WSJ: eBay Talking with Microsoft, Yahoo
eBay reportedly is talking to both Microsoft and Yahoo on ways that either company could collaborate with the auction site to fend off Google. The search giant has long been an ally of eBay, however Google's recent moves are making the San Jose, Calif., based company nervous.
Google recently introduced Google Base, a service that eBay sees as direct competitor to its own listings. Also, the search engine has been developing an online payment system that sounds similar in concept to eBay's PayPal. Additionally, Google has hired away several engineers and staff from eBay.
Nokia, MIT Open Comm Research Lab
Nokia and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology celebrated on Friday the opening of the cell phone maker's new research center near the Cambridge, Mass., campus.
The new research center, a partnership with the university's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), will study new communications technologies. Researchers from both MIT and Nokia will work together to jointly develop these projects.
Apple Enhances Recycling Program
On the eve of Earth Day, Apple said on Friday it will expand its computer recycling program for new Macintosh owners beginning in June. Customers in the U.S. who buy online or through Apple's stores would be eligible for free shipping and disposal of their old system.
Apple said it had been named a "Forward Green Leader" -- a title given to the top ten environmentally progressive companies by the Sierra Club. The computer maker has been operating the recycling program since 2001, and has recycled nearly 90 percent of the electronic equipment it has collected.
Court Denies MS Request for IBM Docs
A New York court on Thursday denied Microsoft's subpoena to obtain documents from IBM for its European Union antitrust appeal. The decision is the last of three cases the Redmond company had pending in U.S. court, and all have been denied.
As with past rulings, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon accused Microsoft of attempting to skirt European Union law, calling it a "blatant end run" around the EU Commission's authority. McMahon also said, as have previous judges, that she would not interfere in the matters of a foreign court.
NBC Joins Affiliates for Online Video
Acknowledging the growing market for video content on the Internet, NBC and its 213 affiliates announced the creation of a new company that would be tasked with distributing the station's local content online. Tentatively called National Broadband Co., the venture would sell local news, sports, weather, and other video.
Additionally, it would offer behind-the-scenes video and other material from the NBC Universal library. The media conglomerate would own a majority stake in the new company, it said Thursday.
Microsoft, Autodesk Fined $133 Million
A Michigan man has won a $133 million judgment against Microsoft and Autodesk in a Texas court after a jury found the two companies guilty of patent infringement. Of the total judgment, Microsoft would be responsible for $115 million and Autodesk $18 million, the Redmond company said.
David Colvin is the founder of z4 Technologies, a privately held Michigan company that offers DRM and other solutions to stop piracy. Colvin accused the two companies of infringing on his patents surrounding anti-piracy technologies.
Firefox, Mozilla Users Told to Upgrade
Users of the Firefox Web browser are being urged to upgrade as a government computer security agency warned of multiple vulnerabilities in earlier versions of the software. The group recommends upgrading to the latest Firefox release available, which would be 1.5.0.2.
Security firm Secunia has posted an advisory mirroring the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team's warnings, which it posted April 14. Rating the issue as "highly critical," the firm says some 21 flaws currently exist in versions of the browser before 1.5.0.2.
Sony Drops Price of PlayStation 2
Sony said Thursday that it would drop the price of the PlayStation 2 to $129.99 USD in an effort to keep consumer demand high as it races to complete its next generation console. The company plans to release the PlayStation 3 in November of this year.
To date, the electronics maker has sold some 101 million consoles and over a billion game titles. It also enjoys a 56 percent market share in the U.S., double that of its nearest competitor, Nintendo. It also remains the most popular platform in every major market, including North America, Europe and the PAL markets, and Japan and Asia.
Apple Reports Higher Mac, iPod Sales
Apple continues to post solid numbers as it reported another strong quarter on Wednesday. For the quarter ending March 31, the Cupertino company posted revenues of $4.36 billion, which includes $410 million in profit.
These numbers were up from $3.24 billion in revenue and $290 million in profit from the year ago quarter. Additionally, the company reported its share of the U.S. audio player business increased to 78 percent from 71 percent in December, and its share of the legal music downloads increased to 87 percent thanks to the iTunes Music Store.
Yahoo Considering Wi-Fi Service for IM
Yahoo could soon begin offering wireless access to users of its instant messaging client through an add-on service much like its VoIP offerings. Indications of such a service first appeared after the company polled its users about their interest. Yahoo's moves follow those of Google, which is also turning to wireless access to promote its services.
The service called Yahoo Messenger On-the-Road would be made available for free to those who wish to only use instant messaging. For customers wanting Web access, Yahoo is considering charging $2.95 USD for a two-hour connection, or $7.95 USD per month. A company spokesperson acknowledged that it was polling users, but declined to say whether such a service would eventually be introduced.
Yahoo Acquires TV Tech from Meedio
Yahoo earlier this week acquired most of software maker Meedio, a move that seems to indicate the company is looking to expand its Yahoo Go initiative onto the television set. Meedio produces software that gives PCs DVR and media organization functionality, and links them with TVs.
According to a statement on the company's Website, Yahoo bought the rights to Meedio's technology and intellectual property. The purchase did not include Meedio's products, however several members of the company will be joining Yahoo's Digital Home team as a result.
AT&T Strikes Deal for New TV Service
AT&T said Tuesday it would partner with Akimbo to offer a service where consumers could download movies and shows via the Internet for its Homezone television service. The telecommunications company plans to launch the offering in 13 states beginning this summer.
The service would feature live television from DISH Network along with enhancements built around it. Customers would be able to download movies through MovieLink, use digital video recorder functionality, access photo-sharing and radio services through Yahoo, and see caller ID data on their television screens.
OpenDocument Alliance Triples in Size
The ODF Alliance, an organization of companies supporting the adoption of the OASIS OpenDocument format, announced Tuesday that its membership had more than tripled in less than two months. Since March 3, its ranks have grown from 38 to 138.
Some of the biggest names in technology are now members of the ODF Alliance, including Corel, EDS, IBM, Novell, Opera, Oracle, and Sun. Open source companies have also opened up to the alliance, with GNOME, Mandriva, OpenOffice.org, OSDL and Red Hat offering their support.
Yahoo Target of New Criticism in China
Activists are criticizing Yahoo anew after court documents apparently show information provided to Chinese officials by the portal led to the four-year-sentence of an Internet writer for "subversion." This latest revelation marks the third time Yahoo has been identified as the source for such jailings.
Jiang Lijun was jailed in 2003 after the company confirmed that Jiang was using an Internet e-mail account with activist Li Yibing. Previously, it had been discovered that Yahoo provided documents that led to an eight-year subversion sentence against Li Zhi in that same year, and a ten-year sentence for Shi Tao, who the government accused of leaking state secrets.
HD DVD Players, Discs Make Debut
Tuesday marked the first day of availability for HD DVD discs, with two studios releasing three movies in the next-generation optical disc format. The releases are intended to coincide with the launch of the first HD DVD player from Toshiba.
Warner Home Video shipped "The Last Samurai" and "The Phantom of the Opera" while Universal shipped "Serenity." The releases comes a full month ahead of the first Blu-ray titles, expected from Sony's movie studio arm on May 23. However, the first Blu-ray players are not due until late June.
Ed's Bio
Ed Oswald is a freelance journalist from the Reading, PA area. Although he has written across a variety of subjects, Ed’s passion and focus has been on technology and gadgets. His work regularly appears on tech news sites BetaNews, PCWorld, and Technologizer, and has been syndicated to eWeek, Time’s Techland blog, VentureBeat and the New York Times.
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