Sun layoffs continue ... French iPod law takes effect ... Philips sells chips for $10.6B
Today's IT News Audio Update
Cisco firewall exploit surfaces at Black Hat ... Phillips sells chip unit for €8.3 billion ... U.S. FCC won't squelch broadband over power lines
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Sun layoffs continue as part of restructuring
News: French copyright law takes effect, to industry dismay
News: Philips sells chips for $10.6 billion as industry consolidates
News: Serious flaw puts Xerox printers at risk
Opinion: Acer's 20-inch Notebook Offers Integrators a Unique Opportunity
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: A new month, a new T-shirt drawing. Enter now!
NEWS UPDATES
Sun layoffs continue as part of restructuring
Sun Microsystems Inc. laid off workers in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia on Friday as part of belt tightening that is expected to claim up to 5,000 jobs at the beleaguered company.
French copyright law takes effect, to industry dismay
Software publishers and Socialist Party members are among the groups unhappy with the new French copyright law that took effect Friday. French Net surfers could now go to prison for downloading copyright music files without authorization, while companies such as Apple Computer Inc., which make or use DRM (digital rights management) technology to protect music downloads, may have to provide details of the system to their competitors in the interests of interoperability.
Philips sells chips for $10.6 billion as industry consolidates
Europe's third largest chip maker will sell its semiconductor unit to a group of private investment firms in a deal worth €8.3 billion (US$10.6 billion), increasing the pace of consolidation in the industry.
Serious flaw puts Xerox printers at risk
Xerox Corp. is scrambling to update a security patch following the disclosure of a major security flaw in its WorkCenter multifunction printers.
Unpatched flaw revealed in Cisco firewall
Cisco Systems Inc. just can't seem to make it through the Black Hat USA conference unscathed. On Wednesday a security researcher showed how an unpatched vulnerability in the company's PIX firewall appliances could allow outside attackers to gain access to corporate networks.
Apple's options woes deepen
Apple Computer Inc. has found more problems with its accounting for stock options grants and now says it is likely to restate some past financial results.
Microsoft heads for another big Patch Tuesday
August will be another substantial patch month for Microsoft Corp., with the vendor releasing 12 security bulletins next Tuesday to fix holes in both its Windows OS and the Office productivity suite.
AOL to slash up to 5,000 jobs worldwide
AOL LLC will slash up to 5,000 jobs worldwide, or just over a quarter of its workforce, as the struggling unit of Time Warner Inc. restructures in an effort to bring in more revenue.
U.S. gov't files to block AT&T wiretapping suit again
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a new motion to dismiss a lawsuit over AT&T Inc.'s alleged participation in a government-sponsored wiretapping program.
Wall Street Beat: Rambus dives, AMD thrives
While analysts cheered a comeback Thursday in the tech-strong NASDAQ composite index -- pointing to Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) as one of the winners leading the charge -- Rambus Inc. continued to take punishment from investors for a finding from the U.S. fair trade regulator that the memory chip maker had played anything but fair.
OPINION
Acer's 20-inch Notebook Offers Integrators a Unique Opportunity
By Joel Shore
It's not often that I write a column about a single hardware product, but Acer's new laptop PC is like no other computer. So here I go...
Read the full article here
ITWHIRLED
Chinese to join Americans in post-death manned space program
Space Services Inc. is a Texas-based company that will shoot a small portion of your cremated remains into space, for the right price. Now, the company is looking to expand into the world's most populous market, taking advantage of the interest generated by China's manned space program.
A new month, a new T-shirt drawing. Enter now!
Friday, August 04, 2006
Thursday, August 03, 2006
MSN Spaces 'Live' upgrade beset with problems ... IBM to acquire MRO Software
Today's IT News Audio Update
IBM to buy MRO, sell with Tivoli ... Consumer watchdogs displeased with Apple's iTunes posture ... Lenovo blames losses on supply chain problems
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft MSN Spaces 'Live' upgrade beset with problems
News: IBM to acquire MRO Software for $740 million
News: MacBook hit with wireless hack
News: Apple fails to meet Norwegian iTunes demands
Opinion: Disposable Spyware Cleaners
ITwhirled: I, for one, welcome our French robot overlords
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft MSN Spaces 'Live' upgrade beset with problems
Microsoft began rolling out the "next generation" version of its blogging and social networking service, dubbed Windows Live Spaces, on Tuesday night, but things got quite bumpy along the way. For more than 12 hours, pages loaded extremely slowly at best, and at worst they didn't render properly at all, according to a message posted late Wednesday by Microsoft on the official MSN Spaces blog.
IBM to acquire MRO Software for $740 million
IBM Corp. agreed to buy MRO Software Inc. for about $740 million in a move to bolster its software and services offerings, the Armonk, New York, company said Thursday.
MacBook hit with wireless hack
Security researchers David Maynor and Jon Ellch performed a digital drive-by Wednesday at the Black Hat USA conference. Their target: an Apple Computer Inc. MacBook.
Apple fails to meet Norwegian iTunes demands
Norwegian consumer authorities are not pleased with the reply from Apple Computer Inc. about demands that the company change some of its iTunes Music Store policies.
Gateway uses latest Intel chip in new desktop
Gateway Inc. will use the new "Conroe" Core 2 Duo chip from Intel Corp. to power a PC that users can configure as either a high-end desktop or a workstation, the company said Thursday.
AOL freebies won't guarantee success
As AOL LLC tears down the few remaining walls that once enclosed its proprietary online service, some question whether it will be able to thrive as a business driven mostly by online advertising.
Deutsche Telekom launches converged cell-Wi-Fi service
German telecommunications service provider Deutsche Telekom AG launched on Thursday a bundled service that combines mobile phone and Wi-Fi telephony services, targeting customers who seek attractive fees and greater mobility.
OPINION
Disposable Spyware Cleaners
By James Gaskin
I've often wondered why spyware and virus programmers were so much more clever than mainstream programmers. After all, they write small, tight code that invisibly traverses the Internet and private networks. They find computers matching certain security parameters and install magically onto systems without disturbing the operating system, applications, or user. Compare this to Microsoft's automatic updates and Windows Genuine Advantage software accusing legal systems of running pirated software up to 20 percent of the time.
Read the full article here
ITWHIRLED
I, for one, welcome our French robot overlords
Tired of being pushed around, the French are building an army of Linux-powered robots. Well, maybe "army" is the wrong word, but they are disconcertingly advanced-looking.
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
Today's IT News Audio Update
IBM to buy MRO, sell with Tivoli ... Consumer watchdogs displeased with Apple's iTunes posture ... Lenovo blames losses on supply chain problems
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft MSN Spaces 'Live' upgrade beset with problems
News: IBM to acquire MRO Software for $740 million
News: MacBook hit with wireless hack
News: Apple fails to meet Norwegian iTunes demands
Opinion: Disposable Spyware Cleaners
ITwhirled: I, for one, welcome our French robot overlords
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft MSN Spaces 'Live' upgrade beset with problems
Microsoft began rolling out the "next generation" version of its blogging and social networking service, dubbed Windows Live Spaces, on Tuesday night, but things got quite bumpy along the way. For more than 12 hours, pages loaded extremely slowly at best, and at worst they didn't render properly at all, according to a message posted late Wednesday by Microsoft on the official MSN Spaces blog.
IBM to acquire MRO Software for $740 million
IBM Corp. agreed to buy MRO Software Inc. for about $740 million in a move to bolster its software and services offerings, the Armonk, New York, company said Thursday.
MacBook hit with wireless hack
Security researchers David Maynor and Jon Ellch performed a digital drive-by Wednesday at the Black Hat USA conference. Their target: an Apple Computer Inc. MacBook.
Apple fails to meet Norwegian iTunes demands
Norwegian consumer authorities are not pleased with the reply from Apple Computer Inc. about demands that the company change some of its iTunes Music Store policies.
Gateway uses latest Intel chip in new desktop
Gateway Inc. will use the new "Conroe" Core 2 Duo chip from Intel Corp. to power a PC that users can configure as either a high-end desktop or a workstation, the company said Thursday.
AOL freebies won't guarantee success
As AOL LLC tears down the few remaining walls that once enclosed its proprietary online service, some question whether it will be able to thrive as a business driven mostly by online advertising.
Deutsche Telekom launches converged cell-Wi-Fi service
German telecommunications service provider Deutsche Telekom AG launched on Thursday a bundled service that combines mobile phone and Wi-Fi telephony services, targeting customers who seek attractive fees and greater mobility.
OPINION
Disposable Spyware Cleaners
By James Gaskin
I've often wondered why spyware and virus programmers were so much more clever than mainstream programmers. After all, they write small, tight code that invisibly traverses the Internet and private networks. They find computers matching certain security parameters and install magically onto systems without disturbing the operating system, applications, or user. Compare this to Microsoft's automatic updates and Windows Genuine Advantage software accusing legal systems of running pirated software up to 20 percent of the time.
Read the full article here
ITWHIRLED
I, for one, welcome our French robot overlords
Tired of being pushed around, the French are building an army of Linux-powered robots. Well, maybe "army" is the wrong word, but they are disconcertingly advanced-looking.
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
AOL confirms shift to free services ... FTC says Rambus crafted monopoly illegally
Today's IT News Audio Update
AOL confirms shift to free services ... FTC finds Rambus crafted monopoly illegally ... IBM buys Webify for SOA
IN THE NEWS
FTC says Rambus acted unlawfully
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday unanimously decided that Rambus Inc. unlawfully created a monopoly for certain technologies used in the DRAM (dynamic RAM) memory chip standard.
IBM makes third SOA buy with Webify purchase
IBM Corp. has made its third purchase in the SOA (service-oriented architecture) technology space, buying Webify Solutions Inc., the company announced Wednesday.
AOL makes software free to boost ad revenue
In a move to increase its online advertising revenue, AOL LLC said Wednesday it will make a range of its software and services free for broadband users.
Man charged with soliciting minor through MySpace
A 26-year-old man from Somers, Connecticut, faces up to 30 years in prison for allegedly having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl he met through MySpace.com, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said late Tuesday.
SAP to invest $1 billion in India
SAP AG is to invest $1 billion in India over the next five years, Henning Kagermann, the company's chief executive officer told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday.
Microsoft shuffles more Windows executives
Microsoft Corp. continues to make executive changes in the division that oversees Windows. On Tuesday the company added one executive to its Platforms and Services Division and announced that three will leave the group once Windows Vista is released to manufacturing.
TOPCODER CHALLENGE
This week's problem: Baskets With Apples (Level 1)
We have some baskets containing apples, and we would like to perform thefollowing procedure in a way that maximizes the number of remainingapples. First, we discard some (or none) of the baskets completely.Then, if the remaining baskets do not all contain the same number ofapples, we remove excess apples from the baskets until they do.
Today's IT News Audio Update
AOL confirms shift to free services ... FTC finds Rambus crafted monopoly illegally ... IBM buys Webify for SOA
IN THE NEWS
FTC says Rambus acted unlawfully
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday unanimously decided that Rambus Inc. unlawfully created a monopoly for certain technologies used in the DRAM (dynamic RAM) memory chip standard.
IBM makes third SOA buy with Webify purchase
IBM Corp. has made its third purchase in the SOA (service-oriented architecture) technology space, buying Webify Solutions Inc., the company announced Wednesday.
AOL makes software free to boost ad revenue
In a move to increase its online advertising revenue, AOL LLC said Wednesday it will make a range of its software and services free for broadband users.
Man charged with soliciting minor through MySpace
A 26-year-old man from Somers, Connecticut, faces up to 30 years in prison for allegedly having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl he met through MySpace.com, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said late Tuesday.
SAP to invest $1 billion in India
SAP AG is to invest $1 billion in India over the next five years, Henning Kagermann, the company's chief executive officer told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday.
Microsoft shuffles more Windows executives
Microsoft Corp. continues to make executive changes in the division that oversees Windows. On Tuesday the company added one executive to its Platforms and Services Division and announced that three will leave the group once Windows Vista is released to manufacturing.
TOPCODER CHALLENGE
This week's problem: Baskets With Apples (Level 1)
We have some baskets containing apples, and we would like to perform thefollowing procedure in a way that maximizes the number of remainingapples. First, we discard some (or none) of the baskets completely.Then, if the remaining baskets do not all contain the same number ofapples, we remove excess apples from the baskets until they do.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Storage Tip: When Is a Disaster Not a Disaster?
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
Distinguishing between a disaster and a non-disaster is easy. Anything that requires you to transfer access to using storage at a remote site is a disaster. Anything else is an operational problem. Making that distinction is important because the resources -- both in terms of equipment and personnel -- that you bring to bear on resolving the problem are different. Don't use a hammer when a screwdriver will do and vice versa.
Read the full article here
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
Distinguishing between a disaster and a non-disaster is easy. Anything that requires you to transfer access to using storage at a remote site is a disaster. Anything else is an operational problem. Making that distinction is important because the resources -- both in terms of equipment and personnel -- that you bring to bear on resolving the problem are different. Don't use a hammer when a screwdriver will do and vice versa.
