Lisa Vaas

Gartner Inc.s ombudsman has slapped Oracle Corp. on the wrist, saying that the database giant misused Gartner research data in an ad in The Wall Street Journal. The ad, which ran Nov. 28, claimed that “94 percent of customers run up-to-date Oracle Applications (Easy to upgrade at no additional cost).” The ad contrasted that number […]

Progress Software Corp. is snapping up Neon Systems Inc., maker of middleware software to plug into data and applications stored on mainframes. The two companies on Tuesday announced that Progress DataDirect Technologies subsidiary is making the $6.20 per share cash tender offer for all outstanding share of Neon common stock, for a total of about […]

Finally, Oracle is doing the right thing on multicore chip licensing. The company announced on Monday that, while it will keep treating each core as a separate processor, its way of counting the cores on the chip has been amended. To wit: for the UltraSparc T1, you multiply the total amount of cores (eight) times […]

Wikipedia has implemented a new policy of using “semi-protection” on targets of frequent vandalism, such as its entries on love, beauty or George W. Bush. Semi-protection of a page prevents new registered users and all unregistered users from editing that page and is only applied if the page in question is facing a serious vandalism […]

The European Union has passed a contentious data-retention directive that requires all telephone and Internet traffic to be logged and stored for between six months and two years in order to help combat organized crime and terrorism. The EU Parliament adopted the directive—originally put forward by England in June after the London terrorist bombings—last week, […]

The AJAX community is dubbing Java DB open-source database a crucial next step for this hot new Web development language. AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is all about a rich client experience using JavaScript and XML Web services from the client-side. For its part, Java DB, a distribution of the Apache Derby open-source embedded database, […]

Flaws have been found in multiple versions of Adobe Systems Inc.s Macromedia ColdFusion that could allow remote or local attackers to bypass security restrictions. Malicious local users can also disclose potentially sensitive information, according to a Secunia Inc. advisory. One of the flaws, which Secunia has dubbed moderately critical, is in the Sandbox Security function. […]

Editors Note: This story is part of , a continuing series of stories from the reporters and editors of Ziff Davis Internet. Instead of the usual mile-high look at the year ahead, these articles examine particular technologies and markets in transition, including whats in store for them. Used to be, friends didnt let friends use […]

BOSTON—The blind man in the red shirt stood up. A German Shepherd in a leather harness dozed at his feet, under the folding plastic chairs, in the warmth of winter sun coming in low through the windows at the Massachusetts State House. Brian Charlson pulled at the PDA around his neck. Housed in a leather […]

MySQL AB is gluing its open-source database into Business Objects Business Intelligence software. The two have signed a new OEM referral agreement, under which they will jointly sell a MySQL Network database subscription service with Business Objects BI software. The announcement builds on a partnership the two forged in April, in which MySQL said it […]

A UK company has brought to life the self-destructing messages of Mission Impossible. Staellium UK Ltd. has introduced StealthText, a service available via SMS (Short Message Service) and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) phones, which enables senders to punch in a self-destruct code when they send text messages. The recipient receives a text message showing the […]

IBM is gunning for SMBs who want to flip the switch on content management right out of the box. To cater to the needs of smaller companies, Big Blue on Monday plans to announce a content management solution thats packaged on its eServer iSeries boxes. iSeries boxes already come preloaded with storage, server, software, security […]