ÉpicÉ. Caliente. Hot. In any tongue, stock in Rosetta Stone, the popular language-learning software company that just went public — yes, IPOs still exist — is blazing. On the evening of April 15, the company was able to price its IPO at $18 per share, above the estimated range of $15-17. It was the first IPO to price above its range in nearly a year. The next day, shares shot up 40%, the best one-day IPO rise in the last year . Why are ...

Microsoft just released earnings that were mediocre but not any worse than was expected. It said that the balance of the calendar year would not be much better. In stating that, it is taking a position that has been common among most big companies releasing earnings. Write off 2009. Wait until next year. Revenue for the company's fiscal third quarter, which ended on March 31, fell 6% to $13.65 billion. Operating income was $4.4 billion, so Microsoft's software businesses ...

Mac computers are known for their near-immunity to malicious computer programs that plague PCs. But that may be changing somewhat, according to computer security researchers. It seems that as sleek Mac computers become more popular, they're also more sought-after targets for the authors of harmful programs. "The bad guys generally go toward the biggest target, what will get them the biggest bang for their buck," said Kevin Haley, a director of security response at Symantec. Until recently, ...

Everybody has Apple envy — even Larry Ellison. The dashing playboy founded Oracle Corp., whose relational database software makes it the 137th largest company in the world. Ellison, who likes to pilot old fighter jets and lives in a faux Japanese-style mansion, is one of the richest men in the world and another of the great, big personalities of Silicon Valley. Just like his old buddy, Steven P. Jobs. So it was at once surprising — and not — ...

The Conficker worm is finally doing something--updating via peer-to-peer between infected computers and dropping a mystery payload on infected computers, Trend Micro said on Wednesday. Researchers were analyzing the code of the software that is being dropped onto infected computers but suspect that it is a keystroke logger or some other program designed to steal sensitive data off the machine, said David Perry, global director of security education at Trend Micro. The software appeared to be a .sys component hiding ...

Computer experts waited early Wednesday to see what impact -- if any -- the worm known as Conficker.c will have on the world's computers. "As long as you've patched or at least brought your antivirus software up to speed, you should be fine," said Chris Pirillo, a tech expert for CNN.com. And there are plenty of anti-virus software packages available. "I believe just about everybody out there," Pirillo said, "has a removal tool." Still, the worm can wreak havoc, he ...

A computer-science detective story is playing out on the Internet as security experts try to hunt down a worm called Conficker C and prevent it from damaging millions of computers on April Fool's Day. The anti-worm researchers have banded together in a group they call the Conficker Cabal. Members are searching for the malicious software program's author and for ways to do damage control if he or she can't be stopped. They're motivated in part by a $250,000 bounty from ...

One of the sharpest challenges yet to China's stifling attempts at Internet censorship comes in the form of a lowly alpaca. Actually, the alpaca-like creature starring in online videos and lining Chinese store toy shelves is a mythical "grass-mud horse" — whose name in Chinese sounds just like a vulgar expression involving a sex act and, well, your mother. Bawdy as it may seem, an Internet children's song about the animal, full of lewd homophones, has emerged as a galvanizing ...

Scientists in the U.S. are developing a laser gun that could kill millions of mosquitoes in minutes. The laser, which has been dubbed a "weapon of mosquito destruction" fires at mosquitoes once it detects the audio frequency created by the beating of its wings. The laser beam then destroys the mosquito, burning it on the spot. Developed by some of the astrophysicists involved in what was known as the "Star Wars" anti-missile programs during the Cold War, ...

Layoffs at big companies are so common now that it is novel when a day goes by without Microsoft , Caterpillar , or Macy's letting thousands of people go. There are a relatively small number of America's largest companies which will almost certainly not have significant layoffs. One of them might close an office in Turkey, another could replace telephone operators with an automated system, but each is in a unique position that makes it highly unlikely for ...