Sub-$300 Linux laptops coming next year ... Top 10 auto "Out of Office" replies ... Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say

In this issue:
- China's Olympic ticketing system crashes on first day
- Symantec CEO sees more acquisitions ahead
- MySpace joins Google's OpenSocial project
- Sub-$300 Linux notebooks coming next year
- Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say
- Mozilla, Microsoft drawing sabers over next JavaScript
- Unix file system names demystified
- Top ten auto "Out of Office" replies


IN THE NEWS
_______________

China's Olympic ticketing system crashes on first day
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games' (BOCOG's) plans for a 'high-tech' 2008 Olympics got off to a rocky start this week, when the online ticketing system for the games crashed under a crush of visitors shortly after tickets went on sale to the general public.

Symantec CEO sees more acquisitions ahead
More acquisitions lie in the future of Symantec as it looks to strengthen key business areas and keep pace with evolving security threats, its CEO said Friday.

MySpace joins Google's OpenSocial project
Google's OpenSocial got a major boost on Thursday when MySpace, the world's most popular social networking site, announced it will participate in the project to streamline the creation and adoption of social Web applications.

Everex to launch Linux notebooks under $300 next year
After introducing a $198 Linux desktop Wednesday, PC vendor Everex will bring Linux laptops under $300 to users next year.

Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say
While it isn't yet clear what type of mobile announcement Google plans to make, it is clear what Google should do and why the company is interested in mobile services, experts say.

Mozilla, Microsoft drawing sabers over next JavaScript
Mozilla CTO Brendan Eich and Microsoft's Chris Wilson are trading heated rhetoric over the proposed next version of ECMAScript, better known as JavaScript.


UNIX TIP

Unix file system names
By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld.com

One of the questions that Unix users are sometimes reluctant to ask is how all the directory names -- like /etc, /var and /usr/local -- came about in the first place. Why did we adopt the particular names we use today instead of names that might make more sense to the casual user? What do these file system and directory names tell us about the intended content? ...Continue reading 'Unix file system names'


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Google screenshot raises questions about link between search and ad sales ... Everex plans to sell sub-$300 laptops next year ... Cisco to spend $16 billion in China


ITWHIRLED

Top tens:
- The ugliest products in tech history
- Top Ten auto "Out of Office" replies
- Top 10 Google Products You Forgot All About

Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say ... China's president talks IT warfare ... Top ten auto "Out of Office" replies

In this issue:
- Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say
- With screenshot out, Google denies rank tampering
- Licensing change opens Leopard Server to virtualization
- Dell in compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements
- Report: Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11
- Bluetooth picks Wi-Fi as UWB drags along
- China's president Hu talks IT warfare
- The ugliest products in tech history


IN THE NEWS

Google mobile OS unlikely, analysts say
While it isn't yet clear what type of mobile announcement Google plans to make, it is clear what Google should do and why the company is interested in mobile services, experts say.

With screenshot out, Google denies rank tampering
An image with dollar figures next to Google search results prompted speculation that commercial considerations affect Google rankings, but Google denies it.

Licensing change opens Leopard Server to virtualization
A change to the licensing agreement for Apple's OS X Leopard Server will allow users to run virtual machines on Apple hardware for the first time, industry players say.

Dell in compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements
After facing delisting on Nasdaq multiple times for failing to file earnings reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on time, Dell announced on Thursday it is fully compliant with the stock exchange's listing requirements.

Report: Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11
Security experts are saying that a reported al-Qaeda cyber jihad attack planned against Western institutions should be treated with skepticism.

Bluetooth picks Wi-Fi as UWB drags along
The Bluetooth community has decided to make a fast version of Bluetooth running over the Wi-Fi protocol, because handset makers and operators are increasingly frustrated by the wait for ultra-wideband (UWB) to finally appear in handsets.

IBM launches server consolidation tool
IBM has just launched an analysis tool that it reckoned would help businesses find under-utilized x86 servers that could profitably be consolidated.

Critic: FTC needs to take action on targeted ads
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission needs to take action to protect consumers against invasive targeted advertising practices, one critic said Thursday.


OPINION

Defense comes to forefront at China's Communist Party Congress
By Steven Schwankert

China's current president, Hu Jintao, was specific in his references to one area of IT guaranteed to raise eyebrows outside the country: defense. 'We must build strong armed forces through science and technology. To attain the strategic objective of building computerized armed forces and winning IT-based warfare, we will accelerate composite development of mechanization and computerization, carry out military training under IT-based conditions, modernize every aspect of logistics, intensify our efforts to train a new type of high-caliber military personnel in large numbers and change the mode of generating combat capabilities.' ...Continue


PODCAST

Acer files patent counterclaim against HP ... Google's stock price breaks $700 mark ... NEC gets order for new supercomputer


ITWHIRLED

Geek Comic of the Week: Bayeux Rhythms
Who would have thought that the iconic Bayeux Tapestry could be such a barrel of laughs? History geeks will love this thrice-weekly comic, which places embroidered characters from the days of William the Conqueror in very silly situations.

