Friday, September 01, 2006

New beta out for next-generation Firefox 2.0 browser...EMC-HP storage race tightens in second quarter...Intel may lay off thousands next week, reports say

Today's IT news audio update
Alcatel has reached an agreement to buy Nortel’s 3G mobile phone network business, Intel is expected to announce the results of an internal review of its operations, Sony has appointed one of its presidents to oversee product quality and safety ...


HIGHLIGHTS

News: EMC-HP storage race tightens in second quarter
News: Microsoft offers free parental control service
News: Alcatel-Lucent deal faces legal test
News: Hitachi targets cars, videos with new hard disks
News: TDK develops prototype 200G Blu-ray disc
News: Alcatel to buy Nortel's UMTS business
News: Intel may lay off thousands next week, reports say
News: MS Antitrust: US makes formal request for extended order
News: New phones run Skype without PC
News: New beta out for next-generation Firefox 2.0 browser
ITwhirled: The war on CAPS LOCK
Opinion: Communications Mashup


NEWS UPDATES

EMC-HP storage race tightens in second quarter
Number two storage systems maker Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has closed the gap between it and number one EMC Corp. to what research company IDC calls "a statistical tie."

Microsoft offers free parental control service
Microsoft Corp. has opened up testing of a new Web-based service that allows parents to control what their kids do on the Internet.

Alcatel-Lucent deal faces legal test
Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc.'s plan to form a global communications equipment giant may run into a roadblock next week in a state court in New Jersey.

Hitachi targets cars, videos with new hard disks
Hitachi Ltd. hopes to win market share from rival Toshiba Corp. with three new high-capacity hard drives that will reach the digital video recording and automotive navigation markets in 2007.

TDK develops prototype 200G Blu-ray disc
In the battle of new optical storage formats, Blu-ray Disc has added another weapon -- even more storage.

Alcatel to buy Nortel's UMTS business
Alcatel SA has reached a preliminary agreement to buy Nortel Network Corp.'s 3G (third-generation) mobile phone network business for US$320 million.

Intel may lay off thousands next week, reports say
Intel Corp. will announce the results of an internal review of its operations next week that could result in thousands of layoffs at the company, according to published reports.

MS ANTITRUST: US makes formal request for extended order
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Microsoft Corp. filed formal paperwork Wednesday to extend part of an antitrust judgment against the company for at least two years.

New phones run Skype without PC
Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV has announced a new phone that allows users of Skype Ltd.'s Internet telephony service to make calls without having to boot up their PCs.

New beta out for next-generation Firefox 2.0 browser
Mozilla Corp. has released a new test version of Firefox 2.0, which will be the next major version of its popular open-source browser.


ITWHIRLED

The war on CAPS LOCK
Tired of your grandmother sending you e-mails in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS? One brave band of visionaries, organized on a Google Groups site, is daring to dream of the impossible: a day when the caps lock key is no longer a standard feature on computer keyboards.


OPINION

Communications Mashup
By James Gaskin

Call it Unified Messaging, Unified Collaboration, or call it years of
hype with unfulfilled potential. Or you can call it Unifying
Communications like the people at AVST (.com), as long as you keep
trying to organize and update communications in new ways. And have
another year or two of patience.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Amazon.com spills beans on Office 2007 ship date ... Sony launches official PlayStation 3 site in Japan...Nokia muscles up N80 series Internet features

Today's IT news audio update
The contract manufacturer of the iPod has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists... , A French investor-advisory firm has urged Alcatel’s shareholders to reject its merger with Lucent...


HIGHLIGHTS

News: Nokia muscles up N80 series Internet features
News: EU/US discord could ground passengers, air chief says
News: Biggest contract electronics maker posts strong Q2
News: Sony launches official PlayStation 3 site in Japan
News: IPod maker cuts damage claim to 1 renminbi
News: Micron Technology unveils 16G-byte memory chip
News: Intel to launch vPro desktop bundle Sept. 7
News: Web browser focuses on not leaving user footprints
News: Novell initiates internal stock option investigation
News: Amazon.com spills beans on Office 2007 ship date
ITwhirled: The war on CAPS LOCK
Opinion: If 80 gigs is enough, then...
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update


NEWS UPDATES

Nokia muscles up N80 series Internet features
Nokia Corp. will release a new version of its N80 multimedia phone next month with beefed-up Internet capabilities.

