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Tuesday, March 31

Facebook seeks a new CFO
Gideon Yu is out as chief financial officer, and the social site aims to hire someone with experience at a public company.

My painfully poky week with Internet Explorer 8
There are plenty of good things about the new version of Microsoft's browser, says CNET News' Stephen Shankland. But he found the interface sluggish.

Just in

LotusLive Engage: IBM's cloud gets social

Hitachi exec indicted in LCD price-fixing scheme

 GoGrid hit with DDoS attack, affects half its customers

 Live blog: Countdown to Conficker

 Sprint's CEO awarded $2.6 million bonus

Fiorina 'seriously considering' bid for Senate

ThinkFree Office gets Flash-based docs viewer

Live blog: Countdown to Conficker
Researchers say the worm is awake on computers in Asia where it's already April 1, but so far it hasn't taken much action. We'll keep you updated here.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Fiorina 'seriously considering' bid for Senate
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO makes the comments at a think tank, saying that her varied experiences would be an asset if she were to pursue political office.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

House floats draft of energy and climate change bill
Green technologies stand to get further support with the bill, particularly in renewable energy and efficiency, but global warming provisions face a tough political fight.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Report: HP considers Google Android for Netbooks
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Hewlett-Packard is "studying" Google's open-source software for mobile phones to use on its low-cost Netbooks.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Windows users brace for Conficker's wiggle
roundup The Internet worm is expected to strike on April 1, but experts disagree on how extensive the damage could be.
(Posted in Security by CNET News staff)

Google bans tethering app from Android Market?
A developer says Google has banned his Wi-Fi tethering application from the Android Market over concerns that it violates T-Mobile's terms of service.
(Posted in Wireless by Tom Krazit)

Facebook flick moves ahead, but Facebook not thrilled
Remember that tell-all about Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook's early years? Not a huge surprise the company is reportedly warning ex-employees not to talk to anyone involved.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Honda thinks up mind-controlled robots
Honda Research Institute and Shimadzu demonstrate a technology that lets humans control a bot through thought alone. But don't start trying to think your Scooba into writing your thesis just yet.
(Posted in Crave by Leslie Katz)

Shuttle Atlantis moved to pad for Hubble launch
NASA gears up for the May 12 launch of space shuttle Atlantis on a long-awaited five-spacewalk mission to give the Hubble Space Telescope a new lease on life.
(Posted in The Space Shot by William Harwood)

Q&A: HP plans reign of ink from the cloud
HP plans reign of ink from the cloud The company wants to move consumer printing away from PCs and onto the Web, shedding drivers along the way.
(Posted in Business Tech by Rupert Goodwins)

Swedish antipiracy law stirs up political waters
In a country with a strong tradition of peer-to-peer networks, a new law requiring some ISPs to hand over data on alleged pirates is a hot-button issue.
(Posted in Digital Media by Erik Palm)

'Microsoft Bridge' turns into a lightning rod
Controversy continues to swirl about an overpass near Microsoft's Redmond headquarters that is slated to receive $11 million through the federal economic-stimulus plan.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Palm chases Howard Stern for Pre marketing
In a high-profile marketing gamble, the radio host will get to demo Palm's new Pre smartphone, which is largely seen as a make-or-break product for the company.
(Posted in Wireless by Larry Dignan)

Monday, March 30

Researchers find flaw in Conficker that lets them detect which computers have the legit Microsoft patch and which were "patched" by the worm itself.
• '60 Minutes': What's next for Conficker?
• Conficker might be from China

TomTom deal leaves key questions hanging
Legal experts say it won't end the uncertainty over Microsoft's Linux patent claims. Open-source luminary Bruce Perens warns of a chilling effect.
• Microsoft, TomTom settle patent dispute

Just in

It's official: Disney offers short-form YouTube channels
As expected, the studio is sticking a toe in the Web video water with a deal to post short-form content on YouTube. Could long-form be on its way?
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Murdoch biographer: News Corp. should buy Twitter
Michael Wolff--yep, the guy who said MySpace is for "cretins"--says a good digital acquisition strategy is the company's best hope for staying afloat, and no acquisition is juicier than Twitter.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Microsoft drops plan to charge for WinMo updates
Faced with a likely backlash from developers, Microsoft abandons plans to charge Windows Mobile developers for submitting even minor application updates.
(Posted in Microsoft by Tom Krazit)

Netflix to hike up monthly Blu-ray fee by up to $8
Video rental site raises prices on renting Blu-ray Discs by up to $8 a month, for a total of $9 a month for its heavy users. The change is going into effect next month.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Microsoft closing the book on Encarta
The software maker decides to shelve its online encyclopedia, no doubt due to the growth of alternatives such as Wikipedia.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Internet advertising revenues rise in Q4
Despite steep economic woes in the fourth quarter, Internet advertising revenues rose a modest 2.6 percent increase, according to a report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
(Posted in Digital Media by Dawn Kawamoto)

Huawei seals deal with Cox
Huawei is providing wireless gear to Cox to help it build its 3G cell phone network. The deal looks to be one of the largest for the Chinese telecom equipment maker in the U.S.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Microsoft picks up Yahoo operations exec
Dayne Sampson, a high-ranking Yahoo operations guru who's worked at other Net powers, is heading to Microsoft's Global Foundation Services group.
(Posted in Microsoft by Stephen Shankland)

Malware probes find a China angle
Canadian researchers say the Tibet-focused "GhostNet" has hit nearly 1,300 computers in 103 countries, while a Vietnamese company spots a possible Chinese connection for Conficker.
(Posted in Security by Jonathan Skillings)

Obama: U.S. auto industry must lead on 'clean cars'
Obama administration demands further restructuring from GM and Chrysler and a commitment to fuel-efficient vehicles to make U.S. automakers more competitive globally.
• Auto bailout demands 'tech leadership' from GM
• Virtual-reality software to aid car customization
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Motorola unveils the Evoke QA4
The Motorola Evoke offers a touch-screen display, a slide-out keypad, and rounded edges. It also has a music player, a camera, a memory card slot, and USB storage.
• AT&T attracts Nokia E71x, Samsung Propel Pro
• AT&T lights up lineup with LG's Xenon, Neon
(Posted in CTIA show by Kent German)

Skype for iPhone: It's official
The free VoIP app will finally be available to download on Tuesday, minus some Skype features but with a few iPhone-only perks.
• Images: Skype for iPhone
(Posted in CTIA show by Jessica Dolcourt)

Yahoo Net service comes to Samsung TVs
Samsung TVs sporting Yahoo Web-browsing technology now are for sale. Models from Vizio, Sony, and LG Electronics are coming later.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Sunday, March 29

Lessons to glean from social gaming
At GDC, game developers analyze successful social games to glean some insight into what the playing public really wants.
• Photos: Fun and games at GDC
• Full coverage: GDC 09
• GDC: A view from above

No business model for Twitter? That's OK
Maybe the high-profile site really is different. Maybe it doesn't need to rush to generate revenue.
• Twitter's spooky secret: It's full of ghosts
• Wasting energy? Tweet-a-Watt tattles on Twits

Just in

Is Facebook growing up too fast?
Facebook soon expects to add its 200 millionth user. As it manages its growth, it must balance an increasingly disparate audience.
(From The New York Times)

Reports: News Corp. to hire former AOL chief
Jonathan Miller, who was once AOL's chief executive, is reportedly about to take a job heading up digital strategies for Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate.
(Posted in Digital Media by Michelle Meyers)

Saturday, March 28

Vast spy system loots computers in 103 countries
Researchers said that the spying, which infiltrated the offices of the Dalai Lama, was controlled from computers based almost exclusively in China.
(From The New York Times)

Amazon, Microsoft reject 'Open Cloud Manifesto'
Cloud-computing providers are set to officially issue a "manifesto" calling for open standards in the emerging field. But not everyone's signing on.
• Inside the 'Open Cloud Manifesto'
• Learning from Manifestogate
• How new tech standards fail
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Google still hiring, even after layoffs
Despite plans to lay off almost 200 sales and marketing employees, about 360 jobs remain posted on the company's Web site.
(From Reuters)

Verizon confirms plans to sell Netbooks
A company spokeswoman says Verizon Wireless plans to start selling the devices by the end of June, but declines to elaborate on pricing or partners.
(Posted in Crave by Michelle Meyers)

Earth Hour: Save a watt, and maybe the Earth
Now you can vote with your light switch, in a Web-savvy grassroots movement to raise awareness of global warming by turning lights off for one hour Saturday night.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Melissa virus turns 10
McAfee researcher talks with CNET News about the spread of Melissa 10 years ago, how the author was tracked down, and how it differs from the today's Conficker worm.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week
Here are a few of CNET Reviews' favorite items from the past week including the Wacom Intuos4, Onkyo HT-S9100THX home theater system, and the 2009 BMW 335d.