Top tens:
- The ugliest products in tech history
- Top ten auto "Out of Office" replies
- Top 10 Google products you forgot all about

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!

Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11 ... Lenovo loses ground to Acer ... The ugliest products in tech history

In this issue:
- Lenovo has another strong quarter, but loses ground to Acer
- Cisco to spend $16B in China over next five years
- Report: Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11
- NEC gets first order for SX-9 supercomputer
- Google shares break $700 on reports of wireless talks
- Privacy groups call for do-not-track list
- How to influence anyone
- The ugliest products in tech history


IN THE NEWS

Lenovo has another strong quarter, but loses ground to Acer
Lenovo turned in another big jump in revenue and net income during its fiscal second quarter, boosted by strong demand for PCs in China and other markets. But a strong performance during the period wasn't enough to stay ahead of Acer.

Cisco to spend $16B in China over next five years
Cisco Systems Chairman and CEO John Chambers announced on Thursday $16 billion in new investments in China, including manufacturing, investment and educational programs.

Report: Cyber jihad set for Nov. 11
Security experts are saying that a reported al-Qaeda cyber jihad attack planned against Western institutions should be treated with skepticism.

NEC gets first order for SX-9 supercomputer
A week to the day since NEC launched its new SX-9 supercomputer, the company has its first order.

Google shares break $700 on reports of wireless talks
Google's stock topped $700 for the first time on Wednesday, as reports about its mobile software plans heated up.

Privacy groups call for do-not-track list
A coalition of nine privacy and consumer groups have proposed a U.S. do-not-track list that would allow consumers to opt out of advertising efforts that track their movements online.


TIP

How to influence anyone
By David Maxfield

When it comes to influence, we stink. We stink as individuals, we stink as organizations, and we stink as a society. But here's a new view of influence that will help you lead change within your IT organization and beyond. ...Continue


PODCAST

Acer files patent counterclaim against HP ... Google's stock price breaks $700 mark ... NEC gets order for new supercomputer

More podcasts


ITWHIRLED

Geek Comic of the Week: Bayeux Rhythms
Who would have thought that the iconic Bayeux Tapestry could be such a barrel of laughs? History geeks will love this thrice-weekly comic, which places embroidered characters from the days of William the Conqueror in very silly situations.

Top tens
- The ugliest products in tech history
- Top Ten auto "Out of Office" replies
- Top 10 Google Products You Forgot All About

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!

Google shares break $700 ... Hackers sneak malware into MySpace band pages ... Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat

In this issue:
- Google shares break $700 on reports of wireless talks
- Hackers sneak tricks into MySpace band pages
- Privacy groups call for do-not-track list
- Google makes social networking power move -- finally
- Companies tap RSS to tame info overload
- Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat for future growth
- Woman reacts to bad cable service with hammer attack
- Gadget giveaway ends this week. Enter now!
http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/nl/11/80161174/


IN THE NEWS

Google shares break $700 on reports of wireless talks
Google's stock topped $700 for the first time on Wednesday, as reports about its mobile software plans heated up.

Iron Mountain to buy e-discovery company
Major storage provider Iron Mountain said Wednesday it intends to purchase Stratify, a maker of document discovery software, for about $158 million in cash.

Hackers sneak tricks into MySpace band pages
Several band MySpace profiles have been rigged to serve up malicious software, according to security vendor FaceTime Communications

Privacy groups call for do-not-track list
A coalition of nine privacy and consumer groups have proposed a U.S. do-not-track list that would allow consumers to opt out of advertising efforts that track their movements online.

Google makes social networking power move -- finally
Belatedly recognizing the importance of social networking as an online service and advertising vehicle, Google Inc. this week will unleash its strongest response yet to the rising threat and skyrocketing popularity of MySpace and Facebook.

Companies tap RSS to tame info overload
As employees struggle to read an increasing amount of work-related material, some companies have turned to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology to improve productivity.

Microsoft plots ambitious SOA roadmap
Microsoft Tuesday laid out an ambitious SOA roadmap around a set technologies code-named Oslo that will be blended into its middleware, development, and management tools and some of its emerging enterprise online services.

Researchers dig for hidden links in spam
Two researchers at the University of Quebec are refining a way to identify links advertised in spam messages.

Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat for future growth
Having established itself as the leading enterprise Linux vendor, Red Hat is in a pivotal phase of reinventing itself as a broader open-source software provider and a long-term technology leader.


