David Needle

Here we go again. The ongoing antitrust battle between chip makers AMD and Intel took a more regional turn today when New York’s Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced he’s launched an investigation into Intel’s pricing practices and whether the chip giant illegally hindered competitor AMD’s sales efforts. Intel confirmed it’s received the subpoena and denied […]

In searching, pardon the pun, for ways to expand its enterprise presence, Microsoft dipped into its considerable piggy bank this week, plunking down about $1.2 billion in cash to purchase Norwegian enterprise search company, Fast Search & Transfer (FAST). The deal is expected to close in the second quarter. Several analysts and competitors interviewed agree […]

Apple added two powerful systems to its lineup Tuesday ahead of the Macworld Expo conference set for next week in San Francisco where new Apple hardware is typically unveiled. Rumors have circulated for weeks that Apple is planning to debut an ultraportable computer at the show, so perhaps Tuesday’s news is meant to save the […]

An innovative add-on for Web surfers is now available for free download. SpaceTime 1.0, which adds a 3-D view to multiple Web and search pages, officially launched this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The idea is that the stacked pages are easier to pick and choose from versus tabbing through separate […]

Researchers at Indiana University are raising alarms about the potential vulnerability of Wi-Fi networks to malware attacks. In their report, the researchers said they were able to simulate the vulnerability of Wi-Fi networks in several U.S. cities to the spread of malware,  the malicious software worm or virus that the study said could spread rapidly […]

Technology often seems to improve merely for its own sake. We’ve all too often witnessed “feature creep” in our favorite programs, services and devices, with new developments not just adding new enhancements, but cost and complexity as well. Isn’t it high time that the innovators in technology focus on our needs in earnest? Fortunately, 2008 […]

UPDATED: Lenovo, which burst on the U.S. computer scene with its blockbuster purchase of IBM’s PC business a few years ago, is expanding beyond business customers to consumers with the release of new systems. Lenovo’s new lines, called “Idea”, were announced today ahead of next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Every major PC […]

IBM’s storage division started the new year off with a bang, purchasing XIV, an Israel-based company with innovative technology designed for enterprise and other high end storage. The deal actually closed Dec. 31, but IBM made the deal public today. Financial details were not disclosed; the Reuters news service quoted Israeli media sources as saying […]

The most mobile guy on the planet is Dan Vasser. Who’s he? If you watch the television show “Journeyman,” you know Vasser well. He’s the lead character in NBC’s weekly time travel saga that’s also my favorite show. Vasser, a San Francisco newspaper reporter, is inexplicably transported back in time each week to right an […]

In the tech world, the year is finishing much like 2006, with Google still dominating the search landscape despite increased competition from heavyweight players like Yahoo and Microsoft and innovative startups like Powerset and Hakia. Competitors would have had a much better chance if the search giant instead stood still during the year (as if […]

The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed a new bill putting ISPs on notice they face big penalties for not reporting child pornography and other illegal exploitation of children online. The Securing Adolescents From Exploitation Online (SAFE) Act carries a maximum fine of $150,000 for first-time offenders found guilty of “knowing and willful failure […]

Spreadsheets are a wonderful planning and financial analysis tool, but a simple mistake can throw off a budget or expense tally costing companies thousands or even millions of dollars. Also, without proper controls, spreadsheets can be manipulated for personal gain or other criminal behavior. A number of solutions have emerged to help keep spreadsheets under […]