Archive for June 19th, 2007
There has been a major shakeup at Yahoo as Chairman and CEO Terry Semel is calling it quits just a week after a showdown with shareholders. Investors have been less than pleased with Yahoo’s performance over the past 18 months as competitor Google continues to gain ground in the online advertising market at Yahoo’s expense.The disillusionment with Semel comes in the wake of stock prices that have dropped 30 percent since the end of 2005. Wall Street seems to agree with Semel’s decision to step down, evidenced by Yahoo shares gaining 81 cents to finish at $28.12 on Monday.
The Board of Directors has appointed Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang as CEO and Susan Decker, formerly executive vice president and head of the Advertiser and Publisher Group, as president of the Internet company. Semel, 64, will stay aboard as non-executive Chairman and serve as an adviser for the company’s senior management team, while also working closely with the Board.
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June 19th, 2007
Controversy is erupting in the Linux community following news that Xandros and Linspire opted for a pact with Microsoft, while Ubuntu and Red Hat flat out rejected the advances.The drama started last November, when Microsoft inked a deal with Novell to foster interoperability and technical collaboration between the open- and closed-source operating systems. Novell also got protection from possible patent suits as part of the agreement.
Soon after, Microsoft came out with allegations that the open-source camp is infringing on 235 of its patents, and the software giant began making moves to form alliances with other Linux providers. The company was successful in negotiating partnerships with Xandros and Linspire, but has hit a wall with Ubuntu and Red Hat.
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June 19th, 2007
On Monday, Microsoft 
released a new version of its Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) software. Now called Mediaroom, the software offers several new multimedia capabilities.Microsoft IPTV’s original features included digital video recording, video on demand, and instant channel zapping. The amped-up Mediaroom platform adds in-home personal music and photo sharing, plus multiple picture-in-picture capabilities.
The Redmond, Washington software company said it renamed its IPTV platform to Mediaroom to “better reflect the broader set of new connected entertainment experiences made possible today and the types of experiences anticipated in the future.”
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June 19th, 2007
Just 11 days before the official launch of the much-hyped Apple iPhone, the Mac-maker has seemingly found a way to keep the buzz machine humming with a new announcement. On Monday, Apple said its iPhone would deliver significantly longer battery life when it ships on June 29 than was originally announced when the device was unveiled in January.Apple had originally estimated battery life to be five hours. According to Apple, the iPhone now will offer up to eight hours of talk time, six hours of Internet use, seven hours of video playback, or 24 hours of audio playback. What’s more, the iPhone will give its owners up to 250 hours — more than 10 days — of standby time.
“With eight hours of talk time and 24 hours of audio playback, iPhone’s battery life is longer than any other ’smartphone’ and even longer than most MP3 players,” Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement.
In addition to announcing news of the extended battery life, Apple also said that the iPhone will ship with a better display than was originally planned.
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June 19th, 2007
Canonical chief executive Mark Shuttleworth squashed rumors that Ubuntu is talking to Microsoft about a cross-licensing deal that mimics the Redmond, Washington software company’s recent pacts with Novell, Linspire, and Xandros.Microsoft has been inking agreements with Linux developers to foster interoperability and technical collaboration between the open- and closed-source operating systems, as well to offer patent-litigation protection for customers of the Linux vendors it has befriended.
Microsoft claims Linux and related open-source software infringe on 235 of its patents, but members of the open-source community deny the allegations and have asked, repeatedly, for more details.
Shuttleworth is declining to discuss any agreement with Microsoft in light of the threat of unspecified patent infringements. “Allegations of ‘infringement of unspecified patents’ carry no weight whatsoever,” he wrote in a blog posting on Sunday.
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June 19th, 2007
