Microsoft has signed deals with Hyundai & Kia to supply voice recognition kits for cars by 2010.  Pretty much getting a head start on the exclusive deal with Ford which expires on November.  Currently, Microsoft’s Sync system uses an ARM-based system that runs Windows Mobile for Automotive is provided by Nuance.  In case you’ve been under a rock recently and haven’t seen any Ford commercials, the system allows you to say an artists name or song name and the audio system will play that song in the media player.  It’s unclear as of yet what exactly Hyundai & Kia will use this system for.  It’d be kind of silly to only include it just to control your iPod or Music player device.  Most likely it will integrate into the future navigation systems for these vehicles.  The Reg reports.

Canadian’s will finally get the Microsoft Zune even though it was launched 1.5 years prior in the US.  The lineup appears to be limited but one thing seems to be sure, the red Zune 80 will be upon the release.  Engadget says no 30GB or green versions, at least not yet.

Yahoo has announced that they will launch a partnership with McAfee starting tomorrow.  Yahoo will integrate McAfee’sSite Advisor into the Yahoo search results that shows whether a listed website has reportedly been infected with Malware.  Site Advisor up until now has been a Firefox add-on that monitors users browsing behavior and reports whether sites.  Malware has gotten out of hand these past couple of years with no real definitive solutions yet.  The experts blame Microsoft for having an insecure operating system while others say it just so happens that Microsoft is the most popular platform.  Statistically speaking the more popular something is the more it will be exploited.  There’s a big war about this subject in the blogosphere with fingers pointed in every direction.  But again, no one seems to have a solution.  What will it take to get Malware under control?  Skynet is self aware.

Google lost the recent FCC auction of the 700MHz wireless spectrum to Verizon.  Apparently Verizon had a bigger appetite than Google at the time in which they severely underestimated.  But Google thinks that Verizon may try to exploit loopholes in rules for the FCC 700MHz spectrum agreement.  Specifically, the ability for Verizon to completely block any device or application they deem having a negative impact on the performance of their network.  Kind of sounds like the jibba jabba from Comcast and their network in regards to P2P networks.  TechCrunch reports:

“The Commission’s open access rule is clear that C Block licensees “shall not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of their customers to use the devices and applications of their choice….” The rule also is explicit that C Block licensees may not “disable features on handsets it provides to customers.” The rule thus plainly proscribes a C Block licensee from selling handsets to customers that hinder a customer’s ability to use applications of their choice, and applies to all customers of a C Block licensee.

Notwithstanding the clarity of the rule, Verizon has taken the public position that it may exclude its handsets from the open access condition. Verizon believes it may force customers who want to access the open platform using a device not purchased from Verizon to go through “Door No. 1,” while allowing customers who obtain their device from Verizon access through “Door No. 2.”

Last month, a destructive fire at an LG plant in South Korea sent inventories of batteries up in smoke at about the same time the demand for notebooks and portable PC’s went up.  A senior executive at Simplo Technology admits the shortages of Lithium-Ion batteries are badly affecting portable PC sales and will do so until Q3 of 2008.  Most likely these shortages will affect the smaller portable PC manufacturer’s as battery manufacturers have to fulfill contract quota’s with their bigger accounts.  But with this technology rat race who can tell if it will affect all laptop manufacturers in the near future.  This could possibly drive up portable PC sales this summer in addition to the rising fuel and transportation costs.  The Inquirer reports.

A federal court ruling against RIAA’s accusations stated that “Merely making an unauthorized copy of a copyrighted work available to the public does not violate a copyright holder’s exclusive right of distribution.”  The RIAA, or as I like to call them, the Really Inconsiderate Assholes of America, have been using this same litigation strategy for sometime.  Going after normal everyday people and slamming them with copyright infringement damages of $750 per song has been their normal policy.  A copyright lawyer said that this recent federal court decision the end of this RIAA litigation strategy.  The Inquirer reports:

“A lawyer investigating appeals for people already ordered to pay damages of up to $150,000 a song says that, following the new ruling, he believes the convictions were reached following improper instructions to juries. He added that damages of $750 per song would be ruled unconstitutional, as the actual lost profit when a song is copied is more like 40 cents.”

Gamers in the UK have stated thatGTA IV runs at a resolution of 630p (1120 x 630) on the PS3 as opposed to the standard 720p High-Def resolution HDTV’s are accustomed to.  It has also been reportedthat the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV runs at the full 720p resolution.  What does all this mean?  Nothing.  Most, and by most I mean 99% of all people playing the game will not notice.  Unless of course you have both games for each console and play them side by side.  In either case, the great gameplay and storyline are still there.  Now if this happened in the UK does that mean it may have trickled over to the US too?

EMC’s Mozy’s online backup will be expanding its operations internationally.  Mozy was acquired by EMC not too long ago with the CEO’s initial intent to gain market share by providing very affordable online backup solutions for home and business users.  Mozy claims that they have a data center currently being built in Ireland and will be fully operational by the end of the year.  Taken from The Reg:

“The data centre infrastructure underpinning Mozy is going to grow further: “Our growth plans are pretty impressive. We’ll have more data centres internationally and in the USA as well. There are logistical reasons for local centres. Very large restores can be carried out closer to the customers. Another driver is data privacy.”

We should think in terms of a global rollout of inter-connected data centres with several in Europe, the MIddle East and the Far East. The customers for these will be enterprises of all sizes; from Fortune 10 to Fortune 1,000 and beyond.”