AOL Settles Cancellation Policy Dispute
UPDATED America Online will pay $1.25 million to about 300 consumers in New York to settle a dispute over its cancellation practices. As part of the settlement, AOL has agreed to reform its customer service policies and ensure consumers have an easier time canceling its service.
The New York Attorney General's office said that AOL employees were ignoring requests to cancel and stop billing customers and the company continued to bill them. This was due to a reward program made available to AOL's customer service representatives.
McAfee Updates Anti-Virus for Mac OS
McAfee on Wednesday announced that its Virex anti-virus software would now support Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger." The program is aimed at the business community to help prevent the spread of Windows worms and viruses. Although there still is no known virus that can infect a Mac OS X system, it can still act as a "carrier" and transmit Windows viruses to other Windows computers.
"Although the Macintosh installed base is relatively small, it is still be a potential target for hackers, especially Macintosh systems that are connected to the corporate network," Steve Crutchfield, director of product marketing, McAfee said. The new version will be released on August 29.
MSN Updates Set-Top Box, Cuts Price
In a move aimed to spur sales of its latest Internet set-top box, MSN on Tuesday announced a mail-in rebate program for its MSN TV 2 product that will bring the cost of the unit to under $100, along with adding new features. The $100 rebate offer will be available through January 31, 2006.
New features added in an update to MSN TV 2 now allow for the playback of protected Windows Media content, as well as capability to schedule times to check for new e-mail, including POP-based accounts. The update to the service is the first for the new box since it replaced the old WebTV units last October.
MSN Quietly Updates Messenger to 7.5
Microsoft on Tuesday afternoon beefed up its MSN Messenger client by releasing version 7.5 of the product. Among the new features are a continued push for VoIP through a feature called "voice clip" and beta connectivity with Vodafone Messenger for customers in Europe.
Voice clip allows a user to record a small audio file under 15 seconds in length and send it to his or her contacts. The feature does not require a direct connection to work, and will play instantly upon receipt. Microsoft says the feature was designed to feel like an instant message, and adds a "personalized and emotional dimension to IM."
Zotob Worms Can Affect XP Computers
Microsoft admitted that the Zotob worm and similar worms could also affect certain Windows XP computers in a security advisory issued on Tuesday. Computers running XP Service Pack 1 with a certain configuration were at risk.
Previously it was thought that only Windows 2000 systems were vulnerable to Zotob-like attacks.
Google Talk Beta Publicly Launches
It's official. Google late Tuesday released a beta of its highly anticipated Google Talk instant messaging client. Much like the search giant's Web site, the software sports a straightforward no-frills user interface free of the clutter and advertising that bog down other IM clients.
Weighing in at only 900kb, Google Talk is a much smaller download than other popular IM services, including AIM, MSN, and Yahoo. However, for the time being its feature list is quite sparse.
You've Got Laundry
A Massachusetts company has come up with a novel way to inform college students when their laundry is ready and what washing machines are open. Called LaundryView, the networked machines and software will allow the user to view this information from anywhere on campus.
The system was created by Mac-Gray Corporation, which claims to be the largest supplier of card and coin-based laundry facilities in America. A Web page will show the status of each machine as well as a two-week history of usage. The company says this will help students plan around the best times to do laundry.
Intel Outlines Future Chip Platforms
Opening up the Intel Developer Conference in San Francisco, company CEO Paul Otellini said the industry is on a "performance per watt" course that promises to bring smaller and more energy-efficient Intel-based computers over the next several years.
This change is leading Intel to combine its Intel NetBurst architecture found in the Pentium 4 with its mobile Pentium M processor, and begin to focus on energy efficiency over clock speed. The new chip architecture is expected to make it to the market in the second half of 2006.
Microsoft Under Fire in South Korea
While much has been made of Microsoft's antitrust woes in both the European Union and the United States, not much has been said about its problems in other areas of the world.
One place where Microsoft is still fighting claims of monopolistic behavior is South Korea, and that country's Fair Trade Commission said Tuesday that it is close to a decision on allegations that the company shut out local messaging clients by bundling Windows Messenger with its operating system.
Report: No Unified Next-Gen DVD
A Japanese daily reported Tuesday that any hope of a unified format for next generation DVDs is all but gone as the two sides have broken off talks. According to the Yomiuri newspaper, neither side was willing to yield and time ran out to strike a deal.
"Late August is the practical time limit (to finalize a deal)," Yoshihide Fujii, Toshiba's corporate senior vice president, told the paper. Toshiba needed to start developing the software for its HD-DVD players at that time.
AMD to Intel: Prove Processor Speeds
AMD wants to take Intel head on. The number-two chipmaker on Tuesday publicly challenged competitor Intel to a dual-core duel aimed at showing off the power of AMD's new Opteron 200 and 800 series processors.
The challenge appeared in several papers Tuesday including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, San Jose Mercury News and The San Francisco Chronicle. The ad was timed to appear ahead of the Intel Developer Conference in San Francisco, and placed so attendees would see it.
Verizon, Yahoo Team for Low-Cost DSL
Yahoo and Verizon on Tuesday are set to announce a low-cost high-speed Internet service that will feature Yahoo services and is meant to compete against cable and dial-up providers.
The service includes anti-virus protection, up to 10 e-mail accounts with 2 GB of storage, commercial free Internet radio, storage space for photos and premium broadband content for $14.95 USD per month. The service requires a 12-month contract.
Synthesizer Pioneer Moog Dies at 71
The pioneer of the modern synthesizer, Robert Moog, passed away on Sunday in his North Carolina home at the age of 71.
The sound of a Moog (pronounced Mohgue) synthesizer is unmistakable. It gave The Doors their unique sound, and since then has been used by the likes of the Grateful Dead and even modern acts like Dr. Dre and Wilco. The rise of the Moog synthesizer signaled the rise of electronic music as an art form.
NCSA Steps Back from Yahoo Debate
The NCSA distanced itself over the weekend from a study posted on its Web site that called into question Yahoo's claims of a larger search engine index than rival Google. The organization has now issued a disclaimer that appears before visitors can view the actual study.
The report came under fire due to its methodology, which paired two random words together and counted the number of result pages returned. Critics claimed that this method would not return any kind of real world document, and in the case of Google, was even returning other word lists or dictionary results.
Canon Launches New Camera Lineup
Canon on Monday refreshed its lineup of digital cameras, ranging from the basic point-and-shoot camera to a professional digital camera capable of 12.8-megapixel resolution. The new models will be available in September and October, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
See the photo slideshow for a overview of Canon's latest offerings.
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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