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The company has released five games and four of them are on Facebook’s top-10 list, Playfish said in a release.

Playfish, a leading maker of games for social networks like Facebook, said Tuesday it has closed a $17 million B funding round.

The company, which is London, also has offices in San Francisco, Beijing and Norway. It said has 10 million users of its games, which include Bowling Buddies, Geo Challenge, Pet Society, Who has the biggest Brain and Word Challenge.

Although many games publishers have said that the recent economic downturn will affect their industry less than others, Playfish’s haul is notable for being so large.

Already, he said, there are examples of companies in each industry doing this.

“The idea of how they create loans for the poorest is part of it,” he said at the Government Leaders Forum. But although today microfinance has focused on loans, there is more to it. “We need to get savings and even some insurance products.”

Education was another key topic, with one questioner at the Government Leaders Forum asking Gates about whether computer labs or one-to-one computing projects are the way to go.

Bill Gates shakes hands with Hernan Rincon, Microsoft's vice president for Latin America, before speaking at the Government Leaders Forum in Miami.

(Credit:
Ina Fried/CNET News.com)

He noted that his daughter uses one instead of textbooks at her school, and can forward her homework to her dad.

“I can help her out on anything where she’s confused,” he said. Assignments are turned in electronically and returned by e-mail. “It’s just so natural for her.”

In every industry, Gates said, businesses need to start thinking about how they can use some of their energy and resources, say 6 percent, to expand their reach to poorer segments either in their own country, or globally. Food companies need to focus on micronutrients, while drug companies should devote some energy to diseases that affect largely the poor, such as malaria and tuberculosis.

“Today that machine is something like a $1,000 machine,” he said. “Over the next three or four years that will become a $400 machine.”

He noted that many countries have already set up pilot programs, with one region in Spain providing laptops to 10,000 students. At the same time, he said such projects require years of planning

“Cell phone companies, banks, energy companies, technology companies, food companies, we have a lot of good examples in each of those industries,” he said at the Inter-American Development Bank meeting.

One of the big topics for both audiences was the notion of microfinance–improving the access to credit and banking to the poor.

Gates talked about how technology can play a role, noting that when payment is tied to the cell phone, it offers the potential for lower interest rates.

Click here to read all of the stories in The Borders of Computing series.

He also talked up the potential of one of his favorite technologies–the Tablet PC.

But while there are a few leaders who are onboard, Gates acknowledged that his notion of creative capitalism has not been uniformly embraced. “Many of the companies are skeptical,” he noted. “As we have examples of success we can overcome that.”

“The costs of moving to a one computer per child are fairly high and yet in the long term that’s what we recommend,” Gates said. With computer labs, Gates said, the most enthusiastic students tend to gravitate to the machines, monopolizing their use, while students who need the practice the most fall behind and never catch up.

MIAMI–In two separate speeches on Friday, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates made the case that businesses need to see serving the poor as part of their mission and that governments need to see private businesses as potential partners.

AOL announced the interface in March with its Open AIM 2.0 developer program, which lets programmers write software such as the mini-applications that plug into AIM’s own chat software, bots that can communicate with humans on the network, Web-based AIM interfaces, and software that show when AIM members are available online through the service.

Ultimately, richer applications can mean more users, more activity, more advertising–though the more lucrative elements of the strategy is largely rhetorical than real at this stage for many. AIM, however, has a well-populated list of active users, unlike many start-ups.

The move is made possible through use of an open interface in AIM 6.8, another new development. Version 6.8 also includes “mini-applications” that run at the bottom of the AIM buddy list window; 150 new CBS radio stations in AOL Radio; and restoration of the ability to save and import buddy lists, a feature that helps move a to a new IM identity.

As the computing industry has discovered the possibilities of applications running on the Internet, companies are rushing to curry favor with programmers hoping those companies’ online offerings. Other examples of the idea are Facebook, Google and other members of the OpenSocial consortium, and the Yahoo Open Strategy.

