The bMighty ANTenna -- February 2008 Archive

U.S., Canadian Authorities Seize Counterfeit Hardware -- Friday, February 29, 2008

In a joint announcement, officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) revealed that they had intercepted $76 million worth of counterfeit network hardware.

Read all of "U.S., Canadian Authorities Seize Counterfeit Hardware"

Source(s):  SiliconValley.com, InformationWeek

Microsoft to Cut Price of Vista -- Friday, February 29, 2008

Vista will be cheaper starting in March, as Microsoft plans to cut the price of certain versions from 20 percent to 48 percent.

Read all of "Microsoft to Cut Price of Vista"

Source(s): BBC News, CNNMoney, CNET

Open XML: One Step Closer to Standardization? -- Friday, February 29, 2008

A group of international delegates today wrapped up a weeklong meeting that could help decide whether Microsoft's Open XML document format should become an international standard.

Read all of "Open XML: One Step Closer to Standardization?"

Source(s): CNET

Mozilla Wants to Plow Through Wireless Carriers' Walled Gardens -- Friday, February 29, 2008

Mozilla is making the rounds to wireless carriers, talking up its free Mobile Firefox browser that would ultimately open Internet access to subscribers -- and take it out of the hands of operators.

Read all of "Mozilla Wants to Plow Through Wireless Carriers' Walled Gardens"

Source(s): Computerworld

VMware Welcomes Third-Party Security Applications -- Thursday, February 28, 2008

In a move intended to improve the security of its virtualization platform, VMware has provided ways for third-party security vendors to integrate their applications into the platform.

Read all of "VMware Welcomes Third-Party Security Applications"

Source(s): PCPro, The Register

Yahoo Warns of Repercussions of Microsoft Bid, Also Gets Sued -- Thursday, February 28, 2008

In its annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Yahoo stated that Microsoft's attempted takeover may lead to the departure of key employees and a loss of business.

Read all of "Yahoo Warns of Repercussions of Microsoft Bid, Also Gets Sued"

Source(s): San Jose Business Journal, CNET News, InformationWeek

Google Retools JotSpot, Unveils Google Sites -- Thursday, February 28, 2008

Google is relaunching its SMB-targeted JotSpot hosted wiki service with what The Wall Street Journal says is the latest way the search giant is bypassing the need for an IT department.

Read all of "Google Retools JotSpot, Unveils Google Sites"

Source(s): InfoWorld, The Wall Street Journal

EU to Microsoft: You're Fined! -- Thursday, February 28, 2008

Microsoft has been fined $1.35 billion for not adhering to the European Commission's 2004 ruling that required the software giant to disclose information that would allow rival vendors to interoperate with its Windows operating system.

Read all of "EU to Microsoft: You're Fined!"

Source(s): The New York Times, Wired

Dell Preps Hosted Support Services -- Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Dell is turning the technologies acquired through its SilverBack and Everdream buys into the foundation of a series of Web-hosted support services that should be ready by year's end.

Read all of "Dell Preps Hosted Support Services"

Source(s): InformationWeek

Regulators OK Oracle-BEA Merger -- Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have given their thumbs up to Oracle's proposed $8.5 billion acquisition of middleware vendor BEA.

Read all of "Regulators OK Oracle-BEA Merger "

Source(s): Bloomberg

Network Solutions Sued For Domain-Name Policy -- Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Network Solutions is being sued for its policy of reserving domain names, a policy the company said it put into place to protect customers from front-running.

Read all of "Network Solutions Sued For Domain-Name Policy"

Source(s): Associated Press, VNUnet.com

HP Ships Disk Array Especially for Midsize Businesses -- Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Hewlett-Packard has introduced a new disk array targeted at midsize businesses that don't have overly complex storage needs but require more than entry-level gear.

Read all of "HP Ships Disk Array Especially for Midsize Businesses"

Source(s): Computerworld

Microsoft's Windows Live Goes on the Blink -- Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Users of Microsoft's free Windows Live offering have been on the wrong end of a service outage today that's affecting Windows Live Hotmail, MSN Messenger and other services.

