Enterprises uncertain about mobile security ... Cisco gives Apple more time for iPhone response

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Enterprises are uncertain about mobile security
News: Vonage subscriber growth slows
News: Cisco gives Apple more time for iPhone lawsuit response
News: Microsoft CEO dampens Vista sales forecast
Unix Tip: Wake up and patch the OSes
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
Geek Comic of the Week: Legostar Galactica



NEWS UPDATES

Enterprises are uncertain about mobile security
Uncertainty about how to secure mobile phones in the face of increasing threats is slowing enterprise adoption of mobile applications, experts exhibiting at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona this week said.

Vonage subscriber growth slows
Vonage Holdings Corp. lost less money in the fourth quarter of 2006 than a year earlier, but it didn't attract as many new subscribers to its VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) service despite heavy marketing.

Cisco gives Apple more time for iPhone lawsuit response
Cisco Systems Inc. has given Apple Inc. a further extension on the deadline to respond to its lawsuit concerning the iPhone name, the company said late Thursday. "Cisco has agreed to give Apple an extension until Wednesday, Feb. 21," the company said in a brief statement. "Cisco is fully committed to using the extra time to reach a mutually beneficial resolution."

Microsoft CEO dampens Vista sales forecast
Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer believes that sales forecasts for its new Vista operating system may be "overly aggressive." In a conference call Thursday with financial analysts, Ballmer said lower selling prices, limited new corporate sales, and software piracy may combine to temper Vista sales.

Microsoft patches include a surprise
There was a little surprise buried in Microsoft's monthly security bulletins Tuesday. It turns out that Microsoft had quietly slipped out one of the February fixes, just days before its Jan. 30 Vista launch.

Wall Street Beat: BEA offers peek into market psyche
Market reaction to BEA Systems Inc.'s stock options backdating inquiry this week provided a clue to investor psychology, while RealNetworks Inc. and Microsoft Corp. offered a look at the future of aspects of the software and services business.


UNIX TIP

Wake up and patch the OSes
By Sandra Henry Stocker, ITworld.com

Time is running out for anyone planning to ready their systems for the biggest time-related change since Y2K -- the 2007 Daylight Savings Time change. As Americans turn their clocks ahead one hour this year -- three weeks earlier than previously, systems administrators will be well advised to ensure their systems will do the same. Timezone configurations on systems from Solaris and Linux to Windows will require updates if not already updated through a patch, OS upgrade or service pack, to accommodate the new dates for switching to and then back off daylight savings.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft launches video upload service ... Nokia reshuffles its staff ... Piracy lawsuit against teacher dropped


ITWHIRLED

Geek Comic of the Week: Legostar Galactica
Oh my goodness: Do Legos and various sci-fi franchises and webcomics combined create some kind of geek nirvana? Well, yes, and they make a darn funny read to boot.

Attackers seize on new zero-day in Word ... IBM releases Informix beta, preps Linux bundle

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Attackers seize on new zero-day in Word
News: IBM releases Informix beta, preps Linux bundle
News: Dell hires Solectron CEO, forms operations group
News: HP unveils new Integrity servers, Unix OS
Security Tip: Build a virtual security lab on a shoestring
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: GPS shoes help you get home in more ways than one


NEWS UPDATES

Attackers seize on new zero-day in Word
Microsoft Corp.'s Word and Office programs have been targeted again, with the company warning that hackers may already exploiting a new vulnerability found in the applications.

IBM releases Informix beta, preps Linux bundle
IBM Corp. has opened the public beta program for the next version of its Informix database server and announced plans for a bundled Linux package for smaller businesses.

Dell hires Solectron CEO, forms operations group
Dell Inc. Thursday announced that Michael Cannon, the president and CEO of electronics maker Solectron Corp., will head a newly formed group that will oversee much of the company's operations, including manufacturing, procurement and suppliers.

HP unveils new Integrity servers, Unix OS
Hewlett-Packard Co. is introducing a long-awaited upgrade to its Unix operating system and launching new, affordable Integrity servers in a direct challenge to rival products from IBM Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc.

Sharp to launch a cheaper Blu-ray Disc recorder
Sharp Corp. has developed a Blu-ray Disc recorder that cuts costs by doing away with the tuner. Instead, the BD-HP1 will use the tuner present in a television set to record TV programs, the company said on Wednesday.

One million OLPC laptop orders confirmed
Quanta Computer Inc., the world's largest contract laptop PC manufacturer, already has confirmed orders for one million notebook PCs for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, a company representative said Thursday.

NetSuite ramps up e-commerce capabilities
NetSuite Inc., a provider of hosted applications for midsize businesses, will announce Thursday that it has beefed up the electronic commerce capabilities of its software suite and has teamed up with online auction giant eBay Inc. in order to attract larger electronic retail (e-tail) customers.

Google Earth gets overlay search feature
Google Inc. has created a searchable index of Google Earth data files, a feature that should make it easier for users to find and adopt third-party overlays for this popular mapping application.

