Tech news from around the world: Dell likely to go private, stock surges. Two Days Before MIT and Cambridge Cops Arrested Aaron Swartz, Secret Service Took Over the Investigation. “JSTOR Liberator” sets public domain academic articles free and more.
Dell likely to go private, stock surges
Dell Inc, the personal-computer maker that lost almost a third of its value last year, is in buyout talks with private-equity firms, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The shares surged. The company is discussing going private with TPG Capital and Silver Lake, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. A deal could be announced as soon as this week, one person said. The discussions could fall apart because firms may not be able to line up the needed financing or resolve how to exit the investment in the future, the people said. Several large banks have been contacted about financing an offer, one of the people said. The computer maker had a market value of $18.9 billion as of Jan. 11. [Source]
Recommended Read: PC sales decline in Q4 2012. Tablets are taking over.
The secret service took over Swartz case, 2 days before his death
The public story of Aaron Swartz’ now-tragic two year fight with the Federal government usually starts with his July 19, 2011 arrest. But that’s not when he was first arrested for accessing a closet at MIT in which he had a netbook downloading huge quantities of scholarly journals. He was first arrested on January 6, 2011 by MIT and Cambrige, MA cops. According to a suppression motion in his case, however two days before Aaron was arrested, the Secret Service took over the investigation. [Source] Aaron Swartz Memorial JSTOR Liberator has set public domain academic articles free. [Source]
US says Java still risky, even after security update
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that a security update of Oracle Corp’s Java software for Web browsers does not do enough to protect computers from attack, sticking to its previous advice that the programme be disabled. “Unless it is absolutely necessary to run Java in web browsers, disable it,” the Department of Homeland Security’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team said on Monday in a posting on its website. [Source] Oracle had released an update to fix Java security loophole yesterday.
Apple cuts orders for iPhone 5 parts on weak demand
Shares in Apple Inc dipped below $500 for the first time in almost one year after reports it is slashing orders for screens and other components as intensifying competition erodes demand for its latest iPhone. Japan’s Nikkei reported on Monday that the world’s largest technology corporation began sharply reducing buying of liquid crystal displays about a month ago from suppliers like Japan Display Inc and Sharp Corp. [Source]
