee offers to pay for good Amazon reviews.
(Posted in Business Tech by David Meyer)

Turn trash into energy in your office parking lot
IST Energy launches the Green Energy Machine (GEM), a machine the size of the semi-tractor truck flatbed that makes electricity and heat from plain old garbage.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Daily Tidbits: 'Obama Girl' partners with Stickam
"Obama Girl" is still here. Her coverage of the inauguration will be streamed live starting Monday on Stickam.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

Getting lost with a GPS? Unfortunately, yes
For any other directionally challenged couples out there, a cautionary tale: read the fine print before letting the device lead you through hill and dale.
(Posted in Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper)

Wozniak on Steve Jobs' health, Apple culture
Apple co-founder offers a unique perspective on his old friend's health, as well as the likely effect his absence will have on the company.
(Posted in Apple by Steven Musil)

Intel cuts prices on some chips up to 48 percent
Chipmaker institutes broad price cuts on dual- and quad-core processors, as well as introducing new models.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Sundance--from the comfort of your home
No need to travel to Utah--you can get a taste of Robert Redford's indie festival by downloading up to 10 short films via iTunes.
(Posted in Digital Media by Michelle Meyers)

Google wants to know which sites to search
An experimental search feature allows users to tailor their searches by creating a list of sites they would like to appear most in search results.
(Posted in Webware by Steven Musil)

Bedlam breaks out at Circuit City
Best Buy mega-stores Circuit City to oblivion and pandemonium ensues at the hapless retailer.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Sunday, January 18

Memo to Carol Bartz on rebuilding Yahoo
Your new company has a lot of potential. Even though you told us all to shut up while you decide your priorities, here's some advice anyway.
• Yahoo in transition
• Yahoo investors cautiously optimistic

Hawaii tries out online health care
Starting Thursday, anyone in the island state will be able to pay a flat fee for a 10-minute Web or phone visit with a doctor.
• Microsoft: Don't just throw money at health care

Just in

Nokia's music service set for Australia, Singapore

 Microsoft's Silverlight: Yes, we can

 Pope Benedict the next YouTube star?

IT venture investing posts worst Q4 in a decade

 Photos: Cracking open Apple's iPod Touch

MySpace CEO talks Sundance, celebrity

 Sundance screens eco-films, movie tech

EU eyes Microsoft like it's 1999
The notion of bundling a browser into an operating system isn't new. But that hasn't stopped European regulators from delivering fresh objections.
• EU objects to browser in Windows
• EU's notice to Microsoft
• Opera executive praises EU move
(Posted in Microsoft by Ina Fried)

Nokia's music service set for Australia, Singapore
The mobile phone maker is eyeing further expansion in Europe and the United States for its unlimited music service.
(From Reuters)

IT venture investing posts worst Q4 in a decade
IT venture investments in the fourth quarter fell a staggering 40 percent to $2.18 billion over year-ago figures, marking the worst performance in a decade, according to a VentureSource survey.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

reporter's notebookMySpace CEO talks Sundance, celebrity
Over coffee at the film festival, Chris DeWolfe touts new celebrity initiatives and talks economy, MySpace Music, and more.
• Sundance screens eco-films, movie tech
(Posted in Digital Media by Michelle Meyers)

Pope Benedict the next YouTube star?
Texts and video of the Pope's speeches, as well as news about the pontiff, will be posted directly to the channel, the Vatican says.
(Posted in Digital Media by Leslie Katz)

Microsoft's Silverlight: Yes, we can
The browser plug-in has been tapped to enable live and on-demand video streaming of Tuesday's inauguration events on the Presidential Inaugural Committee Web site.
(Posted in Digital Media by Leslie Katz)

Photos: Cracking open Apple's iPod Touch
TechRepublic tinkers with the second-generation iPod Touch and finds the device is all it's cracked up to be.

Scion PR offers a glimpse into social marketing
Why bother with the press release when you have Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr at hand and your target market is tech-savvy?
(Posted in Digital Media by Stephen Shankland)

The evolution of the Netbook
The line between an Atom-powered, low-cost Netbook and a traditional notebook is blurring.
• Test drive: Windows 7 on a Netbook
(Posted in Business Tech by Erica Ogg)

Facebook restructures developer platform management
Most notably, communications czar Elliot Schrage will no longer be in charge of marketing the company's developer initiatives.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

US Airways pilot big on Facebook
The pilot who successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River earlier this week is garnering a cult-like following on the social network.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Report: Obama narrows down CTO choices
The president-elect may have winnowed his options for a national CTO to two people, including a Cisco technologist, according to BusinessWeek.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Yahoo shares your tweets, other online activity
The Internet pioneer has switched on a significant element of its Yahoo Open Strategy: the ability to broadcast online activity to your social circle.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Saturday, January 17

EU eyes Microsoft like it's 1999
The notion of bundling a browser into an operating system isn't new. But that hasn't stopped European regulators from delivering fresh objections.
• EU objects to browser in Windows
• EU's notice to Microsoft
• Opera executive praises EU move 

The evolution of the Netbook
The line between an Atom-powered, low-cost Netbook and a traditional notebook is blurring.
• Test drive: Windows 7 on a Netbook
Read full story

Scion PR offers a glimpse into social marketing
Why bother with the press release when you have Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr at hand and your target market is tech-savvy?
(Posted in Digital Media by Stephen Shankland)

Facebook restructures developer platform management
Most notably, communications czar Elliot Schrage will no longer be in charge of marketing the company's developer initiatives.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Report: Obama narrows down CTO choices
The president-elect may have winnowed his options for a national CTO to two people, including a Cisco technologist, according to BusinessWeek.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Yahoo shares your tweets, other online activity
The Internet pioneer has switched on a significant element of its Yahoo Open Strategy: the ability to broadcast online activity to your social circle.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

US Airways pilot big on Facebook
The pilot who successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River earlier this week is garnering a cult-like following on the social network.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Circuit City to shut down remaining stores
After declaring bankruptcy and seeking a possible sale, the nation's No. 2 electronics retailer is forced to close its doors.
• Circuit City: A eulogy
(Posted in Crave by Erica Ogg)

