Google tests GPS-less mobile phone location service
The Mountain View, Calif. search company is testing out new technology that would pinpoint a users location on a mobile phone even though it's not equipped with GPS capabilities.
Obviously without a GPS, the location given would not be as accurate as some may have come to expect. However, Google hopes to use the location indicator phones already provide to at least offer basic location-based services through an improved version of Google Maps.
Exchange Server 2007 SP1 rolls out tomorrow
The latest upgrade to what is fast becoming one of Microsoft's principal products will be released for download Friday, with significant new features including a long-sought disaster recovery tool.
One of the changes e-mail administrators had been wanting since the era of Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 concerns replication -- the ability to source the e-mail database at multiple physical locations simultaneously. Exchange has always had this feature, especially on the local level, but effectively managing it has been a matter of tricky scheduling.
TSA biometric security fails 1 in 50 transport workers' credentials
A Lockheed Martin official told a maritime security conference that the current biometric security system for shipping workers implemented in the wake of 9/11, fails to match users with their thumbprints 2% of the time.
NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - The director of credentialing technology for US government contractor Lockheed Martin, Jon Rambeau, told attendees of a maritime security conference here today that fingerprint biometric security systems currently used in the Transportation Security Administration's Transport Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program fail to properly authorize enrollees' credentials one time in 50.
UN panel: Cows emit more greenhouse gases than cars
A panel convened at the United Nations yesterday to discuss what the IT industry could do to better the environment, nearly came to the conclusion its practitioners could do more by changing their lifestyle...for instance, how they eat.
UNITED NATIONS (BetaNews) - After quite some time had passed, and panelists had issued what could be described as ordinary platitudes on the subject of corporate environmental policy -- essentially, "We can all do more," -- the executive director of the Society for Information Management, Judy Arteche-Carr, offered an invigorating bit of context to the discussion.
Apple to stop supporting Tiger Boot Camp on Dec. 31
Although its not exactly a surprise, Apple reiterated the expiration date for the Boot Camp beta, saying Tiger users will lose access on December 31.
The company had previously stated that the Boot Camp beta would "terminate automatically without notice from Apple upon the next commercial release of the Apple Software, or December 31, 2007, whichever occurs first," according to the EULA.
Thousands of user IDs stolen in Red Cross blood drive hack
Over a two-week period, over 278,000 e-mail addresses of Red Cross workers were swiped by a malicious user who found a back-door into a certain brand of non-profit fundraising software.
Convio Inc., an Austin, Texas-based software company that exclusively serves the needs of non-profit groups, admitted today that its GetActive software had been hacked and user data from 92 groups were stolen between October 23 and November 1.
FCC abandons its 'a la carte' cable programming plan
Chairman Kevin Martin's proposed overhaul of the basic cable system was removed from a plan to help ensure minority-owned programmers have access to channel spectrum.
The five members of the US Federal Communications Commission found themselves unusually occupied yesterday -- not so much with ordinary business as they were waiting for Chairman Kevin Martin to bring his plan up for a vote. Knowing his unusually radical plan to replace some metropolitan basic cable plans with "a la carte" programming choices -- supposedly as a means of ensuring fairer access to minority-owned channels -- was doomed to failure (it literally said as much in that morning's New York Times), Martin periodically postponed yesterday's final vote on the matter in hopes his fellow Republicans would reverse their opposition.
Google forced to identify slanderous blogger
The IP address of a man using Google's Blogger service has been handed over to authorities after the company settled with council members of an Israeli town in the West Bank.
The blogger had been posting slanderous content about members of the council of Sha'arei Tikva. Under the terms of the settlement, Google would give the man up to 72 hours before a court hearing to come forth or his IP address would be handed over.
Unlocked iPhones to take a bite out of France's wallets
Apple and French carrier Orange are launching the iPhone at 6:30 pm (1830 h) local time, with twelve stores opening after hours to accommodate the expected rush of customers.
The price for a fully unlocked iPhone in France is €749 ($1105 USD). With a two-year service contract, the iPhone is slated to cost €399. The Orange division of France Telecom reportedly has 63,000 individuals registered on its site receiving updates about the device.
New Jersey eyes VoIP network for emergency response
Federal and state governments are actively considering broadband VoIP systems with optional video as a more reliable communications system in emergency situations than radio.
NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - For faster and better emergency response when disaster strikes, a number of state and local authorities nationwide are now taking a serious look at building new "interoperable communications systems." One such interested party is the State of New Jersey, which plans to move behind its current 800 MHz radio system to a wireless system running voice, data and video over IP, speakers said today at the Maritime Security Expo.
Google breaks into the energy industry its own way
Google announced its RE<C ("Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal") project yesterday: a research and development project aimed at bringing alternative energy sources closer to affordability.
With the spotlight recently turned upon data centers, which US Assistant Secretary of Energy Alexander Karsner termed "centers of enormous waste" yesterday, Google is asserting its intentions to change this reputation, and wisely so, as the company's tremendous need for energy-hungry server facilities only continues to grow.
Ex-Broadcom exec latest casualty of stock option probe
Nancy Tullos, former Broadcom human relations chief, pled guilty Tuesday to charges of obstruction of justice. She will also assist the feds in their case against the company.
Broadcom recently corrected its books by some $2.2 billion as a result of the probe, the largest yet of any of the 200 companies now being investigated for stock option backdating.
Cyber Monday sales 4.7% above expectations
It was indeed a tremendous sales day in the US last Cyber Monday -- Yahoo's travails notwithstanding. ComScore estimates American consumers spent $733 million online that day.
According to comScore statistics released yesterday, sales volume for last Monday was up 21% over 2006, and 4.7% higher than its projection last week of $700 million even. But in an unusual prediction, the analytics firm's chairman, Gian Fulgoni, said it expects some days between now and Christmas to yield even higher online sales volume, past the $800 million mark.
TiVo to debut on the PC through Nero software
The two companies have signed an agreement that will bring the TiVo service to PCs in the near future. TV on the PC is a largely un-tapped market: approximately 50.8 million PC TV Tuners are said to be sold by 2011, according to In-Stat. Addressing this market could provide a solution to TiVo's considerable troubles in attracting new subscribers.
With the addition of the PC, the company will have a foothold in all the major avenues of media distribution -- cable, satellite, and now the computer. "The partnership with TiVo extends the TV experience for the connected digital home, enabling easy access anytime, anywhere to the most extensive TV content," Nero chief Richard Lesser said.
Yahoo apologizes for Cyber Monday commerce outages
One very non-economic reason for small businesses perhaps receiving less of the glory from Cyber Monday comes from Yahoo, whose Merchant Solutions hosting service suffered severe outages throughout the day.
Yesterday afternoon, Yahoo representative Rich Riley found himself confessing a serious problem with the commercial hosting service it provided for some 40,000 small business customers on Monday -- arguably the most important online shopping day of the year.
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