Government workers debate online citizen engagement
At Friday's Gov 2.0 Camp, an "unconference" described as a "Woodstock for the 21st century," government workers discuss what it means to engage citizens in meaningful online discussions.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Microsoft goes after Apple online too
In an ad on major news Web sites (for now, those of the Times and the Journal), Microsoft tries to hammer home Windows PCs' price advantage over Macs.
• Microsoft goes after Mac on price in new ad
• Is it uncool to be a Mac user in these tough times?
• Microsoft's 'average consumer from Craigslist' is an actress
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

U.K. parliament computers get Confickered
Blog posts e-mail saying the U.K. parliament's computer network is infected with the Conficker worm.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Imeem restructures, chief marketing officer resigns
Steve Jang, one of the social network's top managers, and a vice president of advertising sales, resign. Imeem is the latest ad-supported music service to fall on hard times.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Friday, March 27

Amazon, Microsoft rain on 'Open Cloud'
Cloud-computing providers are set to officially issue a "manifesto" calling for open standards in the emerging field. But not everyone's signing on.
• Inside the 'Open Cloud Manifesto'
• How new tech standards fail

Facebook, Google, and design disasters
Why it's important for Silicon Valley bigwigs to rein in that obsessive quest for info ownership: it can stomp on user-friendliness.
• Facebook COO on redesign: Still figuring it out

Just in

Government workers debate online citizen engagement
At Friday's Gov 2.0 Camp, an "unconference" described as a "Woodstock for the 21st century," government workers discuss what it means to engage citizens in meaningful online discussions.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Earth Hour: Save a watt, and maybe the Earth
Now you can vote with your light switch, in a Web-savvy grassroots movement to raise awareness of global warming by turning lights off for one hour Saturday night.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Microsoft goes after Apple online too
In an ad on major news Web sites (for now, those of the Times and the Journal), Microsoft tries to hammer home Windows PCs' price advantage over Macs.
• Microsoft goes after Mac on price in new ad
• Is it uncool to be a Mac user in these tough times?
• Microsoft's 'average consumer from Craigslist' is an actress
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

U.K. parliament computers get Confickered
Blog posts e-mail saying the U.K. parliament's computer network is infected with the Conficker worm.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Video: Game innovations at GDC 09
Games enhanced by wind, vibration, and light, plus mind control and super-realistic motions. Check out the latest in game creation from the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
• Friday Poll: Most honest response to OnLive?
• Full GDC 09 coverage

Imeem restructures, chief marketing officer resigns
Steve Jang, one of the social network's top managers, and a vice president of advertising sales, resign. Imeem is the latest ad-supported music service to fall on hard times.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Intel details future graphics chip
At GDC, engineers spell out the inner workings and target markets for Larrabee, Intel's first graphics chip in over a decade.
• Intel to refresh laptop chips
• Full coverage: GDC 09
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Recession forces some to downgrade to dial-up
The Chicago Tribune published a story Friday saying some cost-conscious Internet users are downgrading their service from broadband to dial-up to cut costs.
(Posted in Digital Media by Marguerite Reardon)

Report: BlackBerry maker to launch video service
The NewTeeVee blog says that BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is planning to announce a video-download service for Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry phones.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Report: Disney in talks to join Hulu
Disney is reportedly interested in taking an equity stake in Hulu in exchange for providing the site with ABC content. If it happens, the deal would be a boon for Hulu.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Apple joins AT&T with no-contract iPhones
Both U.S. iPhone distributors are now offering them without requiring a two-year contract, as AT&T also extends the subsidized price to more subscribers.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Thursday, March 26

What Windows 7 mighWhat Windows 7 might have been
images A Microsoft designer traces the evolution of the new operating system, showing which design concepts made the cut and which got dropped along the way.
• Touching on Windows 7

Conficker bomb ticks, but don't expect boom
faq The worm’s latest variant is set to start hitting random domains on April 1. But experts say the damage might not be as serious as the hype suggests.

Just in

Google Docs gets collaborative-drawing feature
It's not going to dethrone Adobe Illustrator, but adding drawing tools to Google's online-documents application is useful. Included are tools for altering colors, shapes, and object order.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Apple refund clause: Bad for developers?
A clause in the App Store contract regarding refunds to customers could require developers to pay an extra fee that lets Apple still make money off returns.
(Posted in Apple by Candace Lombardi)

Green-tech pros gird for stimulus jolt
Although it's early, green-tech investors and executives so far have been impressed with the Obama administration's direction and tactics on clean energy.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Opera Mobile's business build hints at Flash video
Software maker is offering carriers and device manufacturers an update that includes support for Web standards like Ajax and Flash. Flash means YouTube, and YouTube means video.
(Posted in Wireless by Jessica Dolcourt)

Verizon eyes home energy management with Fios
Will telecommunications companies be players in the smart grid? Verizon is looking to develop home network applications, including ways to control thermostats and view energy usage data.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

iGoogle gets video game makers in on the action
The iGoogle start pages get officially sanctioned gaming themes and possibly a more social way to play games with friends.
• Google's Marissa Mayer talks up gaming
• Photos: iGoogle gets its game on
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Blogging for dollars: Church-state line still valid?
q&a Two years after launching the controversial Izea, CEO Ted Murphy says the case for "sponsored conversations" is more relevant than ever.
(Posted in Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper)

Tough task: Designing game about your 'first time'
At GDC's Game Design Challenge, several top designers duked it out for the annual contest's crown. The topic: losing one's virginity.
• Full GDC '09 coverage
• DSiWare: Pricing, browser, promotion revealed
• Motion control for the Xbox 360
(Posted in Gaming and Culture by Daniel Terdiman)

Report: Nvidia hit by S&P ratings downgrade
Adding to the graphics chipmaker's woes, Standard & Poor's ratings services lowered its ratings on Nvidia, according to a report.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Online age quiz is a window for drug makers
While RealAge promotes better living through nonmedical solutions, the site makes its money by selling better living through drugs.
(From The New York Times)

AT&T exec: ISP won't end service on RIAA's word
The ISP says there is a lot of misinformation swirling about letters it sent to customers but wants to make it clear: there will be no disruptions of service.
• AT&T tests RIAA antipiracy plan
• Comcast, Cox join RIAA antipiracy campaign
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Microsoft hit with patent suit over update tech
The software maker is being sued by BackWeb Technologies, which says Microsoft's automatic updating mechanism infringes on its technology.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Apple posts graphics update for new MacBook Pro
Some owners had reported vertical stripes mucking up the displays of their newly released 17-inch MacBook Pros, and Apple has now acknowledged the problem with a fix.
• Apple rumor: Snow Leopard to change Mac spots?
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Wednesday, March 25

What you should know about Conficker worm
faq The worm’s latest variant is set to start hitting random domains on April 1. But experts say the damage might not be as serious as the hype suggests.

AT&T: No termination of service on RIAA's word
The ISP says there is a lot of misinformation swirling about letters it sent to customers but wants to make it clear: there will be no disruptions of service.
• AT&T tests RIAA antipiracy plan
• Comcast, Cox join RIAA antipiracy campaign

Just in

Microsoft hit with patent suit over update tech
The software maker is being sued by BackWeb Technologies, which says Microsoft's automatic updating mechanism infringes on its technology.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Washington leaders meet with tech execs
Executives from companies belonging to the group TechNet met with congressional leaders and White House officials on Wednesday to talk innovation, immigration, and patents.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Microsoft touches more on Windows 7
In a blog posting, the company expands on the thinking that went into Windows 7's touch features and notes how it is tweaking the touch features following beta testing.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Apple posts graphics update for new MacBook Pro
Some owners had reported vertical stripes mucking up the displays of their newly released 17-inch MacBook Pros, and Apple has now acknowledged the problem with a fix.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Intel CEO says Sun was shopped around
In the past few months, Sun was beating the bushes looking for a buyer to acquire the entire company, or its pieces, says Intel CEO Paul Otellini during an employee Webcast.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

GDC 09: Gaming's really big show
roundup It may well be the world's largest gathering of game developers, the place to keep an ear to the ground and to get business done.
• DSiWare: Pricing, browser, promotion revealed
• Motion control for the Xbox 360
• EA Mobile bringing Madden, Wolfenstein to iPhone
(Posted in Gaming and Culture by CNET News staff)

Red Hat delivers strong Q4 earnings in a weak economy
While demand for its open-source products remains red hot, a drop in net income suggests that selling the Red Hat value proposition increasingly demands heavy lifting.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

Nintendo's Iwata opens GDC with games, Wii storage news
Many had been hoping for major announcements, but the Nintendo president did unveil three new titles and SD storage and auto-game loading for the Wii.
(Posted in Gaming and Culture by Daniel Terdiman)

Apple rumor: Snow Leopard to change Mac spots?
Apple is said to be readying user interface changes for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Get that story and other rumors of what's cooking in Cupertino here.
(Posted in Apple by CNET News staff)

Phase One takes driver's seat in Mamiya camera partnership
There's consolidation in the rarefied realm of medium-format digital cameras. Phase One is investing in and assuming some control over Mamiya.
(Posted in Underexposed by Stephen Shankland)

Report: IBM to cut jobs in services unit
Big Blue is gearing up for another round of layoffs, with its services unit targeted for the cuts, The Wall Street Journal is reporting. Employees may be notified as early as Thursday.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Facebook launching virtual currency? Don't get too excited
A company representative says that Facebook has been "looking at" the possibility of building in a virtual currency, but his language was about as ambiguous as it gets.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Tuesday, March 24

What Microsoft promised on HD DVD
In a new book, a top Microsoft lawyer says Redmond redoubled support for the high-def disc format in a bid to win a patent deal with Toshiba.
• Inside Microsoft's landmark Novell deal

Start-up finds friends' faces on Facebook
Face.com's Photo Finder recognizes your contacts' countenances among Facebook photos, letting you tag them and track new photo arrivals.

Just in

Risk factor could affect broadband stimulus payouts
Various organizations and companies debate at a public meeting whether broadband stimulus money should fund projects with varying degrees of risk involved.

Bsquare bringing Flash to Android phones
Flash for Android phones is growing nearer: Bsquare plans on Wednesday to discuss a deal to port the Adobe technology to Google's Android operating system.

Boxee springs new API, Hulu work-around
At an event on Tuesday evening in New York, the start-up makes a series of developer- and content-related announcements.

Mozilla, graphics group seek to build 3D Web
Khronos Group establishes a group to standardize how Web apps can use accelerated 3D graphics. Expect a draft specification and maybe a Firefox plug-in within a year.

Police try talking cardboard cutouts to find murder suspect
By pressing a button on the cutout, a person can hear a recording of the suspect's voice, hopefully prompting someone to remember speaking to him.

