Brandon Dimmel

Is Google losing its cool? The company once considered to be the "it" IT organization -- complete with customizable employee cubicles -- is now acting like your mother. Despite its attempts to reach into pretty much every avenue an Internet-based ... company can, Google is surprising some followers by demanding that the public stop using its name in off-hand casual conversation. For example: Let's say you went to a baseball game. A batter recently called up from the minors steps to the plate, takes a good look at a high-outside pitch before pounding the ball into the opposite bleachers. "Wow," ... (view more)

It's been some time since yours truly or anyone at Infopackets reported on Microsoft security. After a typhoon of activity earlier this summer with the release of OneCare Live and then the controversial Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA), the ... Redmond-based company has remained relatively hush on its plans for protecting itself and its paying customers. However, Microsoft again enters the spotlight with a recent announcement regarding former McAfee veteran, Vincent Gullotto. (Source: hackinthebox.org ) Once dubbed by CNET News to be the industry's "Virus Hunter", Gullotto has in recent years been ... (view more)

It wasn't so long ago that we reported on the reluctant decision of America On Line to lay off some 5,000 of its workers . At that time, extremely slow dial-up sales had reduced AOL to losses in that sector, demanding that it change its outlook ... strategy and in doing so, restructure. The move cost thousands their jobs. Today, more bad news is leaking from AOL, as it appears three significant employees have been terminated after a recent scandal over released customer information. The most alarming termination surrounds Maureen Govern, AOL's Chief Technology Officer. Hired in September of last ... (view more)

Recently, Infopackets brought you a few details on the Zune, along with some visuals of the new portable player. And just a few days ago, those wonderful and mischievous sneaks responsible for the underground Zune images are whispering in-depth ... details about the device's appearance, controls, and features. We've made it pretty clear in our recent coverage of the Zune that it is Microsoft's upcoming rival to the immensely popular iPod. The Zune has gone through a number of stages, from gaming peripheral with the power to run Xbox software to its current state as a WiFi music player. Still ... (view more)

As Internet Explorer 7 ushers in some surprising positive reviews for industry giant Microsoft, Mozilla has announced that its Firefox 2.0 browser will be delayed until at least mid-October. The re-scheduling of Firefox 2.0 means that Mozilla's new ... web crawler won't be ready this month, greatly disappointing a growing fan base. Mozilla: Growing in Popularity Once an underground cult favorite for its security features that, for the most part, improved on many Microsoft faults, Mozilla's Firefox browser is constantly growing in popularity. In total, most sources estimate that Firefox now ... (view more)

It looks like Nike isn't the only major American corporation facing charges of sweatshop labor. Apple, creator of the massively popular iPod, recently responded to allegations that many of its workers are slaving through excessive hours for just ... dollars a week. The accusations have led to Apple's own investigation into the reportedly affected factories. Most of Apple's iPods are made in China -- perhaps the world's new hot spot for cheap tech manufacturing. The country of some 1.3 billion people is also the major supplier of wares for department store giant Wal-Mart, and is steadily growing ... (view more)

For those like myself who use Yahoo's online mail service everyday, the recent announcement that a security leak has been rectified is welcome news. A few problems have arisen this summer, including a Javascript flaw featuring the Yammaner worm with ... the ability to attack all versions of Yahoo web-based mail except for the most recent (Summer 2006) version of the program. News of the threat was first reported in mid-June, but the most serious attacks appear to be from threats arising earlier this month. Emerging in Late July, Yahoo mail users were susceptible to an attacker with the potential ... (view more)

Although we here at Infopackets routinely work to keep our readers updated on the most significant computer software and hardware releases, too rarely do we report exclusively on the launch of other notable products. August 22 features the release ... of the latest version in a franchise that is becoming so popular that the it has made late summer something to look forward to (even as teenagers drag their feet back into the classroom). On Tuesday, August 22nd, Electronic Arts will release Madden '07 -- a game that every year quietly goes about dominating the industry and, arguably, tech culture. ... (view more)

Not so long ago, Infopackets reported on Dell's surprising announcement to step away from its long-time allegiance to Intel microprocessors by incorporating a line of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) chips. The move was largely regarded as a desperate ... kind of diversification, as both Dell and AMD sought to use each other after pitiful second quarter results. Today, Infopackets has learned that Dell has made its latest announcement on the AMD deal by reportedly ordering 2 million AMD PCs for its fall lineup. (Source: news.com ) According to a Bank of America financial analyst, Dell has requested ... (view more)

Let the mud-slinging, well, continue: just months before the intended release of Sony's Playstation 3 (PS3) console, rumors are beginning to swirl in the tech industry on which console company might come out on top. In response to a recent analyst ... report which projected the PS3 to claim victory, Microsoft alleges that one of Sony's most significant claims about its console is unlikely to be a success. Furthermore: Boston-based market analyst "The Yankee Group" recently predicted that Sony, undoubtedly the most successful console-producer of the last two gaming generations (PS1 and PS2), will ... (view more)