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A bill to take the "spy" out of spyware got a public hearing before a Congressional subcommittee Wednesday The legislation filed by Rep. Mary Bono (R-California) would require spyware purveyors to inform computer users of the presence, nature and function of their applications, as well as seek permission from users before downloading intrusive good...

The weather outside may be frightful, but the potential for revenue is delightful. True, rewriting a holiday song so it fits e-commerce may take away some of the lyrical charm, but for e-tailers, it still captures the spirit of the season As the holiday period approaches, e-commerce players are gearing up for the online buying rush. Many analysts p...

SCO chief executive Darl McBride's explanation and defense of his software company's legal strategy has brought on a flurry of activity in the open-source software community. Among the more significant developments, SCO indicated it is poised to bring legal action against at least one of the companies that declined its offer to license Linux, whic...

It's a simple equation, really: Personal computer desktop equals Microsoft. It's probably not fair, and it may even be that the synonymous status represents the ill-gotten gains of a monopolistic company. But it's as close to hard, fast truth as you can get. Ninety-seven percent of the population can't be wrong Or can they? Linux backers think so, ...

Continuing to dispel uncertainty over its dedication to open source, software maker Novell has released a road map for the Mono development project -- an open-source effort to write Linux and Unix applications for Microsoft's .NET framework Novell -- which purchased Linux desktop maker Ximian last August and earlier this month announced its acquisi...

In a move that could open a new front in the search engine wars, America Online has purchased Singingfish, a search company that focuses exclusively on helping Web surfers find audio and video clips on the Internet and whose customers include Microsoft and RealNetworks AOL did not disclose terms of its acquisition of Seattle, Washington-based Singi...

During the past several years, light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have been cropping up in places where traditional lighting technology has dominated. It seems this trend -- which gathered steam years ago with the incorporation of LED technology into consumer electronics devices -- has begun to accelerate into other consumer areas An LED is a semicond...

When it comes to fighting traditional crime, tipsters play an integral role in reporting suspicious activities, questionable characters and true confessions. But while few people question the existence of Crime Stopper hotlines or highway billboards, Microsoft's recent plan to offer a bounty for information leading to the arrest of malware authors brings tip lines into the digital age...

In an effort to turn the tables on computer worms that can clog and confound corporate networks, Cisco has teamed with three major antivirus vendors to make networks smarter -- and therefore safer -- with trusted agents that can cut off infected or compromised nodes while keeping the overall network up and running Acknowledging that the collaborati...

Marking a trend in which large security players are among the last to the party, Internet Security Systems released the first of its new Proventia G Series intrusion-prevention appliances this week, promising proactive protection and ease of use Atlanta-based ISS said the G200 -- the first device in its intrusion-prevention line, which is expected ...

Leaving little doubt about its resolve to press the legal issues surrounding its claimed ownership of part of the Linux source code, SCO Group said it has set aside millions of dollars in cash and stock to pay its high-profile legal team. SCO also indicated it may move to block Novell's planned purchase of SuSE Linux, saying that by acquiring the ...

In a classic duel between wetware and software this afternoon, the world's number one chess player will battle a computer program in the last of a four-game set in virtual reality. After three contests, the opponents -- Grandmaster Garry Kasparov, 40, and X3D Fritz -- are deadlocked at one win each with one draw "It's really been fascinating," X3D ...

Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, is an old technology that has been quietly revolutionizing business and industry. Back in World War II, the British used RFID signals to confirm the identity of their own aircraft in flight. Today, RFID has permeated our society. It is used to track everything from pets to prisoners to products Over the past...

A US$75 box of truffles. A $550 designer handbag. A $10,000 diamond ring. While these may not sound like the kinds of products consumers would rush to buy over the Internet, e-tailers are claiming growing success in selling to the wealthy -- or at least to those with expensive tastes "During the last big boom, from 1998 through about 2000, people b...

Hoping to shift industry focus to the company's new "kindler, gentler" business approach, Microsoft has announced the availability of royalty-free licensing of its Office 2003 XML reference schemas and documentation Long resented for its closed, proprietary software and facing increased competition from Linux and other open-source alternatives, Mic...

In its first move since being acquired by Novell, SuSE announced that its enterprise Linux software will be sold and supported by Gateway in a partnership aimed at seizing more of the U.S. server market, particularly among small- to medium-size businesses Novell's purchase of SuSE Linux earlier this month has sparked varied speculation about how --...

In his 20th annual Comdex Las Vegas keynote address, Microsoft chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates outlined the company's vision for seamless computing, a framework for software innovation that the company hopes will address many of the fundamental issues computer users face today In his keynote, Gates said seamless computing will unlo...

Microsoft has announced it is putting the finishing touches on its own entry into the music download business, setting up a competitive showdown with a host of already established players in the marketplace The software giant has not set a specific date for the launch of its service, which will be run through MSN, and did not disclose many other de...

As I write this, I'm getting ready to leave for Comdex, where I'll moderate a panel on the importance of Microssoft's .NET framework. On the panel will be a bunch of folks representing Oracle, Apache and Microsoft To help me keep the peace among participants who rarely agree with each other, Laura DiDio from the Yankee Group will be providing the a...

Few e-commerce companies tread their path entirely alone. The majority rely on partnerships with portals, search sites, fellow merchants and brick-and-mortar retailers to survive and thrive in a fiercely competitive environment. However, forging partnerships that work well is a tricky business, a tightrope walk with myriad pitfalls, from establish...