Business

Millions of people use free online software programs that deliver news, email and a host of other services on a daily basis. While these programs make information and communication easier than ever before, they are still limited in their use to only ... when the individual is online. (Source: techmeme.com ) That's all about to change! In an effort to test the limitations of the Internet once again, Google is attempting to make many free online applications, like their popular G-mail and spreadsheet programs, available offline for users who experience trouble connecting to the Internet. (Source: ... (view more)

Ever heard of Google Street View? The new service is raising eyebrows within the online community and elsewhere, as it threatens worldwide privacy. For example, while searching for her home, Ms. Kalin-Casey was able to see her cat in the living-room ... window of her second-floor apartment building. Kalin-Casey ultimately wants to know "where you draw the line between taking public photos and zooming in on people's lives." (Source: net-security.org ) Discussion about the confidentiality issues of Street View has been all over the web since Kalin-Casey recently voiced her concerns in an email to ... (view more)

The launch of Windows Vista earlier this year may have helped fuel Mac sales according to research conducted by Gartner Research. Mac sales were up 35 percent in the first quarter compared to a year ago. Comparatively, PC sales were up by 9 percent. ... (Source: Kansascity.com ) A lot of technology companies appear to have expectations that computer sales would get a bigger boost with the release of Vista, which requires a lot more computing power than earlier versions of Windows. That expectation may be leaving tech companies with higher inventories and more production capacity than necessary. ... (view more)

In a recent commentary on Apple's upcoming and highly anticipated iPhone, British publication "The Register" outlined a number of reasons why the device is unlikely to fulfill Steve Jobs' lofty sales expectations for its first full year. The Apple ... CEO hopes his new baby will be grabbed up some ten million times in 2008, a prediction The Register counters with a number of critical factors making much lower sales figures far more reasonable. Although The Register provides some solid evidence, it really needs just one, central dynamic in its list: the iPhone's cost. Jobs hasn't used complicated ... (view more)

Although it seems as if everyone was wrong about the Microsoft purchase of Yahoo, there have been a few other notable acquisitions online in the last few weeks. First, there was Google's incorporation of advertising firm DoubleClick, a move that ... should consolidate the big G's hegemonic presence on the web. Now, there's word that major television broadcaster CBS has soaked up Last.fm, a hugely popular Internet radio project. So, what is Last.fm? We all know CBS for its Dan Rathers, corny holiday made-for-TV movies, and CSI crime-o-ramas, but many web users may still be unfamiliar with Last.fm ... (view more)

For those passionate about their computer hardware, sometimes the argument between purchasing an Apple Macintosh or a Windows PC is a heated debate. Followers of the "Mac" spout a long list of reliability and security factors, while owners of PC ... machines espouse an equally long list of compatible software. With such a rivalry, it's not surprising that the heads of each company are often bickering about who creates the superior product: emotions that have awkwardly moved from one side of the spectrum to the next in recent days. On the one hand, online publication AppleInsider has painted a ... (view more)

Some may wonder what former U.S. president, Bill Clinton, is doing for the world at the present time. The answer: saving the environment. The Clinton Foundation is known worldwide for its goals to supply health care, and to create economic growth; ... however, its most recent project tackles global warming. Clinton's foundation has teamed up with software giant, Microsoft, to develop software and services that can be used universally to monitor carbon emissions. Additionally, cities around the world will be able to communicate ideas about environmental protection. As an added bonus, the ... (view more)

If you're looking to purchase a new computer that comes with Vista and are planning on downgrading back to Windows XP, heed these words of caution: it ain't easy. Many system integrators have been frustrated over the time-consuming process of ... downgrading from Vista to XP. In order to do so, users need to phone a special telephone number and obtain a unique key. (Source: theinquirer.net ) As one system builder noted, this can be a huge problem for large organizations. "... the activation has to be done manually. What if you are a customer with a 100 desktops? You'll have to manually key ... (view more)

A few weeks ago, the rumored acquisition of Yahoo by software behemoth Microsoft appeared to be a done deal. There was some motive for it, as the pair lagged behind hegemonic web power Google in both search and advertising functionality. And with ... the latter acquiring major ad agency DoubleClick a few months ago, the impetus appeared to be on Microsoft to match such a move. Despite the sense it seemed to make at the outset of May, it's now looking more and more as if Microsoft is no longer interested in the Yahoo deal. (Source: Infopackets.com ) So, what's changed in recent weeks? Most notably ... (view more)

Google has vehemently denied allegations that the company has entered into secret deals with UK news companies for the rights to use the companies' material on Google News. The allegations were sparked from an article published in Scotland's Sunday ... Herald newspaper. The article claimed that Google had made arrangements with several large news groups in the UK over how Google would carry their content on Google News. The article further asserted that "the deals are reputedly being kept strictly secret for fear that Google will end up having to pay for similar licenses with all of the 4500 news ... (view more)