Business

Nokia, the world's top mobile phone maker, is poised to release a netbook running a stripped-down version of Microsoft's upcoming Windows 7 operating system. But, is a netbook a wise decision for Nokia? Nokia's profit margins have dropped over the ... last few quarters and some analysts are worried that entering the PC industry could hurt Nokia's profits even further. Fresh Perspective Offering Continuous Connectivity Nokia views their entry into the PC industry as an opportunity to bring fresh perspective to the PC world. The company, known best for its work in the cellphone universe, has ... (view more)

PC makers Dell and Hewlett-Packard, some of the world's largest manufacturers of computers and their accessories, have announced their support for Microsoft's bid to overturn a recent injunction preventing the Redmond-based technology giant from ... selling its popular MS Word software in its current form. Back on August 12, a Texas federal judge ordered Microsoft to stop the resale of Word because of XML patent conflicts with a small, Canadian company. The order accompanied a gargantuan series of fines totaling $290 million, but the real financial threat for Microsoft -- and its major customers ... (view more)

One of Microsoft's latest online advertisement has been called racist in nature, though some argue it's just plain bad photo editing. Whatever the issue, two different versions of the same still-pictured ad were seen on a number of Microsoft web ... sites, including those of foreign affiliates. Black Male Model Swapped for White The advertisement in question depicts a panel of three individuals seated in a boardroom setting at a table. The first seated is a an Asian male; the second, a black male seated behind an open laptop computer; the third, a white female. The problem? The second version of ... (view more)

A campaign group known as The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has accused Microsoft and its upcoming Windows 7 operating system of seven sins against freedom. The freedom in this case does not pertain to whether or not companies charge for their ... software, but rather the way it affects the user's rights to control their software. The group has written an open letter and sent it to CEOs of 499 of the leading 500 corporations asking them to consider carefully whether or not to upgrade to Windows 7. Of course, the FSF didn't think it was worth sending the copy to Microsoft, though oddly enough, a ... (view more)

After making strides to revamp their search functions in order to better compete with Google and Bing, Yahoo has gone on public record to describe their current deal with Microsoft as "purely business." It's an effort by the company to show the ... public that it is not (yet) merely a 'subject' of the Redmond-based software giant's spreading kingdom. Yahoo plans to "put a new face" on Yahoo Messenger and Mail, while adding even more functions to its search engine. This doesn't mean that Yahoo will not rely on Microsoft to power their search queries. Yahoo only wishes to clarify that, as one ... (view more)

As the release of Windows 7 fast approaches, much of the tech industry has been neatly distracted by Microsoft's patent dispute with Canadian company i4i. The Redmond-based firm isn't about to lay down and accept a recent judgment barring its resale ... of its popular Word software -- instead, it's readying for a late September hearing it hopes will change its fortunes. Problems began for Microsoft two weeks ago now when a Texas federal judge ordered Microsoft to stop selling its Word software so long as it included XML functions whose patent is owned by Toronto company i4i. Tech Industry Faces ' ... (view more)

Hackers have launched a new wave of malware attacks against critics of Barack Obama, duping users into a supposed cyber "protest" against the policies of the US President. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. The message has been cited ... as a mere ploy to get users to install malware on their machines. (Source: sfgate.com ) So why are so many falling for it? Read on. A Hot Political Issue Few people can argue that Obama's rise to the Presidency was a historic feat. However, it is often forgotten that while the majority of democratic voters chose Obama, hundreds of ... (view more)

An anonymous blogger whose identity was revealed by Google says she will sue the firm for $1.5 million. But Google, which only revealed her name after a court order, says it was following both the law and its own user policies. The uproar began ... after former model Liskula Cohen complained to Google about a site using its Blogger service. The "Skanks of NYC" blog contained unflattering pictures of her and the words "I would have to say that first place award for 'Skankiest in NYC' would have to go to Liskula Gentile Cohen." Cohen said she wanted to pursue legal action against the writer but ... (view more)

If you were planning to download the release candidate of Windows 7, you're too late. But there are still ways to try the system for four times longer than the standard 30-day trial period. Microsoft has, as scheduled, removed the release candidate ... of Windows 7 from its download sites. That edition, which had been available since May, marked the penultimate stage in the new operating system's development process. Those people who downloaded it will be able to continue to use the prenatal OS until March 2010, when it automatically and officially expires. (Source: pcworld.com ) If you want to ... (view more)

It seems all that press and some tasty "cashback" rewards have helped Bing, Microsoft's new search engine, gain more momentum in its race against industry rival Google. According to reports, Bing made more noise last month while its competitors took ... slight nose dives in popularity. Reporting on Bing's success is analyst firm comScore, which recently released figures revealing Microsoft's impressive climb in the search engine rankings. Back in late May, when Microsoft first released Bing, the Redmond-based company (known better for its operating systems and browser) held an 8 per cent market ... (view more)