Oracle ups stakes in PeopleSoft bid

Oracle has increased its bid for PeopleSoft to $26 a share in the latest move in its ongoing hostile takeover battle. The company`s offer has now grown by a third, to $9.4 billion.

The Washington Post says Oracle`s new bid comes in response to PeopleSoft`s decision to move up a scheduled shareholders meeting in the hope of derailing Oracle`s efforts to gain control of the company.

"This is our final price," says Jeff Henly, Oracle`s chairman and CFO. "We urge PeopleSoft`s directors to seriously consider our offer and put the interests of their stockholders first."

Analysts say Oracle`s latest bid might be hard for shareholders to resist. Oracle says its amended offer amounts to an 18.8% premium over PeopleSoft`s closing price of $21.89 on Tuesday. PeopleSoft shares closed yesterday at $22.70, up 81c or 3.7%.

Microsoft is offering a public preview of its 64-bit operating system (OS) for computers based on Advanced Micro Devices` Athlon 64 and Opteron processors.

CNet says the preview is designed to offer an early look at Windows XP 64-bit Edition for 64-bit Extended Systems, for computers based on the two relatively new AMD chips.

Anyone with computers using either the Athlon 64 or Opteron processors can register on the Microsoft Web site to download the 450MB preview file for free. The preview version will expire after 360 days.

CNet says a new OS is required because several new instructions have been added to the 32-bit x86 processor architecture, upon which all other available AMD and Intel PC processors are based.

D-Link has unveiled its new wireless i2eye videophone, which is says takes all the hassle out of video conferencing.

PC Magazine says the i2eye videophone is designed to work with a standard television. Its camera has a microphone, remote control, and an adjustable tilt and zoom lens. The new i2eye includes built-in support for 802.11b, so it can connect to a wireless home network. The report says by hooking up to a home network, the Wireless i2eye can take advantage of any broadband Internet connection.

"It`s the first wireless broadband videophone over IP for video conferencing," says Daniel Kelley, D-Link`s director of marketing. "More importantly, the Wireless i2eye can transmit full-duplex audio and full-motion, 30-frame-per-second video at a compressed 640 by 480 pixels, meaning that calls require only about 512Kbps of bandwidth."

ZDNet says some Web developers are complaining that an Internet Explorer (IE) patch aimed at preventing Internet scams is disabling some applications.

Microsoft said last week the modification to its IE browser would stop the insecure practice of including sensitive information in links, but Web developers say the update Web users are being blocked from sites that secure entry through credentials included in the URL.

"Microsoft may have legitimate reasons for addressing the issue, but the way they have done it is troublesome," says James Rosko, a software engineer for a data-processing service on the Web. He says the approach amounts to an across-the-board kill of an industry standard.

Hewlett-Packard says its large-format printers are being used by NASA`s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena to view high-resolution, colour photos, enabling scientists and engineers to see many of the highest-resolution images ever taken on the surface of another planet faster than ever before.

Late last week, the White House appointed Carly Fiorina, HP chairman and CEO, to the US Space Commission. The commission is charged with advising the White House on what sort of science agenda should be considered for the moon. One of eight appointees to the commission, Fiorina will contribute a broad range of hi-tech expertise.