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Microsoft on Monday unveiled Silverlight, a new browser plug-in designed to compete head-to-head with Adobe's Flash plug-in. Announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show in Las Vegas, Microsoft says the new cross-platform application will let Web publishers deliver rich interactive applications (RIA) and video media that will run on both Mac OS X and Windows PCs via a variety of browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari...

In an expected but by no means insignificant move, Google will begin selling 30-second ads to run on hundreds of radio stations operated by Clear Channel Radio The deal is part of the search engine giant's determined expansion beyond the Internet, and it's one that should bring much-needed revenue to the struggling Clear Channel. The multiyear agre...

IBM and Yahoo launched an upgraded version of their free OmniFind enterprise search offering Monday. The new IBM OmniFind Yahoo Edition includes some 60 new features and corrects 22 bugs Designed for use by businesses and other organizations, the no-charge application is installed on a server and provides access for a number of users within the ent...

The biggest problem with online streaming video is that one must be connected to the Internet to view it. That problem may be mitigated by Adobe's new media player. The company on Monday announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show in Las Vegas a new Flash-focused, application-based player that will let consumers download and view content online or offline...

Following Google's announcement Friday that it is acquiring online advertising company DoubleClick, its Internet and media rivals began urging regulators to scrutinize the US$3.1 billion deal Microsoft, itself no stranger to competitive complaints both in the United States and abroad, issued a statement featuring the comments of Brad Smith, its sen...

I still enjoy flying. This statement may seem anachronistic these days, with all the air travel delays, security screening hassles and wild-eyed rudeness that one does tend to experience from a few fellow travelers However, for me, there's still something fun about going to the airport, traveling to a (sometimes) interesting location, and even the ...

Last week was painful to watch. Don Imus made a statement that is common -- but inappropriate coming from an old white man -- and got shot for it, repeatedly, and is now off the air. This dovetailed with a now broad effort to create a code of conduct for the Web somewhat similar to what the broadcasters did decades ago. While it probably will fail, it shouldn't be allowed to, because the alternative may be far worse...

Online retailers more concerned about getting savvy shoppers to return to their sites versus winning new Web surfers are employing new technologies that enhance -- and differentiate -- their sites "2006 marked an important inflection point where the primary driver of online sales growth shifted from new customer acquisition to driving repeat busine...

Although Samsung has long been one of the major supporters of the Blu-ray Disc format, the South Korean electronics maker has decided to now straddle the fence in the format war -- saying it will release a player capable of supporting both Blu-ray and rival HD DVD formats The model BD-UP5000 will also support both formats' interactive technologies,...

The U.S. government has received the not-so-stellar grade of "C-" in an annual report card on its IT security practices. The good news is that compared to earlier rankings mandated by the Federal Information Security Management Act, or FISMA, the government has improved its score The Department of Homeland Security, for instance, received a "D" for...

Chinese government departments, including the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, began a six-month campaign Thursday to eliminate pornography and other material from the Internet in China, according to reports from the Xinhua News Agency Some 137 million Chinese use the Internet, second only to the United States. Young Chinese people make up the ...

A new collaborative project between the U.S. military and the communications industry promises to give new meaning to the term "satellite communications" by sending an Internet router into space The Internet Router in Space (IRIS) project, which is being worked on jointly by the Department of Defense, satellite provider Intelsat General and network...

Microsoft has pushed back its plans to deliver the much-anticipated public beta of its next-generation server virtualization software, code-named "Viridian." Instead of delivering the beta in the first half of the year, Microsoft will offer it up to the public sometime in the second half of 2007 The company still plans to deliver its Windows Server...

Google extended the reach of its online payment service Friday, launching Google Checkout in the UK and setting up an expanded showdown with eBay's PayPal and other Web payment alternatives As with its U.S. launch, Google Checkout will be supported with steep discounts and promotions for buyers and merchants alike....

Hoping to expand its reach and capture more advertising revenue, CBS has struck deals with ten Internet-related companies that will distribute its content over the Web With its so-called CBS Interactive Audience Network, the veteran broadcasting company will become "the most widely distributed professional content provider online," it asserted in a...

Two new variations of the Storm Worm virus on Thursday likely marked the largest proliferation of e-mail-based virus attacks in more than a year, according to security company Postini Over the last 24 hours, Postini has seen about 5 million virus e-mails. "We're seeing 50 to 60 times the average daily volume of spam," Adam Swidler, senior manager o...

The heavyweight patent battle between Qualcomm and Nokia grew more heated Friday, with Nokia responding to Qualcomm's decision to reject a US$20 million payment by saying that it will more aggressively enforce the patents it claims Qualcomm is using in its own mobile phones On Thursday, Qualcomm disclosed that it had turned down an offer of $20 mil...

In recent years, identity fraud has been researched and quantified possibly more than any other societal issue. However, all measurements of identity fraud have, to date, relied on victim accounts, whether recorded by Gartner or Javelin in consumer surveys or as reported to the Federal Trade Commission Victim reports, however, account for only a sm...

Just when directors thought that no more could possibly be expected of them -- especially after the enactment of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) -- they are now confronted with a new acronym: ERM (enterprise risk management) Directors are now expected to conduct oversight of their company's enterprise risk, when just a few years ago very few people had even h...

Unless you've had your head stuck in the sand this past month, you're probably already well aware of the hoopla surrounding Microsoft's latest release of Outlook 2007. Does the recent upgrade from our friends in Redmond represent the end of e-mail marketing civilization as we know it? Is it much ado about nothing? Or is it yet another ploy in Microsoft's ongoing quest for world domination? Read on for the real story...