China Unicom posts iPhone 3G images, specs
China's second-largest wireless carrier has been rumored as Apple's iPhone partner, and has now gone ahead and posted information about the phone on its Web site.

Q&A: INgrooves CEO on digital distribution and Dolly
Robb McDaniels talks about managing digital distribution for independent artists such as Dolly Parton, Crystal Method, and Snoop Dogg as well as for big labels like Universal Music Group.

Apple hit with lawsuit over iPhone as e-book reader
A Swiss "communications" firm, Monec, is reportedly suing Apple for allegedly infringing on a patent it filed for an e-book reader that loosely fits the description of the iPhone.

Intel's 'GPA' points to Larrabee
Behind the release this week of Intel graphics software looms Larrabee, Intel's future graphics chip.

VMware: Manage your data center by phone
Company has a tool called VCenter Mobile Access that lets users access and control virtualized machines in a data center from a cell phone.

Google adds new depth to complicated searches
By checking other Web pages for related content as a search is performed, Google said it can handle complicated queries better. Also: longer text snippets in results.

Could NetApp suit throw a wrench in Sun-IBM talks?
NetApp's patent suit against Sun Microsystems could pose a challenging hurdle for Sun in its reported merger talks with IBM, reports American Lawyer's AM Law.com site.

Dell chief hints at a smartphone...again
CEO Michael Dell tells an audience in Tokyo it's "not unreasonable" to expect a phone and perhaps other smaller, connected devices from his company in the future.

Monday, March 23

Why GDC matters more than ever
With the recession looming over even the resilient video games industry, this week's confab in San Francisco comes at an opportune time.

Obama: $1.2 billion for energy R&D
President cheers on green-tech initiatives, touting a big boost in energy research and a 10-year business tax credit for R&D spending.
• Energy Dept. delivers solar loan to Solyndra
• Lineup reflects green-tech commitment

Just in

Talk of stimulus funds ignites Net neutrality debate
Consumer advocates are pushing for Net neutrality regulation as the government debates rules for doling out $7.2 billion in stimulus funds to build broadband networks.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

IM is coming to your MySpace profile
The News Corp.-owned social network has had a downloadable IM client for a while, but this is the first time that members will be able to IM one another directly from their MySpace profiles.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Google's former CIO barely lasts a year at EMI
Douglas Merrill, who was supposed to help plot a winning digital course at the record label, unexpectedly resigns after a year.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Carbonite sues hardware maker, reseller
Online data backup service alleges hardware manufacturer's products failed to work properly. According to one lawyer, customers whose data was lost may have few legal remedies.
(Posted in Business Tech by Elinor Mills)

Sony Ericsson's U.S. leader to depart
Najmi Jarwala will leave just as the handset maker gets set to post huge losses amid falling demand for its phones.
(Posted in Wireless by Tom Krazit)

iStockphoto founder, CEO leaves Getty
Bruce Livingstone has stepped down from the microstock image-licensing business he founded. COO Kelly Thompson is taking over the Getty division.
(Posted in Underexposed by Stephen Shankland)

Rivals say IBM stifles competition to mainframes
Big Blue is being criticized for buying a company whose technology could have paved the way for cheaper competition in the mainframe marketplace.
(The New York Times)

TomTom joins open-source patent collective
The GPS maker, which is being sued by Microsoft, said Monday it is joining the Open Invention Network, which also counts Red Hat, IBM, and Google as members.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Ban on press at Gore's CTIA keynote lifted
Former Vice President Al Gore's keynote address at the wireless show had been listed as closed to the press, but the organizers have had a change of heart.
(Posted in Wireless by Tom Krazit)

Intel chip flaw: No threat just yet
Researchers warn of a flaw that could spur "CPU cache poisoning." For the moment, though, the danger remains strictly theoretical.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Sun shares make a downhill run
The company's stock drops more than 7 percent in morning trading on Monday, while the broader markets post gains.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Solar power struggles: DayStar warns, OptiSolar closes
A tough financing environment and brutal price competition in solar are making it tough for some companies, including solar cell makers DayStar and OptiSolar.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Obama administration sides with RIAA in P2P suit
The Justice Department follows the Bush administration's previous lead, buttressing the recording industry's legal claims by arguing that copyright law is not "punitive" or overly broad.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Sunday, March 22

SpiralFrog owes $34 million. Investors get nothing?
A group that loaned funds to the now defunct ad-supported music service will get any money generated from asset liquidation.
• SpiralFrog DRM music to play 60 days, then vanish
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Laptop class warfare: Apple vs. Asus
Apple and Dell seem to think that luxury laptops have a future, even in a world of Asus Eee PCs and Acer Aspire Ones. Do you?
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Just in

Facebook's redesign: Time to listen to users?
User sentiment seems decidedly set against the recent home page layout changes. The question now is how, or whether, Facebook will respond.
(Posted in Webware by Jonathan Skillings)

For Palm, some tough acts to follow
Palm, a onetime smartphone leader, will try to regain primacy with the Pre.
(From The New York Times)

Laser weapon design hits 100-kilowatt target
Northrop Grumman strings together seven laser systems to get a single beam at 105.5 kilowatts, and thus enters into weapons-grade territory.
(Posted in Cutting Edge by Jonathan Skillings)

Saturday, March 21

A bill to shift cybersecurity to White House
Two senators plan to increase Washington's emphasis on cybersecurity by moving responsibility from Homeland Security and allowing "critical" networks to be disconnected.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Report: Apple leaks 17-inch iMac for $899?
An Italian blog site notices a mention of a $899 iMac on Apple's education site. Currently, Apple is offering only iMacs in 20- and 24-inch screen sizes, starting at $1,199. But it's unclear whether the 17-incher is really new or not.
(Posted in Crave by David Carnoy)

Report: IBM combs through Sun contracts
Big Blue, as it weighs a potential merger, is seeking to understand where Sun stands with its complex cross-licensing agreements and other contracts, according to The Wall Street Journal.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Experts: Policy could make, break cloud computing
Congress has to carefully regulate cloud computing in a way that won't stifle the market, forum attendees say. Meanwhile, the federal CIO leads a group creating its own cloud advice.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Video recording, faster networking on next iPhone?
A report that a future iPhone might support video recording makes sense in light of another report that Apple plans to upgrade its networking speed.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Mobile: The holy grail at security conference
Security experts launch successful exploits against browsers at the CanSecWest conference, but fail--or fail to even try--exploiting smartphones despite a $10,000 prize.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Craigslist bests MySpace as top search term
MySpace has been the top term since March 11, 2006. Hitwise suggests more consumers are going to Craigslist as the ailing economy prods them to look for bargains.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Friday, March 20

Spoonful of sugar, big biofuel hopes

Wisconsin start-up Virent to build a pilot facility that would turn plants like sugar cane into gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel.
•  Green oil, fuels for U.S. Le Mans
• In Miss., trash-to-ethanol plant

The technology of 'Battlestar Galactica'
photos The sci-fi show, which airs its last episode tonight, has offered some nifty special effects and its own spin on future tech.

Just in

Senators plan to shift cybersecurity from DHS to White House
Two senators plan to increase Washington's emphasis on cybersecurity with a bill that would move responsibility for the issue to the White House, and allow "critical" networks to be disconnected from the Internet.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Report: IBM combs through Sun contracts
Big Blue, as it weighs a potential merger, is seeking to understand where Sun stands with its complex cross-licensing agreements and other contracts, according to The Wall Street Journal.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

SpiralFrog's DRM music to play 60 days, then vanish
Ad-support music service is dead and in two months its music will die, too. Is this more proof that DRM sucks or are customers too demanding of a freebie?
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Federal policies could make or break cloud computing, experts say
Congress has to carefully regulate cloud computing in a way that won't stifle the market, say experts. Meanwhile, the federal CIO is leading a group creating its own policy recommendations for the cloud.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Video recording, faster networking on next iPhone?
A report that a future iPhone might support video recording makes sense in light of another report that Apple plans to upgrade its networking speed.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Mobile: The holy grail at security conference
Security experts launch successful exploits against browsers at the CanSecWest conference, but fail--or fail to even try--exploiting smartphones despite a $10,000 prize.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Craigslist bests MySpace as top search term
MySpace has been the top term since March 11, 2006. Hitwise suggests more consumers are going to Craigslist as the ailing economy prods them to look for bargains.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Google designer leaves, blaming data-centrism
"I've grown tired of debating...minuscule design decisions," design lead Douglas Bowman vents upon his departure from the search giant.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Siemens onboard for high-speed trains in China
Japan and European countries like France have had them for decades. But now the race to build high-speed trains seems to have taken off in two of the leading world economies.
(Posted in Cutting Edge by Erik Palm)

Chrome begins RSS support, solidifies extensions
The second most requested feature in Google's browser, the ability to find and subscribe to Web page RSS feeds, is arriving. Extensions, the top item, is maturing.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

National Semiconductor acquires Act Solar
National Semiconductor expands its energy efficient power efforts with acquisition of Act Solar. The company's tools will be folded into National Semi's SolarMagic tech.
(Posted in Green Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Thursday, March 19

Mix 09: IE 8, Silverlight in the spotlight
roundup At its annual confab for Web designers, Microsoft unleashes its new browser and talks up the next version of its Flash rival, Silverlight.
• Images: Installing IE 8
• Catalogs: Killer app for Silverlight?

