Microsoft is in discussions to acquire the online auctioneer gaint eBay. According to multiple sources close to the matter, Microsoft has considered buying eBay and merging it with its MSN portal the deal that would give MSN and eBay to better take on Google.

Sources indicate that the talks, while still active, have cooled somewhat in the last two weeks as executives considered antitrust issues.

It is still unclear what the full impact of advertising and search alliance between Yahoo! and eBay will be for talks between MSN and eBay.

This deal was considered important for MSN, as it would have resulted in AOL switching from Google's search technology to MSN's technology. MSN is focused on expanding its search engine, which lags behind Google and Yahoo! Google eventually inked a deal with AOL, which included a broad online advertising partnership and an extension of the lucrative search deal.

Related: yahoo and ebay move against google

Source: Microsoft to acquire eBay


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

European Union lawmakers are investigating a proposed tax on emails and mobile phone text messages as a way to fund the 25-member bloc in the future.

A European Parliament working group is reviewing the idea, tabled by Alain Lamassoure, a prominent French MEP and member of the center-right European People's Party, the assembly's largest group.

Lamassoure, a member of Jacques Chirac's UMP party, is proposing to add a tax of about 1.5 cents on text or SMS messages and a 0.00001 cent levy on every e-mail sent.

"This is peanuts, but given the billions of transactions every day, this could still raise an immense income," he said.

Source: EU to tax email text messages


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

With the release of Windows Vista Beta 2, I want to announce that we will be naming the version of IE7 in Windows Vista “Internet Explorer 7+”. While all versions of IE7 are built from the same code base, there are some important differences in IE7+, most significantly the addition of Windows Vista-only features like Protected Mode, Parental Controls, and improved Network Diagnostics. These features take advantage of big changes in Windows Vista and weren’t practical to bring downlevel. The IE7+ naming gives us an easy way to refer to this version.

These differences shouldn’t affect most web developers, but if you need to know specifically, you can refer to the OS field of the User-Agent string. As Eric noted previously, the User-Agent strings will have the info you need:

IE7+ running on Windows Vista: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0)
IE7 running on Windows XP: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1)



Beta 2 is available now for developers and IT professionals who subscribe to MSDN or TechNet, as well as members of the Technology Adoption Program (TAP) and the TechBeta program. In the coming weeks, we’ll start the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP) for developers and IT professionals who aren’t part of one of those programs so they can get the code and begin their own testing. We’ll open up the CPP to a broader group of technology enthusiasts who’ll get a build of the OS to begin testing the various consumer scenarios Windows Vista enables.

Source: Microsoft Announces IE7+ for Vista


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

Microsoft will not release its next generation graphics application programming interface(API) called DirectX 10 for the currently shipping Windows XP, it instead will release for the forthcoming Windows Vista.

During a DirectX 10 related event in London, UK, Richard Huddy of ATI Technology software developers relations chief, said that Microsoft Vista will integrate DirectX 10 and DirectX 9 APIs for different types of hardware, but the current Windows XP will not get DirectX 10 support, as suggested some rumours earlier. For end users this means that to get the most advantages of the new generation graphics processing technology, they need to wait the release of vista.

Both ATI Technologies and Nvidia planned to release hardware that supports DirectX 10 capabilities as early as in the second half 2006, however, if there will be no API, which unveils the features of the hardware, the companies may reconsider their plans.



Related: Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

Microsoft Windows Vista is expected in early 2007.


Source: Microsoft Not to Release DirectX 10


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

Microsoft envisions Windows Media Photo as the replacement for JPEGs

Microsoft has been talking up its new Windows Media Photo image format to take the place of the JPEG image. Windows Media Photo imaging will be natively supported by Microsoft's upcoming Windows Vista and will be back compatible to Windows XP.

Most digital cameras in todays world have the ability to output images in JPEG format, so Microsoft has been in talks with all the major digital camera manufacturers and industry leaders to make them use its Windows Media Photo. Microsoft program manager for Windows Media Photo Bill Crow explains that Windows Media Photo can offer better image quality at twice the 6:1 compression commonly used in today's digital cameras, "We can do it in half the size of a JPEG file."


