HP takes top server spot from IBM

HP took the top spot from IBM in global server revenue in the first quarter, as shipments from all manufacturers rose 23 percent over the previous year, according to Gartner.

The quarterly figures are a sign that businesses are starting to increase their expenditure on servers as the global economy recovers, the analyst company said. However, although the market is bouncing back, server revenue in the quarter was only around 80 percent of its peak in 2008, it noted.

"2009 typically saw users [companies] extending the lifecycles of their hardware," Gartner principal research analyst Adrian O'Connell told ZDNet UK. "I wouldn't say the market has now recovered: it is recovering."

Server revenue rose six percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2010, Gartner said in a report released on Tuesday. The x86 servers were the fastest growing segment, showing rises of 25.3 percent in shipments and 32.1 percent in sales. In contrast, RISC/Itanium Unix servers and mainframes declined substantially, falling 28.5 percent in shipments and 26.9 percent in revenue.

In terms of form factors, blade servers performed the best, with sales up 40.7 percent year-on-year. As for vendors, HP took over from IBM as the leading server manufacturer by revenue. In the quarter, HP had 31.5 per cent of revenue worldwide, up from 28.8 percent the previous year, while IBM fell from 30.7 percent to 28.4 percent. Dell remained in third with 15.6 percent, with Fujitsu in fourth place at six percent. Fifth-place Oracle, which acquired server maker Sun in April 2009, saw its share drop from 9.6 percent to 5.6 percent.

IBM slipped from the top spot partly because businesses are waiting to buy Power7 systems from the company, Gartner said.

HP had a stronger lead in EMEA and increased its market share by revenue to over 40 percent. IBM's market share shrank considerably to 23.7 per cent in the region from 29 percent a year ago. Total EMEA server revenue rose slightly higher than it did globally, increasing 6.6 percent. Year-on-year, shipments were up 19.7 per cent in EMEA, Gartner found. O'Connell said the UK figures broadly followed the EMEA trends.

As server sales plummeted during the recession, there is now some potential demand, according to Gartner. However, that demand will be spread throughout 2010 and 2011, it said.

"To some extent, there is pent-up demand in the market. But companies will take it cautiously and slowly in going through this refresh until there is more confidence," O'Connell said.

A lack of visibility of future economic conditions and consequently a lack of visibility of their future company performance is holding back IT departments from substantial server expenditure increases, Gartner said. O'Connell noted that procurement cycles have become lengthy for high-end systems. In contrast, businesses are quicker to purchase low-end servers.

In addition, the economy has forced companies to re-evaluate how they run their IT, causing them to make different technology choices, he added. But whereas the downturn 10 years ago left IT departments with few choices, there are now considerable options to reduce costs and improve productivity, O'Connell said. He gave the use of blades, virtualisation software and cloud computing as examples

Yahoo, Facebook side with Google against Viacom

Some of the biggest and most respected Web services have come to the aid of Google and YouTube, which are defending themselves against accusations that they violated copyright on a grand scale.

Yahoo, Facebook and eBay on Wednesday filed a friends-of-the-court brief in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. That's where Viacom, parent company of MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures, filed a $1 billion copyright lawsuit against Google in March 2007.

The three companies have urged District Judge Louis Stanton to dismiss Viacom's suit, arguing that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act protects Internet service providers from liability for copyright violations committed by users. They say that a decision against Google could stifle the growth of important Internet services.

"Plaintiffs' legal arguments, if accepted, would retard the development of the Internet and electronic commerce," wrote a lawyer representing the four companies.

Viacom alleges that YouTube, which Google acquired in 2006, encouraged users to upload unauthorized clips from Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, and MTV Networks to the video-sharing site. Those clips helped YouTube attract users as well as generate ad sales, Viacom claims.

The amicus brief filed on Wednesday follows a similar type of filing made by NBC Universal, Warner Bros., Disney, the Screen Actors Guild, and Directors Guild of America on behalf of Viacom.

That so many powerhouse companies are weighing in is testament to the importance of the case. The court's decision will likely help establish copyright law as it applies to the Web.

In response to Wednesday's filing, Kelly McAndrew, a Viacom spokeswoman, told Bloomberg: "The courts have been clear that creating and building a Web-based business on the intellectual property of others is illegal. That is exactly what YouTube did in its formative years."

But when it comes to services such as YouTube, the law hasn't been as clear as McAndrew asserts--not to the courts or even Viacom executives.

In September, a U.S. district judge ruled in favor of Veoh, an online-video service, after that site was sued by Universal Music Group for alleged copyright violations. Legal analysts have said that the Veoh case is very similar to YouTube's but Viacom has argued that there are important differences and that decision, which Universal said it will appeal, is not binding on Stanton's decision.

And Viacom also has had trouble determining whether the DMCA protects YouTube.

On Friday, more documents in Viacom vs. Google were released and among them was an e-mail from Michael Fricklas, Viacom's general counsel, in which Fricklas appeared to defend YouTube.

"Mostly, YouTube behaves--and why not," Fricklas wrote in July 2006. "User-generated content appears to be what's driving it right now. Also, the difference between YouTube's behavior and Grokster's is staggering. While the Supreme Court's language IS broad; the precedent is not THAT broad."

