New York Times closes on $300M sale of About Group

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times has completed its $300 million sale of The About Group to Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp.

IAC, which operates online businesses including Newsweek, The Daily Beast and dating site Match.com, announced the deal last month. About.com provides information on a wide variety of topics and also operates ConsumerSearch.com and Calorie-Count.com.

The site's content is written by paid experts known as guides. The New York Times said Monday that it anticipates receiving about $290 million from the sale and plans to use those funds for general corporate purposes. IAC says The About Group will become part of its search and applications segment.

The New York Times Co. purchased About.com in 2005 for roughly $410 million. About.com has suffered in the past year because of a change in the way Google handles search results.

The change made About.com content difficult to find. The New York Times Co.'s stock added 6 cents to $9.64 in midday trading, while IAC/InterActiveCorp's stock fell 71 cents to $52.51.

WordPress 3.1.2

WordPress 3.1.2 is now available and is a security release for all previous WordPress versions.

This release addresses a vulnerability that allowed Contributor-level users to improperly publish posts.

The issue was discovered by a member of our security team, WordPress developer Andrew Nacin, with Benjamin Balter.

We suggest you update to 3.1.2 promptly, especially if you allow users to register as contributors or if you have untrusted users. This release also fixes a few bugs that missed the boat for version 3.1.1.

Download 3.1.2 or update automatically from the Dashboard → Updates menu in your site’s admin area.

Find out how to get the new Samsung 3D HDTV

Find out how to get the new Samsung 3D HDTV in your living room

Samsung 3D LED TV from Samsung - Find out how to get one from us. Do you want to watch movies in 3D at home like you do at the movies?

We want to buy you a brand new Samsung 46'' 3D HDTV (participation required.must complete sponsor offer purchases.)

You could get the next generation Apple iPhone – we'll pay (with participation)!

Let us buy you the next generation iPhone Phones.

Find out how you could receive the next generation Apple iPhone on us! Everyone is waiting to see what they come up with next and we want to buy it for you (with participation. some purchases required.)!

We’ll even include some cash for the cell phone plan!

Click here -> http://peerfly.com/x/0/759/2377/

We’ll buy and ship you one these phones and cash for service free when you complete our member incentive program. It’s that simple! Act quickly! (details apply)

Get the HTC Droid Incredible and $500 for service

Let us buy you the HTC Droid Incredible and cell service. Find out how you could receive the new HTC Droid Incredible on us!

We'll even include some cash for the cell phone plan (with participation, some purchases required)!

You could get the new HTC Droid Incredible and $500 for service - we’ll pay (with participation)!

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We’ll buy and ship you one these phones and cash for service free when you complete our member incentive program. It’s that simple! Act quickly!

Get your HTC® Droid Incredible On Us!

• Vivid 3.7" touch screen.
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Digsby - All your contacts, in one place! Chat, Email, Facebook, MORE!

The new Digsby is here! This release includes some major improvements including:



* Facebook:: All new interactive Facebook Newsfeed including the ability to comment and 'like' right from Digsby
* MySpaceIM:: We added full support for MySpaceIM so you can chat with your friends
* Achievements:: Share your achievements within Digsby with friends via Facebook Newsfeed
* Installer:: The installer no longer includes bundled offers - thank you for the feedback!
* And More:: Over 20 other bug fixes and enhancements

We invite you to take the new Digsby for a test drive.

Download Now!

The New Apple iPhone 3GS

New 3GS Apple iPhone – Why Should AT & T Customers Rethink Before Buying It?

The technology world waited breathlessly late last week for the new Apple iPhone to be released. The new iPhone differs from the former model iPhone by adding some new technologies and devices. Some of the favorite features of the new iPhone is the Spotlight Search which enables users to sort out all of their applications with ease. Instead of going through each application manually, Spotlight Search starts to sort the applications the moment you begin typing your request. The new iPhone will sort the address book feature, web applications, notes and all other applications in mere moments.

Another new feature is the Global Positioning System chip installed in the new iPhone which will eliminate the need for a separate navigation system, for which many consumers pay a lot of money. YouTube is a natural benefactor of another new feature, an included state-of-the-art video camera, complete with professional editing features and an easy upload feature to sites such as YouTube.

Another convenient and important new feature is the enhanced Wi-Fi technology of the new iPhone which provides users with up to 9 hours of battery life. Also, a larger landscape keyboard allows faster messaging. It seems that Apple has thought of everything when creating the new iPhone functions. With additional attachments, the iPhone can be used as a blood sugar monitor, music editing and applications for doctors to make house calls and even can double as a garage door opener.

Granted the every-day professional will never venture far from their Blackberry, it is what they know and are comfortable using. However, there is a large population of technology savvy consumers who have been desperately awaiting new cell phone technology and have pounced at the change to tinker and use their new iPhone 3GS. Emmet B. Keeffe III, co-founder and CEO of iRise, a Los Angeles-based technology firm that develops software for the enterprise market, was one of the first to receive the new iPhone. “It was difficult knowing that my new iPhone was on my desk at work while I was on an airplane”, said Keeffe who could not wait to return from a trip to start exploring the iPhone’s new features. Keeffe, a happy user of the former model iPhone, said that the 3GS is, “much better, because it is faster”. Keeffe admits that he is a technology hound waiting for the latest and best technology, but he said that he also genuinely likes the new features in the latest version of the iPhone. Indeed, the new iPhone is faster, try two times faster than the previous model.