EU/US discord could ground passengers, air chief says
A failure by the U.S. and European Union to reach a new agreement next month on the provision of passenger data for transatlantic flights could ground up to 105,000 people each week, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) director general said Thursday.

Biggest contract electronics maker posts strong Q2
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, continued to increase its lead over rivals in the second quarter, posting a 30 percent rise in sales

Sony launches official PlayStation 3 site in Japan
Three weeks ahead of the first public unveiling of its PlayStation 3 console, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has launched an official Web site for the new console.

IPod maker cuts damage claim to 1 renminbi
The iPod manufacturer at the heart of a furor over the treatment of workers in China has reduced the damages it is seeking from a pair of journalists accused of defaming the company.

Micron Technology unveils 16G-byte memory chip
Micron Technology Inc. is offering a new 16G-byte DRAM memory chip it's billing as the densest server-memory module on the market.

Intel to launch vPro desktop bundle Sept. 7
Intel Corp. is set to announce next week that Hewlett-Packard Co. and other vendors are ready to ship the chip company's vPro technology bundle in business desktops, according to sources.

Web browser focuses on not leaving user footprints
The latest entrant to the crowded Internet browser market is the appropriately named Browzar, a tool specifically designed to protect users' privacy by not retaining details of the Web sites they've searched.

Novell initiates internal stock option investigation
Novell Inc. has begun an internal review to investigate how the company granted stock options to employees in recent years and to assess whether, in the light of the findings, Novell will need to restate any earnings.

Amazon.com spills beans on Office 2007 ship date
Windows Vista isn't the only forthcoming Microsoft Corp. software for which Amazon.com Inc. has apparently pre-announced availability. The online retailer also is taking pre-orders for Microsoft Office 2007, and has listed that the day that product will be available is the same as Windows Vista: Jan. 30, 2007.



ITWHIRLED

The war on CAPS LOCK
Tired of your grandmother sending you e-mails in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS? One brave band of visionaries, organized on a Google Groups site, is daring to dream of the impossible: a day when the caps lock key is no longer a standard feature on computer keyboards.



OPINION

If 80 gigs is enough, then...
By Sean McGrath

I have an 80 gigabyte hard disk in my laptop and, for the first time in my career in computing, I am having difficulty filling it up with stuff that I need to do my job. Sure I can fill it with lots of audio and lots of video (given enough bandwidth and patience) but to be honest, the amount of multimedia stuff I need for my day job is limited to some podcasts and the occasional product demo video.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

iPod contract maker sues journalists for defamation ... AT&T online store hacked, thousands affected... Windows goes Bolivian

Today's IT news audio update
The contract manufacturer of the iPod has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists... , A French investor-advisory firm has urged Alcatel’s shareholders to reject its merger with Lucent...


HIGHLIGHTS

News: iPod contract maker sues journalists for defamation
News: French advisory firm opposes Lucent-Alcatel merger
News: CTIA: New specification to lock down mobile phones
News: DDR2 finally crowned DRAM king
News: AT&T online store hacked, thousands affected
News: Windows goes Bolivian
News: Emulex acquires Sierra Logic for $180 million
News: Fujitsu plans higher capacity 2.5-inch drives
News: Intel unveils "Merom" chip for notebooks
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Top 10 custom JavaScript functions of all time


NEWS UPDATES

iPod contract maker sues journalists for defamation
The contract manufacturer of the iPod music player has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists who wrote articles about working conditions at factories where iPods are made, according to Chinese press reports.


