MySQL co-founder wants Oracle to sell database

In today's podcast: MySQL co-founder wants Oracle to sell database; IBM puts executive on leave over securities-fraud charge; and Apple posts big jump in profits.

Subscribe to this podcast in iTunes!

Oracle should resolve antitrust concerns over its acquisition of Sun Microsystems by selling open-source database MySQL to a suitable third party, its cofounder and creator Michael "Monty" Widenius said in a blog post on Monday. Oracle's US$7.4 billion acquisition of Sun is currently being held up by an investigation by the European Commission. The Commission's main concern seems to be MySQL, which was acquired by Sun in January 2008 for US$1 billion. A takeover by the world's leading proprietary database company of the world's leading open source database company compels the regulator to closely examine the effects on the European market, according to remarks made by Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes last month.

IBM has placed Robert Moffat, the head of its Systems and Technology Group, on a leave of absence after he was charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in an alleged insider-trading scheme. Moffat, a senior vice president at IBM, was charged Friday with conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The SEC also charged other Wall Street and technology-company executives related to their alleged involvement in an insider-trading scandal scheme that the agency said netted millions of U.S. dollars in illicit profits. The SEC filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Apple on Monday posted an increase in net profit and sales for its fourth fiscal quarter of 2009 despite a year-over-year decline in iPod shipments. The company reported a profit of US$1.67 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 26, an improvement from the net profit of $1.14 billion for the fourth quarter of 2008. Apple sold 10.2 million iPods during the quarter, an 8 percent decline from a year ago. However, the company recorded a year-over-year increase in Mac computer and iPhone shipments. Apple shipped 3.05 million Macintosh computers during the quarter, a 17 percent year-over-year increase. The company sold 7.4 million iPhones for 7 percent year-over-year unit growth.

After transcripts of some voice mail messages from Google Voice users appeared in search results, Google has modified the telephony management service to prevent this from happening. Since its launch in March, Google Voice allowed users to post voice mail transcripts on public Web pages, so that they could share the content of the messages with others. While Google Voice users will be able to continue this practice, the voice mail text will now be off-limits to search engine crawlers. Google apparently implemented the change at least several weeks ago. However, the issue came to light on Monday when technology news site Engadget spotted some of the voice mail transcripts in search results.

...And those are the top stories from the IDG Global IT News Update, brought to you by the IDG News Service. I'm Sumner Lemon in Singapore. Join us again later for more news from the world of technology.