News


Best Buy is First National Retailer to Get Gold Certified

Best Buy became the first national retailer to achieve Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status, the companies said Tuesday.

Partner Watch, March 13

Sanbolic releases updated file system and volume manager solutions for SAN storage systems.

China's Wireless Encryption Standard Rejected

The world industrial-standards association has rejected China's controversial wireless encryption standard for global use, news reports said Monday, dealing a blow to Beijing's effort to promote its own standards for computers and telecoms.

FBI Computer Project May Hit $500 Million

The FBI plans to spend up to $500 million building the final piece of its delayed, troubled technology upgrade, yet risks a repeat of earlier missteps that led to excessive costs, according to a government report released Monday.

Newspaper Finds Covert CIA Workplaces, Employees via Internet Searches

The identities of 2,600 Central Intelligence Agency employees and the locations of two dozen of the agency's covert workplaces in the United States can be found easily through Internet searches, according to an investigation by the <i>Chicago Tribune</i>.

U.S., Google To Face Off in Court

The Bush administration will renew its effort to find out what people have been looking for on Google Inc.'s Internet-leading search engine, continuing a legal showdown over how much of the Web's vast databases should be shared with the government.

China Promises Tax Breaks To Encourage Tech-Based Economy

China will offer tax breaks to technologically innovative companies and boost spending to promote scientific breakthroughs as part of a new program to create an "innovation-oriented country," an official said Friday.

EU Sends Microsoft Compliance Warning

The European Commission told Microsoft Corp. on Friday that it was "still not in compliance" with a 2004 antitrust ruling that ordered it to share information with rivals to make their software work with Microsoft servers.

Pilot Program Teaches Network Security To High Schoolers

A group of students at Rome Catholic School are learning how to become the future defenders of cyberspace through a pilot program that officials say is the first of its kind in the country.

BlackBerry Maker Acquires Ascendent

The maker of BlackBerry e-mail devices, fresh from settling a lawsuit that threatened its very business, is buying a company that will allow it to marry BlackBerries with corporate phone systems.

Microsoft Has 2 Security Bulletins on Tap for Next Week

Microsoft plans to release two security bulletins next week addressing a critical vulnerability in Office and an important flaw in Windows.

Google Offers $90M To Settle 'Click Fraud' Case

Google Inc. has agreed to pay up to $90 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the online search engine leader overcharged thousands of advertisers who paid for bogus sales referrals generated through a ruse known as "click fraud."

Microsoft Reveals Origami Mini-PC

Microsoft Corp. finally took the wraps off its mysterious Project Origami on Thursday, unveiling a computer that's about the size of a large paperback book but runs a full version of the Windows XP operating system.

France Reconsiders Legal File-Sharing Bill

The French government, bowing to pressure from lawmakers, revived a measure legalizing file-sharing and submitted it to debate Thursday as part of a larger draft law on fighting piracy.

Laing to Head Windows Server Division

Microsoft has promoted Scotsman Bill Laing to lead its Windows Server division after having moved the last executive to hold the post, Bob Muglia, up to be senior vice president of the Server and Tools business.

Acquisition Adds RSS Feeds to Windows Live Toolbar

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it has purchased Cambridge, Mass.-based Onfolio and has incorporated its end-user information collection tool as an add-in to its Windows Live Toolbar.

Stratus Claims Fault Tolerance for Under $10K

How do you get five “9”s of server reliability by spending only four “9”s in acquisition costs? That’s the hook that Maynard, Mass.-based Stratus is tossing out with its new entry level ftServer W Series 2400 line of fault-tolerant Windows servers, which it introduced this week.

Intel Unveils Details of 'Core' Chip Design

Hoping to leap ahead of smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Intel Corp. unveiled details of a next-generation chip design that it claims will perform better -- and consume less power -- than today's Pentium 4.

Intel, Microsoft Collaborate Virtually

Intel and Microsoft lifted the veil on further collaborations around the chipmaker’s virtualization technologies, including efforts to let two of the companies’ key management products interoperate.

Google Tells Investors To Disregard Leak

Google Inc. on Tuesday advised investors to disregard an internal financial forecast mistakenly posted on its Web site -- a mix up that included a reference to management's concerns about the online search engine leader's profits narrowing amid tougher competition.