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I got interested in personal computing before I became interested in technology, and I used my Mac SE 20 almost entirely as a word processor. I'd tried using PCs, but the arcane command and file structures seemed more of a hindrance than a help to my writing. In contrast, the Mac was a revelation ...

Looks like Yahoo is going to let go of most of its Asian assets -- a large part of its stake in the Alibaba Group of China and its Yahoo Japan affiliate -- and load up on cash. The move may allow the company to retain control of its core assets and perhaps even buy itself a new look. Yahoo's board r...

My Pick of the Week is a brand new category of computers called "Ultrabooks." Think of Apple's thin MacBook Air -- but on Windows. These are a hit with Apple users, so there is no reason they shouldn't be just as popular with the Windows crowd, as long as they run well. I have not used them yet, but...

Everyone seems to be singing the Sue-You-Sue-Me Blues in the smartphone market. Microsoft and Motorola are the latest to join the chorus, both claiming victory in a patent ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission. The ruling found that Motorola Mobility -- which Google has agreed to acquire...

Facing a deadline from its partner Sprint, LightSquared filed a motion Tuesday asking FCC officials to confirm the company's right to use the airwaves, despite data that suggest its operations could interfere with global-positioning systems. Any interference with GPS devices is a flaw within GPS tec...

Google and Mozilla have reupped their search revenue agreement. Under the new three-year plan, Google Search will continue to be the default search provider for Firefox users. Given Google's clear desire to push Chrome into the top ranks of the browser market, it would seem counterintuitive for it...

AT&T has decided not to challenge the Federal Communication Commission's objections to its proposed US$39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. Given the energy, time and resources it clearly put into the effort, the company is likely still licking its wounds, but it will soon have to address the qu...

AT&T has decided not to challenge the Federal Communication Commission's objections to its proposed US$39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile. Given the energy, time and resources it clearly put into the effort, the company is likely still licking its wounds, but it will soon have to address the qu...

A lawsuit alleging Facebook violates a California law on commercial endorsements can move forward, a federal judge has ruled. Facebook failed to persuade the court to dismiss the suit altogether, but District Judge Lucy Koh did reject the plaintiff's claim that Facebook had unjustly enriched itself ...

AT&T has put an end to its $39 billion quest to take over T-Mobile Monday, announcing that it will decline to challenge the FCC's claims that the deal would lead to fewer consumer choices, poor service and higher prices. The proposed deal with T-Mobile's parent company, Deutsche Telekom, announ...

AT&T has put an end to its $39 billion quest to take over T-Mobile Monday, announcing that it will decline to challenge the FCC's claims that the deal would lead to fewer consumer choices, poor service and higher prices. The proposed deal with T-Mobile's parent company, Deutsche Telekom, announ...

If it's late November or early December, I'm usually traveling to or from Westchester County, New York, home of IBM and its Software Group and Systems and Technology Group's annual IT analyst confabs. In practical ways, these events tend to mirror one another; past strategies and solutions are trott...

In a response to privacy concerns over controversial software made by Carrier IQ, wireless provider Sprint has announced it will disable the data collection tool on its handsets. Carrier IQ software is designed to be installed in handsets to give wireless carriers information about how their network...

In May 2011, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada released a report based on a consultation process for online tracking, profiling and targeting of advertisers, and cloud computing. The goal was to engage the public on recent technological advancements and privacy complications in behavioral advertisi...

There's a new bit of conventional wisdom regarding the future of computing, and it's gathering momentum in some corners of the business world. Advocates of this particular piece of wisdom argue that the best way to reduce the cost and complexity of corporate computing for the data centers of the fut...