The revenue for programmers comes through sharing money generated by an advertisement that can appear along with programs that use the new AIM features. AOL serves advertisements using its Platform-A ad network and pays developers through PayPal.

AOL plans to launch a new program called AIM Money on Tuesday that lets programmers write applications that run in the AOL Instant Messenger buddy list–and lets programmers get a cut of any resulting revenue.

To use the AIM API (application programming interface), developers have to use two of five AIM elements. The ad is one. The other four are bundling the AIM browser toolbar; providing access to AIM Expressions that customize the AIM interface; displaying the AIM Dashboard start page; and displaying buddy info.

“Initially what will be available on July 14 are the (Centrino 2) processors and some of the chipsets,” Intel spokesperson Connie Brown said. These processors include the “T” and “X” (Extreme) series. Other Centrino 2 silicon will come later.

Instead, on July 14, Intel will offer a “PM” version for discrete (stand-alone) graphics chips only, Brown said. The July 14 version of the chipset can be used with discrete graphics chips from Nvidia and AMD-ATI, for example, but will not have Intel integrated graphics.

Wi-Fi is “not a technical issue. It’s paperwork,” Brown said. “There were mistakes made while filing and testing our wireless antennas.” The paperwork involves both the FCC and other government organizations like Canada’s IC, she said.

Intel had recently been saying that the Centrino 2 mobile platform would launch after Computex, toward the end of June. Centrino 2 features upgraded integrated graphics, high-speed WiMax wireless silicon, and native support for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), among other features.

The “GM” version that includes the Intel integrated graphics will not be available until early August. “It will be ramping by August 5,” Brown said. The two initial versions of the chipset with Intel integrated graphics are the GM45 and GM47. Intel will also make available its updated Wi-Fi technology called “Shirley Peak” in August, she said.

Note: Intel Centrino 2 processors expected on July 14 include the T9600, P8600, and P8400, running at 2.8GHz, 2.4GHz, and 2.26GHz respectively. A high-end upgrade to the current Core 2 Extreme X9000, the X9100, is also expected. The X9100 is expected to run at 3.06GHz with a 44W thermal envelope. Pricing will range from $209 for the P8400 to $530 for the T9600 to $851 for the X9100.

The two principal problems concern, one, the certification (on the Centrino 2 platform) of the Wi-Fi wireless standard and, two, technical issues with the Centrino 2 chipset.

Brown said the chipsets must be “re-screened.” This means basically that some chipsets need to be rechecked to see if they have “an issue,” she said. Intel is not specifying, however, what the issue is.

The delay of Centrino 2 also gives rise to a broader competitive issue: Advanced Micro Devices is set to announce its new “Puma” mobile platform in the near future that will feature both improved discrete and integrated graphics. For example, AMD’s 780M-based integrated graphics is expected to be very competitive with Intel’s integrated graphics.

WiMax silicon is also slated to come out later, though Intel is not saying when exactly. The Intel module that combines Wi-Fi and WiMax is called Echo Peak.

The initial rollout won’t take place until July 14. The next phase will take place in August.

The second problem is centered on technical issues with the Centrino 2 “Cantiga” chipset and the Intel graphics that is integrated into the chipset. In short, Intel will not release a chipset initially with Intel integrated graphics.

Intel will delay the introduction of its highly anticipated “Montevina” Centrino 2 mobile chips due to technical and certification problems, the chipmaker said Tuesday.

“We can confirm that the Norwegian Police for Economic Crime this morning conducted inquiries at Fast’s offices in Oslo,” the software maker said in a statement. “Microsoft and its subsidiary Fast Search & Transfer (are) cooperating fully with the police inquiries. We are not in a position to make any further comments at this time.”

Microsoft’s recently acquired Fast Search & Transfer was charged on Thursday with accounting fraud by Norwegian officials, Reuters reported Thursday.

According to the Reuters report, police raided Fast’s offices in Oslo in order to preserve evidence.

Fast, which specializes in enterprise search, was acquired by Microsoft earlier this year for $1.2 billion.

