Technology

Last week, HarperCollins, publishers of popular authors Paulo Coelho, Ann Patchett, and Wally Lamb, announced that it will begin to offer some of its newer releases online for free. The company hopes to duplicate on its website what customers have ... done for decades in brick and mortar store. (Source: nytimes.com ) Visitors will be able to view the entire contents of some books for a limited time. The initial titles include: Paulo Coelho's The Witch of Portobello; I Dream in Blue: Life, Death, New York Giants by Roger Director; Mark Halperin's The Undecided Voter's Guide to the Next President: ... (view more)

Microsoft is investing heavily in Mobile phone technology. On Monday, the software giant announced that it had acquired Danger Inc., the company behind popular mobile technology like T-Mobile's Sidekick. "The addition of Danger serves as a perfect ... complement to our existing software and services, and also strengthens our dedication to improving mobile experiences centered around individuals and what they like," said Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach. (Source: microsoft.com ) In a statement, Microsoft said it sees in Danger a company that has "connected with a ... (view more)

If you operate a small business, then you know how difficult and expensive it can be to try to compete with bigger businesses. It often seems like an uphill battle. But now, you can find a valuable ally in your effort to grow against the flow: ... technology. Technology can empower your small business and level the playing field when competing against larger businesses. If you're looking to grow your business or are finding yourself going head-to-head with the big guys, there are a variety of technological tools and sources that can help. (Source: businessweek.com ) Among the technologies most ... (view more)

Forty years ago the British invaded American pop culture, led by four polished, handsome devils from the least-polished place on earth. Upon arrival in the United States from Liverpool, England, the Beatles' went about changing American music ... forever. That impact will be commemorated in the oddest fashion when NASA blasts the lyrics for the band's popular "Across the Universe" as part of the 50th anniversary of its first space mission. Although neither anniversary is particularly odd, their combination seems an interesting 'mashup'. For a space administration that is as American as Wisconsin ... (view more)

It's now guaranteed that a major part of America's wireless airwaves will be accessible to any device or computer program. That could mean more choice for cell phone owners who want to access the Internet on their phones. The guarantee comes because ... bidding on the relevant part of the airwaves (the C block of the 700 megahertz spectrum to be precise) has passed the $4.64 billion mark. The government has agreed to proposals, championed by Google, ruling that any bidder paying more than this amount would have to follow open-access rules. The airwaves are being freed up by television ... (view more)

Although we're often told not to shoot the messenger, the Messenger is certainly shooting up outer space. The spacecraft blazed past Mercury in mid-January, and took some rather remarkable snapshots of the tiny grey planet closest to the sun. The ... most impressive of those pictures has been dubbed "The Spider," and features a massive geological formation that has dazzled scientists. Many believe the subject of Messenger's photographs -- a giant, central depression surrounded by over a hundred thin trenches zig-zagging each way outwards -- is something very new and very exciting in recent ... (view more)

America Online (AOL) has broken its vows of proprietary ownership and will soon integrate open source Jabber protocols into its AIM and ICQ instant messaging services. AOL is currently in the process of testing a new version of AIM, using the Jabber ... platform as a way to make improvements to its service and eliminate potential operating bugs. While the modifications are still in the test phase, supporters of open source software are looking forward to the potential benefits Jabber can provide. (Source: betanews.com ) Although Jabber is relatively well known within technical circles, most ... (view more)

HBO is launching a 'free' service allowing viewers to watch its programming on computers. The 'HBO on Broadband' system offers a live feed of the television channel, and more than 350 movies and TV shows to download and watch at a later time. That's ... more than most cable TV operators offer through video on demand services. There's no specific charge to use the service, but it's only available to people who subscribe to HBO's television channel. And you must get your broadband access from the same cable company from which you get HBO TV. At the moment it's only being tested on two broadband ... (view more)

AT ... (view more)

Who will Americans choose in 2008 to lead the country into a new decade? Republican? Democrat? Conservative? Liberal? Independent? The conventional wisdom is to compare the various presidential candidates on all the so-called "popular" issues: ... things like immigration, Roe vs. Wade, the war in Iraq, the economy, Global Warming, and health care. But the stance a president takes on 'high' technology can also result in world-changing events and may be more important than you think. Don't believe it? Consider President Kennedy -- his going-to-the-moon objective catalyzed years of technology ... (view more)