Microsoft rolls out Windows Embedded Server

Microsoft has unveiled a new version of its Windows Server platform for embedded devices.

The aptly-named Windows Embedded Server will allow users to remotely monitor and manage systems which rely on embedded software.

The company hopes that the offering will lead original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to design a new class of server which can be used in embedded environments to supplement and control traditional embedded software systems.

The offering could also allow OEMs and IT support staff to better manage and repair embedded devices remotely through web-based support systems, according to Microsoft.

"The combination of software-plus-services from Windows Embedded will establish new revenue channels for embedded OEMs and partners by utilising Windows Embedded Server and the complete Microsoft portfolio of embedded platforms and technologies in scenarios such as device maintenance and support services," said Kevin Dallas, general manager for Microsoft's Windows Embedded business.

Microsoft plans to offer the platform under its software-plus-services banner, which combines traditional installed software applications with web-based services, as an alternative to the more recent wave of web-based 'cloud' computing products.

Microsoft recently declined to join the newly formed Open Cloud Manifesto.

IBM wins a slice of Energy Australia's smart grid

IBM has won a $3.2 million systems integration deal to help Energy Australia capture and make use of the data drawn from its world-leading $170 million Intelligent Network or "smart grid".

Energy Australia's Intelligent Network project involves the building of an IP-based nervous system that sits behind the utility's electricity grid to aid the operating and monitoring of its equipment.

IBM has been engaged as a systems integrator, charged with implementing systems that aggregate the data Energy Australia collects in the field via thousands of network-connected sensors, and converting that data into information the utility's operations and field staff can use to make decisions.

Adrian Clark, manager of intelligent networks for Energy Australia told iTnews that IBM and the utility are "aligned" at a senior level around the concept of smart grids.

In mid-March, IBM Australia announced the "Smarter Planet" initiative - aimed at connecting data from areas outside of traditionally IT-centric organisations to enable a more efficient world.

Working on Energy Australia's Intelligent Network project will allow Big Blue to "put that think-tank into practice," Clark said.

Clark also hinted that IBM is also pitching for "future work in the pipeline around what we need in the back office."

The IBM deal comes at a crucial juncture of Energy Australia's three-year long, $170 million Intelligent Network program.

The utility has already rolled out a carrier-grade, IP MPLS transmission network across its grid that allows for two-way communication between smart sensors in the field and the feeding back of important data to the organisation's operations centre or field staff.

This saw some 800 kilometres of optical fibre rolled out between the 30,000 substations in Energy Australia's electricity network, connected via Alcatel-Lucent switches and routers.

In April, Energy Australia will begin deploying the smart sensors that connect with this network to monitor, control and automate the electricity grid.

These sensors bring back a "minute by minute" account of what is happening to the network at street level.

By the end of June 2009, Energy Australia will have completed a pilot to determine how to connect the "last mile" between the substation and the customer to gain an even more granular view of its network.

The utility is currently trialling WiMAX technology in an area that serves 80,000-100,000 customers in Newcastle. It is also trialling narrowband and broadband power line transmission technologies, standard 2G mobile networks and a wireless mesh network.

Clark said it will take another six to twelve months to make a decision on which "last mile" technology to apply.

Energy Australia is the first utility in the world that is "committed to getting a street level view" of its electricity network, Clark said.

"Ultimately we will be able to detect faults when they occur, and find and restore power much faster. It also prepares us to cope with a more energy-constrained future."

Google announces funding arm

Google has announced a new arm of its business, Google Ventures, a technology investment fund.

The firm said that it had started Ventures as a way of opening up its own resources to new technology development, and will seek out and help start-up firms operating across a diverse range of industries.

"This is Google's effort to take advantage of our resources to support innovation and encourage promising new technology companies," noted Rich Miner and Bill Maris, the managing partners at Google Ventures, in a blog post.

"By borrowing the best practices of top-tier, financially focused venture capital firms and bringing to bear Google's unique technical expertise and brand, we think we can find young companies with truly awesome potential and encourage their development into successful businesses."

Falling with ease into the vernacular of venture capitalists, the firm said that it would focus on "early stage investments" with firms operating in consumer internet services, green and clean technology, biotechnology, healthcare and many others.

Google will draw on its people resources, as well as its financial and technological ones, particularly for investment recommendations.