Microsoft didn’t mention the charges in a statement, but it confirmed that police showed up at its offices Thursday.

I’ve taken heat in the past for writing about network “god boxes” (author’s note: historic industry term, not mine) so let’s just agree to refer to said systems as “super boxes.” Just what is a super box? A honkin’ big system that combines processing and network I/O capabilities. These systems were pure vision in the past, but a modern combination of cheap processors, global software development talent, and stable scalable operating systems makes them a reality today.

As for Juniper, it is once again flexing its high-performance muscle. With Internet bandwidth growing over 50 percent last year, Juniper should turn a few service provider and enterprise heads with its latest super box.

When I think of these network super boxes, I think of vendors like A10 Networks, Crossbeam, and F5. After its recent announcement, I’m also adding Juniper Networks to my list. On Monday, Juniper announced a new super box dubbed the SRX-series Services Gateway. Aimed at network security for now, this chassis-based system is built for extremely high-performance networks that will soon run at 40 gigabits per second or 100Gbps.

(Credit:
Juniper)

Essentially, super boxes like the SRX will become the mainframe of the network. Yes, I know that it is taboo to compare modern computing architectures to the mainframe, but mainframes were once the jack-of-all-trades in the data center. Super boxes have the potential to perform a similar function by becoming the hub of critical network services.

Just what does it do? The SRX throws a ton of processors and I/O ports providing networking functions (i.e., switching, routing, prioritization, traffic management, etc.) with security functions (i.e., firewalling, intrusion detection/prevention, content security) in a single frame. As such, it can replace lots of today’s dinky appliances that can’t keep up and cost a ton to run. One super box means lots of horsepower, scale, and carrier-class features.

Apple’s
iPhone blacklist appears to fall short of fears that it led directly back to a big red button on Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ desk.

Gruber spoke with what he called an “informed source” at Apple who confirmed that the discovery of that URL inside the iPhone’s Core Location API was no coincidence. Code inside the URL indicates that the “blacklist” would be used to wall-off rogue applications from the Core Location API, rather than Apple using it as a “kill switch,” according to his source.

(Credit:
CNET)

Apple's "blacklist" inside the iPhone's operating system just pertains to a specific technology, according to a report.

Core Location is the API that allows software developers to access the location-aware features of the iPhone. According to Gruber, Apple has laid out strict policies for accessing the Core Location API over privacy concerns: malicious or sloppy software that gives away the position of your iPhone is not something that would appeal to customers.

In related news, the price of tin foil plunged Friday morning.

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber took a deep breath Thursday while Internet users frantically searched for their copies of 1984 following Jonathan Zdziarski’s discovery of a URL inside the iPhone’s operating system that downloads a list of applications designated as malicious. Some feared this would allow Apple to blacklist any application that ran afoul of its sensibilities.

Take his team’s operating-system preference. Obama’s team was dismayed to discover that the White House runs Windows, not Macs, according to The Washington Post. I’m a
Mac fan, but I’m somewhat surprised by the naivete of this response:

commentary

Click image for CNET News’ Mac
anniversary special coverage.

So, while we may cheer President Obama’s interest in open source, the reality is that he is too smart to try to disrupt the U.S. software economy with grand orders around open source. Any executive decisions around open source need to be heavily couched in caution: it’s not the U.S. federal government’s place to try to legislate fundamental software policy changes, changes which are happening just fine without government intervention.

It’s just that President Obama’s change is going to be much more gradual and incremental than his acolytes would like. Be patient. The Macs will come, as will open source. Just not overnight.

For those who have looked upon President Obama as their savior and agent of change, well, just be prepared for more continuity than disruption. That’s a good thing. It reflects Obama’s intelligence: when things aren’t broken, don’t fix them, or fix them incrementally. That’s not to say that things couldn’t improve through change - they can.

I’m sure that this will be the first of many roadblocks (which, incidentally, the Bush White House also endured–it’s the nature of the beast). Guess what? That’s life…and government. There are very good reasons for the locked-down environment that Obama’s personnel are chafing over.

