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Apple's latest headache: some iPhones developing cracks

Publié: juillet 31, 2008, 11:55pm CEST

Posters to Apple's support forums are complaining of what appears to be a defect in the iPhone 3Gs casing, which is causing hairline cracks.

Is Microsoft's Mojave Vista experiment backfiring with users?

Publié: juillet 31, 2008, 11:40pm CEST

Is a new marketing campaign what Vista really needs? The first stages of it -- already under way with the Mojave Experiment -- are certainly drawing attention to Vista. But in ignoring Vista's problems, could the campaign also be backfiring?

Google's plans to invest more money into startups with VC arm

Publié: juillet 31, 2008, 11:00pm CEST

In mid-2005, Google began experimenting with venture capital investments in startup companies. Now, over three years later, the Wall Street Journal reports the search company has plans to start an arm dedicated only to this kind of investment.

Verizon launches 100 HD channels on FiOS in New York City

Publié: juillet 28, 2008, 6:43pm CEST

"Make no mistake about it. This isn't cable," said Virginia Ruesterholz, president of Verizon Telecom, in announcing today the immediate start of FiOS services with 100 high-definition channels in parts of New York City.

Apple: Oops, some MobileMe e-mail lost forever

Publié: juillet 28, 2008, 6:40pm CEST

In its recently created status blog for MobileMe, which has struggled with downtime since its launch earlier this month, Apple admits it lost some e-mails during a four-day period at the height of the outage.

FCC likely to punish Comcast for blocking P2P file sharing traffic

Publié: juillet 28, 2008, 6:00pm CEST

Reports surfaced over the weekend that the majority of FCC commissioners had voted in favor of punishing Comcast for blocking subscribers from engaging in certain activities -- namely, peer-to-peer file sharing.

Sirius+XM is official as FCC approves merger

Publié: juillet 28, 2008, 5:36pm CEST

On a 3-2 party-line vote, the Federal Communications Commission approved the merger of Sirius and XM, although the satellite radio companies had to make some key concessions.

After pirate lands in prison, software group hints at eBay lawsuit

Publié: juillet 26, 2008, 12:15am CEST

After convicted software pirate Jeremiah Mondello pulled a 48-month federal prison stretch on Wednesday, an industry anti-piracy group announced six more lawsuits against individual piracy suspects -- also reportedly hinting that eBay could be the next one to get hauled into court.

Microsoft cozies up to open source, donates $100,000 to Apache

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 11:30pm CEST

As part of a renewed embrace of open source, Microsoft will contribute $100,000 annually to join the Apache Software Foundation, as well as pledging new protocols to the Open Specfication Promise and contributing a patch for ADOdb.

Scientists turn car exhaust into electricity, twice as efficiently

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 11:27pm CEST

Scientists from Ohio State University have created a new material called thallium-doped lead telluride, which has been designed to convert car engine exhaust heat into electricity.

Nearly 7 years after original, a new Windows XP goes gold

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 11:11pm CEST

On August 24, 2001, Microsoft released to manufacturing the final version of Windows XP. 6 years and 11 months later, a new version of XP has gone gold, this time for the OLPC XO computer, also known as the "$100 laptop."

After legal fight, 11-year-old ordered to turn over Narnia.mobi domain

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 10:32pm CEST

An 11-year-old Scottish boy who received a dream birthday present that later turned into a legal quagmire must now turn over his narnia.mobi domain name back to the estate of C.S. Lewis.

Beta release of Office Outlook Connector adds calendar syncing

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 10:20pm CEST

A beta release of Office Outlook Connector 12.1 adds syncing between Windows Live Calendar and Microsoft Outlook.

China now counts more Internet users than the US

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 10:10pm CEST

Even though the government places heavy restrictions on the Internet with censorship and routine crackdowns on cyber dissidents, China has finally surpassed the United States for the most online users in the world.

Video service RedLasso folds under legal pressure from networks

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 9:50pm CEST

RedLasso, a digital video re-syndication service, has closed its controversial site after threats of copyright lawsuits from NBC Universal and Fox.

Microsoft buys DATAllegro in high-end enterprise quest

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 9:40pm CEST

In an ongoing quest to push its SQL Server database further into the high-end enterprise space, Microsoft on Thursday unveiled plans to purchase DATAllegro, a maker of business intelligence (BI)-enabled data warehouse appliances.

Any deal between Microsoft and Yahoo is probably off - so then what?

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 9:00pm CEST

Microsoft said Thursday it's "done" trying to acquire Yahoo, but while some might be cheering yet another interruption Microsoft's relentless pursuit of its rival, others are pointing to a compelling need for the company to start making money from its online operations.

Blockbuster beta testing movie download service

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 8:45pm CEST

Blockbuster's download-on-demand service based on Movielink is approaching readiness, as the company has pushed out a beta version to select Total Access members.

Escaped spammer found dead in murder-suicide

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 6:50pm CEST

"Spam King" Edward Davidson, who recently disappeared from the Colorado minimum security facility where he was serving 21 months for tax evasion and e-mail fraud, was found dead yesterday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

iPhone 2.1 software beta adds better navigation, copy and paste

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 6:45pm CEST

Apple has reportedly released a beta of its next significant release of the iPhone software, activating background push notifications, as well as enhanced GPS functionality.