Cisco in your home
The computer networking giant, which just bought the maker of the Flip Video gadgets, has a lot more consumer products than you think.
• Cisco buys Flip Video maker

Just in

Requiem for a frog: SpiralFrog shuts down
Pioneer in the ad-supported music market--once considered a possible threat to iTunes--ceases operations.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Palm CEO: WebOS bigger than just the Pre base
Despite reporting dismal quarterly results, CEO says company is strategically on track and will launch the Pre on time. Palm envisions an entire product line built on its new WebOS.
(Posted in Wireless by Larry Dignan)

Video game industry posts big February gains
Again defying the recession, the industry saw 10 percent year-over-year sales increases across the board. Nintendo once again dominated hardware and software sales.
(Posted in Gaming and Culture by Daniel Terdiman)

Sniffing keystrokes via laser and keyboard power
Researchers prove they can spy on a computer by using laser beams and by sniffing the electrical socket, bringing the James Bond world of espionage to everyday geeks.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

AT&T: No-contract iPhones coming next week
An AT&T representative has confirmed that the carrier plans to offer $599 and $699 iPhones without a two-year contract starting next week, but the phones will be locked to AT&T.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

TomTom countersues Microsoft in patent dispute
The car navigation device maker responds in a court filing Thursday, accusing Microsoft of violating four of its patents.
(Posted in Microsoft by Erica Ogg)

Take it back: Gmail gets 'Undo Send' Labs feature
Google launches the Omega 13 for e-mail: a way to recall messages within five seconds after pressing "send."
• Gmail previews links to Yelp, Flickr, YouTube
(Posted in Webware by Rafe Needleman)

Facebook users hate redesign. Lather, rinse, repeat?
The social network has historically waved off user complaints over redesigned features with the attitude of "they'll get used to it." It's worked in the past. But it might not this time.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

iTunes rolls out high-def movie downloads
Film purchases in high definition will cost $19.99 and rentals, which will be available a month after the movie's release, will cost $4.99.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Obama opens spigot on plug-in electric-car grants
President Obama details $2.4 billion in loans to U.S. companies to promote development of plug-in car batteries and related technologies.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Chicago Tribune Twitterizes masthead
In an experiment to get reporters and editors using the microblogging service, the Thursday edition's masthead listed top execs' Twitter IDs instead of their full names.
(Posted in Geek Gestalt by Daniel Terdiman)

iPhone 3.0 code hints at future Apple hardware
Two vague references within the iPhone OS 3.0 beta could be evidence that Apple has plans for that software that involve something beyond the iPhone or iPod Touch.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Google: Most takedown notices are illegitimate
Search powerhouse opposes new pro-copyright law in New Zealand and releases data that shows 57 percent of takedown notices are sent by companies trying to undermine a rival.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Wednesday, March 18

Lessons for big media at SXSWi?
The annual confab in Austin is a hotbed of wild ideas about the future of the media industry. But some of it should really be taken with a grain of salt--or several.
• Full coverage: SXSWi 2009
• Does location-based networking need some direction?

Just in

Why an IBM purchase of Sun would make sense
Server market positioning and open-source resources, says ZDNet's Larry Dignan, are just a couple of the reasons to like a $6.5 billion takeover reportedly in the works.
• Sun activist shareholder to get payday?
• IBM + Sun = Perfect for open-source monetization
(Posted in Business Tech by Larry Dignan)

Fujitsu e-book reader makes Kindle look cheap
The Japanese manufacturer's color-rendering Flepia e-book reader is available for preorder in Japan for $1,000 and is scheduled to ship on April 20.
• Discovery hits Amazon with Kindle patent suit
• Discovery v. Amazon: A lawsuit with legs
(Posted in Crave by David Carnoy)

Sun's new mantra: Call us the 'cloud company'
With its official entry into the cloud-computing arena, Sun gets ready to give Amazon and Google a run in what it hopes is a lucrative new market.
(Posted in Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper)

Google again delays debut of Project 10^100 ideas
It's proved harder than Google thought it would be to analyze the ideas submitted to a project to fund bright ideas to help others.
(Posted in Cutting Edge by Stephen Shankland)

FTC questions cloud-computing security
Federal and international regulators suggest they may have to re-examine privacy and security standards to take into account cloud computing.
• Privacy activist asks FTC to halt Google apps
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

IE 8, Silverlight 3 on tap for Microsoft's Mix
The software maker's conference for Web designers kicks off on Wednesday in Las Vegas. A new browser and update to its would-be Flash rival will take center stage.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Nvidia offers 'PhysX' for Sony PlayStation 3
Graphics chipmaker signs license agreement to provide PhysX tech, which enables game objects to respond in a realistic way to physical events, for the game console.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

AMD lawyer: Intel would 'like us dead'

In latest dispute between the rival chipmakers, AMD thinks Intel is being predatory, while Intel believes it's simply protecting its intellectual property.
• AMD spinoff names marketing chief
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Obama's CIO returns to work after temporary leave
Newly appointed federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra has been reinstated, after taking a leave of absence associated with an FBI raid of his former office.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Photos: Fitness gadgets of the future?
At heath expo in San Francisco, "exergaming" makes a play. Plus, a vibrating gizmo that moves your muscles for you and a system that shines infrared light on cardio devices.
(Posted in Crave by Erik Palm)

Tuesday, March 17

What iPhone OS 3.0 promises
Apple's released its third generation smartphone operating system with users and developers in mind. Here's how it's likely to fare with both constituencies.
•  An iPhone 3.0 software wish list
• What you need to know
• Photos: New iPhone features
• Full coverage: iPhone 3.0

IE 8, Silverlight 3 on tap for Microsoft's Mix
At the software maker's confab for Web designers in Las Vegas, a new browser and an update to the would-be Flash rival will take center stage.

Just in

FTC questions cloud-computing security
Federal and international regulators suggest they may have to re-examine privacy and security standards to take into account cloud computing.
• Privacy activist asks FTC to halt Google apps
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Obama's CIO returns to work after temporary leave
Newly appointed federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra has been reinstated, after taking a leave of absence associated with an FBI raid of his former office.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Photos: Fitness gadgets of the future?
At heath expo in San Francisco, "exergaming" makes a play. Plus, a vibrating gizmo that moves your muscles for you and a system that shines infrared light on cardio devices.
(Posted in Crave by Erik Palm)

Now playing Steve Jobs, Scott Forstall
Apple's Scott Forstall delivered the first major Apple presentation with significant news since Steve Jobs went on medical leave, and acquitted himself well.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Muziic: YouTube approved our site
Teen-created music service says it has made changes, such as increasing the size of its video player, that have satisfied YouTube's managers.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

The lessons of 'Mad Men' on Twitter
At SXSWi, three of the people who have been Twittering as characters from the hit AMC show talked about their experiences and what producers and marketers can learn.
• SXSWi 2009 roundup
(Posted in Geek Gestalt by Daniel Terdiman)

Auto battery maker Ener1 eyes grid storage
Lithium ion battery company seeks to expand its auto business with government loan and grant programs while testing power grid energy storage with utilities.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Does location-based networking need some direction?
A panel at SXSWi offers the debate: make the likes of Loopt, Brightkite, and Whrrl interoperable to ensure a level playing field, or let the industry just shake itself out.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Q&A: 10 questions with Salesforce's Marc Benioff
A decade after starting his company, Benioff has defied skeptics and shown his software-as-a-service business model can work. He's not afraid to admit a little unorthodox marketing helps, too.
• Salesforce.com: Pondering the next 10 years
• Cloud computing: How we got here
(Posted in Business Tech by Jim Kerstetter)

Courts, coach cry foul over Twitter
Jurors using popular microblogging service to post comments have thrown some cases into question. And a coach worries that NBA player's tweet at halftime sends the wrong message.
(Posted in Digital Media by Elinor Mills)

Google offers better-tested Chrome version
There's now a middle path for Chrome users who want a browser that's neither too old nor too raw. Also, Google shares new details on Chrome extensions.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Ericsson claims 500Mbps speeds over copper
The data-transfer rates were achieved using a version of digital subscriber line technology called "vectorized" VDSL2, the company says.
(Posted in Wireless by David Meyer)

Steam gets into micropayments with in-game DLC
Steam, software that lets users buy and play games via download, has a new feature that lets them purchase additional content from within their titles.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Monday, March 16

Spinning out iPhone apps at SXSWi
Despite Apple's reluctance to take part in developers' event-oriented launch deadlines, at least five companies got their apps out for the tech-centric confab.
• The iPhone: SXSWi's enfant terrible
• Full coverage: SXSWi 2009
• Apple: Ready, set, iPhone 3.0

Cisco serves up Unified Computing
The networking giant unveils a new effort to streamline data center ops. As part of the package it's offering its own blade servers.
• Cisco: 'We're going to compete with HP'
• The good and bad of UCS
• Podcast: Understanding Cisco's roll of the dice

Just in

Virgin's music stopped paying long ago

 GoodGuide gets into gastronomy with food ratings

LiveJournal accounts getting hijacked

 Cisco's virtualization push could benefit consumers

 IMDb's vision: Offer streaming for every title

 What happens when clouds (inevitably) burst?