Read all of "Microsoft's Windows Live Goes on the Blink"

Source(s): BetaNews

Lenovo Unveils Ultrathin Laptops -- Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Lenovo is out to challenge Apple with an ultrathin notebook of its own, the ThinkPad X300.

Read all of "Lenovo Unveils Ultrathin Laptops"

Source(s): Computerworld

VMware Signs Virtualization Deals With Four Server Giants -- Tuesday, February 26, 2008

In the latest virtualization push, Dell, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard and IBM have all agreed to embed VMware's ESX 3i hypervisor software in select servers. Those products will begin shipping in the next two months.

Read all of "VMware Signs Virtualization Deals With Four Server Giants"

Source(s): Channel Register

The Ups and Downs of Software Spending: Report -- Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Business software sales -- including Microsoft's Office programs for Windows and Apple's MacIntosh computer -- for January rose 34 percent year-over-year, according to market research firm NPD.

Read all of "The Ups and Downs of Software Spending: Report"

Source(s): Reuters

Cisco's New Financing Plan Makes Unified Communications More Affordable -- Monday, February 25, 2008

Cisco Systems' financing arm has introduced an SMB-friendly pricing plan for resellers to offer customers that want to reap the benefits of unified communications.

Read all of "Cisco's New Financing Plan Makes Unified Communications More Affordable"

Source(s): ChannelWeb

Dell Updates AMD-Based Optiplex PC -- Monday, February 25, 2008

Dell has updated its SMB-targeted Optiplex 740 desktop PC with AMD's latest low-power Athlon dual-core chips.

Read all of "Dell Updates AMD-Based Optiplex PC"

Source(s): InformationWeek

Microsoft Preps IE 8 For Beta -- Monday, February 25, 2008

Microsoft is close to releasing version 8 of its Internet Explorer browser to the developer community for feedback.

Read all of "Microsoft Preps IE 8 For Beta"

Source(s): CNET News.com

Adobe Brings Web Apps to Desktop With AIR Software -- Monday, February 25, 2008

Adobe Systems is taking the commercial wraps off a new software development system that makes Web applications behave more like traditional desktop applications.

Read all of "Adobe Brings Web Apps to Desktop With AIR Software"

Source(s): The New York Times, Computerworld

FCC Hearing on Comcast Set for Monday -- Friday, February 22, 2008

The controversy over Comcast's decision to restrict BitTorrent traffic will be argued in public on Monday, at an FCC hearing to be held in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Read all of "FCC Hearing on Comcast Set for Monday"

Source(s): WebProNews, CNET News

Microsoft to Share Technology Secrets -- Friday, February 22, 2008

In an attempt to address the concerns of antitrust regulators in the European Union, Microsoft announced that it will publish information about its technology that will make it easier for other vendors to build products that interoperate with Microsoft's.

Read all of "Microsoft to Share Technology Secrets"

Source(s): Associated Press via SiliconValley.com and Wired News, Yahoo News

T-Mobile Launches VoIP Service -- Friday, February 22, 2008

T-Mobile wireless subscribers who have broadband at home could soon switch to the carrier for landline service as well.

Read all of "T-Mobile Launches VoIP Service"

Source(s): VoIP-News, E-Commerce News

EMC Targets Cloud Computing With Pi Buy -- Friday, February 22, 2008

Storage giant EMC has agreed to acquire Seattle-based startup Pi, which develops software and services that help users manage and share their personal data.

Read all of "EMC Targets Cloud Computing With Pi Buy"

Source(s): InfoWorld, ChannelWeb

Yahoo Commits Microsoft's Money to Severance Packages -- Thursday, February 21, 2008

Yahoo has set up a sweet severance package for any full-time employee who happens to be terminated without cause or who choose to leave for "good reason" after a "change in control of the company."

