New iPhone, iPod Touch models have higher capacity
Apple continued its trend towards flash memory on Tuesday, announcing two new models of both the iPhone and iPod Touch with additional capacity.
Both new models will be available immediately: a 16 GB model of the iPhone for $499 and a 32 GB iPod Touch, also for $499. With the new Touch, it marks the first time a flash-based iPod exceeds the hard-drive models in terms of capacity.
ICANN considers fast track for some international TLDs
ICANN has proposed a schedule for the fast-tracking of non-contentious IDN ccTLDs that would allow for new non-Latin Alphabet top-level domains as early as Summer '08.
An internationalized domain name (IDN) will take a Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD), or the ".country" name, and allow it to be displayed in non-ASCII characters. This will open the the current ISO 3166-1 standard of domain naming to beyond the 37 current characters. Countries not on the QWERTY or DVORAK keyboard standard have demanded this ability for a long time.
Roundtable part 2: Will Microsoft + Yahoo give everyone what he wants?
It's a vast and complex chess game Microsoft has launched, and with Google now wedging its foot in the door, there are more interests at stake now than just theirs and Yahoo's. Our panel of experts examine what's now at stake.
Last Friday, BetaNews spoke at length with a panel of experts analyzing the Microsoft takeover bid for Yahoo. Among the topics we discussed was trying to identify the motivations behind everyone involved at this point -- not just Yahoo and Microsoft but their various allies and partners, their competitors, and all of their customers. What does everyone want to come out of this clash of the titans? Or will customers be happier if all of this just stops?
Study: Digital mobile TV could become a $9.1 billion industry
A National Association of Broadcasters study contends that mobile digital television has the potential to become a multi-billion-dollar annual industry in America...but only if the standardization process is resolved by February 2009.
Each month the establishment of a standard is delayed, the study asserts, could cost broadcasters $50 million in revenue, and over $200 million in value to mobile digital broadcasting overall. The $9.1 B incremental market value in the study comes from the $2 billion in advertising revenue adjusted by $1.1 billion which would be accrued by participating broadcasters.
Study: Some Super Bowl advertisers 'missing the boat'
Reprise Media released results of its fourth annual study on companies' use of search marketing to complement their Super Bowl advertising campaign.
With the cost of ads rapidly approaching $3 million per spot, one would figure that a company would want to make the best of that investment. However in many cases, research group Reprise found that these advertisers were failing to cash in.
Security companies forge an anti-malware standards organization
Security computer companies recently met in Spain to officially create the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), with the objective of formulating new guidelines for the proper review of anti-malware software.
Originally conceived during the first International CARO workshop in Iceland last year, the organization's first meeting in Spain featured more than 40 security gurus familiar with the basic pitfalls the security industry faces today.
Commerce Dept.: US has already achieved broadband saturation
A report released last week by the US Commerce Dept. congratulates itself and other members of the current administration for enabling the rapid deployment of broadband Internet service, which it now says is available to 92% of the country.
America entered the year 2000 with citizens living in more than 40% of its ZIP codes having no broadband Internet service provider available to them, according to figures released last week by the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (PDF available here), an agency of the Commerce Dept. At the end of 2006, that figure had declined to 0.4%; and at the end of last year, citing figures from analyst firm SNL Kagan, high-speed cable Internet service was available to 92% of all US households.
Google-backed group calls RealPlayer 'badware'
The Google-backed firm that offers analysis of websites and software says users should steer clear of RealPlayer 10.5 and 11, but Real disputes their analysis.
The site says that Real needs to more conspicuous about its intentions to install the message center application in RealPlayer 10.5, and the Rhapsody Player Engine in RealPlayer 11. It recommends that users install neither version until the issues are fixed.
Cheaper Xbox 360 to debut in Japan in March
Even with poor sales, Microsoft isn't giving up on the Japanese market just yet.
Its low-cost Xbox 360 that went on sale for $279 in the US will debut in Japan for around $260 on March 6. Microsoft likely sees the cheaper price as a way to shore up its worldwide sales, which are lagging in the country.
ICANN finally begins updated IP standard rollout
Today, the non-profit organization in charge of the Internet's fundamental naming structure finally began migrating its root servers to IP version 6.
ICANN today is finally beginning the long, and perhaps arduous, process of upgrading its root servers to incorporate IPv6 records. Though the updated protocol has been in the post-development phase for over ten years, it has seen very limited uptake outside of the enterprise sector.
AOL buys its way into the widget business
Time Warner's AOL has acquired Goowy, San Diego-based flash widget startup for an undisclosed sum. Widgetized versions of AOL properties could be the next step for the dinosaur ISP.
AOL as an ISP has been on the decline for years, but has been taking measures to establish itself as a stronger player in the advertising market.
The Green Grid launches data center energy initiatives
Spearheaded by Microsoft, Sun, and other high tech vendors, The Green Grid is generating support among industry groups, users, and government agencies for building standards for efficient data center energy management.
By 2015, the costs of energy for operating servers will surpass the costs of server hardware, according to a group known as Intelligent Energy Europe. But until now, most of the available information on data center efficiencies has been "departmentalized and proprietary," and there have been few standards efforts geared to measuring data center efficiency.
Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista SP1 released to manufacturing
The party is on for February 27th, as Microsoft confirms its star attraction, Windows Server 2008, will be released on time. Admins everywhere may now be breathing a sigh of relief.
There will be no delay from here on out in Microsoft's release of Windows Server 2008. As one of the company's "heroes" for its gala rollout party in Los Angeles in just over three weeks' time, WS2K8 will arrive neither early like its "hero" partner Visual Studio 2008, or late like SQL Server 2008, which will actually ship at least six months after it "launches."
Yahoo shutters music service, allies with Rhapsody
The search provider has decided to end its music service, opting instead to send its business to Real.
In a joint statement this morning, Rhapsody -- the joint venture from RealNetworks and MTV -- revealed that, over the coming months, Yahoo will transition its customers over to Rhapsody by offering tools to convert their library from one format to the other.
Google positions itself as Yahoo's white knight against Microsoft
While it doesn't have the cash on hand to match or exceed Microsoft's offer -- few companies on Earth would -- Google went out of its way over the weekend to defend its chief competitor as an innovator, and is doing nothing to quell rumors as to what more it might do.
It could be a public relations move, to stave off criticism that Google's dominance in the paid search and advertising fields are forcing its competitors to coalesce in order to survive. It could also be a serious move by Google to offer itself as a "white knight," giving Yahoo an alternative to being swallowed whole by Microsoft.
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