Technology

Video games are often associated with the bloom of youth, but a study released this week shows that isn't true in all segments of the market -- especially the "casual" game market. Casual games tend to be family-friendly and non-violent; often they involve puzzles or word play. They're about as far ...

RealNetworks on Friday released an enhanced version of its Rhapsody digital music subscription service optimized for MP3 music players. The upgrade adds a more customizable user interface and an easier method for transferring music to portable players using a drag-and-drop feature. Rhapsody 4.0 also...

For years, Microsoft has come under heavy fire for not making its systems secure enough. Now, with the upcoming release of its new operating system, Windows Vista, the company is being unfairly attacked by self-interested competitors for adding more security to protect consumers. Back in 2002, when...

People running pirated versions of Microsoft's upcoming Windows Vista operating system and Windows Longhorn server software will face having the programs rendered inactive, the company said this week. Freshly installed software must be registered with its maker or it will operate only in "reduced f...

SOFTWARE TOOLBOX

Software Puts Film-Like Effects Into Digital Photos

During an annual outing of college chums this past summer, one of the bunch, following a flurry of digital picture taking, smiled wryly and said that he'd recently shot his last roll of Kodachrome 25. For those unfamiliar with film stocks, Kodachrome 25, touted by many as the best film ever manufact...

I visited two of the greatest cities in the United States last week. First, I was in San Francisco where Intel made a credible attempt to show that it intends to stay the market leader despite anything rival AMD has done. Then I went to New York to talk to folks about Hewlett-Packard's congressiona...

A shift in how entertainment is delivered to the home will increase demand for consumer electronics products with wireless networking capabilities and ignite explosive growth for WiFi, according to a study released this week by ABI Research. In the report, ABI forecasted that shipments of WiFi-enabl...

In a move to compete with rival Dell, HP on Thursday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire VoodooPC, a manufacturer of high-performance gaming computer systems. Following the close of the transaction, HP will form a separate business unit within its personal systems group focused...

Microsoft has confirmed pricing and delivery details for its upcoming Zune MP3 music player. The software giant on Thursday revealed its 30 GB Zune digital media player will cost US$249.99. The so-called iPod killer will be available to U.S. customers on Nov. 14, just in time for the holidays. Micro...

OPINION

The Politics of Repairing Humans

This week, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen announced that his mouse brain-mapping project has finally been completed. This major undertaking arrives in tandem with other advances in medical technologies that will soon force political leaders to face difficult policy questions. Mapping a mouse's bra...

Time-shifting device maker Sling Media on Thursday launched three new versions of its Slingbox remote TV appliances. The new models boast speeds up to 400 percent faster than older versions, with support for high-definition TV as well as a variety of other TV setups. Sling Media peddles consumer ele...

Microsoft on Thursday got the gaming world's attention with a blockbuster announcement: "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Fran Walsh and Microsoft Game Studios are partnering to develop two new interactive entertainment series exclusively for Xbox 360 and...

Standing on established privacy laws, three AOL subscribers are striking back at their Internet service provider after they discovered records of their online searches had been distributed across the Internet. Two unnamed Californians and Kasadore Ramkisson of Richmond County, N.Y., filed a lawsuit ...

EXPERT ADVICE

Securing Corporate Networks in a Wired World

As technology and business align closer to an open, Internet-driven world, the current security mechanisms that protect business information are not matching the increasing demands for protection of business transactions and data. A new generation of criminals is exploiting the very connectivity th...

As we move into fall and approach the Intel Developer Forum this week, things show no sign of slowing down. Last week AMD fired an early volley at Intel by broadening an initiative designed to unite the entire slate of remaining non-Intel chip companies, making me wonder, had this happened earlier...

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