AOL axes weak properties, halts blogs in budget emergency

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 5:52pm CEST

A July 14 email from AOL EVP Kevin Conroy was uncovered this week detailing the eventual termination of AOL Pictures, Xdrive, Bluestring, and MyMobile. Many in AOL's Blog network also report being put on hiatus as a result of budget overages.

Verizon to announce FiOS rollout in New York City

Publié: juillet 25, 2008, 5:32pm CEST

Verizon has scheduled a webcast for Monday, where it will officially announce rollout plans and pricing for FiOS in New York City, which has over 8.2 million residents, providing a huge boost for the service that counts only 1.8 million customers.

As Olympics near, China begins crackdown by arresting blogger

Publié: juillet 24, 2008, 5:35am CEST

As the country prepares to open the 2008 Summer Olympics in three weeks, Chinese officials have arrested a writer and dissident who was already on probation after being charged a few years ago.

Employee hands over passwords to hijacked San Francisco computer network

Publié: juillet 24, 2008, 5:27am CEST

Much to the delight of San Francisco computer network officials, Mayor Gavin Newsom was given the password so the city can again have access to its computer network after it was hijacked by a city employee.

SanDisk won't specify Vista SSD problems, but is 'working with Microsoft'

Publié: juillet 24, 2008, 3:10am CEST

Amid complaints that Windows Vista is hurting the development of solid state drives, SanDisk now says it is working with Microsoft to optimize SSDs for "the Windows experience." But the company refused to provide details of Vista's problem, and Microsoft seemed unaware of the collaboration.

One spammer sentenced to prison as another escapes

Publié: juillet 24, 2008, 3:00am CEST

One Internet spammer was sentenced this week to nearly four years in prison, while another fled a correctional facility and is currently on the run.

Is Apple's business health tied to that of its CEO?

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 11:26pm CEST

Concerns over Steve Jobs' health continue to dog the company, and its attempts to quell such discussion seem to be falling mostly on deaf ears.

Knol: (n.) Google's version of Wikipedia

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 11:21pm CEST

With initial topics ranging from "How to Backpack" to "Toilet Clogs," Knol -- Google's answer, of sorts, to Wikipedia - has now left testing and is ready for perusal and contribution by one and all.

Sirius-XM merger approval by FCC hangs on one vote

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 9:50pm CEST

The record-breakingly long merger of XM and Sirius satellite radio now hangs upon the vote of one final FCC Commissioner.

With Drizzle, Sun's MySQL gets skinnier, forgoing features for speed

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 9:45pm CEST

"Drizzle," a recently announced offshoot of MySQL, is taking the open source database in a wholly different direction than the bigger, feature-full database widely foreseen since Sun's MySQL buyout.

New wireless HD standard to compete with other proposed technologies

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 9:20pm CEST

Hopefully it won't be another HD DVD/Blu-ray situation: Several consumer electronics companies have partnered to develop a technology that could deliver high-definition video wirelessly to television sets, but the technology will compete against another proposed standards.

Thirteen record labels ask judge for ruling against LimeWire

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 9:00pm CEST

Thirteen record labels have filed for a summary judgement to their two-year old case against peer-to-peer file swapping service LimeWire, seeking to bring a swift end to the drawn-out conflict.

Wii Classic controller in jeopardy after Nintendo loses patent appeal

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 7:25pm CEST

A patent infringement suit over some of Nintendo's game controllers will enter a Federal Court of Appeals following the $21 million verdict in favor of plaintiff Anascape.

Yang: Yahoo is progressing, despite lower profits

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 7:10pm CEST

Although Yahoo on Tuesday announced second quarter financial results showing a 19 percent drop in profits, company CEO Jerry Yang contended that his company is making progress.

New York Governor approves tightened video game regulations

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 6:30pm CEST

New York Governor David Patterson yesterday approved a bill that will make ESRB video game ratings mandatory, require parental controls in consoles, and fund a study of the correlation between in-game and real-life acts of violence.

Microsoft makes Games for Windows Live free, will sell game downloads

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 5:20pm CEST

Microsoft announced late Tuesday that it would no longer charge Windows gamers to connect to one another for multiplayer gaming, and this fall will launch an online store for downloading PC games.

With most stores sold out, iPhones selling for $1,000 on eBay

Publié: juillet 23, 2008, 7:50am CEST

In the evolving manner of online ticket scalpers, people are snapping up dozens of Apple 3G iPhones -- now sold out in most states -- and selling them on the Web for prices hovering in the low four-figure range.

Has Google's relentless growth finally stopped?

Publié: juillet 19, 2008, 12:18am CEST

The fuel that brought Google from a laboratory experiment to one of the world's industrial giants, may at last be burning itself out. That leaves Google one player among many, in a questionable economic environment. What now?

IBM software sales help spur 'powerful' $26.8 B quarter

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 11:48pm CEST

Even with the current slowdown in spending on information technology, IBM's net income grew 13 percent to $26.8 billion for the second quarter of this year, driven largely by booming sales in software and services.

