News For Friday Aug 29, 2008 News For Friday Aug 29, 2008

Science & Technology Science & Technology

Broadcom wins initial ruling in GPS patent dispute - Added 3 weeks ago

Telecommunications chip maker Broadcom Corp. said Friday that it had won an initial ruling against rival SiRF Technology Holdings for violating six patents covering technology designed for global positioning systems. ...

Anthrax case spurred field of germ-gene sleuthing - Added 3 weeks ago

The anthrax killer spurred a whole new branch of science that could give the nation a head start in the next emergency _ whether it's investigating more bioterrorism or even a food poisoning outbreak. It's called...

S&P upgrades outlook on Affiliated Computer - Added 3 weeks ago

Standard & Poor's Rating Services upgraded its outlook on Affiliated Computer Services Inc. on Friday after the technology administrator announced it had signed a record amount of new business during its latest...

Broadcom wins initial ruling in GPS patent dispute - Added 3 weeks ago

Telecommunications chip maker Broadcom Corp. said Friday that it had won an initial ruling against rival SiRF Technology Holdings for violating six patents covering technology designed for global positioning systems. ...

Yahoo to let visitors decline more targeted ads - Added 3 weeks ago

Yahoo Inc. will let its Web visitors decline ads targeted to their browsing habits, becoming the latest Internet company to break from a common industry practice as Congress steps up scrutiny of customized advertising...

Cable companies stole telcos' lunch in 2Q - Added 3 weeks ago

Phone companies have been feeling the heat from cable companies for years, as those traditional TV providers have expanded their own phone services and fought hard for broadband Internet subscribers. But in the...

2.5 million-year-old mastodon unearthed in Romania - Added 3 weeks ago

Miners in Romania have unearthed the skeleton of a 2.5 million-year-old mastodon, believed to be one of the best preserved in Europe, a local official said Friday. They stumbled on the remains of the mammoth-like...

Unions set Sunday deadline for Verizon talks - Added 3 weeks ago

Two unions representing 65,000 workers at Verizon Communications Inc. have set a Sunday night deadline for contract talks, saying a strike is possible next week. The phone company's contract with the Communications...

Google believes $1B investment in AOL is crumbling - Added 3 weeks ago

In an assessment that could lead to a substantial charge against its future profits, Google Inc. believes its $1 billion investment in advertising partner AOL is souring. The Mountain View-based company disclosed in a...

Scientists create stem cells for 10 disorders - Added 3 weeks ago

Harvard scientists say they have created stems cells for 10 genetic disorders, which will allow researchers to watch the diseases develop in a lab dish. This early step, using a new technique, could help speed up...

Reporters booted from conference for hacking - Added 3 weeks ago

With thousands of hackers milling around the Black Hat convention here, and widespread snooping on the public Wi-Fi network, one place was supposed to be off limits: the press room. But in a case of reporters spying on...

Reporters booted from conference for hacking - Added 3 weeks ago

With thousands of hackers milling around the Black Hat convention here, and widespread snooping on the public WiFi network, one place was supposed to be off limits: the press room. But in a case of reporters spying on...

Google believes $1B investment in AOL is crumbling - Added 3 weeks ago

In an assessment that could lead to a substantial charge against its future profits, Google Inc. believes its $1 billion investment in advertising partner AOL is souring. The Mountain View-based company disclosed in a...

Sapient posts higher 2Q profit - Added 3 weeks ago

Technology consulting company Sapient Corp. said Thursday its second-quarter profit and revenue jumped sharply, beating Wall Street's expectations. The company earned $11.6 million, or 9 cents per share, up from...

Sprint cancels $3B convertible stock sale - Added 3 weeks ago

Sprint Nextel Corp. said late Thursday it has canceled a proposed $3 billion convertible stock offering that it had announced the day before. The nation's third-largest wireless carrier said Wednesday it planned to...

119 illegal African clawed frogs seized in Nevada - Added 3 weeks ago

State wildlife officials raided three residences in the Reno area where they seized more than 100 African clawed frogs, which they say are prohibited because they can pose a serious danger to native frogs and entire...