Read the full article here
Restaurants, roller coasters and randomly failing web applications
By Sean McGrath
You arrive at a downtown restaurant that does not take reservations. Straight ahead, a member of staff is standing behind a podium making notes on a booking sheet. To the left, happy diners who got there before you did, munch through their meals. To the right, prospective diners who also got there before you did, sit at the bar sipping cocktails, waiting for their table to be called. The member of staff behind the podium orchestrates the whole show. Her job is to keep the restaurant operating at maximum throughput without overloading it. To do this she juggles a variety of information in real time. Sizes of parties awaiting tables. Expected availability of free tables, time of day (lunch has a very different dynamic to dinner) and so on. You ask her the question she gets asked umpteen times a day -- How long is the wait? "About 30 minutes", she replies.
Read the full article here
By Sean McGrath
You arrive at a downtown restaurant that does not take reservations. Straight ahead, a member of staff is standing behind a podium making notes on a booking sheet. To the left, happy diners who got there before you did, munch through their meals. To the right, prospective diners who also got there before you did, sit at the bar sipping cocktails, waiting for their table to be called. The member of staff behind the podium orchestrates the whole show. Her job is to keep the restaurant operating at maximum throughput without overloading it. To do this she juggles a variety of information in real time. Sizes of parties awaiting tables. Expected availability of free tables, time of day (lunch has a very different dynamic to dinner) and so on. You ask her the question she gets asked umpteen times a day -- How long is the wait? "About 30 minutes", she replies.
Read the full article here
Apple responds to Nordic iTunes criticism ... GE dumped from UK's health IT overhaul
Daily IT News Audio Update
Apple responds to Scandinavian iTunes criticism ... GE dumped from UK's health IT overhaul ... Boston to build WiFi net
IN THE NEWS
McAfee to issue patch on Wednesday for vulnerability
McAfee Inc. will issue a patch on Wednesday for a vulnerability affecting its SecurityCenter application, a security software management tool.
Apple responds to Nordic iTunes complaints
Apple Computer Inc. has replied to criticism of its iTunes digital rights management policy, meeting a deadline set by consumer agencies in Scandinavia, an advisor at Norway's Consumer Council said on Tuesday.
Palm sees trouble ahead for Palm OS
Palm Inc.'s plans for future products could be affected by delays in development of a new version of the Palm OS software, the company warned in a regulatory filing.
Data center failure pinches UK health service
Technicians continued working Tuesday to restore a computerized patient administration system for 80 medical facilities in northwest England that failed Sunday during upgrades to the National Health Service's IT systems.
IT and telecommunications on collision course, says IDC
The merger of IT and telecommunications continues apace — if IDC's latest research is anything to go by.
Via execs acquitted in industrial espionage case
An industrial espionage case against two top executives and an engineer from Via Technologies Inc. ended Monday after judges in Taiwan found the defendants not guilty.
Apple joins new OpenGL standards group
Apple, Dell, and Google and others have joined the Khronos Group, an organization working to define open-standards for the authoring and acceleration of dynamic media on multiple platforms, including computers and mobile phones.
ITWHIRLED
I, for one, welcome our French robot overlords
Tired of being pushed around, the French are building an army of Linux-powered robots. Well, maybe "army" is the wrong word, but they are disconcertingly advanced-looking.
A new month, a new T-shirt drawing. Enter now!
Daily IT News Audio Update
Apple responds to Scandinavian iTunes criticism ... GE dumped from UK's health IT overhaul ... Boston to build WiFi net
IN THE NEWS
McAfee to issue patch on Wednesday for vulnerability
McAfee Inc. will issue a patch on Wednesday for a vulnerability affecting its SecurityCenter application, a security software management tool.
Apple responds to Nordic iTunes complaints
Apple Computer Inc. has replied to criticism of its iTunes digital rights management policy, meeting a deadline set by consumer agencies in Scandinavia, an advisor at Norway's Consumer Council said on Tuesday.
Palm sees trouble ahead for Palm OS
Palm Inc.'s plans for future products could be affected by delays in development of a new version of the Palm OS software, the company warned in a regulatory filing.
Data center failure pinches UK health service
Technicians continued working Tuesday to restore a computerized patient administration system for 80 medical facilities in northwest England that failed Sunday during upgrades to the National Health Service's IT systems.
IT and telecommunications on collision course, says IDC
The merger of IT and telecommunications continues apace — if IDC's latest research is anything to go by.
Via execs acquitted in industrial espionage case
An industrial espionage case against two top executives and an engineer from Via Technologies Inc. ended Monday after judges in Taiwan found the defendants not guilty.
Apple joins new OpenGL standards group
Apple, Dell, and Google and others have joined the Khronos Group, an organization working to define open-standards for the authoring and acceleration of dynamic media on multiple platforms, including computers and mobile phones.
ITWHIRLED
I, for one, welcome our French robot overlords
Tired of being pushed around, the French are building an army of Linux-powered robots. Well, maybe "army" is the wrong word, but they are disconcertingly advanced-looking.
A new month, a new T-shirt drawing. Enter now!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Windows Tip: Using Remote Assistance in the Enterprise
By Mitch Tulloch
Have you ever been asked a computer question from a friend or family member who is located miles away? Wouldn’t it be great if you could see what they were trying to describe to you and show them how to fix the problem remotely? Remote Assistance, a feature of Windows XP, is a great idea for troubleshooting issues that are hard to explain or which require a complicated series of steps to fix.
Read the full article here
By Mitch Tulloch
Have you ever been asked a computer question from a friend or family member who is located miles away? Wouldn’t it be great if you could see what they were trying to describe to you and show them how to fix the problem remotely? Remote Assistance, a feature of Windows XP, is a great idea for troubleshooting issues that are hard to explain or which require a complicated series of steps to fix.
Read the full article here
Microsoft files more docs to avoid further E.U. fines ... Linksys small-business Wi-Fi grows up
Today's IT News Audio Update
Microsoft files docs with EC to stave off increased fine ... Linksys brings WiFi gear with management tools to SMBs ... IBM plans more AMD-based servers
IN THE NEWS
Microsoft files more papers to avoid further E.U. fines
Microsoft Corp. has filed another batch of technical information with the European Commission, in an effort to avoid an increase in fines resulting from a 2004 antitrust ruling against the company, a Commission spokeswoman said Monday.
Linksys small-business Wi-Fi grows up
Small businesses will get some of the wireless LAN bells and whistles enterprises already have as Cisco Systems' Linksys division expands its product lineup on Monday.
Sandisk to acquire M-Systems for $1.6 billion
SanDisk Corp. will acquire competing flash memory developer M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd. for $1.6 billion, the two companies said late Sunday.
Investments in analytical tools pay off, Accenture says
Enterprises are increasingly investing in analytics technologies, such as customer relationship management, data warehousing and business intelligence software, and investments in these technologies are paying off, according to new market research released Monday by Accenture Ltd.
CA gains new CFO, won't comment on layoff rumors
Troubled software vendor CA Inc. announced the appointment of a new chief financial officer (CFO) Friday, while declining to comment on rumors of potential layoffs.
Microsoft to charge for Office 2007 beta 2
Microsoft Corp. Friday said that next week it will begin charging $1.50 for users to download a copy of the Office 2007 beta 2.
Microsoft recalls Small Business Server 2003 R2
Microsoft Corp. has recalled an updated version of Small Business Server because of a glitch discovered during a regular software production audit, the company said Friday.
Click-fraud settlement good for Google
Google Inc.'s settlement of a class-action lawsuit this week goes a long way toward protecting the company from litigation related to click fraud, a problem some say could cripple Google's business.
IBM to expand line of AMD-based servers
In an effort to compete with Sun Microsystems Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM Corp. is expected to announce Tuesday it will expand its line of servers powered by chips from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD).
ITWHIRLED
Blogging about blogs, blog-mocking division
Most blogs tend to be commentary about other things, rather than original research. And most blogs tend to be pretty dismal, just because most of the creative output of humanity is pretty dismal. Thus, AwfulBlogs is a natural progression in the blogging world. AwfulBlogs finds blogs that are dumb and boring and then mercilessly mocks them. Victims include blogs about UFOs, homeschooling, and the egregious "Merchant Account Blog."
Today's IT News Audio Update
Microsoft files docs with EC to stave off increased fine ... Linksys brings WiFi gear with management tools to SMBs ... IBM plans more AMD-based servers
IN THE NEWS
Microsoft files more papers to avoid further E.U. fines
Microsoft Corp. has filed another batch of technical information with the European Commission, in an effort to avoid an increase in fines resulting from a 2004 antitrust ruling against the company, a Commission spokeswoman said Monday.
Linksys small-business Wi-Fi grows up
Small businesses will get some of the wireless LAN bells and whistles enterprises already have as Cisco Systems' Linksys division expands its product lineup on Monday.
Sandisk to acquire M-Systems for $1.6 billion
SanDisk Corp. will acquire competing flash memory developer M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd. for $1.6 billion, the two companies said late Sunday.
Investments in analytical tools pay off, Accenture says
Enterprises are increasingly investing in analytics technologies, such as customer relationship management, data warehousing and business intelligence software, and investments in these technologies are paying off, according to new market research released Monday by Accenture Ltd.
CA gains new CFO, won't comment on layoff rumors
Troubled software vendor CA Inc. announced the appointment of a new chief financial officer (CFO) Friday, while declining to comment on rumors of potential layoffs.
Microsoft to charge for Office 2007 beta 2
Microsoft Corp. Friday said that next week it will begin charging $1.50 for users to download a copy of the Office 2007 beta 2.
Microsoft recalls Small Business Server 2003 R2
Microsoft Corp. has recalled an updated version of Small Business Server because of a glitch discovered during a regular software production audit, the company said Friday.
Click-fraud settlement good for Google
Google Inc.'s settlement of a class-action lawsuit this week goes a long way toward protecting the company from litigation related to click fraud, a problem some say could cripple Google's business.
IBM to expand line of AMD-based servers
In an effort to compete with Sun Microsystems Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM Corp. is expected to announce Tuesday it will expand its line of servers powered by chips from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD).
ITWHIRLED
Blogging about blogs, blog-mocking division
Most blogs tend to be commentary about other things, rather than original research. And most blogs tend to be pretty dismal, just because most of the creative output of humanity is pretty dismal. Thus, AwfulBlogs is a natural progression in the blogging world. AwfulBlogs finds blogs that are dumb and boring and then mercilessly mocks them. Victims include blogs about UFOs, homeschooling, and the egregious "Merchant Account Blog."
Friday, July 28, 2006
Ballmer says never again to 5-year OS gap ... Torvalds no fan of new GPL draft
Today's IT News Audio Update
Ballmer says never again to five-year gap between OSes ... Torvalds not impressed by new GPL draft ... Google offers to host open-source projects
IN THE NEWS
Linux creator Torvalds still no fan of GPLv3
Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, remains unimpressed with a proposed update to the license that governs the open-source operating system and has no plans to adopt it for the Linux kernel.
Google creates repository for open-source projects
Google Inc. is offering to host open source software development projects in a move that has been met with mixed reaction from the developer community online.
Ballmer: Microsoft must be 'multicore'
Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said Thursday that his company must be able to operate successfully in multiple markets -- a phenomenon he calls being "multicore" -- for the company to continue to grow well into the future.
Wall Street Beat: Acquisitions point to trends
Acquisitions by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. grabbed the attention of IT investors this week, even as quarterly financial reports continued to rock markets.
Second GPLv3 draft tones down DRM language
The Free Software Foundation Inc. (FSF) unveiled the second draft of the GNU general public license version 3 (GPLv3) Thursday. The new draft adopts a different, more measured tone than the initial take released in January, in particular replacing strident language around the issue of DRM (digital rights management).
ITWHIRLED
2+2=5 (for extremely large values of 2)
Fuzzy math? Yes. Deeply philosophical? Perhaps. A great geek T-shirt? Definitely! Sign up now to win one of your very own.
Today's IT News Audio Update
Ballmer says never again to five-year gap between OSes ... Torvalds not impressed by new GPL draft ... Google offers to host open-source projects
IN THE NEWS
Linux creator Torvalds still no fan of GPLv3
Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, remains unimpressed with a proposed update to the license that governs the open-source operating system and has no plans to adopt it for the Linux kernel.
Google creates repository for open-source projects
Google Inc. is offering to host open source software development projects in a move that has been met with mixed reaction from the developer community online.
Ballmer: Microsoft must be 'multicore'
Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said Thursday that his company must be able to operate successfully in multiple markets -- a phenomenon he calls being "multicore" -- for the company to continue to grow well into the future.
Wall Street Beat: Acquisitions point to trends
Acquisitions by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. grabbed the attention of IT investors this week, even as quarterly financial reports continued to rock markets.
Second GPLv3 draft tones down DRM language
The Free Software Foundation Inc. (FSF) unveiled the second draft of the GNU general public license version 3 (GPLv3) Thursday. The new draft adopts a different, more measured tone than the initial take released in January, in particular replacing strident language around the issue of DRM (digital rights management).
