Stories about: OnStar

Wireless Web services pioneers are breaking new ground to foster the delivery of a wide range of offerings to myriad wireless devices, which will serve as end points for these challenging uses of the Web.

After much fanfare surrounding its initial launch, General Motors Corp. will merge the e-business unit it created in 1999 back into the corporate organization, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

OnStar Corp., the General Motors Corp. subsidiary that provides wireless data services for automobiles, will test new services in the coming months including one that would let customers adjust their home heating or security systems while they're on the road.

As you might expect, Ed Zander, Sun Microsystems's president and COO, is not happy about the Department of Justice's proposed settlement of the Microsoft case. But he also has other things on his mind. In an interview last week with InfoWorld's Editor in Chief Michael Vizard, Test Center Director Steve Gillmor, Executive Editor Martin LaMonica, and West Coast News Editor Mark Jones, Zander outlined his vision for Java, instant messaging, open standards, and an upcoming storage initiative.

Gartner senior vice president Bob Hayward used the Symposium keynote speech to lambaste Australian companies for their poor track record on innovation.

Oracle Corp. has partnered with a wireless joint venture company backed by Ford Motor Co. and Qualcomm Inc. to develop and bring to market wireless computer services for vehicles, the company announced Thursday.

Developing applications for wireless devices is rife with challenges, including proprietary device operating systems, insufficient standards and usability issues. Nonetheless, such development is on the rise, and Java is the language of choice, according to a new report.

As wireless communications become faster and more widely available, there's a strong temptation to acquire the latest technology so you can stay in touch with your business wherever you are.

With the rollout next month of anti-theft devices that will phone home as well as use global positioning technology to follow a stolen car, the eternal struggle between car thieves and the police will take on a new dimension.

On the one hand, technology companies can get some pretty good exposure at Comdex.

Does falling on your own sword make good business sense? Let's see. Targeted apparently at young teens, a Philip Morris television ad campaign tells us, "Think. Don't smoke." Philip Morris company stock is up 30 percent since March. Guess when this ad campaign started?