South American stork spotted in Louisiana - Added 3 weeks ago

A stork that's abundant in South America but rare farther north was spotted in Louisiana, one of fewer than a dozen sightings of the bird in the U.S. Michael Seymour and Josh Sylvest, 20-year birdwatchers and employees...

Austrians fete voluptuous, prehistoric Venus - Added 3 weeks ago

It's Venusmania in Vienna, where Austrians are celebrating the discovery 100 years ago Thursday of a tiny but voluptuous figurine that dates back 25,000 years to a time when mammoths roamed the region. Venus wine,...

Possible Shakespearean theater found in London - Added 3 weeks ago

The theater where "The Merchant of Venice" and "Romeo and Juliet" likely debuted and where William Shakespeare himself may have trodden the boards has likely been discovered in east London, archaeologists at the Museum...

Fingerprints now used to find drugs, explosives - Added 3 weeks ago

Scientists have found ways to tease even more clues out of fingerprints' telltale marks _ one in a string of developments that gives modern forensics even better ways to solve mysteries like the anthrax attacks or...

CERN's new collider to fire first beam next month - Added 3 weeks ago

The largest machine ever made to explore the world's tiniest particles will be launched next month with an initial attempt to fire beams around a 17-mile circular tube, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics said...

Acme Packet cuts full-year 2008 guidance - Added 3 weeks ago

Communications equipment maker Acme Packet Inc. sharply lowered its 2008 profit and sales outlook Thursday. After an initial drop, its shares inched higher in after-hours trading. The company now expects a profit of...

Even computer security pros vulnerable to scams - Added 3 weeks ago

Computer security professionals tend to be a highly paranoid bunch, seeing potential threats everywhere. It turns out that some aren't cautious enough, though. Two researchers demonstrated Thursday at the Black Hat...

Bulgarian archaeologists discover ancient chariot - Added 3 weeks ago

Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,900-year-old well-preserved chariot at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Thursday. Daniela Agre said her team found the four-wheel...

Acme Packet posts lower 2Q profit - Added 3 weeks ago

Communications equipment maker Acme Packet Inc. said Thursday its second-quarter profit declined sharply as revenue slipped and operating costs grew. The company also lowered its full-year outlook considerably. Its...

New US cyber defense coordinator hints at plans - Added 3 weeks ago

One of the United States' biggest challenges in securing government computers from foreign attacks isn't necessarily technical. The country first needs to figure out how much those networks are worth and how much the...

Vonage's subscriber growth grinds to a halt - Added 3 weeks ago

Vonage Holdings Corp.'s subscriber growth nearly ground to a halt in the second quarter, as the Internet telephone company said Thursday it gained just 2,000 lines in the period. Chief Executive Officer Marc Lefar said...

Vonage's subscriber growth grinds to a halt - Added 3 weeks ago

Vonage Holdings Corp.'s subscriber growth nearly ground to a halt in the second quarter, as the Internet telephone company said Thursday it gained just 2,000 lines in the period. Chief Financial Officer Marc Lefar said...

Lenovo says quarterly profits up 65 percent - Added 3 weeks ago

Lenovo Group Ltd., the world's No. 4 PC maker, said Thursday its quarterly profit rose 65 percent as strong sales in China and emerging economies offset weakness in the United States. Profit for the three months ending...

Google launches free music search service in China - Added 3 weeks ago

Google Inc. said Wednesday that it has launched a music search service in China that allows users to access music legally online in a forum backed by some record labels and supported by advertising revenue. Paid music...

Major Internet security flaw also affects e-mail - Added 3 weeks ago

A newly discovered flaw in the Internet's core infrastructure not only permits hackers to force people to visit Web sites they didn't want to, it also allows them to intercept e-mail messages, the researcher who...

SpaceX finds cause of failed private rocket launch - Added 3 weeks ago

A privately held rocket company on Wednesday blamed a design error for its latest failure to reach orbit, which caused the loss of three government satellites and human ashes, including the remains of astronaut Gordon...

Possible Shakespearean theater found in London - Added 3 weeks ago

The theater where "The Merchant of Venice" and "Romeo and Juliet" likely debuted and where William Shakespeare himself may have trodden the boards has likely been discovered in east London, archaeologists at the Museum...