CAREER TIP

How to influence anyone
By David Maxfield

When it comes to influence, we stink. We stink as individuals, we stink as organizations, and we stink as a society. But here's a new view of influence that will help you lead change within your IT organization and beyond. ...Continue


PODCAST

Intel ships updated Itanium 2 processor ... Asustek's Eee PC coming to America ... Google reportedly developing mobile-phone software


GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends this week. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Woman reacts to bad cable service with hammer attack
When for some reason 75-year-old Mona Shaw's Comcast "triple play" package - TV cable, phone, and Internet - wouldn't turn on, she did what any reasonable person would: she went to the local Comcast office and started attacking office equipment with a hammer. She says she has no regrets, though she doesn't agree with those who call her a hero.


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!

Google makes social networking power move ... Security geeks say Leopard needs fixing ... Woman reacts violently to bad cable service

In this issue:
- Iron Mountain to buy e-discovery company
- Poor results at Alcatel-Lucent prompt layoffs
- Google makes social networking power move -- finally
- Dell to unveil simpler, cheaper products at Oracle OpenWorld
- Security geeks say Leopard needs fixing
- Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat for future growth
- Woman reacts to bad cable service with hammer attack
- Gadget giveaway ends this week. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

Iron Mountain to buy e-discovery company
Major storage provider Iron Mountain said Wednesday it intends to purchase Stratify, a maker of document discovery software, for about $158 million in cash.

Poor results at Alcatel-Lucent prompt layoffs
Alcatel-Lucent said it plans further layoffs after its post-merger financial performance continued to disappoint.

Google makes social networking power move -- finally
Google will unveil an initiative this week to make it easier for developers to create applications for multiple social networking sites via a set of open APIs.

Dell to unveil simpler, cheaper products at Oracle OpenWorld
Michael Dell plans to announce a lineup of new products at the Oracle OpenWorld conference on Nov. 14.

Companies tap RSS to tame info overload
As employees struggle to read an increasing amount of work-related material, some companies have turned to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology to improve productivity.

Security geeks say Leopard needs fixing
The security features introduced in Apple's Leopard operating system need work say security experts who have been putting the OS through its paces.

Dell restates earnings after internal probe
Dell completed an internal accounting investigation Tuesday and restated its financial results from fiscal 2003 to the first quarter of 2007, bringing it into compliance with listing requirements specified by the Nasdaq stock exchange.

Storm Worm sent 15 million pump-and-dump e-mails last month
The Storm Worm botnet network may be shrinking in size, but it has managed to send out 15 million of those annoying audio spam messages in October, according to antispam vendor, MessageLabs.

Van Wyk aims to transform Red Hat for future growth
Having established itself as the leading enterprise Linux vendor, Red Hat is in a pivotal phase of reinventing itself as a broader open-source software provider and a long-term technology leader.


WINDOWS TIP

OneNote OCR
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises

Occasionally I need to extract some text from an image, and typically you need some form of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to do this. Since I spend a lot of my time in the 2007 Office System family of products however, it would be nice if there was some built-in functionality that could serve this purpose. Well, it turns out that there is -- I just discovered that Microsoft OneNote 2007 includes an OCR feature called Copy Text From Picture, and you can use this method to copy text from all kinds of images including scanned documents like the kind you typically find on a site like The Smoking Gun. ...continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Intel ships updated Itanium 2 processor ... Asustek's Eee PC coming to America ... Google reportedly developing mobile-phone software ...listen now

More podcasts


GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends this week. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Woman reacts to bad cable service with hammer attack
When for some reason 75-year-old Mona Shaw's Comcast "triple play" package - TV cable, phone, and Internet - wouldn't turn on, she did what any reasonable person would: she went to the local Comcast office and started attacking office equipment with a hammer. She says she has no regrets, though she doesn't agree with those who call her a hero. ...read more

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!

McAfee buys Web site security company for $51M ... ODF group abandons format ... Hardware hacker shows his 'art'

In this issue:
- McAfee buys Web site security company for $51M
- Yahoo Messenger deepens social networking features
- Covad sells to private equity firm for $304 million
- San Francisco gallery shows hacker Joe Grand's work as art
- ODF group abandons format in favor of W3C alternative
- OLPC developing new cow, yo-yo powered 'supercharger'
- Distant future to be blighted by Paris Hilton
- Gadget giveaway ends this week. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

McAfee buys Web site security company for $51M
McAfee will acquire ScanAlert, a web application security vendor, for $51 million, the companies announced Tuesday.

Yahoo Messenger deepens social networking features
Yahoo, disconcertingly unable to develop a popular social networking site, will try to accentuate the social networking capabilities in a beta upgrade of of Yahoo Messenger.

Covad sells to private equity firm for $304 million
Platinum Equity LLC will acquire Covad Communications Corp. for about $304 million, making the communications services company the latest technology company to sell to a private equity firm.

