USD

It has been reported that U.S. consumers lost almost $8.5 billion dollars over the past two years to e-threats. In response to this, BitDefender has released its top ten tips to secure computers against spam, viruses, phishing and spyware.

1. Don't assume anything. Take some time to learn about securing your system.

2. Acquire and use a reliable antivirus (AV) program. Select one with a consistent track record. Checkmark, AV-Test.org and TuV are among the most respected independent testers of AV software.

Most people in the U.S. and elsewhere in the West think of China and India largely as sources for inexpensive products and services. Few know that China, India, and other developing countries are taking center stage in the global war for innovation and talent.

Hewlett-Packard Co. surprised Wall Street on Tuesday by saying its earnings will be slightly above analysts' expectations, going against the grain as other technology bellwethers have slashed forecasts and posted weak results in the sagging economy.

Its shares climbed more than 12 percent in morning trading.

With broadband Internet access encompassing much of the country, Comcast announced Monday that it is joining a trend to wideband. The company said it will launch its next-generation DOCSIS 3.0 network in Oregon and southwest Washington with download speeds up to 50 megabits per second.

Facebook has added yet another change to the way it does business -- resulting in a slew of angry developers and users.

The social-networking Web site on Tuesday announced a new application-verification program, an optional new system that will give registered application developers a seal of approval -- for a fee.

The move has made developers angry, with some posting their disappointment on Facebook's developer forum. Many developers believe the program is genius, but the fee that comes with the seal of approval is what has them angry.

New Program's Pros

Intel has rolled out the first iterations of its highly anticipated Core i7 processor. Available at prices starting at $284, the new chips for desktop PCs sport new technologies to boost performance on demand while maximizing data throughput.

Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang has resigned his role as CEO and Yahoo's board has initiated a search for his successor. Yang will return to his former role as chief yahoo as soon as the board finds a replacement. He will continue to serve on the board.

Yahoo's stock price rose with the announcement and was trading at $11.35 at mid-afternoon Tuesday, up from Monday's $10.63 close.

The 40-year-old Yang stepped into the CEO role at the board's request in June 2007 to lead the company through a strategic repositioning and transformation of its platform.

Somewhere between the laptop and the smart phone, the computer industry has long believed there could be a small, low-cost device that would please consumers and sell well.
The device would be more versatile than, say, an iPhone, but much cheaper and more portable than, say, a ThinkPad. The trouble is, every attempt to create such a category of computer has met with failure - until now.

Mayor William Floyd pulled up to a parking space, dialed a number into his cell phone and watched as two hours of paid time flashed on the meter in front of his car.

And with that, the Atlanta suburb launched one of the nation's first pay-by-phone parking systems, part of a strategy designed to encourage more turnover and ultimately more revenue.