Zumobi widgets slide on over to BlackBerry

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 11:17pm CEST

BlackBerry owners will now be able to use Zumobi to have instant access to widgets that provide a wide variety of miniature applications previously available only for Windows Mobile devices.

One admin's missing password leaves San Francisco in a lockdown state

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 11:00pm CEST

A former San Francisco city computer network administrator remains in a Bay Area jail after pleading not guilty to four charges of computer tampering. Meanwhile, the city's computer network is in limbo.

Nokia readies touch smartphones for release this year

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 10:15pm CEST

Could Nokia be joining the pack of cell phone makers chasing after Apple's iPhone? The Finnish-based manufacturer's first touch smartphone, slated for the second half of this year, will be followed by a whole family of such devices.

Another rocky quarter for AMD: More losses, executive shuffle

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 10:11pm CEST

Posting a second quarter net loss of $1.19 billion, its seventh money losing quarter in a row, AMD's Hector Ruiz will hand the CEO position over to President and COO Dirk Meyer.

Slowing PC market, another online reinvestment ahead for Microsoft

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 10:06pm CEST

With half of 2008 having already gone by, Microsoft's online services situation today is pretty much the same: Without a Yahoo partnership, the division is still bleeding. It's a good thing Microsoft's also a software company.

Rural wireless carriers seek the return of spectrum caps

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 9:01pm CEST

Tired of watching major players such as AT&T and Verizon encroach on their territory, a group of smaller providers are petitioning the FCC to bring back limits on the amount of spectrum a carrier can hold.

Sony to offer 'Graphic Splash' for select Vaio FW notebooks

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 8:34pm CEST

Sony's upcoming Graphic Splash notebooks will be based on the Vaio FW multimedia PC introduced this week, and they'll be available for sale online for a limited time this fall, BetaNews has learned.

What console war? Latest NPD numbers claim everyone wins

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 7:01pm CEST

Whenever video game consoles' sales data is released, we often depict the comparison as some kind of war. But with E3 having ended and the holiday season approaching, NPD suggests the battle may be entirely in our minds.

Vista users greeted with an unexpected surprise: MobileMe

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 6:32pm CEST

While they may have no intention of ever signing up for the service, Windows users are finding an unexpected addition to their Control Panels.

Japanese, Korean researchers may extend the lifespan of NAND flash

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 6:29pm CEST

Scientists from the University of Tokyo and Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) claim they have successfully created a new flash NAND memory that can operate for hundreds of years.

Major Yahoo shareholder backs Yang in anti-Icahn campaign

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 5:57pm CEST

Bugs Bunny had a saying: "Of course you know this means wa-ar!" and you knew the fun was only just starting. Yahoo's launch this morning of an all-out lambasting of Carl Icahn shows the rabbit may have a few tricks after all.

SK brushes off Sprint investment rumors

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 5:48pm CEST

While SK Telecom has officially denied it would take a controlling stake in any US mobile carrier, it is still looking at business opportunities here.

Latest TiVo update brings YouTube with it

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 12:26am CEST

As a part of the v9.4 update to TiVo HD and Series 3 set-top boxes, support was added for YouTube H.264 videos -- a feature TiVo was announced in the spring.

Sony readies two new HDTVs for the holiday season

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 12:24am CEST

It's only July, but consumer electronics companies are already finalizing their HDTV sales plans for the holiday season. This week, Sony already began showing off the high-def components it anticipates consumers will want come December.

EU set to take action against mobile phone service scams

Publié: juillet 18, 2008, 12:04am CEST

With an ever-increasing number of sites on the Web offering ringtones, wallpapers, and games, there is also an increasing number scamming consumers. The The European Commission is attempting to address that.

EC renews its anti-competition objections against Intel

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 11:04pm CEST

This afternoon, the European Commission sent what it's calling a Supplementary Statement of Objections to Intel, reiterating its three-count claim of anti-competitive conduct in the European market against rival AMD.

Sony plans $500 'Blu-ray player for audiophiles' for fall

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 10:21pm CEST

At a press event in New York this week, Sony presented a prototype of a new "Blu-ray player for audiophiles" -- the BDP-S550 -- slated for release next fall.

Lionsgate to partner with YouTube

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 9:59pm CEST

Soon, Lionsgate will be joining the ranks of major content providers to partner with YouTube in advertisement and hosting.

YouTorrent relaunches with focus on legal downloads

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 8:27pm CEST

One of the fastest-growing new BitTorrent sites said late Wednesday that it had relaunched its search engine, indexing nearly six terabytes of legal content.

Opera opens its Mobile 9.5 beta for PocketPC

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 8:03pm CEST

The first beta of Opera Mobile 9.5, initially only available for touchscreen Windows Pocket PCs running Windows Mobile 5 or WM6, is still missing about a third of Opera Mobile 9.5's expected features.

Sony ships S350 Blu-ray player for $400, firmware awaited

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 7:43pm CEST

Sony's latest entry-level Blu-ray player might be sleeker than its predecessor, but pricing hasn't come down any. The new BDP-S350 is shipping, but a firmware upgrade will be needed to make it the first non-PlayStation to work with BD-Live.

Latest Winamp adds access to CBS Radio stations

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 7:37pm CEST

Who still uses Winamp? There's at least one guy at BetaNews whose desktop clutter contains the venerable music player, and today there's actually a new reason for it to stay right where it is.