ITWHIRLED
2+2=5 (for extremely large values of 2)
Fuzzy math? Yes. Deeply philosophical? Perhaps. A great geek T-shirt? Definitely! Sign up now to win one of your very own.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Gas Prices and Apple Laptops
By James Gaskin
Gasoline prices in the U.S. will remain high for the foreseeable future, and your network and technicians will suffer. In fact, if you don't have a strong lock on the diesel fuel tank for your backup generators, you better get one today. Those of you with gasoline-powered generators may need to post an armed guard when prices jump over $3 a gallon.
Read the full article here
By James Gaskin
Gasoline prices in the U.S. will remain high for the foreseeable future, and your network and technicians will suffer. In fact, if you don't have a strong lock on the diesel fuel tank for your backup generators, you better get one today. Those of you with gasoline-powered generators may need to post an armed guard when prices jump over $3 a gallon.
Read the full article here
Unix Tip: Viewing library dependencies with ldd
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
The use of dynamically linked libraries makes a lot of sense when it comes to keeping system binaries small, but can generate some head-scratching problems when you are trying to install or run software and the required libraries appear to be missing. Let's take a quick look at what dynamic libraries are and how you can work around some of the common problems you might run into that involve their use.
Read the full article here
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
The use of dynamically linked libraries makes a lot of sense when it comes to keeping system binaries small, but can generate some head-scratching problems when you are trying to install or run software and the required libraries appear to be missing. Let's take a quick look at what dynamic libraries are and how you can work around some of the common problems you might run into that involve their use.
Read the full article here
Intel launches Core 2 Duo processors ... Firefox update plugs security gaps
Today's IT News Audio Update
Intel launches Core 2 Duo processors ... AMD readies new Opteron ... Samsung develops flash-based drive
NEWS UPDATES
Intel launches Core 2 Duo processors
Intel Corp. unveiled its new Core 2 Duo processor lineup on Thursday, increasing the pressure on rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD). The 10 new dual-core chips promise markedly better performance and greater energy efficiency than Intel's existing products.
Intel cuts some processor prices by more than half
Intel Corp. slashed prices on some desktop PC microprocessors by more than half on Thursday, raising the stakes against rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), which cut prices earlier this week.
Firefox update plugs security gaps
The Mozilla Foundation has released a new version of its popular Firefox browser (version 1.5.0.5) that addresses 12 security flaws.
India may decline Negroponte's $100 laptop program
India may not go in for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program led by Nicholas Negroponte, which aims to deliver laptops priced at $100 to school students, according to reports this week in Indian media.
Kazaa settles with record industry
In a dramatic close to the legal battle between file-sharing software developer Kazaa and the recording industry, Kazaa on Thursday settled the two major cases against it out of court.
Siemens doubles Q3 earnings, focuses on restructuring
Siemens AG more than doubled its third-quarter net income as its communications unit returned to profitability and losses narrowed in its computer services arm, the German electronics and engineering giant said Thursday.
ITWHIRLED
Geek comic of the week: Sore Thumbs
This magna-style comic all takes place in a video game store (thus the title). But a lot of the drama is political: the store owner is conservative, and his sister/main employee is liberal. Watch the sparks fly as innocent customers just trying to buy games get sucked into the melee! There's also a polar bear, but I'll leave the role he plays for you to discover.
Today's IT News Audio Update
Intel launches Core 2 Duo processors ... AMD readies new Opteron ... Samsung develops flash-based drive
NEWS UPDATES
Intel launches Core 2 Duo processors
Intel Corp. unveiled its new Core 2 Duo processor lineup on Thursday, increasing the pressure on rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD). The 10 new dual-core chips promise markedly better performance and greater energy efficiency than Intel's existing products.
Intel cuts some processor prices by more than half
Intel Corp. slashed prices on some desktop PC microprocessors by more than half on Thursday, raising the stakes against rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), which cut prices earlier this week.
Firefox update plugs security gaps
The Mozilla Foundation has released a new version of its popular Firefox browser (version 1.5.0.5) that addresses 12 security flaws.
India may decline Negroponte's $100 laptop program
India may not go in for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program led by Nicholas Negroponte, which aims to deliver laptops priced at $100 to school students, according to reports this week in Indian media.
Kazaa settles with record industry
In a dramatic close to the legal battle between file-sharing software developer Kazaa and the recording industry, Kazaa on Thursday settled the two major cases against it out of court.
Siemens doubles Q3 earnings, focuses on restructuring
Siemens AG more than doubled its third-quarter net income as its communications unit returned to profitability and losses narrowed in its computer services arm, the German electronics and engineering giant said Thursday.
ITWHIRLED
Geek comic of the week: Sore Thumbs
This magna-style comic all takes place in a video game store (thus the title). But a lot of the drama is political: the store owner is conservative, and his sister/main employee is liberal. Watch the sparks fly as innocent customers just trying to buy games get sucked into the melee! There's also a polar bear, but I'll leave the role he plays for you to discover.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
HP's Mercury buy creates battle of titans ... Google offers click-fraud tool
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP's Mercury buy creates battle of titans with CA, IBM ... Google offers click-fraud tool ... Sun posts loss but boosts revenues
NEWS UPDATES
Google introduces click fraud stats
Google Inc. hopes to help make click fraud more transparent with a new feature that offers advertisers reports of invalid clicks, the search giant said on Tuesday.
Trojan cloaks itself as Firefox extension
Security vendor McAfee Inc. has detected a new piece of malicious software that masquerades as part of the Firefox Internet browser.
Sun blames quarterly loss on restructuring fees
Sun Microsystems Inc. posted a loss of $301 million for the fourth quarter, blaming restructuring costs from a tumultuous period of layoffs and plant closings, the company announced Tuesday.
MPA wraps up Red Card with more raids
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) ended its "Operation Red Card" anti-piracy campaign in mid-July, declaring victory and citing a record number of illegal disc and optical disc burner seizures, the industry group said Tuesday.
EDS to merge Indian operations with MphasiS
Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) has decided to merge its Indian services subsidiary with MphasiS BFL Ltd., a listed Indian outsourcer in which EDS acquired a majority share in June, the companies announced Wednesday.
ITWHIRLED
Greatest error message of all time?
Sometimes you use error messages to inform your users about what they can do to fix the problem. Sometimes you use them to let them know what you're doing to fix the problem. And sometimes you use them to pass the buck and get back at your suppliers.
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Only 5 days left!
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP's Mercury buy creates battle of titans with CA, IBM ... Google offers click-fraud tool ... Sun posts loss but boosts revenues
NEWS UPDATES
Google introduces click fraud stats
Google Inc. hopes to help make click fraud more transparent with a new feature that offers advertisers reports of invalid clicks, the search giant said on Tuesday.
Trojan cloaks itself as Firefox extension
Security vendor McAfee Inc. has detected a new piece of malicious software that masquerades as part of the Firefox Internet browser.
Sun blames quarterly loss on restructuring fees
Sun Microsystems Inc. posted a loss of $301 million for the fourth quarter, blaming restructuring costs from a tumultuous period of layoffs and plant closings, the company announced Tuesday.
MPA wraps up Red Card with more raids
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) ended its "Operation Red Card" anti-piracy campaign in mid-July, declaring victory and citing a record number of illegal disc and optical disc burner seizures, the industry group said Tuesday.
EDS to merge Indian operations with MphasiS
Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) has decided to merge its Indian services subsidiary with MphasiS BFL Ltd., a listed Indian outsourcer in which EDS acquired a majority share in June, the companies announced Wednesday.
ITWHIRLED
Greatest error message of all time?
Sometimes you use error messages to inform your users about what they can do to fix the problem. Sometimes you use them to let them know what you're doing to fix the problem. And sometimes you use them to pass the buck and get back at your suppliers.
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Only 5 days left!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Master Foo on Web Mashups
By Sean McGrath
It was late in the morning (around 5:30 a.m.) by the time Master Foo arrived at the training center.
"I am sorry I am late", he said as he sat down. "I had trouble finding Raw Sienna. It was hidden under my meditation box."
The students looked at each other askance from behind the screens of their laptops. "Raw Sienna? What is that and what has that got to do with developing 21st Century Web Applications using mashup technologies?." The students had paid good money to attend this training course and had lugged their laptops up Pentimenti Mountain the night before to be here. Not to mention the fact that they had risen from their freezing tent beds at 5 a.m. to suit Master Foo's schedule.
One admin, one machine
By Brent Huston, MicroSolved, Inc.
Round-robin system administration seems to be all the rage at some companies at the moment, but from what I've seen (at least at my clients), the overall security of the systems is not being well managed in these environments. Here's why.
By Brent Huston, MicroSolved, Inc.
Round-robin system administration seems to be all the rage at some companies at the moment, but from what I've seen (at least at my clients), the overall security of the systems is not being well managed in these environments. Here's why.
Storage Tip: Don't Equate High Availability with High Value
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
Not every mission-critical application must have high availability just because they're, well, mission-critical. You might also allow youself to consider the benefit of high availability for less-critical, but still very important, applications that would benefit from high availability.
Read the full article here
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
Not every mission-critical application must have high availability just because they're, well, mission-critical. You might also allow youself to consider the benefit of high availability for less-critical, but still very important, applications that would benefit from high availability.
Read the full article here
Google adds traffic to mobile Maps ... EC approves Lucent, Alcatel merger
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP aims networked storage to SMBs, Lucent, Alcatel merger approved by EC
IN THE NEWS
Google adds traffic info to mobile Maps application
Google Inc. has enhanced its Google Maps mobile application by adding traffic information and the ability to save routes. When users enter a route, Google Maps will now indicate traffic flow along the way by tracing segments in green, yellow or red.
SAP to update application maintenance software
SAP AG is updating its software maintenance application designed to help administrators manage upgrades, patches and other changes to the company's software.
Next Debian release to support AMD64 chips
The next release of the Debian Project's Linux distribution will run on Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s AMD64 processors for the first time, according to the organization's Web site.
Eurid suspends more than 74,000 .eu domain names
Alleged dirty business practices surrounding the registration process for the European Union's new top-level domain (TLD) have resulted in more than 74,000 .eu Web addresses being suspended and 400 registrars sued for breach of contract.
E.U. clears Alcatel-Lucent merger
Lucent Technologies Inc. and Alcatel SA cleared another hurdle to their merger plan after the European Commission approved the proposed deal on Monday.
Motorola to extend popular Razr lineup
Motorola Inc., high on the success of its Razr clamshell phones, unveiled several new devices Monday evening as it kicked off its annual analyst conference in Chicago.
Intel readies flexible WiMax chipset
Intel Corp.'s next-generation chipset for WiMax devices will support either fixed or mobile versions of the wireless broadband technology, and all the equipment vendors that have adopted the company's current product plan to use the new one, Intel said Monday.
ITWHIRLED
Steam-powered iMac
It's not quite the Difference Engine, but steampunk afficianados will appreciate this British art project: the Steam Powered Internet Machine. It's a spiffy new iMac drawing its power from a good old-fashioned steam engine.
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP aims networked storage to SMBs, Lucent, Alcatel merger approved by EC
IN THE NEWS
Google adds traffic info to mobile Maps application
Google Inc. has enhanced its Google Maps mobile application by adding traffic information and the ability to save routes. When users enter a route, Google Maps will now indicate traffic flow along the way by tracing segments in green, yellow or red.
SAP to update application maintenance software
SAP AG is updating its software maintenance application designed to help administrators manage upgrades, patches and other changes to the company's software.
Next Debian release to support AMD64 chips
The next release of the Debian Project's Linux distribution will run on Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s AMD64 processors for the first time, according to the organization's Web site.
Eurid suspends more than 74,000 .eu domain names
Alleged dirty business practices surrounding the registration process for the European Union's new top-level domain (TLD) have resulted in more than 74,000 .eu Web addresses being suspended and 400 registrars sued for breach of contract.
E.U. clears Alcatel-Lucent merger
Lucent Technologies Inc. and Alcatel SA cleared another hurdle to their merger plan after the European Commission approved the proposed deal on Monday.
Motorola to extend popular Razr lineup
Motorola Inc., high on the success of its Razr clamshell phones, unveiled several new devices Monday evening as it kicked off its annual analyst conference in Chicago.
Intel readies flexible WiMax chipset
Intel Corp.'s next-generation chipset for WiMax devices will support either fixed or mobile versions of the wireless broadband technology, and all the equipment vendors that have adopted the company's current product plan to use the new one, Intel said Monday.
ITWHIRLED
Steam-powered iMac
It's not quite the Difference Engine, but steampunk afficianados will appreciate this British art project: the Steam Powered Internet Machine. It's a spiffy new iMac drawing its power from a good old-fashioned steam engine.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Windows Tip: Know Your IPv6 Address Types
By Mitch Tulloch, MVP, MTIT Enterprises
Is your enterprise planning or in the process of migrating your IPv4 network to IPv6? Did you know Windows Vista comes with IPv6 enabled out-of-the-box? And were you aware that some Vista applications like Windows Meeting Space use only IPv6 and not IPv4?
