AOL Responds to AIM Privacy Concerns
Changes made to the terms of service for AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) raised a hubbub last week among Internet bloggers who claimed AOL had stealthily added provisions that infringe upon the privacy of its users.
Privacy advocates quickly caught wind of the reports, leading to a firestorm of speculative criticism. In response, AOL has provided some answers to extinguish the fire by dismissing the "mistaken rumors" as being false.
Apple Wins: Sites Must Reveal Sources
Friday, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Kleinberg ruled that an online journalists' Internet service provider can be obligated to identify confidential sources to Apple's legal counsel.
The ruling rejected the defense's arguments that California's shield laws, which protect the anonymity of sources, apply to PowerPage because trade secrets were revealed in violation of state penal code. Kleinberg said the site's status as legitimate press was a moot point.
Microsoft Calls for Patent Law Reform
Critics of the United States patent system have found an unforeseen ally: Microsoft. During his keynote speech at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith proposed a series of reforms to correct flaws in the US patent system.
If implemented, Microsoft's proposal will amend the current system to validate the quality of patents, reduce litigation, increase accessibility, and become consistent with international patent laws. Redmond will work with like-minded reformers to encourage the adoption of its ideas.
IBM Rents Out Supercomputer Time
IBM will announce today it is renting out, at a reduced cost, the Blue Gene supercomputing system to any client or independent developer that wants to purchase computer time remotely.
Capacity on Demand targets commercial markets and disciplines that have a growing need for the performance of supercomputers, but cannot afford the high costs associated with ownership. IBM credits smaller size, lower power consumption and cost for the commoditization of supercomputing capabilities.
Novell Packs Apps Into SuSE Linux 9.3
Thursday, at CeBIT, Novell publicly unveiled SuSE Linux Professional 9.3. The complete distribution is packed full of hundreds of desktop applications from the open source community, home networking capabilities, as well as support for the latest PC hardware.
The 9.3 release is championed by Novell as a stable and secure alternative to Microsoft Windows that will appeal to novices and experienced Linux user alike.
Microsoft Tests New Windows Installer
Microsoft is testing a point release update to Windows Installer 3.0. Windows Installer 3.1, also known as MSI, resolves some issues that were uncovered in its predecessor and includes minor enhancements. A release candidate of MSI 3.1 is currently available to registered testers via BetaPlace.
Novell Ships Joint Linux, NetWare Server
Narrowly missing its February target release, Novell on Thursday announced that Open Enterprise Server has begun to ship. The server combines Novell's rewritten NetWare core with SuSE Linux Server 9, providing customers with a central console to manage a mixed environment of NetWare and Linux servers.
Open Enterprise Server rolls file, directory, print, management, and messaging services into a single package. The server is compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server distributions.
MCI Adds Microsoft Conferencing
MCI is drawing on its ongoing relationship with Microsoft for the creation, deployment and support of IP-based solutions. MCI will handle the networking; Microsoft will develop software and applications for MCI-branded products such as presence-based voice over IP and real-time collaborative communications.
The combined development work between the two companies was key to the creation of MCI's next generation Net Conferencing software, which is powered by Microsoft Office Live Meeting.
Microsoft Details Next Generation Xbox
For the first time, Microsoft has highlighted details of its second-generation Xbox gaming console. Microsoft describes the platform as a balance of hardware, services and software to meet the demands of the high definition (HD) era of gaming.
Customers that purchase the new console can expect to encounter a revamped Xbox guide where they create their own profiles, have in-game playlists, and can access the Xbox Live service, as well as a "marketplace" to purchase custom add-ons for games. Software and services will be coupled with more than a teraflop of computing power for gaming and entertainment purposes.
Google Denies Keyword Stuffing Claims
Google has responded to claims that it was using banned techniques of "keyword stuffing" and "cloaking" to promote its own site in search results, saying the information was meant only for internal purposes.
On Tuesday, Threadwatch, a group blog that discusses marketing technology, provoked controversy when a thread entitled "Google Caught Cloaking - Keyword Stuffing Titles" gained the attention of the Slashdot online community. The thread suggested that Google purposefully violated its own guidelines to boost the rating of its Web sites to a more favorable position.
eBay Expands Into Classified Ads
eBay is branching out into classified ads in six international markets under the brand name "Kijiji." Kijiji, which means "village" in Swahili, is available for more than 50 cities in Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Listings are free of charge and range from personals to trading goods, to housing and employment. Kijiji began as a start-up created by a group of eBay employees and received the blessing of management late last year.
AOL Readies Internet Telephone Service
America Online has announced plans for a voice over IP offering called AOL Internet Phone Service that will launch within one month. The company intends to target the service to its own broadband subscribers with the intention of pushing Internet telephony forward from the early adopter stage to the mass market.
To further its ambitions, AOL has forged partnerships with Level 3 and Sonus to build its services infrastructure, and will work in unison with parent company Time Warner to complement and cross promote services. AOL CEO Jonathan Miller made the announcement during a speech Tuesday at the Voice on the Net 2005 conference in San Jose.
Japan, Europe Investigate Intel Policies
UPDATED The European Union Commission is coordinating its investigation of Intel for alleged antitrust violations with Japan's Fair Trade Commission (JFTC).
The Japanese inquiry stems from Intel's policy of offering rebates to PC manufacturers that agree to limit the use of their own microprocessors in exchange for rebates. EU spokesperson Jonathan Todd said that the Commission was undertaking a similar investigation of Intel's business practices.
Think Secret: Dismiss Apple Lawsuit
Mac enthusiast Web site Think Secret has filed a special motion to dismiss Apple's lawsuit against it on First Amendment grounds. The motion cites a California law called the Anti-SLAPP Statute, which is a legal safety net against lawsuits that are frivolous attempts to suppress free speech.
Last week, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Kleinberg issued a preliminary ruling in a separate case stating that journalistic protections do not cover Web sites against three Mac enthusiast sites including the dePlume Organization LLC, which operates Think Secret.
DOJ Drops Microsoft Office for Corel
Corel has won a 50,000 seat contract with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to license its WordPerfect Office 12 suite. Corel is crediting the "flexible" terms of its enterprise licensing program and the strength of its feature set as the primary reasons for overcoming objections and closing the sale.
WordPerfect 12 is billed as a feature-rich and value-priced alternative to Microsoft Office, but can coexist with the market leader, having built-in compatibility modes to support Microsoft's document formats.
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