 From bad to worse: The state of the media in 2009

IMDb's vision: Offer streaming for every title
At the SXSW Film Festival, founder Col Needham talks about wanting to someday provide instant access to the more than 1.3 million titles that the site indexes.
(Posted in Digital Media by Daniel Terdiman)

Despite iMac boost, Mac sales still set to decline
Apple's new iMacs should help with totals, but Piper Jaffray seems convinced that a brutal February will lead to a decline in Mac sales compared to last year.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Mozilla says next Firefox likely months away
Organization behind the open-source browser chose to add more features instead of shipping in early 2009. A final Firefox 3.5 looks to be two to three months away.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

SpiralFrog faces management crisis, unclear future
Once a standard-bearer among ad-supported music services, the company's management may lose control of the company, sources tell CNET News.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Scammers customize news to deliver you malware
Latest Waledac scam fakes bomb news in e-mail recipients' hometown and then links to malicious Web site that looks like a Reuters article.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Facebook: Will the real Kevin Mitnick please stand up?
Famed hacker Kevin Mitnick is kicked off Facebook for weeks after they refuse to believe he is the real Kevin Mitnick.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Don't forget: iPhone 3.0 live blog Tuesday
Apple's second major event of 2009 will be all about the iPhone, and live coverage starts at 10 a.m PDT Tuesday from Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Nvidia cites chip fix payments, nixes large event
A filing with the SEC makes note of more than $40 million in payments to cover costs associated with graphics chip defects. Separately, Nvidia cancels a major conference.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

AMD-Intel dispute over patent licensing heats up
Intel threatens to pull its patent cross-licensing pact with AMD in the next two months, over concerns regarding its rival's creation of a joint venture chip foundry.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Google adds ads to Picasa photo site
Another Google Web property is getting advertisements. It's only a test for some users in the United States, and ads show only in search results at the photo-sharing site.
(Posted in Underexposed by Stephen Shankland)

Brain behind Hulu lands at Hearst
The media empire hires George Kliavkoff--the NBC exec who helped create the popular video site--as it plans its future in the digital age.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

To 'green' the world's buildings, think retrofits
Making existing buildings more energy-efficient is the best way to cut emissions. But the energy retrofit industry lacks products, skills, and standard performance measurements.
• Photo quiz: Gear for green buildings
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Lenovo teases 'Pocket Yoga' mini laptop
photos Looking suspiciously like Sony's Vaio P series, the Chinese manufacturer's rumored new device, called the Pocket Yoga, features a flippable tablet screen and a tiny leather belt.
(Posted in Crave by Dan Ackerman)



Sunday, March 15

Facebook Connect comes to the iPhone
Facebook's big announcement at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival: iPhone users can now tap into Facebook Connect and keep up with their friends' activities. • Confronting Twitter saturation
• Zappos CEO does the soft-shoe
 • SXSWi buckling under pressure?
 • SXSWi 2009: Full coverage

Apple shrinks its iPod Shuffle
New model is smaller than a AA battery yet holds up to 1,000 songs. Its VoiceOver feature can recite song titles, artists, and playlist names.
• Photos: The new Shuffle
• This iPod Shuffle is a disaster
 • iPod Shuffle: The reality check

Just in

HP further cuts EDS salaries
Hewlett-Packard tells employees of EDS, which it acquired last year, that their salaries will temporarily be cut by 10 percent more than was announced last month, ZDNet reports.
(Posted in Business Tech by Natalie Weinstein)

Man charged with alleged child porn via PS3
He allegedly persuaded an 11-year-old girl to send nude photos while they played games via the PlayStation 3's online network.
(Posted in Gaming and Culture by Natalie Weinstein)

Why isn't the tech world supporting the Woz?
In his latest bulletin, Steve Wozniak reveals he's been practicing his dance moves like mad while protecting his injured ankle. But his Facebook support group only numbers barely 2,000.
(Posted in Technically Incorrect by Chris Matyszczyk)

Amazon uses DMCA against non-Kindle e-books
Online retailer claims federal law prohibits distribution of a Python utility that lets people use the Kindle to read e-books legally purchased from non-Amazon sources.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Saturday, March 14

Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week
CNET Reviews gives the lowdown on the 20-inch 2.66GHz Apple iMac, the Palm Treo Pro, the Asus G50VT-X5 laptop, and more.
 • Week in review: Apple shuffles feathers

Microsoft, researcher spar over security patch
Researcher complains that Microsoft patch fails to protect users, but Microsoft says doing things differently would have interfered with functionality.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Latest Conficker worm gets nastier
Conficker.C blocks access to protective services, downloads a Trojan, and is programmed to seek out 50,000 domains on April 1, as the authors of the worm try to outsmart security vendors.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Symbian sets schedule for OS road map
Symbian Foundation pledged to release a new version of its mobile operating system every six months after it launches the first version later this year.
(Posted in Wireless by Tom Krazit)

Hitwise: Facebook makes gains in U.S.
Visits to the social-networking site more than doubled from February 2008 to February 2009, with growth coming in all age groups except for the 18-to-24 set.
(Posted in Webware by Jonathan Skillings)

HP Labs gazes into the future
After a major organizational overhaul, the research arm of the global IT giant is talking about where the future of technology is going.
(Posted in Cutting Edge by Erica Ogg)

USB prosthetic finger--new kind of thumbdrive
After software developer Jerry Jalava lost part of his finger in a motorcycle accident, his surgeon suggested building a USB key into his prosthetic digit. • Photos: Prosthetic finger doubles as USB key
(Posted in Crave by Justin Yu)

Tim Berners-Lee and the dawn of the Web
images The World Wide Web was born in a modest (paper) document dated March 13, 1989, by Tim Berners-Lee. His boss found it "vague, but exciting."
 • 20 years ago today: The Web
• Berners-Lee for world Net czar?
 • The Semantic Web and privacy

Versus Google, Yahoo plays with Fire
Yahoo begins making something useful out of its Fire Eagle service: a Facebook app that lets friends share their location.
 • Whrrl's geo-social network comes to the iPhone
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Friday, March 13

A next Shawn Fanning?
David Nelson, who is 15, will face enormous hurdles if his new music service, Muziic, is to become a hit. But he's betting YouTube is smart enough to recognize a good thing.

Message in a bottle raft
British adventurer plans to sail from San Francisco to Australia in a 60-foot vessel made of recycled plastic bottles--and to teach lessons about recycling along the way.
• Video: Crossing the sea on a raft

Just in

Yahoo counters Google Latitude: Friends on Fire

 IBM pes into water tech

 Sirius XM tunes into iPhone application

 Adium gets its Twitter on in version 1.4

What's inside the new Apple Shuffle?

 Cisco's expected server splash raises data center ruckus

Why Google Maps blurring would set us back

What's inside the new Apple Shuffle?
iFixit has done a teardown of the third-generation Shuffle. As one might expect, the diminutive device is tiny on the inside, too--and pretty simple.
• Review: Third-gen iPod Shuffle
(Posted in Crave by David Carnoy)

Open-source Adium 1.4 gets its Twitter on
New version of the multiprotocol IM client for the Mac operating system integrates functions for the Twitter microblogging service.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

It was 20 years ago today: The Web
Tim Berners-Lee and others are gathering at CERN on Friday to fete the document that laid the intellectual groundwork for the World Wide Web.
(Posted in Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper)

Cisco's expected server splash raises ruckus
As we move to converged boxes--switches and storage meet servers and virtualization--the architecture of the data center will get much-needed change.
(Posted in Business Tech by Larry Dignan)

Feds: Copyright treaty is 'national security' secret
Weeks after President Obama said his administration would be open and transparent, it claims that a copyright treaty under consideration is "classified in the interest of national security."
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

BBC buys, uses botnet to show dangers to PCs
Legal expert says BBC botnet may have broken the law with its spam test, even though the infected computers were not used for harm.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Google exec named AOL chief
Time Warner has hired Google's Tim Armstrong to head up the ailing AOL unit, as the company tries to figure out what to do with the troubled online property.
(Posted in Digital Media by Marguerite Reardon)

SXSWi confronts explosive growth
While many conferences are shrinking, the Austin, Texas, tech fest is expected to grow at least 20 percent. Here's how organizers are handling the uptick.
• Photos: On the eve of SXSW
• What to expect: The big picture
• What to expect: The party scene
(Posted in Digital Media by Daniel Terdiman)

How IBM's sprucing up its 'social' side
Big Blue's researchers take the wraps off a bevy of beta products with a distinctively social-network flavor. But there's a bigger idea at work.
(Posted in Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper)

New beta paves way for Firefox 3.5
Mozilla says the third beta has better JavaScript, better page-display speed, and better private browsing. The final Firefox 3.1 now will be called 3.5.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Coleman Senate campaign in donor data leak mess
Campaign alerts Norm Coleman contributors about a data breach after Wikileaks' warning that donor database information was exposed.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Microsoft exec appointed to DHS post
Philip Reitinger has been appointed to a DHS position in which he could pick the next National Cybersecurity Center director.
• Former FBI chief: NSA can't run cybersecurity alone
• Obama CIO temporarily steps down after FBI raids ex-employer
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Apple ready for third generation of iPhone
Apple plans to give a preview of its iPhone 3.0 software next week. What might the company have decided to include in the new release?
• Apple holding iPhone 3.0 special event next week
• iTunes 8.1 plugs malicious podcast security hole
• HEDLINE(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Thursday, March 12

Apple shrinks its iPod Shuffle
New model is smaller than a AA battery yet holds up to 1,000 songs. A new VoiceOver feature can recite song titles, artists, and playlist names.
(Posted in Apple by Jonathan Skillings)

Microsoft details app store plans
The software maker says developers who want to sell via the Windows Marketplace for Mobile will pay $99 a year and get to keep 70 percent of the proceeds.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Google crowdsources maps directions, too
The company is leaning more on inpidual cartography contributions: Map Maker now lets people test and correct driving directions for user-added roads.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Lenovo sticking with face recognition tool
Detailed demonstrations show how easily Veriface can be tricked, but Lenovo said it's keeping the current notebooks equipped with the technology.
(Posted in Security by Vivian Yeo)

Google ads go behavorial
Search giant launches "interest-based" advertising as a beta test on partner sites and on YouTube. Will users raise a long-term ruckus?
(Posted in Digital Media by Larry Dignan)

Q&A: Calif. lawmaker wants to blur Google Earth
California Assemblyman Joel Anderson explains why he's behind a move to force online map companies to limit the level of detail around certain types of locations and structures.
• Lawmaker wants Google Maps to blur certain buildings
(Posted in Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper)

For New York Times, the digital future is now
Despite its fiscal difficulties, the paper of record is experimenting with a series of initiatives aimed at forging boldly into the next era of storytelling.
(Posted in Digital Media by Daniel Terdiman)

Wednesday, March 11

Microsoft: Azure not pie in the sky
While still early, Microsoft says things are moving along with its cloud-based operating system. New users are being added every day, though it won't say how many are using the service.