Read all of "Yahoo Commits Microsoft's Money to Severance Packages"

Source(s): All Things Digital, InternetNews.com

Vista SP1 Will Break Some Software -- Thursday, February 21, 2008

Microsoft has published a list of software that either won't launch or won't run on Vista with next month's Service Pack 1 installed.

Read all of "Vista SP1 Will Break Some Software"

Source(s): CNET News, PC Pro

Malware Goes Local: Report -- Thursday, February 21, 2008

Malware authors are drilling down their attacks to local markets, taking note of the types of applications users prefer -- and then targeting them.

Read all of "Malware Goes Local: Report"

Source(s): InformationWeek, PR Newswire

Microsoft Unveils New SMB Server Branding -- Thursday, February 21, 2008

Microsoft has packaged Windows Small Business Server 2008 with Windows Essential Business Server 2008 under the new Windows Essential Server Solutions umbrella.

Read all of "Microsoft Unveils New SMB Server Branding"

Source(s): Redmond Channel Partner

New Security Appliances from SonicWall -- Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Network security appliance vendor SonicWall has announced their new Network Security Appliance (NSA) Series of devices aimed at midsize businesses.

Read all of "New Security Appliances from SonicWall"

Source(s): ChannelWeb, Internetnews.com

Backpack Revamps With Group Features -- Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The latest update to Backpack includes multiuser accounts with intranet and shared calendar functions that may appeal to smaller businesses.

Read all of "Backpack Revamps With Group Features"

Source(s): 37 Signals' Backpack

Microsoft Pulls Vista Update -- Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Following complaints of endless reboots, Microsoft has stopped distributing an update designed to prep Windows Vista for Service Pack 1.

Read all of "Microsoft Pulls Vista Update"

Source(s): Computerworld

AT&T, T-Mobile Add Unlimited Call Plans -- Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Verizon owned Tuesday's spotlight for just a few hours: As expected, mobile phone carriers AT&T and T-Mobile have announced their own flat-rate plans for unlimited, domestic wireless calls.

Read all of "AT&T, T-Mobile Add Unlimited Call Plans"

Source(s): The Boston Globe

Microsoft Refuses to Raise Bid for Yahoo, Threatens Proxy Fight -- Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Microsoft has declined to raise $31/share offer to Yahoo and will instead authorize a proxy fight to replace Yahoo's board, reports the New York Times.

Read all of "Microsoft Refuses to Raise Bid for Yahoo, Threatens Proxy Fight"

Source(s): New York Times, ITWorld.com

Symantec Launches Online Storage and Backup Solutions -- Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Security and data protection provider Symantec announced two Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for small and midsize businesses, one aimed at online storage and one at online backup and disaster recovery.

Read all of "Symantec Launches Online Storage and Backup Solutions"

Source(s): The Register, CNN Money

Verizon Unveils Wireless Plan For Power Users -- Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Verizon hopes to appeal to power cell phone users with a flat monthly plan that includes unlimited calls made to users of other carriers.

Read all of "Verizon Unveils Wireless Plan For Power Users"

Source(s): E-Commerce Times

No Rest For the Security Weary: Report -- Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Cybercriminals are intensifying their attacks on legitimate Web sites, according to the "Trend Micro 2007 Threat Report and Forecast," released today.

Read all of "No Rest For the Security Weary: Report"

Source(s): PR Newswire

Amazon's Data Storage Service Goes Down, Leaving Businesses Stuck -- Friday, February 15, 2008

Amazon.com's Simple Storage Service (aka S3), the lifeline of many Web-oriented small businesses, was down for up to three hours this morning, leaving those businesses unable to operate.

Read all of "Amazon's Data Storage Service Goes Down, Leaving Businesses Stuck"

Source(s): Computerworld, CNET News

Oracle Expands Sales to SMBs -- Friday, February 15, 2008

Oracle has reported that its VAD Remarketer program and 1-Click Ordering system, launched together last July, have resulted in about 1,000 orders from small and midsize businesses, with an average order value of $5,000.