The managing partners explained, "Central to our effort will be our fellow Googlers, whom we view as a critically important resource to help educate us about potential investments areas and evaluate specific companies."

Interested participants are requested to apply via email through the Google Ventures web site, and the firm is expecting a lot of interest.

"Unfortunately, due to the large volume of email we receive, we can not promise a response to all inquires (sic)," it said.

China rejects computer spy claims as "ghost of Cold War"

China on Tuesday rejected a report suggesting it may be involved in using computer networks to spy on exiled Tibetans and foreign governments, accusing its authors of being possessed by "the ghost of the Cold War".

China has been repeatedly accused of using the Internet to secretly enter computer networks abroad to carry out sabotage and gather intelligence, and it has repeatedly denied such claims.

A report from the Toronto-based Munk Center for International Studies in Toronto said at least 1,295 computers in 103 countries were breached by the spying, which it said was based in China but could not be definitively linked to the government.

A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry dismissed such claims as rumour and said his government was committed to protecting Internet security.

"Nowadays the problem is that there are some people abroad avidly concocting rumours about China's so-called Internet espionage," spokesman Qin Gang told a regular news briefing.

"There's a ghost abroad called the Cold War and a virus called the China threat," Qin continued, breaking into English-language phrases to make his meaning clear.

"People possessed by the ghost of the Cold War constantly issue this China threat virus."

Among the sites infiltrated from China were embassies, foreign ministries and government offices, especially across southeast and south Asia, and the Dalai Lama's Tibetan exile centres, the Canadian researchers said in the report released at the weekend.

A computer located in the private office of the Dalai Lama was infected with a virus, the researchers found.

It was capable of "phoning home" - stealing information such as email lists with thousands of names and negotiating position documents - from the machine and sending it to those in control of the virus.

The study was conducted by a private think tank and a research centre affiliated with the international studies school at the University of Toronto.

Some of the same activist researchers were behind the OpenNet Initiative, a study of Internet filtering and censorship in more than three dozen countries that criticises China for pervasive attempts to control political expression on the Web.

The report suggests many of the computers used to control the virus appeared to be run from Hainan, where the Chinese government operates a signals intelligence centre.

But it also says it is hard to definitively prove this and that alternative explanations are possible. The whole issue of cyber-espionage is shrouded in mystery. Not just the Chinese, but the United States, Israel and Britain are known to have sophisticated electronic spy capabilities.

Whoever may be responsible, the report details a far-reaching campaign to infiltrate the computer networks of China's critics and their allies, not just among Tibetan exile groups but also Taiwan trade organisations.

"The attempts of these people to use rumours to vilify China will never succeed," said the Chinese spokesman Qin.

As IBM-Sun Micro talks drag on, analysts eye risks

As IBM's negotiations to buy Sun Microsystems Inc enter another week, some analysts are weighing the risks in what could be the biggest U.S. technology deal this year.

As of Friday, IBM was still examining Sun's business as part of its due diligence process, and talks may extend beyond next week, according to one source who was not authorized to speak about the talks and therefore requested anonymity.

Most on Wall Street say a deal would bolster IBM's high-end computer and software business, and help ensure the survival of much-smaller Sun. But they also note that Sun's lagging business could hurt IBM's margins and derail its shift to more lucrative software and services from increasingly commoditized hardware sales.

"Strategically we're a little lukewarm on it," said Edward Jones analyst Andy Miedler. "Financially this could make sense. But we question how much IBM needs Sun and whether it will would be able to get better value out of Sun's software than Sun is getting."

Wachovia analyst David Wong disagreed with some views that Sun's software assets would help IBM grow.

Sun posted an 11 percent decline in quarterly revenue for its fiscal quarter ended Dec. 28, while gross margins shrank to 41.9 percent from 48.5 percent from a year earlier. The company rose to prominence in the 1990s but never fully recovered from the dotcom bubble burst earlier this decade, and analysts say failed talks with IBM could trigger a sell-off in the shares.

"Although Sun has what we consider to be interesting software intellectual property, including Solaris and Java, Sun's own revenue breakout shows that less than 10 percent of its sales are directly ascribable to software," Wong said.

"We think that an acquisition of Sun would offer limited benefit to IBM."

The Wall Street Journal reported on March 18 that IBM could pay as much as US$8 billion for Sun, amounting to a 100 percent premium for the high-end server computer maker. If a deal is sealed, it would be IBM's largest acquisition.

