Industry Standard Views & Analysis

A year in the life of the Facebook platform

Larry Borsato — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:07:21 -0700

Almost one year ago Facebook announced the Facebook Platform, unleashing an assault of applications on unsuspecting users. At first those applications were silly, even bothersome. But now they are...

Fedora 9 Released

Neil McAllister — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:27:07 -0700

I'm a confirmed Ubuntu fan, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the release of Fedora 9 this morning. Fedora is the community-maintained Linux distribution that's the foundation for Red Hat...

It's not iTunes, it's HBO

Christopher Breen — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:28:38 -0700

Like many of you, when I cross over into the meat world I find less commonality with my fellow bipeds than I do in this domain of pixels, bits, and broadband. For instance, I'm introduced to parents...

Net Views: Microsoft's FOSS interests turn to 3D

Net Views — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:17:49 -0700

"Because we need our software to work the same on all platforms, our GUI is entirely written in OpenGL. So Windows is already in trouble here, with [its] less-than-perfect commitment to the...

Burn multiple CDs at once in iTunes

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:45:18 -0700

If you've got a Mac with multiple CD/DVD burners--a Mac Pro with two installed drives, or any other Mac with a combination of internal and external drives--you can burn two (or more, perhaps) CDs at...

Which 3G network is the best?

Brian Nadel — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:33:10 -0700

We all pack appropriate clothing when we leave for a business trip, but most mobile users will still feel naked if they don't have easy, fast access to the Internet.Sure, you can stop at a Wi-Fi hot...

A year in the life of the Facebook platform

Larry Borsato708924 — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:41:16 -0700

Almost one year ago Facebook announced the Facebook Platform, unleashing an assault of applications on unsuspecting users. At first those applications were silly, even bothersome. But now they are...

Stupid marketing tricks

Robert X. Cringely — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:12:43 -0700

So my phone rang one day last week and, naturally, there was a computer on the other end. But this wasn't a political robo-call trying to confuse me into voting for the wrong candidate. This was a...

Why is Yahoo boosting domain fees by 30%?

Ian Lamont — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:06:37 -0700

Like many people, I "own" a few personal domains for my blogs and a few old business ideas that never got off the ground. And, like many people, they have been parked at Yahoo Small...

First look: Google's cloud for Python code

Peter Wayner — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:35:40 -0700

One of the joys of being a Web programmer is heading to a dinner party, a haircut, or a reunion and fielding the pitches for everyone's dream for a brilliant Web application. Everyone is always happy...

A mixed quarter

Len Rust — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:24:34 -0700

Overall, IT business leaders are an optimistic bunch. Although the industry is maturing and changing dramatically, most feel they will emerge from this transition successfully. It is difficult,...

Make your own phone-call getaways

Erik Larkin — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:36:51 -0700

If you've ever asked a friend or coworker to call you at a particular time to help you escape an interminable meeting or end a bad date, you're in luck. Enter your own phone number at a simple...

Chinese Internet censorship: An inside look

Carolyn Duffy Marsan — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:43:17 -0700

James Fallows, national correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, has experienced "The Great Firewall of China" firsthand, an experience people from around the world will share this summer when the...

The rise of social gaming

Larry Borsato — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:13:08 -0700

Last week a brand-new video game, Grand Theft Auto IV, racked up US$500 million dollars in sales -- in one week.Last year online gaming attracted 28 percent of the total worldwide online population...

Geek Week: Google exec flees; librarian defeats Feds

Robert X. Cringely — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:06:12 -0700

Going, going -- Google. The hejira from Google continues, as head Google spin doctor Elliot Schrage has taken a position with -- who else? -- Facebook. Schrage is the sixth top-shelf G-exec to fly...

TOP 10 - It's all about perspective

Nancy Weil — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:25:59 -0700

News from and about Microsoft dominated this week from start to finish. But the dire situation caused by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, where the ruling junta cares more about oppression and domination...

Sun exec ponders OpenSolaris, Linux

Paul Krill — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:34:45 -0700

Ian Murdock is vice president of developer and community marketing at Sun Microsystems. Prior to that, he was the founder of the Debian Linux distribution and CTO at the Linux Foundation. InfoWorld...

Mobile madness defined

Brad Reed and Joanie Wexler — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:59:50 -0700

Does all this talk of WiMAX, 3G and 4G make your head spin? Here's a quick primer about what each technology really delivers:-- 3G networks are based on the International Telecommunication Union...

The rise of social gaming

Larry Borsato708924 — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:26:14 -0700

Last week a brand-new video game, Grand Theft Auto IV, racked up $500 million dollars in sales -- in one week. Last year online gaming attracted 28 percent of the total worldwide online population...

UWB in doubt after TI pulls out

Peter Judge — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:08:44 -0700

Ultra-wideband, the fast short-range wireless link which was supposed to be in handsets and PCs by now, is on the brink of failure after Texas Instruments pulled out of the technology. Chip giant...

OpenOffice.org Beta Fails the Office 2007 Test

Neil McAllister — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:21:05 -0700

I'm not embarrassed to admit it: I'm a big fan of Office 2007. I think Microsoft got a lot right with its latest release, starting with the ribbon interface and including any number of tweaks and...

Who owns "public" content?

Larry Borsato708924 — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:19:30 -0700

Every day people put virtual truckloads of information into the public domain. Books are published. Newspapers printed. A lot of that ends up on the Internet as well, along with the words of bloggers...

It's not your father's wireless anymore

Johna Till Johnson — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:55:10 -0700

Back in the day, wireless data was a neatly self-contained niche technology used by folks such as field force workers and logistics companies, but virtually ignored by everyone else.In case it isn't...

Microsoft's options, post-Yahoo

Eric Lai and Linda Rosencrance — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:46:18 -0700

Poor Steve Ballmer. Having yanked his offer to buy Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp.'s CEO is left to run a US$57 billion company that is on track for its annual orgy of profits and continues to dominate...

How one vendor learned to love Microsoft

Eric Lai — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:54:18 -0700

Aras Corp. was a small, struggling software maker that stirred up a hornet's nest early last year, when it made a pair of seemingly contradictory decisions.First, the Andover, Mass.-based company...