Items tagged with trust
Let's face it -- Microsoft has struggled with security, particularly on its operating systems and its Internet Explorer browser. Even as recently as this month, the Conficker virus was making its way around to Windows-powered machines as security experts scrambled to find a fix. Thus, it makes perfect sense to see Microsoft introducing a dedicated initiative to create a safer, more trusted Internet. Granted, this should've been implemented years ago, but we guess now is better than never.Labeled "End To End Trust," this vision hopes to create an Internet experience that can be enjoyed without fear of rouge malware and viruses attacking one's PC. At this year's RSA Conference, the company was...
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As the old expression goes, I don't know what Yahoo! CEO Jerry Yang is smoking, but I want some. Yesterday Yahoo! announced that they had finally really absolutely unequivocally indubitably without question stopped talking to Microsoft about a takeover by, or joint venture with the Redmond giant, and that they had signed a deal with Google that essentially hands over their search marketing to Google for a slice of the revenue. In other words, they gave away what Microsoft was trying to buy from them. By the end of the day $3.6 billion in shareholder value had been lost. And it took about ten seconds for the most obvious result of a Yahoo!/Google linkup to rear its anti-trust head:WASHINGTON,...
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The Attorney General of New York has issued subpoenas to Intel, seeking information about whether Intel unlawfully compelled their customers to exclude rival AMD from the market for certain computer chips. At issue in Cuomo's probe is whether AMD has a fair chance to supply its X86 computer processing units for desktop and laptop computers and servers. Cuomo says Intel commanded 80% of the $30 billion market.In 2005, AMD filed a lawsuit saying Intel bullied major customers — PC makers like Dell (DELL)— into exclusive deals and offered secret rebates.The lawsuit alleged anti-competitive practices in several countries, including Britain, Germany and Japan.Intel, which commands three-quarters of...
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It's hard not to appreciate a CEO that comes across as direct as Intel's very own Paul Otellini. Like him or not, even AMD fans have to give the man credit for being a straight shooter and calling a spade a spade, even if that means ruffling a few feathers.It looks like the latest feathers to get ruffled a bit are those of the EU who have accused Intel of predatory pricing. Mr. Otellini claims that the facts don't support that argument, but that's just the beginning of his side of the story.“He adds that he finds statements by EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes about Europe's role in regulating "dominant" companies "very troubling. If they take that position with us, or Qualcomm...
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In a European Union court decision that makes one wonder why the U.S. couldn't succeed in its antitrust litigation against Microsoft (at least to this extent), Microsoft is reeling.Microsoft suffered a stunning defeat on Monday when a European Union court backed a European Commission ruling that the U.S. software giant illegally abused its market power to crush competitors."Microsoft must now comply fully with its legal obligations to desist from engaging in anti-competitive conduct. The Commission will do its utmost to ensure that Microsoft complies swiftly", (EU Competition Commission Neelie) Kroes said in a statement.Wow, that's big. The fine levied against Microsoft, which was upheld in...
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Halo 3 is scheduled for release on Septemeber 26th, and I can't recall a more anticipated game launch. It's already got a million pre-orders, and Microsoft is likely figuring to get a collateral damage goose in X-box 360 sales during the holiday season. You know you're really sombody when you get placed in Madame Tussaud's wax museum. Halo's Master Chief, all 7'-2" of him, is now in there next to Elvis and Jack the Ripper. The 7ft 2in wax figure weighs approximately 275lbs and was created in London using 1,000lbs of clay. It took 10 studio artists an estimated 892 man-hours to complete, including 687 hours for sculpting, 168 hours for moulding and 37 hours...
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Although many of us place our trust in GPS and satellite navigation, there have been several under-reported stories of people placing too much trust in the units, and driving into dead ends or even to the edge - though not off - of cliffs. In a problematic area in South Wales, the first official signs in Great Britain warning of such a GPS error have shown up. The signs, introduced by authorities in rural St Hilary, in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, to warn drivers about placing too much faith in the directional gadgets, could be brought in across the country if the trial is successful. Problems were reported after foreign drivers found it difficult to understand phrases such as...