A Viacom spokeswoman said Fricklas' e-mail was sent before Fricklas had a chance to fully evaluate YouTube and "in a few short months, it became clear to Mr. Fricklas and others that YouTube's behavior was egregiously unlawful."

Apple tops Microsoft as world's most valuable tech firm

Apple passed a major milestone today, becoming the world's largest technology company as measured by the total value of its shares.

Near the close of trading on the Nasdaq exchange, Apple's market capitalization stood at $223 billion, higher than No. 2 Microsoft, which had a market cap of $219.3 billion.

It was the first time that Apple's total share worth climbed above its rival's.

"Apple's market cap just exceeded Microsoft's for the first time ever, making it the world's largest tech company in terms of market cap," said Brian Marshall, an analyst with BroadPoint AmTech. "It's interesting that just seven years ago, the company traded at less than cash."

A company's market cap is equal to its share price times the number of shares outstanding. A year ago, Apple's shares closed at $130.78; today, the company's shares fell in late afternoon trading to $244.13, a one-year increase of 86.7%.

Microsoft's shares, meanwhile, dropped to $24.99 in late trading, off more than a dollar for the day.

Google, a competitor to both Apple and Microsoft, closed the day with a market cap of $152 billion.

Oil giant Exxon Mobil is the U.S.'s largest company, with a market cap of $278.6 billion.

According to BroadPoint's Marshall, both Apple and Microsoft will generate in the neighborhood of $65 billion in revenues during the 2010 calendar year.

Dell Streak blurs line between tablet, smartphone

Is the Android-powered Dell Streak, coming this summer, a tablet or a smartphone? The answer depends on who you ask.


Dell's Streak blurs the line between tablet and smartphone, which could prove to be an asset, or not.Dell Inc. calls it a tablet, but with a five-inch screen it's nearly half the size of Apple's 9.7-inch iPad.

Blurring the lines even further, it also has a GSM radio for making calls, something not often seen in tablets and certainly not in the iPad.

While it's basically a large pocket-size device, the Streak is small enough to hold up to your ear to make a call, or it can be connected to a wired or wireless headset.

Dell actually hasn't officially announced the dimensions of the full device, just the size of the screen, says Dell spokesman Matthew Parretta. "It doesn't look goofy holding it up to your head to talk," he said, noting he's been using the Streak for eight months as a phone and tablet and loves it.

Dell calls the Streak a tablet and not something else, because it's expected to be used as primarily a data-centric device, Parretta said.

In full landscape mode, a user can download Web pages and see them in full width, rather than having to move back and forth like one would with a smartphone. Moreover, the Streak can be used as a GPS device with Google Maps and Google Voice, he said.

But Dell executives have also recognized that the Streak falls between a smartphone and a tablet. Ron Garriques, president of the Dell Communication Solutions Group, said in a statement that the device "hits the sweet spot between traditional smartphones and larger-screen tablets. Its unique size provides people new ways to enjoy, connect and navigate their lives."

Other Dell representatives have described what the Streak is in a blog post and a video. "It is in a class of device that fits between a smartphone and a full netbook or notebook," said Kevin Andrew, who is on the Streak's development team, in the video.

What's in a name, anyway?
Why does it matter whether you call the Streak a smartphone or a tablet? It probably doesn't matter that much, except that something with a little of both is hard for some people to digest, including analysts such as Gartner Inc.'s Ken Dulaney.

"I find this product is in an odd size category that I do not believe will produce significant volume," Dulaney said via e-mail. "It is definitely not a smartphone, and the screen is only half the diagonal of the iPad, which is obviously successful."

Apple sold 1 million iPads in a little more than a month.

Dulaney said that Intel Corp. had called such "tweener" devices MIDs, for mobile Internet devices, but the concept basically fell flat. "Intel got many manufacturers to make such devices with little success," Dulaney said.

"So Dell has to convince the market that this product has some significant feature set over the iPad and that it's not a fourth computer [category]," he said.

Dulaney said the software in the Streak is also going to have to be competitive with the iPad's offerings.

Dell has said it will be possible to upgrade the Streak to the Android 2.2 operating system later this year, enabling it to support Flash 10.1 and video chat, among other features. The Streak's fast 1-GHz Snapdragon processor and its two cameras, front and rear, would make video chat possible.

PC Magazine's Lance Ulanoff declared the Streak was not a tablet and more like a phone.

Meanwhile, independent IT industry analyst Rob Enderle noted in a column at TGDaily on Wednesday that he had carried the Streak around for months and had found that it was better than both the iPad and the iPhone.

"It is both small enough to be a phone and big enough to do a number of things the iPad does acceptably well," Enderle wrote.

A major factor in Streak's favor, Enderle noted, is that it runs on Android. Android-based devices are close to matching the iPhone's success, he said, and Android could actually attract more developers than iPhone OS.

However, Enderle noted that "there may never really be a one-size-fits-all market." The Streak, he said, is "just the beginning of what we want in a tablet/smartphone, and it may be years until the right size and combination of technologies come to market."

Enderle said he bets there will be other devices in the class of the Streak coming shortly.

Putting aside questions about whether the Streak is a tablet or a smartphone, some analysts have said the device's success will depend on other factors, including Dell's strong brand and reputation and superior ability to market and sell products.

