IBM rolls out Linux-to-Unix server consolidation for SMBs
IBM is beefing up both its System p and Power-based Unix systems and its i Servers, once dubbed AS/400. Now, Linux-based binaries created for x86-based PC environments will be able to run unmodified on IBM Unix servers.
To help lure more SMBs away from Sun Microsystems and Hewlett-Packard, IBM this week rolled out a new virtualization capability for migrating PC-based Linux applications to its Unix systems, in addition to new entry-level "Express" Unix systems for SMBs.
Analysis: Is Motorola better off without the handset business?
BetaNews examines why Nomura financial analyst Richard Windsor toyed with the idea of Motorola surrendering its handset business to focus on enterprise and government solutions.
Recently, Nomura analyst Richard Windsor discussed the possibility of Motorola Inc. leaving the handset business in favor of becoming what he calls "an enterprise and government company." He noted that rumors of a Chinese buyout of Motorola are increasing, but the company's problems would not be easily fixed by such a buyout. He closed by saying Motorola will most likely regain its unsure footing after this year.
French police bid adieu to Microsoft software
ICANN may end grace periods, killing off 'domain tasting'
A practice used by scammers to siphon off hits from users who misspell URLs in their browsers could be rendered impossible this year, as the organization responsible for the Internet's domain name system may end the program that makes the practice possible.
Just a few days ago, Google got some attention for announcing a policy that would effectively give it credit for killing off the practice of "domain name tasting," or "domain tasting," by exploitative DNS registrants. But as it turns out, one of the Internet's principal governing bodies, ICANN, had been preparing since last summer to come out against the practice anyway, and it did so yesterday.
Reports: Sprint, Clearwire could be renewing WiMAX talks
New Nikon D60 camera offers Eye-Fi wireless connectivity
Eye-Fi, a company that makes SD cards with built-in wireless 802.11g/b/n connectivity, has announced that Nikon's new D60 Digital SLR camera will come out of the box with enhanced Eye-Fi capabilities.
Though this new company says the technology works seamlessly with any camera that accepts SD cards, the Nikon D60 is actually the first camera designed with Eye-Fi's wireless connectivity in mind.
The SD cards feature Static WEP 40/104/128, WPA-PSK, and WPA2-PSK security, and have a wireless range of over 90 feet outdoors and 45 feet indoors. Once a user has set up the connection, the camera can automatically send the photo data to many photo sharing, printing, blogging, and social networking sites, automatically resizing photos according to the criteria of their destination. Photos can also be wirelessly sent to the user's computer running the Eye-Fi manager software.
Western Digital offers yet another pocket-sized HDD
Western Digital today introduced a new series of portable USB hard drives with capacities as high as 320 GB in a package comparable in size to a Nintendo DS Lite.
The My Passport USB drive series was redesigned to complement WD's line of My Book external drives, and have a footprint of 5.1" x 3.14" x .6" and weigh only 5 ounces. They range in capacity from 60-320 GB.
These 2.5-inch 5400 RPM hard drives are bus powered and promise the USB 2.0 transfer speed of 480 Mb/sec. Obviously, speed of transfer is not this device's strong point among a field of many competitors. However, the unit's small size, coupled with its large capacity narrow down the competition slightly.
EBay to release browser-independent console next month
Now in beta test, EffectiveUI's new eBay Desktop is aimed at letting users shop, search and buy from their desktops instead of inside Web browsers, as well as to simplify user tasks and 'optimize rich media' along the way.
In an effort to give the eBay online auction site a richer and more adaptable front end, a software vendor named EffectiveUI is now beta testing a stand-alone eBay console. Its functionality will be provided by the AIR platform, Adobe's Flash-based UI production environment that expects to meet a heavy challenge this year from Microsoft's Silverlight.
'Branded': Kids' Web sites sell virtual Pepsi, Disney avatar gear
At MTV's VLES site, kids in chat rooms are sipping on "virtual Pepsis." At Gaia Online, teens and 20-somethings are dressing up avatars in virtual Disney T-shirts. But is this strategy of "immersive branding" paying off for them?
NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - Virtual reality -- the keyphrase of the 1990s, adopted just after "information superhighway" started to deteriorate from the public vernacular -- is making a comeback as an advertising tool. This re-emerging category includes not just Second Life and other places for grown-ups, but online communities for the younger crowd, too.
MySpace set to launch developer platform Tuesday
With rival Facebook's open API gaining traction, MySpace on Wednesday said that it would launch its own API on February 5.
The launch will also herald the promotion of the market-leading social network's business development chief Amit Kapur to the position of chief operating officer. Kapur will be tasked with heading up the program.
Microsoft's tardiness for documentation extends DOJ oversight to 2009
Scathing words yesterday from the federal judge overseeing Microsoft's compliance with its antitrust decree, accompanied an order that effectively extends the DOJ's oversight period into the next US presidential administration.
Apparently agreeing with the European Commission's assessment that Microsoft has yet to provide adequate documentation for its communications protocols, US District Judge Kathleen Kollar-Kotelly issued an order yesterday extending the Dept. of Justice's oversight period for the company by two years, until November 12, 2009.
Firefox share up again in Europe
The average usage share of Mozilla's browser among European nations rose to 28 percent in December, up .7 percent from the month previous, XiTi Monitor finds.
A report by the Web survey institute XiTi Monitor released yesterday showed that, when European nations' averaged their Web sites' usage shares together, usage share for Firefox appeared to rebound slightly.
EBay slashes some fees as incentives for sellers
Online auction powerhouse eBay announced this morning steep fee cuts and several other strategies, as incentives to its customers to help it stay on top.
Speaking at a keynote address at the eCommerce Forum yesterday, outgoing eBay North American division president Bill Cobb highlighted several key changes: First, the site will reduce its own upfront insertion fees by 25% to 50% when sellers list items, while increasing fees when items are successfully sold. Items sold under $25 on EBay will see a commission rise from 5.25% to 8.25%, a move that could have a dramatic impact on used media sold on the site.
Yahoo to cut 1,000 jobs, warns of an uncertain 2008
The bad news may not be over for the nation's #2 search provider, though some analysts yesterday were actually hoping the news would be worse, particularly in the jobs department, in order for things to get better over time.
Yahoo is staying afloat, which is not bad, given the direction it had been heading at this time last year. But with net income down 23.6% annually to $205.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2007 on 7.6% higher revenues of $1.83 billion, it's not exactly in good shape either.
Asustek re-defines 'E-machine' with new Eee desktops
Driven by the success of its budget-priced Eee UMPC, Asustek announced a full line of new Eee-branded products that are planned to be launched this year.
The Eee's major selling point is its affordability, and Asustek's president Jerry Shen has confirmed that the Eee line will maintain that point. The E-DT desktop, which is expected to show at CeBIT, will first use an Intel Celeron processor, come with no monitor and cost between $200-$300. The company is trying to bring down the price to $199 before it comes to retail.
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