Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Corporate Advisory Firm Invests in Salary Database . The Corporate Executive Board, a District firm that provides business advice to corporations around the world, and the Allen & Co. investment bank in New York yesterday announced a $8.8 million investment in PayScale, a major provider of online salary data. By Thomas Heath. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] http://www.hitchincomet.com/export/export-titles.php 10:35:44 PM    comment []

Apple updates QuickTime 7.2 with eight security fixes. Blog: Many of the patches address flaws within QuickTime for Java. [CNET News.com] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:33:05 PM    comment []

Motorola's train wreck of troubles continues. Blog: Motorola has issued another profit warning. Could this mean that CEO Ed Zander is on his way out? [CNET News.com] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:32:37 PM    comment []

AOL to Pay $3M, Reform Cancel Policies . SAN FRANCISCO -- Averting a looming court battle over how it has handled the exodus from its Internet dial-up service, AOL has agreed to make it easier for its remaining customers to leave as part of a $3 million settlement with 48 states and the District of Columbia. By MICHAEL LIEDTKE. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:32:01 PM    comment []

S.E.C. Sets Hedge Fund Constraint. The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted rules ensuring that it can sue hedge funds for misleading investors. By BLOOMBERG NEWS. [NYT > Business] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:31:31 PM    comment []

Sprint Nextel Defends Cutting Customers . KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sprint Nextel Corp. isn't apologizing for its decision to ax customers it determined were calling customer service too often. By DAVID TWIDDY. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:31:00 PM    comment []

SEC Says Hijacked Computers Aided Stock Scam . The Securities and Exchange Commission and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott yesterday accused two Texas men of hijacking personal computers across the country to send mass e-mails and inflate prices on at least 13 stocks. By David Scheer. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:30:29 PM    comment []

Robot subs head to the races. Blog: Can Florida's SubjuGator repeat as the winner in the 10th annual Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition? It'll have to beat out a flotilla of other college teams. [CNET News.com] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:29:55 PM    comment []

Ford confirms more fuel-efficient gas engine. Blog: Automaker says "Twin Force" will be a V8 with V6 efficiency; no word on when models with the new technology would come to market. [CNET News.com] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:29:24 PM    comment []

Libya court upholds death verdicts. Read full story for latest details.   http://www.hitchincomet.com [CNN.com] 10:28:50 PM    comment []

Bush Official Opposes Raising Taxes on Private Equity. The Bush administration warned lawmakers not to raise the tax rate of private equity and hedge funds or their managers, maintaining that it would injure the economy. By STEPHEN LABATON. [NYT > Business] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:28:13 PM    comment []

Bodies found in mosque complex. Pakistani forces combing through the Red Mosque have found the bodies of at least 73 militants, an army spokesman said. Forces were almost finished searching the many rooms of the complex for unexploded grenades, booby traps and other weaponry. http://www.hitchincomet.com [CNN.com] 10:27:38 PM    comment []

China Not Sole Source of Dubious Food. Federal records suggest that China is not the only country that has problems with its exports. By ANDREW MARTIN and GRIFF PALMER. [NYT > Business] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:27:05 PM    comment []

Microsoft announces big titles at E3. Video: Microsoft announces big titles at E3. From E3 in Santa Monica, Calif.: Microsoft shows off 'Rock Band,' 'Halo 3,' Disney movies available in the Xbox Marketplace and more. [CNET News.com] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:26:31 PM    comment []

At E3, entertainment is the name of the game. Console manufacturers want you to know that there's more to games than first-person shooters and role-playing adventures. [CNET News.com] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:26:04 PM    comment []

New Nintendo Wii title encourages exercise. Video: New Nintendo Wii title encourages exercise. At E3 in Santa Monica, Calif., Nintendo executives show off Wii Fit, an upcoming game that will get gamers on their feet and measure their exercise. The game will come with a new accessory, the 'Wii balance board,' which will measure a player's movements. [CNET News.com] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:25:39 PM    comment []

FBI Plans Initiative To Profile Terrorists . The Federal Bureau of Investigations is developing a computer-profiling system that would enable investigators to target possible terror suspects, according to a Justice Department report submitted to Congress yesterday. By Ellen Nakashima. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:25:07 PM    comment []

AOL Investors to Get Lawsuit Money Soon . More than six years after America Online's troubled marriage to Time Warner, investors hurt by accounting tricks before and after the merger will begin to receive proceeds of the company's multibillion-dollar settlement in a huge class-action lawsuit. By Carrie Johnson. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] http://www.hitchincomet.com 10:24:37 PM    comment []

Google to Acquire Postini. Dynamoo writes "Google has announced that it is to acquire Postini, company best known for its corporate spam filtering and security service, but also active in Instant Messaging and compliance area. The deal is to purchase Postini for $625m in cash. The acquisition is slated to enhance Google's application portfolio, and Google will also acquire several very large Blue Chip customers that have previously eluded it." Read more of this story at Slashdot. http://www.hitchincomet.com [Slashdot] 9:50:02 PM    comment []

Insurers to discuss flood claims. Representatives of insurance firms are meeting ministers to discuss claims following the recent floods. [BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:49:29 PM    comment []

