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SAN FRANCISCO--If you're at all interested in the history of the video games industry and you're at the Game Developers Conference here, then having the chance to talk to Nolan Bushnell is something you can't pass up.

Bushnell is, among other things, the co-founder of Atari, so his video games pedigree is just about as royal as anyone's.

And that's why you'd have to take NeoEdge, the ads-in-games start-up he's now the chairman of, seriously.

I met with Bushnell and NeoEdge CEO Alex Terry Thursday, and the two talked to me at length … Read more

Despite a notable backlash from some Ad-Aware SE fans, Ad-Aware 2007 is still a very powerful weapon in the fight against malicious software. Ad-Aware 2007 is bigger than its previous editions and it tends to use up more system resources. Most unfortunately, all of Ad-Aware 2007's premium (paid) features, and even applications such as Ad-Watch 2007 and the Host File Editor, are included with the free version, but are nonoperational. Despite those minor complaints, the new program did add valuable features, including support for multiple browsers, a Web privacy tool, and multilingual support (although French is the only available … Read more

As users of the Internet we face security threats every day. Nefarious hackers (not all hackers), viruses, and spyware are rampant when online, and not taking precautions can mean lost data or even worse, identity theft. Frankly, if your computer is unprotected, you are rolling the dice every time you go online. Certainly many users already know this and are already using trusted software, or have other security measures in place to ensure safe surfing. This Killer Download is for those who don't or anyone who has questions regarding their safety online.

Whenever I get a new system or … Read more

Louis Dorman just launched AdCamo, a new advertising medium. AdCamo spots run on the backgrounds and surrounding space on Web pages and software applications. So instead of seeing all that lovely whitespace around your favorite blog content, you'll see your blog hovering over a giant, tiled ad.

It's brilliant. Also, it's terrible.

Advertisers will love it. This kind of in-your-face branding is very powerful, and advertisers will pay for it. Compared with standard text ads, and even banner ads, these background advertisements simply cannot be ignored.

Until now, only big sites, like CNET, … Read more

A San Francisco start-up is launching the first mobile video ads for the iPhone on Wednesday.

Ad Infuse is serving up ads from Esurance and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America on several sites, including Health & Fitness Mobile for Men and MondoMedia.com.

I visited the HFM mobile site (hfm2go.com) on my brand-new iPhone and clicked on one of its portable training programs. I waited four or five minutes while the ad downloaded and then a blank, white screen came on, making me wonder what to do next. The ad finally started playing, and I was able to … Read more

Microsoft showed off technology to journalists on Tuesday for enabling out-of-home ads and speech recognition-based contextual video ads, and blocking ads from popping up next to porn.

The technology is being developed in Microsoft's adCenter Labs and is not on the market yet.

Tarek Najm, technical fellow at Microsoft, said in a statement that the technologies "can change the game of online advertising."

Meanwhile, Microsoft's got other plans for changing the game. The company launched a bid to acquire Yahoo for $44.6 billion last week. So far, Yahoo doesn't appear to be biting … Read more

TiVo might be overstating the fabulosity of the advertisements aired during Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast.

See the headline TiVo used to lead its press release regarding the most-watched ads during the game: "Talking and Trading Baby Blows Away Star-Studded Super Bowl Competition."

Um...really? Were we watching the same game?

Even if you're not a sports person, that game was "one for the ages," as sportswriters like to say. Even in the midst of a five-hour broadcast inflated with as many empty pleas for your dollars and attention as Fox could possibly fit, the … Read more

It may be a toss up today whether the talk around the office will be more about the game (way to go Giants) or about the commercials. The commercials of course are a big draw for many and at least an entertaining bonus for others. Big name companies employ big name ad firms to come up with something that will hopefully be extraordinary and memorable. And at $2.7 million for 30 seconds, getting the most bang for the buck should be a no-brainer.

But unlike some of the popular TV shows, if the Super Bowl ads are any indication, … Read more

It has only taken three years for Google to unseat Yahoo in search, become the online ad king, and get so big it prompts Microsoft to try to buy Yahoo.

Microsoft announced on Friday it has made an offer to acquire Yahoo for $44.6 billion. The news comes days after Yahoo said it would lay off 1,000 workers, saw its fourth-quarter profit fall, and gave lukewarm guidance for the current quarter. By comparison, Google on Thursday posted fourth-quarter revenue of $4.8 billion, up more than 50 percent, while profit rose 17 percent.

Google has been able to … Read more