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One of the first things we did upon installing Windows Vista was to turn of the User Account Control (UAC). Why? Because we didn't want all the pop-ups generated by the darn thing. And most people we know have turned it off as well. If we were to be generous, we would say the pop-ups are confusing. If we were to be honest, we would say they are annoying. "The things that were scaring us away from Vista were the hardware requirements and UAC," says Omar Ghneim, network administrator for EXCO Resources, an energy company based in Dallas. "We tried Vista on a few administrators' machines, but they couldn't handle the pop-ups and we went back to XP the next day."Ghneim says he could not...
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) CHARGES INTEL WITH ANTITRUST VIOLATIONS - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Chairman and CEO, Hector Ruiz and AMD CAO, Tom McCoy Respond to Media Inquires Via Conference Call - WHO: AMD Chairman and CEO Hector Ruiz and Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs and CAO Tom McCoy. WHAT: Conference call with Hector Ruiz and Tom McCoy to respond to media inquiries regarding the European Commission's announcement that it has formally charged Intel with violating EC antitrust law and issued a formal "Statement of Objections" against the company. The EC charges underscore how Intel's illegal actions have suppressed competition in...
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Microsoft has issued a hotfix (a patch for a patch) for the animated cursor exploit we told you about earlier this week. Beware: There's a zero day attack making the rounds of the internet promising nude Britney, and delivering a virus instead. Sounds Just like the real Britney, now that you mention it. Sophos, a security company, reported Wednesday morning that attackers launched a new spam campaign aimed at luring users to malicious Web sites where their unpatched systems can be infected with malware. The lure? The e-mails are promising users nude pictures of pop star Britney Spears if they follow the link to a Web site. Initially, the e-mails only contained text, but in the past day or...
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Well, as is often the case, the criminals aren't all that smart, but they sure are clever. These fellows in Manchester, England, grabbed transaction information right off the telephone line that connects cash machines to the telephone system: Parsons or other gang members would use MP3 portable music players to record data transmitted from free-standing ATM cash machines. The data was then converted to readable numbers using a separate computer programme. The phone line running from the machine to an ordinary BT white socket was unplugged and a two-way adaptor inserted. The MP3 player was then placed between the ATM machine's output cable and the phone socket. The player would record the...
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Yet another development in the ongoing Department of Justice antitrust investigation. Yesterday Sandy Drew reported on the Departments Probe of Sony. Last month Toshiba was contacted by the DOJ. Exactly what will happen from this investigation is yet unknown. Stay tuned for more detail. "We were raided on Oct. 11 in connection with our SRAM products," a spokesman for Samsung Germany said on Wednesday. "We are cooperating in full with the investigation." The European Commission said on Tuesday it had raided the offices of several makers of SRAM (static random-access memory) chips in Germany, suspecting price-fixing in the sector....
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The big news of AMD filing an antitrust case against Intel, for their anti-competitive actions in the processor market, happened almost a year ago. The latest update on the issue is of Intel trying to get certain parts of the case dismissed based on the fact that they happened outside the U.S., and the U.S. court has no jurisdiction over what happens on foreign soil. Intel's motion will most likely be dismissed, as those acts have a direct effect on the U.S. economy and market. The trial will not be held until 2008, so a final court decision is still a long time away. ...
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The Inquirer is reporting today, that AMD's legal team had Microsoft subpoenaed in their anti-trust lawsuit against rival Intel. In addition to information regarding Microsoft's decisions to develop 64-bit versions of Windows, AMD wants data regarding Microsoft's thoughts on AMD's viability and other technologies like Palladium and Le Grande. "Microsoft is also being subpoenaed to provide documents reflecting or discussing its decision to develop software for AMD's or Intel's 64-bit microprocessors, its development of such software for these CPUs, and the timing and schedule for development and release of this software."...
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