Cisco extends LAN security tools to wireless
Cisco Systems Inc. on Wednesday brought a raft of security mechanisms for wired LANs out to the wireless part of enterprise networks.


SECURITY TIP

Build a virtual security lab on a shoestring
By Brent Huston, MicroSolved, Inc.

One of the most important aspects of running a good technical security program is giving your technical team members access to an environment where they can refine their skills, perform adequate testing and play with new technologies and applications to keep skills current. Here is a look at the way we have been building prototype security labs on a shoestring.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
No HSDPA for next version of Centrino ... Dell hires Solectron's CEO ... eBay courts third-party developers


ITWHIRLED

Shoes help you get home in more ways than one
For a mere $325 plus $20 a month, you can get GPS-outfitted shoes that can help figure out where you (or your feet, at least) are. Kids sizes coming soon, nervous parents!

Warner exec defends DRM ... Microsoft fixes critical security flaws

HIGHLIGHTS
News: After Jobs criticism, Warner exec defends DRM
News: Microsoft fixes critical security flaws
News: New hack simplifies high-definition video copying
News: Gartner: CIOs need to focus on business expertise
Storage Tip: Expect digital video to expand its data security role
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Office romances on the rise


NEWS UPDATES

After Jobs criticism, Warner exec defends DRM
The head of Warner Music Group Corp. defended the use of DRM (digital rights management) with digital music on Wednesday in an apparent response to recent criticism from Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs.

Microsoft fixes critical security flaws
Microsoft Corp. released its February set of security updates Tuesday, including critical fixes for bugs in Office and the scanning engine used by the company's security products.

New hack simplifies high-definition video copying
A hacker claims to have discovered a cryptographic key that can be used to circumvent copy restrictions on HD DVD and Blu-ray movies.

Gartner: CIOs need to focus on business expertise
Two of three companies aim to grow faster than their markets this year, making it more important than ever for chief information officers to shift their priorities to encompass business objectives, according to a survey from Gartner Inc.

Mobile music downloads too complex, execs say
Buying digital music from a mobile phone is too difficult and the music and mobile phone industries need to improve the process to meet demand, the chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group Corp. said on Wednesday.

E.U. undertakes formal review of radio spectrum
In a bid to hasten the arrival of the Internet on mobile phones in Europe, the European Commission is about to change the way telecom companies can use radio frequencies.

IBM unveils latest content management moves
Having previously made major product announcements around data and information management, IBM Corp. Tuesday focused on the third leg of that strategy, content management, including the vendor's first major release of its acquired FileNet technology.

HTC smartphone offers two keyboards
Taiwanese handset maker High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) has developed a smart phone based on Microsoft Corp.'s upcoming Windows Mobile 6 software that offers both a numeric keypad and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Clearwire to increase WiMax offerings on Nasdaq
Kirkland, Washington-based wireless broadband provider Clearwire Corp. issued a preliminary prospectus on Tuesday for a share sale with the SEC. It said it planned to launch the public offering as soon as possible after the share sale is registered.


STORAGE TIP

Expect digital video to expand its data security role
By David Hill, Mesabi Group

Digital video will expand its data security role and move further into mainstream IT. View it as a good idea to be proactive about taking on additional responsibility. After all, it can provide a little more spice in your life, but more importantly you can view it as a job growth opportunity. Take advantage of it.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
IBM releases new version of FileNet .. Microsoft announces .Net for embedded applications ... Taiwan to offer wireless broadband licenses


ITWHIRLED

Office romances on the rise
According to a recent survey by Vault.com, office romances are in full bloom, with nearly 60 percent of workers having been involved in office dating, up from 46 percent three years ago. And 38 percent of those polled know of an ongoing office romance.

Belgian court rules against Google News ... MySpace to block pirated video

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Belgian court rules against Google News
News: Oracle debuts first homegrown TimesTen release
News: Mobile advertising not here yet
News: Microsoft releases .Net 'Micro' for embedded devices
Windows Tip: Troubleshooting a USB flash drive
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Study: IT sabotage, work behavior linked


NEWS UPDATES

Belgian court rules against Google News
Google Inc. violated the copyright of Belgian newspaper publishers when it posted extracts from their stories on its Google News Web site, a Belgian court ruled on Tuesday.

Oracle debuts first homegrown TimesTen release
Oracle Corp. has unveiled the first major version of the TimesTen in-memory relational database developed in house since acquiring the technology in June 2005, emphasizing increased integration and caching with its enterprise-level Oracle Database 10g.

Mobile advertising not here yet
Despite the buzz around mobile advertising, end users and eager advertisers may have to wait a while for widespread deployments as the mobile industry sorts out the requirements for it.

Microsoft releases .Net 'Micro' for embedded devices
Microsoft Corp. has released a version of its .Net programming framework for coding on embedded devices such as microwave ovens or remote controls.

Taiwan warns firms on tech exports to Iran, North Korea
Taiwan issued a warning to local companies not to export electronics components and other items that could be used to make military equipment to Iran or North Korea, promising penalties for failure to comply.

