New Domain Names Coming in 2008
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) said Thursday that new top-level domain names (TLDs) for general use could be live by summer of 2008, and invited public comment on procedures for creating the new domains - the first since 2000.
Since .info and .biz were established for general use in 2000, ICANN has only approved six regional and industry-specific domains, including .asia, .museum and .travel. While it did not offer specifics, ICANN said it would work to make the process smooth such that new TLDs can be created more quickly in the future. However, businesses have complained that more names leads to more cybersquatting, and pointed out that both .biz and .info have failed to take off in the marketplace.
Microsoft Releases IE Developer Toolbar
After over a year and a half of beta testing, Microsoft on Thursday made available the final version of its Developer Toolbar for Internet Explorer 6 and 7. The add-on enables users to analyze the code of a Web page by color coding the HTML source, matching CSS selectors to page elements, and even offering a pixel ruler.
While the 1.0 release offers no new functionality over Beta 3, Microsoft says it has improved reliability and the fit-and-finish of the toolbar. "This tool is a direct response to your requests for free web developer tools and we hope you enjoy it. However, we see this as only the first response to your requests not only for tools, but for making development for IE easier," wrote IE program manger John Hrvatin on the IEBlog. Similar toolbars are available for Firefox.
Internet TV Startup Joost Raises $45m
Joost, the Internet TV startup founded by Skype and Kazaa creators Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, has raised $45 million from a group of five investors that includes CBS and Viacom. The service has been in private beta for months, and recently opened to a broader audience.
Thus far, Joost's largest problem has been the quality of television content viewers could receive. The new funding news comes after both CBS and Viacom announced plans to make their content available on the service. Joost relies on P2P technology to save bandwidth costs, as each viewer transmits video data to other users as well.
Lenovo to Spend $1.3 Billion on Vista, Office
Chinese computer maker Lenovo has inked a deal with Microsoft to buy up to $1.3 billion worth of Windows Vista and Office 2007 for the next year. A similar deal valued at $1.2 billion was signed last year, which was considered a big step toward fighting piracy in China.
Lenovo has been battling Taiwan-based Acer to be the world's number-three computer manufacturer behind giants Hewlett-Packard and Dell. In turn, the company has been forging closer ties with Microsoft, including a joint research center announced last month to be built in China. Details of the new Microsoft agreement will be finalized soon, the companies said.
Comcast Talks Up 150 Megabit Cable
With growing pressure from lower-cost DSL and Verizon's faster FiOS, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts used The Cable Show conference in Las Vegas to show off a new cable modem technology that could bring speeds of 150 megabits per second. FiOS is currently offered up to 50 megabits, but is capable of much more.
Version 3.0 of the DOCSIS standard, developed by Cable Television Laboratories which represents all of the cable providers, utilizes four channels to send data instead of just one. This "channel bonding" would enable speeds 25 times higher than current cable modems. Roberts says manufacturers are planning to submit DOCSIS 3.0 modems for certification later this year, and customers could see the technology in their homes within a couple years.
Google Adds Print Option to AdWords
Advertisers using Google AdWords are seeing a new option for reaching customers: print newspapers. The search company has been testing the print waters since late last year, and said in December it would enable online advertisers to purchase surplus inventory in hundreds of newspapers.
AdWords advertisers can choose a weekly amount they'd like to spend on the campaign, as well as the newspapers to target, which Google lists with circulation numbers. The concept of ad brokerage is nothing new to the industry. What is new is Google's spin on it, which is essentially pure automation and acceleration of the process, not unlike what eBay has done for barter. Marketing Pilgrim has screenshots of AdSense for Print.
D-Link Upgrades 802.11n Hardware
Although networking companies have for a year been selling 802.11n branded gear, which promises much faster speeds and less interference at longer distances, the standard is not yet set in stone. Thus, companies are now rolling out updates based on the 2.0 draft of the standard.
D-Link is the first to release firmware upgrades to its customers in order to bring the hardware up to the latest specification. In addition, the company has obtained certification for compatibility with Intel's Centrino systems with Wireless-N networking. Changes primarily related to protection of the legacy devices, as 802.11n has the capability to cause problems with 802.11g, b and a hardware.
