software

We all know that many modern medical tools rely on sophisticated software to perform their magic in life-saving and life-threatening situations. However, it's now software that's being asked to decide, quite literally, whether someone lives or dies. ... Sound like a science-fiction fantasy? Maybe something from Huxley's 'Brave New World' or a Vonnegutt novel? It may have started that way, but with increased frequency, computer programs are being asked to make life or death decisions because of their intrinsic impartiality. Example 1: As far back as 2006, software, designed by a Beijing hi-tech ... (view more)

Hackers have already found a way into the newest iPhone software, just three months before it's officially launched to the public. The new edition of the software is officially titled version 1.2, though will get the snazzier sounding '2.0' tag on ... its formal launch. Hackers got hold of the software because it's included in Apple's new Software Development Kit (SDK). The main gripe between Apple and the hackers is that, while the firm encourages independent development of features to run on the phone, it wants tight control over how this is done. Apple is demanding they become the exclusive ... (view more)

Microsoft is going OpenSource, sort of. On Thursday, the Redmond-based company announced that it would make key components of its application programming interfaces available online; over 30, 000 pages of documentation will be available detailing ... Windows client and server protocols. Before the announcement, software developers had to pay for access to the information, but now the company is hoping this move will make it easier for third-party software makers to ensure their programs will work smoothly on Windows operating systems. (Source: news.com ) Microsoft's decision is motivated in part ... (view more)

Microsoft is giving students free access to some of its leading tools for developing software and creating web sites. The project, called Dreamspark, is designed to encourage pupils to learn the skills needed for a career in the software and ... computing industry. The package includes Visual Studio (a facility for developing software), Expression Studio (which includes graphic and web design tools) and XNA Game Studio (which is used for creating video games). Around 35 million high school students in the US, China and several Western European countries are eligible for the scheme now. School ... (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)

Yahoo email users can look forward to great new features in the next year as the company fights for its share of Internet messaging. By adding new features that will either imitate or link to existing social networks, Yahoo hopes to provide users ... with an experience that will make email more applicable as a social networking tool. (Source: technologyreview.com ) Yahoo's plans for the new features were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas earlier this month. As the most popular web-based email service, Yahoo upgrades will benefit over two hundred million users. ( ... (view more)

Sun Microsystems Inc. agreed to acquire MySQL AB, developers of open source databases for about $1 billion -- about $800 million in cash in exchange for all MySQL stock and to assume about $200 million in options. The transaction is reportedly ... expected to close late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter of this year. Sun Microsystems Inc., based in Santa Clara, CA said the acquisition accelerates its position in enterprise IT to now include the database market, saying MySQL "will bring synergies to Sun that will change the landscape of the software industry by driving new ... (view more)

If you visited Sears.com or Kmart.com and agreed to join their "online community," you may have installed spyware without your knowledge. Late last year, Sears.com and Kmart.com reportedly began asking users if they wanted to participate in a ... "community" online -- presumably a community made up of Sears and Kmart partners. In late December, security researcher Benjamin Googins of Computer Associates noticed that the "community" actually installed software from comScore, a market research firm, in order to track the web activities of the site's visitors. Googins noted on his company' ... (view more)

America OnLine (AOL) has launched a new version of its software, designed to work more efficiently with Windows. In the past, AOL users have generally had to access all of their Internet services (such as web browsing, email and instant messaging) ... through a single screen (or 'window'), an approach dubbed 'walled garden' by some commentators. AOL's tactic kept everything together in one place, but some users found it wasn't possible to use tabbed browsing. That's where you can quickly switch from one screen to another by pressing the ALT + TAB keys or simply clicking with the mouse. The ... (view more)

A new version of Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is being rolled out with the first "service pack" for Windows Vista, due in the first quarter of 2008. The new WGA will employ nagging alerts on computers suspected of using pirated software instead ... of disabling programs on the suspected computer. (Source: nwsource.com ) When computer users activate Windows or try to download software from Microsoft's web site, WGA scans their system for signs of pirated software. If WGA finds an unauthorized copy of Windows, in many instances the computer becomes non-functional, only allowing a user to connect ... (view more)