David Needle

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Are the days of the big software firm numbered? No one expects Microsoft, Oracle or SAP to go away anytime soon, but the idea that a hot startup might someday reach such levels seems increasingly doubtful according to an early investor in Google. “We’re seeing the emergence of the app economy,” […]

Seems like Microsoft can’t catch a break these days, everyone wants a piece of it. Even as the software giant [wrestles with the European Commission](/search/article.php/3809926/EC+to+Microsoft+Youve+Got+30+More+Days.htm), Reuters is reporting that Russia has launched an anti-trust probe of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). The investigation centers around alleged cutbacks in supplies of the Windows XP operating system. There’s certainly […]

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has issued a security patch for the popular device, whose users include U.S. President Barack Obama, warning that it is vulnerable to attacks by hackers. Research in Motion issued the security warning last week in a bulletin on its Web site, but officials could not be reached to comment on […]

Google has enhanced its Local Business Center service with a dashboard designed to give Web site owners a better idea of where traffic is coming from and what search terms users are selecting. The Local Business Center is a free tool designed for business owners that lets them control how content on business listings appear […]

Bing, Microsoft’s new search engine may be too good at connecting users with content. That’s the contention of InternetSafety.com, the company that offers the SafeEyes Internet filtering tool. In a blog post, InternetSafety.com warned that without an Internet filtering tool installed, Bing facilitates access to porn by prompting users to turn off its “safe search” […]

The five-month wait for the first Palm Pre models to hit the store shelves is almost over. This Saturday, the Pre is slated to be available at Sprint stores and various retail outlets including Best Buy. Apple went through a somewhat similar drawn out affair with the first iPhone, previewing it in January, 2007 and […]

LOS ANGELES — Microsoft offered a glimpse into a future where the Xbox 360 console is the centerpiece of any living room, and games, social interaction and communications are controlled with the wave of a hand. At a star-studded event Monday at the annual E3 video game conference that drew appearances by Paul McCartney and […]

The software giant announced it’s acquired certain assets of Rosetta Biosoftware, a business unit of Rosetta Inpharmatics LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of drug giant Merck & Co. This news follows Microsoft’s April launch of its [Amalga Life Science software system](http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/apr09/04-28Bio11PR.mspx) designed to help organizations across the life sciences spectrum accelerate research and discovery efforts […]

Android-based mobile devices will get a new option for users looking for productivity applications as well as the ability to work with Microsoft Office files. ThinkFree announced today that it plans to preview its ThinkFree Mobile for Android next week at the big Computex trade show in Taiwan. One big caveat, though: The software isn’t […]

Eye of the Needle by David Needle (bio) Insights from Silicon Valley and beyond Reports are spilling in from various Apple gossip sites that CEO Steve Jobs returned to the campus this week for some high-level meetings with other execs. Jobs is officially on medical leave till the end of June. Adding more fuel to the […]

SAN FRANCISCO — Like a slow-moving tsunami, the impact of Google’s Wave announcement here Wednesday might not be felt for some time, but it has the potential to disrupt the traditional Web communications landscape. Google’s co-founder and president Sergey Brin is bullish on the potential of the communication/collaboration system unveiled here at the company’s Google […]

The age-old question came to mind here at the Google I/O conference, “How many developers does it take to create a great new application?” It’s easy to say a small team does the best work, but big companies generally have other considerations that can lead to staffing up development projects if not complicating their approval […]