Read the full article here
By Mitch Tulloch, MVP, MTIT Enterprises
Is your enterprise planning or in the process of migrating your IPv4 network to IPv6? Did you know Windows Vista comes with IPv6 enabled out-of-the-box? And were you aware that some Vista applications like Windows Meeting Space use only IPv6 and not IPv4?
Read the full article here
AMD to buy ATI ... Microsoft releases Exchange Server beta
Today's IT News Audio Update
AMD to buy ATI ... Microsoft releases Exchange Server beta ... Google trounces rivals in search market
HIGHLIGHTS
News: AMD confirms it will buy graphics vendor ATI for $5.4 billion
News: Processor war intensifies as AMD slashes prices
News: Microsoft offers second beta of Exchange Server 2007
News: Emerging markets boost Vodafone revenue growth
ITwhirled: A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
NEWS UPDATES
AMD confirms it will buy graphics vendor ATI for $5.4 billion
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has agreed to buy Canadian graphics chip vendor ATI Technologies Inc. for around $5.4 billion in cash and stock, the companies announced Monday.
Processor war intensifies as AMD slashes prices
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. slashed prices on some PC processors by as much as 57 percent in a new listing Monday, firing the latest salvo in a battle with rival Intel Corp.
Microsoft offers second beta of Exchange Server 2007
Microsoft Corp. has released a new beta version of Exchange Server 2007 and the beta for an accompanying antivirus product, Forefront Security for Exchange, it announced on Monday.
Emerging markets boost Vodafone revenue growth
Emerging markets such as Romania, Egypt and South Africa continued to drive results at Vodafone Group PLC while mature regions, like Europe, produced only stagnant growth, the operator reported Monday.
Microsoft will release iPod rival this year
Microsoft Corp. on Friday confirmed it will ship competitive offerings to Apple Computer Inc.'s tremendously successful iPod and iTunes digital music products sometime this year.
Google, AFP case stumbles over tech glitches
Almost 18 months after AFP sued in a Washington, D.C., court, the French news agency is still struggling to collect evidence for its allegations, mostly due to the evanescent nature of Web pages.
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
10 biggest tech turkeys of Q2 '06 ... Leonardo Da Vinci's 10 best ideas ... 10 most identity theft-prone cities
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
Today's IT News Audio Update
AMD to buy ATI ... Microsoft releases Exchange Server beta ... Google trounces rivals in search market
HIGHLIGHTS
News: AMD confirms it will buy graphics vendor ATI for $5.4 billion
News: Processor war intensifies as AMD slashes prices
News: Microsoft offers second beta of Exchange Server 2007
News: Emerging markets boost Vodafone revenue growth
ITwhirled: A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
NEWS UPDATES
AMD confirms it will buy graphics vendor ATI for $5.4 billion
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) has agreed to buy Canadian graphics chip vendor ATI Technologies Inc. for around $5.4 billion in cash and stock, the companies announced Monday.
Processor war intensifies as AMD slashes prices
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. slashed prices on some PC processors by as much as 57 percent in a new listing Monday, firing the latest salvo in a battle with rival Intel Corp.
Microsoft offers second beta of Exchange Server 2007
Microsoft Corp. has released a new beta version of Exchange Server 2007 and the beta for an accompanying antivirus product, Forefront Security for Exchange, it announced on Monday.
Emerging markets boost Vodafone revenue growth
Emerging markets such as Romania, Egypt and South Africa continued to drive results at Vodafone Group PLC while mature regions, like Europe, produced only stagnant growth, the operator reported Monday.
Microsoft will release iPod rival this year
Microsoft Corp. on Friday confirmed it will ship competitive offerings to Apple Computer Inc.'s tremendously successful iPod and iTunes digital music products sometime this year.
Google, AFP case stumbles over tech glitches
Almost 18 months after AFP sued in a Washington, D.C., court, the French news agency is still struggling to collect evidence for its allegations, mostly due to the evanescent nature of Web pages.
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
10 biggest tech turkeys of Q2 '06 ... Leonardo Da Vinci's 10 best ideas ... 10 most identity theft-prone cities
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Google toolbar scam spreads trojan ... Dell warns on profits
Daily IT News Audio Update
India relents on blog blocking ... Google toolbar scam spreads trojan ... Dell warns on profits
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Dell warns of lower Q2 profits amid slowing sales
News: Motorola to integrate Yahoo software in mobile phones
News: Microsoft sees 15 million Xbox 360 sales by mid-2007
News: Fake Google site hides Trojan horse
ITwhirled: A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
NEWS UPDATES
Dell warns of lower Q2 profits amid slowing sales
Dell Inc. said on Thursday that it expects profits for its second quarter to be lower than expected, blaming what it called "aggressive pricing and slow commercial sales worldwide."
Motorola to integrate Yahoo software in mobile phones
Yahoo Inc. has now signed up the two biggest handset manufacturers to load its Yahoo Go for Mobile services on their phones, after an announcement with Motorola Inc. on Thursday.
Microsoft sees 15 million Xbox 360 sales by mid-2007
Microsoft Corp. Thursday forecast its Xbox 360 game console sales will total as many as 15 million by the end of its fiscal 2007, which ends June 30 of next year.
Fake Google site hides Trojan horse
Scammers have set up an exact copy of the download page for Google’s Toolbar plug-in in an attempt to lure users to download a Trojan backdoor.
Microsoft revenue up, but profits down for Q4
Strong sales of the Xbox 360 and SQL Server 2005 helped Microsoft Corp. end its fiscal year on a bit of a high note Thursday, though income was down due to expenses and legal charges.
AMD misses earnings target despite Opteron sales
Growing demand for its Opteron server chips pushed Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) to greater second quarter profits, but the company failed to meet financial analyst expectations.
Wall Street Beat: Earnings give rollercoaster ride
Mixed quarterly reports from high-tech vendors made for a stomach-churning ride in the markets this week, but strong earnings from Google Inc., IBM Corp. and Apple Computer Inc. and some good news from Microsoft Corp., among other companies, gave heart to IT investors.
Google exceeds Wall Street's forecast in Q2
Google Inc. topped financial analysts' revenue and pro-forma earnings expectations in its second quarter, which ended June 30, the Mountain View, California, company said Thursday.
ITWHIRLED
Geek comic of the week: The Adventures of Pathos and Bathos
This one's kind of hard to describe, but imagine those ancient Greek smiley-and-frowny masks (you know, the universal symbols of drama) locked in an antagonistic relationship that they work through with lots of philosophical discussions against an increasingly surreal series of clip-art backgrounds. Oh, and lots of swearing. And attempts at strangling. And bicycle helmets made out of meat.
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/itwtodayblog/1/10007005/
Daily IT News Audio Update
India relents on blog blocking ... Google toolbar scam spreads trojan ... Dell warns on profits
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Dell warns of lower Q2 profits amid slowing sales
News: Motorola to integrate Yahoo software in mobile phones
News: Microsoft sees 15 million Xbox 360 sales by mid-2007
News: Fake Google site hides Trojan horse
ITwhirled: A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
NEWS UPDATES
Dell warns of lower Q2 profits amid slowing sales
Dell Inc. said on Thursday that it expects profits for its second quarter to be lower than expected, blaming what it called "aggressive pricing and slow commercial sales worldwide."
Motorola to integrate Yahoo software in mobile phones
Yahoo Inc. has now signed up the two biggest handset manufacturers to load its Yahoo Go for Mobile services on their phones, after an announcement with Motorola Inc. on Thursday.
Microsoft sees 15 million Xbox 360 sales by mid-2007
Microsoft Corp. Thursday forecast its Xbox 360 game console sales will total as many as 15 million by the end of its fiscal 2007, which ends June 30 of next year.
Fake Google site hides Trojan horse
Scammers have set up an exact copy of the download page for Google’s Toolbar plug-in in an attempt to lure users to download a Trojan backdoor.
Microsoft revenue up, but profits down for Q4
Strong sales of the Xbox 360 and SQL Server 2005 helped Microsoft Corp. end its fiscal year on a bit of a high note Thursday, though income was down due to expenses and legal charges.
AMD misses earnings target despite Opteron sales
Growing demand for its Opteron server chips pushed Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) to greater second quarter profits, but the company failed to meet financial analyst expectations.
Wall Street Beat: Earnings give rollercoaster ride
Mixed quarterly reports from high-tech vendors made for a stomach-churning ride in the markets this week, but strong earnings from Google Inc., IBM Corp. and Apple Computer Inc. and some good news from Microsoft Corp., among other companies, gave heart to IT investors.
Google exceeds Wall Street's forecast in Q2
Google Inc. topped financial analysts' revenue and pro-forma earnings expectations in its second quarter, which ended June 30, the Mountain View, California, company said Thursday.
ITWHIRLED
Geek comic of the week: The Adventures of Pathos and Bathos
This one's kind of hard to describe, but imagine those ancient Greek smiley-and-frowny masks (you know, the universal symbols of drama) locked in an antagonistic relationship that they work through with lots of philosophical discussions against an increasingly surreal series of clip-art backgrounds. Oh, and lots of swearing. And attempts at strangling. And bicycle helmets made out of meat.
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!http://www.accelacomm.com/jlp/itwtodayblog/1/10007005/
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Unix Tip: Using fuser to Identify Users and Processes
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
The fuser (pronounced "ef-user") command is a very handy command for determining who is currently using a particular file or directory. If one user can't access a file because another user has it locked in some way, the fuser command can help you determine who that user is so that
you can decide how to resolve the apparent conflict.
Read the full article here
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
The fuser (pronounced "ef-user") command is a very handy command for determining who is currently using a particular file or directory. If one user can't access a file because another user has it locked in some way, the fuser command can help you determine who that user is so that
you can decide how to resolve the apparent conflict.
Read the full article here
Wireless Management 2.0
By James Gaskin
AirWave (.com) makes software to manage wireless networks. They're crowing about "going back to school" in the sense they just added the Spokane Public School System to their customer list. Case studies like this interest me because schools are IT-hostile environments and cheap
besides. If products do well in that environment, they usually do well in corporate networks.
Read the full article here
By James Gaskin
AirWave (.com) makes software to manage wireless networks. They're crowing about "going back to school" in the sense they just added the Spokane Public School System to their customer list. Case studies like this interest me because schools are IT-hostile environments and cheap
besides. If products do well in that environment, they usually do well in corporate networks.
Read the full article here
Microsoft Bets on Integrators For Hosted Services
By Joel Shore
With Microsoft in the midst of its biggest transition ever, it was interesting to see the company CEO give the opening keynote speech last week at the Microsoft Worldwide Partners Conference in Boston. He announced products, services, a new partner council, and undying love for integrators selling Microsoft products.
Read the full article here
By Joel Shore
With Microsoft in the midst of its biggest transition ever, it was interesting to see the company CEO give the opening keynote speech last week at the Microsoft Worldwide Partners Conference in Boston. He announced products, services, a new partner council, and undying love for integrators selling Microsoft products.
Read the full article here
Intel reshuffles senior executives ... Skype WiFi phones on the way
Today's IT News Audio Update
Skype WiFi phones on the way ... Rambus faces stock option restatements ... Intel results down
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Intel reshuffles senior executives
News: Indian bloggers may get reprieve
News: Amnesty blasts Google, Yahoo, Microsoft
News: SAP: Strong Q2 earnings but lower sales
Benchmark: Compare your processes to relevant world-class companies
ITwhirled: Street gangs invade the Web
NEWS UPDATES
Intel reshuffles senior executives
A day after posting its second quarter of weak earnings, chip-making giant Intel Corp. announced Thursday it would shuffle top managers to new positions.
Indian bloggers may get reprieve
Indian bloggers are likely to get a reprieve as Indian Internet service providers (ISPs) reverse a blanket block of key blogging sites, according to an executive of an association of Indian ISPs.
Amnesty blasts Google, Yahoo, Microsoft
Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have undermined the rights of Chinese to freedom of expression through their actions in China, Amnesty International said in a report.
SAP: Strong Q2 earnings but lower sales
Net income at SAP AG soared 43 percent in the second quarter, with software license revenue up 8 percent thanks to strong U.S. demand, the business application vendor said Thursday.
World Cup slows PC sales in Q2; Apple shines
PC market growth slowed during the second quarter compared to the first three months of the year as the World Cup soccer tournament distracted Europeans, leading to a steep slow down in shipment growth on the continent, market researcher IDC said in a report.
Intel earnings plunge on soft chip sales
Reeling from recent layoffs and a slowdown in the growth of worldwide PC sales, Intel Corp. on Wednesday posted profits of $885 million for the second quarter, less than half of the $2 billion it earned in the same period last year.
Strong sales, margins help Apple beat Street
Fueled by strong product sales and an increase in gross margins, Apple Computer Inc. Wednesday solidly beat Wall Street estimates for its fiscal third quarter, reporting earnings of $472 million, or $0.54 per share.