All-Star Notebook: Rodriguez Discusses Initial Doubt as a Yankee. Although Alex Rodriguez will undoubtedly opt out of the three years and $81 million left on his contract to become a free agent, he spoke fondly of New York. By JACK CURRY. [NYT > Sports] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:48:52 PM    comment []

One dead after bus station crash. A woman dies in hospital after two buses collide at Walsall bus station. [BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:48:19 PM    comment []

Yahoo Downgrades MusicMatch Jukebox. BanjoBob writes "MusicMatch Jukebox has been a bundle of great MP3 and music management applications in one package. Apparently, it is the end of life for this wonderful MP3 player, ripper, catalog, CD player, Internet radio player, purchase outlet, Auto DJ, Super Tagger, and music database. There was nothing not to like about the product. There is nothing to like about the new downgrade, Yahoo! Music Jukebox. MusicMatch users have been getting notices to 'upgrade'; those who have taken the bait are not pleased. The Yahoo! Music Jukebox feedback forum doesn't have much nice to say about the product. Lots of features have gone away and the 'free upgrade' costs about $20." Read more of this story at Slashdot. http://www.hitchincomet.com [Slashdot] 9:47:48 PM    comment []

Shareholders Approve Merc’s Buyout of CBOT. The Chicago Board of Trade got the final approval from shareholders to merge with the Merc in an $11.9 billion deal. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. [NYT > Business] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:46:49 PM    comment []

Fighting rages at Pakistan mosque. Pakistani security forces are battling radical students holed up in a controversial mosque after negotiations between the two sides broke down, military sources said. http://www.hitchincomet.com [CNN.com] 9:46:13 PM    comment []

Stocks & Bonds: Investors Give Market Cautious Nudge Up. Investors were reassured by a drop in Treasury bond yields yet remained wary as second-quarter earnings season kicks off this week. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. [NYT > Business]   http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:45:36 PM    comment []

A Blogger’s Blend of Prayer and Politics Gains Influence. David Brody, who writes a blog and covers politics for the Christian Broadcasting Network, occupies a position of influence in the 2008 presidential campaign. By MICHAEL LUO. [NYT > Business] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:44:26 PM    comment []

Poof! Ex-NBC Executive Is Now at Fox. Kevin Reilly, the new president of Fox’s entertainment division, will be called on to shore up the weak months in the fall. By BILL CARTER. [NYT > Business] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:44:01 PM    comment []

Nielsen Revises Its Gauge of Web Page Rankings. The online measurement service will scrap rankings based on the longtime industry yardstick of page views and begin tracking how long visitors spend at the sites. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. [NYT > Business] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:43:35 PM    comment []

Full-Contact Banking. Richard D. Fairbank, the chairman of Capital One Financial, has applied hockey strategies to business. By ERIC DASH. [NYT > Business] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:43:08 PM    comment []

A Reputation for Progress and Surprise. As the chairman of the auto parts maker Magna International, Frank Stronach’s management style has both enriched and alienated shareholders. By IAN AUSTEN. [NYT > Business] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:42:37 PM    comment []

A State Finds No Easy Fixes on Health Care. Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, who campaigned as a health care reformer, is learning that to contain costs is to pluck dollars from someone’s pocket. By KEVIN SACK. [NYT > Home Page] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:42:02 PM    comment []

With Pressure Put on Hamas, Gaza Is Cut Off. In the month since Hamas took over Gaza, the 1.5 million Palestinians there have become more isolated than ever. By STEVEN ERLANGER and ISABEL KERSHNER. [NYT > Home Page] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:41:36 PM    comment []

Pakistan Military Storms a Mosque to Free Students After Negotiations Fail to End a Siege. Three elite police commandos were killed and seven others injured in the raid, a doctor told Agence France-Presse. By CARLOTTA GALL and SALMAN MASOOD. [NYT > Home Page] http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:41:12 PM    comment []

Analyst Says Blu-ray DRM Safe For 10 Years. Mike writes to let us know that a poster on the AVS forum says that the latest issue of HMM magazine (no link given) contains a quote from Richard Doherty, a media analyst with Envisioneering Group, extolling the strength of the DRM in Blu-ray discs, called BD+. Doherty reportedly said, "BD+, unlike AACS, which suffered a partial hack last year, won't likely be breached for 10 years." He added that if it were broken, "the damage would affect one film and one player." As one comment on AVS noted, I'll wait for the Doom9 guys to weigh in. Read more of this story at Slashdot. http://www.hitchincomet.com [Slashdot] 9:40:31 PM    comment []

Journey to a Record: Bonds Smiles Aboard All-Star Welcome Wagon. Barry Bonds is the unofficial emcee of baseball’s showcase event and is performing his duties as graciously and hospitably as he can. By LEE JENKINS. [NYT > Sports]   http://www.hitchincomet.com 9:39:56 PM    comment []

U.S. Envoy Offers Grim Prediction on Iraq Pullout. Ryan C. Crocker laid out a grim forecast of what could happen if American forces were pulled back or even withdrawn from Iraq. By JOHN F. BURNS and ALISSA J. RUBIN. [NYT > Home Page] http://www.hitchincomet.com   9:38:38 PM    comment []