Hackers target Google Gadgets - Added 3 weeks ago

One of the biggest problems with the so-called Web 2.0 movement has been its encouragement of oversharing _ which often means underestimating security risks. Adding doodads of varying quality to a home page can add a...

Major Internet security flaw also affects e-mail - Added 3 weeks ago

A newly discovered flaw in the Internet's core infrastructure not only permits hackers to force people to visit Web sites they didn't want to, it also allows them to intercept e-mail messages, the researcher who...

South American stork spotted in Louisiana - Added 3 weeks ago

A stork that's abundant in South America but rare farther north was spotted in Louisiana, one of fewer than a dozen sightings of the bird in the U.S. Michael Seymour and Josh Sylvest, 20-year birdwatchers and employees...

119 illegal African clawed frogs seized in Nevada - Added 3 weeks ago

State wildlife officials raided three residences in the Reno area where they seized more than 100 African clawed frogs, which they say are prohibited because they can pose a serious danger to native frogs and entire...

Cogo 2Q profit rises 27 pct despite tough market - Added 3 weeks ago

Mobile phone designer Cogo Group Inc. posted a 27 percent increase in second-quarter profit Wednesday, matching analyst estimates despite weakening demand in its home market of China. Cogo, based in Shenzhen, China,...

Photronics lowers 3Q guidance, expects loss - Added 3 weeks ago

Photronics Inc., which makes photomasks used in manufacturing semiconductors and flat panel displays, lowered its guidance for the third quarter Wednesday on lower-than-expected revenues and a goodwill charge. The...

Blackboard expects 2Q sales in line with estimates - Added 3 weeks ago

Educational software company Blackboard Inc. said Wednesday it expects third-quarter results in the range of a loss of 2 cents per share to a profit of 2 cents per share. The company forecast adjusted earnings between...

Blackboard posts lower 2Q profit - Added 3 weeks ago

Educational software company Blackboard Inc. said Wednesday its second-quarter profit declined even as sales grew, as expenses increased. The company earned $1 million, or 3 cents per share, down from a profit of $3.4...

Restructuring costs widen VeriSign's 2Q loss - Added 3 weeks ago

VeriSign Inc.'s second-quarter loss widened as the Internet infrastructure company absorbed the costs of a sweeping reorganization. The Mountain View-based company said Wednesday it lost $68 million, or 35 cents per...

Google launches free music search service in China - Added 3 weeks ago

Google Inc. said Wednesday that it has launched a music search service in China that allows users to access music legally online in a forum backed by some record labels and supported by advertising revenue. Paid music...

Hacker indictment greeted with muted response - Added 3 weeks ago

Federal authorities are calling it the largest hacking and identity theft case yet. But this week's indictments of 11 people who allegedly plundered millions of payment card numbers might not seriously dent the...

Caliper loss widens in second quarter - Added 3 weeks ago

Caliper Life Sciences Inc. said Wednesday its second-quarter loss widened on lower licensing revenue from its drug-development software programs. For the period ended June 30, Caliper reported a net loss of $6.7...

Study finds Net search becoming far more prevalent - Added 3 weeks ago

The search box is everywhere online these days. It's built into Web browsers. It's incorporated into Web sites of all sorts. And it's a major driver of traffic and revenue for Google Inc. and the like. So it should...

SiRF asks for patent re-examination - Added 3 weeks ago

SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it has asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to re-examine four patents that Broadcom Corp. recently asserted against the company. SiRF, which makes chips used in...

Review: With 10-inch screen, Eee PC grows up - Added 3 weeks ago

When Taiwan's Asustek Computer Inc. brought out the Eee PC last year, it created a whole new category of tiny, cheap laptops. Despite its success, the computer had one confounding element: Its keyboard was really small...

Comcast sweetens its online menu with Daily Candy - Added 3 weeks ago

Cable and Internet service provider Comcast Corp. is expanding its online menu with the acquisition of Daily Candy, an electronic newsletter catering to women looking for tips on fashion, food and fun things to do in...

Dell says its operations are now carbon-neutral - Added 3 weeks ago

Computers are far from being truly clean machines, but Dell Inc. and other PC makers are trying to make their own business operations greener. Dell said Wednesday its facilities worldwide are now carbon neutral, a goal...