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Latest by Geoff Duncan

Mac OS X Safari Browser Exploit Discovered

A potentially critical security flaw has been found in Mac OS X's Safari Web browser which could enable an attacker to run arbitrary Unix shell scripts.

EarthLink to Offer Dish, DirecTV Bundles

EarthLink announced today it plans to bundle DirecTV and Dish Network satellite TV services with Internet offerings in selected U.S. markets.

Google Formally Refuses DOJ Data Demand

Google has officially rejected a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice for data on Web searches, arguing it violates user privacy and its own trade secrets.

Playstation 3 Launch Up to a Year Away?

Sony says it is still launching the Playstation 3 this spring in the first part of 2006, but Merrill Lynch has thrown some cold water on the fire.

Windows Vista: Maybe Eight is Enough?

Microsoft has unveiled it plans to ship eight different editions of its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system later this year. Which will you choose?

World Series of Video Games Offers $1 Mln

Games Media Properties is launching a six-event "World Series of Video Games" starting this June with $1 million in prizes for PC and Xbox gaming.

Lawmakers Propose Online Gambling Ban

Two Virginia congressmen have proposed banning online gambling in the United States, complete with penalties of up to five years in prison.

Sony Rootkit Fiasco Prompts Federal Warning

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned software distributors they may be regulated if they sell products using rootkit-like technologies.

China Defends Internet Policing

A Chinese Internet Affairs bureau chief tells the BBC China's Internet regulations are "fully in line" with the rest of the world.

Thirty Pct of Internet Users Online for Fun

A new survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project finds on any given day thirty percent of Internet users are online just for fun, rather than to check email, read news,

Lawmakers Grill Internet Firms over China

Members of Congress take Google, Microsoft, Cisco, and Yahoo to task over alleged complicity in Chinese censorship, repression, and human rights abuses.

Fox Launches Daily Online ‘Reality Remix’

Rather than jumping on the iTunes bandwagon, Fox Reality has launched the first reality Web site to sport streaming video of a daily television show: too bad it's "Reality Remix."

Skype for PocketPC 2.0 Available

Skype has released Skype for PocketPC 2.0, improving voice quality and expanding Skype access to devices running Windows Mobile 5.0.

Apple Ships MacBook Pros Early, Faster

Apple's Valentine's Day surprise: the company will ship its MacBook Pro Intel-based notebook computers ahead of schedule and faster than advertised.

Cingular to Offer Global High-Speed Roaming

Cingular plans to be the first U.S. mobile operator to offer high-speed global roaming using the world's first five-band cellular device.

Blizzard Apologizes for Anti-Gay Warning

Blizzard Entertainment has apologized for threatening to expel a player for promoting a gay-friendly in-game guild.

Motorola To Do Windows Media Phones

Motorola announced today that it has signed a deal with Microsoft to use Windows Media technology in forthcoming music phones, but it's not giving up iTunes.

Nokia Launches New Handsets, UMA Net Calls

Nokia took the wraps off three new mobile handsets today, including the Nokia 6136 which will feature wireless UMA Internet calling capabilities.

Sony Outlines Its Blu-Ray Disc Pricing

Sony's outlined initial pricing for movies in its forthcoming Blu-Ray disk format, and guess what? They're 15 to 20 percent more than standard DVDs.

Nintendo to Expand DS Networking

Nintendo has announced new features and promotions for its wireless Nintendo DS handhelds, including a lighter version of the Nintendo DS for Japan.

Yahoo Implicated in 2nd Chinese Arrest

Yahoo stands accused of providing the Chinese government with evidence which lead to the arrest of a second Chinese Internet writer.

EU Moves Towards Microsoft Antitrust Fines

The European Commission has refused to review documents Microsoft says are essential to its defense against antitrust charges.

Wikipedia Faces Congressional Vandalism

Volunteer-run online reference Wikipedia encourages users to edit and enhance articles: unsurprisingly, politicos are whitewashing their records and vandalizing others.

Gateway CEO Inouye Steps Down

Gateway's CEO Wayne Inouye has stepped down in favor of president Rick Snyder as the company looks toward long-term growth.

RIM Details BlackBerry Patent Workaround

Research in Motion has announced BlackBerry Multi-Mode Edition, its plan to keep BlackBerry wireless service running in the U.S. even if it loses a patent dispute with NTP.

Content, Bandwidth Co.’s Debate Neutrality

Washington D.C. lawmakers got to see Internet network operators and content providers clash over the idea of network providers playing favorites with preferred partners.

Microsoft Ponders Rebranding MSN?

The rumor mill is in full churn: Microsoft is apparently considering emphasizing its role as a digital content provider by rebranding MSN as "MSN Media Network."

Skype, Intel Collaboration Bearing Fruit

Skype and Intel's collaboration on online communications tools has borne its first fruit: 10-way IP conference calling.

NBC Universal Signs with Net TV Firm Aeon

NBC Universal has signed a licensing agreement with Internet TV set-top box maker Aeon Digital for on-demand movies and television events.

Spyware Declined During 2005?

A University of Washington study crawled the Web looking for spyware: while it found quite a bit, the numbers actually went down between May and October 2005.

Yahoo Cranks Up its Music Engine

A new version of Yahoo's Music Engine offers easy playlist creation and more personalized music features.

IDG Adds Streaming Video to Games.net

IDG Entertainment is targeting hardcore gamers with original streaming video programming on Games.net.

Online Retail to Reach $144 Bln by 2010?

JupiterResearch is forecasting that online retail spending will reach $144 billion by 2010, increasing by $14 billion in 2006 alone.

Spanish Wi-Fi Co. Backed by Google, Skype

Madrid-based Fon Technology has won financial backing from Google and Skype for its peer-to-peer approach to providing Wi-Fi Internet access.

Jupiter: Spam Declining, Email Marketing Up

JupiterResearch predicts spam received by Internet users will decline 13 percent per year through 2010, while spending for email marketing will increase almost 25 percent.

Date Set for Digital TV Transition

Congress has approved - and President Bush is expected to sign - legislation setting a February 17, 2009 deadline for U.S. broadcast television to go all-digital.

Postini: Over 3/4ths of 2005 Email Was Spam

Email filtering provider Postini's annual message reports 75 to 80 percent of 2005s email was spam, and that the Sober worm alone accounted for 218 million virus-infected messages.

Western Union Ends Telegraph Service STOP

After more than 150 years, Western Union has officially ended its telegraph service, marking the company's complete transition to financial services.