Friday, January 16

AMD to trim 1,100 jobs, initiate temporary pay cuts
Chipmaker plans to reduce workforce by about 9 percent, institute salary cuts of up to 20 percent, as it struggles to manage amid economic meltdown.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Germany to order ISPs to censor child porn
The German government will give search engines and Internet search providers a blacklist of Web sites to block in an effort to prevent the distribution of child porn.
(Posted in Digital Media by Elinor Mills)

Report: Samsung Electronics restructures
Company is consolidating its four pisions into two, with one focused on consumer products and the other on components, according to The Wall Street Journal.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Gartner: 2009 a 'deciding year' for Sony Ericsson
Handset maker's worsening losses make 2009 a make-or-break year for the company, say analysts.
(Posted in Business Tech by David Meyer)

Cell phone logjam on Inauguration Day?
Phone networks face a heavy load as 2 million people descend on Washington, D.C., ready to text and call friends and family to share the historic moment.
• Why Obama's calls will always go through
• View inauguration, parties online
• Get your Obama pix published in inaugural book
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Thursday, January 15

Credibility crisis over Steve Jobs' health
Apple has faced hard choices in handling its CEO's growing health issues. The latest news raises more questions about its honesty with investors.
• Prepping for six months sans Jobs
• Who's leading Apple now?
• Apple shares slump
• What ails Apple's Steve Jobs?

Intel profits sink in 'uncertain' climate
Chipmaker's earnings fall, but results meet Wall Street profit forecasts. The company says it is not providing a revenue outlook because of economic uncertainty.

Just in

Smart grid, broadband appear in 'stimulus' plan
A 258-page bill proposed by House Democrats as a way to counter the economic downturn spends billions on clean electricity generation, better battery technology, and broadband deployment.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Photo of Hudson River plane crash downs TwitPic
After photo was posted on several news sites, the service went down due to a flood of traffic from around the world.
(Posted in Digital Media by Daniel Terdiman)

Yahoo CEO Bartz to receive $1 million salary
Yahoo's newly named CEO, Carol Bartz, will receive a base salary of $1 million a year, along with a stock grant of 5 million shares.
• Report: Yahoo CEO questions search sale
(Posted in Digital Media by Dawn Kawamoto)

3D TV: Coming soon to a living room near you?
Three-dimensional viewing could be the next big thing in home entertainment, or it could be the next big flop. Consumers will ultimately decide.
• CES post-show wrap-up: HDTV
• CES 2009 home video wrap-up
(Posted in CES 2009 by Marguerite Reardon)

YouTube launches TV-friendly site for consoles
Watch YouTube a little easier on your Sony PlayStation 3 or Nintendo Wii with a new interface that makes it simpler to browse and search from the couch.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Office 14 screenshots find way to Web?
A Russian Web site posts screenshots that it says are of the new version of Office.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Spansion exploring sale, halts interest payments
Flash memory chipmaker Spansion announces it has been considering the possibility of a merger or sale.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Expert: Worm spreading in many ways becoming an epidemic
The worm known as Kido, aka Conficker or Downadup, evolves to spread via removable devices and other means besides just exploiting a Windows vulnerability.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Invisibility cloak moving closer into view?
Scientists from Duke University say they have significantly improved on their earlier efforts at producing an invisibility cloak that can hide an object from visible light.
(Posted in Crave by Leslie Katz)

Google gives Apps admins more password control
Google Apps premier edition to offer administrators the ability to set a minimum password length and to monitor the strength of user passwords over time.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Secret court: Warrantless NSA wiretapping fine
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, which meets behind closed doors, says that with safeguards in place, Fourth Amendment does not prohibit the spying.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Meraki helping narrow digital pide
San Francisco-based Wi-Fi equipment maker Meraki is partnering with a nonprofit to help make universal broadband to low-income residents a reality.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Inside Google's Gmail: What's next?
Todd Jackson, product manager for Google's Web mail client, talks about what's been keeping the team busy, from Themes to video chat to contact de-duping.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Wednesday, January 14

Steve Jobs taking medical leave of absence
Jobs will step down as Apple CEO while he recuperates from a medical condition disclosed earlier this month; COO Tim Cook will stand in.
• Steve Jobs' health memo to staff
• Apple shares plummet on news
• Who's leading Apple now?

Memo to Carol Bartz on rebuilding Yahoo
Your new company has a lot of potential. Even though you told us all to shut up while you decide your priorities, here's some advice anyway.
• Yahoo in transition
• Yahoo investors cautiously optimistic

Just in

Symantec virtualization tech turns one PC into three for security
New Symantec technologies use virtualization and cloud computing to protect Web surfers and let them use Web apps from one site.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

GoDaddy.com outage takes sites offline
Denial-of-service attacks affect customers of Web name registrar and hosting company. Outage, though intermittent, has lasted several hours.
(Posted in Webware by Bob Walsh)

Future Intel Atom chip is a yawner--by design
Chipmaker is preparing to bring out a faster Netbook processor, according to reports, but don't expect the kind of performance improvements common in its mainstream processor line.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Microsoft updates Windows Azure tools
The software maker said it has it has fixed bugs and sped up the performance of the developer tools needed to write programs for Microsoft's cloud-based operating system.
(Posted in Microsoft by Ina Fried)

Utilities back 'climate friendy' energy technologies
Edison Electric Institute, an industry association for electric utilities, backs specific targets on greenhouse gas emissions and names viable short-term technology fixes.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Microsoft: Don't just throw money at us
Excited by the Obama team's interest in electronic records, Redmond's health care head still says focus on outcomes, not spending.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

PC shipment growth drops to virtually zero in Q4
For the first time since early 2001, growth comes to a halt in the PC industry.
(Posted in Business Tech by Erica Ogg)

Users, not labels, silence YouTube music videos
YouTube now gives users who post unauthorized music videos the option of having the Web site pull the video or just turning off the sound.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Yahoo investors cautiously optimistic following Bartz hire
Investors keep their fingers crossed as Yahoo names former Autodesk CEO Carol Bartz to lead the company. They also hope she can lead them to a Microsoft search deal.
• Roundup: Yahoo shifts to a new CEO
(Posted in Digital Media by Dawn Kawamoto)

