Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Engadget reports that between 2003 and 2005, Dell sold millions of OptiPlex computers and according to newly unsealed documents, Dell knew these systems were full of dangerously faulty motherboards all along.

The story, as told by the NYT, reveals Dell as a company so desperate to cut costs that not only did they knowingly sell computers stuffed with capacitors that were sure to eventually burst and ooze all over the motherboard (possibly starting fires), they actually refused to fix the 1000 affected computers of the firm representing them regarding the related lawsuit.

(Of course, Dell was often just “fixing” the computers with more faulty motherboards anyway.)

That’s as far as I’ll do the story injustice here. The unabridged version is a sad but epic yarn. Somewhere, if you listen really closely, you can hear a made for TV movie being born, gasping for its first breath.

If you’ve had a bad experience using Dell hardware, let us know by leaving a comment.

It already dominates the world of internet searches, has produced a decent mobile OS and an own-branded phone to run it on, has its own web browser, email and chat platforms, office suite and it’s even working on a full-blown operating system to take on the might of Windows.

So is it really that much of a surprise that on online music store seems the next item on Google’s world domination to-do list? According to the Wall Street Journal, the unstoppable search giant has been talking behind closed doors to the big players in the music business over the past few months, and is preparing to roll out its own twist on the music store game.

The first phase will see Google launch a music download service, which will integrate closely with its existing search engine and potentially be accessible through other avenues too – much like the keyword-based AdWords advertising service.

But that’s just the start, and the bigger goal is phase two – a cloud-based subscription service set to launch under the umbrella of the Android Marketplace in 2011 that will be incorporated into both the Android and Chrome OSes.

Details at this stage are understandably a bit thin on the ground, and Google doesn’t always get its new ventures quite right (Buzz, anyone?). But with any music store likely to be closely linked to Google’s search operation, you feel it’s likely to prove another success for the over-achieving Mountain View operation.

And if Apple’s Steve Jobs took offence to Google barging its way into the mobile space to take on the iPhone, you wonder how he’ll take the news that next in the firing line is the much-hallowed iTunes?

Source: Gadget Show

Apple’s new mobile operating system, iOS 4, will be released at some point today boasting enhancements such as:

• Multitasking
• Folders
• Even better Mail
• iBooks
• Create playlists
• 5x digital zoom
• Tap to focus video
• Faces and Places in Photos
• Home screen wallpaper
• Gift apps
• Spell checking
• Wireless keyboard support

iOS 4 will be available from iTunes at some point today.

Microsoft is aware of a vulnerability that affects only Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. If you use Windows 2000, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, you are not affected.
If your computer is running Windows XP, visit this Microsoft Fix it page to fix this problem automatically.

Don’t know what version you’re running? If you’re not using Windows XP, the Fix it page will display a message like the one below and that means that you don’t need the update.

Microsoft is aware of a vulnerability that affects only Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. If you use Windows 2000, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, you are not affected.
If your computer is running Windows XP, visit this Microsoft Fix it page to fix this problem automatically.

Don’t know what version you’re running? If you’re not using Windows XP, the Fix it page will display a message like the one below and that means that you don’t need the update.

What is Microsoft Fix it?

Microsoft Fix it is an online solution center designed to help you automatically diagnose and fix common computer problems.

How widespread is this problem? There have been limited reports that cybercriminals have exploited this vulnerability, but all of these exploits have since been taken down and we are not currently aware of anyone attempting to attack this issue. However, now that the vulnerability has been made public, we do anticipate that others might try to take advantage of it.

Technology concerns present the biggest headache for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) according to a recent poll by Eclipse Internet, an ISP for SMEs and home users.

Of the 232 firms questioned, two-thirds (66%) say IT is the one area of their business where they most often have to seek outside help.

The web was the most popular source for advice with 79 per cent saying they often go online to look for a solution to a technical query

However, many small businesses feel the Government could do better with almost two-thirds (62%) saying the State doesn’t provide sufficient help and advice to the SME sector.

“Technology is an important enabler for SMEs but many business owners feel out of their depth when it comes to solving IT issues,” said Clodagh Murphy, director at Eclipse Internet. “However, with practical and tailored advice, IT can be used to the maximum benefit to help SMEs punch above their weight in today’s tough economic conditions.”

Key research findings

Top five areas where advice is most frequently sought by SMEs

1 – technology
2 – finance
3 – insurance
4 – web
5 – security

Top five sources for advice for SMEs

1 – the web
2 – Government bodies providing free advice
3 – dedicated small business sites
4 – family and friends
5 – business consultancies

style=”text-align: right;”>Source: www.freshbusinessthinking.com

Apple today released Mac OS X 10.6.4, the fourth maintenance update for Snow Leopard, via Software Update.

Some of the general fixes and improvements are:

• improves compatibility with some Braille displays
• resolves an issue that causes the keyboard or trackpad to become unresponsive
• resolves an issue that may prevent some Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications from opening
• addresses issues copying, renaming, or deleting files on SMB file servers
• improves reliability of VPN connections
• resolves a playback issue in DVD Player when using Good Quality deinterlacing
• resolves an issue editing photos with iPhoto or Aperture in full screen view
• resolves an issue with Parental Controls Time Limits for Open Directory or Active Directory users
• resolves a display sleep issue with MacBook Pro (Early 2010) computers
• resolves an issue with MacBook Pro (Early 2010) computers in which the right speaker may sound louder than the left speaker
• includes Safari 5.0
• Security improvements

This update also includes the improvements found in the Mac OS X v10.6.1, 10.6.2, and 10.6.3 updates.

This update can be downloaded via software update or from Apples website.