PeopleSoft deals may force Oracle refunds

The takeover tussle between rival business software makers Oracle and PeopleSoft is becoming even more prickly, reports AP. PeopleSoft has disclosed that it cut second-quarter deals that could saddle Oracle with customer refunds totalling $354 million, if its takeover bid prevails.

Oracle simply extended the deadline to accept its $6.3 billion offer until July 18. The company also revealed that the owners of 34.75 million PeopleSoft shares have signalled their intention to sell, defying the advice of PeopleSoft`s board.

PeopleSoft`s refund promises would wipe out most of the company`s Q2 revenue, expected between $490 million and $500 million.

Advanced Micro Devices will unveil a faster two-way Opteron on August 4, according to a summary list of upcoming press releases accidentally emailed by AMD to a number of reporters, reports ExtremeTech.

Due to the July 4 holiday, AMD officials in Texas were unable to confirm the accuracy of the summary document by press time.

According to the list, which extends through August, AMD plans only three significant releases in the next two months, the site reports: Microsoft`s announcement of BSP certification for AMD`s Alchemy line of embedded processors on July 7; AMD`s announcement of the Athlon 64 logo on July 28; and the company`s launch of the Opteron Model 246 on August 4.

Privacy watchdog groups and members of Congress are making grim guesses about how often the FBI peeks into records of US citizens` Internet activity and phone calls, reports PC World. But because the Department of Justice has blocked much of the content of its reports, the watchdogs can`t get enough information to draw conclusions.

The Justice Department does release the number of surveillance orders approved by a closed court in terms of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The FISA court, which has jurisdiction over non-citizen criminal suspects, records that spying orders approved by the secret court jumped 30% between 2001 and 2002. However, federal and state court orders approving surveillance dropped by 6 percent, say recently released government reports.

"The threat that the government may engage in surveillance because you borrow a particular book from the library, or because you join a particular organisation, or because you visit a particular Web site will dissuade people from exercising their First Amendment rights," the body says.