Obama aide: Full broadband plan won't be in stimulus package
The Obama administration will continue to develop an Internet agenda, after initial funds are allocated to broadband in the stimulus package, Blair Levin says.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Wired takes down Hackintosh video
Despite Twitter message that Apple sued the publisher over a video describing how to get Mac OS X on a Netbook, Apple merely contacted Wired regarding the post.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

E-waste looms behind solar-power boom
Without green chemistry practices, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition warns, rapid growth in the solar industry could lead to a legacy of e-waste like in the electronics industry.
• CNET News Daily Podcast: What's the link between solar power, e-waste?
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Tuesday, January 13

Windows 7, XP: A tale of two installs
CNET News' Ina Fried set up two machines over the weekend--one with the Windows 7 beta, the other with seven-year-old Windows XP.
• Judging Wintel on eve of new era
• Microsoft: Do give Vista a try

Obama's new BlackBerry may come via the NSA
RIM's BlackBerry may not be certified by the National Security Agency to handle top-secret material, but a PDA-phone called the Sectera Edge has been. Its operating system: Microsoft Windows Mobile.
• Obama said to settle on FCC chief
• Congress embraces YouTube

Just in

Nvidia slashes Q4 revenue guidance 40-50 percent

 Windows 7 beta gets a mascot

 Electric car maker Think gets rescue funds

 Global IT spending to fall 3 percent in 2009

 Don't pretend video games are as bad as cigarettes

Which open-source companies to go under?

 Green news harvest: Stanford backs energy research

RIM issues security patches for BlackBerry
 Interim patches address critical security flaws that could allow a malicious PDF file to cause memory corruption or lead to arbitrary code execution on computers that host the BlackBerry Attachment service.
(Posted in Security by Dawn Kawamoto)

Waste-to-energy firm Ze-gen piles up cash
Ze-gen, which has a gasification process that can transform construction debris into electricity, raises $20 million in a funding round led by a conglomerate based in Oman.
• Algae front-runner GreenFuel slashes staff
• Green news harvest: Stanford backs energy research
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

 Murder conviction for teen in 'Halo' case
Daniel Petric, 17, faces up to life in prison for killing his mother and injuring his father after they took away his copy of the Xbox 360 game. (Posted in Gaming and Culture by Caroline McCarthy)

 Patent wars: Real wins; Global Crossing pays up
 Friskit fails in its patent infringement lawsuit, RealNetworks says. Meanwhile, Global Crossing reaches a licensing deal with prolific patent enforcer Ronald Katz.
(Posted in Business Tech by Larry Dignan)

photos  Hybrid shoot-out: Honda Insight vs. Toyota Prius
Toyota and Honda introduce the latest gas-electric vehicles at the North American International Auto Show this week.
• In Detroit, charged up about electricity
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

 Tech giants team on education push
Cisco, Intel, and Microsoft are working together to help create global education standards.
(Posted in Microsoft by Ina Fried)

 Scientist slams newspaper for Google CO2 report
 Harvard physicist says his study on the environmental impact of Internet searches did not single out or even name the search giant.
(Posted in Green Tech by Steven Musil)

Report: Sling co-founders, other top execs leave
Blake and Jason Krikorian are out as well as other members of the company's management staff, according to PaidContent.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Delicious founder joins former rival Google
Joshua Schachter has started a new job at Google, but the founder of a popular social-bookmarking service doesn't yet know what he'll be doing.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Ubuntu Launchpad to go open source
Canonical plans to open up its project-hosting and collaboration code, designed to make it "easy to share code, bug reports, translations, and ideas across projects," on July 21.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)
 
Dell settles state consumer protection claims
 Company agrees to pay $3.35 million in a 34-state settlement of allegations that the PC maker mislead consumers on financing, warranties and rebates.

Microsoft lands IPTV deal in China
 Deal with Guangzhou Digital Media Group also marks the first time Microsoft's Mediaroom service is being used to do IPTV over a cable network.
• Microsoft invests in ads, multitouch
• Microsoft's new ad campaign finally gets it right

Microscope 100 million times stronger than MRI
IBM's new technology is capable of imaging biological material as small as just a few nanometers across. (Posted in Cutting Edge by Daniel Terdiman)

Monday, January 12

Microsoft invests in ads, multitouch
Despite some belt-tightening, Redmond is still spending in areas including an ad campaign aimed at businesses and a stake in a multitouch start-up.
• Video: Ballmer on Windows 7, economy, Google

My latest puzzle love: KenKen
Sayonara, Sudoku. For a puzzle that includes not just logic, but math, too, try KenKen. It's probably even good for you.

Just in

Report: Sling Media co-founders, CEO leave

 From cigarette butt to fashion statement

 Dell settles state consumer protection claims

A new 'Glow' for AOL's blogs? Good luck

 Microsoft lands IPTV deal in China

 NASA hacker: I'll plead guilty in the U.K.

 Windows 7: Moving beyond Vista

Dell settles state consumer protection claims
Company agrees to pay $3.35 million in a 34-state settlement of allegations that the PC maker mislead consumers on financing, warranties and rebates.

Microsoft lands IPTV deal in China
The deal with Guangzhou Digital Media Group also marks the first time Microsoft's Mediaroom service is being used to do IPTV over a cable network.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

A new 'Glow' for AOL's blogs? Good luck
Meet MediaGlow, the third "core business" for AOL and a much-needed overarching unit for its many blogs and content brands. But given the ad climate, is it too late?
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

NASA hacker: I'll plead guilty in the U.K.
Gary McKinnon's attorneys tell the Crown Prosecution Service that he would plead guilty if tried under UK law, a move that could help him avoid extradition to the U.S.
(Posted in Security by Tom Espiner)