First Global research analyst Amitabh Goel earlier this week said Sun was simply too troubled and that there was too much risk for IBM to get involved.

"All said and done, Sun Microsystems still remains a company with a huge cost base, with a declining revenue trend adding further to its woes," he said.

Neither IBM nor Sun has said they are in talks, and both declined to comment on news reports of their negotiations.

Some analysts said the lack of official confirmation and explanation of their strategies made it hard to assess potential benefits.

To be sure, many analysts are still upbeat that a deal could give IBM a clear lead in the server market against Hewlett-Packard and Dell. It would also give IBM an edge against Cisco Systems, which some see as its biggest rival in several years.

Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu said that even though Sun had not succeeded in making much profit from its new software products, he believed that they could find more demand if they were coupled with IBM's broad portfolio.

He said Java software could do for IBM, to some extent, what iTunes does for personal computer and iPod maker Apple. "I think it's a fair parallel. iTunes is not really an engine in itself but it really helps Apple sell the other stuff," Wu said.

Analysts said IBM will likely launch a major restructuring at Sun once it buys the company. That could result in more job losses at a company known for talented engineers and heavy focus on research and development, they said.

IBM has already cut several thousand jobs in recent months, and is cutting another 5,000 U.S. jobs on top of that, people with knowledge of the matter said.

But most agreed the greatest risk for Sun at the moment was in the deal falling through. Failed negotiations with IBM likely will mean that Sun will need to look for another buyer, and contend with a lower offer.

"If skeletons tumble out of Sun's closet during the process, the deal could fall apart," said one technology banker familiar with the process of due diligence. "We've done hundreds of transactions where it looks good on the surface, then you get in there and you back away."

Sun shares closed at US$7.83 on Friday, down from a high of US$9.27 struck after the deal was first reported, but still significantly above US$4.97, its last closing price before the talks were first reported.

"IBM likes to take the charge when doing due diligence," said one Sun shareholder, who requested anonymity. "But every day that a deal doesn't happen makes me more nervous."

IBM shares fell 4.7 percent to US$94.15 on the New York Stock Exchange, on a day when by comparison the tech-laden Nasdaq fell 2.6 percent.

Inspiron 15 Laptop Released By Dell

With the aim to provide its customers with lot of entertainment, productivity and connectivity, Dell recently launched its novel Inspiron 15 multi-purpose and well-configured laptop.

The new and unique addition to the Inspiron family, which has smarter features and style, has got solid performance too. The users would be happy to know that the device that boasts a 15.6-inch LCD screen with 16:9 screen aspect ratio would let them enjoy a whole new experience of movie watching. This slim and smart notebook that would be available with 320 GB of storage also comes along with up to 4 GB of memory.

Furthermore, the users can also personalize the Inspiron 15 with various available options like Intel Core2 Duo processors, GMA 4500MHD integrated video, DVD burner, integrated webcam, Blu-ray and Bluetooth.

“Building on the Inspiron platform of mainstream solutions, Inspiron 15 expands laptop personalization through attractive design, an array of optional features and an affordable price,” reported Glen Robson, general manager of consumer notebooks.

The Dell Inspiron 15 laptop as of now would be immediately available for purchase at Best Buy stores in the United States, and PC World and Curry’s in the United Kingdom and its price would commence at $600 (approx. Rs. 29,215). It has also been learnt that later this month, its online sales would start through Dell.com.

Techies Can Test Windows 7 Now

It has been learnt that the new Windows PC operating system has being opened up by Microsoft for anyone who has the guts to download it early.

A pre-release, test version of Microsoft (MSFT) Windows 7, the successor to the oft-maligned Windows Vista could be fetched by the public on Friday. This announcement was made on Wednesday night on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show by CEO Steve Ballmer.

We should warn the readers here that trying out the software this soon could be risky; however, most tech-savvy can sill take a chance. The Beta software, which will expire in about six months, may have many errors and Microsoft may soon release bug fixes.

Furthermore, the for-sale versions of Windows 7 aren’t expected until late this year or early next, so it is suggested that testers must revert to Windows Vista, XP or some other alternative.

“A range of people will want Windows 7 now (to be available at www.microsoft.com/windows7). Certainly a lot of techies will, a lot of corporate IT people will,” added Ballmer.