Amazon opens beta of its video-on-demand service

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 6:50pm CEST

The latest project from the leading online retailer allows movies to be streamed directly to PCs. Built upon Amazon's library of Unbox titles, beta testers get a $5 rental credit to check out the streams.

Google tweaks its use of contacts in Gmail's address book

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 6:22pm CEST

Responding to user complaints over clutter in its address books, Google said it would partition the contacts it automatically adds to its users lists, into a separate area.

Apple computer sales seen surging in US, Acer also strong

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 6:07pm CEST

While Apple has yet to make its mark among worldwide computer shipments in two major surveys of PC sales, it continued to show impressive strength stateside. But Acer is #3 or #4, depending on whom you ask.

Yahoo's latest plea to shareholders has a familiar political tone

Publié: juillet 17, 2008, 5:47pm CEST

It would appear one or more former managers of defeated presidential campaigns may have joined Yahoo, as it latest spin on financier Carl Icahn's plan to couple Microsoft with Yahoo's search business uses a number of familiar phrases.

Reports: SK Telecom, Sprint may be looking at a partnership

Publié: juillet 16, 2008, 11:54pm CEST

The two cellular companies are said to be in talks over a possible partnership to co-develop new services and handsets, media reports indicate.

Microsoft: Both sides in Yahoo / Icahn spat have it wrong

Publié: juillet 15, 2008, 12:30am CEST

What was already a two-way lack-of-meeting of the minds after Microsoft's last efforts to acquire all or part of Yahoo, has evolved into a colossal three-way misunderstanding, as evidenced by Microsoft's statement this afternoon.

New Garmin GPS loses its buttons in the wilderness

Publié: juillet 15, 2008, 12:01am CEST

As adventurers head further into the wilderness, GPS maker Garmin launched a new line of handheld GPS devices designed for outdoor, fitness and marine enthusiasts, including one that's both buttonless and waterproof.

Intel and Nvidia to work together on Nehalem

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 11:43pm CEST

GPU maker Nvidia has been in the press a lot lately, for its tight-lippedness on the failure rates of its 8-series mobile GPUs, its dire competition with AMD/ATI, and its new Rambus patent litigation. Today, however, brought some good news.

New Creative sound systems promise to compensate for poor MP3 quality

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 11:12pm CEST

Creative introduced two new consumer-grade media players that claim to be capable of identifying different parts of an MP3 track that have lower sound quality, and remastering them to restore sound quality as much as possible.

Sun SPARC catches fresh fire with new Fujitsu UNIX servers

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 10:53pm CEST

A quad-core, dual-threaded processor that until now had been tested by the likes of the Japanese space program, is being unveiled this morning for the consumer space by Sun and Fujitsu.

Users allege MobileMe lacks true 'push'

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 10:48pm CEST

While it appears that information between Apple's new service and the iPhone are syncing as advertised, users are finding that push services between the computer and MobileMe don't work the same way.

Microsoft Xbox 360 to get Netflix movies, NBCU streaming

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 10:00pm CEST

Today at E3, Microsoft announced some new features and content partners that will be coming to Xbox Live, the now billion-dollar division of the company.

Sprint delivers Windows Mobile 6.1-based Palm Treo 800w

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 9:44pm CEST

With the frenzy over Apple's latest iPhone finally subsiding, Sprint has rolled out the Palm Treo 800w, a new Treo phone that uses Windows Mobile 6.1 as its operating environment.

Indian media company acquires MovieBeam assets

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 8:37pm CEST

Mumbai-based Valuable Group acquired the video-on-demand service last week for what could be considered pennies on the dollar, according to reports.

Apple claims 1M iPhone 3Gs sold, some may be vouchers

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 7:00pm CEST

Today, Apple announced the iPhone's opening weekend figures, claiming it had passed the one million sales mark on Sunday, and that 10 million apps were downloaded in the same three-day period.

Some iPhone app devs game the system for higher placement

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 6:11pm CEST

UPDATED Taking advantage of the way iTunes sorts applications alphabetically, some developers have found loopholes to put their apps at the top of the list.

Icahn's proposed Microsoft deal with Yahoo was for more than just search

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 5:53pm CEST

Why won't Yahoo part with its search business when Microsoft would be offering a rich amount for it, asks Carl Icahn this morning? The answer could lie in the component of the deal that justifies being offered more than triple its value.

Microsoft officially announces cheaper Xbox 360s

Publié: juillet 14, 2008, 5:51pm CEST

On Sunday, Microsoft officially announced the $50 price reduction to the 20 GB Xbox 360 for the US, as well as the introduction of a 60 GB model at the $349 price position.

Phoenix BIOS with hypervisor to premiere Monday in NEC laptops

Publié: juillet 12, 2008, 1:56am CEST

BetaNews has learned that, on Monday, NEC will roll out plans to include remotely manageable anti-virus technology in PC notebooks, running outside of the Windows OS in Linux-based HyperSpace firmware from Phoenix Technologies.

