The Guardian – US government to investigate IBM tactics
The US justice department has begun an investigation into allegations of anti-competitive behaviour by IBM, the sprawling multinational technology company that dominates the market for powerful mainframe computers used by large organisations. Nicknamed “big blue” for its vast scale, IBM has been criticised for years by software companies who complain that the firm makes it difficult for them to produce products compatible with its technology.
ComputerWorldUK – Google execs say ‘we grow or die’
Despite Google’s phenomenal growth, the Internet search giant does not appear to be worried about taking on too many projects, judging from comments made at a media roundtable Wednesday with company co-founder Sergey Brin and CEO Eric Schmidt.
CBR Online – UK universities sign up to Google Apps
Google has signed deals with a number of UK universities to provide thousands of students with access to the free suite of messaging and collaboration tools including Google Mail, Docs, Sites and Chat. The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Portsmouth and De Montfort University have signed up to Google Apps Education Edition.
The Register – Spotify scores over £1m a month from subs
Music streaming pioneer Spotify earns more than £1m a month from its premium subscribers, OUT-LAW.COM can reveal. Earnings could be as high as £72m a year. The figure is derived from statements made by Spotify executives.
Computer Weekly – Pirates steal software worth £1bn via P2P networks
Software pirates illegally shared $1bn worth of software on BitTorrent P2P networks in the first half of 2009, says the Business Software Alliance. The BSA said in its 2009 Internet Piracy Report published today that individuals were turning to peer-to-peer networks and auction sites in large numbers to acquire or transfer illegal software.
The Daily Telegraph – YouTube to sign landmark content deal with Channel 4
YouTube and Channel 4 are on the brink of signing a landmark content deal which will see the majority of the broadcaster’s content hosted in full on the video sharing site. YouTube and Channel 4 have been in talks for at least the last six months and a contract is expected to be signed imminently. It is reported that Channel 4 has negotiated the right to sell its own advertising around its content on YouTube and share the revenue with the Google-owned site.
The Daily Telegraph – Napster cuts price in battle with Spotify
Music streaming service Napster has slashed membership costs in an attempt to see of the challenge posed by Spotify. Napster, which boasts a music library of around eight million tracks, has cut the cost of its “unlimited” subscription from £9.99 per month to £5 per month, half the price of Spotify’s premium service. The fee entitles users to stream an unlimited number of songs to their computer at no extra cost, as well as download and keep any five tracks.
Silicon.com – Steve Jobs tops list of most influential people in tech
Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs has been named as the most influential individual in the global technology industry, topping the silicon.com 2009 Agenda Setter’s list.
BBC – Cuba bloggers test government limits
Cuba’s dynamic emerging blogging community has recently been testing the limits of free expressions with posts ranging from vivid accounts of everyday lift to calls for political change.
IT Pro – Cloud computing to go mainstream in 10 years?
Executives from the technology industry believe it’ll be a while yet before cloud computing becomes the norm. It will take five to 10 years for cloud computing to become mainstream, but it is likely enterprises will always stay in hybrid environments using cloud and on-premises solutions. That was the view of a number of leading industry executives at a cloud computing open day hosted today by BT.