BENCHMARK YOUR IT OPERATIONS
Compare your processes to relevant world-class companies
ITworld.com and APQC, a leading, non-profit research organization, offer you an opportunity to contribute to an in-depth IT benchmarking and best practices study.
ITWHIRLED
Street gangs invade the Web
Members of violent street gangs, not content with drug dealing, robbery, and clashes with rival gangs and police, have begun to establish a presence on Web sites, blogs, and (you guessed it) MySpace. "I'm just being real and I ain't got nothing to hide," says one professed member of the 18th Street Gang, referring to his site, "Kaspers World," and horribly downgrading the meaning of the word "real" in the process.
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
Today's IT News Audio Update
Skype WiFi phones on the way ... Rambus faces stock option restatements ... Intel results down
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Intel reshuffles senior executives
News: Indian bloggers may get reprieve
News: Amnesty blasts Google, Yahoo, Microsoft
News: SAP: Strong Q2 earnings but lower sales
Benchmark: Compare your processes to relevant world-class companies
ITwhirled: Street gangs invade the Web
NEWS UPDATES
Intel reshuffles senior executives
A day after posting its second quarter of weak earnings, chip-making giant Intel Corp. announced Thursday it would shuffle top managers to new positions.
Indian bloggers may get reprieve
Indian bloggers are likely to get a reprieve as Indian Internet service providers (ISPs) reverse a blanket block of key blogging sites, according to an executive of an association of Indian ISPs.
Amnesty blasts Google, Yahoo, Microsoft
Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have undermined the rights of Chinese to freedom of expression through their actions in China, Amnesty International said in a report.
SAP: Strong Q2 earnings but lower sales
Net income at SAP AG soared 43 percent in the second quarter, with software license revenue up 8 percent thanks to strong U.S. demand, the business application vendor said Thursday.
World Cup slows PC sales in Q2; Apple shines
PC market growth slowed during the second quarter compared to the first three months of the year as the World Cup soccer tournament distracted Europeans, leading to a steep slow down in shipment growth on the continent, market researcher IDC said in a report.
Intel earnings plunge on soft chip sales
Reeling from recent layoffs and a slowdown in the growth of worldwide PC sales, Intel Corp. on Wednesday posted profits of $885 million for the second quarter, less than half of the $2 billion it earned in the same period last year.
Strong sales, margins help Apple beat Street
Fueled by strong product sales and an increase in gross margins, Apple Computer Inc. Wednesday solidly beat Wall Street estimates for its fiscal third quarter, reporting earnings of $472 million, or $0.54 per share.
BENCHMARK YOUR IT OPERATIONS
Compare your processes to relevant world-class companies
ITworld.com and APQC, a leading, non-profit research organization, offer you an opportunity to contribute to an in-depth IT benchmarking and best practices study.
ITWHIRLED
Street gangs invade the Web
Members of violent street gangs, not content with drug dealing, robbery, and clashes with rival gangs and police, have begun to establish a presence on Web sites, blogs, and (you guessed it) MySpace. "I'm just being real and I ain't got nothing to hide," says one professed member of the 18th Street Gang, referring to his site, "Kaspers World," and horribly downgrading the meaning of the word "real" in the process.
A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
AOL intros free enterprise AIM ... Software pushes up IBM results
Today's IT News Audio Update
Microsoft buys Winternals ... AOL intros free enterprise AIM ... Software pushes up IBM results
HIGHLIGHTS
News: AOL launches AIM Pro for business users
News: HP's Memory Spot presents security challenge
News: Oracle has 65 fixes in latest security update
Tip: Keep an eye on solid state disk technology
TopCoder: Are you a programming whiz? Try this week's problem.
ITwhirled: 10 Best flickr mashups; 10 alien encounters debunked; 10 best rural places to live
NEWS UPDATES
AOL launches AIM Pro for business users
AOL LLC launched a new, free, instant messaging application for business users on Wednesday. AIM Pro Professional Edition integrates with Microsoft Outlook corporate directories and calendars, encrypts messages and scans them for viruses, and offers quick access to business conferencing services from WebEx Communications Inc., the company said.
iPods, USB storage to gain from Samsung chip
iPods, handsets, USB (universal serial bus) flash drives and other gadgets stand to gain from a new 8G-bit NAND flash memory chip in mass production at Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. chip factories.
Sony aims high with new camcorders
Sony Corp. is expanding its line-up of high-definition camcorders to quickly transition its Japanese sales from standard-definition to HD, the company said Wednesday.
Wipro profits up 44 percent for Q1
Indian outsourcer Wipro Ltd. reported Wednesday growth in both profit and revenue for the quarter ended June 30, as global corporations made offshore outsourcing a key component of their IT strategy.
HP's Memory Spot presents security challenge
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s tiny Memory Spot chip is designed to put digital information on documents and photos. However, the chip's size and wireless capability can also be used by corporate thieves to copy and steal valuable data.
Oracle has 65 fixes in latest security update
Oracle Corp. has issued 65 fixes for a wide range of software products as part of its quarterly security release, called the Critical Patch Update.
TIP
Keep an eye on solid state disk technology
By Mitch Tulloch
IT departments have always known that the hard drive is the main performance bottleneck, and that's why the development of solid state disk technology (SSD) is exciting as it will push performance up significantly. Keep your eyes on SSD technology as it makes inroads into the notebook, desktop, and eventually server arena.
TOPCODER CHALLENGE
This week's problem: Paper Rock Scissors Qualifications (Level 1)
Each player must face all of his opponents in head to head gamesconsisting of 5 throws. On each throw, each player will choose one ofthe following: Paper ('P'), Rock ('R') or Scissors ('S'). Try theproblem, and compare it to the winning code.
Today's IT News Audio Update
Microsoft buys Winternals ... AOL intros free enterprise AIM ... Software pushes up IBM results
HIGHLIGHTS
News: AOL launches AIM Pro for business users
News: HP's Memory Spot presents security challenge
News: Oracle has 65 fixes in latest security update
Tip: Keep an eye on solid state disk technology
TopCoder: Are you a programming whiz? Try this week's problem.
ITwhirled: 10 Best flickr mashups; 10 alien encounters debunked; 10 best rural places to live
NEWS UPDATES
AOL launches AIM Pro for business users
AOL LLC launched a new, free, instant messaging application for business users on Wednesday. AIM Pro Professional Edition integrates with Microsoft Outlook corporate directories and calendars, encrypts messages and scans them for viruses, and offers quick access to business conferencing services from WebEx Communications Inc., the company said.
iPods, USB storage to gain from Samsung chip
iPods, handsets, USB (universal serial bus) flash drives and other gadgets stand to gain from a new 8G-bit NAND flash memory chip in mass production at Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. chip factories.
Sony aims high with new camcorders
Sony Corp. is expanding its line-up of high-definition camcorders to quickly transition its Japanese sales from standard-definition to HD, the company said Wednesday.
Wipro profits up 44 percent for Q1
Indian outsourcer Wipro Ltd. reported Wednesday growth in both profit and revenue for the quarter ended June 30, as global corporations made offshore outsourcing a key component of their IT strategy.
HP's Memory Spot presents security challenge
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s tiny Memory Spot chip is designed to put digital information on documents and photos. However, the chip's size and wireless capability can also be used by corporate thieves to copy and steal valuable data.
Oracle has 65 fixes in latest security update
Oracle Corp. has issued 65 fixes for a wide range of software products as part of its quarterly security release, called the Critical Patch Update.
TIP
Keep an eye on solid state disk technology
By Mitch Tulloch
IT departments have always known that the hard drive is the main performance bottleneck, and that's why the development of solid state disk technology (SSD) is exciting as it will push performance up significantly. Keep your eyes on SSD technology as it makes inroads into the notebook, desktop, and eventually server arena.
TOPCODER CHALLENGE
This week's problem: Paper Rock Scissors Qualifications (Level 1)
Each player must face all of his opponents in head to head gamesconsisting of 5 throws. On each throw, each player will choose one ofthe following: Paper ('P'), Rock ('R') or Scissors ('S'). Try theproblem, and compare it to the winning code.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Sun details Java open source plans ... Microsoft and Nortel to codevelop unified comms
Today's IT News Audio Update
Sun details Java open source plans ... Google News still indexing AFP content ... Indian government blocks sites over terror links
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft and Nortel to codevelop unified comms
News: Nuance claims breakthrough on speech recognition
News: India blocks Web sites, blogs after terrorist attacks
News: Researcher posts Google-based malware search tool
Tip: Choose when to use encryption wisely
ITwhirled: Talking iPod on the horizon?
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft and Nortel to codevelop unified comms
Microsoft Corp. and Nortel Networks Ltd. will unify their efforts to develop "unified communications" products to break down the barriers between telephony, voice mail, e-mail and instant-messaging systems. The companies have struck a four-year alliance to jointly develop and sell unified communications systems, they said Tuesday.
Nuance claims breakthrough on speech recognition
Watch what you say about your computer: It's getting better at understanding your voice.
India blocks Web sites, blogs after terrorist attacks
The Indian government has blocked about 20 Web sites and blogs in India, following suspicions by the country's intelligence agencies that the sites were likely being used by terrorists to communicate with each other.
Send your love into space on a personal satellite
Forget flowers. A Japanese company is offering people the chance to say "I love you" with a personal satellite.
Microsoft sues U.S. resellers for piracy
Microsoft Corp. has filed 26 lawsuits against alleged dealers of pirated software in seven U.S. states, the company said Tuesday. Microsoft claims the companies sold pirated software or computers loaded with pirated software.
Researcher posts Google-based malware search tool
A well-known security researcher has released code that can be used to mine Google Inc.'s database for malicious software.
TIP
Choose when to use encryption wisely
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
When evaluating vendor products, look at what part of the data securityproblem they are trying to solve -- data preservation, dataconfidentiality, or both. For example, an encryption product providesfor data confidentiality. However, unless encryption key management iswell-handled, there is a risk of the permanent loss of all of theencrypted data. So you must weigh the need for data confidentiality withthe risk to data preservation. Keeping in mind that data security isabout data preservation and data confidentiality is the starting pointfor thinking about data security in greater depth.
Today's IT News Audio Update
Sun details Java open source plans ... Google News still indexing AFP content ... Indian government blocks sites over terror links
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft and Nortel to codevelop unified comms
News: Nuance claims breakthrough on speech recognition
News: India blocks Web sites, blogs after terrorist attacks
News: Researcher posts Google-based malware search tool
Tip: Choose when to use encryption wisely
ITwhirled: Talking iPod on the horizon?
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft and Nortel to codevelop unified comms
Microsoft Corp. and Nortel Networks Ltd. will unify their efforts to develop "unified communications" products to break down the barriers between telephony, voice mail, e-mail and instant-messaging systems. The companies have struck a four-year alliance to jointly develop and sell unified communications systems, they said Tuesday.
Nuance claims breakthrough on speech recognition
Watch what you say about your computer: It's getting better at understanding your voice.
India blocks Web sites, blogs after terrorist attacks
The Indian government has blocked about 20 Web sites and blogs in India, following suspicions by the country's intelligence agencies that the sites were likely being used by terrorists to communicate with each other.
Send your love into space on a personal satellite
Forget flowers. A Japanese company is offering people the chance to say "I love you" with a personal satellite.
Microsoft sues U.S. resellers for piracy
Microsoft Corp. has filed 26 lawsuits against alleged dealers of pirated software in seven U.S. states, the company said Tuesday. Microsoft claims the companies sold pirated software or computers loaded with pirated software.
Researcher posts Google-based malware search tool
A well-known security researcher has released code that can be used to mine Google Inc.'s database for malicious software.
TIP
Choose when to use encryption wisely
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
When evaluating vendor products, look at what part of the data securityproblem they are trying to solve -- data preservation, dataconfidentiality, or both. For example, an encryption product providesfor data confidentiality. However, unless encryption key management iswell-handled, there is a risk of the permanent loss of all of theencrypted data. So you must weigh the need for data confidentiality withthe risk to data preservation. Keeping in mind that data security isabout data preservation and data confidentiality is the starting pointfor thinking about data security in greater depth.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Salesforce.com turns 20 ... Microsoft pulls private folder software
Today's IT News Audio Update
Microsoft pulls private folder software ... Novell offers new release of Suse Linux for enterprise ... HP Labs shows prototype wireless memory chip
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Salesforce.com turns 20, targets SAP R/3 users
News: HP announces grain-sized wireless memory chip
News: Intel to launch Montecito server chip Tuesday
News: McAfee: Hackers learning from open source
Opinion: A Storage Story
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Google Maps to Malta: You are nothing
NEWS UPDATES
Salesforce.com turns 20, targets SAP R/3 users
Salesforce.com Inc. will officially unveil the 20th generation of its hosted CRM (customer relationship management) software Monday, as well as announcing a connector integrating its CRM software-as-a-service with SAP AG's R/3 ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications.
HP announces grain-sized wireless memory chip
Hewlett-Packard Co. researchers have developed a memory chip with wireless networking capabilities that is roughly the same size as a grain of rice, the company said Monday.
