Matt Hines

IBM Pushes Button on Xbox 360 Chips

IBM said Tuesday that it has begun production of the microprocessors that will serve as the brain of Microsoft Corp.s next-generation video game and digital entertainment console, the Xbox 360. Due to arrive in consumers hands in late November when the Xbox 360 is planned to debut, IBM said that the chips offer dual-source processing […]

Microsoft Opens Book on Publications Search

Microsofts MSN Internet search group detailed its new effort to catalog books, academic materials, periodicals and other print resources on Tuesday. Dubbed as MSN Book Search, the effort is part of the companys push to expand its search capabilities to find more of the information people seek when they come to its site and launch […]

P2P Company Launches Legal Music Service

Once the focus of recording industry copyright litigation, peer-to-peer network provider iMesh reported that it has completed its transition into a legal, fee-based music download service. The company, which is based in Israel, announced a public beta version of its iMesh 6.0 software on Tuesday, promising that the application offers many of the benefits of […]

Cingular Broadens Mobile Messaging Reach

Cingular Wireless launched new mobile e-mail and instant messaging services on Monday, promising customers access to widely-used communications applications offered by America Online Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. The Atlanta-based company, co-owned by BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc., is offering access to the messaging systems via free, downloadable software that, it says, translates […]

Microsoft Ditches Media Player Licensing Strategy

Microsoft Corp. reported in a quarterly antitrust update to the U.S. government that it recently scrapped an exclusive licensing proposal for its Windows Media Player that asked device makers to snub competing multimedia applications. In its quarterly report, filed with the Department of Justice on Thursday, Microsoft said it quickly withdrew the draft licensing agreements […]

Firefox Hits Download Milestone

The Mozilla Corp. announced Thursday that its no-cost, open-source Web browser, Firefox, had reached the 100 million download mark, hitting that milestone less than one year after the software was first introduced. Launched in Nov. 2004, the browser currently boasts an estimated 45 million individual users, many of whom have already cycled through multiple iterations […]

Court Ruling Imperils Prepaid Wireless Company

A U.S. court upheld its previous ruling against Boston Communications Group, a provider of prepaid wireless services, threatening a shut off for roughly 3 million customers, including people buying the minutes from Cingular Wireless and Alltel. On Tuesday, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts ordered the firm, better known as BCGI, to halt sales of […]

Segway Puts GPS on Roadmap

Segway Inc. launched a new program on Wednesday, through which it will offer free global positioning systems made by Garmin along with its Human Transporter vehicles. As part of the promotion, labeled by the firms as Find Your Way with Segway, buyers will receive a free Garmin eTrex Legend or eTrex Legend C GPS handheld […]

McDonalds Cooks Up Wi-Fi for Nintendo DS

Its always a happy meal when you can beat another fast-food junkie at video games without paying for the Wi-Fi network youre playing on. Thats what restaurant giant McDonalds Corp. is betting with a new deal announced Tuesday along with Nintendo Co. and Wayport Inc. Through the agreement, McDonalds will offer free Wi-Fi access to […]

VeriSign Adds to Content Plans with Moreover

VeriSign Inc. announced a $30 million buyout of content aggregation and distribution specialists Moreover Technologies on Tuesday in an effort to increase its presence in the market for business-to-business information management and delivery services. The deal, which was rumored to be in the works for over a week, represents Mountain View, Calif.-based VeriSigns growing investment […]