Sebastian Rupley

The talk at the VON (Voice On the Net) conference this week in Silicon Valley is not just about Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, but the coming convergence of Wi-Fi wireless LAN technology and VoIP services. That melding is already leading to the development of new products and services, with many more expected later this […]

Sony Electronics is looking to heat up the DVD recording arena. The company is adding two DVD+R Double Layer (DL) DVD drives to its line of Dual RW burners. An internal DRU-700A drive and an external DRX-700UL drive represent the companys move into double-layer recording. The new burners and accompanying compatible discs promise to almost […]

The Bush administration has asked the Federal Communications Commission to require broadband service providers to introduce new architecture in their networks that would facilitate eavesdropping by law enforcement officials. The 85-page proposal was filed March 12 by the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Experts are saying that if it is […]

Following the formation of a consortium to develop wireless USB technology, Intel Corp. is providing more details about when a specification and the first products will arrive. The consortium, announced at Februarys Intel Developer Forum conference in San Francisco, is called the Wireless USB Promoter Group. Other members include Agere Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, NEC, Philips […]

Microsoft and Disney are now kissing cousins in a multiyear agreement to cooperate on digital-media initiatives. The news arrived only days after Apple Computer announced plans to sever long-standing ties with Disney. Under the deal, Disney will license Windows Media digital rights management (DRM) technology, and Microsoft will get Disney content. “Its not surprising that […]

Few examples of technology-related federal legislation have stirred up more controversy in recent years than the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and now the European Union is considering a similar, yet far more sweeping act—one that could extend to virtually all kinds of intellectual property protections—which critics describe as “nuclear weapons of IP law enforcement.” […]

Many people believe the real solutions to tackling growing spam and online fraud problems lie in more ambitious forms of message authentication. But such ambitious approaches would require, most observers agree, the participation of many arms of the high-tech community. This week, Sendmail, a global provider of open-source and commercial secure message management solutions for […]

Lindows.com has announced a new version of its Linux operating system with support for portable computers based on the Intel Centrino platform. Although few observers see an immediate threat to Microsofts operating system franchise, according to Lindows.com officials, making Linux available on cost-effective notebooks has been a big request from PC manufacturers. The first Centrino […]

Cell phone manufacturer Nokia recently admitted that several of its Bluetooth-enabled phones are vulnerable to attack, which could result in a hacker gaining access to personal data stored on a targeted phone. Meanwhile, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which, unlike the Wi-Fi Alliance, doesnt test products for compliance with the Bluetooth standard, said the […]

Microsoft Corp. is facing some questions about political correctness and fonts this week following the release of a critical Windows update that also happens to include a previously released font removal tool. At issue is Microsofts decision to remove two swastikas and the Star of David from its Bookshelf Symbol 7 font. Microsoft officials characterized […]