Read all of "Oracle Expands Sales to SMBs"

Source(s): ChannelWeb

A New Twist to Online Advertising -- Friday, February 15, 2008

A new twist to online advertising has been proving its mettle among BlueTie's SMB customers and has now caught the attention of Amazon.com, FTD and Research In Motion.

Read all of "A New Twist to Online Advertising"

Source(s): Computerworld

Musical Chairs Among Microsoft Execs -- Friday, February 15, 2008

Microsoft has promoted senior VPs Bill Veghte and Satya Nadella -- two of a dozen more promotions intended to help the company continue its online transformation.

Read all of "Musical Chairs Among Microsoft Execs"

Source(s): InformationWeek

Social Networking Coming to Mobile Phones, BlackBerrys -- Thursday, February 14, 2008

Research in Motion says the future of the BlackBerry is in social networking. Vodafone and Yahoo are on board.

Read all of "Social Networking Coming to Mobile Phones, BlackBerrys"

Source(s): SiliconRepublic, CNET News

Novell Acquires Collaboration Enabler SiteScape -- Thursday, February 14, 2008

Longtime networking and infrastructure software vendor Novell has picked up open-source collaboration vendor SiteScape to improve its unified communications and social networking reach.

Read all of "Novell Acquires Collaboration Enabler SiteScape"

Source(s): ChannelWeb

HP Adds Blade to Integrity Server Family -- Thursday, February 14, 2008

Hewlett-Packard has expanded its blade server line with a four-socket Itanium-based model.

Read all of "HP Adds Blade to Integrity Server Family"

Source(s): ChannelWeb

Samsung Intros Printer for SMBs -- Thursday, February 14, 2008

Samsung has introduced a workgroup color printer aimed at the SMB market.

Read all of "Samsung Intros Printer for SMBs"

Source(s): ChannelWeb

Pressure on Yahoo Increases -- Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Some of Yahoo's shareholders are making their desire for a union with Microsoft known, although they think getting a better deal would be nice too.

Read all of "Pressure on Yahoo Increases"

Source(s): Yahoo News, InformationWeek

Net Neutrality: Comcast Defends Itself, Congress Considers New Bill -- Wednesday, February 13, 2008

On Tuesday, Comcast explained to the FCC just what its peer-to-peer traffic management involves, while today Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Charles "Chip" Pickering (R-Miss.) introduced their Internet Freedom Preservation Act in Congress.

Read all of "Net Neutrality: Comcast Defends Itself, Congress Considers New Bill"

Source(s): CNET News, CNET News

What Caused BlackBerry's Three-Hour Hiccup -- Wednesday, February 13, 2008

A system upgrade is to blame for Monday's BlackBerry outage, which for three hours rendered users without access to e-mail and other data services.

Read all of "What Caused BlackBerry's Three-Hour Hiccup"

Source(s): InformationWeek, CNET News.com

Mozilla Releases Firefox 3 Beta 3 For Testing -- Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Open-source browser Firefox 3 is one step closer to completion, with Mozilla placing the third beta in the hands of Web developers and testers.

Read all of "Mozilla Releases Firefox 3 Beta 3 For Testing"

Source(s): PC Magazine

Prepare for Mobile Spam Onslaught, Cloudmark Warns -- Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Messaging security company Cloudmark presented the results of research into worldwide mobile abuse trends. Bottom line: more spam, more phishing, more viruses.

Read all of "Prepare for Mobile Spam Onslaught, Cloudmark Warns"

Source(s): Marketwire

Microsoft, Dell Add E-Mail Solutions -- Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Microsoft has teamed with Cbeyond to launch a hosted e-mail service aimed at small and midsize businesses, while Dell will add MessageOne to its suite of software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings.

Read all of "Microsoft, Dell Add E-Mail Solutions"

Source(s): InformationWeek, ChannelWeb

Akorri Rolls Out Virtual Storage Management Software -- Tuesday, February 12, 2008

New software that monitors virtual environments offers a cost-effective option for smaller companies that manage as little as 5 TB of storage.

