Technology - NewsFactor

In a move to gain ground in an ultracompetitive mobile advertising market, Google on Monday announced it has agreed to acquire mobile-ad technology provider AdMob for $750 million in stock. Google painted a win-win portrait of the acquisition, noting it will enhance the company's expertise and technology in mobile advertising and give advertisers and publishers more choice in this emerging market. Full Story »

Microsoft formally introduced Exchange Server 2010 Monday at the company's Tech-Ed Europe 2009 conference in Germany. According to Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop, customers already using the new e-mail platform are reporting significant cost savings, thanks in part to new support for low-cost attached-storage options. Full Story »

Firefox is five years old. Five years ago, Microsoft seemed to have an absolute lock on the browser market with Internet Explorer, having long ago crushed Netscape. The browser wars were over. Or so it seemed. Full Story »

Finnish mobile-phone maker Nokia is recalling millions of phone chargers. The Espoo, Finland-based company on Monday said chargers made by a supplier have shown some defects. Full Story »

Cisco Systems is moving the ball forward on unified communications with an announcement Monday of a new platform release. Designed to "reduce costs and increase operating efficiencies between and within global enterprises," Release 8.0 of its Unified Communications System features new capabilities for e-mail, customer care, videoconferencing, sharing documents, social-networking, and other areas. Full Story »

Apple iPhone owners Down Under are reporting their jailbroken iPhones have been hit with a worm that hijacks their wallpaper, changing it to an image of 1980s pop star Rick Astley, and eats up their bandwidth. Although the worm may have spread beyond Australia, there are no confirmed reports yet. Full Story »

If you're worried that your employees or children are disengaging from the world by using the Internet and cell phones, relax. A new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that these technologies have not increased social isolation in the U.S. Full Story »

Having a device that enables users to take pictures, e-mail colleagues, browse the web, and send text messages is no longer a nice-to-have device but a need-to-have device. That mentality is creating a recession-proof smartphone market. Full Story »

On Friday, EMI won an injunction against BlueBeat.com, forcing the web site to stop selling Beatles songs without permission. The London-based record label alleged that the music site was breaching its copyrights. Full Story »

A new product that gives users a new level of insight into what the world's biggest search engine knows about them was launched Thursday. Google Dashboard lets users see reports on the data Google has collected on them. Full Story »