Microsoft tweaks anti-piracy check for Windows XP
Microsoft has updated software that verifies whether a copy of Windows is genuine in its Windows XP Professional edition, making it similar to the notification in Windows Vista and thus more persistently visible to users.
Google may let users comment on, rearrange search results
Google is considering allowing users of its search engine to tinker with query results by re-ranking them and commenting on them.
Hosted RFID service targets mobile users
A new hosted service from SkyeTek is designed to apply RFID technology for mobile users and applications.
Storage market thrives in down economy
Worldwide disk storage shipments will double in capacity every two years through 2012, IDC predicts.
Can Open Source replace Microsoft Exchange?
Open source projects and vendors are trying a variety of technical approaches to replacing the expensive but ubiquitous Microsoft Exchange. While none is yet a drop-in replacement, some administrators can get a TCO advantage by switching.
FAA computer problems cause US airport delays
Problems with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's traffic management computer system caused flight delays at U.S. airports Tuesday afternoon.
Mobile phones help pastoralists fight livestock theft
The mobile phone has revolutionized the way Kenya's pastoral communities work and conduct business, according to Joseph ole Kishau, an elder in the Maasai community.
Network failure delays flights across U.S.
A network failure at a Georgia facility is being blamed for multiple flight delays across the eastern United States, including flights departing from major Northeastern cities such as Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.
Democratic convention brings calls for broadband policy
The U.S. needs a broadband policy targeting unserved areas that's backed by action, not just words, said several speakers at a technology forum in Denver.
Nvidia claims 10 hours of HD video on Tegra chip
Nvidia's Tegra system-on-chip will allow portable devices to play high-definition video for more than 10 hours, an engineer from the company told the Hot Chips conference on Monday.
Mozilla garners praise over Firefox security feature
The debate over the self-signed certificate issue in Firefox 3.0 has fostered an add-on from Carnegie Mellon researchers and it seems a prevailing tide that Mozilla is headed down the right path.
Promising prospect: FlexCal 1.0
Many Mac users take advantage of Mac OS X's iCal program for keeping calendars and tracking tasks. But a common request I hear is for a way to add new events and to-dos without having to actually launch iCal.
Database vendors add Google's MapReduce
Greenplum and Aster Data Systems, two startups involved in large-scale data analysis, announced this week that their products will support MapReduce, a programming technique originally developed by Google for parallel processing of large data sets across commodity hardware.
Platinum Solitaire for iPhone
Platinum Solitaire is certainly more limited in scope than some other solitaire games for the Mac--it has six games, including "traditional" solitaire (Klondike), Golf, FreeCell, Pyramid, Spider and Yukon. Compare that to hundreds you'll find in Mondo Solitaire from Ambrosia, and you mind find the selection lacking. Where Platinum Solitaire ups the ante--quite literally--is in a casino environment.
Network management: tips for managing costs
Of all of the ongoing expenses needed to keep corporate IT running, network-related costs are perhaps the most unwieldy. New technologies, changing requirements and ongoing equipment maintenance and upgrades keep IT staff on their toes and money flowing out the door. But there are ways to manage network costs.