French advisory firm opposes Lucent-Alcatel merger
Alcatel SA shareholders have been urged by a French advisory group to reject the proposed merger with Lucent Technologies SA, citing unfavorable financial and corporate governance terms.


CTIA: New specification to lock down mobile phones
A new set of security standards designed to lock down mobile devices has been hammered out and is set to be unveiled at the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show being held in Los Angeles next month.


DDR2 finally crowned DRAM king
After a much longer than expected delay, DDR2 (double data rate, second generation) has finally taken over as the most popular memory chip used in PCs.


AT&T online store hacked, thousands affected
AT&T Inc. confirmed Tuesday that its online store had been hacked and the credit card information and personal data of up to 19,000 customers possibly compromised.


Windows goes Bolivian
Microsoft has released an update giving Windows an interface in the Quechua language, descended from the tongue of South America's ancient Incas.


Emulex acquires Sierra Logic for $180 million
Emulex Corp. will buy Sierra Logic Inc. to build a bigger enterprise storage portfolio.


Fujitsu plans higher capacity 2.5-inch drives
Fujitsu Ltd. will soon bring the benefits of perpendicular recording technology to its family of 2.5-inch hard-disk drives.

Intel unveils "Merom" chip for notebooks
Intel Corp. formally announced its "Merom" chip for notebooks Monday, as vendors including Dell Inc's Alienware, Gateway Inc. and Toshiba America Inc. announced new models built around the processor.


ITWHIRLED

She's a 10
The top 10 video game badasses ... Top 10 custom JavaScript functions of all time ... Top 10 sites for students ... 10 best musical works ... The 10 best cruise ships in 2006

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Samsung shrinks 1G-bit DDR2 chips ... Nokia top, Lenovo bottom of eco-friendly list ... Server vendors to use Intel "Tulsa" chips

Today's IT news audio update
Chip maker TSMC sues SMIC for breaking legal settlement ... Microsoft Canada lets Vista pricing slip out ... Wi-Fi Alliance to certify 802.11n gear before standard ready


HIGHLIGHTS

News: Samsung shrinks 1G-bit DDR2 chips
News: Server vendors to use Intel "Tulsa" chips
News: Nokia top, Lenovo bottom of eco-friendly list
News: Nokia appliances to get a snort of Sourcefire
News: Wi-Fi Alliance to certify pre-standard 802.11n gear
News: Service provider launches VM hosting
News: Customers may pay more for Microsoft legacy support
News: Denmark joins converged Wi-Fi cellular fray
News: Verizon plans co-branded Windows Live services
News: Verizon launches do-it-yourself gaming server software
News: Microsoft leaks Vista pricing on Web site
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: EFF sues dinosaur Barney over free speech
Storage Tip: Know your data types



NEWS UPDATES

Samsung shrinks 1G-bit DDR2 chips
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has started mass-producing 1 G-bit DDR (double data rate 2) DRAM memory chips using an advanced manufacturing process that allows it to make the chips smaller and at less cost.

Server vendors to use Intel "Tulsa" chips
Dozens of server manufacturers Tuesday announced plans to incorporate Intel Corp.'s new dual-core 64-bit Xeon 7100 processor, dubbed "Tulsa," into upcoming servers.

Nokia top, Lenovo bottom of eco-friendly list
Nonprofit environmental organization Greenpeace has rated mobile phone giant Nokia Corp. highly for its eco-friendly policies, but gave low marks to Lenovo Group Ltd., Motorola Inc. and Apple Computer Inc., among others.

Nokia appliances to get a snort of Sourcefire
Nokia Corp. plans to integrate Sourcefire Inc.'s intrusion prevention software into its line of network security appliances by year-end.

Wi-Fi Alliance to certify pre-standard 802.11n gear
The Wi-Fi Alliance will start certifying next-generation wireless LAN products in the first half of next year no matter what.

Service provider launches VM hosting
Bulletproof Networks will this week launch a dedicated virtual machine (VM) hosting service. The service, which will be operational on September 1, 2006, includes standard and enterprise-level offerings with access to IT engineers, additional performance and memory capacity and continuous support.