Phoenix firmware with hypervisor to premiere Monday in NEC laptops

Publié: juillet 12, 2008, 1:56am CEST

BetaNews has learned that, on Monday, NEC will roll out plans to include remotely manageable anti-virus technology in PC notebooks, running outside of the Windows OS in Linux-based HyperSpace firmware from Phoenix Technologies.

Activision adds Line6 amp modeling to Guitar Hero: World Tour

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 11:44pm CEST

The next in Activision's popular line of rhythm-based music simulation games is scheduled for release in Fall 2008, and is single-handedly changing the style of the game with the addition of many new features.

Livescribe's audio pen computer on its way from Windows to Mac

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 10:39pm CEST

Livescribe's microprocessor-embedded, audio-enabled digital Pulse Smartpen -- an upcoming gadget that made its first bow at Demo earlier this year -- is now expanding its reach, with an Apple SDK already in the works.

First Look: MobileMe promising, but limps out of the gate

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 10:08pm CEST

It took a lot of patience, but BetaNews' Ed Oswald finally managed to take a look at Apple's MobileMe in detail, and ended up being quite impressed.

Several security fixes included in AppleTV update

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 9:45pm CEST

While the upgrade to the company's set-top box was advertised as adding support for remote control of iTunes and MobileMe, it also fixed some potentially serious flaws.

West Coast lines grow longer as iPhone 3G buyers are told to wait

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 9:40pm CEST

UPDATED Just a few blocks away from the Moscone Center, where Steve Jobs and company host Macworld and WWDC every year, the enthusiasm for Apple's latest product launch was apparent.

High-res Web and wireless home surveillance due this fall

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 8:46pm CEST

Surveillance specialist Lorex now plans to release two new wireless camera systems for home security, BetaNews has learned, including a night vision-enabled system coming this fall that can stream over the Internet.

iTunes, activation outages are rendering new and old iPhones inoperable

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 8:30pm CEST

UPDATED BetaNews correspondents in Maryland and Michigan are seeing first-hand problems as a result of significant system outages affecting both AT&T and iTunes. Many buyers still can't activate their phones hours later.

CheckPoint issues fix for ZoneAlarm problem after DNS patch

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 7:20pm CEST

BetaNews has confirmed through testing that CheckPoint's latest build of ZoneAlarm, issued yesterday in response to a problem arising from a Microsoft patch to a major DNS security problem, fixes a major problem with Internet access.

Sony gets more in-game advertising support

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 7:15pm CEST

Sony Computer Entertainment America and Europe have announced another partnership in the PlayStation's growing advertising platform.

FCC to push for Comcast sanctions over throttling

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 7:05pm CEST

UPDATED Chairman Kevin Martin says that the cable provider has run afoul of regulations that guarantee open access to the Internet, and should be punished.

Apple runs into troubles with MobileMe

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 6:29pm CEST

UPDATED After briefly going online this morning, Apple's replacement for .Mac has gone down yet again, with tests showing just about the entire service as unresponsive.

Now you can find your cell phone...when it screams, 'I'm lost!'

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 6:12pm CEST

The next time you lose your cell phone, you might hear it scream something like "I'm stolen!" or "I'm lost - take me home," through new location-based technology now under development by a company called Yougetitback.com.

New York Attorney General's child porn crusade expands

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 6:10pm CEST

After an investigation of newsgroups that uncovered large amounts of underage pornography, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo began a large-scale expulsion of the material at the ISP level. Now there's an official Web site for the effort.

Tales from the iPhone 3G launch lines

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 3:23pm CEST

It seems that even though excitement is high for the 3G iPhone in the suburbs, for fans of the device, waiting in line is just a natural part of the whole experience.

Eager iPhone 3G buyers begin all-night wait outside stores

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 5:00am CEST

The second-generation iPhone won't go on sale for another 9 hours, but some intrepid souls are already lining up outside AT&T and Apple stores to be among the first to use the device. We spoke with two as they began their night-long wait.

Yahoo to offer free ad-supported games

Publié: juillet 11, 2008, 12:43am CEST

Yahoo has announced that it will be offering ad-subsidized versions of popular casual games for download, and anticipates as many as 400 will be available by the end of the year.

German ruling may clear victims of legal liability for Wi-Fi theft

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 11:51pm CEST

A court in the country has ruled that Internet users who are victims of Wi-Fi theft cannot be held responsible for illegal P2P activity if it occurs as a result of that incident.

Samsung Instinct tops Best Buy sales

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 11:48pm CEST

Best Buy announced this week that the Samsung Instinct from Sprint has become the retailer's best selling handset of the last two years, apparently outselling all 95 other phones the retailer carries.

Clearwire launches new WiMAX beta in Portland, Oregon

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 11:41pm CEST

With beta tests of WiMAX in Baltimore/Washington and Chicago under way, Clearwire is now conducting a test in Portland, Oregon, and preparing commercial deployments in Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Grand Rapids for 2009, BetaNews has learned.

Japan gives up on efforts to tax digital music players

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 11:31pm CEST

Known locally as "the iPod tax," the Japanese government has been pushing for the levy since at least 2005. But now it appears as if the idea will be permanently shelved.

Nielsen: US leads in mobile internet usage

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 9:07pm CEST

A study released today shows 15.6 percent of mobile Internet subscribers use the mobile Web -- the highest penetration of any country. With 40 million users, the firm believes the mobile Web has reached 'critical mass' for mobile ads.