Intel to launch Montecito server chip Tuesday
Intel Corp. will launch its often-delayed "Montecito" dual-core Itanium chip for high-end servers on Tuesday. The company has already begun shipping the chips to server vendors.
McAfee: Hackers learning from open source
Hackers are taking a page from the open-source playbook, using the same techniques that made Linux and Apache successes to improve their malicious software, according to McAfee Inc.
IBM to support Xen virtualization through Suse
IBM Corp.'s low-end servers and middleware for the first time will support XenSource Inc.'s open-source Xen virtualization technology, since it's included in Novell Inc.'s new Suse Linux distribution, IBM announced Monday.
New companies join Linux phone group
Several companies including Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) and ZTE Corp. have joined the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum, the group announced on Monday.
Suit over Google PageRank faces hard fight
A company suing Google Inc. over low page rankings has been given a chance to bolster its case, but the attempt to take on the search giant on behalf of all sites left behind appears to be an uphill battle.
Microsoft pulls plug on private-folder software
Responding to pressure from corporate users, Microsoft Corp. Friday pulled free software from the Web that allowed users sharing Windows PCs to shield information from other users in a private folder.
OPINION
A Storage Story
By James Gaskin
It's like a heartbeat: more STORage, more STORage, more STORage. Space you have today must increase tomorrow. I called up Gary Gammon, Senior VP of Marketing at Bell Micro (.com) a "storage-centric value added distributor" to see how the storage world spins.
ITWHIRLED
Google Maps to Malta: You are nothing
The tiny Mediterranean island nation of Malta has been overlooked by many over the centuries, but you'd think that with its heroic resistance to Nazi bombers during World War II and recent European Union membership, it would finally start getting some respect. Well, it's not getting any from Google, anyway: Google Maps reveals a broad blue expanse where Malta should be.
Today's IT News Audio Update
Microsoft pulls private folder software ... Novell offers new release of Suse Linux for enterprise ... HP Labs shows prototype wireless memory chip
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Salesforce.com turns 20, targets SAP R/3 users
News: HP announces grain-sized wireless memory chip
News: Intel to launch Montecito server chip Tuesday
News: McAfee: Hackers learning from open source
Opinion: A Storage Story
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Google Maps to Malta: You are nothing
NEWS UPDATES
Salesforce.com turns 20, targets SAP R/3 users
Salesforce.com Inc. will officially unveil the 20th generation of its hosted CRM (customer relationship management) software Monday, as well as announcing a connector integrating its CRM software-as-a-service with SAP AG's R/3 ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications.
HP announces grain-sized wireless memory chip
Hewlett-Packard Co. researchers have developed a memory chip with wireless networking capabilities that is roughly the same size as a grain of rice, the company said Monday.
Intel to launch Montecito server chip Tuesday
Intel Corp. will launch its often-delayed "Montecito" dual-core Itanium chip for high-end servers on Tuesday. The company has already begun shipping the chips to server vendors.
McAfee: Hackers learning from open source
Hackers are taking a page from the open-source playbook, using the same techniques that made Linux and Apache successes to improve their malicious software, according to McAfee Inc.
IBM to support Xen virtualization through Suse
IBM Corp.'s low-end servers and middleware for the first time will support XenSource Inc.'s open-source Xen virtualization technology, since it's included in Novell Inc.'s new Suse Linux distribution, IBM announced Monday.
New companies join Linux phone group
Several companies including Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) and ZTE Corp. have joined the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum, the group announced on Monday.
Suit over Google PageRank faces hard fight
A company suing Google Inc. over low page rankings has been given a chance to bolster its case, but the attempt to take on the search giant on behalf of all sites left behind appears to be an uphill battle.
Microsoft pulls plug on private-folder software
Responding to pressure from corporate users, Microsoft Corp. Friday pulled free software from the Web that allowed users sharing Windows PCs to shield information from other users in a private folder.
OPINION
A Storage Story
By James Gaskin
It's like a heartbeat: more STORage, more STORage, more STORage. Space you have today must increase tomorrow. I called up Gary Gammon, Senior VP of Marketing at Bell Micro (.com) a "storage-centric value added distributor" to see how the storage world spins.
ITWHIRLED
Google Maps to Malta: You are nothing
The tiny Mediterranean island nation of Malta has been overlooked by many over the centuries, but you'd think that with its heroic resistance to Nazi bombers during World War II and recent European Union membership, it would finally start getting some respect. Well, it's not getting any from Google, anyway: Google Maps reveals a broad blue expanse where Malta should be.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Chinese team cracks Skype protocol ... Judge gives suit against Google another shot
Today's IT News Audio Update
Chinese team cracks Skype protocol ... Judge gives suit against Google another shot ... U.S. states sue DRAM maker on price fixing
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Chinese company claims Skype protocol cracked
News: DRAM makers face price fixing suit from 34 states
News: Judge gives suit against Google another shot
News: Phishers try to beat banks' strong authentication
Opinion: WIKIs - a tipping point for the Web?
ITwhirled: A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
NEWS UPDATES
Chinese company claims Skype protocol cracked
Skype Ltd. is dismissing a claim by a small team of Chinese engineers who say they have reverse engineered the protocol used for Skype Internet phone calls.
DRAM makers face price fixing suit from 34 states
California and 33 other U.S. states plan to file a joint antitrust lawsuit against seven DRAM (dynamic RAM) makers over alleged price fixing, adding to industry woes amid an ongoing federal investigation that has already led to $731 million in fines.
Judge gives suit against Google another shot
A federal judge Thursday gave a company suing Google Inc. a chance to amend its complaint before he decides whether to dismiss the case.
Phishers try to beat banks' strong authentication
Scammers have found a way around new token-based authentication systems that have been adopted by some banks. Over the past few weeks, approximately 35 phishing Web sites have been set up that use the new attack.
China jails journalist over Internet articles
Chinese authorities have jailed a journalist for two years for posting articles that were critical of Chinese society and called for democratic reforms on the Internet, a media watchdog group said Thursday.
Study: Wi-Fi users are no freeloaders
Offering free Wi-Fi can get a café more customers, and they're browsers not table-hogs, according to a study of Paris coffee shops.
OPINION
WIKIs - a tipping point for the Web?
By Sean McGrath
If the Web was a botanical thing, what would it look like? Something like ivy perhaps? A life form that spreads itself by inter-twining with all other matter in its wake. A life form that latches on to any opportunity that comes its way to spread itself even further afield.
Today's IT News Audio Update
Chinese team cracks Skype protocol ... Judge gives suit against Google another shot ... U.S. states sue DRAM maker on price fixing
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Chinese company claims Skype protocol cracked
News: DRAM makers face price fixing suit from 34 states
News: Judge gives suit against Google another shot
News: Phishers try to beat banks' strong authentication
Opinion: WIKIs - a tipping point for the Web?
ITwhirled: A great geek T-shirt could be yours. Learn how!
NEWS UPDATES
Chinese company claims Skype protocol cracked
Skype Ltd. is dismissing a claim by a small team of Chinese engineers who say they have reverse engineered the protocol used for Skype Internet phone calls.
DRAM makers face price fixing suit from 34 states
California and 33 other U.S. states plan to file a joint antitrust lawsuit against seven DRAM (dynamic RAM) makers over alleged price fixing, adding to industry woes amid an ongoing federal investigation that has already led to $731 million in fines.
Judge gives suit against Google another shot
A federal judge Thursday gave a company suing Google Inc. a chance to amend its complaint before he decides whether to dismiss the case.
Phishers try to beat banks' strong authentication
Scammers have found a way around new token-based authentication systems that have been adopted by some banks. Over the past few weeks, approximately 35 phishing Web sites have been set up that use the new attack.
China jails journalist over Internet articles
Chinese authorities have jailed a journalist for two years for posting articles that were critical of Chinese society and called for democratic reforms on the Internet, a media watchdog group said Thursday.
Study: Wi-Fi users are no freeloaders
Offering free Wi-Fi can get a café more customers, and they're browsers not table-hogs, according to a study of Paris coffee shops.
OPINION
WIKIs - a tipping point for the Web?
By Sean McGrath
If the Web was a botanical thing, what would it look like? Something like ivy perhaps? A life form that spreads itself by inter-twining with all other matter in its wake. A life form that latches on to any opportunity that comes its way to spread itself even further afield.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Yahoo, Microsoft make IM clients interoperate ... Microsoft releases new OS for old PCs
Today's IT News Audio Update
U.S. Judge questions telecom mergers ... Yahoo, Microsoft make IM clients interoperate ... Congress pushes for energy-efficient servers
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft releases new OS for old PCs
News: Microsoft and Vodafone to help produce Palm's next Treo
News: Consortium builds super firewall to stop DDOS
Windows Tip: Resources for Regulatory Compliance
ITwhirled: 10 Really bad ideas
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft releases new OS for old PCs
Microsoft Corp. released a new version of its operating system for businesses this week that extends the life of older PCs by effectively turning them into thin-client computers.
Microsoft and Vodafone to help produce Palm's next Treo
Palm Inc. will collaborate with Vodafone Group PLC and Microsoft Corp. to create a new smart phone, the device maker said on Thursday.
Consortium builds super firewall to stop DDOS
Computer researchers in Europe are developing a new prototype architecture for halting distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks, where a barrage of traffic is directed at a Web site or server to shut it down.
Microsoft says E.U. fine won't affect Vista launch
European Commission fines levied against Microsoft Corp. won't affect the launch of Windows Vista, the head of the software maker's Japanese unit said Thursday.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 facing hurdles in Japan
When Microsoft Corp. launched its Xbox 360 in Japan last year, it hoped things were going to get better for its games business in the country.
Microsoft, Yahoo make IM clients interoperate
Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. for the first time will allow interoperability between the consumer versions of their instant-messaging (IM) clients, the companies said Wednesday.
Researcher to show code for 'wormable' Windows flaw
With security vendors worrying that a recently patched Windows bug may lead to a major worm outbreak, the researcher who discovered the flaw said Wednesday that he is weeks away from releasing code that exploits the problem.
Sony rated top brand in U.S. for 7th year in a row
Sony Corp. was ranked the best brand in the U.S. for the seventh year in a row, Harris Interactive Inc. said Wednesday.
WINDOWS TIP
Resources for Regulatory Compliance
By Mitch Tulloch
Ensuring your company's IT infrastructure is compliant is no easy job. For one thing, you must first be aware of the laws and regulations that apply to your industry. Next you must be aware of how these laws impact IT operations. And finally, you must develop a set of internal procedures and controls to ensure your enterprise complies with these laws and regulations and can stand the test of an external audit or even worse, a lawsuit. Here are three resources to check out.
Today's IT News Audio Update
U.S. Judge questions telecom mergers ... Yahoo, Microsoft make IM clients interoperate ... Congress pushes for energy-efficient servers
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft releases new OS for old PCs
News: Microsoft and Vodafone to help produce Palm's next Treo
News: Consortium builds super firewall to stop DDOS
Windows Tip: Resources for Regulatory Compliance
ITwhirled: 10 Really bad ideas
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft releases new OS for old PCs
Microsoft Corp. released a new version of its operating system for businesses this week that extends the life of older PCs by effectively turning them into thin-client computers.
Microsoft and Vodafone to help produce Palm's next Treo
Palm Inc. will collaborate with Vodafone Group PLC and Microsoft Corp. to create a new smart phone, the device maker said on Thursday.
Consortium builds super firewall to stop DDOS
Computer researchers in Europe are developing a new prototype architecture for halting distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks, where a barrage of traffic is directed at a Web site or server to shut it down.
Microsoft says E.U. fine won't affect Vista launch
European Commission fines levied against Microsoft Corp. won't affect the launch of Windows Vista, the head of the software maker's Japanese unit said Thursday.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 facing hurdles in Japan
When Microsoft Corp. launched its Xbox 360 in Japan last year, it hoped things were going to get better for its games business in the country.
Microsoft, Yahoo make IM clients interoperate
Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. for the first time will allow interoperability between the consumer versions of their instant-messaging (IM) clients, the companies said Wednesday.
Researcher to show code for 'wormable' Windows flaw
With security vendors worrying that a recently patched Windows bug may lead to a major worm outbreak, the researcher who discovered the flaw said Wednesday that he is weeks away from releasing code that exploits the problem.
Sony rated top brand in U.S. for 7th year in a row
Sony Corp. was ranked the best brand in the U.S. for the seventh year in a row, Harris Interactive Inc. said Wednesday.
WINDOWS TIP
Resources for Regulatory Compliance
By Mitch Tulloch
Ensuring your company's IT infrastructure is compliant is no easy job. For one thing, you must first be aware of the laws and regulations that apply to your industry. Next you must be aware of how these laws impact IT operations. And finally, you must develop a set of internal procedures and controls to ensure your enterprise complies with these laws and regulations and can stand the test of an external audit or even worse, a lawsuit. Here are three resources to check out.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
E.U. fines Microsoft €280.5 million ... Lycos sells Wired News
Today's IT News Audio Update
E.U. fines Microsoft €280.5 million ... Infosys revenue reflects outsourcing boom .... Lycos sells Wired News
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft fined €280.5 million by E.U.
