Dell buying IT security firm SecureWorks

US computer giant Dell said Tuesday it has reached an agreement to buy information technology security firm SecureWorks.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

"The frequency and sophistication of attacks on technology infrastructure and malicious attempts to access data, requires reliable, capable and innovative information security," Peter Altabef, president of Dell Services, said in a statement.

" SecureWorks is a recognized industry leader in information security services and its offerings and expertise will immediately enhance our solutions portfolio," Altabef said.

SecureWorks, founded in 1999, has 700 employees and projected 2010 revenue of more than 120 million dollars.

The Atlanta , Georgia-based firm has more than 2,900 clients in 70 countries including mid-sized businesses and companies in the financial services, utilities, health care, retail and manufacturing sectors.

"Dell's global scale and relationships with clients provides a tremendous opportunity to rapidly expand SecureWorks' business," SecureWorks chairman and chief executive Michael Cote said.

Dell said the acquisition is expected to close in early 2011.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Parrot makes 'smart' car radio for Internet Age

French mobile technology firm Parrot on Tuesday showed off a "smart" car radio that can find cheap fuel, free parking, and speed traps while taking music requests and placing phone calls.

The Asteroid in-dash receiver will be available in Europe by the end of March and the company is working to get it to the United States by the middle of this year, according to project manager Hocine Belkhoudja.

Parrot is in Las Vegas to show off Asteroid at a major Consumer Electronics show that officially opens on Thursday.

Asteroid has USB ports for MP3 players, GPS devices, and the types of 3G network wireless Internet service keys that people use for laptop computers.

The 3G keys link the radios to the Web, enabling applications to access online services or data and allowing motorists to use the radio to make hands-free telephone calls, according to Belkhoudja.

"You can listen to all the radio in the world on the Web," he said. "You can search for coffee or restaurants nearby, gas stations with the lowest prices or free parking."

The radios can also provide maps and driving routes.

Parrot tailored a version of open-source Android mobile operating software for Asteroid to handle a host of software applications.

Music features on the radios include taking spoken requests for specific songs or artists, with the device scouring connected devices and the Internet for tunes.

Parrot did not reveal the price it would charge, but Belkhoudja promised it would be "very impressive."

Parrot also demonstrated a touch-screen, dash-mounted version of Asteroid that it is working on as a "next step" but would not discuss when it might come to market.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

China police use micro-blogs 'to connect with public

Hundreds of police across China have set up micro-blogging accounts in an effort to improve relations with the tech-savvy public, state media report.

The force is seeking to "ease tensions usually caused by improper handling of complaints", Xinhua said.

Twitter, which enables users to post 140-character messages, is banned in China but similar Chinese sites have attracted millions of users.

China has 450 million internet users, according to official figures.

At least 500 police bureaux have set up micro-blogs and are sending out messages, the People's Daily reported.

'Fiery' conversations
The "Safe Beijing" micro-blog, which shows a cartoon of a smiling Beijing policeman giving the thumbs-up, has nearly 330,000 followers.

The latest message (number 1,482) warns that blocking or hiding vehicle licence-plates intentionally is illegal and could result in a fine and licence penalty points.

Previous messages include a notice about roadworks, accompanied by a map, and a warning about burglaries.

It alerts citizens to a spate of break-ins overnight in one-storey courtyard-type houses.

"Please beware," it says, "close windows and doors securely, don't leave valuables around." There are 24 retweets of this and 21 comments.

In the eastern city of Jinan, police are using micro-blogs to collect public opinion on issues such as traffic laws, visa applications and fire prevention.

Officials quoted by Xinhua described the online conversations as sometimes "fiery".

The proliferation of such sites follows a call last month by China's top police official Meng Jianzhu for police to embrace new media to "to hear [citizens'] complaints and criticism, and to provide better services".

News of police misdeeds can prompt heated online debate, as many Chinese view police negatively amid reports of harsh, corrupt or flippant treatment.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Wireless power development kit touts Qi certification

The bqTESLA wireless power development kit from Texas Instruments is the first in the industry to get Qi certification, the company said.
The kit's key components are the bq500110 wireless power transmitter manager, bq25046 single-input, 5-V power supply IC and MSP430bq1010 wireless power control and communications. It targets applications requiring 5W of power or less, such as in digital cameras, smartphones, MP3 players and global positioning systems, along with infrastructure apps.

The bqTESLA is available at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2011 at a promo price of $250. After the show, its regular price will be $499.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Russians find social networking sites hot, step up their exposure

What do the Russians want from Facebook? And what, for that matter, do they want from other hot, and currently private, US companies like Zynga, Groupon and Twitter .

For people with money in the Russian investment company DST Global, the focus is social networking.

The private company, which is generally known here as DST, may seem but a footnote in the move by Goldman Sachs to invest $450 million in Facebook. But DST’s additional $50 million now raises it and its sister company’s combined stake in Facebook to about $500 million – or slightly less than 10% of the company, making the DST siblings among Facebook’s biggest owners.

When DST, previously known as Digital Sky Technologies, first started putting money into Facebook in 2009, some analysts chalked it up to an effort by novice Russian investors to burnish their technology credentials and gain entry into Silicon Valley. But DST, which is bankrolled by a coal and steel mogul with Kremlin ties, has placed some ambitious, and so far successful, bets. It now owns about 5% of the popular online gaming company Zynga and about 5% of the prominent shopping-coupon company Groupon. And it is said to be interested in investing in another privately held phenomenon, Twitter. A DST representative did not answer phone calls about the deal Monday, which was a holiday in Russia.

But DST’s chief executive, Yuri Milner, has said his focus on social networking reflects insights gained from watching the Russian Internet market develop in the past few years. In 2005, DST began investing in internet companies in Russia and Eastern Europe , where, as in parts of Asia, people adopted social games and the trading of virtual goods faster than in the United States. This, Milner, has said, led to an understanding that social networking business models involving tiny payments from large numbers of users have vast potential in emerging markets. “We chose a strategy of total and unconditional focus on the consumer internet, and I would say, even the social internet,” Milner said.

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us