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

Yahoo and eBay are joining forces in an alliance that appears aimed at thwarting the recent expansions of online search engine leader Google and Microsoft.

Under this partnership yahoo and ebay will draw upon each other's strengths in online advertising, payments and communications so they can connect with even more Web surfers than they already do.

Yahoo will become the exclusive provider of graphical advertising throughout eBay's Web site and will provide some search-generated ads, as well. Yahoo's brand and search engine will also be blended into an eBay toolbar that has been downloaded by 4 million users so far.

Ebay's PayPal service will become the preferred payment provider for purchases made on Yahoo's site, which provides a wide array of shopping, auctions and subscription services.

The Skype service will be used to build another marketing vehicle that will allow advertisers to connect with prospective customers on the phone instead of through their Web sites.

Yahoo and eBay said they will begin testing some of their joint services later this year, but all the benefits are unlikely to be available until next year.


Source: Yahoo and eBay join hands
Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

A new Wi-Fi start-up called Wavion Networks came out of stealth mode Monday and said it has developed technology to solve many of the problems big cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco face when deploying citywide Wi-Fi.

San Jose, Calif.-based Wavion, which is backed by venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, says it has developed software and silicon that not only increase the transmission distance of a Wi-Fi signal, but also alleviate much of the signal loss so that fewer people need to deploy signal boosters.

"All the mesh Wi-Fi equipment makers use commodity chipsets developed for indoor use," said Alan Menezes, vice president of marketing and business development for Wavion. "People have stretched the current technology to use it outdoors, which is a tougher environment. We've developed something that provides the scalability necessary for true citywide deployments."

Source: Wavion technology to cure citywide Wi-Fi woes


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

United Online a leading provider of consumer Internet(NetZero) and media services, announced the upcoming June 1st launch of PrivatePhone. PrivatePhone is the first free Internet phone service to offer a free phone number and voicemail that doesn't require the use of a computer to sign up or check messages. You can choose a phone number from almost all area codes in the US. and use it instead of your home or mobile phone number as a way to screen calls. This new free service is made possible by the company's voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology.

Calls to PrivatePhone will be answered by a voicemail. These voicemail messages can be retrieved online at the NetZero VoiceMessage Center or through a regular telephone. In order to access it through a phone first dial your PrivatePhone number, and press the * key . Then enter your PIN at the prompt and listen to your voice messages.

PrivatePhone service is not as good as the AIM Phones as you cannot receive incoming phone call unless you upgrade to NetZero Voice 100 & NetZero Voice Unlimited.


Related: privatephone compared to AIM


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

GOOGLE this week is comingup with a new service that will place video commercials on many Web sites where it sells advertising.

The Video ads are similar to other image and text google Ad formats, Video Banner Ads can be either cost-per-click or cost-per-impression. The Video Ads looks similar to a Image Ads where the user clicks to view the video content of the ad. Looks like the ads will be in flash format. It requires macromedia flash player to view these video ads.

Google's announcement came a week after AOL said that it had acquired Lighteningcast, a company that sells video advertisements on about 150 sites, including Space.com and Nascar.com. Lighteningcast will be merged with AOL's own Advertising.com unit, which mainly sells banner advertisements on other sites but is also getting into sales of video advertising.

Source: Google video ads

Example: Google Video Ads


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

Apple and Nike has announced a partnership that will see the launch of "Nike-iPod" products. Apple said that the partnership is meant to take what people do naturally — like running and make it better.

"It matches naturally to a behavior that exists," Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPod marketing, told Playlist. "We’ve enabled people to have a much better running experience than ever before."

The first product to roll out of this partnership will be the Nike-iPod Sport Kit, a wireless system that allows Nike footwear to talk with iPod nano. The Sport Kit, stores information such as time, distance, calories burned and pace on to a iPod and then displayed on the screen in realtime. Also Audible feedback is also provided through headphones.

