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The quest for the perfect portable keyboard has seen all manner of designs, whether they fold, roll up, or even glow in the dark. But no one seems to have found the killer solution just yet--and we doubt the latest attempt by I-O Data is the exception.

There's no disputing that this Bluetooth keyboard, which is designed for use with a mobile phone or PDA, is portable enough at 6 by 3.6 inches and only half an inch thick. Those petite dimensions, however, could well be what limits its success. Just look at the picture accompanying this item: … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--This morning at the Google IO conference here, the company announced a new browser plug-in that enables users to get the same high-flying experience they've been getting in the standalone geography software application Google Earth (download for Mac and Windows).

The diminutive plug-in, which weighs in at just 300k turns Firefox 2 (3 RC1 is not currently supported) or IE6 and 7 into 3D-capable mapping solutions. The technology ties into the Google Earth API, and the current example found here (download from CNET Download.com) lets you zoom around all of earth, complete with 3D topography. The controls … Read more

Chris DiBona's job--manager of Google's open-source programs--is a balancing act.

Google consumes a lot of open-source software for its own highly profitable business. But as he oversees the search powerhouse's open-source work, DiBona has to ensure that the company reciprocates. It can't be all take and no give.

Free and open-source software advocates can be powerful allies--but also vocal critics. For example, some have critized Google for its lack of support for the Affero GPL license, which can require those using software for a publicly available network service to share modifications they've made to an … Read more

A paper presented at a security conference in Europe over the weekend has Cisco and the security community debating the reality of rootkits over the Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) network. Devices affected include routers and voice over IP phones.

At the EUSecWest conference in London, Core Security researcher Sebastian Muniz presented what he called the "Da IOS Rootkit," a binary modification to the IOS image. "The main feature of Da IOS Rootkit is the universal password," Muniz said in an interview on the EUSecWest Web site. "Every call to the different password validation routines … Read more

Google is expected to update its Google Web Toolkit (GWT) this week at its new developer conference, according to eWeek.

GWT is designed to help programmers write richer Internet applications using a beefed-up JavaScript programming technique called Ajax; the project was released as open-source software in 2006 with version 1.3, and the current version is 1.4. There are several GWT talks at the Google I/O conference.

Google has been working on improving GWT's performance, Java compatibility, and developer tools, eWeek said.

Google has been a massive success on the web, but there has long been one key thing missing from its strategy:

Developers.

Steve Ballmer sings to them. Open source increasingly appeals to them. Google? It has seemingly ignored them.

But no more. Google has started firing up its developer outreach programs, doubling down on its bet on the cloud and the need to attract the best and the brightest to create apps on the web.

One way that this (re)newed emphasis on developers is playing out is in Google's I/O Conference. Like last year, Google will hold developer days around the world in different geographies. The biggest one will be a two-day event in San Francisco at the Moscone Convention Center on May 28/29. Google I/O is set to put Google on the map with developers. Oh, and one of my absolute favorite "bands" will be playing: Flight of the Conchords. What's not to love?… Read more

AUSTIN, Texas--If you run a social media site, from a blog to a virtual world to a network like Facebook, you're going to have to deal with angry users, and that's a fact of life.

Such was the theme of the discussion at a South by Southwest Interactive panel on Saturday afternoon called "Social Network Coups: The Users are Revolting."

The all-female panel (a rarity in the tech world!) was moderated by Annalee Newitz, editor of the Gawker Media-owned science fiction blog IO9.com, and consisted of Jessamyn West of MetaFilter, Gina Trapani of fellow Gawker … Read more