Microsoft releases BI tools for Dynamics CRM
Microsoft Corp. has taken another step to make it easier for customers and partners to customize its business intelligence (BI) software suite. The company on Monday announced the general availability of Dynamics CRM Analytics Foundation, a free bundle of customizable source code and documentation, for users of its customer relationship management software.

CEOs: Emerging markets will pave the way
Some mobile phone companies are looking to emerging markets to find early adopters and for a glimpse at services of the future, CEOs said during the opening day keynote of the 3GSM conference in Barcelona on Tuesday.

MySpace adopts system to block pirated video
The rabidly popular MySpace social network on Monday launched a pilot program to prevent its users from uploading unauthorized copyrighted video material to the site.

BlackBerry 8800 poised to battle iPhone
Research In Motion (RIM) has finally announced the BlackBerry 8800, the multimedia business handset whose details RIM leaked following Apple's iPhone announcement, apparently to offset the company's sliding stock price.


WINDOWS TIP

Troubleshooting a USB flash drive
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises

Don't through away that USB Flash drive too quickly. If the drive
fails after connecting to the network it could be an issue with the network.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Intel shows 80-core chip ... Flash video coming to mobile phones ... MySpace to filter copyrighted video uploads


ITWHIRLED

Study: IT sabotage, work behavior linked
According to recent research by the U.S. military and CERT, workers who sabotage corporate systems are almost always IT workers who are "disgruntled, paranoid, generally show up late, argue with colleagues, and generally perform poorly." Shocking findings, don't you agree?

AMD pushes embedded chips with faster Geode ... Vodafone strikes deal with YouTube

HIGHLIGHTS
News: AMD pushes embedded chips with faster Geode
News: Microsoft touts support for Windows Mobile 6.0
News: Intel test chip design with 80-core processor
News: Nokia hopes to push mobile e-mail in enterprise
Windows Tip: Restoring individual files from a CompletePC Backup
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Helium shortage to ruin Valentine's Day


NEWS UPDATES

AMD pushes embedded chips with faster Geode
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) launched a new model of its Geode processor and added eight more chips to its longevity program, pledging to keep them in production for at least five years to support long-lived products like 3G telephony base stations.

Microsoft touts support for Windows Mobile 6.0
In an effort to show wide support for its newest Windows Mobile operating system, Microsoft Corp. is highlighting several announcements from handset makers on Monday at 3GSM in Barcelona.

Intel test chip design with 80-core processor
Following their march from standard processors to dual-core and quad-core designs in 2006, Intel Corp. researchers have built an 80-core chip that performs more than a teraflops (trillions of floating point operations per second) while using less electricity than a modern desktop PC chip.

Nokia hopes to push mobile e-mail in enterprise
Nokia Corp. is aiming to boost the use of mobile e-mail in the enterprise with a new release of its Intellisync software and several new handsets aimed at business users.

HP targets business market with iPaq smartphone
Hewlett-Packard Co. announced a smartphone for business users on Monday, appealing to IT administrators by offering remote software management from Bitfone Corp.

3GSM: Vendors to show new multicast mobile TV app
Vendors are lining up at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona to show a new mobile TV delivery technology with near-broadcast qualities.

Strike closes down Bangalore IT companies
A dawn-to-dusk strike call to protest against a tribunal order on sharing of river waters brought work at Bangalore's IT companies, including outsourcing companies, to a halt Monday.

Yahoo set to appear on LG cell phone screens
Yahoo Inc. has reached a deal with LG Electronics Inc. that should see its "Go" mobile platform on the screens of tens of millions of LG cell phone handsets shipped later this year, the two companies said Monday.

Xerox works deal with startup to rival Google
Xerox Corp. research subsidiary the Palo Alto Research Center has struck a licensing deal with a high-profile startup in the hopes of building a search engine that could one day rival Google Inc.

Microsoft releases Live Search for mobile phones
Microsoft Corp. announced some new Windows Live applications for mobile phones on Monday, including programs that offer search and mapping capabilities.


WINDOWS TIP

Restoring individual files from a CompletePC Backup
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises

Windows Vista has a new backup feature called CompletePC Backup that backs up everything on your computer in one easy step. But when you create a backup, the wizard says the backup can only be used to restore the entire system and that you can't use it to restore individual files. Well that's not true! Here's what you do using Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 (still in beta).


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Vodafone strikes deal with YouTube ... Vista successor OS slated for release in 2009 ... Ericsson offers cellular base station for the home


ITWHIRLED

Helium shortage to ruin Valentine's Day
V-Day isn't just the biggest day of the year for florists: heart-shaped helium-filled balloons are also big sellers. But helium plants in Qatar and Algeria are behind schedule, some in the U.S. are closed due to maintenance or storm damage, and greedy hospitals are liquifying the precious gas to cool the magnets in their MRI machines. It all adds up to a holiday that's going to be a bit less buoyant this year.