Analyst Jack Gold of J.Gold Associates LLC said on Tuesday that the Streak will do well in the short term, partly because Dell's brand recognition could help differentiate the device from dozens of other upcoming Android devices.

While some bloggers theorized AT&T will carry the Streak in the U.S., Dell has not commented officially on U.S. carriers, nor has it announced pricing or a release date -- except to say that the Streak would arrive "later this summer."

The Dell Streak will first appear in early June in the U.K. at 02 stores and at online retail sites, including Dell's U.K. site later in June.

Intel eyes hardware acceleration for Google's WebM

Intel is considering hardware-based acceleration for Google's new WebM video file format in its Atom-based TV chips if the format gains popularity, an Intel executive said on Thursday.

Google last week announced the high-definition WebM video file format to deliver high-quality Web video to multiple devices including TV sets and handhelds. WebM files will include video streams compressed with the open-source VP8 video codec, which was acquired by Google when it bought On2 Technologies in February.

"Just like we did with other codecs like MPEG2, H.264 & VC1, if VP8 establishes itself in the Smart TV space, we will add it to our [hardware] decoders," said Wilfred Martis, general manager for retail consumer electronics at Intel's Digital Home Group.

Intel is working with Google to bring Internet video to TV sets through the Google TV platform, which will blend broadcast TV and Internet content into one interface. Google will supply the software, and the service will be available later this year in some Sony high-definition TVs and Blu-ray DVD players, for which Intel will supply the highly optimized Atom CE4100 chip.

Intel declined to comment on how the lack of hardware acceleration in the CE4100 chips will affect the Google TV project. Google owns YouTube, which is one of the largest video sites on the Internet.

Intel's CE4100 TV chips will be able to decode and play back WebM files using software, Martis said. However, hardware acceleration could provide higher-quality video through faster decoding while consuming less power.

Intel has been trying to woo major TV makers and consumer electronics companies to use the Atom CE4100 chip. The chip includes a processor core that can run at clock speeds of up to 1.2GHz and is capable of decoding two 1080p video streams. The chips are in production, and the company has said it has received orders for more than a million.

A number of hardware and software vendors announced support for the WebM file format, but Intel was not on that list. Mozilla, Microsoft and Opera Software were some of the early vendors to jump on board, and chip maker Broadcom said its VideoCore IV smartphone processor would provide hardware acceleration for WebM video files.

Border searches of laptops may be conducted off-site for cause, court rules

In recent cases, U.S. courts have supported the government's right to search the contents of computers and other electronic devices carried by travelers arriving at U.S borders.

A federal court in Michigan this week added that if such a search could not be performed at the border, the government has the right to seize and transport a computer to a secondary inspection facility, as long as there's reasonable suspicion.

The issue of border laptop searches is important for business travelers who arrive at U.S airports carrying computers they use for work. Privacy advocates, security analysts and others have expressed concern that such searches could result in the exposure of sensitive company or customer data. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has previously asserted its right to inspect, copy or download the contents of computers or other electronic devices belonging to travelers at U.S. borders even without cause.

The federal court's ruling was first reported by the Web site FourthAmendment.com. The ruling was in response to a motion filed by the defendant in a child pornography case, who alleged that U.S. customs officials violated his Fourth Amendment rights when they took away one of his computers at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

The defendant, Theodore Stewart, is charged with transporting child pornography on two laptop computers that were in his possession when he arrived at the Detroit airport after a trip to Indonesia last May. According to court papers, a U.S. immigration and customs agent discovered images that appeared to depict child pornography on one of Stewart's computers during a secondary inspection of his belongings at the airport.

Customs officials were unable to immediately inspect the other computer, however, because its battery was damaged and no adapter was available to power up the system. Both computers were seized, and Stewart was allowed to go after being informed that the seized devices were being transported to a separate forensic facility for inspection.

Stewart was later charged with transporting child pornography based on evidence gathered from both computers during the inspection at the secondary facility. To do the inspection on the second computer, forensics agents had to remove the hard disk and mount it on another system.

Stewart sought to have the evidence from the second computer suppressed. In a brief, Stewart argued that while the initial inspection of one computer at the airport may have been valid, the seizure of the second computer and its inspection at the forensic facility amounted to an unreasonable, extended border search. Stewart also claimed that the evidence found on the second computer was discovered in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable seizure and search.

The government contended that the search at the forensic facility was a continuation of the search at Detroit airport. Having found what appeared to be evidence of child pornography on one computer, it was reasonable to suspect that the other one might also contain such content, the government said. It claimed that the search of the second computer was no different than multiple entries being made into a premises using a single search warrant.

In a 10-page ruling, Judge David Lawson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan said he could not fully accept either argument.

"Removing the laptops from the point of entry into the country and transporting them to a remote forensic laboratory may result in an intrusion greater than one might reasonably expect upon entering or re-entering the United States," Lawson wrote. Stewart was therefore correct in arguing that he was subjected to an extended border search, the judge wrote.

However, the search of the computer was valid, because agents clearly had reason to believe it might contain child pornography based on their inspection of the first computer at the airport, Lawson said.

