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From the New York Times: At least five online file-sharing companies have started trying to reach an accord with the music industry to convert the free trading of copyrighted music on their networks to paid services, according to several recording industry and file-sharing executives. The most advanced discussions are between the recording industry and Grokster, …
From the New York Times: A technology arms race is under way in the hotel industry. Standard televisions are being replaced by flat-panel, high-definition displays that produce a better picture and allow a bulky piece of furniture to be removed from often-crowded guest rooms. Internet connections are becoming standard, whether through high-speed hard-wired connections or …
From the New York Post: In a deal that would unite two of America’s corporate giants as partners in the Internet business, Time Warner is in advanced discussions to sell a stake in America Online to Microsoft, The Post has learned. The InsideMicrosoft blog also has more information on this.
From TechRepubic: When Lego executives recently discovered that adult fans of the iconic plastic bricks had hacked one of the company’s new development tools for digital designers, they did a surprising thing: They cheered. Unlike executives at so many corporations, who would be loathe to let their customers anywhere near the inner workings of their …
From MSNBC: Is “frags per round” going to be the batting average of the 21st century? Professional computer gamers certainly hope so. Players of Counter Strike, a popular title in competition at the U.S. finals of the World Cyber Games last week, count their prowess in how many enemies they can shoot to pieces, or …
From MSNBC: For many Americans, the family room is where more living happens than the living room. Increasingly it’s also the media room, the place where family and friends gather to watch movies and sports events on big screens or the kids hang out for video games. And perhaps most uniquely, it’s also where the …
From Yahoo! News: Terrence Ryan knew Scott McNulty in passing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where they both work. But it was McNulty’s blog, or Web log, that made Ryan take a harder look. It showed Ryan that McNulty, a systems administrator, really knew computers. More important, it revealed his “geeky love of …
From CNN: Steven Sasson knew right away in December 1975 that his 8-pound, toaster-size contraption, which captured a black-and-white image on a digital cassette tape at a resolution of .01 megapixels, “was a little bit revolutionary.” When anyone asked, the Eastman Kodak Co. engineer ventured that it would become a commercial reality in 15 to …
From The Minnesota Daily: Students looking for free and cheap — not to mention legal — software have a new option on campus. In June, the Board of Regents approved a three-year, $2.7 million software contract. As a result, students taking at least one credit can buy licenses for commonly used Microsoft products, in some …
From the New York Times: A few minutes before 7 on a recent morning, Greeshma Salin swiveled her chair to face the computer, slipped on her headset and said in faintly accented English, “Hello, Daniela.” Seconds later she heard the response, “Hello, Greeshma.” The two chatted excitedly before Ms. Salin said, “We’ll work on pronouns …