Vista had been criticized by the Tech Pundits who referred it to as bloated, overly intrusive and requiring powerful hardware to make it run properly. According to Michael Gartenberg of Jupitermedia, “Microsoft will do everything it can in 2009 to get the market away from focusing attention on Vista and really driving Windows 7 as the future.”

He added further, “Microsoft has sold 180 million copies of Vista. It’s a very successful product that’s been perceived as a failure in the marketplace.”

If adhered to Microsoft, then nearly 90% of its Vista customers are satisfied.

Philips Launches ‘Xenium X710 Mobile Phone’ In Russia

Philips has made announcement about the launching of Xenium X710 dual SIM phone in the Russian market.

The Xenium X710 dual SIM phone has dimensions of 113.6 x 49.1 x 16.9 mm. Also the weight of this phone is just 114 grams.

With 2.4 inch TFT display screen, the newly launched phone can produce 262 thousand colors.

This new phone from Philips has got an internal memory of 20 MB. Its memory can also be expanded up to 8 giga bytes (GB) through microSD card.

Moreover, the phone is compatible with tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks.

The phone also comes packed with 3 Megapixel camera with auto focus, FM tuner, Bluetooth with A2DP, a 2.4-inch LCD display, integrated media player, USB 1.1 and WAP 2.0 connectivity together with support for Java MIDP 2.0.

Other features of Xenium X710 dual SIM phone includes Game fantasy kingdom, My Card, Currency Converter, Russian speaking menu and the Sudoku game

However, the pricing of the phone has not been released up till now.

Volvo S60 Concept Brakes itself To Avoid Pedestrians

Stockholm: The new Volvo S60 concept unveiled ahead of the Detroit Auto Show later this month features a revolutionary new driver safety system which brakes the car automatically to avoid a collision with a pedestrian.

The technology, know as Collision Warning with Full Brake, monitors the road ahead using both radar sensors and a camera. It recognizes not only other vehicles, but pedestrians who step into the path of the car. The system will be available in the production version of the S60 four-door coupe which is due to enter the showrooms in late 2009.

“Up until now, we have focused on helping the driver avoid collisions with other vehicles. Now we are taking a giant step forward with a system that also boosts safety for unprotected road-users” said Thomas Broberg, safety expert at Volvo Cars.

In an emergency, the driver receives an audible warning and a signal designed to look like a red brake light flashes up in the windscreen’s head-up display. If the driver does not respond to the warning, the system “assumes” that a collision is imminent and applies the car’s full braking power automatically.

Volvo says the main aim is still for the initial warning to be sufficient for the driver to brake or manoeuvre away from the hazard. Full automatic braking is an emergency measure that is only activated when the collision is unavoidable.

Accident experts say pedestrian survival in serious crashes increases dramatically when the vehicle’s speed drops from 50 kilometres per hour to 30 km/h.

The Volvo S60 Concept foreshadows the production version and is powered by a four-cylinder, 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine which turns out 180 horsepower. (dpa)

Microsoft Mulls Over Job Cuts: A Report

According to people familiar with the company’s plans, Software giant Microsoft is mulling over major job cuts across its various sections.

But,
plans for job cuts have not yet been announced, and the company
(Microsoft) could end up discovering suitable methods in order to cover
up costs.

A Microsoft representative declined to comment on hearsays related to job cuts.

During
recent weeks, it had also been rumored that the figure of potential job
cuts is expected to be far less than the 15,000 positions.

The sources also said that the company might declare layoffs while announcing its quarterly earnings by the coming week.

Microsoft would declare its second-quarter results for the fiscal year 2008-09 on January 22.

At the end of July-September (2008) quarter, Microsoft had around 91,000 employees on its payrolls.

In
his report for the institutional investors of Microsoft, Brokerage firm
Oppenheimer & Co’s analyst Brad Reback, during the last month
(December 2008), stated that slashing the staff by 10% would boost up
company’s earnings per share (EPS) by about 10%.

He also said that such layoff exercise would be a profitable move for the company.

In October, the company had started a hiring freeze on a few of its divisions such as entertainment and devices businesses.

Moreover,
there have also been some unofficial reports on blogs that Microsoft
would announce some major layoffs by January 2009.