The sensor in the shoe recognizes the step, and it sends data to the iPod receiver, which stores the data. The information can then be synced to a computer, so runners can keep track of their progress.

The kit includes an in-shoe sensor and a receiver that attaches to the iPod. A new Nike Sport Music section on the iTunes Music Store and a new nikeplus.com personal service site are also available.

The Nike-iPod Sport Kit is expected to be available within 60 days for a suggested retail price of $29 through the Apple Store. The Nike-iPod Sport Kit requires a Nike+ shoe and an iPod nano.

Official Site: Nike-iPod Sport Kit

Source: Apple and Nike products

Related: tips to prolong ipod battery life






Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

Microsoft is introducing Microsoft FlexGo - an innovative technology that makes it easier for people with modest incomes in emerging markets to buy a full-featured PC for their families.

Microsoft FlexGo plan has users paying for their computer as they use it, with prepaid cards, similar to prepaid mobile phones.

Till now, people in emerging markets were faced with financial barriers to buy a PC due to its high cost in markets without widely available consumer credit and high fixed-monthly loan payments required to finance a PC. These obstacles have limited the number of households that could purchase a PC.

Now, with FlexGo, Microsoft is removing these barriers to PC ownership. Microsoft FlexGo makes it possible to lower the entry cost of PCs and let people pay for computers as they use them. This technology supports two models today: a pay-as-you-go model enabled by prepaid cards or a subscription model with monthly payments.

Reference: Microsoft FlexGo | FlexGo Benefits

Source: CNN | ZDNet





Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

Law #1: If a bad guy can persuade you to run his program on your computer, it's not your computer anymore

Law #2: If a bad guy can alter the operating system on your computer, it's not your computer anymore

Law #3: If a bad guy has unrestricted physical access to your computer, it's not your computer anymore

Law #4: If you allow a bad guy to upload programs to your website, it's not your website any more

Law #5: Weak passwords trump strong security

Law #6: A computer is only as secure as the administrator is trustworthy

Law #7: Encrypted data is only as secure as the decryption key

Law #8: An out of date virus scanner is only marginally better than no virus scanner at all

Law #9: Absolute anonymity isn't practical, in real life or on the Web

Law #10: Technology is not a panacea


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

Goldvish has has comeup with a cellphone that costs a cool million dollars.
The elegant lines and beautiful presence of this unique cell phone are underlined by the tasteful use of numerous diamonds and top grain croco or stingray leathers for the backside. And it doesn't matter if you prefer rose, yellow or white 18 crt gold. Platinum is of course an option. And the GoldVish is a true golden phone, because of the solid golden casing. No less than 140 gram of solid gold is used to assemble each GoldVish. The buttons and other details of this remarkable phone are finished with VVS1 top-quality diamonds, of course all with official certificates.

With the introduction of this remarkable cell phone, the Geneva based GoldVish company firmly establishes its position as leading in the exclusive segment of luxury personal communication.




source: CNET


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate:

French researchers succeeded in controlling roaches with their tiny mobile robots. This tiny robot is just little larger than a thumbnail, the cubic insect-like robots are called as "insbots" are fitted with two motors, wheels, a rechargeable battery, several computer processors, a light-sensing camera and an array of infrared proximity sensors.

When dropped into a small experimental area with a maze of curved walls, the robots, build by the project partner from the EPFL (Lausanne), move, turn and stop. They can navigate their way safely by avoiding the walls, obstacles or each other, follow the walls, congregate around a lamp beam or even line up. When placed in the same area with cockroaches, the robots quickly adapt their behaviour by mimicking the animals’ movements. Coated with pheromones taken from roaches, the infiltrator robots even fool the insects into thinking they are real creatures.

The roach pheromones – a blend of molecules developed by the project partner from the Université de Rennes I, France – enable various forms of communication, including recognition and attraction. For example, when a roach detects another roach, it may approach it, move away or stop. Cockroaches were chosen here because their pheromones are easier to manipulate than those found on other gregarious insects, such as ants.


Send to a friend | Permalink | Del.icio.us | Go To Top
Translate: