Al Gore's TV Network Launches
Current, the television network aimed at the younger generation and chaired by former vice president Al Gore, silently went live on Monday to about 20 million households. The network allows its viewers to submit content to be shown on the channel that will give it a television news magazine feel.
The network does its programming in what it calls "pods." Each of the sections are about two to seven minutes long and cover a broad range of topics from parenting, to fashion, finances, and current events.
Claria Works to Change Adware Image
An adware pioneer known for serving pop-up ads to users based on their surfing habits now appears it's attempting to clean up its act. Claria, most known for its Gator software, has been the target of recent speculation over a possible acquisition by software giant Microsoft.
According to reports, Claria had approached Microsoft about using some of its technology. That technology must have interested Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer; according to the source, Ballmer gave the approval to begin buyout talks in early June.
CNN, ABC Video Coming to Yahoo
Video content from CNN and ABC will soon be coming to Yahoo thanks to two deals announced Sunday night. CNN will provide the service with daily video clips of its news content, and ABC will provide on-demand video. The content from the two sources will be integrated into the Yahoo! News section of the Web site, as well as on Yahoo's main page.
"The addition of CNN.com and ABC News video to Yahoo! brings two of the world's most respected and valuable news providers to the Internet's largest audience," Scott Moore, vice president of content operations for Yahoo said in the announcement.
Ask Jeeves Takes On Google AdWords
Ask Jeeves on Monday announced "Sponsored Listings," a program that will work similar to Google AdWords where advertisers will bid for better ad placement on the search engine's pages. The new ad program will receive premier placement in search results, above Google's AdWords that the company will continue to display.
It is unclear how Google, a business partner of the company, will react to Ask's latest move. With advertising, the further up a link is on the page, the more likely it is that it will be clicked. Now underneath Ask's own ads, Google will bring in less money from the partnership.
Apple, HP Call it Quits on iPod Deal
After a relationship that lasted just a little over a year and a half, Apple and Hewlett-Packard are calling it quits. Various news sources on Friday reported that the two companies mutually agreed to end the deal under which Apple produced co-branded iPods for the computer maker.
The falling out comes as a surprise, since HP as recently as July 1 announced that it would sell a co-branded version the iPod Shuffle, along with an iPod+HP Mini that was announced in June.
New MSN Messenger, Spaces, Mail Demoed
Big changes are in the pipeline for the MSN suite of properties according to presentations made Thursday by Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of MSN and Blake Irving, vice president of the MSN Communications Services. Some of the changes include enhancements to the company's search product, as well as new social networking and e-mail products.
Microsoft's suite of communications products has seen dramatic growth in the past four years. Hotmail has grown from 100 million users in 2001 to over 205 million in 2005. Likewise, MSN Messenger grew from 50 million to 175 million over the same period.
US to Test Emergency Phone Alerts
Cisco, Researcher Settle Flaw Tussle
Cisco said it has settled a dispute with a former researcher from Internet Security Systems who had quit his job so he would be free to give a speech about a flaw in Cisco routers at the yearly Black Hat conference in Las Vegas. The communications hardware maker had threatened legal action if the presentation was given.
Any source code that researcher Michael Lynn had in his possession must be returned to Cisco under the agreement. Lynn will also be barred from ever giving a presentation on the topic again. The settlement appears to be a win for the company, which felt the release of the flaw was "premature" and dangerous to customers.
WGA Verification Bypassed in 24 Hours
On Tuesday, Microsoft made it mandatory for all users of its operating system to undergo a check for pirated software, called Windows Genuine Advantage. By Thursday, reports surfaced on the Web that a method had been discovered to disable the program.
Bypassing WGA is as simple as pasting a piece of JavaScript code into the Internet Explorer address bar. The ease with which Microsoft's latest attempt at anti-piracy has been foiled is surprising, but it's not clear if Microsoft will even be concerned with the news.
Judge: Google Can't Hire Ex-MS Exec
Microsoft has won the first battle in what is set to be a protracted court case that will pit the company against one of its biggest rivals: Google. A Seattle Superior Court judge has said that Microsoft's fears of leaked trade secrets were fair, and barred Google from hiring a former Redmond executive until a full hearing can be held.
Kai-Fu Lee, a former vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Services division accepted a job with Google on July 19. Lee's new role with the search giant would be as head of the company's new Chinese research and development center.
RIAA to Expand Attack on File Swappers
The RIAA on Thursday announced another round of lawsuits on Thursday against 765 "Internet thieves" across the United States, emboldened by last month's decision by the Supreme Court that said file sharing networks can be held responsible for their users' actions.
The "John Doe" lawsuits -- where the filing litigant is given a set amount of time to positively identify the defendant -- were filed across several federal district courts in eight states.
Cisco Router Flaw Goes Public
Each year, the Black Hat security conference gathers to talk about security vulnerabilities within currently available technologies.
Obviously, manufacturers are not too happy with these disclosures, but this week Cisco went as far as threatening legal action against conference organizers if a presenter was allowed to reveal potentially damaging information about the company's routers.
Ballmer: High-End Windows, Office Soon
At an all-day conference for financial analysts in Redmond, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told attendees that the company is working on bringing high-end versions of Windows and Office to the market. Ballmer cited success with the current premium version of Windows XP Professional as one of the primary reasons for continuing the program.
An enterprise version of Windows Vista is in the plans, as well as Office 12 Premium. It is unclear as to what advantages these new versions will offer above and beyond the current editions, as Ballmer did not supply any specific plans.
New Batteries Last Twice as Long
Panasonic plans to bring to the market a battery that it says is the most significant advancement in the technology behind batteries since alkaline was introduced in 1965. Called Oxyride, the company claims that the batteries will last up to twice as long as traditional alkalines.
The battery has already had a successful launch in Japan, and Panasonic plans to have it available in all major markets shortly. Initially, the batteries will be made in the AA and AAA sizes.
Google Calls Microsoft Suit a 'Charade'
In court Wednesday, Google referred to Microsoft's recent lawsuit against the company as a "charade", and asked a Seattle court to reject Microsoft's claim that Google's recent hire of an engineer from the Redmond company was against the employee's non-compete clause.
Superior Court Judge Steven Gonzalez, the judge assigned to the case, is expected to make a ruling on the motion sometime Thursday.
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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