The word is out, Xbox 360 Pro coming cheap

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 8:12pm CEST

Rumors are rapidly being substantiated as the launch date approaches: A price reduction is evidently being planned for the 20 GB Xbox 360, which looks like it'll go on sale this Sunday, July 13, with a price tag of $299.99.

FISA amendments bill passes Senate, President likely to sign

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 7:50pm CEST

The compromise legislation will enable a court to decide on a case-by-case basis whether telcos that cooperated with the US government will be granted immunity from prosecution. Prominent Democrats were among those voting for the compromise.

Yahoo launches BOSS in Google catch-up attempt

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 7:12pm CEST

To help make more of a dent in the Google-dominated search and ad markets, Yahoo is rolling out an initiative that will open the door wider to its search service, but mainly for developers and ISVs willing to host Yahoo ads on their sites.

The new apps for iPhone 2.0: What's good?

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 7:05pm CEST

Now that the iTunes App Store is officially open, BetaNews has pushed aside the dozens of card games and social network companion programs to look at some of those apps that best take advantage of the iPhone's capabilities.

First Look: iPhone 2.0 software delivers big thanks to App Store

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 6:30pm CEST

It's been a year since I first unwrapped the iPhone, feeling like a boy on Christmas morning. Looking at the 2.0 firmware file on my Desktop, all those feelings came rushing back. Except this time around, the software is what I'm most interested in.

ISO 29500 publication process may resume in August

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 6:19pm CEST

The status code for the ISO's publication of OXML as an international standard has been on hold since four countries appealed the outcome of a ballot resolution meeting. That roadblock may now be lifted as soon as next month.

Verizon Wireless settles its early termination fee suits

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 6:12pm CEST

The carrier has sued by several consumers nationwide over its early termination fees. While VZW admits no wrongdoing, this week's payout settles those cases.

Software updates for iPhone, AppleTV, iTunes go live

Publié: juillet 10, 2008, 5:26pm CEST

A little bit of digging has turned up the 2.0 version of the iPhone software on Apple's servers, while both the AppleTV and and iTunes see updates to support new functionality.

Siemens announces massive worldwide job cuts

Publié: juillet 9, 2008, 12:44am CEST

German electronics and engineering company Siemens was rumored end of June to be preparing a large-scale workforce reduction. Today the company announced the precise number who will be affected.

Angry YouTube users boycott, Viacom seems to respond

Publié: juillet 9, 2008, 12:23am CEST

Enraged YouTube users are protesting a controversial court ruling last week by uploading homemade "Viacom sucks" videos, and calling for mass boycotts of Viacom entertainment vehicles such as Paramount Pictures and MTV.

World saved: There will be Scrabble on Facebook

Publié: juillet 9, 2008, 12:13am CEST

While hundreds of thousands of Facebook users have been playing an unlicensed online version of Scrabble called Scrabulous, Electronic Arts and Hasbro will finally roll out their version of the online game to Facebook later this month.

Major fix to DNS vulnerability impacts Windows, Debian

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 11:57pm CEST

A very serious flaw in the Internet's DNS servers may have been ripe for a significant exploit, though a familiar security researcher might have sounded the alarm just in time. Now, Microsoft and Linux vendors are responding urgently.

PayPal, Google team in anti-phishing initiative

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 11:46pm CEST

With phishing attacks and fraudulent e-mails still slipping through Google Gmail's security walls, the Mountain View-based company plans to work with eBay and its PayPal unit in an effort to protect e-mail users.

Sprint's answer to its troubles: better customer service

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 11:20pm CEST

With its customers increasingly churning to competitors, its executives leaving, and its reputation for poor service, Sprint needs to do something. Now, its new CEO suggests a focus on the customer.

Face it, mobile TV doesn't need the set any more

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 11:11pm CEST

A recent LA Times article is already mourning the loss of battery-powered handheld mini televisions, although the future of mobile television actually appears brighter than ever.

Dawn finally nears for JBoss AS 5.0 application server

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 11:07pm CEST

After three years of work, Red Hat has finally completed the first -- but probably not the final -- release candidate of JBoss Application Server (AS) 5.0, a long delayed Java-based product built around a "Lego block" approach.

Microsoft to host 'Deskless Worker' entry-level Web services

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 9:58pm CEST

When Microsoft announced in March it would be marketing its own hosting services for Exchange and SharePoint, some wondered how the company could successfully compete with itself? Today, it provided the answer.

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Google adds fuel to Canada's BitTorrent throttling fracas

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 9:23pm CEST

This week, Google jumped into the battle against Bell Canada's anti-BitTorrent practices, this time through the country's equivalent of the FCC, and on different legal grounds than privacy advocates.

Google continues to mete out privacy features

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 9:18pm CEST

Another minor privacy upgrade to Google came yesterday afternoon to Gmail, the ability to check activity in the user's mailbox.

Television is king, although younger viewers turn to the Web

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 9:14pm CEST

The stereotypical picture of senior citizens spending their days in front of the television is not far off from the truth, although the nation's youth is increasingly turning to the Internet, Nielsen finds.

