Microsoft and Yahoo's blockbuster deal to form a 10-year partnership in Internet search and advertising lands at a time when the Obama administration is taking an especially hard look at consolidation in the high-tech industry. But the companies say it is the only way to form a credible competitor to the industry's Goliath, Google, which holds 65 percent of the market for Internet search advertising.
Lawmaker Wants Regulation of File-Sharing Services
A senior U.S. lawmaker said that it may be time for the government to regulate companies that provide online file-sharing services after a number of people managed to access FBI files, medical records and Social Security numbers. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns said during a hearing on the safety of peer-to-peer software that he was astonished at privacy breaches involving LimeWire, operated by the Lime Group.
Spam, Botnets Reach Record Levels, McAfee Reports
Spam and botnets have hit their highest levels ever, according to McAfee's second-quarter Threats Report. McAfee's Avert Labs says spam recorded in the second quarter shot up 80 percent compared with the first quarter of the year.
More Internet Users Falling for Fake Security Software
Insufficiently knowledgeable computer users are downloading and paying for fake security software in increasing numbers, creating massive revenue for cybercriminals. "More and more people are acclimating to the Internet and they feel they can make these important security decisions," said Sean-Paul Correll, security evangelist and threat researcher for Panda Security.
Mac Security Expert Finds Flaw Allowing Data Access
A Mac security expert has uncovered a technique that hackers could use to take control of Apple computers and steal data that is scrambled to protect it from identity thieves. Prominent Mac researcher Dino Dai Zovi disclosed the software flaw at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, one of the world's top forums for exchanging information on Internet threats.
Apartment Tenant Sued Over Tweets About Mold
A tenant who used the micro-blogging service Twitter to complain about mould in her Chicago apartment is being sued. Horizon Group Management filed a lawsuit that has accused Amanda Bonnen of defaming the company with her tweet.
White House Clarifies How Staff Accesses Twitter
Bloggers were all aflutter earlier this month when White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told C-SPAN that, for some reason, Twitter usage was blocked at the White House. Now, White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said Twitter access is enabled on White House computers for the new media team, but it is blocked on the remainder of White House computers for security purposes–though they're working on getting those restrictions relaxed.
China Bans Websites Glamorizing Mafia Gangs
China has banned websites featuring or publicizing online games which glamorize mafia gangs, saying violators will be "severely punished," state media reported. The Culture Ministry said such games "advocate obscenity, gambling, or violence," and "undermine morality and Chinese traditional culture," the official Xinhua news agency said.
Hollywood Production Companies Sue Pirate Bay
A dozen Hollywood production companies have filed a new lawsuit against file-sharing website The Pirate Bay. Columbia Pictures, Disney Enterprises, Universal Studios and 10 others are demanding the site's operators be fined and prevented from distributing TV-series including "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" and films such as "Batman."
Taiwanese Firm to Pay Family in iPhone Suicide Case
A Taiwanese firm which makes products for Apple in China is to pay a "condolence payment" to the family of an employee who committed suicide. Sun Danyong killed himself after an iPhone prototype went missing from the company where he worked in Shenzhen.
Michael Jackson's Death Encouraged Cybercriminals
When Michael Jackson died on June 25, his fans mourned -- and cybercriminals swung into action. Within 38 hours, they forged alliances with familiar partners to trigger global spam campaigns that capitalized on the singer's death.
Oracle Sues Qtrax Music Service for $2 Million
Oracle, the giant enterprise software company, has accused Qtrax, the legal peer-to-peer music service, of copyright infringement and breach of contract in a $2 million lawsuit filed in Northern California. Qtrax is the music service that was ridiculed in January 2008 after the four major labels denied the company's claims that it had licensing agreements with them.
BlackBerry Maker May Buy Nortel Wireless Patents
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has held talks with Nortel Networks on buying next-generation wireless patents that were not part of Nortel's $1.13 billion wireless asset sale, a source familiar with the situation said. Bankrupt Nortel sold a portfolio of CDMA and next-generation LTE wireless assets to Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson.
AVG Virus Software Mistakenly Blocks Some iTunes Users
AVG's free antivirus product temporarily blocked users from getting to iTunes, detecting it as a Trojan, the company said. "AVG discovered the false alarm in the virus signature engine relating to some localization components of iTunes (so not iTunes as a virus but rather some localization components of iTunes) and it was fixed within 5 hours," AVG spokesperson Siobhan MacDermott said in a statement.
Start-Up Seeks to Get Revenue from News-Copying Sites
A start-up called Attributor, based in Redwood City, Calif., is proposing an approach that is more carrot than stick as news organizations try to do something about the many Web sites that simply copy articles and paste them into their own pages. It has developed an automated way for newspapers to share in the advertising revenue from even the tiniest sites that copy their articles.
Groups Want Amazon to Change Policy on E-Book Sales
A growing number of civil libertarians and customer advocates wants Amazon to fundamentally alter its method for selling Kindle books, lest it be forced to one day change or recall books, perhaps by a judge ruling in a defamation case -- or by a government deciding a particular work is politically damaging or embarrassing.
Internet Phone Service Called Security Threat in Russia
Russia's most powerful business lobby moved to clamp down on Skype and its peers, telling lawmakers that the Internet phone services are a threat to Russian businesses and to national security. In partnership with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's political party, the lobby created a working group to draft legal safeguards against what they said were the risks of Skype and other Voice over Internet Protocol telephone services.
Microsoft Offers Choice of Browsers in Europe
Microsoft has made a new proposal to European competition regulators that it hopes will end their row over the firm's Internet Explorer web browser. It proposes that European buyers of its new Windows 7 operating system will be offered a list of potential browsers when they first install the software.
Craigslist Still Faces Sex-Related Allegations
Two months after Craigslist promised to rid itself of advertisements placed by prostitutes, law enforcement officials say the online classified ad site is still in the business of selling sex. From a sheriff who has no intention of dropping his lawsuit to an attorney general who suggests that he and colleagues could further pressure the company to crack down on online prostitution, they say they are not through with Craigslist.
Gates Criticizes U.S. Policy on Immigration, Privacy
In a far-ranging speech, Bill Gates criticized the American government's policy on immigration and data privacy, predicted giant leaps in technology in the near future and explained why he had to shut down his Facebook page.