U.S. visitors required to register online
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is mandating online registration for travelers from most Western European countries who wish to enter the United States.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Apple signs deal with LG for display supply
LG receives $500 million upfront as part of a five-year deal that seems similar to deals Apple has cut with flash memory suppliers.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

q&a UMG digital chief on iTunes, DRM, Android
Rio Caraeff says Android owners buy a lot of music, lawsuits don't solve music piracy and Universal Music Group will strengthen links to YouTube.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Red Hat hires Intel veteran as a top sales exec
Greg Symon spent 22 years at Intel, most recently directing the Global Software Relations organization within the chipmaker's Software Solutions Group.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

Seagate replaces Watkins as CEO
Chairman Stephen Luczo, who served as chief executive of the hard-drive maker once before, takes over the reins at Seagate.
(Posted in Business Tech by Jonathan Skillings)

Police Blotter: Handheld search during arrest legal?
Cops say they can legally copy data off the device of anyone who's arrested, which raises serious privacy concerns. Judges are pided over the legality of this intrusive practice.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

CES and the recession: What was the impact?
While there were tens of thousands of people at the annual consumer electronics bacchanalia, many on hand felt that attendance was far lower than in the past. Just how bad was it?
• Best of CES winners
• Everything connected and mobile
• Photos: Scenes from CES
• Video: CES favorites
(Posted in Geek Gestalt by Daniel Terdiman)

Report: Telstra eyes new HTC Android phone
At CES, the Australian carrier touts the virtues of an Android-based gadget in the works, while finding the Palm Pre lacking, says Smarthouse
(Posted in Crave by Jonathan Skillings)

Adobe takes LiveCycle tools to Amazon's cloud
Software maker taps Amazon's EC2 and S3 service for a sandbox environment that lets enterprise developers build and test using LiveCycle without installing it.
• Finding distinction in 'infrastructure as a service'
• The cost of cloud adoption
(Posted in Business Tech by Larry Dignan)

Sunday, January 11

Everything connected and mobile
Hundreds of gadgets vied for attention--and press--at the annual consumer electronics fest. Here are the highlights you need to know.
• Photos: Best of CES
• CNET's complete coverage
• CES news roundup

Yahoo's Decker strong contender for CEO
Sources say the president of the embattled Internet search pioneer has been through two rounds of interviews with the board.
• Report: Investment group teeing up Yahoo deal
• Yahoo reportedly near decision on new CEO

Just in

Intel to bring out chip for lower-cost thin laptops

 CEA confirms Apple-related exhibits at CES 2010

 Photos: And the Crunchie goes to...

 Podcast: Turn any external drive into a NAS drive

CES 2009: Everything connected and mobile

 Rping against Rambus highlights tactics Podcast: Night vision for your Jetta

CEA confirms Apple-related exhibits at CES 2010
Apple, however, has not responded to reports that it plans to participate in the show after dropping out of Macworld 2010.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Windows 7 beta now available
After a day-long delay, Microsoft makes the Windows 7 beta broadly available. The company has said it's looking for millions of testers for the Vista successor.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Winners and losers from the Crunchies awards
Microsoft's Live Mesh, FriendFeed, GoodGuide, and Imeem were among the winners at the awards ceremony Friday honoring start-ups and Web innovation.
• Photos: And the Crunchie goes to...
• Microsoft's Live Mesh top innovation at the Crunchies
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Saturday, January 10

Rping against Rambus highlights tactics
Because Rambus shred documents, it cannot pursue its case against Micron, a U.S. district court judge rped.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Text messages nab carjacking suspects
An Ohio man uses text messages to lure carjacking suspects to police just hours after his car is stolen.
(Posted in Wireless by Steven Musil)

Lawsuit over Yelp review settled
San Francisco chiropractor and his former patient settle defamation lawsuit over a negative review on the community reviews site.
(Posted in Digital Media by Elinor Mills)

McAfee: Google developer site being used to distribute malware
McAfee says it is finding links to fake videos that download Trojan horses on the Google Code hosting site for developers.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Execs see technology as economic equalizer
Intel's chairman Craig Barrett and Cisco CEO John Chambers see tech as the key to eliminating poverty throughout the world.
(Posted in CES 2009 by Marguerite Reardon)

Porn producer lures new customers with iPhone
Digital Playground, one of the largest makers of adpt content, is among the first companies to produce an iPhone-optimized Web site.
• Photos: Adpt Entertainment Expo crashes the CES party
(Posted in Geek Gestalt by Daniel Terdiman)

June target: Chrome for Mac, Linux
Google has revealed its goal for releasing Mac OS X and Linux versions of its browser. Also, cutting-edge Chrome sports early work to enable extensions.
• Firefox in Russia dumps Google for Yandex
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Amazon, Apple and the price of music
Record labels aren't cutting deals, sources say. If downloads are cheaper on Amazon than iTunes, then they're likely a loss leader.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Verizon completes Alltel purchase
Verizon Wireless' $28.1 billion acquisition of regional carrier Alltel Wireless is finally complete, making the combined company the largest wireless carrier in the United States. (Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Web videos of Oakland shooting fuel protests
The quick spread of online videos taken by onlookers of a BART police officer shooting an unarmed man angers the community and plays a big role in its intense response. (Posted in Digital Media by Elinor Mills)

Friday, January 09

Obama's stimulus plan: The energy debate
The goal is to double U.S. renewable energy in three years, but there's still much to be sorted out about clean-tech incentives from Washington.
• The White House reboots

roundupGadget extravaganza in Las Vegas
CES 2009 is in full swing. Highlights so far include Palm's WebOS and Pre device, Microsoft's Windows 7 beta, and much more.
• CNET's complete coverage
• CES Day 1: Webware wrapup
• AT&T CruiseCast for rental cars
• Gracenote puts a star in your car
• Touch-screen digital receiver
• Wireless, ultra-slim speakers

Just in

Green gadgets get middling report card at CES
Amid a green-themed Consumer Electronics Show, Greenpeace says electronics firms are getting more eco-conscious to meet consumer demand but fall short of what's possible.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Dell officially unveils Adamo, Mini 10
The PC maker continues expanding Netbook lineup, but goes high-end with luxury notebook lineup. Details on Adamo are thin, like the device itself.
(Posted in Crave by Erica Ogg)