Amazon introduces a deferred payment option

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 7:38pm CEST

Amazon.com has rolled out deferred billing as an option to customers, realizing an agreement made with Bill Me Later in the beginning of 2008.

Alcatel-Lucent looks to collect from Microsoft

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 7:35pm CEST

The telecommunications company presented arguments at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, asking for a $1.52 judgment against Microsoft to be reinstated.

Apple's .Mac to transition to MobileMe on Wednesday

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 5:57pm CEST

Two days ahead of its release of the iPhone 2.0 software, Apple said it would debut its new online service for sychronized e-mail, calendars, and resource sharing.

Google releases its data encoding format to compete with XML

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 5:53pm CEST

In an effort to solve the bulk and time-consumption problem when encoding large databases, Google developed its own alternative to XML. Yesterday, the company began evangelizing others to use it as an alternative to the industry standard.

Sony re-releases its problematic PS3 firmware update

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 5:42pm CEST

Last week, Sony pulled its PlayStation 3 firmware upgrade (v2.40) after users began to report that it "bricked" their consoles. An updated update has been made available.

Pioneer to enter consumer Blu-ray disc recorder market

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 5:38pm CEST

Pioneer Corp. plans to launch a Blu-ray disc recorder in Japan by early next year, making the company the seventh Japanese vendor to step into this market.

When can copyrighted content be used in online videos?

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 12:46am CEST

With more videos turning up on the Web, how should "fair use" -- an element of copyright law first developed for the printed word -- best be applied within this emerging medium? That's the subject of a Ford Foundation-funded study.

Fourteen states' attorneys general join opposition to XM + Sirius

Publié: juillet 8, 2008, 12:26am CEST

If the merger must go through, a group of states' legal leaders now contend, then at the very least, the FCC could mandate that the merged Sirius publish its specifications for interoperable receivers as open source.

After dumping German plant, Nokia to pitch in on 'Growth for Bochum'

Publié: juillet 7, 2008, 11:55pm CEST

Although Nokia has now made a financial concession to Bochum, Germany worth well over $30 million USD, the city will still be left without its main source of income, after Nokia pulls up stakes and moves its factory to Romania.

Mozilla: Firefox is our RIA platform

Publié: juillet 7, 2008, 11:53pm CEST

"This is where we think the future of the Internet is going -- you can start to see these applications breaking out of the confines of the browser space, and try to move onto the desktop," a key Mozilla engineer told BetaNews.

British film board ready to review video games for younger audiences

Publié: juillet 7, 2008, 10:25pm CEST

The agency responsible for classifying movies in the UK wants more power to review and pass judgment on video games intended for younger audiences, and is answering critics who claim it would create a monumental bureaucracy.

Report: Third-generation Toyota Prius to sport solar panels

Publié: juillet 7, 2008, 10:03pm CEST

When Toyota's popular hybrid gets a makeover in 2010, the car will now harness the power of the sun to operate its own air conditioning.

Netflix box by Roku to get more content providers

Publié: juillet 4, 2008, 12:45am CEST

Released several months ago as a part of Netflix's increasing emphasis on all-digital content delivery, the Netflix set top box by Roku will soon be streaming content from other providers.

US Justice Dept. sued for info on cellular tracking practices

Publié: juillet 4, 2008, 12:30am CEST

In purported efforts to help the public "understand the privacy risks of carrying a mobile phone," the ACLU and the EFF are suing the Justice Dept. for "documents, memos, and guides" about procedures used to track individuals through cell phones.

Next Patch Tuesday has few security updates, big Vista reliability fix

Publié: juillet 4, 2008, 12:27am CEST

In its monthly advance notice the weekend before the second Tuesday of the month, Microsoft said it will only be addressing four security issues this time around, two dealing with Windows. But a surprisingly big Vista bug fix is under way.

BlackBerry Pearl users can test voice input for Google Maps

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 11:49pm CEST

As Google expands its product line for mobile services, the Mountain View-based company announced BlackBerry Pearl users now have the ability to use voice search.

Adobe pushes its Flash 10 beta 2 refresh

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 11:30pm CEST

The latest beta update to Flash Player 10 has been made available, adding performance enhancements and many community-suggested features.

Nokia and InterDigital start to disassemble their running feud

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 10:39pm CEST

You dream of seeing outcomes like this: One side asks the other, "What were we fighting about again?" The other side responds, "I don't remember." And the two shake hands and start picking up their mess. This may actually be happening.

Do-it-yourself phone manufacturer declares its independence tomorrow

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 10:34pm CEST

While many of us will be enjoying fireworks and barbeques tomorrow to help celebrate the Fourth of July, a Taiwan-based device manufacturer, Openmoko, plans to launch a new open source Linux handset that begs to be customized.

Study: US broadband access up overall, but down among the poor

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 10:16pm CEST

When it comes to broadband Internet access in America, the gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" is widening, suggests a Pew Research report released on Wednesday called "Home Broadband Adoption 2008."

Beta test a portable Web browsing device

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 9:54pm CEST

Centercode is seeking beta testers in the New York City metropolitan area to try out a new device that serves as a portable Web browser. It works via cellular network, but comes already activated and won't require you to switch from your current phone to participate.

