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Tux Deluxe: 'Yet microsoft Office SP2 claims to have a fully compliant version of ODF, and that's probably true, as defined by the specification. It's just completely useless at interoperating with other vendors products. This is not interoperability, it's an attack on the very concept.'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twitter is working on various ways to make money from its fast-growing microblogging service, but advertising is an option that is not currently being considered.

Cousin Scuzzy writes 'This morning I awoke to 26 e-mail messages from Skype and PayPal notifying me of multiple payments for my Skype account that had been charged to my credit card and subsequently refunded. At first I suspected that this was a new wave of spam that had slipped through my defenses, but it quickly became apparent that they were legitimate messages. I then began to worry that my Skype account had been compromised. The first message from Skype thanked me for setting up their 'Auto-Recharge' service which automatically purchases Skype credit when the balance falls below a certain amount. This was very suspicious, as I had never requested this service. Based on posts to Skype's forum, it now appears that there have been serious billing problems at Skype relating to Auto-Recharge for over a month. Although I believe that all unauthorized charges to my credit card have been refunded, it is worrisome that Skype, or anyone, would charge my account erroneously. Skype, for their

Security software companies McAfee and Symantec are both developing products for the iphone, according to a new report. Speaking with Reuters, McAfee CEO Dave DeWalt said the company was working on security software for both the iphone and Mac, which he described as "a much more comprehensive suite for the Apple family." DeWalt did not say when the software might be ready for release, or how such software, which normally requires more.

Two things that online shopping has going for it: You can probably find just about anything for sale online, and you don't even have to get dressed to buy it. Working against it are having to wait for it to get shipped to you, and the fact that shipping sometimes adds a few bucks to the price you pay.

Apple aficionados turned their attention this week back to a rumored Apple iPod touch-like tablet device. Chatter about such a gadget has risen and fallen several times over the past few months, so what put it back on the front burner? It seems a recent Piper Jaffray report suggests Apple is working with suppliers to deliver such a large-screen touch tablet sometime in the first half of 2010.

(Telecompaper) Telecoms entrepreneur Sean Melly has made a bid for Eircom, The Irish Times reported. It is understood that Melly's bid is higher than the AUD 175 million earlier submitted by TaemasBridge, an investment vehicle led by former Babcock Brown executive Rob Topfer. Topfer's bid was rejected by Eircom's trade unions and its employee trust Esot, which owns 35 percent of the Irish telecom. According to the paper's informed sources, Melly is in 'advanced talks' with investment bank JP Morgan about putting together a finance package to restructure Eircom's EUR 3.8 billion debt. Deleveraging Eircom's balance sheet will be a key component of any successful takeover of Ireland's biggest fixed-line operator. Eircom recently agreed a deal with its trade unions aimed at saving EUR 130 million a year. The sale of some assets could also be on the cards. Singapore Technologies Telemedia is also believed to have made an offer for Eircom. Melly chairs Powerscourt Investments, a private equi

narramissic writes 'Programmers may not think that their rituals are unusual, but if you swear that your code is less buggy if you recite it aloud or you prepare for coding by listening to certain music, don't be surprised if you get a couple sideways glances. In a recent ITworld article, Issac Kelly, Lead Developer at Servee.com, explains his routine and why it works: 'To me, programming is really the 'last mile' to getting something done. When I do the planning and specifications, I go on lots of walks, take lots of time with my wife, and really do as little work in front of the computer as possible. The more I plan (in my head, on paper, on a whiteboard) the less I program; and all of my rituals are to that end.' His ritual goes like this: 'Before sitting down to a coding session, he gets a big glass of water, takes everything off of his desk, and closes out all programs and e-mail, keeping open only his code editor. The office door is shut, and some sort of music is playing ('typic

Models SP3495E/SP3496E/SP3497E are high-speed 3.3 V RS-485/RS-422 transceivers supporting 20 Mbps applications and those up to 32 Mbps. They are designed for balanced data transmission and handle bidirectional communication on multipoint/multidrop bus transmission lines. Up to 64 devices can be connected simultaneously on bus. Short circuit protection/thermal shutdown forces driver output into high impedance state if output current exceeds 250 mA or if junction temperature exceeds 165°C. This story is related to the following:Computer Hardware and PeripheralsSearch for suppliers of: Transceivers

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