In dismissing Stewart's motion to suppress evidence from the second computer, the judge also stressed that the search was only justified because the government was able to show "a particularized and objective" basis for suspicion in the case. The fact that the inspections were conducted within a day of the computers being seized also made it a reasonable search, he said.

"There comes a point when the passage of time or other circumstances can transform a seizure of property reasonable at its outset into an unreasonable intrusion," he said. But in this case that did not happen, Lawson wrote

Australian agency hits U.S. carriers over wireless patents

The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) is suing three of the largest U.S. mobile operators, charging they infringed a patent by selling wireless LAN products.

CSIRO last year settled with 14 wireless LAN vendors, including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Dell, after suing them in 2005 over the same patent. The current lawsuits, filed in late February in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Texas, target AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA.

CSIRO is a government-funded research institute with facilities all over Australia. It claims ownership of U.S. Patent No. 5,487,069, issued in 1996, entitled "Wireless LAN," which it claims covers fundamental aspects of the IEEE 802.11a,b,g and n standards.

In the three lawsuits filed in February, CSIRO is going after companies that are primarily sellers rather than makers of Wi-Fi products. In three separate complaints, CSIRO alleges each mobile operator is knowingly infringing the patent because it informed them about the infringement last year.

The agency is seeking unspecified damages as well as injunctions to stop the carriers from selling infringing products. CSIRO wants a jury to hear the case. One exception to the complaints is that the allegedly infringing products don't include those made with Intel chips. Intel was one of the companies that settled with CSIRO last year.

Verizon issued an answer to CSIRO's complaint last week in which it denied that the patent was "duly and legally issued for inventions" and that it had infringed "any valid enforceable claim" of the patent. T-Mobile also answered the suit, denying it has infringed the patent and that CSIRO has full ownership of it. As of last week, AT&T had not filed an answer to the complaint. All three carriers declined to comment on the case.

At the time of its 2005 lawsuit, CSIRO said it had offered to license the technology to vendors on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms but was turned down. Its legal actions at one point raised concerns over completion of the IEEE 802.11n standard.

The standards board of the IEEE said in 2007 that the approval of 802.11n was at risk because CSIRO hadn't provided a requested form letter in which contributors to a standard state how they will license their technology. The 802.11n standard was approved in September 2009.

AT&T and Verizon are the largest mobile operators in the U.S., and T-Mobile is the fourth-largest. All three sell smartphones equipped with Wi-Fi and include Wi-Fi hotspots as part of their wireless data offerings.

In 2007, T-Mobile provided free Wi-Fi routers through its hotspot@home service, which let subscribers make unlimited calls via Wi-Fi with T-Mobile phones that have the technology. Other companies that settled with CSIRO last year included Netgear, Toshiba, 3Com, Nintendo, D-Link and Buffalo Technologies.

Is there a replacement for Facebook?

Facebook claims to have more than 400 million active users. In fact, according to Web analytics firm Alexa, only Google is a more popular site. So, with all that going for it, why are so many users unhappy, with one poll showing that more than half of Facebook users are thinking about leaving?

The one-word answer: privacy. By default, Facebook has made almost everything on your account open to the world. You can lock down your Facebook account, but it's a tedious process.

New tools unveiled this week are designed to make this easier, but the next time Facebook changes its policies and system, you may need to do it all over again. There are also external tools that can check out just how secure your account is, but again, when Facebook changes its software, they may not work.

Last Monday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally admitted that Facebook has made some mistakes. Some users are staying put despite their distrust of the company. But others think it's too little too late and are talking loudly about leaving. There's even a group that has announced that May 31 is Quit Facebook Day.

Will a significant percentage of Facebook users actually leave? No matter its faults, Facebook has a huge user base, and those users, in turn, have all their friends on the service, all their photos and, yes, even all their Farmville farms. Will that many people really want to abandon Facebook and start all over with a new platform?

They have before. In social networking's early days -- all of five years ago -- Friendster, MySpace and Xanga all had their days in the sun. Now those once-popular social networks are in decline.

There are, of course, the other existing social networks. But some, like MySpace and LiveJournal, seem to have missed their moment. Others, such as the professional-oriented LinkedIn, have established a specific niche or, like Twitter, address different needs.

The alternatives
A group of would-be Facebook replacements have recently raised their hands, hoping that enough disenchanted users will see them as viable alternatives. Some are already out there, some are in beta, and some have hardly gotten past the "what-if" stage.

Who are these players, and do any of them have what it takes to become the next big social network?

Appleseed
While this open-source project is still in beta, it's an interesting take on social networking. Instead of being under the control of one company and one set of administrators, Appleseed works via a distributed server software package tied together with the ASN (Appleseed Social Network).

That means that as a user, you select and log into an Appleseed site. Once there, you connect with friends, send messages, share photos and videos, join discussions and participate in all the usual social networking stuff. Don't like the specific Appleseed site you're on? Then sign up for a different one and, according to the site, "immediately reconnect with everyone in your network."

It sounds good, but I can't help but notice that even though the program is officially in beta, I couldn't find any ASN sites to log into yet.

In a recent New York Times article, Michael Chisari, an Appleseed developer, said that the project is six months away from opening its doors to the public. It looks promising, but I'm not holding my breath on seeing Appleseed give Facebook serious competition anytime soon.