Customers may pay more for Microsoft legacy support
It could become more costly for customers who have older versions of certain Microsoft Corp. software to continue purchasing support from the vendor.

Denmark joins converged Wi-Fi cellular fray
Denmark joins a growing number of countries where households and small businesses can buy converged Wi-Fi-cellular services.

Verizon plans co-branded Windows Live services
By early 2007, Verizon Communications Inc. will bundle a variety of Microsoft Corp. software services into its broadband Internet access package, the companies said Tuesday.

Verizon launches do-it-yourself gaming server software
Verizon Communications Inc. has released new software that allows PC and console gamers to set up their own servers to host multiplayer games on their own computers.

Microsoft leaks Vista pricing on Web site
Microsoft Corp. on Monday accidentally listed the pricing of the high-end consumer versions of Windows Vista on its Canadian Web site.


ITWHIRLED

EFF sues dinosaur Barney over free speech
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed a lawsuit against the company that produces the "Barney and Friends" children's television program, saying it has harassed the creator of a Barney parody Web site with "baseless legal threats."


TIP

Storage Tip: Know your data types

Monday, August 28, 2006

Oracle continues PeopleSoft 9 rollout ... AOL 9.0 is accused of 'badware behavior' ... McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks'

Today's IT news audio update
Google launches hosted application suite for small business ... Toshiba to make Microsoft's Zune music player ... Much work remains to be done on Oracle's Fusion project

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Oracle continues PeopleSoft 9 rollout
News: Google rolls out apps-hosting beta version for biz
News: AOL 9.0 is accused of 'badware behavior'
News: McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks'
News: Google signs advertising deal with eBay
News: Atheros to pave way for cheaper fast WLAN
News: Toshiba will build Microsoft Zune players
News: Qualcomm launches chip for low-cost phones
Podcast: Today's" IT news audio update
ITwhirled: The automatic Web 2.0 logo creator

NEWS UPDATES

Oracle continues PeopleSoft 9 rollout
Oracle Corp. continued to release pieces of its PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 applications suite, turning its attentions to performance management. The move is part of Oracle's most substantial revamp of the suite since acquiring PeopleSoft in January 2005.

Google rolls out apps-hosting beta version for biz
Google Inc. has launched Google Apps for Your Domain, a suite of hosted collaboration applications for small to medium-size businesses, universities, groups and affinity organizations, with plans to expand to larger companies by year's end.

AOL 9.0 is accused of 'badware behavior'
AOL LLC's free Internet client software has earned the company a slap on the wrist from StopBadware.org, a consortium set up to combat malicious software. In a report set to be released Monday, the group advises users to steer clear of the software because of its "badware behavior."

McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks'
Cell phone users should watch out for text messages containing a Web site link which, when visited, could download a Trojan horse, security experts have warned.

Google signs advertising deal with eBay
Google Inc. has signed a deal to become the exclusive provider of text-based advertising for eBay Inc.'s Web sites outside of the U.S.

Atheros to pave way for cheaper fast WLAN
Wireless LAN access points based on the first draft of a new, faster standard are likely to dip below US$100 for the holidays.

Toshiba will build Microsoft Zune players
Microsoft Corp. confirmed Friday that Toshiba Corp. will manufacture its Zune music player, a product the company aims to take on Apple Computer Inc.'s successful iPod.

Qualcomm launches chip for low-cost phones
With an eye to the nascent market for low-cost mobile phones in emerging markets, Qualcomm Inc. has unveiled a new chip that integrates several components into a single system.

ITWHIRLED

The automatic Web 2.0 logo creator
Do you want to turn your last-generation dot-com into a new Ajax-based, user-content-driven, blogging/wiki/whatever Web 2.0 company? Well, the first thing you're going to need is a new logo. Thankfully, this online utility (which actually seems to be built on a lot of Web 2.0 technologies) does it quick and easy for you.

TIP

Scripting multiple Outlook windows