Barack Obama has promised change. In his first day in office, however, he discovered that change is easier said than done.

Fortunately for his fans, President Obama isn’t stupid, and not simply in the matter of technology policy. He’s not rewriting foreign policy, either. In fact, his cabinet reflects more continuity with President Bush’s policies than change. He’ll tweak what he doesn’t like and maintain that which he does (and apparently, despite campaign rhetoric, he seems to like more than he dislikes which, again, is consistent with the Clinton-Bush transition and, indeed, all presidential transitions).

The team members, accustomed to working on Macintoshes, found computers outfitted with 6-year-old versions of Microsoft software. Laptops were scarce, assigned to only a few people in the West Wing…Senior advisers chafed at the new arrangements, which severely limit mobility–partly by tradition but also for security reasons and to ensure that all official work is preserved under the Presidential Records Act.

Call it a product announcement by stealth: you’ll find the technology demonstration in a nondescript booth at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, a half stone’s toss away from the myriad Atom-based notebook PCs Intel is putting on display at its developer forum.

As with other engineering advances coming out of its research side, Intel intends to license the proprietary design to computer makers–the idea being that anything which fosters more demand for Intel-based computers will, by definition, add to the company’s bottom line.

In a side-by-side comparison, the Intel fan flow moves a Styrofoam ball around a track significantly faster. “It’s a 2x comparison,” Urban said. He added that Intel took less than a year to work out the kinks for a reliably faster fan to fit into ultrathin notebooks.

Fan prototype developed by Intel.

Click here for full coverage of the Intel Developer Forum.

(Credit:
CNET News)

Intel has invented a way to double the air flow generated by fans used to cool ultrathin notebook computers.

Demonstrating a prototype of the technology in public for the first time at its developer forum taking place this week in San Francisco, Intel says the upshot will be cooler computers–and it’s not referring to style.

“This will have the same power consumption and noise level of current fans,” said Bradley Urban, an engineer inside Intel’s thermal technology development unit.

“As soon as we can get it into production, we will,” he said. It was unclear how long this next step in the process will take before faster fans wend their way into the commercial market. “Maybe two years,” he offered.

Dyson and Simonyi are indulging their cosmic interests under the auspices of Space Adventures, a company that arranges space flights for private citizens and in which Dyson is an investor. The cost of participating in the backup crew member program is $3 million, according to Space Adventures. (Simonyi reportedly paid about $25 million for his first trip to orbit in April 2007.)

Dyson says she’ll be heading to Russia soon to watch the October 12 launch of Space Adventures’ next client to venture into orbit, video game developer Richard Garriott.

The interest in space flight is hardly out of the blue for Dyson, who ran the PC Forum conference for more than two decades. More recently, she launched the Flight School conference for entrepreneurs focused on air and space undertakings. Troubles in that business sector led Dyson to cancel this year’s conference; she’s aiming to revive it, eventually, she wrote, “but probably not until 2010.”

“If, for some reason, he doesn’t go (and I can scrounge up some extra cash), I get to go instead!” Dyson wrote on her Flight School blog, where she will chronicle her training, including a less-than-posh stay at Russia’s Star City research and training facility. She reckons that her chance of getting into space next spring at about 5 percent.

While many in the tech industry have their eyes on the cloud, Ester Dyson has set her sights on the stars.

The longtime tech pundit and investor on Tuesday said she is putting aside most of her day-to-day activities to undergo full-time astronaut training. She’ll be a backup to another member of the tech industry, Charles Simonyi, who is set to make a second trip to the International Space Station next spring.

I’m expecting it to be cold, staying in Star City through a Moscow winter, with a lot of detailed material to learn and exams to pass. Each Soyuz flight has three cosmonauts, and the other two want a colleague they can rely on to do the right thing in an emergency. By all accounts, the food is “stolovaya” (canteen), and the accommodations are spartan.