Brandon Dimmel

As the popularity of MySpace continues to grow, so too do the number of predators crawling within its virtual borders. Not too long ago, Infopackets columnist Chris Sabga wrote a story on the dangers for children and teenagers with MySpace accounts ... -- but recently, threats to pretty much anyone are becoming apparent. The most notable is Zango, the Spyware program that has established its own MySpace account and is thrusting .exe files at anyone silly or curious enough to drop in. For the most part, MySpace has avoided Spyware invaders, including Direct Revenue, the massively spreading malware ... (view more)

In response to its main competitor's participation in of the tech industry's biggest-ever acquisitions, NVIDIA Chief Executive Officer Jen-Hsun Huang is surpisingly positive. In a recent interview, the CEO of ATI's long-time rival called the merger ... a "gift" for NVIDIA, claiming his company's position as the only stand-alone graphics card producer would ensure success in the future. For those not following the news, processing chip producer AMD recently announced its purchase of leading graphics-card producer ATI, for a reported $5.4 billion. For AMD, it could be the gamble that gets it out of ... (view more)

In a quarter that proved disastrous for the makers of the processing chips that power its software, Microsoft has reported strong earnings for the second financial period of 2006. So strong, in fact, that the Redmond-based company has pledged to buy ... back $40 billion of its own stock, with at least half of that within the next month. Normally, it takes years for a company to buy back just portions of its stock. In the past, much of Microsoft's pledge in doing so has been no different. It pledged three years ago to buy back $30 billion, and has only recently completed this purchase. The second ... (view more)

Now that AMD has purchased graphics-card producer ATI for an impressive $5.4 billion, what are the ramifications for the processing chip market and the tech industry as a whole? In many ways, AMD is trying to break out of its rut by expanding to ... markets previously untouched by it or Intel -- a gamble that might be proceeding at a pace too fast for itself or shareholders. With that in mind, let's take a look at the details of the purchase: The purchase will cost AMD a reported $4.2 billion in cash, with an additional 57 million shares being provided to ATI shareholders. The immediate benefit ... (view more)

In a rather desperate attempt to lift itself out of a spiraling drop into the black (or perhaps red) abyss of financial decline, AMD plans to purchase major video-card producer ATI for $5.4 billion US Dollars. Rumours first surfaced back in May by a ... few wise analysts, and it appears that yesterday, the plans have finally set in motion. The attempt has been rumored as a last-ditch effort for AMD to save itself from losing all face in a bitter processing chip war against Intel. (Source: news.com ) For those not familiar with the product AMD is seeking to purchase, ATI is perhaps the gaming ... (view more)

It truly might be the headbutt felt 'round the world: in the wake of Zinedine Zidane's World Cup final cranium-to-chest smash of Marco Materazzi, certain deceptive websites are taking advantage of popular interest to install malicious code on ... systems around the globe. Those soccer (or football) fans still desperate for news on the controversial play -- and there are many -- are being infected with a trojan horse downloader when they visit a fake (but official-looking) FIFA World Cup 2006 web site. Websense Security Labs, a group that monitors online threats such as this, have been warning ... (view more)

As a response to criticisms of its often difficult to comprehend price scheme, Dell is completely changing the way it charges consumers. In a major announcement earlier this month, Dell proclaimed that it would streamline offers for small businesses ... and home purchasers by eliminating random offers and mail-in rebates. With business consumers comprising 85% of Dell sales, the company has been seeking an effective method of expanding its success in the home computer market. Other strategies, including forays into television and printers, have had mixed results. Such failures have led Dell to ... (view more)

In a bid to win back the hearts of tech junkies dismayed by European antitrust fines and deceptive anti-piracy programs ( Windows Genuine Advantage ), Microsoft is defending the average surfer by waging a new war against "spam". As spam -- the ... advertising granddaddy of Spyware most typically found in emails -- spreads to bulletin boards, Microsoft is integrating a program that roots out such false and annoying offers. As mentioned, spam has traditionally been associated with email. Culturally linked to the Monty Python viking sketch, "spam" was first used to describe annoying online messages ... (view more)

The processing chip war is already taking its toll on Intel. Recent reports suggest that not only is Advance Micro Devices (AMD) laying down a heavy antitrust lawsuit against Intel in Germany, but the latter is also slashing 1,000 management ... positions worldwide in order to remain competitive. Infopackets recently reported on the clearance of current generation processing chips by both Intel and AMD, and the price is evidently proving costly for Intel. The battle between AMD and Intel is most ferocious abroad, where AMD plans on officially complaining to German authorities that Intel made ... (view more)

For those missing the days of big hair and neon spandex, Microsoft has announced a number of retro-releases for its Xbox Live service. Available each week until mid-August, a number of hits from the 80s and early 90s are coming to Microsoft's Xbox ... 360 online community. Some of the most notable titles include Pac-Man, Galaga, and for a heightened fee, the arcade juggernaut Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting. Since the release of the Xbox 360 in November, Microsoft has added a "Live Arcade" section to its online service. Many older titles are already avaiable there, including Gauntlet and Smash ... (view more)