Some complaints about the new iPhone have been mild so far. For example, some consumers are complaining that their air-time contractor, AT&T, has not been able to activate the new iPhones which has resulted in an apology rebate by Apple for $30.00 USD. AT&T vows to fix the problem in the next 48 hours. However, most consumers have reported that it was surprisingly easy to use which might have disappointed some new users because many have been honing their skills in anticipation of the challenge of exploring their new phone. In America, the new iPhone 3GS is on shelves now at many retailers. AT&T is offering an introductory rate of $199 USD with a two year contract for air time.

Laptop, Ipods and other gadgets free from World Wide Giveaway (CNN/BBC)

How can we give up free products ? Well it's a simple new system involving a three step process, which has featured on BBC and CNN.


The advertisers want people to try out their products or services, and they're willing to pay to promote ... it's simple, less expensive for them than tv advertising and much more effective !

Resist the dishes

satellite dishes are slowly taking over the world. they’re creeping up every building on earth, sucking the life out of all humans within the walls.

i reckon the guy in the first photo succumbed a long time ago and now works directly for the dishes.

munich…

kosovo…

tehran (please note, they’re illegal here)…

kabul…

amsterdam…

Matt's awesome chip desk

What does one do 434 discarded Itanium CPUs? Matt Tovey was inspired by our Chip Trivet, and used them to make this awesome computer desk.
The CPU modules were scrapped as the result of a supercomputer upgrade, and were presumably functional before having their heat sinks taken off-- a herculean effort for that many CPUs! Matt says that the list price for the lot of chips was over US$800,000 in 2006 and that the desk contains about 2.8 TFLOPs of computing power, about the same as 900 3.2GHz P4s. Matt started with a plain desk, tiled in the CPUs, and added wooden edging and a beveled glass top. Nice work! I just love the way that this desk looks. But it gives me an idea too-- take it one step further, and what if it worked? You could use a single, giant PCB for the motherboard which sat underneath the glass surface of the desk. With that much area, you could fit in a lot of processing power. On the cheap (or moderately cheap), one could imagine instead filling the inside of a desk top with low-cost (even last-generation) PC motherboards to make a great looking beowulf cluster or render farm that doesn't take up any desktop or rack-mount space. Sadly, Matt's page has moved on to the great /dev/null in the sky, but the mirror still shows some of the build photos. via evilmadscientist.com

IT companies blame public sector for lack of development in Romania

Consultancy firm Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC) reviewed negatively their estimations on IT general and soft spending in Romania.

According to the company , in 2004, there was a 110 million euro spending approved for 2007 spending on IT project services in the Romanian public sector. The current forecast is a maximum of 75 million euro.

The consultancy firm argues that the public sector, instead of helping the IT sector flourish, acts as a barrier to IT development in Romania. Central and local administration waste almost a third of the IT projects funds supposed to make the IT market prosper.

Pierre Audoin Consultants was founded in 1976 in Paris and was the first European company to give strategic consultancy in the IT field.

It covers 20 European markets. Its Bucharest office was open in 1999 and covers mainly the Eastern and Central European markets.

HotNews.ro, Jul 9, 2007

All The Music, Half The Cables: Laptops As Stereo Sets

Laptop, printer, television, stereo set, and DV- R: It doesn't take long for a household to look like an electronics mart, with a long, confusing cable jungle running along the floor.

But there's another way: the laptop as the central music server, dishing out music for personal use and for parties alike. What's needed is a good piece of organisational software on the laptop for the record collection and two carefully chosen investments in hardware.

One free, yet highly recommended, piece of software is Apple's iTunes, available for download from the Apple website, says Christine Tantschinez, sub-editor with German Audio magazine.

Windows PCs come with Media Player already built in, and that software offers similar functionality, says Volker Zota from German c't magazine. Those looking to buy commercial software have many options: Software like MP3 Maker from Magix costs around 40 dollars, as do programmes from the Nero family.

Hardware investments are necessary to get the best possible sound. The first is for the computer itself. "Internal on-board soundcards just don't produce fantastic sound," Tantschinez says. The expert recommends external sound cards that are connected via USB.

"They have high quality outputs, often for multi-channel sound too, and digital audio output as well." The cards cost between 90 and 150 dollars.

The biggest investment is generally dedicated to the speaker system. There are several factors to be considered in advance: Small speakers or an entire surround sound system; wireless or cable-based; and what kind of music is going to be played back using the hardware?

"The selection and price spectrum for such systems is large - there are sets for 20 dollars and others for 2,000," Tantschinez says.

Another alternative is to designate the computer as an external signal source for the stereo. A WLAN bridge can be used for a wireless connection of the HiFi set and the computer. Both devices can then be put anywhere in the house.

One advantage with this setup is that no new hardware is needed. The computer simply works as a virtual CD changer.

Electronics companies are working with this technology as well, such as the "Streamium" product line from Philips: "Computer and stereo communicate using a wireless network," Philips spokesman Klaus Petri says.

Apple has also refined this principle for its laptops, calling it "Airport Express." It's intended to make the clinch cable, which connects computer and stereo, a thing of the past.

"A base station is the size of a pack of cigarettes and sends out data using WLAN standard 802.11g at a speed of up to 54 MBit per second," Apple spokesman Georg Albrecht says.

A mini clinch connection allows for other audio devices to be hooked into the base station, not the computer. "iTunes handles the wireless transfer of MP3 or AAC data," Albrecht says. The station receives the data, decompresses it and forwards it to the stereo as analog audio data .

By Verena Wolff, Dpa
© 2007 DPA