Technology News

Welcome, Freshmen. Have an iPod.
Taking a step that professors may view as a bit counterproductive, some universities are doling out Apple iPhones and Internet-capable iPods to students. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21iphone.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21iphone.html" border="0"/></a>

Intel Moves to Free Gadgets of Their Recharging Cords
Intel has made progress in a technology that could lead to the wireless recharging of gadgets and the end of the power-cord spaghetti behind electronic devices. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21intel.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21intel.html" border="0"/></a>

Comcast to Slow Internet Service at Times to Its Heaviest Users
After regulators ordered Comcast to devise a new method for managing its traffic, the company said it would reduce top speeds for the heaviest users for 10 to 20 minutes. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21comcast.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21comcast.html" border="0"/></a>

JDS Uniphase Reports a Wider Loss
JDS Uniphase said that its fiscal fourth-quarter loss had widened on a write-down related to acquisitions and patent and litigation charges. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21jds.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21jds.html" border="0"/></a>

World Business Briefing | Europe: Ericsson and STMicro Units to Combine
Ericsson and STMicroelectronics have agreed to combine their wireless chip and software businesses into a new joint venture that will compete to supply cellphone handset makers. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21fobriefs-ERICSSONANDS_BRF.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21fobriefs-ERICSSONANDS_BRF.html" border="0"/></a>

Bits: Yahoo and Intel to Bring Interactive Applications to TV Sets
Intel and Yahoo announced a partnership Wednesday to use widget technology to bring interactive Internet applications to televisions. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/yahoo-and-intel-to-bring-interactive-applications-to-tv-sets/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/yahoo-and-intel-to-bring-interactive-applications-to-tv-sets/index.html" border="0"/></a>

Palm, Once a Leader, Seeks Path in Smartphone Jungle
Palm is trying to revive itself as business users have embraced the BlackBerry and consumers have fallen in love with the iPhone. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/technology/20palm.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/technology/20palm.html" border="0"/></a>

EBay Is Planning to Emphasize Fixed-Price Sales Format Over Its Auction Model
The move is just one of the changes eBay has made in the last few months aimed at reducing its dependence on its auction business, which is growing more slowly than fixed-price sales. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/technology/20ebay.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/technology/20ebay.html" border="0"/></a>

City Room: Statewide Wireless Network on Ropes
An ambitious plan for an emergency radio network for New York State has been the victim of budget cuts and appears to be in danger of falling apart. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/statewide-wireless-network-on-ropes/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/statewide-wireless-network-on-ropes/index.html" border="0"/></a>

DealBook: Video Game Deal Clears Antitrust Hurdle
The Federal Trade Commission has ended its antitrust investigation into Electronic Arts’ proposal to buy Take Two. Electronic Arts withdrew its offer on Monday but the sides agreed to hold more talks. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/obstacle-to-video-game-deal-gets-zapped/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/obstacle-to-video-game-deal-gets-zapped/index.html" border="0"/></a>

Advertising: A Small Empire Built on Cuddly and Fuzzy Branches Out From the Web
Given all the nastiness on the Internet -- blog trolls, flame wars, vicious gossip, pornography, snark and spam -- what better antidote is there than looking at pictures of cute animals? <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/business/media/20adco.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/business/media/20adco.html" border="0"/></a>

Bits: I.B.M. Ups Its Bet on Business Recovery Services
I.B.M. is spending $300 million to build 13 data centers around the world, dedicated to helping corporate customers keep their businesses running despite calamity. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/ibm-ups-its-bet-on-business-recovery-services/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/ibm-ups-its-bet-on-business-recovery-services/index.html" border="0"/></a>

Hewlett’s Printing Business Struggles
Hewlett-Packard, the world’s largest technology company, continues to roll along financially -- except in one traditional core business -- its printing business. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/technology/20hewlett.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/technology/20hewlett.html" border="0"/></a>

Bits: Lighting the Big Apple With L.E.D.'s
New York City has contracted with the Office for Visual Interaction, a lighting design group, to install and test L.E.D. street lighting. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/lighting-the-big-apple-with-leds/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/lighting-the-big-apple-with-leds/index.html" border="0"/></a>

California Licenses 2 Companies to Offer Gene Services
Two closely watched companies that offer consumers information about their genes have received licenses that will allow them to continue to do business in California. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/business/20gene.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/business/20gene.html" border="0"/></a>