Web site problems as Windows 7 beta hits
Users are reporting getting a variety of issues while trying to get to Microsoft's Windows Web site. The beta of Windows 7 is due to hit Friday.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Daily Tidbits: Hacker gets 30 years in Turkish jail
Maksym Yastremski, the alleged mastermind behind the T.J. Maxx credit card hack, gets 30 years in jail in connection with charges of his involvement in attacks on Turkish banks.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

Google tunes up Chrome development
Open-source browser gets some updates, including a new version of WebKit, and early adopters can now pick from three levels of stability.
(Posted in Webware by Jonathan Skillings)

Dell acquires Allin for $12 million
Acquisition of the Microsoft IT consulting company is designed to bolster Dell's consulting work in such areas as collaboration and business applications.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Goldman Sachs: IT-spending growth to halt
Investment bank is projecting zero percent growth for the industry in 2009, which should portend more money for the dominant software vendors--and less for the smaller ones.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

Would video games get you to join the Army?
The U.S. Army is using a video game center to inform people about Army life. But would video games be enough to get you to join the Armed Forces?
(Posted in The Digital Home by Don Reisinger)

Red Hat: JBoss growing twice as fast as Linux
The company's JBoss business is booming, it says, paving the way for it to compete well beyond its roots in the operating system--perhaps tackling the application business in earnest.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

Police Blotter: Judge rejects touch-tone snooping
The Justice Department says it doesn't need to a wiretap order to extract touch tones from telephone calls in progress. A federal judge says otherwise.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Ballmer: Google, Google, the economy, Google
In an interview with CNET News, Microsoft CEO talks about Windows, taking software to the Web, and competing with the search king. But there's no escaping the bad economy.
• Q&A: Windows boss on version 7
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Thursday, January 08

Ballmer touts new deals, Windows 7 betago
As he fills the CES keynote duties formerly handled by Bill Gates, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer aims to show that Microsoft can tackle a dominant Google, a resurgent Apple and a weak economy.
• Video: Ballmer's fun side
• Live blog: Ballmer at CES
• Windows 7 not a lock for '09

Gadgets for the home, car, and ear at CES
The Consumer Electronics Show tries hard to offer something for every facet of life.
• AMD's Dragon PC gaming platform
• Gateway goes with 13-inchers
• Charge gadgets sans cord
• Eclipse offers new in-dash nav
• BlueAnt intros Bluetooth Q1
• Intel warning casts cloud over CES
• CES Day 0: Webware wrapup

Just in

Yelp jumps across the pond

 Dell's Ireland plant to shed 1,900 jobs

 Windows 7 beta ready to go

 Sixense remote improves on Wiimote game plan

 Lenovo to cut 2,500 jobs amid restructuring

 Sony calls out Xbox and Wii as flea market peddlers

 Ballmer still trying to have fun

Dell's Ireland plant to shed 1,900 jobs
The first Limerick employees will leave the PC maker in April and the process of switching production to Poland and to contractors will be done by January 2010.
(Posted in Business Tech by Colin Barker)

Windows 7 beta ready to go
MSDN, TechBeta, and TechNet subscribers can get their hands on the software now, while the general public will get to test-drive the new OS starting Friday.
(Posted in Microsoft by David Meyer)

Lenovo to cut 2,500 jobs amid restructuring
Layoffs set for the first quarter will hit executives, managers, and a wide range of staff positions as the PC maker seeks $300 million in annual savings.
(Posted in Business Tech by Vivian Yeo)

Sixense remote improves on Wiimote game plan
Company demonstrates its new motion-control device designed to offer more accurate cursor control than the Nintendo Wii remote.
(Posted in Crave by Erica Ogg)

Microsoft strikes deals for Live Search
Microsoft has scored deals with Dell and Verizon Wireless in an effort to get more people to use its Live Search product.
• Verizon, Microsoft in mobile-search deal
(Posted in CES 2009 by Ina Fried)

Verizon intros on-the-go DVR programming
Verizon adds remote control for some Fios TV customers to allow them to program and manage their DVRs from an online computer or Verizon cell phone.(Posted in CES 2009 by Marguerite Reardon)

OLPC slashes workforce in half, cuts salaries
Founder of the project tasked with giving laptops to children in developing nations blames tough economic times for restructuring.
(Posted in Business Tech by Steven Musil)

Canon fix looks good for SLR's 'black dot' glitch
The company releases new firmware that "improves and mitigates" a problem that could blemish images from the 5D Mark II camera. My test shows favorable results.
(Posted in Underexposed by Stephen Shankland)

Spend $30 billion in tax dollars, get a million jobs?
A new report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation suggests spending $30 billion on IT infrastructure would create or save 949,000 U.S. jobs.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

At CES, MySpace chats up the Widget Channel
A limited version of the News Corp.-owned social network will come to the new TV product that Yahoo and Intel jointly developed.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Report: Investment group teeing up Yahoo deal
A group of investors is turning to Microsoft to play the role of banker in backing a buyout of Yahoo, according to TechCrunch.
(Posted in Digital Media by Dawn Kawamoto)

EMC to cut 2,400 from workforce
Storage giant EMC announces a 7 percent workforce reduction, despite preliminary record fourth-quarter revenues.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Need a digital TV coupon? Get thee to a wait list
The National Television and Information Administration's fund for subsidizing conversion boxes for next month's digital TV transition has run out of money. Oops!
(Posted in Digital Media by Caroline McCarthy)

Wednesday, January 07

Just in

At CES, MySpace chats up the Widget Channel
A limited version of the News Corp.-owned social network will come to the new TV product that Yahoo and Intel jointly developed.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Report: Investment group teeing up Yahoo deal
A group of investors is turning to Microsoft to play the role of banker in backing a buyout of Yahoo, according to TechCrunch.
(Posted in Digital Media by Dawn Kawamoto)

CES gears up for gadgets
On the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show's kick-off in Las Vegas, we get an early peek at Netbooks, networking, and cameras.
• Skype Lite for Android phone
• Opera's new SDK: Better browsing on the Wii?
• LG Blu-ray players stream Netflix, CinemaNow, YouTube
• CES plan: Damn the calories, pass the egg rolls
• At CES, MySpace chats up the Widget Channel

