Ed Sutherland

Instant messaging is a popular way for workers to communicate. It is also gaining popularity as a way for attackers to spread viruses, according to ScanSafe, the latest firm looking to secure enterprise IM. ScanSafe IM Control, announced today, marks instant messaging’s evolution to arranging business deals and swapping corporate data, according to Dan Nadir, […]

Citing reduced prospects, mobile phone giant Vodafone today announced the $15.4 billion sale of its troubled Japan unit to Softbank. Japan’s Softbank already owns two mobile phone carriers. Vodafone said it is selling its Japan operation because of “reduced prospects for superior long-term returns and a good offer from SoftBank,” Arun Sarin, CEO of the […]

EarthLink announced plans to invest $50 million in Covad, expanding its partnership with the DSL provider into eight metro areas and doubling the reach of its DSL and home phone service bundle. In the agreement, EarthLink will help Covad finance extending its line-powered voice network into Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, […]

You’ve got re-runs. That could be the slogan of AOL’s new In2TV streaming video service jointly offered with Warner Brothers. Financed initially by online ads from Intel, Kraft Foods, Kia Motors and Hershey, the new portal provides broadband consumers with free full-length videos of classic television, including “Kung Fu,” “F Troop” and “Welcome Back Kotter.” […]

Microsoft today released one critical fix for Office and another deemed important targeting a hole in the Windows operating system. The critical patch, (MS06-012), replaces several prior security updates regarding Excel. Six vulnerabilities were announced, all centered on one form or another of malformed file formats. The update addresses a remote code execution vulnerability in […]

UPDATED: Microsoft wants to be your Internet protector. The software giant Monday announced this summer it will release Windows Live Family Safety Settings, a free Web-based service allowing parents to keep tabs on what their children are doing online. The announcement comes at a time when online communities, such as MySpace.com, have recently come under […]

UPDATED: It pays to follow Internet privacy statements. That’s the $1.1 million lesson learned by New York-based e-mail marketing firm Datran Media. The company agreed to pay the amount after the state’s attorney general charged it with using 6,000 e-mail addresses it obtained fraudulently. The e-mails were purchased from companies, including one that offered a […]

A chorus of companies is singing the praises of digital-video delivery these days, and Amazon.com is the latest to negotiate with Hollywood to offer movie downloads, the New York Times reported today. Amazon spokesperson Patty Smith refused to comment on reports the e-tailer is discussing a video download service with Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures and […]

UPDATED: After releasing a rash of more than a half-dozen security patches, Microsoft has announced just two patches are slated for next week. Microsoft Office is scheduled to receive a patch on March 14 for what the software maker terms a “critical” flaw. The highest warning level used by Microsoft, critical security errors indicate an […]

Microsoft today announced the final piece in its “Origami” marketing puzzle. After creating online buzz and curiosity, the software giant unveiled its Ultra Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC) platform as the first step in its goal of making Windows computers as ubiquitous as mobile phones. Priced between $599 and $999 and weighing fewer than two pounds, […]

Microsoft has rolled out a beta version of Windows Live Search to compete against Google and Yahoo for search attention. The new service, which Microsoft said will be available in Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Mail, repackages search results. Features include search preview, scoping and a slider bar Microsoft said is designed to give […]

NBC Universal yesterday purchased iVillage, an online site devoted to women. The $600 million deal is the latest of a wave of traditional media companies lured by increasing online users and advertisers. The sale, expected to be finalized in the second half of 2006 by regulators and shareholders, will boost the entertainment company’s digital income […]