Although it’s not yet official, most analysts expect the NPD Group’s January video-game console report to show Nintendo’s Wii game console as the clear winner for December, with the Xbox 360 a distant second.Analysts are also predicting that even as Sony’s PlayStation 3 begins to gain some momentum, price cuts may be just around the corner as the once-leading console maker struggles to compete against its less-expensive competitors.
“We expect December {video-game] sales of $2.625 billion — up 10 percent compared to December 2007′s $2.39 billion. We expect next-generation software sales of $2.42 billion and current-generation software sales of $205 million,” said Michael Patcher, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan. “Our forecast reflects growth of four percent year-over-year for Xbox 360 software, 71 percent growth for Wii software, and 48 percent growth for PS3 software.”
Click here to read the rest of my story on TopTechNews.
January 15th, 2009
Reports of data breaches increased dramatically in 2008, and identity theft is still among the fastest-growing crimes. Security vendors are racing to help consumers and businesses protect themselves, with AVG Technologies making one of the first big moves this year.AVG, an antivirus and Internet security 
software provider, has acquired Sana Security to help battle the growing threats. Sana develops behavior-based software that proactively protects against threats in a way similar to the human immune system.
“Sana’s unique behavioral software, combined with AVG’s existing security technology, will provide the most comprehensive online identity protection in the industry, delivering continuous real-time protection,” said J.R. Smith, AVG’s CEO. “At the same time, AVG will continue to maintain low-PC-resource utilization for optimal system performance, a critical requirement both for the individual at home and for the business user.”
Click here to read the rest of my story on CIO Today.
January 15th, 2009
Palm’s new operating system is making waves in the mobile arena. When Palm debuted the new Palm Pre last week, it also unveiled the Palm webOS mobile platform.While the initial buzz surrounded the hardware and operating system, it’s the new information-management system that has analysts talking about this week. Synergy is a key feature of webOS that brings information from all the places you store it into one logical view. That means no tracking multiple calendars, contacts or messaging applications.
“Palm products have always been about simplifying lives and delivering great user experiences,” said Ed Colligan, Palm president and CEO. “webOS and Pre bring game-changing simplicity to an increasingly mobile world by dissolving the barriers that surround your information. It’s technology that seems like it’s thinking ahead to bring you what you care about most — your people, your time, and your information — in the easiest and most seamless way.”
Click here to read the rest of my story on CIO Today.
January 15th, 2009
The National Safety Council is throwing down the gauntlet on motor safety. The group is taking a three-pronged approach to stop wireless-device usage while driving: Asking consumers to stop, urging businesses to enact policies prohibiting it, and urging governors and legislators to pass laws.A Harvard Center of Risk Analysis study estimates cell-phone use while driving contributes to six percent of crashes, which equates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries, and 2,600 deaths each year. The study also put the annual financial toll of cell-phone-related crashes at $43 billion.
“Studies show that driving while talking on a cell phone is extremely dangerous and puts drivers at a four times greater risk of a crash,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the NSC. “Driving drunk is also dangerous and against the law. When our friends have been drinking, we take the car keys away. It’s time to take the cell phone away.”
Click here to read the rest of my story on Sci-Tech Today.
January 15th, 2009
Microsoft is having quite a week. The company is seeing reports of vulnerabilities before Patch Tuesday, fixing data-corruption issues, and getting flooded with visitors trying to download the beta version of Windows 7.First up, security. If you didn’t patch for the Microsoft Windows Server RPC Handling Remote Code Execution Vulnerability last year, you could be targeted this year through a vulnerability that can be spread through USB ports.
Security researchers are warning of a worm dubbed Downadup. It appeared on Dec. 30 and can not only propagate by exploiting the vulnerability, but also by infected USB sticks and by exploiting weak passwords, according to Symantec.
The W32.Spybot, W32.Randex, and W32.Mytob variants all used almost identical methods to spread, the company said, but the new variant requires more effort to protect corporate networks.
January 10th, 2009