Diaspora
Diaspora, for all the headlines it's gotten, is still not much more than an idea. Mind you, with almost $200,000 of support from thousands of donors at Kickstarter.com, it's also a very popular idea.

Technically, Diaspora sounds a lot like Appleseed. It's also going to be built from open-source software, and it's going to be a distributed network server application. More power to them, but at least Appleseed already has some code.

The first Diaspora code release is slated for September.

2010 Lamborghini Gallardo

MSRP
$205,000 - $229,100
Invoice
Not Available

The 2010 Gallardo is a 2-door, 2-passenger luxury sports car, or convertible sports car, available in 4 trims,... read more ranging from the LP560-4 Coupe to the LP570-4 Superleggera.

Upon introduction, the LP560-4 Coupe is equipped with a standard 5.2-liter, V10, 560-horsepower engine that achieves 12-mpg in the city and 20-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The LP570-4 Superleggera is equipped with a standard 5.2-liter, V10, 570-horsepower engine that achieves 14-mpg in the city and 20-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is optional.

The 2010 LP560-4 Coupe is a carryover from 2009. The LP570-4 Superleggera has been reskinned for 2010.

2011 Hyundai Sonata

MSRP
$19,195 - $25,295
Invoice
$18,390 - $23,648

The 2011 Sonata is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, available in 6 trims, ranging from the GLS Manual to... read more the Limited Auto PZEV.

Upon introduction, the GLS Manual is equipped with a standard 2.4-liter, I4, 198-horsepower engine. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard. The Limited Auto PZEV is equipped with a standard 2.4-liter, I4, 190-horsepower engine that achieves 23-mpg in the city and 35-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

The 2011 Sonata is redesigned for 2011.

Blair to Join Venture Firm as Adviser on Technology

SAUSALITO, Calif. — Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, is turning his attention to Silicon Valley. Mr. Blair is becoming a senior adviser at Khosla Ventures, the venture capital firm founded by Vinod Khosla, an investor and a proponent of green technology.

Enlarge This Image

Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Tony Blair, right, with Vinod Khosla on Monday. Mr. Blair plans to offer guidance on public policy and green technology.

Related
Times Topics: Venture Capital | Tony BlairKhosla Ventures, which Mr. Khosla founded in 2004 after leaving the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, made the announcement here on Monday at a meeting of its investors. The firm is investing $1.1 billion in clean technology and information technology companies.

Mr. Blair will offer strategic advice on public policy to the firm’s green portfolio companies. They include Calera, a manufacturer that uses carbon dioxide to create cement products; Kior, which converts biomass like wood chips into biofuels; and Pax Streamline, which aims to make air-conditioning more environmentally friendly.

“The more I studied the whole climate change issue and linking it with energy security and development issues, I became absolutely convinced that the answer is in the technology,” Mr. Blair said in an interview.

Mr. Blair worked on international climate change policy as prime minister, and now leads the Breaking the Climate Deadlock initiative, through which he aims to help shape international climate policy.

Silicon Valley and Washington have a distant and at times adversarial relationship. That is fine when it comes to information technology, Mr. Blair said, because government is not its driving force.

Green technology is different, though, because governments are trying to use it to achieve policy goals. “Technological breakthroughs that are economically viable — for governments, that’s the holy grail,” he said.

Mr. Khosla said that people who worked in technology underestimated the importance of working with policy makers, and that Mr. Blair would help bridge that divide.

Like Al Gore and Colin Powell, who are advisers at Kleiner Perkins, Mr. Blair will lend his name to projects, make introductions and dole out advice, but will not be involved in the firm’s day-to-day activity.

For example, Mr. Blair said, he could potentially help to broker a deal for one of the companies to build a demonstration plant in a particular country.

Khosla Ventures, based in Menlo Park, Calif., generally invests between $5 million and $15 million in technology start-ups, and also invests smaller amounts, around $2 million, in what Mr. Khosla calls “science experiments” — green-technology ideas that are so risky and early-stage that they will likely fail.

Its goal is to help build technologies that do not require government subsidies to survive and that are economically viable in countries like China and India, Mr. Khosla said.

“We are not trying to do incremental things,” Mr. Khosla said. “We are trying to do things that are the stuff of dreams.”

Khosla Ventures is increasing its green-tech investment as most venture capitalists have been scaling back on such investments, particularly those that require building factories to produce alternative energy.

MasterCard Wants Programmers to Use Its Payment Technology

There has been a lot of talk about digital forms of payment replacing cash and even credit cards. But MasterCard intends to stay in the middle of the technological innovation.

On Tuesday, MasterCard announced that it would let software developers use its technology in their own online apps and on mobile phones.

“A big part of the strategy is to be able to harness the innovation of others in the developer community to really push our business forward,” said Josh Peirez, MasterCard’s chief innovation officer.

E-commerce and mobile payments are changing the way we use money, Mr. Peirez said. Though MasterCard, Visa and other payment companies have experimented with building their own apps for things like mobile money transfers, MasterCard wants to see what other people can come up with for paying online and in the real world.

“You’re seeing quite different ways people are paying for digital goods, but you haven’t really seen that translate into physical goods,” he said. “It’s still really hard to buy a physical item from your phone.”