EMC to cut 2,400 from workforce
Storage giant EMC announces a 7 percent workforce reduction, despite preliminary record fourth-quarter revenues.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Need a digital TV coupon? Get thee to a wait list
The National Television and Information Administration's fund for subsidizing conversion boxes for next month's digital TV transition has run out of money. Oops!
(Posted in Digital Media by Caroline McCarthy)

U.S. Chamber seeks climate solutions from tech sector, not EPA
In economic recovery proposal unveiled Wednesday, the Chamber of Commerce advocates incentives for clean energy technology as way to solve climate change problems.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Police use GPS, Google Maps to locate missing girl
Navigation system and Google mapping tool helps authorities find Massachusetts 9-year-old allegedly kidnapped by her grandmother.
(Posted in Digital Media by Elinor Mills)

Report: Microsoft beats out Yahoo, Google on Verizon deal
Microsoft is close to announcing it has beat out Yahoo and Google in a coveted deal to be the search provider on Verizon phones, according to a Reuters story.(Posted in Wireless by Dawn Kawamoto)

Outsourcing shifts beyond Bangalore, Mumbai
While India remains popular with the top 50 outsourcing companies, vendors are progressively creating more bases in cities such as Chennai, Noida, Hyderabad, and Pune.
(Posted in Business Tech by Jo Best)

Apple awards raises to key executives
COO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and Mac hardware chief Bob Mansfield will have a little more spending money in 2009.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Verizon, Microsoft in mobile-search deal
Software maker will see its search engine take center stage on all Verizon Wireless phones over the next five years.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Study: Data breaches rose in 2008
Group aiding ID fraud victims says data breaches rose nearly 50 percent since 2007, as more laptops were stolen and companies inadvertently exposed sensitive data online.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Windows 7 beta: First impressions
New version of Microsoft's OS, bringing back that nebulous "Windows XP feel," won't wow anyone but may satisfy on a much deeper level.
• Q&A: Muglia on the cloud, Azure, and the economy
(Posted in Business Tech by Renai LeMay)

Tuesday, January 06

Review: 'MacHeads,' a documentary on the Mac faithful
The new documentary, by two Israeli brothers, is an interesting look at the passion behind the millions-strong Mac community. But it lacks clarity.
By Daniel Terdiman in News - Apple

Add permanent keyboard shortcuts to Google.com
Get keyboard shortcuts in Google's search with an unsanctioned Firefox add-on that brings more to the table than Google's own experimental shortcuts program.
By Josh Lowensohn in Webware

Pandora 2.0 for iPhone released
Internet radio company, Pandora, has just released version 2.0 of its immensely popular iPhone application.
By Harrison Hoffman in The Web Services Report

6 services that help you find, follow friends on Twitter
Want to find and follow friends on Twitter, but you don't know where to go to do it? Check out this list of six services that will help you do just that.
By Don Reisinger in Webware

SanDisk, Samsung tout new Netbook, server SSDs
SanDisk and Samsung are introducing new solid-state drives for the Netbook and enterprise markets, respectively.
By Brooke Crothers in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog

Yelp user faces lawsuit over negative review
Community reviewer who suggested a chiropractor was less than honest in his billing practices is accused of defamation in a lawsuit.
By Elinor Mills in News - Digital Media

Rest in peace, UIQ
UIQ Technology's interface has served many users well and will now transcend into the realm of smartphone history.
By John Chan in Crave

Google grab bag: Chinese lawsuit, 9/11 ASCII art
Google fended off a Chinese trademark infringement suit, and captured the sudden arrival of searches for characters that show a plane and two towers.
By Stephen Shankland in News - Digital Media

Obama picks RIAA's favorite lawyer for a top Justice post
A courtroom lawyer who has sued inpidual file swappers in multiple federal courts is President-elect Barack Obama's choice for a top Justice Department position.
By Declan McCullagh in News - Politics and Law

VMware hires away Borland CEO
Tod Nielsen to become COO at virtualization company where he hooks up with former boss from his Microsoft days, VMware CEO Paul Maritz

Apple activates iTunes downloads over 3G, with a caveat
iPhone users are no longer restricted to iTunes downloads over Wi-Fi, but songs over 10MB may be excluded.

Fring spiffs up VoIP app for Windows Mobile
Mobile VoIP company Fring adds a number of advanced features to its Windows Mobile app, including file transferring.
By Jessica Dolcourt in The Download Blog

New limo awaits Obama
Cadillac and the Secret Service aren't saying much, but the automaker is rolling out a new presidential limousine for Inauguration Day.
By Jonathan Skillings in Crave

iPhoto update helps show merits of geotagging
With new software version, Apple starts unlocking more of the promise of location tags: use a map to browse photos or create a photo book based on where you were.
By Stephen Shankland in Underexposed

First iPhone game summit takes shape
On March 19th, some of the leading developers of iPhone games will gather in San Francisco to promote the platform and talk about moving it forward.
By Daniel Terdiman in News - Gaming and Culture

A quick recap of Apple news at Macworld 2009
This year's Macworld keynote presentation was not the most exciting event Apple has ever put on, but there were still some noteworthy announcements. Here's a quick look.
By Tom Krazit in News - Apple

Obama supporters downplay CTO's near-term role
The economic priorities of the incoming Obama administration may mean that fleshing out the role of a chief technology officer could become a lesser priority.
By Stephanie Condon in News - Politics and Law

Upgrading to a DRM-free iTunes library will cost you
Apple will not only offer new tracks stripped of copy-protection software, it will let you remove DRM from your existing iTunes collection--for 30 cents per song.
By Greg Sandoval in News - Apple

Apple takes another small step onto the Web
Latest software updates to iWork and iLife now integrate with various Web services including favorites like Facebook and Flickr.
By Josh Lowensohn in Webware

More iPhone apps you can't have: Newber and iCall
Apple doesn't say no to two new telephony apps. But it hasn't said yes, either.
By Rafe Needleman in News - Apple