Read all of "Akorri Rolls Out Virtual Storage Management Software"

Source(s): Enterprise Storage Forum

BlackBerry Outage: All's Well That Ends Well? -- Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Despite Monday's three-hour service failure, no BlackBerry messages were lost, according to Research In Motion (RIM).

Read all of "BlackBerry Outage: All's Well That Ends Well?"

Source(s): Computerworld, InformationWeek

Verizon Won't Slow P2P Service "at the Current Time" -- Monday, February 11, 2008

Verizon Communications says it does not need to manage peer-to-peer traffic because it has "more robust" networks than cable operators, but that it can't promise it won't need to in the future.

Read all of "Verizon Won't Slow P2P Service "at the Current Time""

Source(s): CNET News

New Moves in Mobile OS Wars: Android, Linux, and Microsoft -- Monday, February 11, 2008

Several new developments in mobile phone operating systems give a boost to open phone systems without doing much to clarify future market directions.

Read all of "New Moves in Mobile OS Wars: Android, Linux, and Microsoft"

Source(s): InformationWeek, CNET News, CNET News

Is Yahoo Considering AOL Courtship? -- Monday, February 11, 2008

Yahoo is said to be ready to revive merger talks with AOL to protect itself against Microsoft's clenches.

Read all of "Is Yahoo Considering AOL Courtship?"

Source(s): Times of London

Forrester Lowers IT Spending Forecast Again -- Monday, February 11, 2008

The weakening economy has prompted Forrester Research to lower its expectations for U.S. and global IT spending for the second time since October.

Read all of "Forrester Lowers IT Spending Forecast Again"

Source(s): Computerworld,The Wall Street Journal

Yahoo! Rejects Microsoft Takeover Bid -- Saturday, February 9, 2008

Yahoo's board will reportedly reject Microsoft's $44.6B takeover offer. The board met Friday, and reportedly decided it requires more money to give up its independence.

Read all of "Yahoo! Rejects Microsoft Takeover Bid"

Source(s): The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Yahoo

Sellers Alarmed by eBay Plan to Hold PayPal Funds -- Friday, February 8, 2008

eBay's plans to withhold PayPal payments for up to 21 days in what it determines to be "high-risk" transactions has sellers up in arms.

Read all of "Sellers Alarmed by eBay Plan to Hold PayPal Funds"

Source(s):  Fortune Small Business

Google, IBM, Microsoft Sign On to Open ID -- Friday, February 8, 2008

The Open ID Foundation Board has gained five influential new members in Google, IBM, Microsoft, VeriSign, and Yahoo. The companies' participation should help spur the adoption of a single-sign-on service for the Web.

Read all of "Google, IBM, Microsoft Sign On to Open ID"

Source(s): BBC News, InformationWeek

Senate OKs Economic Stimulus Package -- Friday, February 8, 2008

The Senate has approved an economic stimulus package that doubles the amount small businesses can expense in equipment and property.

Read all of "Senate OKs Economic Stimulus Package"

Source(s): Inc.

Redmond Readies Critical Security Patches -- Friday, February 8, 2008

Prepare for plenty of restarts: Microsoft's February patch release, coming next Tuesday, is expected to include seven critical and five important security fixes.

Read all of "Redmond Readies Critical Security Patches"

Source(s): Redmond Channel Partner

Google Releases Collaboration-Oriented Version of Online Apps -- Thursday, February 7, 2008

A new Team Edition of Google Apps enables workers to set up collaborative work environments without involving the IT department.

Read all of "Google Releases Collaboration-Oriented Version of Online Apps"

Source(s): The New York Times, InformationWeek, SiliconValley.com

Business Travelers Face Scrutiny of Cell Phone, Laptop Data -- Thursday, February 7, 2008

International travelers have had to provide U.S. Customs agents with their passwords and the data on their cell phones and laptops in the name of border security. Two civil liberties groups are filing suit to force the government to disclose its policies.