Nokia fights to hold smartphone dominance
Nokia's market share has been slipping as RIM, Apple, and smaller competitors chip away at its dominance in the high-end cell phone market.
• Nokia tunes up new music phones

Just in

UK commissions 'green' Land Rover

Techmeme meets PopUrls: Techfuga 2.0 launches

 Plum Groups: Another way to bring your social circle online

 Nokia tunes up new music phones

 Google crowdsources maps directions, too

 Apple shrinks its iPod Shuffle Microsoft details app store plans

Apple to let naughty words flow on Tweetie 1.3
Popular Twitter app for iPhone and iPod touch wins Apple's approval after it was apparently rejected because it sometimes displayed questionable language.
(Posted in Apple by Steven Musil)

Another $10.5 million for Auditude's video ads
The ad-serving technology, which counts former Facebook exec Owen Van Natta among its board of directors, specializes in technology that can detect a client's content among user-uploaded videos, then serve ads on it.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Wal-Mart to market digital health records system
The company said its package deal of hardware, software, installation and service will make the technology more affordable for small physician offices.
(From The New York Times)

Radiohead, Billy Bragg join fray against YouTube
The Times Online reports a group of artists will gather in the U.K. on Wednesday to protest the "bad treatment" they've received from record labels and YouTube.
• Music rights group calls new talks with YouTube 'positive'
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Adobe issues fix for zero-day Reader vulnerability
Company releases security fix for critical hole in Reader 9 and Acrobat 9 that has been exploited.
• Google stomps dozens of Chrome bugs
• Symantec creates havoc with unsigned Norton patch
• Microsoft plugs remote execution, spoofing holes in Windows
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

'Silent Drum' makes noise at music competition
Among other creations, Georgia Tech's first Guthman Musical Instrument Competition produces a robotic guitar and an instrument that accompanies a player's movements in the game Sudoko.
(Posted in Crave by Leslie Katz)

Tuesday, March 10

Firing up cleaner trash-to-energy tech
Companies like Ze-Gen say they're edging forward on ways to convert waste products to usable energy. Think gasification.
• Energy tech: Too many roadblocks?

How I built an RFID device, unscathed
At the ETech conference on emerging technology, a CNET News reporter learns that it's always easier to use a gadget than it is to build one.

Just in

Adobe issues fix for Zero-Day Reader vulnerability

 Radar.net adds Flickr to mobile repertoire

 Radiohead, Billy Bragg join fray against YouTube

Jango screens junk, but it's still pay-for-play

 Lawmaker wants Google Maps to blur certain buildings

 Google's free SMS gravy train dries up

 The Real Deal 152: Intermediate Twitter

Music rights group calls new talks with YouTube 'positive'
YouTube continues to talk with U.K. royalty-collection group Performance Right Society, which saw record revenues in 2008, a day after pulling music in that country.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Google stomps dozens of Chrome bugs
Two developer preview releases in quick succession tidied up a lot of problems and withdrew a profiles feature until it can be revamped. Is a new beta in the works?
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

High interest in broadband stimulus spurs public meetings
The agencies in charge of doling out more than $7 billion for broadband are seeking the public's help in shaping the grant and loan programs.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Reports of Steve Jobs at Disney meeting untrue
A Marketwatch report that Steve Jobs, currently on medical leave from Apple, appeared at a Disney shareholder meeting was untrue, and has been corrected.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Symantec creates havoc with unsigned Norton patch
Mysterious Norton patch triggers firewall alerts and sends users flocking to forums where Symantec finds itself fending off a spam attack.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

No update for you naughty Twitterers, Apple says
Apple reportedly rejects update of popular Twitter client for iPhone and iPod Touch due to an offensive word found in Twitter's Trends.
(Posted in Crave by Dong Ngo)

Palm distances itself from investor's boasting
Elevation Partners' Roger McNamee is a smart man, but his comments regarding Palm's Pre smartphone have forced the company to disavow its lead investor.
(Posted in Wireless by Tom Krazit)

Microsoft plugs remote execution, spoofing holes in Windows
Software maker issues patches for critical and important holes in Windows, but fails to plug Excel hole that is being exploited.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Stem cell order tests science-politics relationship
Democrats charged during the Bush administration that science research became politicized. Obama's presidential memorandum signed this week promises to avoid that pitfall. Will it work?
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Tech job postings fall 40 percent in March
Most of the declines were in full-time positions, according to a report from tech career site Dice.com.
(Posted in Business Tech by Dawn Kawamoto)

Life insurance for your passwords: Legacy Locker
What happens to your blogs and photo pages when you die? Legacy Locker can tell your loved ones your passwords, so they can decide.
(Posted in Webware by Rafe Needleman)

Palm boosts stock offering, nets $83.9 million
Company shares rise more than 9 percent in early morning trading after the smartphone maker increases the size of its secondary offering.
(Posted in Wireless by Dawn Kawamoto)

Monday, March 09

Energy tech: Too many roadblocks?
At MIT Energy confab, industry and policy experts say a weak economy and outdated regulations stand in the way of rapid innovation.
•  Energy storage--in your backyard?
• Green tech at a crossroads
• Cisco helping cities go green

Confirmed: Apple laid off salespeople
An Apple spokesman twice denied reports that the company laid off enterprise sales staff, but sources say that they lost their jobs last week.

Just in

Craigslist touts 'spectacular' reduction in erotic ads

 Worst of times is the best of times for IBM?

 Microsoft adds new board member

 Looking back on Demo 09: Hope springs eternal

iPhone developers unable to renew contracts

 Clearwire gets new CEO

 Firefox, too, revamping new-tab behavior

Craigslist touts 'spectacular' reduction in erotic ads
Web classified site releases numbers that show volume reductions in five major cities in an apparent response to a federal lawsuit against the site.
(Posted in Digital Media by Steven Musil)

Worst of times is the best of times for IBM?
CEO Sam Palmisano says that the company is ready to "go on offense" even as the sagging global economy continues to crimp IT spending.
(Posted in Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper)

iPhone developers unable to renew contracts
iPhone developers signed one-year contracts last March to get in the App Store, but as those contracts expire developers are having trouble renewing.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Fire the personal trainer: Use these sites instead
It's almost summer. But if you don't think you're quite ready for that skimpy outfit, check out these sites to help you improve your bod before the warm weather hits.
(Posted in Webware by Don Reisinger)

Firefox, too, revamping new-tab behavior
Why not put all that empty real estate to work when opening a new tab in a browser? Firefox is trying a different method than Chrome and Safari.
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Apple and the Nvidia 'problem'
Nvidia again finds itself in the middle of an uproar over issues with an Apple notebook. But are Nvidia graphics chips really the problem? And are the issues that widespread?
(Posted in Apple by Brooke Crothers)

Analyst sees Windows 7 done by summer
Collins Stewart analyst says he sees Microsoft finalizing the operating system by June or July. He also predicts a search deal with Yahoo sooner rather than later.
• Windows 7: Moving beyond Vista
• Microsoft: Lots to turn off in Windows 7
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

YouTube unplugs music videos in U.K.
In an unexpected move, 'premium' music videos on the Google-owned video-sharing site will no longer be accessible in this major market.
(Posted in Digital Media by Caroline McCarthy)

Palm seeks to raise money for Pre launch
Company plans to offer 18.5 million shares in a follow-on offering, in a move to repay investor Elevation Partners and raise capital for smartphone launch.
(Posted in Wireless by Dawn Kawamoto)

Android sales to outstrip iPhone by '12?
Apple's iPhone got a head start but Google's Android devices are set to take off, market researcher Informa says. The real loser, however, apparently will be Symbian.
(Posted in Wireless by Natasha Lomas)

Facebook: Photo data loss was temporary
After a sizeable number of photographs hosted on the social network disappeared over the weekend, Facebook explains in a blog post it was a temporary hardware problem.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Dreams of cutting subscription TV's cord
As big Hollywood studios and TV networks put more of their content online, ditching expensive subscription TV services is quickly becoming more realistic. But how?
(Posted in Digital Media by Marguerite Reardon)

Cisco using the Internet to help turn cities green
Router and switch maker assisting cities around the world to consume less power and produce less pollution. And, of course, company hopes to pick up some business in the process.
(Posted in Green Tech by Marguerite Reardon)

Sunday, March 08

Lawmaker: Consumers need data breach details
California State Sen. Joe Simitian says consumers should be given more information to understand the threat to their privacy when their data is affected by a security breach.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Chess match: Hulu blocks Boxee once again
Hulu moves once again to block Boxee. Boxee managers say that Hulu can't win because Boxee's community has the upper hand.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Apple denies second round of layoff rumors
Valleywag has reported twice this week that Apple has laid off small groups of workers, but the company has now denied both reports.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Microsoft: Lots to turn off in Windows 7
In a blog posting, Microsoft notes that it is not just Internet Explorer that can be disabled. In fact, many Windows components can be disabled, should one so choose.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Can P2P coexist with network security?
Following congressional complaints about data leaks, file-sharing software providers are modifying their apps to make them safer for use in enterprises.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Eye-socket camera films from inside the head
A one-eyed filmmaker invents a camera eye so he can film the world from a very personal perspective.
• Photos: Filming from the inside
(Posted in Crave by Dong Ngo)

Saturday, March 07

Examining Amazon's games trade-in program
Amazon's latest move into the games re-sale business has sent a message to competitors: it means business. What does Amazon's program do right and wrong?