News: Infosys expects up to 36 percent annual growth
News: Mumbai blasts should not affect investment to India
News: Lycos sells Wired News to Condé Nast
TopCoder Challenge: Paper Rock Scissors Qualifications
Opinion: Easier Desktop Fixes
ITwhirled: Fighting back against the panopticon: Lawyer sues dishy Website
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft fined €280.5 million by E.U.
The European Commission has fined Microsoft Corp. €280.5 million ($357 million) for failing to comply with the terms of a March 2004 antitrust judgement against it, the Commission said on Wednesday.
Infosys expects up to 36 percent annual growth
Infosys Technologies Ltd. on Wednesday said it expects revenue to grow by up to 36 percent in its fiscal year to March 31 next year, reflecting an overall buoyancy in the Indian outsourcing industry.
Mumbai blasts should not affect investment to India
The terrorist attacks Tuesday on trains in the western India city of Mumbai appeared unlikely to dampen investments and outsourcing to India, which has weathered such tragedy before with resilience.
Lycos sells Wired News to Condé Nast
Condé Nast Publications Inc. will reunite the print and online components of Wired magazine by purchasing Wired News from Lycos Inc. for $25 million, Lycos said Tuesday.
Microsoft offers incentives to SMB, enterprise partners
Microsoft Corp. will announce a mix of new products and programs Wednesday designed to appeal to partners looking for more revenue opportunities among small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs), enterprise applications and security software.
Symbian aims for the masses with smart phone upgrade
Symbian Ltd. introduced the latest version of its smart phone operating system on Wednesday, adding support for new wireless technologies and capabilities aimed at pushing smart phones into the mass market.
Google opening Michigan AdWords center
Google Inc. will open a sales and operations center for its AdWords online advertising program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the State of Michigan announced Tuesday.
Secure Computing to buy CipherTrust
Secure Computing Corp. plans to acquire e-mail security vendor CipherTrust Inc. in a deal valued at close to $274 million.
TOPCODER CHALLENGE
Think you have what it takes to be a top coder? Try your hand at this week's problem:
Paper Rock Scissors Qualifications.
OPINION
Easier Desktop Fixes
By James Gaskin
A couple of months ago, my frustration at computers in general boiled over and I wrote "Sidestepping technical pain: 28 years later, personal computing still sucks far too often". As you might imagine, readers sent notes complaining that automated intelligence seems far too slow in arriving to the personal computer support market.
Of course, the keyboard often separates the monitor from the problem source, but physically abusing users still causes more legal hassle than most network administrators can tolerate. Users: can't live without them, but bury just one under the parking lot and you never hear the end of it.
Today's IT News Audio Update
E.U. fines Microsoft €280.5 million ... Infosys revenue reflects outsourcing boom .... Lycos sells Wired News
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft fined €280.5 million by E.U.
News: Infosys expects up to 36 percent annual growth
News: Mumbai blasts should not affect investment to India
News: Lycos sells Wired News to Condé Nast
TopCoder Challenge: Paper Rock Scissors Qualifications
Opinion: Easier Desktop Fixes
ITwhirled: Fighting back against the panopticon: Lawyer sues dishy Website
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft fined €280.5 million by E.U.
The European Commission has fined Microsoft Corp. €280.5 million ($357 million) for failing to comply with the terms of a March 2004 antitrust judgement against it, the Commission said on Wednesday.
Infosys expects up to 36 percent annual growth
Infosys Technologies Ltd. on Wednesday said it expects revenue to grow by up to 36 percent in its fiscal year to March 31 next year, reflecting an overall buoyancy in the Indian outsourcing industry.
Mumbai blasts should not affect investment to India
The terrorist attacks Tuesday on trains in the western India city of Mumbai appeared unlikely to dampen investments and outsourcing to India, which has weathered such tragedy before with resilience.
Lycos sells Wired News to Condé Nast
Condé Nast Publications Inc. will reunite the print and online components of Wired magazine by purchasing Wired News from Lycos Inc. for $25 million, Lycos said Tuesday.
Microsoft offers incentives to SMB, enterprise partners
Microsoft Corp. will announce a mix of new products and programs Wednesday designed to appeal to partners looking for more revenue opportunities among small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs), enterprise applications and security software.
Symbian aims for the masses with smart phone upgrade
Symbian Ltd. introduced the latest version of its smart phone operating system on Wednesday, adding support for new wireless technologies and capabilities aimed at pushing smart phones into the mass market.
Google opening Michigan AdWords center
Google Inc. will open a sales and operations center for its AdWords online advertising program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the State of Michigan announced Tuesday.
Secure Computing to buy CipherTrust
Secure Computing Corp. plans to acquire e-mail security vendor CipherTrust Inc. in a deal valued at close to $274 million.
TOPCODER CHALLENGE
Think you have what it takes to be a top coder? Try your hand at this week's problem:
Paper Rock Scissors Qualifications.
OPINION
Easier Desktop Fixes
By James Gaskin
A couple of months ago, my frustration at computers in general boiled over and I wrote "Sidestepping technical pain: 28 years later, personal computing still sucks far too often". As you might imagine, readers sent notes complaining that automated intelligence seems far too slow in arriving to the personal computer support market.
Of course, the keyboard often separates the monitor from the problem source, but physically abusing users still causes more legal hassle than most network administrators can tolerate. Users: can't live without them, but bury just one under the parking lot and you never hear the end of it.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Sun launches Opteron-based servers ... Firefox 2.0 set for beta release
Today's IT News Audio Update
European Commission to raise Microsoft fine .... Firefox 2.0 set for beta release ... Sun launches Opteron-based servers
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Sun's new Opteron servers aimed at data center
News: Microsoft to take Dynamics CRM Live in Q2 2007
News: Alcatel sees Q2 revenue and Lucent merger on target
News: Firefox 2.0 beta coming this week
Opinion: Your hardware supplier is really your competitor
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Goddesses dispel geek stereotypes
NEWS UPDATES
Sun's new Opteron servers aimed at data center
Sun Microsystems Inc. launched three Opteron-based servers Tuesday, positioning them as midrange servers to be used for network computing in data centers.
Microsoft to take Dynamics CRM Live in Q2 2007
Microsoft Corp.'s Dynamics CRM (customer relationship management) product will become its third Live hosted service, following in the footsteps of its Windows Live and Office Live software-as-a-service offerings, the company announced Tuesday.
Alcatel sees Q2 revenue and Lucent merger on target
Alcatel SA expects to see a 7.5 percent year-on-year increase in revenue for the second quarter, in line with earlier projections, the company announced late Monday. Its merger with U.S. counterpart Lucent Technologies Inc. is also on track, with completion expected by year-end, it said.
E.U. may increase Microsoft daily fine
The European Commission has decided to increase the daily penalty against Microsoft Corp. for failing to honor the antitrust ruling against it, to €3 million a day from €2 million a day, a person close to the Commission said Tuesday.
Microsoft launches latest small biz bundle
Microsoft Corp. plans to officially launch its Windows Small Business Server 2003 release 2 (SBS 2003 R2) integrated software bundle Tuesday.
Firefox 2.0 beta coming this week
The first beta version of the Firefox 2.0 browser could be released as soon as Tuesday, according to a note posted to Mozilla Corp.'s Web site.
IBM launches low cost server for small business ERP
In a move to reassure small-business customers that it plans to support Oracle Corp.'s software products for years to come, IBM Corp. announced a server package on Tuesday.
OPINION
Your hardware supplier is really your competitor
By Joel Shore
Storage giant EMC's announcement that it plans to acquire security technology provider RSA will more closely meld storage and security into a single continuum rather than separate technologies that don't co-exist seamlessly. That's not only good, but necessary as stories about the theft of unencrypted, in-the-clear data files make the evening news seemingly weekly.
Today's IT News Audio Update
European Commission to raise Microsoft fine .... Firefox 2.0 set for beta release ... Sun launches Opteron-based servers
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Sun's new Opteron servers aimed at data center
News: Microsoft to take Dynamics CRM Live in Q2 2007
News: Alcatel sees Q2 revenue and Lucent merger on target
News: Firefox 2.0 beta coming this week
Opinion: Your hardware supplier is really your competitor
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Goddesses dispel geek stereotypes
NEWS UPDATES
Sun's new Opteron servers aimed at data center
Sun Microsystems Inc. launched three Opteron-based servers Tuesday, positioning them as midrange servers to be used for network computing in data centers.
Microsoft to take Dynamics CRM Live in Q2 2007
Microsoft Corp.'s Dynamics CRM (customer relationship management) product will become its third Live hosted service, following in the footsteps of its Windows Live and Office Live software-as-a-service offerings, the company announced Tuesday.
Alcatel sees Q2 revenue and Lucent merger on target
Alcatel SA expects to see a 7.5 percent year-on-year increase in revenue for the second quarter, in line with earlier projections, the company announced late Monday. Its merger with U.S. counterpart Lucent Technologies Inc. is also on track, with completion expected by year-end, it said.
E.U. may increase Microsoft daily fine
The European Commission has decided to increase the daily penalty against Microsoft Corp. for failing to honor the antitrust ruling against it, to €3 million a day from €2 million a day, a person close to the Commission said Tuesday.
Microsoft launches latest small biz bundle
Microsoft Corp. plans to officially launch its Windows Small Business Server 2003 release 2 (SBS 2003 R2) integrated software bundle Tuesday.
Firefox 2.0 beta coming this week
The first beta version of the Firefox 2.0 browser could be released as soon as Tuesday, according to a note posted to Mozilla Corp.'s Web site.
IBM launches low cost server for small business ERP
In a move to reassure small-business customers that it plans to support Oracle Corp.'s software products for years to come, IBM Corp. announced a server package on Tuesday.
OPINION
Your hardware supplier is really your competitor
By Joel Shore
Storage giant EMC's announcement that it plans to acquire security technology provider RSA will more closely meld storage and security into a single continuum rather than separate technologies that don't co-exist seamlessly. That's not only good, but necessary as stories about the theft of unencrypted, in-the-clear data files make the evening news seemingly weekly.
Monday, July 10, 2006
MS moves to per-user pricing for Dynamics; IBM's Notes to run natively on Linux
Daily IT News Audio Update
Yahoo expands its travelers' aid ... IBM's Notes to finally run natively on Linux ... U.K. officials doubt national ID plan
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft moves to per-user pricing for Dynamics
News: Oracle finds buyer for Siebel's OnTarget operation
News: IBM's Notes to finally run natively on Linux
Opinion: Pain/Gain Thresholds in Software Engineering
Tip: Revisiting Group Policy Refresh
ITwhirled: 2+2=5 (for extremely large values of 2)
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft moves to per-user pricing for Dynamics
Microsoft Corp. is streamlining the pricing of its four Dynamics ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications families from a per-module basis to a per-user basis as a way to make it easier for its partners to sell the software, the company announced Monday.
Oracle finds buyer for Siebel's OnTarget operation
Oracle Corp. has found a buyer for the OnTarget sales consultancy it acquired through the purchase of CRM (customer relationship management) software vendor Siebel, five months after putting the OnTarget business up for sale, the vendor announced Monday.
IBM's Notes to finally run natively on Linux
IBM Corp. is to announce Monday that its Lotus Notes desktop collaboration software will finally fully support the Linux operating system. It's a move users have long been demanding, with those wanting to run the Notes client on the open-source operating system previously having to resort to Web clients or software emulation.
INTERVIEW
McAfee ready to hold its own against Microsoft
George Samenuk, the chairman and chief executive of McAfee Inc., is not losing any sleep over Microsoft Corp.'s impending entry into the security software market, saying Microsoft's effort falls short of what customers need. Samenuk sat down with IDG News Service during a recent visit Beijing to discuss Microsoft's plans for Windows Live OneCare and McAfee's response.
OPINION
Pain/Gain Thresholds in Software Engineering
By Sean McGrath
When I am down in the bowels of a software development project, I can easily spend 50 hours a week pounding at a keyboard. My wife tells me that when I am doing that, I wear a permanent look of complete puzzlement on my face.
TIP
Revisiting Group Policy Refresh
By Mitch Tulloch
In a recent tip here in Windows in the Enterprise, I mentioned that administrators could remotely refresh Group Policy on desktop computers using a free tool from Sysinternals called psexec and that this can save them the labor of touching (visiting) desktops when Group Policy refresh needs to be forced for some reason. Several readers of this newsletter commented afterward that there are other tools that can be used to do this, and this week I'd like to thank these readers for their feedback and highlight their suggestions.