Read all of "Business Travelers Face Scrutiny of Cell Phone, Laptop Data"

Source(s): The Washington Post

Microsoft Should Keep Yahoo Brand: IDC -- Thursday, February 7, 2008

Plenty of synergies exist should Microsoft's bid for Yahoo go through, but one thing the Redmond giant should not do is drop the Yahoo name, according to a report by research firm IDC.

Read all of "Microsoft Should Keep Yahoo Brand: IDC"

Source(s): InternetNews.com

Dell Simplifies Support for Small Business -- Thursday, February 7, 2008

Dell is customizing its approach to tech support based on IT savviness for its complete line of laptop, desktop, server and storage products.

Read all of "Dell Simplifies Support for Small Business"

Source(s): Small Business Computing

SMB SANs from HP Suitable for Virtualization -- Wednesday, February 6, 2008

HP has replaced its low-end storage area network (SAN) models with two new models designed for small and midsize businesses, offering both high speed and enhanced virtualization capabilities.

Read all of "SMB SANs from HP Suitable for Virtualization"

Source(s): The Register, FoxBusiness

AT&T To Expand 3G Network Cross-Country -- Wednesday, February 6, 2008

In its latest move to attract more mobile customers, AT&T has announced plans to build out its 3G wireless network to more than 80 additional cities across the United States.

Read all of "AT&T To Expand 3G Network Cross-Country"

Source(s): PR Newswire

Poor Mobile Voice Quality? Don't Blame Your Carrier -- Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Nearly 40 percent of 630 million mobile calls made last year didn't meet the industry's minimum standard for voice quality, according to a worldwide study from Ditech Networks.

Read all of "Poor Mobile Voice Quality? Don't Blame Your Carrier"

Source(s): Computerworld

Remote Workers Becoming Less Security-Conscious -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008

According to a study released today by Cisco Systems, remote users are engaging in more insecure behavior than they did the previous year.

Read all of "Remote Workers Becoming Less Security-Conscious"

Source(s): DarkReading

Faster, Cheaper Mobile Memory on the Horizon -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Two new advances in solid-state memory technology should result in faster and higher-capacity memory for mobile devices, without a corresponding increase in price.

Read all of "Faster, Cheaper Mobile Memory on the Horizon"

Source(s): Technology Review, IntoMobile

Google Bolsters E-mail Security -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008

On the heels of Micrsoft's bid for Yahoo, Google today rolled out new e-mail security, encryption and archiving services for corporate e-mail users of all sizes.

Read all of "Google Bolsters E-mail Security"

Source(s): InformationWeek

Apple's Mac Ripe for Attack: Study -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Hackers are increasingly targeting Apple's Macintosh computer with the same financially motivated schemes as they do PCs, concludes a new security report from IT security and control firm Sophos.

Read all of "Apple's Mac Ripe for Attack: Study"

Source(s): MacNewsWorld, ChannelWeb

Vista SP1, Windows Server 2008 Ready to Go -- Monday, February 4, 2008

Microsoft has released the first major update to its Vista operating system to manufacturing, as well as the Windows Server 2008 platform.

Read all of "Vista SP1, Windows Server 2008 Ready to Go"

Source(s): Information Week, Information Week

Google, Others May Come to Yahoo's Rescue -- Monday, February 4, 2008

Sources claim that Google has offered to ride to Yahoo's assistance in rebuffing Microsoft's takeover bid.

Read all of "Google, Others May Come to Yahoo's Rescue"

Source(s): Wall Street Journal, Reuters

Intel Intros Silverthorne Ultramobile Chip -- Monday, February 4, 2008

Intel is revealing its plans for a low-power X86 chip designed for ultramobile PCs and mobile Internet devices.

Read all of "Intel Intros Silverthorne Ultramobile Chip"

Source(s): EETimes, Computerworld