Stories related to: computer

IBM is issuing a new challenge to the supremacy of Microsoft's Office software, releasing a suite of free programs, called Symphony, that can perform many of the functions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Microsoft just released Office 7.0, and one analyst speculates many users will switch to Symphony rather than spend the money to upgrade, the Wall Street Journal reports More »

The Chinese military hacked the Pentagon's computer system in June, bringing part of it down for over a week, the Financial Times reports, but Beijing calls the accusation "groundless." The apparently successful hack raises serious worries about the safety of the network because it shows China has "the ability to conduct attacks that disable our system," said an ex-US official. More »

Gateway’s stock jumped 50% today on news that Taiwan’s Acer will buy the former PC giant for $1.90 a share, MarketWatch reports. The acquisition leapfrogs Acer over Lenovo to the No. 3 spot in world computer sales. Meanwhile, Gateway said it will execute its right of first refusal to buy Packard Bell's parent company, foiling Lenovo's bid to acquire PB. More »

The Dell computer company will have to restate four years of financial data after an audit revealed that executives inflated numbers to meet quarterly goals, firm officials announced yesterday. The adjustments would lower the company's stated net income by as much as $150 million, Reuters reports. But analysts say the news is better than expected, with Dell rising 3 percent in after-hours trading. More »

A federal judge has denied Microsoft's motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging its "Vista Capable" campaign misled consumers, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Although PCs bearing "Vista Capable" stickers run the new OS, many can handle only the bare-bones Vista Home Basic system, which lacks highly touted features included in premium versions. More »

Steve Jobs unveiled a redesigned version of his company's popular iMac this afternoon, Scientific American reports. Apple ditched their trademark pearly plastic shells for a more svelte aluminum casing and a glossy glass display panel, and slimmed the keyboard as well. The company put the kibosh on the 17" model, and knocked $200 off the 24". More »

Tech blogs are abuzz with reports of an NBC producer who attempted to infiltrate an annual hackers' conference and had the tables turned on her. Michelle Madigan of "Dateline"—the show that gave the world "To Catch a Predator"—arrived packing a hidden camera and fled after convention organizers lured her into a trap, ZDNet reports. More »

Hackers across Russia are executing crippling attacks against enemy websites—and they work for hire, Der Spiegel reports. For only a few hundred dollars, clients can retain Russian hackers to disrupt business transactions by launching barrages of pernicious data into their enemies' systems. But a disturbing trend is evident in recent cyberassaults on websites hostile to the Putin government. More »

The tech wizards at ZDNet offer their picks for security-conscious PC users on a budget: Secunia Personal Software Inspector (psi.secunia.com) OpenDNS (www.opendns.com) Active Virus Shield (www.activevirusshield.com/antivirus/freeav/index.adp?) Haute Secure (www.hautesecure.com) GMER anti-rootkit (www.gmer.net/index.php) More »

Two top-rated professional poker players defeated the world's top poker computer after a tense John Henry-like showdown yesterday at an Artificial Intelligence Conference, CBC reports. The victory was determined by a tie-breaking round after both man and machine took one each; over 500 hands were ultimately dealt. More »

Microsoft has reported quarterly revenues of $13.4 billion, crediting strong sales of its new Vista operating system, which offers new networking and security features as well as an overhauled interface. But many users are still reluctant to switch after tepid reviews and anecdotal complaints, instead seeking out the 6-year-old Windows XP. More »

After 18 years of number-crunching, a checkers-playing computer program has conquered the game. Checkers is the most complicated game computers have mastered, Scientific American reports, beating Connect Four by a factor of a million. "I was a bit obsessed," says the lead researcher. "My wife would say more than a bit obsessed." More »

Intel and the One Laptop per Child initiative are making peace and embracing the notion of synergy. The chip maker and the pioneer of the $100 laptop concept will stop competing for deals with governments in the developing world and team up, the AP reports. The partnership is a big step on the road to the elusive $100 goal. More »

A spate of new survival manuals is addressing the problem of swamped inboxes, writes Salon's Scott Rosenberg. But how does one navigate through the sea of attachments, spam, and forwarded off-color jokes? Most experts agree on striving for emptiness: delete ruthlessly. More »

The 8GB model of the must-have iPhone retails for $600, but the parts cost Apple only $265.83—a 55% profit margin that helps account for the company's $186.1 million gross during the gadget's opening weekend, Bloomberg reports. A research firm took apart an iPhone to break down the component prices, which don't reflect spending on marketing or R&D. More »

Microsoft has caved in to Google's antitrust complaints and agreed to alter the search tools in its new Vista operating system by the end of the year. The move is a victory for Google, which complained to antitrust regulators that Vista's hard-drive indexing was difficult to switch off and made alternatives—like Google's own Desktop Search—run slowly. More »

The Russian computers that control the international space station's air supply, water and orientation are down, the AP reports. The unprecedented failure could lengthen the current shuttle mission, or, at worst, force the crew to come home early, but there is no immediate danger. "We have plenty of resources, so we have plenty of time to sort this out," says a NASA manager. More »

Apple will venture into Microsoft's turf again, this time making a version of its web browser Safari compatible with Windows. Microsoft's Internet Explorer commands 78% of the browser market compared to Safari's 5%, reports the Wall Street Journal , but Apple's interest in expanding its share is only part of the story: The iPhone, scheduled for release June 29, uses Safari. More »

The race to provide cheap laptops to the developing world is heating up, with Intel working on a second computer priced under $200 and the One Laptop per Child foundation accusing the chipmaker of undermining its efforts. The individual machines aren't expensive, but because governments will buy them in volume and the technology is flexible, the financial stakes are huge. More »

Dell is about to expand beyond its traditional direct-to-consumer sales channels in a big way: by making a deal with Wal-Mart. The struggling computer maker and the world's largest retailer announced today that Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores will start carrying Dell Dimensions next month. The two exclusive models will be part of bundles that sell for less than $700. More »