Microsoft Buys Stake in CareerBuilder
As part of a renewed content agreement that puts CareerBuilder as the job listing provider on its MSN properties, Microsoft on Wednesday took a minority stake in the company. The equity investment comes as CareerBuilder was chosen to power MSN's international job sites as well.
The deal will last through 2013, and primarily include MSN properties in the United States and Europe. CareerBuilder began expanding its international presence last year, and is now the largest recruiting destination online by revenue. "Taking an equity stake in the most prominent job site in the U.S. presents a unique opportunity to enhance our business relationship," Microsoft said in a statement.
Google Upgrades Analytics Interface
Google Analytics, arguably the best free tool for webmasters and marketers to analyze site traffic and track campaigns, has received an overhaul just in time for the Emetrics Summit in San Francisco. The reporting interface has been redesigned for better customization and collaboration.
Businesses and Web site owners can now access and share custom reports, as well as create a "custom dashboard" containing the data they need most. In addition, users can choose different time periods to compare performance in real time, and send personalized reports over e-mail. Current Google Analytics accounts will be upgraded over the next few weeks, Google says.
Microsoft, Apple Join to Fix Vista iPod Issues
Touting the collaboration between the two companies, Microsoft today released a patch it developed with Apple to correct problems Windows Vista users are having with iPods. While Apple already updated iTunes, issues remained with iPods becoming corrupted when ejected.
"The long and short of it is this: Apple and Windows have partnered together to ensure a great experience in using Windows Vista with iTunes and the iPod, and both companies recommend you download this update," said Vista product manager Nick White. The download is available now, and will be automatically downloaded for Vista users beginning May 22.
Comcast Boosts Cable Upload Speeds
Comcast officially announced Tuesday what customers around the United States have been noticing for months: no bandwidth caps when uploading files less than 10MB. The feature, called PowerBoost, follows a similar upgrade in download speeds last year.
Customers will be able to upload at speeds reaching 2 megabits per second, far greater than the standard limit of 384 kilobytes. The service is being rolled out on a market-to-market basis, with the entire Comcast network expected to be upgraded by the end of the year. Comcast customers already see download speeds of 12Mbps to 16Mbps for files under 10MB.
Novell Linux Chief Leaves for Google
Robert Love, a key Linux programmer and Chief Architect of Novell's Linux Desktop efforts, has announced he is leaving the company and taking a position at Google. Love will join the search company's Open Source Program Office, which manages projects including the Summer of Code and Google APIs.
Love's resignation from Novell comes after another Linux programmer, Jeremy Allison, also left the company for Google. Unlike Allison, however, Love says he is not leaving due to Novell's recent patent covenant with Microsoft; rather, he feels it was simply time to move on after three and a half years.
IBM Offloads Third of Lenovo Shares
IBM on Tuesday continued offloading its stake in Chinese manufacturer Lenovo, which bought the company's PC business and ThinkPad brand name in 2005, becoming the #3 computer maker in the world. IBM is selling 223 million shares, nearly one-third of its 7.4 percent stake in Lenovo.
The move follows the sale of 300 million Lenovo shares by IBM in February. As part of the initial $1.75 billion deal, IBM was allowed to shed a third of its stake each year, but under an agreement reached last year, it can now completely separate from Lenovo in November 2007.
MySpace to Acquire Photobucket
After a high-profile spat between the two companies, it now appears MySpace and Photobucket will make up with merger valued at between $250 million. In a peculiar twist of events, it was MySpace's move to block videos from Photobucket that jump-started talks between the two parties. The photo site had been looking for a buyer since March.
Rumors of the deal first surfaced over the weekend on several blogs and were confirmed by Silicon Valley watcher Michael Arrington on Monday. Although the agreement has not been publicly announced, Photobucket executives called a staff meeting late Monday morning Pacific time.
Beta Test CA Protection Suite for Vista
CA is looking for participants to join the beta program of the CA Protection Suite r3.1 for Windows Vista. Protection Suite is designed for small and mid-sized businesses, and includes a range of integrated solutions to minimize risks and prevent downtime.
Beta testers will have a direct impact on the product's development, and help ensure the update will function optimally in their work environment. The installation of CA Protection Suite r3 is a prerequisite for the beta program. Interested users can apply for the r3.1 beta by visiting CA's Web site.
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