Nvidia: 'Previous generation' GPUs failing at high rates

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 9:20pm CEST

In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, graphics hardware company NVidia stated defective MCP and GPU products in certain notebooks will cost the company between $150-$200 million.

New Google Talk gives iPhone users a free messaging alternative

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 8:46pm CEST

Google has pushed out a new version of its Google Talk service for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch owners designed the service to work solely through Safari, so there are no software downloads that need to be installed.

It's official: Mozilla's Firefox sets Guinness World Record

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 8:15pm CEST

From 18:16 UTC on June 17, 2008 to 18:16 UTC on June 18, 2008, Mozilla indeed reached its goal of setting the record for "the single most downloaded piece of software in a single day."

Is the latest YouTube court ruling really a 'privacy concern?'

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 8:07pm CEST

Although privacy advocates are up in arms, a judge's decision in the ongoing court battle between Viacom and YouTube is likely to have little or no real impact on most people who have viewed videos on YouTube.

'Metal Gear Solid 4' gives PS3 a sales boost in Japan

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 6:43pm CEST

It's good to be on top of the heap, Sony discovered for perhaps a brief moment, and today gaming analysts are giving the PS3 a ray of hope for Japan. But that depends on just how carefully you slice the pie, as the market leader remains Nintendo.

Sony pulls PS3 update after some gamers report bricked systems

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 6:18pm CEST

Just hours after making it publicly available, Sony has pulled the PlayStation 3's latest firmware download (v2.40) due to reports of inoperable consoles after the update process.

Microsoft releases Remote Desktop Connection 2 for Mac

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 12:52am CEST

After being in public beta just shy of one year, the official version of Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection 2 client for Mac was released yesterday.

European tech leaders reject calls for ISP vigilance as 'scaremongering'

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 12:45am CEST

European ISP organizations are concerned that the cost of implementing proposals intended to reduce cybercrime could put them out of business, but a leading security vendor said the cost of not doing anything could be even higher.

Analyst: The future is bleak for midrange cell phones

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 12:02am CEST

Midrange semi-intelligent phones such as Motorola's RAZR are gradually going to be subsumed by smart phones based on industry standard operating systems, predicted Kevin Burden, director of mobile devices for ABI Research.

Obama change of heart on FISA bill generates an online rift

Publié: juillet 3, 2008, 12:00am CEST

With online activism one of the key factors behind Barack Obama's success, his new position on a key bill affecting the government's ability to wiretap Internet users is making even stalwart supporters rethink their own positions.

Web browser study uses Google data to pinpoint security problems

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 11:35pm CEST

Less than 60 percent of Web users are outfitted with up-to-date, fully patched browsers, according to a new, IBM co-authored research study, which relies on examinations of users' Google log records to help reach that conclusion.

Five-digit fees from Sun's MySQL could actually save businesses millions

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 10:26pm CEST

Sun Microsystems hopes to expand GlassFish and MySQL use with a new Glassfish and MySQL Unlimited initiative aimed at corporations looking to deploy open source software.

EMI takes legal action against music video-based mashups

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 9:36pm CEST

The other shoe -- or is it the other egg? -- has dropped on VideoEgg Inc., a company whose mission is to make it easier for advertising to be distributed by giving individuals the incentive to do it instead. Apparently they made it too easy.

Sirius predicts post-merger strength

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 9:31pm CEST

Responding to an unfavorable analyst outlook for post-merger Sirius and XM, satellite radio network Sirius this week published its guidance for 2009, predicting a full year of profitability if the merger is completed.

Sprint Airave femtocell launch date surfaces

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 7:55pm CEST

Sprint's indoor coverage-extending femtocell device, Airave, will be rolled out nationwide on July 15 according to early reports.

Linspire, the former Lindows, will become part of Xandros

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 7:53pm CEST

According to announcements this morning, enterprise Linux distributor Xandros will purchase consumer Linux maker Linspire, in a move that had been rumored for several weeks with little details coming from either company.

Nokia gets green light for $8.1B Navteq buyout

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 7:23pm CEST

Nokia has gotten the final okay from the European Commission on its plans to buy digital map maker Navteq, following a detail investigation around the impact of the $8.1 billion deal, particularly on competing mobile phone makers.

Blockbuster drops its Circuit City buyout bid

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 7:18pm CEST

Blockbuster has withdrawn its proposal to buy out Circuit City, quickly vaporizing the $18 billion combined retail enterprise the video rental company had envisioned.

Xbox 360 price cuts begin down under

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 6:58pm CEST

Microsoft confirmed today that it was dropping the price of its entry-level Xbox 360 by $50...in Australia.

PDF is now ISO 32000-1, an international standard

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 6:53pm CEST

The next version of Microsoft Office, still called "Office 14," will support by user-chosen defaults at least two published international standard document formats. But at least for now, neither of them was Microsoft's to begin with.

Windows XP will be sold to some OEMs after all, says Microsoft

Publié: juillet 2, 2008, 5:36pm CEST

BetaNews has confirmed that, although most of Microsoft's shipments of Windows XP did end on June 30 as scheduled, it is still making XP available to both makers of low-end Netbooks and 'systems builders,' large and small.

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