Google Starts Distributing StarOffice, Now Free
Almost two years ago, Google and Sun Microsystems held a special event to announce a multi-year partnership in which each company would distribute the other's software. Industry analysts issued a collective yawn, and not much has been heard about the agreement since - until now.
Over the weekend, Google quietly added Sun's StarOffice productivity suite -- the software that became OpenOffice.org and is now based upon it -- to Google Pack. The free collection of applications for Windows now numbers 13, and features other programs such as Skype, RealPlayer, Adobe Reader and Spyware Doctor.
41% of Facebook Users Give Personal Data to Green Plastic Frog
In a revealing test of where the true insecurities may lie in the realm of social online networking, security software company Sophos today revealed it set up a kind of sting operation on Facebook. It created a fake identity around a green plastic frog it named "Freddi Staur," and had Freddi invite 200 real Facebook users to be its friend.
"It's extremely alarming how easy it was to get users to accept Freddi," stated Sophos security analyst Ron O'Brien this morning. Of those Freddi invited, O'Brien reported, 87 responded positively, and 82 gave personal identification data to Freddi's account when asked.
Intuit Preparing Quicken Online
With QuickBooks having long been available as an online service, it was only a matter of time before Intuit launched a Web based version of its Quicken financial software for consumers. The online version is currently in closed beta testing, but will be expanded on September 10, the company said Tuesday.
Quicken Online largely offers the same user interface as the software, which already relies heavily on HTML. Intuit has seen big success with QuickBooks online, but it's not clear what advantages an online version of Quicken will bring to consumers, since they don't need multiple accounts or remote access like businesses might. Pricing for Quicken Online also has not been set, but more details are expected later this year.
Tech Preview of Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Available Today
It's a phrase that's starting to become a part of the typical Microsoft user vernacular: "Just wait until Service Pack 1." When Exchange Server 2007 was released last year, there were a number of key feature implementations that had to wait until a future release. That wait may be nearing its end, as Microsoft is giving Exchange admins a taste of at least some of what they've been asking for since last year, with the pending release of a technology preview of Exchange Server SP1.
While installing a preview release of a full-scale enterprise communications environment sounds like playing with fire, many admins already have virtual network environments already configured from having already tested ES 2007's initial release. There, admins may have set up virtual users in a non-existent domain (for instance, with the non-Internet-translatable ".local" top-level domain), and DNS within a virtual server to resolve those addresses.
Trend Micro to Host Beta Test Event
Security software vendor Trend Micro is hosting a two-day beta testing event to help the company prepare its Trend Micro Internet Security 2008 suite for release. Participants will be asked to bring their laptops and use the product over a three hour period, providing feedback and working directly with developers.
The event will be held on August 17 and 18 at The Grand Hotel in Sunnyvale, California. At the end of the day, participants will receive a $200 American Express gift card and Trend Micro gift pack. In addition, the company will send everyone a 1-year free license for TIS 2008. The event is open to Windows XP and Vista users, but space is limited. To sign up, select a time: August 17, 7pm to 10pm; August 18, 9am to 12pm; August 18, 2pm to 5pm.
Yahoo Bests Google in User Satisfaction
YYahoo is moving into favor with consumers, scoring higher than Google in a survey of consumer satisfaction published by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Meanwhile, Apple experienced some growing pains.
Yahoo moved up four points to a score of 79, a sign of good news for a company following what could be considered disappointing financial results. The search engine recently redesigned its site, along with adding new functionality.
US Asks WTO to Stop Chinese Piracy
The US signaled that its patience was wearing thin with China on Monday, as it asked the World Trade Organization to crack down on piracy within the country. The Bush administration is especially concerned over the economic losses sustained to American businesses by the problem, which it says costs the country billions of dollars per year.
Both countries had previously met on the subject two months ago, but were not able to come to terms. While China has taken some steps to improve the situation, the US government said that significant issues still remain. "We will pursue this legal dispute in the WTO and will continue to work with China bilaterally on other important intellectual property reform issues," US Trade Representative Office spokesman Sean Spicer said.
Nokia Issues Massive Phone Battery Recall
Nokia said Tuesday that about 46 million units of its BL-5C cell phone battery may be at risk of overheating, and is offering to replace them free of charge.
The Finnish phone manufacturer has several companies who produce the battery, and together they have shipped about 300 million units in total. This particular recall would target those produced by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006.
Google Wants Colbert, Stewart to Testify
Google took a shot at Viacom on Monday by calling two of the company's best known personalities from the Comedy Central network to give depositions.
According to court documents, both Jon Stewart of The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report have been asked to testify. Google has also asked for nearly three dozen others to testify as well.
XM Debuts First Color Screen Radio
XM debuted its latest radio Monday, complete with a full-color screen and various recording capabilities.
The XpressRC features a split-screen color display that shows the currently-playing song title and information to the left, and data on what's playing on up to three other channels to the right. The device, while produced by Delphi, will only carry the XM brand name.
Skype for iPhone Users
Shape Services said Monday that it had made a version of its IM+ for Skype client that works with the Apple iPhone. The application is already available for several other platforms, including BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Symbian, and J2ME devices. Shape said the Web application had been developed specially for the touchscreen interface of the iPhone.
IM+ allows users to place calls using SkypeOut credits or Skype plans to any Skype PC or phone number. "Noticing the public interest for Skype on iPhone, we decided to use our mobile IM and mobile Skype experience and develop an application for [the device's users]," Shape Services CEO Igor Berezovsky said in a statement. iPhone users can access the service by visiting skypeforiphone.com.
Study: EU Kids Ignore Risks of MP3 Sharing
A European Commission study has found that children in the EU know that downloading pirated music is illegal, however they justify it with a wide variety of excuses. Among the most popular were that everyone was doing it; downloads were for their use only; and that CDs and DVDs are too costly. Many didn't believe that downloading harms the artist at all.
The threat of legal repercussions is not what is stopping many from downloading pirated MP3s. In fact, many cited the risk of infecting their computers with a virus as a bigger deterrent. Almost all polled said they also planned to continue downloading music.
Microsoft Completes aQuantive Buy
aQuantive said Monday that it is now a fully-owned subsidiary of Microsoft, after the acquisition cleared all regulatory concerns and was approved by aQuantive shareholders on Thursday. As per the deal, the board of the company has resigned, although its CEO will serve within Microsoft as the head of its newly formed Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group.
The new division takes responsibility for building and marketing all ad platforms, and reports to Kevin Johnson, Microsoft's chief of the Platforms & Services Group. "The addition of aQuantive's technologies and people to the Microsoft portfolio is a core, strategic investment and step forward in our plans to become one of the top two online advertising platforms in the industry." Johnson said.
Apple Debuts iTunes Web Widgets
Apple debuted a new social networking feature for its iTunes Music Service that would allow customers to share their purchases, reviews, and favorite artists through a customizable widget.
Called My iTunes, the service includes three flash-based widgets that use a customers account information to create customized lists of music based on that users purchase history. The widgets can be placed on a user's blog, Web site, or social networking profile.
Microsoft to Appeal FCC TV Spectrum Ruling
Microsoft plans to dispute an FCC ruling striking down a proposal brought forth by several technology companies that utilizes unused portions of TV spectrum for high-speed Internet. According to the Washington Post, Microsoft will show that the devices would not cause interference.
Apparently, the first prototype demonstrating the use of "white space" to deliver Internet to rural areas was defective, causing the FCC review to show static on existing broadcasts. Microsoft has submitted a new model to the FCC, which it says causes no interference. The unused TV spectrum is set to be opened in early 2009.
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