Matthew Hicks

America Online Inc. has released a beta version of AOL Instant Messenger that fixes a critical security hole that could open users to remote attack. As previously reported, AOL had promised to fix the vulnerability in an upgraded version of AIM. On Tuesday, it made a test version of AIM 5.9 available for download. Security […]

The tension between technology and business models is intensifying in the instant messaging market as the largest IM providers test new approaches for working together. So far, business is winning. Last month marked a turning point in the ability for users to communicate across the largest IM networks. Microsoft Inc., Yahoo Inc. and America Online […]

Search rivals Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have settled disputes over a search-engine advertising patent and a services agreement ahead of Googles high-profile initial public offering. The two companies announced on Monday that they reached a settlement agreement in a patent-infringement lawsuit brought by Yahoos Overture Services Inc. division in April 2001 against Google. They […]

SAN JOSE, Calif.—A joint venture backed by a century-old directory publisher is adapting one of the newest forms of online advertising to the industrial-products market. ThomasB2B.com LLC on Monday will announce the beta launch of its paid-search service that targets sponsored listings to the business-to-business market, company president Dan Savage said during an interview this […]

The Mozilla Foundation and Opera Software ASA have released updates to their Web browsers to fix a series of security vulnerabilities. Mozilla on Wednesday posted new versions of its Firefox browser, Thunderbird e-mail client and Mozilla suite that provide fixes to three issues. They include a newly reported critical vulnerability affecting multiple vendors software that […]

MSN has launched a beta version of a Web-based instant messaging client in five markets, including the United States. MSN Web Messenger went live on Wednesday, providing users of Microsoft Corp.s MSN Messenger consumer IM service with the type of remote IM access that has been available to users of competing services for years. Both […]

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Yahoo, which had faced criticism for the way its anti-spyware toolbar scans for software, has decided to alter the toolbar so it treats adware the same as other nefarious software. The Sunnyvale, Calif., company on Wednesday took the beta tag off the Yahoo Toolbar with Anti-Spy and changed its default scanning settings to […]

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Expect Microsoft Corp. to launch its own desktop search product by the end of the year as it more aggressively enters the search market, a company executive said here Wednesday. Christopher Payne, vice president of MSN Search, told attendees at the Search Engine Strategies conference that desktop search is one of Microsofts top […]

Startup X1 Technologies updated its desktop search application Tuesday with support for more complex queries and broader indexing of file attachments. X1 Technologies Inc., of Pasadena, Calif., first launched its X1 Search application in February as a way for users to quickly find e-mails, attachments, contacts and desktop files. It is competing in a space […]

To expand its local search options, Ask Jeeves Inc. on Tuesday partnered with Citysearch for access to its local business listings. Ask Jeeves over the course of the next month plans to add Citysearch information to its search results, said Jim Lanzone, the companys senior vice president of search properties at Ask Jeeves. Along with […]