Top-rated reviews of the week
photos CNET Reviews takes a look at the updated Apple iMac and Mac Mini, the Nikon Coolpix S230, and more.

Just in

Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week

 Ecstasy treatment draws rave reviews

 Cybersecurity official quits, blasts NSA power grab

 Craigslist to sheriff: Federal law protects site

 Amazon's new games trade-in program examined

Former Eminem producers lose royalty

 buying maker of Flip Video camera?

Cybersecurity official quits, blasts NSA power grab
Rod Beckström, director of Homeland Security's secretive National Cybersecurity Center, says folding his group into the National Security Agency would endanger "our democratic processes."
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Craigslist to sheriff: Federal law protects site
Craigslist CEO says Cook County's sheriff is wasting his time, that federal law will not hold the Web classified publication liable for content submitted by users.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

TSMC deal: A glimpse of Intel's future
An accord struck this week will be a test of Intel's ability to compete in a crucial market outside its home PC turf: smartphones.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Biggest-ever Internet piracy bust claimed in Sweden
The server seized south of Stockholm contained 65 terabytes of digital data; The Pirate Bay has not been accused of being behind the site.
(Posted in Digital Media by Erik Palm)

Expert: Twitter accounts hijacked in new attack
Don't fall for that tweet promising a Webcam chat with a 23-year-old woman, warns Trend Micro researcher.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Nokia and Verizon readying a secret 4G device?
Word on the wireless beat this week is that Nokia is developing an exclusive touch-screen device for Verizon's new 4G network.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Friday, March 06

Can P2P coexist with network security?
Following congressional complaints about data leaks, file-sharing software providers are modifying their apps to make them safer for use in enterprises.

TSMC deal: A glimpse of Intel's future
An accord struck this week will be a test of Intel's ability to compete in a crucial market outside its home PC turf: smartphones.

Just in

Cisco buying maker of Flip Video camera?

 vPost: Send multimedia bundles from BlackBerry

 Lawmaker: Consumers need details in data breach warnings

Play Unreal Tournament III Black for free this weekend

Chess match: Hulu blocks Boxee once again

 Apple denies second round of layoff rumors

 Biggest-ever Internet piracy bust claimed in Sweden

Lawmaker: Consumers need data breach details
California State Sen. Joe Simitian says consumers should be given more information to understand the threat to their privacy when their data is affected by a security breach.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Chess match: Hulu blocks Boxee once again
Hulu moves once again to block Boxee. Boxee managers say that Hulu can't win because Boxee's community has the upper hand.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Apple denies second round of layoff rumors
Valleywag has reported twice this week that Apple has laid off small groups of workers, but the company has now denied both reports.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Eye-socket camera films from inside the head
A one-eyed filmmaker invents a camera eye so he can film the world from a very personal perspective.
• Photos: Filming from the inside
(Posted in Crave by Dong Ngo)

Microsoft: Lots to turn off in Windows 7
In a blog posting, Microsoft notes that it is not just Internet Explorer that can be disabled. In fact, many Windows components can be disabled, should one so choose.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Biggest-ever Internet piracy bust claimed in Sweden
The server seized south of Stockholm contained 65 terabytes of digital data; The Pirate Bay has not been accused of being behind the site.
(Posted in Digital Media by Erik Palm)

Expert: Twitter accounts hijacked in new attack
Don't fall for that tweet promising a Webcam chat with a 23-year-old woman, warns Trend Micro researcher.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

Nokia and Verizon readying a secret 4G device?
Word on the wireless beat this week is that Nokia is developing an exclusive touch-screen device for Verizon's new 4G network.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Obama's team lends an ear to the Valley kids
Does the administration really need to hear from the CEOs of companies that haven't actually made any money yet? To be honest--yes.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

From the counterintutive files: IT demand is...up?
Crazy as it seems, yes. Not everywhere, but the Federal Reserve's latest survey of current economic conditions finds pockets of strength around the country.
(Posted in Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper)

Making solar cheaper than coal
special report Start-up 1366 Technologies wants to transform the energy business one solar cell at a time. Can it make renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels?
• Special report: Green tech's future
• Inside a solar-tech disruptor

Kepler: Finding a 'Goldilocks zone' in the Milky Way
NASA is just hours away from sending up a spacecraft on a mission to stare at thousands of stars in the hopes of finding an Earth-like planet or two.
• Images: NASA's Kepler to seek Earth-like planets
(Posted in Cutting Edge by Jonathan Skillings)

Thursday, March 05

Stimulus bill squeezed in green tech. Now what?
special report Green-technology companies are in for the boost of a lifetime. But proponents also know the risks of a bureaucratic boondoggle.
• Special report: Green tech's future
• Show me the money--fast

Apple developers mark a year of iPhone apps
One year after Apple unveiled its software development kit for the iPhone and iPod Touch, development is flourishing despite the overwhelming pace of growth.

Just in

Yahoo's Inquisitor search comes to iPhone

 Microsoft wants Office 14 to get along

 Report: Daft Punk to score 'Tron 2.0'

 Sun: OpenOffice still a 'great international effort'

 Revolution 9/9/09: Beatles coming to 'Rock Band' this fall

PC shipments to decrease 4.5 percent in 2009

 Amazon launches trade-in program for used games

Amazon launches trade-in program for used games
Amazon is getting deeper into the games business with a new trade-in program that lets users exchange their used games for credit on Amazon.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

PC shipments to decrease 4.5 percent in 2009
IDC updates its forecast of the PC industry's health for the year. Although it will be hit hard, it will not "go the way of the financial or auto industries."
(Posted in Business Tech by Erica Ogg)

How to double world gas mileage by 2050
Global group says organized effort to implement current technology can improve global fuel efficiency by 50 percent.
(Posted in Planetary Gear by Candace Lombardi)

Revolution 9/9/09: Beatles coming to 'Rock Band' this fall
But will the Fab Four be coming to iTunes, too? Cue up the conspiracy theories!
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Sun: OpenOffice still a 'great international effort'
Development projects are underway to improve performance issues in the open source project, which remains a strong focus within the community, says exec.
(Posted in Business Tech by Eileen Yu)

Sheriff: Craigslist is top source of prostitution
The sheriff of Chicago's Cook County has plans to file suit against Craigslist. The Web's largest classifieds section has already said it plans to crack down on prostitution ads.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Apple Snow Leopard plus Nvidia equals what?
Nvidia has become well ensconced in Apple's lineup. So, what's the connection between Apple's graphics-fortified lineup and Snow Leopard OS X?
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Motorola changes tune on CFO dismissal
Company characterizes the termination of its former chief financial officer as "for cause," marking a shift from its earlier stance, according to The Wall Street Journal.
(Posted in Wireless by Dawn Kawamoto)

Google expands offline calendar to more users
Google Calendar is a Web app, but it now can work even when there's no network access for a broader class of people.
• Google Chrome now bundled with Real Player
• Google Health lets users share their online records
• Google branches into expandable ad
(Posted in Webware by Stephen Shankland)

Windows Media Center launches sports channel
Microsoft's WMC will offer sports, other premium content in bid to attract more mainstream users. New channel will feature replays of each NCAA tournament game.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

How will BlackBerry App World work?
Research In Motion's application store has a different pricing model than Apple's App Store. Higher prices mean more for developers. But an up-front fee will mean fewer free, hot apps.
• RIM store crowned BlackBerry App World
(Posted in Wireless by Larry Dignan)

Obama names D.C. official as federal CIO
The president announced Thursday that Vivek Kundra, Washington, D.C.'s CTO, will be the new federal chief information officer.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Magna Steyr offers a flexible green-car platform
Auto parts manufacturer Magna Steyr designs an automotive platform called Mila that lets carmakers choose between an electric and hybrid car, then slap on a body shell and badges.
• Photos: Bentley goes green as Rolls-Royce shrinks Phantom
• Full coverage of Geneva auto show
(Posted in The Car Tech blog by Wayne Cunningham)

Wednesday, March 04

Kindle books, meet iPhone readers
roundup Got an iPhone or iPod Touch? Amazon's new Kindle for iPhone app lets you use those gadgets to read electronic books.
• E-books lost on Kindle, found on iPod Touch
• First take on Kindle iPhone app
• Screenshots: Kindle for iPhone

Lessons from Demo on surviving recession
The smaller size of Demo 09 doesn't mean the tech industry is going out of business. Rather, it suggests what companies need to do to get funding.
• Full coverage: Demo 09
• Best and worst of Demo 09

Just in

Starter Web apps for small businesses

Adobe issues first quarter warning

 New iPhone app to send Deadheads over the edge

 Aurora's algae payoff: $50 a barrel, plus a price on carbon

Universal Music, YouTube near deal on music video site

CNET News Daily Podcast: Green-tech start-ups adapting to recession

 Microsoft may let Windows 7 users turn browser off

Universal Music, YouTube near deal on music video site
Vevo would be the name of a new Web site jointly run by Universal Music Group and YouTube, according to sources.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Microsoft may let Windows 7 users turn browser off
Testers say post-beta versions of the new operating system have added an option to turn off the built-in Internet Explorer 8 Web browser.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Green technology at a crossroads
special report Successfully building a cleaner energy business will require a lot of money, time, and IT industry cross-pollination.
• Day 1: A Google for green tech?
• How best to make digital gadgets greener?

