Tag Archives: software

Google vs. Microsoft: What you need to know

In less than a week, Google announced an operating system to compete with Windows, while Microsoft announced that Office 10 will include free, online versions of its four most popular software programs — a shot at Google’s suite of web-based office applications. And not more than a month and a half ago, Microsoft unveiled its new search engine Bing, which it hopes will steal market share from Google and finally make it real money online. From the news of it, it’s a full-blown tech battle, complete with behind-the-scenes machinations to sic government regulators on each other

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Green Dam in a jam

Had the government not delayed its controversial order that all computers be equipped with Green Dam by July 1, the result would have been the same — Chinese computer retailers were far from ready. PC sales representatives at Bainaohui, one of Beijing’s largest electronics retailers, say their merchandise is not pre-installed with Green Dam, a Web filtering software the government said was necessary to prevent children from viewing pornography and other harmful content. Some retailers were unclear as to when the software would even be available on new units.

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Microsoft sets Windows 7 pricing, upgrade programs

Microsoft recently announced retail pricing for Windows 7 that was at or below comparable Windows Vista prices, while also offering a chance for people to preorder the software at a substantial discount. From Friday through July 11, consumers in the U.S

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Chinese Government Attacks Google Over Internet Porn

Beijing’s Internet censors are on the rampage again. But this time the victims are not the country’s nearly 200 million surfers but one of the most-recognized names on the Web: Google. The search giant’s China operation, already struggling to compete with its domestic rivals, is the subject of a blistering and unprecedented wave of criticism by China’s official media, who have singled it out as having far more links to pornographic websites than its competitors.

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New ‘Urban Car’ claims to slash CO2 emissions by two thirds

A former motor-racing engineer has unveiled a prototype of a new hydrogen-powered city car which claims to emit less than one third of the carbon emissions produced by its nearest rival. The creators of the ‘Urban Car,’ UK-based company Riversimple, say the vehicle emits less than 30 grams per kilometer of carbon dioxide, less than one third of the carbon produced by the Polo Bluemotion.

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How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

The one thing you can say for certain about Twitter is that it makes a terrible first impression. You hear about this new service that lets you send 140-character updates to your “followers,” and you think, Why does the world need this, exactly? It’s not as if we were all sitting around four years ago scratching our heads and saying, “If only there were a technology that would allow me to send a message to my 50 friends, alerting them in real time about my choice of breakfast cereal.” I, too, was skeptical at first.

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Brain-Twitter project offers hope to paralyzed patients

Adam Wilson posted two messages on Twitter on April 15. The first one, "GO BADGERS," might have been sent by any University of Wisconsin-Madison student cheering for the school team. His second post, 20 minutes later, was a little more unusual: “SPELLING WITH MY BRAIN.” Wilson, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering, was confirming an announcement he had made two weeks earlier — his lab had developed a way to post messages on Twitter using electrical impulses generated by thought

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Thinking Like Apple, Oracle Takes Sun

Everybody has Apple envy — even Larry Ellison. The dashing playboy founded Oracle Corp., whose relational database software makes it the 137th largest company in the world. Ellison, who likes to pilot old fighter jets and lives in a faux Japanese-style mansion, is one of the richest men in the world and another of the great, big personalities of Silicon Valley

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