Yahoo

Lawmakers seek halt to web censorship

Judi Hasson — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:13:03 -0400

Two U.S. senators, Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois and Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, are worried that big Internet companies are cooperating with repressive foreign governments. They have warned that if the industry doesn't change its ways, Congress will act.

In a letter to the CEOs of Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google, Durbin and Coburn accused the companies of not following through on a promise to adopt a code of conduct under which they would agree not to aid foreign governments' attempts to censor or repress Internet users.

"It is critical to the protection of fundamental human rights that a voluntary code of conduct be finalized and implemented as soon as possible," the senators wrote. "We recognize that the code of conduct raises complicated issues with potentially far-reaching effects on your company's operations, but with everyday that the code is not finalized the human rights of people across the globe are jeopardized."

Yahoo has been widely condemned for handing over information on dissident Shi Tao to the Chinese government, and other similar cases have come to light. In the House, New Jersey Republican Rep. Chris Smith has legislation awaiting floor action that would require U.S.-based Internet companies to be more forthcoming about their dealings with repressive governments, and would prohibit them from identifying dissenters who use their technologies.

For more:
- see this InformationWeek article

Microsoft will deal with new Yahoo board

Paul Mah — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:06:33 -0400

Microsoft confirmed on Monday that it would be interested in resuming talks with Yahoo to either buy its search business, or the entire company, on the assumption that there is a new board of directors for it to work with. This comes as an implicit endorsement of billionaire investor Carl Icahn's attempts to push a new board lineup through.

If anyone else still has doubts as to where Microsoft thinks the fault lies, the company remarked on the earlier impasse in talks with its current board, saying in a statement, "Despite working since January 31 of this year...we have concluded that we cannot reach an agreement with them." Apparently, CEO Steve Ballmer also was worried that even had an agreement been reached a couple of months earlier, the current board could mismanage the company in the midst of gaining regulatory approval. Such a scenario would have jeopardized the value of Microsoft's investment.

To read up more on Microsoft and Yahoo:
- check out this Network World article

Web crashes take a big toll

Judi Hasson — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:29:35 -0400

Everyone, from teenagers constantly on IM to the executives hooked on their BlackBerrys have become dependent on the Internet. Virtually, every enterprise relies on the web to communicate, to transit or find information and to do business in this digital age.

So when there is a glitch or a failure, it seems like a disaster. Everything stops. No one can function. In the past few months, technology companies like Yahoo, Amazon.com and Research in Motion--the company behind the BlackBerry--all have suffered embarrassing technical problems. The New York Times suggests the consequences of such inevitable breakdowns will only loom larger with plans by Internet companies to make us even more dependent.

Companies like Google want us to store not just email online, but also spreadsheets, photo albums, sales data and nearly every other piece of personal and professional information. "That data is supposed to be more accessible than information tucked away in the office computer or filing cabinet," the newspaper said. But the story adds that the problem is that this requires web services to be available around the clock; even the Internet's biggest companies sometimes have trouble making that happen.

For more on our Web addictions:
- check out the New York Times article

Data centers share energy tips

Judi Hasson — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:48:24 -0400

Leaders in charge of big data centers including the U.S. Postal Service, Yahoo, Oracle and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will convene in Silicon Valley this week to present case studies documenting their experiences with technologies and practices for improving energy efficiency. The topics will include wireless sensor networks for managing air flow in data centers, modular cooling systems that reduce heat spots around densely packed servers, and high-efficiency power transformers. The goal, say the organizers, will be to offer real world data and experiences to help other organizations figure out out to save energy and become more efficient. It's also an opportunity for companies to promote technology that will allow organizations to continue expanding their data centers.

To read more:
- see this InfoWorld.com article

Yahoo goes with Google

Paul Mah — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:40:54 -0400

Hours after saying that talks over a possible tie-up with Microsoft ended, Yahoo announced a deal in which some of Google's advertisements will appear alongside search results from Yahoo's own search engine. This arrangement is expected to generate $250 to $450 million in operating cash flow for Yahoo. Recent twists in events had resulted in Microsoft coming back a second time to court Yahoo. The first attempt was aborted by Yahoo, which refused to budge from its sky-high asking price. This time around, Yahoo explained it did not go with Microsoft was because while the Redmond company dangled $9 billion cash, Yahoo was only interested in its search business.

For more on the Yahoo and Google deal:
- check out this Network World article

ALSO NOTED: Yahoo turned down Microsoft's $40 a share offer; IT hiring expected to pick up in 3Q;

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:59:58 -0400

> Yahoo turned down Microsoft's $40 a share offer. Article
> IT hiring to pick up in 3Q. Article
> Heavy Internet users targeted. Article
> Wal-Mart tests free Internet classified ads. Article
> How to handle data management. Article

And Finally… Free Wi-Fi at Starbucks! Article

Microsoft and Yahoo: What now?

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:31:45 -0400

It sure feels like the Microsoft-Yahoo negotiations have been going on forever, but judging by the looks of it, it seems like there isn't going to be a Microhoo to speak of after all. Sure, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has been making some interesting allusions in the press following the tumble that his company's stock price has experienced ("We were totally willing to do a transaction, and they walked away," he told the Financial Times) but despite his urgings that he was open to a deal, it seems that there won't be one. So, what now? According to Ars Technica, a deal of another sort. "Having failed to deliver Jerry Yang's proverbial head on a silver platter and bringing Yahoo under his domain, [Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer] needs to show his own shareholders that the whole mating dance wasn't just wasted time and money while management could have been doing something better with its talents and assets," Ars writes. "So I would be surprise--no, shocked--if Microsoft didn't announce another rather large acquisition very soon."

For more on the post deal shakeout:
- see this Ars Technica article
- also check out this article in FierceFinance

Microsoft may up the ante for Yahoo

Thu, 01 May 2008 06:59:59 -0400

Efforts by Microsoft and Yahoo to negotiate a merger agreement have stalled, with the two companies not even talking. But Microsoft this week could raise its bid by as much as $2 to $33 a share to get some movement. Yahoo, however, has indicated that that's not enough and wants an offer in the high 30s, according to the Wall Street Journal. If the third Microsoft bid doesn't succeed, the world's biggest software vendor may walk away or it could decide to embark on a proxy fight. Microsoft, however, is reluctant to start a hostile takeover, the Journal said. One other option according to various reports: a plan that would allow Yahoo to remain independent while signing a search advertising partnership with Google.

To read more on the battle of the titans:
- See this Financial Post article

Cloud computing is here to stay

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

You may shrug off cloud computing as the latest fad and nothing more. But you better listen up because it is here to stay. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and a few other big vendors are investing $5 billion to build the infrastructure and sell IT through the cloud, according to Gartner. It will make it easier and cheaper to get the IT services you need. And if you have had a desire to dismiss what you think is just another label, think about it again.

For more on the next IT trend:
- See this SearchCIO article

Yahoo rejects Microsoft... again

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:59:59 -0400

For the second time, Microsoft has become a jilted suitor. On Monday morning, Yahoo rejected Microsoft's offer to take over the company, despite a pointed letter on Saturday from Microsoft's chief executive, Steven Ballmer. "Our board's view of your proposal has not changed," Yahoo said in a statement. "We continue to believe that your proposal is not in the best interests of Yahoo and our stockholders." Yahoo turned down the offer again after it received Ballmer's letter on Saturday that threatened to lower the price of its buyout offer, which would be made directly to Yahoo shareholders.

For more on this takeover battle:
- See this New York Times article