Microsoft is the latest company to venture into the online book search arena, claiming it will not endure the same legal troubles that rival Google has faced.
The software giant has joined an alliance called the Open Content Alliance (OCA), along with Yahoo, Hewlett-Packard and Adobe, which aims to digitise books, academic materials and other publications for online publication.
Intel Slashes PC Power-up Time
Intel has unveiled a new technology on Monday that significantly reduces the time it takes for a notebook PC to power up or access programs, while improving battery life to boot.
Intel's new Robson cache technology ensured an almost immediate start-up of a Centrino-based notebook PC during a live demonstration at the Intel Developer Forum in Taipei on Monday. A laptop with identical hardware but without Robson took several seconds to boot up.
The laptop with Robson also opened Adobe Reader in 0.4 seconds, while the other notebook required 5.4 seconds. It opened Quicken in 2.9 seconds, while the laptop without Robson technology needed 8 seconds to do the job.
Cisco adds security to switches, wireless devices
Cisco Systems Inc. is adding security features to its network switches and wireless products, in the networking gear maker's latest push to sell software to help corporations combat spyware, worms and viruses.
Cisco already sells security software for its routers, which allows businesses to add a layer of security to their Web-based networks, which are often used by far-flung workforces. On Monday, Cisco said it is now selling the software for its switches, which companies often use in simpler local area networks within their own buildings.
The expansion of the security features to business' internal networks also includes wireless access points, which corporations are increasingly installing on their campuses.
The software is designed to protect corporations from computers and mobile devices which may have been infected through use outside of the office, as well as from outside attacks against the network itself.
OSDL pushes Linux phones
The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) have unfolded an initiative to accelerate the adoption of Linux on mobile devices.
Device manufactures hope that the open source operating system will allow them to lower development costs while create new devices at a faster rate. Linux also is expected to offer more flexibility in developing new devices and deliver more capable mobile phones.
Yahoo, MSN Messenger Collaborate
Yahoo! and Microsoft have announced a landmark agreement, to connect users of their consumer instant messaging (IM) services on a global basis. This inter-operability agreement, will give MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger users the ability to interact with each other, forming what is expected to be the largest consumer IM community in the world, estimated to be more than 275 million strong.
In addition to exchanging instant messages, consumers from both communities will be able to see their friends' online presence, share select emoticons, and add new contacts from either service to their friends' list, all as part of their free IM service.
New Video iPod
Before this week's unveiling of the new video-enabled iPod, Apple Computer's Steve Jobs was renowned in technology circles for his skepticism about video on portable devices.
His change of heart could have big implications for the media and entertainment world. In addition to announcing its new, video-enabled iPod this week, Apple introduced a departure from the TV industry's traditional business model -- generating revenue not by embedding advertising in the shows but by charging a small amount to download them.
Initial video content to be available for Apple's new iPod:
Stories that list out the top myths about security seem to come out every other week or so. However, this latest one from Information Week is somewhat amusing in that it's basically a list of items saying you're not nearly as secure as you think you are, but then the last point basically says: except if you're on a wireless network. Apparently, the idea that wireless networks are insecure has been so drilled into so many minds that many people ignore the fact that you can be pretty secure on a wireless network if you know what you're doing.
A few top myths are:
Microsoft makes major security move
AS EXPECTED, Microsoft has just outlined plans for a range of new corporate security services and products.
CEO Steve Ballmer and security VP Mike Nash jetted in to Germany to flesh out the announcement, which covers virus, spam and spyware protection.
The most important bit of the announcement covered a new enterprise-class, subscription-based service called Client Protection, a management console that lets IT managers generate reports and alerts on spyware, viruses and other types of malware. This will be available on beta late this year with no date yet set for full rollout. It has parallels with the Windows OneCare security service for consumers that’s been in production for a while.
First Trojan for Sony PSP on the Loose
Security firm F-Secure has analyzed and confirmed the report of the PSP Trojan. Symantec refers to the exploit as Trojan.PSPBrick and labels it as a category 1 threat, the lowest level on a five-step scale.
The Trojan masquerades as a download tool that promises to downgrade the firmware on Sony's portable gaming device. Instead, however, it deletes important system files, rendering the device unbootable.
Japanese Firm Pushes Wi-Fi to 3 Miles
Maspro Denkoh, a Japanese manufacturer of wireless communications equipment, has developed a transmission system that can send Wi-Fi signals as far as three miles.
The system relies on high-gain antennas produced by the company and is compatible with standard IEEE802.11b/g communications equipment.
Wi-Fi networks use two types of antennae. One is a tube-shaped model about 40 centimeters long and the other is a much shorter and square-shaped model. Combining two of the tubular antennae--one on each end of the link--will result in a transmission distance of about three miles while one of each antenna will work on distances up to 1.2 miles and two of the compact antenna will be fine for up to a little more than half a mile, according to the company.
Bug spotted in Symantec antivirus
A serious security flaw in part of Symantec's antivirus products puts enterprise systems running the software at risk of intrusion.
A buffer overflow flaw in the Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine could let remote attackers run code on vulnerable machines, Symantec said in an advisory Tuesday. The problem affects various versions of the engine, which is the part of the security software that actually scans for threats. Security patches are available to correct the problem, which Symantec rates "high" on its risk impact scale.
ATI launches new family of top-end graphics chips
ATI Technologies Inc. launched its new family of high-end graphics chips on Wednesday, a move it hopes will help it win back market share in the fiercely competitive sector.
ATI's Radeon X1000 family of processors will compete with the GeForce 7800 product line designed by Nvidia Corp.
Both ATI and Nvidia are targeting high-end customers such as video game enthusiasts, who are willing to pay top dollar for chips and graphics cards that offer the highest speeds and richest detail.
HP to Ship Netscape on PCs in 2006
Starting next year, Hewlett-Packard's PC customers will be able to select the Netscape browser as their default window to the Internet, the companies have announced.
The Netscape 8 browser will ship on HP's PCs in the United States and Canada starting early next year, with links to it both in the Start menu and on the desktop of Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. Users also will be able to make the browser their default choice when setting up a new HP PC.
Yahoo begins effort to bring books online for reading
Internet search giant Yahoo responded Monday to rival Google's plans to make books available for reading online by introducing its own version.
The key difference: Yahoo is not scanning copyrighted works, as Google did before publishers called foul and it temporarily stopped. Instead, Yahoo is paying for the scanning of older, out of print titles and making them searchable through the Yahoo index and a new website at opencontentalliance.org.
Microsoft to include native support for PDF in Office 12Microsoft increasingly is leveraging its MSDN Blogs to unveil news about upcoming products, especially developer tools as well as components of software such as Windows Vista and the Office suite. Program manager Brian Jones used his latest post to confirm to the community that the upcoming Office package will integrate support for Adobe PDF format in all core applications.