ODF group abandons format in favor of W3C alternative
A group formed to promote the Open Document Format (ODF) is abandoning its support of the file format in favor of a document format governed by the W3C, a move that throws a wrench into the already acrimonious business of creating one global file format for office documents.

OLPC developing new 'supercharger'
As One Laptop Per Child prepares to ship its highly anticipated XO laptops in two weeks, it is developing a "supercharger," a mass battery recharger that will draw power from cows and yo-yos to help the laptops run longer.

Developers upgrading for Leopard
Apple developers continue to hustle Leopard compatibility updates out the door.

San Francisco gallery shows hacker Joe Grand's work as art
Hardware hacker Joe Grand has never really thought of himself as an artist, but he's having his first gallery opening with the show 'When Electronics Become Art' at the 20 goto 10 gallery in San Francisco.


OPINION

Non-Mainstream IT Needs Still Need to be Addressed
By Joel Shore, ITworld

A couple of weeks ago, I dropped by a road show put on by NAPP, the National Association of Photoshop Users (www.photoshopuser.com). Making its way across the country, thousands of people gladly pay between $80 and $100 to see lots of new gee-whiz features demonstrated step by step. These people all use computers, of course, and lots of them are looking for systems help. But what struck me are the systems opportunities that these attendees represent -- often without themselves even knowing it. ...continue


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Kodak image viewer attack - FTC spoof spam - Yahoo Messenger gets social

More podcasts


GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends this week. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Distant future to be blighted by Paris Hilton
As we visualize the awesome, distant future, there are no doubt many great things coming: flying cars, domed cities on the moon, robot servants - and no Paris Hilton! But now that the omnipresent socialite has learned that cryogenics is her key to immortality, our great-great-great-grandchildren will also be forced to endure her antics.

Subscribe to the ITwhirled alert - weird tech news direct to your inbox.


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!

Michael Dell hints at more acquisitions ... BEA lets Oracle's $17/share offer expire ... Security experts blast New Jersey AG

In this issue:
- Michael Dell hints at more, bigger acquisitions
- Oracle bid for BEA expires as expected
- Microsoft builds custom 'skin' for new T-Mobile phone
- Security experts blast New Jersey AG
- Computer error, schmapture error, I want my $1.6 million
- Nissan adds a robot helper to its concept car
- Gadget giveaway ends this week. Enter now!


IN THE NEWS

Verizon income up due to wireless, fiber growth
Verizon Communications posted net income of $4.2 billion for Q3, up 19 percent from a year ago, driven largely by new wireless and fiber broadband customers.

Hutchison 3 to release Skypephone in 8 countries
U.K. operator Hutchison 3 launched a 3G mobile phone on Monday that lets Skype users call each other for free, as well as send instant messages.

Michael Dell hints at more, bigger acquisitions
Michael Dell hinted on Monday that his company could be shopping for more acquisition targets and that they could be larger than those acquired to date.

Oracle bid for BEA expires as expected
BEA Sunday let a 5 p.m. Pacific Time deadline expire on Oracle's $6.7 million bid for the company.

Microsoft builds custom 'skin' for new T-Mobile phone
Microsoft built a custom Windows Mobile user interface for a new T-Mobile, evidence that Microsoft may be getting more serious about the consumer mobile market.

News Corp., NBC launch beta of Hulu video venture
News Corp. and NBC Universal Monday debuted their joint-venture online video service Hulu.com with a private beta adding a new rival to Google's YouTube.

Security experts blast New Jersey AG
Security experts are scratching their heads at a New Jersey Attorney General's request that banks send out bulk e-mail warning of phishing.


FUTURE TECH

Nissan adds a robot helper to its concept car
With data showing that happy drivers are less accident-prone, Nissan has mounted a robot passenger in the dashboard of its Pivo2 concept car whose job is to keep the driver happy, give spot-on directions, and even check your e-mail.

Watch the video


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
BEA lets Oracle's $17/share offer expire ... Microsoft develops new interface for Windows Mobile ... China's Alibaba gets ready for IPO

More podcasts


GADGET GIVEAWAY

Our gadget giveaway ends this week. Don't wait. Enter now!

What's the giveway? A Swiss Army knife that includes a USB flash
drive, LED light, and ballpoint pen -- in other words, the ultimate geek gadget.

Enter now for a chance to win!


ITWHIRLED

Computer error, schmapture error, I want my $1.6 million
Gary Hoffman was very excited to win more than a million dollars at a New Mexico casino last earlier this year. The win was all the more exciting because the machine's supposed maximum payout was $3,500. Now the casino owners are saying that the displayed jackpot was a result of a programming error -- but Hoffman's suing to get what he says is coming to him.


POLL

Techies who sit all day: What's your solution to back pain?

- Massage
- Chiropractors
- Yoga
- Ibuprofin
- Sitting up straight like my mother taught me, darn it

Vote now!