Toyota Sales in Europe Slip Sharply

Sales of Toyota cars in Europe declined 10 per cent last year to 1.1 million vehicles, data from Toyota Motor Europe (TME) showed Friday.

The Japanese automotive giant said its market share in Europe sank by 0.3 of a percentage point compared to 2007 to 5.3 per cent.

Foreshadowing new models, the Cologne head office of TME forecast that Toyota would raise its market share to 6 per cent this year.

Russia is Toyota’s biggest single European market, taking 204,849 cars in 2008, a rise of 30 per cent. Britain and Italy took second and third place.

In Germany, Toyota suffered a sharp fall in sales, with barely 97,800 Toyota or Lexus cars newly registered, a decline of 27 per cent for the Toyota brand and 22 per cent for Lexus.

German market share fell from 4.2 per cent to 3.1 per cent.

TME chief executive Tadashi Arashima said the company had expected last year to be difficult as it had had hardly any new models to introduce.

“Our production and sales volumes were further undermined by the market collapse in the final months of the year,” he said.

This year more than 12 new models were to be launched in Europe. Arashima said this would lead to “long-term, sustainable growth.

New Planes Of Samsung For Streamline Business

Samsung, South Korea’s leading electronics company, will merge its four major departments into two groups as a response to the ongoing economic downturn, the company reported Friday.

The semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) divisions will merge, as will the telecommunication and digital media divisions, according to the company.

The company also announced a series of staff changes, including plans to cut top managers’ salaries by 20 per cent. Bonuses will also be reduced.

Samsung is the world’s leading manufacturer of computer chips and flat-screen displays and the world’s second largest manufacturer, behind Nokia, of mobile telephones.

Microsoft slip-up reveals Windows 7 date

A Thursday morning update to the company's TechNet section on Windows 7 appeared to carry a publish date of May 2009.

The page stated that the Release Candidate would be available until the end of June, without any download limits, and would expire on 1 June 2010.

The page was taken down by Microsoft, but not before news sites were able to obtain and repost screenshots of the page.

If true, the posting would appear to confirm earlier rumours that Microsoft is targeting a May release date.

The Release Candidate will be the final public build of Windows 7 before the operating system's final 'gold' release.

The company has refused to give a concrete date for the manufacturer or consumer retail releases of Windows 7.

However, speculation is that the software should hit shelves in late 2009 or early 2010.

Limit Use of Windows 7 Beta Version to Controlled Environments

Microsoft has released a beta version of Windows 7 for consumers, but computer experts recommend trying it out only in controlled environments.

“Checking it out is fun,” says Axel Vahldiek of c’, a German computer magazine. But since it still has security gaps, use of the beta version should be limited to controlled environments. That means users should not store any vital data on computers using the test version of Windows 7.

Windows 7 makes a good, first impression. “It feels faster,” says Vahldiek. After booting up, the system is ready faster than older versions.

One criticism of Vista, the most recent Microsoft operating system, is the way it attempts to manage user accounts, routinely asking users if they are certain whether they want to use one function or another.

“Windows 7 does not ask that as often,” says Vahldiek. “That reduces the risk of the user getting frustrated and deactivating this very useful security mechanism.”

The difference between Windows 7 and Vista lies in the details, says Vahldiek. The new version requires fewer mouse clicks for certain functions. The menu bar has also seen some changes. Users can now place permanent icons for preferred functions there.

“In exchange, the quick start menu is gone,” says Vahldiek.

A preview function is another interesting addition. If a user runs the arrow over an icon, a preview window of the document’s contents opens in actual size.

Vista also frustrated many users because so many functions would not work using that operating system. It is too early to tell whether that has changed based on the Beta version of Windows 7. But, aside from virus scanners and other programs that try to integrate too tightly with the operating system, most programs should run smoothly, says Vahldiek.

However, he does expect some problems to occur when it comes to preventing games from being copied.

Google closes Melbourne office

Google will cut 15 sales employees from its Melbourne and New Zealand offices in line with a one per cent global reduction in staff.

QLD Police crack peer-to-peer networks

Queensland Police officers have reportedly used new investigative software that can crack peer-to-peer networks to arrest and charge a Brisbane man for sharing child exploitation materials online.

Censorship opponents slam website hack

Opponents of the Federal Government's filtering scheme have condemned last night's hacking of one of its websites as damaging to their fight against censorship.

