SACRAMENTO - California has paid $1.2 billion in federal penalties during the past decade because it could not create a statewide computer system to track and help collect court-ordered child support payments. The state that gave birth to Silicon Valley and the high-tech revolution has struggled for nearly two decades to comply with a 1988 federal law requiring states to have a single automated child support system. In human terms, the failure has meant that ... [full story]

Consumers still grappling with digital transitions in television, music and photography have yet another digital turn in the road ahead - HD Radio. The new format - with improved sound quality for AM and FM broadcasts - is emerging on the airwaves across the country. Unlike the recent innovation of satellite radio, HD Radio programming is free to listeners. For consumers willing to buy new digital radios, it means more programs to choose from. The ... [full story]

Wireless technology giant Qualcomm withheld its intellectual property from a standards-making body and, therefore, waived its right to enforce two of its video-compression patents, a San Diego federal judge ruled Thursday. U.S. District Judge Rudi Brewster found that at least four Qualcomm engineers had participated in an international effort to develop an advanced standard for video compression, yet the San Diego company failed to disclose at the time that it owned patents that might apply ... [full story]

Creates First Integrated Platform That Enables Extreme Transaction Processing REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. - Oracle today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tangosol Inc, a leading provider of reliable in-memory data grid software. Data grid software increases application performance by providing fast, distributed access to frequently used data. Tangosol's product, Coherence Data Grid, is a fundamental enabler for the rapidly growing space of extreme transaction processing (XTP), typical in, among others, ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - Two wireless service providers testifying before the U.S. International Trade Commission Thursday complained they are caught in the crossfire of a figurative global "nuclear war" raging between San Diego wireless giant Qualcomm and rival chipmaker Broadcom. But both firms weighed in on Qualcomm's side. Mark C. Hansen, an attorney for Verizon Wireless, charged that Verizon is trapped between two litigious rivals who are using patent law to "club" each other. "They're in a ... [full story]

If Joe Degitz were asked to discuss the pros and cons of PowerPoint, his presentation would, no doubt, rely on PowerPoint. He'd try to make his PowerPoint every bit as useful, yet entertaining, as he tries to make the ones he and a colleague create for paramedics' continuing education. He'd present bullet points of concise information, punctuated by images, sound and the occasional offbeat cartoon just to keep the audience alive because he knows, as ... [full story]

HOLMDEL, N.J. - The U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. today issued an order enjoining Vonage from using certain VoIP technology named in its patent litigation with Verizon. The order is not immediately effective, however, and Vonage is confident its customers will see no change in their phone service. The court announced its intent to hear stay argument in two weeks' time. At that time, the court intends to render a decision regarding the stay, ... [full story]

Cisco-Based Storage Network Helps Cable Provider to Increase Customer Satisfaction and Operational Efficiency BendBroadband, a privately owned, nationally recognized cable operator, has deployed a storage area network (SAN) based on Cisco technology to improve customer service, reduce operating costs, and improve application performance. To address the performance, reliability, and scalability requirements of its growing business, the company upgraded its network-attached storage to a SAN based on Cisco storage network fabric switches.  Serving the fast-growing area ... [full story]

There was a time when the gadget world was abuzz with predictions that the age of wearable tech was just around the corner. We would all soon accessorize with our cell phones, music players and cameras as they grew small enough to dangle on thin chains around our necks. We would have video displays in our glasses and wear little digital photo screens as jewelry. Much of that is technically possible today, but hasn't really ... [full story]

To illustrate an article on a group of rugged consumer electronics coming to market, a pair of intrepid photographers took the Verizon G'zOne phone to the beach to document its water resistance. The words "battle test" never entered the conversation, but, well, things happen. And that's really the point of rugged gadgets. When things happen, the rugged have a better chance of survival. "Ruggedized" technology traces its roots to the military, which needs devices that ... [full story]

Fighting Internet Unfairness the FCC's Job FAIRFAX, Va. - The Institute for Liberty said Wednesday the Federal Communications Commission is capable of executing its responsibility to ensure there is no discrimination by Internet network companies against Internet content providers. IFL noted that net neutrality laws now being considered by some in Congress could have the unintended consequence of preventing the Internet from reaching its full potential. IFL's president, Jason Wright, reiterated IFL's position in advance of today's ... [full story]

Upcoming release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM will fuel new choices for customers and new opportunities for partners. In his keynote address at Convergence 2007, Microsoft Corp.'s biannual event for Microsoft Dynamics customers, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave customers their first look at the future of customer relationship management (CRM) with a live demo of the upcoming Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM service. The Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM service is powered by the upcoming release of Microsoft ... [full story]

SAN DIEGO - The former chairman and chief executive of San Diego's Peregrine Systems pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring in the massive accounting fraud that forced the business software company into bankruptcy in 2002. Stephen P. Gardner admitted during a morning hearing that he presided for nearly three years over a corporate campaign of deceit for his personal financial gain - and later lied to federal investigators. Gardner, 53, a graduate of Harvard Business School, ... [full story]