Google still Mozilla's cash cow

Google still provides 86% of Mozilla's revenue, according to the open source outfit's latest financial statement, reveals The Register.

On Thursday, Mozilla released its audited financial statement for 2009, and as in previous years, an unnamed search company is listed under “concentrations of risk”. In 2008, Google accounted for 91% of Mozilla's revenue, so the risk has dropped. But 86% is still a very large number.

"The corporation has a contract with a search engine provider for royalties, which expires November 2011," the statement says. "Approximately 86% and 91% of royalty revenue for 2009 and 2008, respectively, was derived from this contract."

Dell has captured the imagination of a tablet-crazed public with a handful of recent photos and details about a new convertible tablet called the Inspiron Duo, reports CNet.

A pre-release sample has turned up in the CNet Labs for a hands-on test drive, and “we're generally impressed with the design and concept, if less so with the performance”, CNet says.

Unlike traditional convertible tablets, which have screens that rotate 180 degrees horizontally, the Inspiron Duo screen flips 180 degrees vertically - hinged in the middle of the lid. When the screen is flipped over and the lid closed, the system displays a touch-friendly interface for interacting with photos, videos, and music (and returns to the basic Windows desktop when the transformation is reversed).

The once dominant MySpace has turned to the company that stole its crown, Facebook, for help to drive users to its ailing site, writes the BBC.

The two unveiled Mashup with Facebook, to let MySpace users log into their Facebook accounts through their MySpace page.

This means users can port over their likes and interests listed on Facebook. In turn, users will get a stream of entertainment content based on these preferences.

The Service Industry Association (SIA) has filed a formal complaint with the US Department of Justice over claims that Oracle is trying to stop independent servicing organisations (ISO) maintaining Sun hardware, notes V3.

The SIA, which represents around 200 servicing companies, accuses Oracle of abusing its dominant market position by forcing customers to choose between either having Oracle maintaining all of their systems, or none at all.

In addition, those that chose ISOs to maintain their systems lose access to software upgrades. These changes had been introduced after Oracle took over Sun and overturned decades of coexistence between ISOs and existing customers.