John Lister

AT&T is testing a system that uses home broadband to solve poor home cellphone reception. If successful, it would lead to the biggest audience yet for the technology, though consumers may not be impressed with the proposed pricing scheme. The ... technology involves a device known as a "femtocell," which AT ... (view more)

Among the more publicized points of Microsoft's highly-anticipated operating system Windows 7 is the touchscreen technology. But there's some debate about how much impact it will have on the majority of user experiences. There's no doubt that ... touchscreen technology has been boosted in the past few years thanks to cellphones and other portable devices. Many people who'd previously seen a touchscreen as futuristic and unrealistic will have become regular touch users through the likes of the iPhone. As reported in March , Microsoft revised the touchscreen technology of Windows 7 to make it ... (view more)

The U.S. Justice Department says it has legal concerns over a proposed deal between Google and American book authors and publishers. While not a killer blow to the deal, the comments significantly decrease the likelihood that it will ever receive ... court approval. The deal would settle a long-running case in which the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers sued Google for scanning books without permission. Pages from these books then appeared as results in the Google Books search service. The proposed settlement would include setting up a registry of copyrighted books, ... (view more)

Microsoft has unveiled the next incarnation of its Project Management software. And for the first time, it will be a formal part of the Microsoft Office suite. The product itself is geared toward corporate users and is designed to understand and ... control project schedules and finances, effectively communicate and present project information, and get productive quickly. (Source: microsoft.com ) Project 2010: 3 Flavors Offered Project 2010 will come in three editions: Standard, Professional and Server. A beta edition will be available for testing sometime this year, with the final release ... (view more)

Microsoft has launched a new feature for its Bing search engine that displays results as images rather than a list of websites. While the images are attractive, its appeal is likely to be limited. This isn't the same feature as the image search ... options available on most major websites, including Bing (which was recently accused of using explicit language to attract visitors). Those look specifically for images which best match the search term. Instead, the image results involve displaying specific categories of information in a visual form. For example, somebody searching for information on ... (view more)

Twitter has reiterated that users of its microblogging service retain the copyright to their comments. However, the site has refused to rule out using posts for targeted advertising purposes in the future. The site has revised its terms and ... conditions to clarify various legal positions. The move appears to be a reaction to public relations problems experienced by rival social networking site Facebook, which recently declared it had the right to use content even after the relevant user had cancelled their account . On the face of it, Twitter is using plain language to reassure users of their ... (view more)

Excellent news for anyone who uses MS Windows -- Registry Mechanic version 9 has just been released! Registry Mechanic is the long-standing market leader among Windows Registry Cleaners -- and it's not because of great marketing or a massive ... corporation behind it -- no, Registry Mechanic has the #1 slot simply because it works! Subscribers to the Infopackets email newsletter will have read Dennis Faas raving about this product for years; now I've tried it for myself, I can only agree with his praise. And with this very special release, we've arranged an exclusive offer just for you! Why do ... (view more)

Microsoft has denied suggestions that it has paid to use an explicit term (synonymous with film making) to promote its search engine Bing. Microsoft claims the pay-per-click (PPC) link to the site must have been triggered by another phrase. The ... controversy over the illicit keyword began when a writer at TechCrunch.com -- who asked to remain anonymous -- somehow wound up searching for the 'nasty' word in Google. The writer was surprised to find that the number one listed item in the sponsored pay-per-click results section was for Microsoft's search engine Bing. (Source: techcrunch.com ) How ... (view more)

Asus is working on an electronic reading device that could change the digital book industry. Not only is the product expected to be much cheaper than those already on the market, but it will include two screens -- allowing books to be read in ... traditional two-page format. The firm is reportedly planning two editions of the reader. First, a budget version featuring two fixed screens, allowing users to see a left-hand and right-hand page. It might not sound like a big deal, but the idea could have a strong psychological effect by making the experience of reading on a machine closer to reading a ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed a serious security issue affecting Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) -- the version that was made available to the public prior to the full release of Windows 7. The problem also currently affects Windows Vista and Server ... 2008, but not Windows XP or Server 2008 R2. The issue involves the Server Message Block (SMB) system which is a part of Windows itself and is used for sharing files over a network. A bug in the system means anyone could take advantage of the exploit and use SMB to gain remote access to (and take control of) a remote computer. Temporary Solution: Block ... (view more)