Professor Hal Abelson gave his students one assignment in his class this past semester: design an application for Google's new mobile platform.

The students came up with a broad range of ideas, all of which show the overwhelming power the operating system has to change the way mobile phone applications are regarded.

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There will be quite a bit more added to Microsoft's upcoming mostly-preconfigured packages of Windows Server 2008 for small and medium businesses; but it will expect those firms to pay quite a bit more as well.

Last February, we learned Microsoft would be devoting more humanpower and resources to the task of marketing specially configured Windows Server 2008 packages for small and medium business. Today, we know what it expects those SMBs to pay, releasing details on suggested prices for four configurations for two to four servers and five clients apiece minimum, ranging from just over a thousand dollars to over $7,000.

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Perhaps in anticipation of MySpace's Data Availability, where users will be able to seamlessly share their MySpace information with partner sites, Photobucket has announced its own "open" feature: community albums.

Called Group Albums, Photobucket will allow multiple users (from two to "thousands") equal access to a single album's photo and video content, which can be password protected. Each of these free albums comes with 1 GB of storage and has the option to be centrally moderated by an administrator who approves or denies submitted content. Users are otherwise left in charge of posting, editing, and deleting their own photos and videos.

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Hewlett-Packard plans to buy technology services giant EDS for $13.9 billion, officials confirmed today, potentially bolstering its position versus IBM in the business services arena, particularly with government and health care.

During a Webcast for reporters this morning, HP CEO Mark Hurd estimated that the resulting HP business unit -- to be known as "EDS: An HP Company" -- will double the size of HP's current services business to $38 billion. "Today's announcement is compelling financially," according to the HP CEO.

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The search company released a new version of its mobile Google Reader product, aiming to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the iPhone.

Google Reader has been available to mobile surfers for quite a while: the first release debuted in May of 2006, but was written in XHTML -- the language of choice for mobile Web development.

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Download Adobe DNG Codec for Windows Vista RC1 from BetaNews FileForum now.

Adobe's Digital Negative specification, also known as the DNG format, was updated Tuesday, as the company pushes it to become a unified standard for working with raw photographic images taken by digital cameras.

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If what the Microsoft chairman said last week in Tokyo is to be taken seriously, then the beta cycle for the next version of Windows must begin in a matter of weeks. If no such announcement happens, then the Gates era is truly over.

What will likely be Bill Gates' last Asian tour as Chairman of Microsoft has already generated plenty of news, especially with his public display of walking away from the Yahoo deal. But now that Microsoft has released its transcript of Gates' speech in Tokyo last Wednesday, prior to his press conference where the focus was on his Yahoo comments, we realize that he had intended to make news on a different front.

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As rumored, Apple has forged a deal with HBO to make available for download the channel's content, including episodes of "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos" and critically acclaimed crime drama "The Wire."

The new offering is a big step forward for the video portion of Apple's iTunes Store, which has been growing but has seen fairly slow adoption for sales of TV shows and movies. HBO holds the rights to some of television's biggest series', and its customers are already accustomed to paying extra for its programming.

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Download Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope Spring Beta!

Not wasting any time in rebounding from its failed attempt to buy Yahoo, Microsoft is now readying its own response to Google Sky -- a tool known as Worldwide Telescope, which is set to launch at the end of the month.

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Computer manufacturer Toshiba is expected to release at least one notebook this year that uses the Cell Broadband Engine, a chip architecture that helps power the Sony PlayStation 3 game console.

Industry analysts indicate the Toshiba Qosmio G40 laptop will use the SpursEngine SE1000 chip, after a working prototype was introduced to the consumer market in January. Working samples of the SE1000 chip were made available at the beginning of last month.

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While the company may be free of Microsoft, Yahoo is now facing pushback over its planned advertising deal with Google.

Even though no deal has been officially reached, the mention of discussions has some calling for government intervention over antitrust issues. Several interest groups across a wide variety of industries are asking the Justice Department to step in.

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Redefining "staying together for the Kids," largely youth-oriented MVNOs Virgin Mobile and Helio have reportedly begun talks that could result in a merged entity.

As mobile phone saturation approaches, the market for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) shrinks. In 2007, Amp'd Mobile went bankrupt, and Disney Mobile shut down.

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In a newly-opened online showcase, search engine specialist Powerset is now previewing a contextual search engine seen by some as a possible threat to Google, Yahoo and other major players through its support for "conversational phrasing."

Although right now, Powerset queries Wikipedia only, rumors are circulating that investment bank Allen & Co. is shopping the emerging natural language search engine to potential buyers that might even include Microsoft, which decided to drop its recent attempt to take over Yahoo.

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Texas is investigating Amazon.com to see whether the online retailer may owe four years of back sales tax for purchases made by customers in the state, but Amazon claims it has fully complied with the law.

At issue is a distribution facility located in Irving, Texas that the retailer has operated since 2006. Before 2006, Amazon utilized a third party to fulfill orders in the state. The Texas Comptroller's Office is looking into whether the Irving location means Amazon has a physical presence in the state.

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Microsoft will now allow for a group of Live Messenger chat participants to watch a video at the same time.

Social video sharing is nothing new, but through a messenger client it is. While users won't be able to stream their own videos yet -- likely due to bandwidth issues as well as copyright concerns -- it certainly is a start.

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