Top Items:
Joel Spolsky / Joel on Software:
My First BillG Review — In the olden days, Excel had a very awkward programming language without a name. "Excel Macros," we called it. It was a severely dysfunctional programming language without variables (you had to store values in cells on a worksheet), without locals …
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Steve Hamm / Business Week:
What Ozzie Can Do for Microsoft — Expect the new software czar to nudge Microsoft toward open standards support without radically changing the company's core business — The departure of Bill Gates as Microsoft's technology czar puts a heavy load on the shoulders of Ray Ozzie …
Owen Thomas / Business 2.0:Why Ballmer should leave Microsoft
Discussion:
M-Dollar, InterMedia, GigaOM, Kevin Maney, Tom Raftery's I.T. views and Joel on Software
Ryan Naraine / eWEEK.com:
Microsoft Confirms Excel Zero-Day Attack Under Way — Microsoft June 15 confirmed that a new, undocumented flaw in its widely used Excel spreadsheet program was being used in an attack against an unnamed target. — The company's warning comes less than a month after a code-execution hole …
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Paul Mutton / Netcraft:
PayPal Security Flaw allows Identity Theft — A security flaw in the PayPal web site is being actively exploited by fraudsters to steal credit card numbers and other personal information belonging to PayPal users. The issue was reported to Netcraft today via our anti-phishing toolbar.
Discussion:
TechSpot
Annalee Newitz / Wired News:
Where 2.0 Gives the World Meaning — SAN JOSE, California (37°19'58.28"N 121°53'22.00"W ) — At O'Reilly Media's Where 2.0 conference this week, an odd mix of people gathered and gawked at a tiny spy plane mounted on a display table. Some wore the understated ties of government bureaucrats …
Discussion:
The Tech Confidential Blog, The Other Here, edparsons.com, O'Reilly Radar and All Points Blog
Kenneth Li / Reuters:
Microsoft developing a rival to Apple's iPod — NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) is developing a music and video device to compete with Apple's iPod and creating its own music service to rival Apple's iTunes, sources familiar with the plans said on Friday.
Discussion:
Engadget, TechEffect, Bink.nu, paidContent.org, Blogging Stocks and Microsoft News Tracker
Anne Broache / CNET News.com:
Politicos mull action against patent system abusers — WASHINGTON—U.S. politicians appeared sympathetic on Thursday to tech companies' cries for help combating what are commonly called "patent trolls"—companies that supposedly hold patents for no reason other than coaxing inflated settlements out of wealthy corporations.
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MarketWatch:
Social Networking Sites Continue to Attract Record Numbers as MySpace.com Surpasses 50 Million U.S. Visitors in May — comScore Media Metrix Releases May Top 50 Web Rankings and Analysis; Online Interest in World Cup and NBA Championships Heats Up; Spring Upfront Television Season Drives Traffic
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Wade Roush / techreview.com:
Cooling Computers with Tiny Jet Engines — Hewlett-Packard is adapting fans from radio-controlled jets to relieve heat-stressed computer servers. — The computer servers that fill huge data centers are producing more heat with every new generation of processors.
Edge Online:
A BUG'S LIFE — Is it still worth hunting bugs for a living - at the risk of being treated like an insect - for your break in the videogame industry? — "You are not playing games." While researching the life and times of the modern-day games tester for this article …
Tim Lee / The Technology Liberation Front:
Announcing Software Patent of the Week — As regular readers of TLF know, I'm not a big fan of software patents. The more I learn about them, the more I'm amazed at the sheer scope of the problem. Every month, thousands of new software patents are issued.
Discussion:
Techdirt
Live Favorites:
Live Favorites - Beta No More! — Live Favorites V1 is Released! — We, the Live Favorites Team, are happy to announce that as of today Live Favorites is officially released as a V1 product... Beta No more! — A little while ago we put into production our final V1 service and web site.
Joris Evers / CNET News.com:
Online threats outpacing law crackdowns — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—Authorities are cracking down on phishing and botnets, but the threats are advancing instead of diminishing, two law enforcement officials said. — Cybercrooks are organizing better and moving to more sophisticated tactics …
Discussion:
GigaLaw.com Daily News
twice.com:
CyberHome DVD Recorders Seized — San Jose, Calif. — A task force of local, state and federal agencies seized more than 20,000 CyberHome-brand DVD recorders that allegedly use Philips patents without a license. — CyberHome U.S.A. of Fremont, Calif., markets DVD players, DVD recorders, portable DVD players and a handful of LCD TVs.
Discussion:
Engadget
Eli Milchman / Wired News:
Yahoo 'Strictest' Censor in China — Yahoo is stricter than any other search engine in China when enforcing censorship, said a journalism-advocacy group Thursday. — Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said their tests showed that Yahoo.cn blocked a higher percentage of politically sensitive results …
