Software that claimed to provide increased privacy whilst surfing the web has been criticised by computer experts and the blogging community.

The application Browzar has been branded “adware” by many because it directs web searches to online adverts.

Some technical experts also say Browzar, which claims to leave no trail of webpages visited, does not work.

Browzar’s developers say they are examining the feedback but strongly deny that it is adware.

Mr Ajaz Ahmed, founder of internet service provider Freeserve and the man behind Browzar, told the BBC News website that he thought people were misusing the term.

“This is not adware at all,” he said. “Like every search engine, Browzar has sponsored advertising.”

Adware is typically a piece of software that generates advertising on a user’s computer.

Source: bbc

Toshiba Corp said Friday it will release a high-definition DVD player based on the HD-DVD format for the first time in Europe in mid-November, the latest move in the intensifying competition over next-generation DVD standards.

The new product will be priced at 599 euros. Toshiba, which leads a group of companies promoting the standard, has already marketed the players and recorders in Japan and the United States.

Source: Crisscross

Samsung Electronics’ new MP3 player, aimed at the party-on-the-go crowd, features a set of compact speakers that slide out from the back of the device.

At first look, the K5 Digital Audio Player, which is slated to be released Sept. 10, doesn’t look too different from other portable audio players. It has a 1.7-inch color LCD (liquid crystal display), a one-button scrolling device, and a sleek, black exterior. Its 2GB and 4GB capacity options are nothing unusual, nor are the added FM radio tuner and alarm clock functions.

But Samsung hopes to win over music aficionados with the K5’s hidden gimmick: mini speakers that can pop out of the back of the flash-memory device, allowing it to be propped up on a flat surface and played sans headphones.

Source: ZDNet

Although AMD has made great strides in both desktop and server CPU market share, Intel is still king of the hill when it comes to mobile applications. This is due in no small part to its Centrino platform which combines an Intel CPU, chipset, and wireless chip into an integrated and easy-to-market package.

In response, AMD and ATI are reportedly developing Yokohama, a more integrated notebook platform that will combine AMD’s 64-bit Turion notebook CPUs and ATI chipsets along with a third-party WiFi chipset from the likes of Airgo, Atheros, or Broadcom. (AMD plans to develop its own WiFi chips down the line.)

Source: arstechnica

Apple has settled with a small Oregon company that claimed patents on simple aspects of iTunes, such as sorting and searching tracks, copying tracks to media players, and just plain choosing a track to play.”

Source: Slashdot

California’s legislature passed a bill on Thursday night aimed at increasing competition among cable television providers and easing the ability of telephone companies to enter the market.

The state’s Assembly by a vote of 64 to 5 backed an amended bill passed by the California Senate the night before. The Assembly had approved an earlier version of the legislation in May.

“California has led the way in the evolution of new technology, and with this bill, our state’s policy toward contemporary TV and entertainment technology is catching up to the times,” Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, who has championed the legislation, said in statement.

The measure, passed ahead of a midnight deadline for new bills, still needs the signature of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to become law.

The bill eliminatea city-by-city franchises, which Nunez said made it nearly impossible for rivals with new technologies to enter California’s market for TV entertainment services.

Source: eWeek