MasterCard has already built a few apps, including the MasterCard ATM Hunter iPhone app. But if outside developers wanted to use its payment technology, they have had to get a merchant agreement, set up the payment system and make the consumer enter data each time. No one wants to do that.

Developers could use the new open platform to embed a payment feature in virtual games or in e-commerce apps on Twitter or Facebook, or to build an app that sends a text message to the card’s owner before a purchase is made, for instance.

But the most creative uses of MasterCard’s technology will be those that MasterCard hasn’t even thought of, Mr. Peirez said.

MasterCard is following in the footsteps of PayPal, which opened its platform late last year. Developers have built apps like MyHomie, a Web app for roommates and families with to-do lists, calendars and a bill payment system, and GoSqueesh, a group buying service like Groupon.

So far, MasterCard has identified about 20 of its services that developers will be able to use in their applications. They include payment technology, bill payment systems and data streams like consumer spending patterns, which could be used to send coupons.

This is the first project to come out of MasterCard Labs, the research and development group that the company started in April.

Developers will be able to tap into the platform by the end of the year.

MasterCard is also working on a way to share the revenue that developers get from payments.

Facebook to Make Privacy Control Easier

On Wednesday, Facebook will unveil a new version of its privacy menu intended to make adjusting the settings much easier for its members.


Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via Associated Press

Facebook’s complicated privacy settings have frustrated some users.Chris Cox, vice president for product at the company, speaking on-stage at TechCrunch Disrupt, a technology conference in New York City, described the revised controls as “drastically simplified.”

Mr. Cox said that the move was part of a larger effort to quell the growing frustration of some Facebook users befuddled as well as concerned by recent revisions to its privacy policy that makes more personal information public.

Currently, Facebook users are required to navigate through 50 settings with more than 170 different options to adjust how much of their profile information is accessible to anyone on the Internet. As Facebook extends itself to other Web sites across the Internet, that information is shared more widely.

Mr. Cox declined to offer any more details, but said the company was responding to user feedback and is working with consultants to address recent privacy concerns.

“It’s been a humbling couple of weeks for us,” Mr. Cox said.

Mr. Cox’s announcement comes one day after Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and chief executive of the company, published an editorial in The Washington Post, saying the company “moved too fast” with its most recent changes

Microsoft Shakes Up Products Unit

Microsoft disclosed a series of management changes on Tuesday that will alter the shape of its business unit responsible for products like the Zune music player, Xbox gaming console and phones.

Most notably, Robbie Bach, the head of the entertainment and devices group, will retire from Microsoft after 22 years at the company. As a result, Mr. Ballmer will take a more hands-on role in Microsoft’s gadgets and games by having various division heads report directly to him.

In a statement and in discussions with reporters, Microsoft representatives stressed that Mr. Bach would leave the company on good terms.

Mr. Bach’s division has had a number of successes, including the Xbox, but has also produced some of the company’s greatest disappointments, including lackluster phone software and the slow-selling Zune. It also botched its approach to the tablet computer market.

"For the past 22 years, Robbie has personified creativity, innovation and drive,” Mr. Ballmer said in a statement. “With this spirit, he has led a division passionately devoted to making Microsoft successful in interactive entertainment and mobility.”

Mr. Bach, 48, will remain at Microsoft until the fall, at which point he plans to spend more time with his family, Microsoft said. During a meeting with reporters and editors at The New York Times on May 14, Mr. Bach did not mention any plans to leave the company, instead focusing on the future of the Xbox and new phone software.

J Allard, the head of design and development in Mr. Bach’s group, will also leave Microsoft after 19 years at the company, although he will continue to advise Mr. Ballmer, the company said. Mr. Allard has worked on a variety of products, including Windows, Xbox and Zune.

Microsoft recently scrapped a project code-named Courier that included a new type of tablet computer that would have competed against Apple’s iPad. Mr. Allard had backed the product internally.

Microsoft’s entertainment and devices group, which competes against Apple, Sony, Nokia, Google and others, has failed to turn into the large profit center that the company envisioned.

“They certainly expect to be one of the top two companies in market share in the areas where they play,” said Charles Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research. “With the exception of Xbox, they have failed to achieve that with any of the components in Robbie’s organization.”

Some of the recent shifts in the computing industry have dealt particularly hard blows to Mr. Bach’s group.

For example, Microsoft spent years working on tablet computers, only to watch as Apple’s iPad took over the market in a matter of weeks. In addition, Hewlett-Packard, one of Microsoft’s closest partners, just moved to acquire Palm, a maker of mobile device software. This deal sent a clear signal that H.P. thought it could no longer bet on Microsoft’s Windows software in the mobile market, analysts said.

Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates, said he questioned Mr. Ballmer’s ability to correct some of these problems by embracing a more direct role in overseeing the products.

Microsoft continues to lack what Mr. Kay described as a “maestro” who is capable of reading the tastes of the consumer device market and moving the company quickly enough to take advantage of that intuition.

“I think that is a very special thing that Apple has, and that Microsoft doesn’t,” Mr. Kay said.

Internet Security 2010

Internet Security 2010 is a fake application designed by computer hackers whose main goal is to gain money easily from ordinary computer users. It's a rogue antispyware program that enters computers with a help of Trojan viruses. It doesn't require the authorization of the user and doesn't leave any notification about installation.