Bits: Four Reasons Our Printers Are Getting Dusty
Consumer printer sales are flat. Are home printers just not as necessary any more? <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/four-reasons-our-printers-are-getting-dusty/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/four-reasons-our-printers-are-getting-dusty/index.html" border="0"/></a>

Verizon’s FiOS: A Smart Bet or a Big Mistake?
As Verizon begins to roll out FiOS in its hometown, New York, the company argues that the service is proving to be more successful than it promised when it started the project. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/technology/19fios.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/technology/19fios.html" border="0"/></a>

Bits: Gartner Tech Forecast: Cloudy and Getting Cloudier
In its latest report on information technology spending, Gartner projects a massive switch by companies to cloud computing. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/gartner-tech-forecast-cloudy-and-getting-cloudier/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/gartner-tech-forecast-cloudy-and-getting-cloudier/index.html" border="0"/></a>

Student Files Are Exposed on Web Site
The Princeton Review, the test-preparatory firm, accidentally published the personal data and standardized test scores of tens of thousands of Florida students on its Web site, where they were available for seven weeks. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/technology/19review.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/technology/19review.html" border="0"/></a>

Game Maker Retracts Bid for a Rival
Electronic Arts said that it has withdrawn its $2 billion tender offer to purchase its smaller rival, ending a six-month-long hostile takeover bid. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/technology/19game.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/technology/19game.html" border="0"/></a>

Bits: Reading a Tea Leaf in the Take-Two Saga
Electronic Arts has hired Joele Frank, a specialist in public relations for mergers and acquisitions. But it’s unclear what her hiring means for the prospects of a deal between EA and Take-Two Interactive. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/reading-a-tea-leaf-in-the-take-two-saga/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/reading-a-tea-leaf-in-the-take-two-saga/index.html" border="0"/></a>

Bits: Has the iPhone 3G Been Fixed?
Several hours ago, Apple shipped its second software update for the new iPhone 3G. Software version 2.02 “fixes bugs,” according to the documentation accompanying the software patch. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/has-the-iphone-3g-been-fixed/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/has-the-iphone-3g-been-fixed/index.html" border="0"/></a>

Old Sewer Mapping System Undergoes a Welcome Update
City workers and contractors have digitized the antiquated maps of the city’s water mains and sewers. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/nyregion/19sewers.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/nyregion/19sewers.html" border="0"/></a>

Bits: A 'Dream' Come True: U.S. Approves the First Google Phone
HTC, a Taiwanese cellphone maker, received U.S. regulatory approval for the first phone that uses Google’s Android software. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/a-dream-come-true-us-approves-the-first-google-phone/index.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/a-dream-come-true-us-approves-the-first-google-phone/index.html" border="0"/></a>

New Web Site Aims to Be Facebook for Sports Fans
David Katz believes that his Web site, sportsfanlive.com, will compete well against established sports sites he views as stodgy and too congested for fans to wade through. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/technology/18fans.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/technology/18fans.html" border="0"/></a>

Amid Conference Halls and Keynote Speakers, a Rivalry Forms
TechCrunch50, a new entrant in the technology conference market, has sparked a dispute over the ethics of the convention circuit and the fees charged to participants. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/technology/18crunch.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/technology/18crunch.html" border="0"/></a>

Topic Pages to Be Hub of New BusinessWeek Site
BusinessWeek magazine is about to introduce a site that hosts hundreds of topic pages, on subjects as broad as the housing market and as narrow as the Boeing 787. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/business/media/18businessweek.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/business/media/18businessweek.html" border="0"/></a>

In Kenya, Mobile Growth Also Benefits Ad Agencies
Telecommunications companies are expected to spend about 4.7 billion Kenyan shillings (or $72 million) on advertising this year, according to a Nairobi-based newspaper. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/business/worldbusiness/18mobile.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/business/worldbusiness/18mobile.html" border="0"/></a>

Microsoft to Pay Novell $100 Million More for Linux Support
Microsoft buys certificates from Novell and then sells subscriptions to Windows clients who want support in making their computer systems work alongside Linux machines. <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-microsoft-novell.html"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=c02dfc2617604e998d611b38fc5b9e2a&u=http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-microsoft-novell.html" border="0"/></a>