Business

Hewlett-Packard (HP) is offering the first affordable PCs with English and Spanish versions of Microsoft Windows Vista Basic and Home Premium to Spanish-speaking consumers and small businesses. "With this expansion of our PC portfolio, we are ... delivering products our Hispanic customers have told us matter most to them," said Mark Sanchez, vice president and general manager, Consumer Computing -- North America, HP. "This community is the fastest growing segment in the United States, and HP is committed to providing them with ready access to technology to work, play and connect with others." Two ... (view more)

After enjoying the top spot for a little over a year, Microsoft must now get used to being referred to as the former number one powerhouse in the list of the most affluent global brands of 2007. According to an internationally-published brand ... ranking system, Google bested the popular Microsoft Corp. by a unanimous decision. While not affecting the financial success of the company, the news must still be a little devastating to Microsoft, especially after a year in which the company had launched their highly anticipated operating system, Windows Vista. This is only the second year in a row ... (view more)

Recently, Google announced the launch of a new feature for its web users: Web History. The new project offers Google account users the opportunity to access their Web surfing history. A posting on the Official Google Blog touted the new feature as ... making it easy for Google users to "view and search across the pages ... visited. If you remember seeing something online, you'll be able to find it faster and from any computer with Web History. Web History lets you look back in time, revisit the sites you've browsed, and search over the full text of pages you've seen. It's your slice of the web, ... (view more)

Google has removed the sponsored links that had been manipulated to divert users into installing malicious software. By clicking on the link, users would eventually go to a legitimate site, but would first be diverted to another site that attempted ... a "drive-by installation" of password stealing software. (Source: news.com ) "Google identified and canceled AdWords accounts displaying ads that re-directed users to malicious sites," a Google representative wrote on the corporate blog. (Source: news.com ) The culprits engineered the debacle by taking advantage of a unique characteristic of Google ... (view more)

Have you ever heard of Marratech? Most people in the company's home base of Sweden probably haven't either. But Google has. The search engine giant has just purchased the rights to Marratech's video-conferencing software. Google has acquired just ... the technology itself -- not the entire company. (Source: googleblog.blogspot.com ) For now, the program will just be used internally by Google. That news is sure to disappoint tech-heads looking forward to trying the technology out. However, there may be a glimmer of hope: Marratech's program may eventually be integrated into Google services such as ... (view more)

Mozilla, the organization behind the popular Firefox Web browser, launched a new version of its free to download Thunderbird 2 email program, challenging Microsoft's Outlook email program. Scott MacGregor, Lead Engineer for Thunderbird at the ... Mozilla Foundation noted in a written statement that the program "has powerful new features and proven security, delivering an improved email experience to users worldwide." (Source: cbc.ca ) The Mozilla Project, which began in 1998, is dedicated to promoting Web innovation and developing open source Internet client software. Like the organization's ... (view more)

We've known for some time that the future of industry and technological development lay in Asia, especially within the massive (and still growing) populations of India and China. Now, head of Microsoft and famed billionaire Bill Gates is weighing in ... on the issue, recently telling the media that it's his own research centers in the region that he believes will lead the growth of the globe's tech infrastructure. He's proving it by doing as any businessman should, in good times -- by doubling Microsoft's workforce in Beijing and Shanghai. (Source: washingtonpost.com ) Speaking in front of an ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced its plans to offer its Office software to developing countries. The cost? Only $3. The new plan contrasts the OLPC effort, which aims to equip classrooms in developing countries with an entirely new platform. Rather than ... offering any hardware, Microsoft is expected to rely on the upcoming Intel Classmate PC to run its software. Microsoft is offering Windows XP Started Edition, Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Editions, and various other educational programs. (Source: dailytech.com ) Microsoft has dubbed this effort "Unlimited Potential," a title which reflects ... (view more)

While the iPod is unquestionably the most popular portable device currently on the market, sometimes users want to cast their headsets aside and allow those around them to share in their taste of music. A number of manufacturers offer complimentary ... devices that allow music from an iPod to be played through a living room sound system. The quality of the music is dependent on the ability of the accompanying device to clearly amplify the tunes. In an effort to capitalize on the ever-increasing desire for clearer music, manufacturers are now selling docking stations for iPods and MP3 players with ... (view more)

Dell has announced that it will begin offering Windows XP on some of their consumer systems due to significant customer demand. The company said many customers have been asking for XP as part of the Dell IdeaStorm project, which asks customers to ... help the company come up with product ideas. "We heard you loud and clear on bringing the Windows XP option back to our Dell consumer PC offerings," Dell said on its Ideas in Action page. Users vote on various suggestions. Bringing Windows XP back received over 10,000 votes. Interestingly, adding Linux received over 123,000 votes. Starting ... (view more)