Toyota Launches CNG Variant Of Innova

apanese Automobile major, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) expanded its range of alternate fuel vehicles by including the Innova CNG in its fold in India.

From now onwards the country’s most popular multipurpose vehicle, Innova will be available in CNG variant as well.

While commenting on the introduction of the CNG Innova, Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, TKM said, “Toyota is an environment conscious company committed to the cause of nurturing and protecting nature in its myriad forms. With CNG having established itself as an eco-friendly, reliable and economic fuel, TKM is pleased to announce India’s first ever energy efficient MPV in India. This is yet another step in our efforts to make the environment more inhabitable.”

He further said that the CNG option is now available on all the variants of their Petrol Innova.

Toyota Innova comes powered with a 1998 cc, 16V DOHC VVTi petrol engine.

The Japanese company feels that the duel fuel option would offer buyers a more cost-effective and environment friendly driving choice.

The Innova, launched in India in 2005, is one of the most selling MPV. Its also much hyped for its comfort.

Since its launch, Innova has incredible sales figures of more than over 1.62 Lakh vehicles so far. Moreover, in 2008, TKM has achieved a 36% market share in the MPV segment.

Initially, the CNG Innova will be launched in Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.

Only last month, the company launched the updated version of the Innova with advanced and dynamic styling.

The CNG Innova will be priced at around Rs 85000 higher than the current petrol version.

It can be recalled that the growing fuel costs have compelled every car maker to come up with an alternative fuel option cars in the market. There has been a surge in demand for such model in markets like India which are extremely price sensitive.

San Disk To Launch 64 GB USB Drive In India

SanDisk is eyeing to strengthen its Indian market significantly in tune with the growth in the market for consumer electronics.

As a part of its positive evaluation of the flash memory market in India, SanDisk is ready to launch USB flash drive with a maximum storage capacity of 64GB.

Available in different capacities including in 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB, the company said that the new flash drive would allow backup of files by just touching a button.

SanDisk claims it to be the first drive having such a facility.

In an announcement, the company said that there are no wires, and it is an easy way for users to protect their favored pics, videos and songs without any difficulty.

Based on the latest 43 nanometre technology, SanDisk’s new Ultra Backup USB drive also features AES hardware encryption, and password protection, which lets users to keep important business files safe.

Moreover, the users can easily take the USB drive anywhere as it’s too small that it can easily fit into their pockets.

The USB drive will also have support for Intel Pentium PC or Macintosh computer with USB support in Windows XP, Vista (Backup and Storage) and Windows 2000, Mac OS X v10.1.2+ and Linux (Storage only).

USB 2.0 port would be required for speedy transfer at the same time it would require high-power USB hub port.

With a five-year limited warranty, it would be available in April 2009 at a price of $43.99.

Nokia In Talks With Content Cos To Launch Virtual Music Stores In India

Nokia is making discussions with top music content providers plus music companies with the intention to launch virtual music stores in the Indian market.

Mr. Chandan Dang, Nokia India Regional General Manager (North), said that Finnish giant is joining hands with around 150 music companies, which includes Universal Music, Warner Bros, Sony BMG and other national music leaders.

In India, Nokia has decided to provide the service with a free one-year subscription along with the purchase Music compatible mobile phones run on Symbian’s S60 operating system (OS).

Mr. Dang said, “We are planning the launch the services in the first half of this year. Our similar service in the United Kingdom launched on 5310Xpress music device is evincing good response from music lovers. However, our format may be different than the one in UK as preferences of Indians are different from the English.”

“Also, unlike the UK, in India the service should be made compatible on low-end handsets for a better click with Indian customers. The service will also help in boosting the handset sales,” Mr. Dang added.

The company also said that the one-year subscription service is unique, and it lets consumers to access and download unlimited songs on their handsets as well as computers even after the subscription expires.

Moreover, Nokia is also working on removing digital right management (DRM) from the music available via its Comes with Music service.

Currently, Nokia’s digital entertainment service ‘Comes with Music’ is only available on a few handsets, which includes Nokia’s XpressMusic 5310 handset.

The service permits users to download unlimited songs from the Nokia Music Store for 1-year after buying a compatible Nokia handset. The users can keep the music after the year is up.

The Nokia Music Store features tracks from four major record labels. But, the DRM prevents the tracks from being transferred to another digital music player or from being burned to CD.