Monday, January 05

On eve of Macworld, Jobs talks health
Apple's CEO says he's dealing with a hormone imbalance and chose to spend the holiday season with his family rather than "intensely prepare" a keynote address.
• Steve Jobs discloses 'hormone imbalance'
• Apple's credibility hangs in balance
• Apple shares up on Jobs news
• Apple's last Macworld start of new era

Switcher's lament in move to Mac
Beautiful hardware and a robust operating system don't trump apps and peripherals that, alas, don't work as they are supposed to.
• Unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro reportedly in works

Just in

Amazon Video On Demand coming to Roku Player
The pay-per-view online video service is the box's first move beyond Netflix. The service, formerly known as Amazon Unbox, offers more than 40,000 movies and TV shows.
(Posted in Crave by John P. Falcone)

Oops! Twitter phishing scam snares CNN anchor
Rick Sanchez is one of the microblogging service's most popular users, so a whole lot of people saw when his account displayed a message about being high on illicit substances.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Vegawatt plugs in grease-fired restaurant generator
Start-up Owl Power Systems to announce series A venture financing to build its Vegawatt distributed generator, which runs on a restaurant's fryer vegetable oil.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Apple's last Macworld beginning of new era
A Jobs-less Macworld might take some of the fire away from this week's event, but it could be a sign that Apple wants to shift the leadership burden across more of its team.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Intel, Adobe to tune up Flash for TV devices
Companies to fine-tune Flash Player and Flash Lite for Media Processor CE 3100 to help Flash videos play nicely with digital TVs, Blu-ray players, cable set-top boxes, and AV equipment.
(Posted in Business Tech by Jonathan Skillings)

Quickoffice brings simple Excel editing to iPhone
App Store download lets users open, share, and edit Excel documents on their Apple devices with Quickoffice's MobileFiles Pro. The $9.99 iPhone application packs in a lot of features.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Forrester study: Got game? Not in a recession
Handheld video game players and satellite radios find less favor among North American consumers, while mobile and Internet services hold their own.
(Posted in Gaming and Culture by Dawn Kawamoto)

Military challenge: Make spy data more accessible
Two government agencies sponsor a demonstration called the Empire Challenge in an effort to improve interoperability between various Web-connected intelligence and surveillance devices.
(Posted in Military Tech by Mark Rutherford)

RIAA dumps evidence-gathering firm
Recording industry trade group reportedly drops the company responsible for gathering evidence against those accused of sharing copyrighted music.
(Posted in Digital Media by Steven Musil)

Freescale chip aims at 1GHz, $199 Netbook
While Freescale, like Intel, sees Netbooks as companion devices to the PC, it also envisions devices that are more frugal with power and that run Linux.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro reportedly in works
Apple also expected to announce a makeover for the Mac Mini, possibly has early as this week's Macworld Expo.
(Posted in Apple by Steven Musil)

Rumor: Palm to unveil Nova-powered smartphone
The struggling handset maker is expected to launch its next-generation operating system on a device that features a full QWERTY keyboard.
(Posted in Wireless by Steven Musil)

PS2 crushes Wii, Xbox in gaming minutes
More video game consoles equals more minutes played. The massive footprint of Sony's PlayStation 2 makes it the king of the hill in usage for 2008.
(Posted in Negative Approach by Dave Rosenberg)

Sunday, January 04

Daily Tidbits: Hidden features in Google mobile app
Google's Mobile App with Voice Search for the iPhone has some extra features, and you too can engage in a "selfless" resolution for the new year.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

AMD inside Apple in 2009?
It may be worth Apple's while to seriously consider some upcoming AMD processors.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Air New Zealand tests biofuel Boeing
Airline, along with Boeing, Rolls-Royce, and Honeywell, has retooled one of the four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines on a Boeing 747-400 to run on an unusually fruity blend of biofuel.
(Posted in Green Tech by Candace Lombardi)

Unlocking the iPhone 3G - or maybe not
An application with the seasonal but rather unappetizing name of Yellowsn0w has some folks tinkering away, though not always happily.
• Why unlocking the iPhone is a waste of time
(Posted in Apple by Jonathan Skillings)

Music sales for 2008 ride digital coattails
Industry tracker Nielsen says total music sales were up 10 percent year over year, with strong growth in the digital realm. Also: a comeback of sorts for vinyl.
(Posted in Digital Media by Jonathan Skillings)

New Year's hangover for Zune users
After countless 30GB Zunes froze up on New Year's Eve, users spent the first morning of 2009 trying to chip away at the problem, with mixed results.
(Posted in Microsoft by Jonathan Skillings)

Microsoft planning big layoffs for January?
The latest rumor puts the possible job cuts at 15,000, or nearly 17 percent of Microsoft's worldwide operations, with MSN getting hit hard.
(Posted in Microsoft by Jonathan Skillings)

Saturday, January 03

'Curse of silence' smartphone flaw disclosed
German security researcher has demonstrated a denial-of-service attack that cod affect Symbian-based smartphones made by Nokia and others.
(Posted in Security by Tom Espiner)

special coverage Countdown to CES
With the Consumer Electronics Show just around the corner, here's a look ahead at what to expect from the gadget extravaganza.
• Preview: Computers, hardware
• Preview: HDTV
• Preview: Gaming

year in reviewThe year the bottom dropped out
 For start-ups and stalwarts alike, the economic collapse showed no mercy. At least the tech sector is used to booms and busts.

Just in

'Curse of silence' smartphone flaw disclosed
German security researcher has demonstrated a denial-of-service attack that could affect Symbian-based smartphones made by Nokia and others.
(Posted in Security by Tom Espiner)

Android Netbooks: Fact or fiction?
Contributors to the blog VentureBeat say they have ported the Google Android operating system to an Asus Eee PC. Does this constitute a new trend in Netbooks?
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Wikimedia raises $6.2 million for Wikipedia
Foundation reaches goal of raising more than $6 million to sustain Wikipedia. The money will be used to maintain and grow the foundation's technical infrastructure.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

Chip sales slump in November
Worldwide sales of semiconductors fell in November to $20.8 billion, a decline of nearly 10 percent from the same period the year before.
• Year in review: Shrinking chips, shrinking revenue
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Yet more rumors of a solar Prius
Japanese daily reports Toyota is "secretly" developing a solar-powered Prius. But we've heard this in one form or another for at least the last year.
(Posted in Green Tech by Candace Lombardi)

Friday, January 02

Shrinking chips, shrinking revenue
The "smaller is better" theme played out with Intel's Atom chip and Netbook PCs, but the recession also put a squeeze on the industry.
•  Chip sales slump in November

New Year's hangover for Zune users
After countless 30GB Zunes froze up on New Year's Eve, users spent the first morning of 2009 trying to chip away at the problem, with mixed results.
• Users report 30GB Zunes seizing up; Microsoft IDs clock bug

Just in

Android Netbooks: Fact or fiction?

