AP - Real news from the virtual world:

iTEMize Technologies has introduced iTEMize 3.0, with features geared toward medium businesses. The online telecom expense management solution includes both wireline and wireless inventory tracking, financial management tools for identifying billing anomalies, trending and reconciliation, automated cost allocation, and detailed reporting. iTEMize 3.0 adds upgraded analytical opTEMization tools with one-click access. iTEMize also is launching a new national branding campaign ... (77 words)

InfoWorld - JavaFX, Sun Microsystems' entrant in the rich Internet application (RIA) space, is nearly ready for prime time and, by the way, the company is making money off of Java, company officials said Monday afternoon at the Adobe Max 2008 conference in San Francisco.

A few weeks ago, Amazon announced a program to push for more customer-friendly packaging -- specifically moving away from those impossible to open plastic clamshell bubble packs that have a way of encouraging excessive swearing (and injuries) from consumers trying to open them. The good news, however, is that many retailers and manufacturers all agree that it's time to end that practice and to move towards more reasonable packaging solutions. It's about time.

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CNN Money reports that China Mobile Chairman and CEO Wang Jianzhou says that his company is still in talks regarding the iPhone, adding that no timetable has yet been agreed.

InfoWorld - Two years ago this month, Microsoft forged its controversial partnership with Novell that, among other things, had the two companies agreeing not to sue each other over intellectual property issues, in part to protect Suse Linux users over any patent litigation from Microsoft.

InfoWorld - Microsoft's answer to Adobe Flash and Flex and several other RIA (rich Internet application) and AJAX frameworks, Silverlight arrived with a flourish just over one year ago.

The latest study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project says that while plenty of people are buying new gadgets and technology, an awful lot of them are having trouble getting or keeping it working. According to the survey, 48% said they need others' help in setting up new devices. Additionally, plenty of folks noted that when their stuff broke, it was a pain to fix it. In fact, 15% of people said they just gave up and left devices not working when they had troubles. While some may see this as an opportunity for various "home geek services" operations, it seems more like an alarm for the consumer electronics and technology industries that they have to start making stuff that isn't so confusing to set up and use.

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Reuters - A milestone was reached last week in the crossover from Internet to TV when Sci Fi Channel gave an early second-season pickup to "Sanctuary," making it the first TV show based on an online series to accomplish the feat.

CNET - With the announcement Monday that Jerry Yang would step down as its chief, Yahoo's search for a new CEO will not only be closely watched by its investors but also the folks at Microsoft, according to sources.