Why Facebook's new profile changes matter
They're a bit of a yawn if you aren't a brand marketer, but Facebook's updates offer a peek at how the social network wants to be your home page.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

EC ends full-time antitrust monitoring of Microsoft
The European Commission is scaling back its checks on whether the software maker is complying with a 2004 ruling to share interoperability information.
(Posted in Microsoft by Tom Espiner)

Goodbye to traditional Intel graphics?
A new report says the venerable integrated graphics chip market will fade away, replaced by "embedded" graphics more closely yoked to the main processor.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Facebook, Google helping feds stop online stimulus scams
The Federal Trade Commission is working with Internet companies to stop the slew of online scams offering stimulus funds that have cropped up in recent weeks.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Windows 7 gets down to business
Microsoft talks about what it's doing to try to make enterprises more jazzed about the new Windows than they were with Vista.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Facebook readies new user pages, filtering tools
The social network announces two new features to its service, including a revamped way to organize and read news feeds.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Open-source guru Ruby leaving IBM for Microsoft
Sam Ruby is leaving for Microsoft, which isn't surprising, but the fact that he has announced his departure before receiving a formal offer from Redmond is surprising.
(Posted in The Open Road by Matt Asay)

E-books lost on Kindle, found on iPod Touch
Among those who rushed to get the new iPhone Kindle App was CNET News' Ina Fried, who had lost her Kindle and saw the program as a way to rediscover her electronic library.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Office 14 crawls toward beta
Microsoft's Chris Capossela says it won't be that long before the masses can try both Web-based and desktop versions of the new Office. He's just not saying when.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Analysts see bright spots in dark photo market
Camera shipments will decline in 2009, but SLRs and photo books are among the areas where there still is growth.
(Posted in Underexposed by Stephen Shankland)

Tuesday, March 03

Demo 09: Where start-ups show off
roundup The high-tech confab puts cutting-edge companies in front of A-list venture capitalists and journalists. Here's this year's crop.
• At Demo, it's all about content discovery
• Discovery day at Demo 09
• Purewire tackles Web reputations
• Video: Touch-screen Netbook

Apple polishes its desktop line
As expected, there are new versions of Mac Minis, iMacs, and higher-end Mac Pros. Apple's emphasis: energy efficiency.
• Apple overhauls iMacs
• Apple finally refreshes Mac Mini
• New Mac Minis: Still too expensive

Just in

No, the White House hasn't ditched YouTube

 A busy cybersecurity week in Washington

 Despite layoffs, Microsoft holding firm on H-1Bs

 Obama picks Net neutrality advocate as FCC chairman

 Smartphone sales pick up steam in U.S.

Jadoos offers a single sign-on widget

Get $100 from Sprint for irritating your friends

No, the White House hasn't ditched YouTube
A blogger for the CNET News Blog Network reported Monday that the White House has moved to a new video player. That was wrong.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

Obama picks Net neutrality advocate as FCC chairman
Julius Genachowski, an advisor on the Obama campaign, has pided his career between Washington, D.C., political jobs and working as an Internet executive.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Declan McCullagh)

Panasonic regroups for U.S. camera market assault
The electronics giant isn't happy with sales in the United States and is working on a new plan to win over buyers and sales partners.
(Posted in Underexposed by Stephen Shankland)

Android to take Linux mainstream?
Netbooks will pave way for Google to squash Microsoft's OS dominance in two to three years, thanks to its Linux-based Android platform, according to an analyst.
(Posted in Business Tech by Victoria Ho)

Smartphone sales pick up steam in U.S.
Despite the recession, Americans are buying smartphones, providing the only bright spot in an otherwise bleak cell phone market.
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Photos: Sony hauls cameras, electronics to Vegas
Consumer electronics giant holds a double-header in Las Vegas to show not just its latest camera technology, but also Blu-ray players, home theater systems, and more.
• Sony 2009 line show: Complete coverage

Google doles out $6.3 million in bonuses
Filing shows company issued $6.3 million in bonuses to its executive team for 2008, with its new CFO landing a $1.24 million bonus after five months on the job.
(Posted in Digital Media by Dawn Kawamoto)

Building Exchange 14: Service now, server later
Microsoft delivering next version of its messaging software first as a service that runs from its data centers. Server version won't be out until next year.
• Office 14: Worth a wait?
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

First Solar snares OptiSolar's unfinished projects
In a sign of a shakeout among solar companies, high-flier First Solar shells out $400 million for gigawatts of utility-scale solar projects from cash-strapped OptiSolar.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

Asus to nix 7-inch Eee PC Netbooks
At CeBit, Chairman Jonney Shih tells ZDNet UK that Asus will concentrate on its 10-inch Netbooks, with the original 7-inch size fading away.
• Psion says Intel 'unjustly enriched' by Netbook
• AMD appoints new chairman, closes plant deal
• Intel rolls out Atom chips targeting phones
(Posted in Crave by David Meyer)

Apple software now supports Nikon D3X
Users of Aperture and Apple's other photo software now can read and edit images from Nikon's top-end $8,000 SLR.
(Posted in Underexposed by Stephen Shankland)

Twitter and iPhone help find lost skier
A "crowdsourced" Twitter request for the phone numbers of two missing skiers and GPS tracking of their iPhones leads to the rescue of one. The other was found dead.
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)

Microsoft: Research budget may create new jobs
COO Kevin Turner says that although the company is eliminating jobs in some areas, new opportunities--and perhaps 2,000 to 3,000 jobs--will arise at the same time.
• Microsoft enthusiasts atwitter at MVP summit

Monday, March 02

Guild: Contracts forced Amazon to flip on Kindle
Authors Guild's director says big book publishers pressured Amazon to make changes to Kindle 2's text-to-speech. Publisher's contracts also prompted retailer to relent.
• Amazon misread book sector
• Wall Street predicts Kindle revenue

Demo 09: Where start-ups show off
roundup The high-tech confab puts cutting-edge companies in front of A-list venture capitalists and journalists. Here's this year's crop.
• In search of a greener conference
• Video: Touch-screen Netbook
• VCs: Funding tough but possible

Just in

Sony 2009 line show: Complete coverage
Eight weeks after CES, Sony returns to Vegas for its very own product bonanza. CNET offers full coverage of the company's 2009 product announcements from its line show.
• Sony Dream Machine for cheap, humble dreams
• Sony lowers price on Blu-ray HTiBs
• Sony boombox mistaken for magic toadstool
(Posted in Crave by John P. Falcone)

Patent bill to be reintroduced in Congress this week
Major companies have been lobbying politicians for months in anticipation of the reintroduction of the Patent Reform Act, which is now scheduled for this week.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Neil Young: YouTube must respect artists
Rocker says YouTube doesn't compensate music artists equally or fairly and says Warner acts are penalized.
(Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

AMD appoints new chairman, closes plant deal
Chipmaker appoints Bruce Claflin as its new chairman as it completes deal to spin off manufacturing operations.
(Posted in Nanotech - The Circuits Blog by Brooke Crothers)

Microsoft to start testing 'Kumo' search service
Beginning this week, some of Redmond's employees will get access to the new look for Microsoft's Live Search, CNET News has learned.
• First screenshot of Microsoft's Kumo
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Square Root Day revelers to party like it's 3/3/09
The rare holiday occurs when the day and the month are both the square root of the last two digits of the current year.
(Posted in Cutting Edge by Steven Musil)

Photos: WonderCon's Zap! Boom! and Pow!
The annual comic book convention held over the weekend in San Francisco was an exclamation of the art and pop culture worlds colliding.
• Hard science meets cosplay at WonderCon
• Wonder Woman movie makes editor cry uncle

Flickr video goes HD, tells time
Flickr is rolling out high-definition video to its paying pro users, while free users now get to upload standard-definition clips, too.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Facebook fights new Koobface worm, rogue app
Yet another rogue app spreads on Facebook, as does new variant of Koobface worm that tricks users by including the name and photo of an intended victim's Facebook friend.
(Posted in Security by Elinor Mills)

White House ditches YouTube over privacy
Responding to complaints by privacy activists, the White House has quietly moved away from using YouTube videos on the president's official home page.
(Posted in Surveillance State by Chris Soghoian)

Microsoft enthusiasts atwitter at MVP summit
The gathering with tech enthusiasts is closed to the press, but there are hundreds of tweets an hour discussing everything from the food to the allegedly secret content.
(Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

Signs building toward March iMac launch
Apple appears to be getting ready to launch new iMacs in March, a move the Apple community has expected for quite some time.
(Posted in Apple by Tom Krazit)

Sunday, March 01

Lieberman questions accessibility, privacy of court docs
Sen. Joe Lieberman asks federal court system to explain why it charges for online copies of court records and why personal information in them is not better protected.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

U.K. operators may strip Skype from Nokia devices
Two U.K. wireless operators may refuse to carry Nokia phones that have the Skype VoIP calling feature built-in.
• EU agency backtracks on Skype crime claims
• EU to investigate VoIP-tapping techniques
(Posted in Wireless by Marguerite Reardon)

Apple's mobile-app review system needs overhaul
The company's very basic user review system for iPhone and iPod Touch applications is in need of some help. We look at what could be done to fix it. Start with a great iTunes feature.
(Posted in Webware by Josh Lowensohn)

Second Thunderbird 3 beta holds off on Lightning
Second test version of the Mozilla e-mail tool, though, introduces an activity manager for better notifications, a Gmail-style archiving system, zippier IMAP support.
(Posted in The Download Blog by Seth Rosenblatt)

Tech activist campaigning to head GPO
Web archivist Carl Malamud is hoping his self-promotion will convince President Obama to name him head of the Government Printing Office.
(Posted in Politics and Law by Stephanie Condon)

Week in review: Microsoft goes to court
Software giant files two patent suits as Google takes aim at it. No-show Steve Jobs is main topic at Apple shareholder meeting. Also: Facebook malware.
(Posted in Business Tech by Steven Musil)

Inventor: Gadgets need green design revolution
"Genius grant" recipient Saul Griffith says the consumer electronics industry needs to build "heirloom" products that last decades and can be upgraded over the years.
(Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)