Once inside, the application is configured to start automatically when computer is rebooted. It pretends to look for infections just like a legitimate antispyware program. Later it generates a list of infections stating that they are damaging your system so you must immediately get rid of them.

Internet Security 2010 also displays fabricated security alerts stating that a worm has been detected on your machine and then recommends fixing the problem by purchasing a full version of its program.

Moreover, the program tends to block many legitimate computer programs. When you attempt to start certain application, the Trojan will terminate it and display a message warning that the program is infected. Besides, the message promotes purchasing Internet Security 2010 as a legitimate security tool. The application blocks some of the programs in order to protect itself from being uninstalled. This means that your legitimate security tools are very likely to be blocked too. So your system stays unprotected.

As you see, Internet Security 2010 has nothing in common with a reputable antispyware program. Please ignore any scan results or messages provided by this rogue antispyware program. Instead consider removal of Internet Security 2010, if it happened to you to detect it running on your system.

Cheap International Phone Calls From UK

How to make cheap international telephone call from UK - many of us are searching how to get cheap long distance telephone calls. It could be for relatives, friends living abroad, or maybe you need to call your business partner 10 times a day in another country. The main telecom companies like BT and NTL charges high prices for your international calls – they were monopolists for so long. In these days it's possible to use phone cards or a small telecom companies who specialises in international calls via dial-through access numbers.

Some people use alternative telecom companies to make cheap international phone calls from UK, like Telediscount, Telestunt, DialAround, Bestminutes, Ratebuster, Dialwise, Pennyphone etc. They are known as dial through companies and they operate by providing dial through access number (UK geographic number) to call from your normal BT or NTL landline telephone. Most companies charge different prices for telephone calls to different destinations worldwide. For example you can call USA, most of western Europe (Germany, France, Italy etc) for as little as 1p per minute, call India for just 5p – a big savings on your bill!

How to make cheap international calls from your landline using dial through companies:

1. Dial their low cost access number for your chosen destination

2. At the prompt dial the international phone number starting with a prefix "00"

3. Your international call's low rate will then be conveniently charged to your current phone bill.

For example to make a call to India: dial chosen company's access telephone number, wait for connection, dial you destination telephone number 0091 123 456789. You will hear a confirmation on how much your call will cost after dialing the access number.

With more than 20 companies available it is not an easy task to find out which company offers the best rates for your destination and prices often change on a daily basis. Many Cheap International Call comparison websites has been created to provide you with a complete, comprehensive and most of all easy to use guides to the cheapest international call prices offered by dial through service providers to all countries around the world from the UK. With more than 20 companies available on most websites to choose from, international calls are becoming an easy and cheap everyday activity.

All the companies reviewed on comparison sites requires no sign up or account, you don't need a credit card, you do not need to change your phone provider, purchase any special devices or even buy a phone card. Using dial through low-cost access numbers to make your international and long distance calls can save you huge amounts on your phone bill.

Happy Talking!

Cheap International call

GPS Options With The iPhone

There is a lot of talk nowadays with regard to the iPhone. It pays to know what is in store when buying one. This will be especially useful for those with particular needs in terms of gadgets. People who require GPS features will benefit from the iPhone.

The iPhone Technology

This whole thing about the advent of the iPhone is more than just a craze. This is something that could prove to be useful in the long-term. Considering the wonderful features that have been packed into the iPhone, it will definitely stay.

The iPhone provides a very convenient option for people who are always on the run but still want to keep in touch with their favorite music tracks. The iPhone allows the owner to make use of the cellular phone with the music playing options and email access.

The iPhone GPS

GPS or global positioning system is another remarkable feature that sets the iPhone at the front of cellular phone choices. This GPS option allows the user to track locations and sites. This way, getting lost will be nearly impossible. Just keep the iPhone at hand and you can navigate through locations with less worry of getting lost.

The iPhone was initially released without the GPS feature. This fact drove many users to request for it to be installed the iPhone, or at least have an accessory to make the GPS feature available. There is a high expectations that cellular phones that are newly released will automatically have the GPS feature installed. There are developments still being made to make the iPhone GPS capable.

In actuality, the initially released iPhone possesses features that can work well with the GPS function. The capability of the cellular phone to explore the online community can give user access to sites that provide positioning services. There is also the wi-fi feature that can easily indicate to the iPhone users the locations that need to be looked for the wireless connectivity.

Conclusion

Most of the current users also recognize the fact that they are able to enjoy more battery life with the current iPhone. The GPS feature may shorten the battery life. Still, the iPhone GPS feature is still worth watching out for. Knowing the Apple company, they will come up with something new that will keep the market interested.

Alert: iPhone For Sale

People have been waiting for a long time to grab hold of their own iPhone. Ever since the news came out that the iPhone would be released, there were quite a number that prepared to purchase it. To those who haven't had a chance to buy the gadget, it pays to know the options of the iPhone.

The Wonders Of iPhone

There are lots of people craving and raving for the iPhone after it was released. There is so much to enjoy on the iPhone that convinced the rest of the population that they need one too.