WGA Notifications updated For Windows XP Professional

Microsoft this week is preparing to update Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Notifications for Windows XP. The new version includes the usual updates to validation that improve WGA’s ability to detect invalid product keys and other attempts to circumvent product activation.

Since Windows XP Professional is the most often counterfeited version of XP, Microsoft has focused on including the latest validation information, such as recently stolen or misused product keys, for the Professional edition. Customers who installed the last update will simply have their validation information updated without needing to go through the install process again.

BMW X3 Special Rescue Vehicle

BMW showcased in Geneva a special BMW X3 rescue vehicle designed for emergency doctors to demonstrate the versatility of the X model range fitted with the electronic xDrive system.

The X3 xDrive20d is designed to operate in almost any terrain and was built in cooperation with a firm specialized in equipping emergency vehicles, according to a BMW press statement.

The rescue vehicle comes in all-white with contrasting red stripes on the flanks, the bonnet and the rear. A signal system and the electronic siren is mounted on the roof.

Wikileaks domain holder raided

Wikileaks claims the homes of the owner of its German domain (wikileaks.de) has been raided by Police in what the whistle-blowing site claims is a reaction to the publication of blacklists from Australia, Thailand and Denmark.

WebCentral customers abandon ship after major outage

Customers are churning away from Webcentral’s shared hosting service after a three-day outage caused by a storage system failure on Friday, citing horrible customer service and lost e-business opportunities.

China's 'Great Firewall' blocks off YouTube

The Chinese government has blocked its users from accessing video-sharing service YouTube.

Black day for Melbourne R&D as NEC & CA cut staff

NEC has announced it will retrench 153 positions from its facility in Mulgrave, Melbourne - the second international vendor to dramatically reduce its Melbourne R&D investments in a single day.

Revisiting Windows Vista

So you’ve resisted the move to Windows Vista? You’re not alone. Although Vista is installed on most new PCs delivered today, this much-reviled successor to Windows XP has been a flop by many measures that matter: its uptake by businesses has been slow, complaints from consumers have been rampant, and the word-of- mouth damage has been so severe as to cause.

Cricket Nokia 3606 Phone Launched

Cricket Communications has rolled out Nokia 3606 flip phone that comes packed with a wide array of fun applications and features. The phone, which comes with a user-friendly interface, sports a clamshell design. Moreover, it has a 128 x 128 x 262k TFT external display and 176 x 220 x 262k color TFT internal display to view pictures and text. The HAC compliant Nokia.

Google forced to pull UK Street View images

Google has already had to pull images from its Google Maps Street View tool launched in the UK Thursday, after a number of early testers registered privacy complaints with the service, identifying images of themselves captured in the photos.

IBM Sun deal hits delays

The proposed IBM Sun deal is still on but discussions could take several more days as IBM lawyers perform due diligence, according to Reuters.

Google open source chief: IBM/Sun deal could benefit Java

Google's chief of open source believes an IBM acquisition of Sun could benefit the Java community, which has occasionally protested Sun's leadership role over the technology.

| AMD Phenom II vs Intel Core i7: the full bechmark results AMD Phenom II vs Intel Core i7: the full bechmark results

MD’s next generation of CPUs brings 45nm technology and higher clock speeds - but is that enough to compete with Intel’s latest and greatest?

Google adds 'Undo Send' button to Gmail

Google has given Gmail users the ability to recall messages they send via email. A new Undo Send button will hold messages for five seconds after the user clicks Send.

TomTom countersues Microsoft

Microsoft has revealed this week that sat-nav firm TomTom is counter-suing the Redmond company for an alleged patent breach.

Federal Police swings into action on credit card leak

Officers from the Australian Federal Police have swung into action to mitigate the fallout from the exposure of about 19,000 credit card numbers, as uncovered by an Australian IT worker yesterday.

A bill to shift cybersecurity to White House

Two senators plan to increase Washington's emphasis on cybersecurity by moving responsibility from Homeland Security and allowing "critical" networks to be disconnected.

Apple leaks 17-inch iMac for $899?

An Italian blog site notices a mention of a $899 iMac on Apple's education site. Currently, Apple is offering only iMacs in 20- and 24-inch screen sizes, starting at $1,199. But it's unclear whether the 17-incher is really new or not.