Computing

Yahoo and Summly: CliffsNotes for the Mobile Era?
April 02, 2013

The IT industry is no stranger to youth worship, but Yahoo's multimillion-dollar deal for Summly pushes that notion into cradle-robbing -- well, high school-robbing, anyway -- territory. That's because the punchline beneath the headlines is the age of Summly founder. Nick D'Aloisio, 17, appears to have qualified as the world's youngest VC-backed entrepreneur.

Finance Companies Bristle at Public Airing of Consumer Complaints
April 02, 2013

The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau announced last week that it has expanded the Consumer Complaint Database it launched last summer, increasing the number of complaints about credit card companies from 19,000 or so to 90,000. The added data comes from additional players such as mortgage companies, banks, private student loan providers and other consumer lenders.

Instant Heart Rate: A Cool Way to Track Your Ticker
April 01, 2013

Every now and then I'm surprised and delighted by the utter ingenuity I stumble upon in the iTunes App Store. I really like it when someone utilizes common technology for a unintended purpose -- in this case, using the camera on your iPhone to track the beat of your heart. Crazy, I know, but Instant Heart Rate - Heart Rate Monitor by Azumio does it in just a few seconds.

Microsoft's Pain in Spain Lies Mainly in Secure Boot
April 01, 2013

It's not exactly any secret that Microsoft has had its fair share of legal troubles over the years, many of them arising from its pesky little habit of finding ways to shut the door on competitors. So when Secure Boot came along in Windows 8, many considered it just a matter of time before a formal complaint was made.

Facebook's Android-Themed Event Invite Redials Phone Chatter
March 29, 2013

Facebook is inviting the media to "come see our new home on Android" during an April 4 event, sparking speculation that the social network may indeed be getting ready to introduce a branded smartphone. There is also speculation that Facebook will unveil a modified version of the Android operating system with added social functionality.

Gamers Get Hardcore on Razer's Edge
March 29, 2013

Razer's Edge is now shipping, preinstalled with Steam software, Valve's online gaming delivery and management service, which offers access to more than 2,000 titles. "It is certainly an impressive device, one that is really an all-in-one computer with a touchscreen," said Lewis Ward, IDC research manager for gaming.

Oracle Launches New Servers - and War of Words With IBM
March 28, 2013

Oracle launched new midrange and high-end Sparc T5 and M5 servers this week with claims that the T5 models have set 17 world records and performed better than IBM's Power 780 series. That set off a round of dueling statements between the companies. "Most Oracle benchmark claims are not audited or published, although they do have some industry benchmarks, including TPC-C," said IBM spokesperson Jeff Cross.

BlackBerry's Q4 Black Ink Bewilders Wall Street
March 28, 2013

After a bumpy lead-up to the launch of its Z10 handset, BlackBerry surprised Wall Street on Thursday by reporting a profit for its fourth quarter ending March 2. That wasn't enough to offset its accumulation of losses, though; it reported a net loss of $628 million for the entire fiscal year. It posted fourth-quarter revenue of $2.7 billion, and GAAP income of $94 million, or 18 cents per share.

How to Run Android Apps on Your Windows or Mac Machine
March 28, 2013

Have you got some favorite smartphone apps? Not convinced by Microsoft's new Windows app selection? Itching to see some Android action on your MacBook Pro? Don't worry, just install an Android emulator on your Windows or Mac machine and run all of the Android apps that you've grown to love. A version is even available for Windows 8 Surface tablets.

Dutch Spam Fight Boils Over Into Largest-Ever DDoS Attack
March 27, 2013

A week-old squabble between two Dutch groups -- the spamfighting Spamhaus Project and Web hosting service Cyberbunker -- has resulted in what has been called the largest distributed denial of service attack in Web history. The cyberfight reportedly has spilled over onto the global Internet and slowed down some data communications, especially in Europe.

Linux Devs Take Win 8 Secure Boot Complaint to EC
March 27, 2013

Microsoft is once again being challenged in Europe over alleged anti-competitive practices. A group representing Linux developers in Spain has filed a complaint with the European Commission charging that Microsoft's desktop operating system, Windows 8, supports technology that makes it difficult for users to place other operating systems on their computers.

HP's Officejet Pro Does 1 Thing Extremely Well
March 26, 2013

The HP Officejet Pro X551dw doesn't scan, doesn't copy, doesn't fax, and obviously doesn't make coffee. It is, however, among the best single-use printers you could get in a small-to-medium sized office environment. It is fast, it operates at a low cost, and although it doesn't do those aforementioned things, it does much more.

OpenFin CEO Mazy Dar: Bridging the Banks' Technology Gap
March 26, 2013

Founded in 2010 by trading technology experts, OpenFin is growing on the heels of HTML5 standards edging out ill-fitting older Web solutions. Built onto an open source platform, OpenFin Desktop helps financial institutions to bridge the security gaps in their outdated Web-browser technology. OpenFin is developing software to bring the next generation of trading applications to the financial services industry via HTML5.

Nothing but Windows Blue Skies From Now On?
March 25, 2013

Rumors about Windows Blue, the next iteration of Microsoft's flagship operating system, have been juiced up with the release of leaked screen shots and videos over the weekend. The new system lets users personalize the screen from the side and swipe in from any edge. Windows Blue offers a variety of color choices for the screen background and includes several new apps.

New Kid on the FOSS Block: OX Documents
March 25, 2013

There's been much ado about office suites over the past year or so, thanks in large part to the anticipation and then arrival of Microsoft's baffling Office 2013. We've seen the ascendance of LibreOffice, we've seen Redmond's wacky pricing plan, and we've even heard rumors -- as yet unsubstantiated -- of a launch that would blow more than a few minds. None of that could have prepared us for what came to light last week.

Rebooting IT to Run Like a Business
March 25, 2013

It's one thing to employ enterprise resource planning to streamline an entire organization's business processes -- to use software and data to create a more efficient flow of information between different departments. However, what about applying ERP to an individual information technology department within that organization? What benefits could be achieved?

Holy Spirit, Batman! Superhero Story on Vatican Website Not a Hack
March 22, 2013

No, this isn't the Catholic Church's way of appealing to comic book fans. On Thursday, the website of the Vatican communications office and Vatican Twitter account ran stories on Batman. While some initially suspected hacking, Vatican officials are instead saying that there was an "internal system failure" caused by a non-native English speaker -- and apparent Batman enthusiast -- who posted the story.

Schmidt: One Google OS to Rule Them All Not Happening Soon
March 21, 2013

Google will keep its Chrome and Android operating systems separate, but company executive chairman Eric Schmidt said this week that the two will have more features in common. Schmidt's comments at a conference in India came a week after Google reassigned Android head honcho Andy Rubin and gave his duties to Chrome OS boss Sundar Pichai.

Oracle's Q3 Malaise Could Be Contagious
March 21, 2013

The bulls have been running on Wall Street but every silver lining apparently is cloaked in a gray cloud. In this case, it's the dismal Q3 earnings report Oracle released on Wednesday. Oracle did actually make money. The company reported third quarter earnings of $2.5 billion, or 52 cents a share, on revenue of $8.96. However, that was down 1 percent from a year earlier.

Google Keep May Not Be a Keeper
March 21, 2013

Google on Wednesday launched Google Keep, a mobile application designed to let users store notes and checklists in a way that could compete with popular productivity app Evernote. Keep allows users to tap out a note or checklist, or record a voice memo that Keep will transcribe and store.