The iPhone could be the best thing that's happened in cellular phone technology. It possesses the wonderful features of the iPod technology. It can also give way to other possibilities like image browsing, email access, GPS options and the 8 GB memory capacity. These considerations prove the wonders of the iPhone. This is why you have to know where to go to find iPhones for sale.

iPhone For Sale

The iPhone is still a relatively new technology. It may not be easy to find the gadget on sale very soon. Some outlets may not even be given the privilege to sale the iPhones. This is why it becomes more important to simply know where to get one. There may be no discounts but the buyer can at least secure a guaranteed purchase.

Apple Retail Store

The first stop is the Apple retail store. This is where you can get anything that is the product of the Apple company. This is definitely the place where you can get the iPhone. Take the opportunity also to ask questions regarding the product. The people at the Apple retail store will be glad to assist you in all your needs.

AT&T Outlets

The outlets of the AT&T network can also be your choice to get an iPhone. This is the official service provider for the iPhone. This is also where you can fully secure the services that go with the iPhone. You can inquire from the network the other rates and fees that you have to manage.

Apple Online

You can also explore the Apple retail store online. Browse the different features, accessories and enhancements that come with the iPhone. Then have it delivered to your house. That is convenience.

The Craze That Is iPhone

The latest buzz among people is the iPhone. This latest product from the Apple company has attracted the attention of many people. It pays to know the iPhone features to see if it is really worth the wait and anticipation.

The iPhone Features

People who love modern gadgets will appreciate the iPhone. This is like the iPod but with a phone feature. That is why the name iPhone is just fitting for this latest development in cellular phone technology.

The Cellular Phone Technology

The iPhone is a cellular phone that is packed with the features enjoyed by users of iPods. This is like putting together a mobile phone and mp3 player in one. Unlike other cellular phones on the market, the iPhone allows the user to store more music to play. Instead of bringing two gadgets in tow, you can just grab your iPhone.

Music Playing Options

The music playing options of the iPhone compares to the performance of the iPod. Hundreds of songs can be stored in the iPhone to give more choices in your playlist. This is definitely one of the iPhone features that make it a good choice. Another iPhone feature that enthusiasts are crazy about is the speaker system. This feature enables the user to share their music with others.

Laudable Memory Capacity

The memory and data capacity of the iPhone stands out from other music playing cellular phones on the market. The iPhone is capable of 8 GB memory. That ensures you have room to put in a lot of music with your iPhone Gadget

Other iPhone Features

The iPhone has some games for you to enjoy. It is also capable of GPS functions. It allows the user to track things as configured in the iPhone. The GPS feature must be supported by the network provider. In the present case, it is AT&T Wireless that can secure that.

iPhone Accessories

People who have Apple gadgets know that there are also accessories that can improve the use of the iPhone. It is advisable to use the earphones provided by the apple technology for maximum enjoyment. Get also the other accessories that will help protect your iPhone from the usual wear and tear.

Conclusion

Get to know the good iPhone features. See for yourself how good this product is. Get the iPhone now and enjoy the gadget while it's still hot.

Not Sure Where To Buy Apple iPod Touch Online? Read This!

Many shoppers are not sure of where to buy an Apple ipod Touch online. The number of online stores selling the new 3rd generation Apple Ipod Touch can be a bit overwhelming especially if you're new to the online world. How do you find them? Who can you trust? Is their website easy to navigate? Do they ship promptly at reasonable rates?

Fortunately for you there is at least one online store that will meet or exceed all your online shopping expectations. Amazon.com is the leader in online retail sales by a huge margin. You can be reassured if you buy an Apple ipod touch from this retail giant your shopping experience will be simple and safe.

Your choice for the Apple iPod Touch is an extremely smart choice. The Apple iPod Touch 8 GB, the Apple iPod Touch 32 GB and the Apple iPod Touch 64 GB (all 3rd Generation) are definitely the best multi-functional music players available in the market today. They are well-rounded and have many other features than being just a music player. The app store is an added advantage as there are many applications that can be downloaded for free, and there are others for a minimal cost.

The web browser (safari) is the best one you can get on a portable device as it does not crash or get slow. Its super fast and smooth, so there’s no need to carry a net book for browsing when there is the apple ipod touch. It has skype in it too, making it easy to communicate with people anywhere around the world. An interesting feature of the apple ipod touch is the voice control function. It allows the user to control the ipod using his/her voice, instead of taking it from the pocket and operating whenever desired. When the user says "next", "shuffle", or "pause", the ipod automatically goes to the next song, shuffles the songs, and pauses the present song respectively. This feature is very useful in gyms and while driving.

Shopping online at Amazon.com can be both a fun and rewarding experience. Online since 1995 they have pioneered many aspects of shopping online. Their website is fast and easy to use. They have at least 10 shipping fulfillment centers across the United States to ensure quick and reliable delivery of your iPod Touch to your location. Their prices are very competitive and in many cases better than other online retailers. If you time it right you may even cash in on one of their special deals or sales.

Amazon is much more than a book store. They now offer thousands of items in many different categories. You will also be happy to know that free shipping is offered on many items including the Apple iPod Touch. Some restrictions may apply so please ensure you read the details on each product page. Another great benefit of shopping for your Apple iPod Touch at Amazon.com is the ability to research the good and the bad simply by reading actual customer reviews in real time. Here are a few excerpts from a few Apple iPod Touch reviews: