Matthew Hicks

Nuance Communications Inc. on Tuesday will launch its second packaged speech application, this time targeting the authentication of callers so they can access sensitive information and perform transactions over the phone. The Menlo Park, Calif., speech vendor plans to announce Nuance Caller Authentication 1.0. The application, which sits atop Nuances Verifier voice-authentication engine, uses biometric […]

Yahoo Inc. is giving its instant-messaging service a face-lift and integrating it more closely with a range of its portal services such as Internet radio, Web search and online address book. The Sunnyvale, Calif., company on Monday released a beta version of its next Yahoo Messenger client, officially numbered Version 6.0 but being marketed simply […]

SAN DIEGO—Linux on end users desktops remains largely elusive for enterprises, but the open-source operating system could become more attractive as the demands of IT departments shift, said panelists and attendees at the Desktop Linux Summit 2004 here. Microsoft Corp., the maker of the dominant Windows operating system, and other proprietary software vendors themselves could […]

SAN DIEGO—Lindows Inc., best known for its Linux operating system in a legal tug-of-war with Microsoft Corp., is moving into the digital audio and photo arena with two new desktop applications, its CEO said during the Desktop Linux Summit 2004 here. Lindows on Friday released its Lsong application for playing and managing digital audio. It […]

Patent infringement issues surrounding the JPEG image standard resurfaced on Thursday after a small software vendor filed lawsuits against 31 companies ranging from Adobe Systems Inc. and Apple Computer Inc. to IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co. Forgent Networks Inc. said that it had filed two separate patent infringement lawsuits in U.S. District Court for the Eastern […]

Opera Software ASA, in releasing on Thursday the first beta of its updated Web browser, is giving a boost to Mac OS X users by synchronizing its upgrades across all operating systems while also expanding into new RSS, e-mail and chat areas. With the Opera 7.50 beta, the Oslo, Norway, company has redesigned the browsers […]

In an effort to open more paths to its Internet services, America Online Inc. on Wednesday launched its first AOL search toolbar and opened AOL e-mail accounts to third-party mail applications. With the AOL Toolbar, the Dulles, Va., company is offering its subscribers and nonmembers a new entry point into AOL Search as well as […]

Lindows Inc., fresh from changing the name of its flagship product, is preparing to go public as it struggles to earn a profit. The San Diego-based company on Tuesday filed an initial public offering registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company did not pinpoint a date for the IPO but announced that it […]

In a move that opens its instant-messaging client to developers, America Online Inc.s ICQ division on Tuesday is launching its latest ICQ client with a new approach for adding features. ICQ 4.0 includes the introduction of a platform called ICQ Xtraz through which ICQ, partners and eventually users can create and deliver new features and […]

Polycom Inc. on Monday unveiled its first wireless conference phone and launched a new video conferencing system aimed at executive offices. Polycom introduced the SoundStation2W, which allows wire-free voice conferencing. Based on 2.4 GHz technology, it provides a 150-foot range between the phone and the base station that plugs into an analog jack. The phone […]