Wikimedia Foundation raises $6.2 million for Wikipedia

Chip sales slump in November

Yet more rumors of a solar Prius

Daily Tidbits: Google reveals hidden features in mobile app

AMD inside Apple in 2009?

Why unlocking the iPhone is a waste of time

Android Netbooks: Fact or fiction?
Contributors to the blog VentureBeat say they have ported the Google Android operating system to an Asus Eee PC. Does this constitute a new trend in Netbooks?
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Wikimedia raises $6.2 million for Wikipedia
Foundation reaches goal of raising more than $6 million to sustain Wikipedia. The money will be used to maintain and grow the foundation's technical infrastructure.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

Yet more rumors of a solar Prius
Japanese daily reports Toyota is "secretly" developing a solar-powered Prius. But we've heard this in one form or another for at least the last year.
(Posted in Green Tech by Candace Lombardi)

Daily Tidbits: Hidden features in Google mobile app
Google's Mobile App with Voice Search for the iPhone has some extra features, and you too can engage in a "selfless" resolution for the new year.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

AMD inside Apple in 2009?
It may be worth Apple's while to seriously consider some upcoming AMD processors.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Air New Zealand tests biofuel Boeing
Airline, along with Boeing, Rolls-Royce, and Honeywell, has retooled one of the four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines on a Boeing 747-400 to run on an unusually fruity blend of biofuel.
(Posted in Green Tech by Candace Lombardi)

Microsoft planning big layoffs for January?
The latest rumor puts the possible job cuts at 15,000, or nearly 17 percent of Microsoft's worldwide operations, with MSN getting hit hard.
(Posted in Microsoft by Jonathan Skillings)

Unlocking the iPhone 3G - or maybe not
An application with the seasonal but rather unappetizing name of Yellowsn0w has some folks tinkering away, though not always happily.
• Why unlocking the iPhone is a waste of time
(Posted in Apple by Jonathan Skillings)

Jack D. Kuehler, former IBM president, dies at 76
Kuehler guided the company while it dominated the world's computing landscape in the 1980s.
(From The New York Times)

Report: Apple's Internet presence grows
In December, the Mac OS and the iPhone together accounted for 10 percent of what Net Applications calls market share of Internet usage.
(Posted in Apple by Jonathan Skillings)

5 tech predictions for 2009
Will Steve Jobs announce his retirement? Will Windows 7 launch? Don Reisinger looks ahead to 2009, and asks you to share your own predictions.
(Posted in The Digital Home by Don Reisinger)

Defense contractors eye cybersecurity bonanza
Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, and others are getting ready for an expected boom in federal outlays to protect government computer networks.
(Posted in Security by Jonathan Skillings)

Dell regroups around four customer segments
Two executives, Mike Cannon and Mark Jarvis, are departing as the computer maker regroups globally around four types of customers.
(Posted in Business Tech by Stephen Shankland)



Thursday, January 01

year in reviewThe Web rewrites campaign strategies
The presidential election of 2008 transformed the way politicians use tech, but a new Congress may prove a mixed bag for the industry.
• Google turning its back on Net neutrality?

Just in

Report: Apple's Internet presence grows

Facebook godfather groups spark mafia victims' ire

5 predictions for 2009

Macintosh at 25: Still the innovation leader

China lifts roadblock for 3G phones

Chinese court convicts 11 in software piracy ring

Log on to make do-good New Year's resolutions

5 tech predictions for 2009
Will Steve Jobs announce his retirement? Will Windows 7 launch? Don Reisinger looks ahead to 2009, and asks you to share your own predictions.
(Posted in The Digital Home by Don Reisinger)

Macintosh at 25: Still the innovation leader
On January 24, 1984, the Macintosh came into the world, starting a revolution in personal computing. Now, all attention is turned to what Apple will introduce next.
(Posted in Outside the Lines by Dan Farber)

Facebook godfather groups rankle mafia victims
Relatives of those hit by mafia crime say pages that pay tribute to notorious mob bosses glamorize the perpetrators.
(Posted in Digital Media by Leslie Katz)

Chinese court convicts 11 in software piracy ring
Microsoft applauds the sentences, saying they are the stiffest ever in this type of Chinese copyright infringement case.
(From The New York Times)

China lifts roadblock for 3G phones
The Chinese government has approved licenses that will permit high-speed mobile phone network services, a move expected to help bring higher-end services.
(Posted in Wireless by Stephen Shankland)

Log on to make do-good New Year's resolutions
Dozens have signed on to make pledges since nonprofit agency Families First launched its new "I am the Solution" site.
(From Reuters)

Dell regroups around four customer segments
Two executives, Mike Cannon and Mark Jarvis, are departing as the computer maker regroups globally around four types of customers.
(Posted in Business Tech by Stephen Shankland)

A computer revolution through a child's eyes
A user interface revolution is upon us: my 3-year-old son can use my iPhone thanks more to its accessibility than his smarts.
(Posted in Underexposed by Stephen Shankland)

Online holiday sales drop 3 percent
Online retailers record first sales decline in eight years, despite a 15 percent increase on Cyber Monday, the second-biggest day of online shopping ever.
(Posted in Digital Media by Steven Musil)

Report: Apple working on large-screen iPod Touch
Blog cites three independent sources as saying we can expect a 7- to 9-inch screen in the fall of 2009.
(Posted in Apple by Steven Musil)

Texting and tweeting through Obama's swearing in
Inauguration planners are turning to Twitter and text messaging to keep things organized when President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)