Daily IT News Audio Update
Yahoo expands its travelers' aid ... IBM's Notes to finally run natively on Linux ... U.K. officials doubt national ID plan
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft moves to per-user pricing for Dynamics
News: Oracle finds buyer for Siebel's OnTarget operation
News: IBM's Notes to finally run natively on Linux
Opinion: Pain/Gain Thresholds in Software Engineering
Tip: Revisiting Group Policy Refresh
ITwhirled: 2+2=5 (for extremely large values of 2)
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft moves to per-user pricing for Dynamics
Microsoft Corp. is streamlining the pricing of its four Dynamics ERP (enterprise resource planning) applications families from a per-module basis to a per-user basis as a way to make it easier for its partners to sell the software, the company announced Monday.
Oracle finds buyer for Siebel's OnTarget operation
Oracle Corp. has found a buyer for the OnTarget sales consultancy it acquired through the purchase of CRM (customer relationship management) software vendor Siebel, five months after putting the OnTarget business up for sale, the vendor announced Monday.
IBM's Notes to finally run natively on Linux
IBM Corp. is to announce Monday that its Lotus Notes desktop collaboration software will finally fully support the Linux operating system. It's a move users have long been demanding, with those wanting to run the Notes client on the open-source operating system previously having to resort to Web clients or software emulation.
INTERVIEW
McAfee ready to hold its own against Microsoft
George Samenuk, the chairman and chief executive of McAfee Inc., is not losing any sleep over Microsoft Corp.'s impending entry into the security software market, saying Microsoft's effort falls short of what customers need. Samenuk sat down with IDG News Service during a recent visit Beijing to discuss Microsoft's plans for Windows Live OneCare and McAfee's response.
OPINION
Pain/Gain Thresholds in Software Engineering
By Sean McGrath
When I am down in the bowels of a software development project, I can easily spend 50 hours a week pounding at a keyboard. My wife tells me that when I am doing that, I wear a permanent look of complete puzzlement on my face.
TIP
Revisiting Group Policy Refresh
By Mitch Tulloch
In a recent tip here in Windows in the Enterprise, I mentioned that administrators could remotely refresh Group Policy on desktop computers using a free tool from Sysinternals called psexec and that this can save them the labor of touching (visiting) desktops when Group Policy refresh needs to be forced for some reason. Several readers of this newsletter commented afterward that there are other tools that can be used to do this, and this week I'd like to thank these readers for their feedback and highlight their suggestions.
Friday, July 07, 2006
EBay prohibits Google checkout service ... Negroponte updates $100 laptop initiative
Today's IT news audio update
EBay prohibits Google checkout service .... AMD lowers revenue forecast .... Negroponte updates $100 laptop initiative
HIGHLIGHTS
News: EBay bans Google payment system
News: Japan scrutinizing tech sales after missile tests
News: July to be another big patch month for Microsoft
News: Paris plans 400 free Wi-Fi hotspots, high-tech seating
News: Negroponte gives $100 laptop update
ITwhirled: 10 people in the tech biz who don't matter
NEWS UPDATES
EBay bans Google payment system
EBay Inc. customers won't be able to use the newly launched Google Checkout service to buy products, according to the auction Web site.
Japan scrutinizing tech sales after missile tests
Japanese companies are likely to face greater scrutiny on certain international sales of IT equipment following North Korea's firing of seven missiles into the Sea of Japan early Wednesday.
July to be another big patch month for Microsoft
With online attackers taking advantage of holes in its Office software, Microsoft Corp. plans to release seven software patches next week.
Paris plans 400 free Wi-Fi hotspots, high-tech seating
Paris plans to offer visitors and citizens free Internet access over Wi-Fi at 400 hotspots across the city, with the goal of city-wide Wi-Fi coverage by the end of 2007. The city administration will also encourage development of new street furniture to make laptop users more comfortable, it said this week.
Negroponte gives $100 laptop update
M.I.T. Media Lab co-founder Nicholas Negroponte showed off the latest prototype of the US$100 computer to a gathering of educators in San Diego Thursday.
TIP
Windows Tip: Troubleshooting Cached Logons
By Mitch Tulloch
How can you determine whether you've either successfully logged onto a domain or are merely logged onto your own computer using cached domain credentials? One way to do this is to use Event Viewer to check your System log for an occurrence of event 5719 around the time when you last tried to log on to the domain. An even easier way to do this is to use the following script I wrote to query the System log on my machine for the most recent occurrence of event 5719. Read more.
Today's IT news audio update
EBay prohibits Google checkout service .... AMD lowers revenue forecast .... Negroponte updates $100 laptop initiative
HIGHLIGHTS
News: EBay bans Google payment system
News: Japan scrutinizing tech sales after missile tests
News: July to be another big patch month for Microsoft
News: Paris plans 400 free Wi-Fi hotspots, high-tech seating
News: Negroponte gives $100 laptop update
ITwhirled: 10 people in the tech biz who don't matter
NEWS UPDATES
EBay bans Google payment system
EBay Inc. customers won't be able to use the newly launched Google Checkout service to buy products, according to the auction Web site.
Japan scrutinizing tech sales after missile tests
Japanese companies are likely to face greater scrutiny on certain international sales of IT equipment following North Korea's firing of seven missiles into the Sea of Japan early Wednesday.
July to be another big patch month for Microsoft
With online attackers taking advantage of holes in its Office software, Microsoft Corp. plans to release seven software patches next week.
Paris plans 400 free Wi-Fi hotspots, high-tech seating
Paris plans to offer visitors and citizens free Internet access over Wi-Fi at 400 hotspots across the city, with the goal of city-wide Wi-Fi coverage by the end of 2007. The city administration will also encourage development of new street furniture to make laptop users more comfortable, it said this week.
Negroponte gives $100 laptop update
M.I.T. Media Lab co-founder Nicholas Negroponte showed off the latest prototype of the US$100 computer to a gathering of educators in San Diego Thursday.
TIP
Windows Tip: Troubleshooting Cached Logons
By Mitch Tulloch
How can you determine whether you've either successfully logged onto a domain or are merely logged onto your own computer using cached domain credentials? One way to do this is to use Event Viewer to check your System log for an occurrence of event 5719 around the time when you last tried to log on to the domain. An even easier way to do this is to use the following script I wrote to query the System log on my machine for the most recent occurrence of event 5719. Read more.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Microsoft to integrate OpenDocument for Office ... McAfee sees 400,000 virus definitions by 2008
Today's IT news audio update
Toshiba bows to Rambus SDRAM licensing ... Regulations could slow IPTV
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Rambus wins another round in SDRAM fight
News: Regulatory hurdles worry IPTV industry
News: McAfee sees 400,000 virus definitions by 2008
News: Trojan attacks on the rise, report finds
Tip: Killing Idle Logins with idled
ITwhirled: Font raid!
NEWS UPDATES
Rambus wins another round in SDRAM fight
Rambus Inc. has added another memory chip maker, Toshiba Corp., to the stable of companies finally agreeing to pay a contentious licensing fee for its SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM) and DDR (double data rate) SDRAM memory technology.
Regulatory hurdles worry IPTV industry
Regulations and customer understanding are the two biggest barriers to the success of IPTV (Internet Protocol television), say operators, content providers and vendors that participated in a survey done by the Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd. and Accenture Ltd.
McAfee sees 400,000 virus definitions by 2008M
Although widespread virus outbreaks may be a thing of the past, the total amount of malicious software being written is on the rise, according to McAfee Inc.
Targeted Trojan attacks on the rise, report finds
Computer hackers are increasingly tailoring attacks using Trojan horse programs for certain businesses in hopes of filching intellectual property, a new security report released Thursday said.
TIP
Killing Idle Logins with idled
By Sandra Henry Stocker
If you want to allow one group of users to remain idle for several hours while constraining another to only 15 minutes of idle time, you need a sophisticated tool. "Idled" is a small software application that closes idle user sessions. Here's how.
Today's IT news audio update
Toshiba bows to Rambus SDRAM licensing ... Regulations could slow IPTV
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Rambus wins another round in SDRAM fight
News: Regulatory hurdles worry IPTV industry
News: McAfee sees 400,000 virus definitions by 2008
News: Trojan attacks on the rise, report finds
Tip: Killing Idle Logins with idled
ITwhirled: Font raid!
NEWS UPDATES
Rambus wins another round in SDRAM fight
Rambus Inc. has added another memory chip maker, Toshiba Corp., to the stable of companies finally agreeing to pay a contentious licensing fee for its SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM) and DDR (double data rate) SDRAM memory technology.
Regulatory hurdles worry IPTV industry
Regulations and customer understanding are the two biggest barriers to the success of IPTV (Internet Protocol television), say operators, content providers and vendors that participated in a survey done by the Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd. and Accenture Ltd.
McAfee sees 400,000 virus definitions by 2008M
Although widespread virus outbreaks may be a thing of the past, the total amount of malicious software being written is on the rise, according to McAfee Inc.
Targeted Trojan attacks on the rise, report finds
Computer hackers are increasingly tailoring attacks using Trojan horse programs for certain businesses in hopes of filching intellectual property, a new security report released Thursday said.
TIP
Killing Idle Logins with idled
By Sandra Henry Stocker
If you want to allow one group of users to remain idle for several hours while constraining another to only 15 minutes of idle time, you need a sophisticated tool. "Idled" is a small software application that closes idle user sessions. Here's how.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Yahoo-MSN IM interoperability delayed ... IBM faces fewer claims in SCO suit
Today's IT news audio update
Taiwan invests $3.1 billion in Web 2.0 ... Judge denies some claims in SCO case against IBM .... U.K. domain body calls truce with ICANN
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Yahoo-MSN IM interoperability behind schedule
News: ICANN settles feud with country-code TLD operator
News: BenQ Mobile to lay off 10 percent of workforce
News: IBM faces fewer claims in SCO lawsuit
Opinion: Killing Idle Logins
ITwhirled: 2+2=5
NEWS UPDATES
Yahoo-MSN IM interoperability behind schedule
Yahoo and Microsoft Corp. said late last year that they would launch a service in the second quarter of this year that would allow their customers to send and receive messages and share buddy lists between the two instant messaging (IM) networks. With the second quarter come and gone, representatives from both companies say the interoperable service will launch globally "very soon."
ICANN settles feud with country-code TLD operator
The company that manages the U.K.'s top-level domain has struck a truce with the U.S.-based organization responsible for overseeing Internet domain names, cooling ongoing disagreements over administrative control of the Internet.
BenQ Mobile to lay off 10 percent of workforce
BenQ Mobile plans to lay off up to 10 percent of its German workforce as part of a restructuring plan meant to return the handset maker to profitability.
IBM faces fewer claims in SCO lawsuit
A U.S. judge has tossed out almost 200 of The SCO Group Inc.'s claims of intellectual property violation against IBM Corp. on the grounds that SCO didn't identify the alleged infringements in enough detail.
Google tries to have page-ranking suit dismissed
Google Inc. can use any criteria it wishes to rank Web sites, including downgrading competitors, a lawyer for the search giant told a federal judge Friday.
OPINION
Killing Idle Logins
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
It is not at all unusual for systems administrators to get a little antsy when users' login sessions sit idle for hours or days. Not only can login session consume resources, tie up software licenses and prevent file systems from being unmounted but, since we generally can't see what is going on at the user end of these sessions, we don't know whether these users could provide opportunities for unauthorized individuals to execute commands and access data under the guise of authorized users. A user who leaves for lunch without logging out or securing his login sessions by locking his screen, for example, might be giving someone else a chance to run commands using his account.
Read the full article here
Today's IT news audio update
Taiwan invests $3.1 billion in Web 2.0 ... Judge denies some claims in SCO case against IBM .... U.K. domain body calls truce with ICANN
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Yahoo-MSN IM interoperability behind schedule
News: ICANN settles feud with country-code TLD operator
News: BenQ Mobile to lay off 10 percent of workforce
News: IBM faces fewer claims in SCO lawsuit
Opinion: Killing Idle Logins
ITwhirled: 2+2=5
NEWS UPDATES
Yahoo-MSN IM interoperability behind schedule
Yahoo and Microsoft Corp. said late last year that they would launch a service in the second quarter of this year that would allow their customers to send and receive messages and share buddy lists between the two instant messaging (IM) networks. With the second quarter come and gone, representatives from both companies say the interoperable service will launch globally "very soon."
ICANN settles feud with country-code TLD operator
The company that manages the U.K.'s top-level domain has struck a truce with the U.S.-based organization responsible for overseeing Internet domain names, cooling ongoing disagreements over administrative control of the Internet.
BenQ Mobile to lay off 10 percent of workforce
BenQ Mobile plans to lay off up to 10 percent of its German workforce as part of a restructuring plan meant to return the handset maker to profitability.
IBM faces fewer claims in SCO lawsuit
A U.S. judge has tossed out almost 200 of The SCO Group Inc.'s claims of intellectual property violation against IBM Corp. on the grounds that SCO didn't identify the alleged infringements in enough detail.
Google tries to have page-ranking suit dismissed
Google Inc. can use any criteria it wishes to rank Web sites, including downgrading competitors, a lawyer for the search giant told a federal judge Friday.
OPINION
Killing Idle Logins
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
It is not at all unusual for systems administrators to get a little antsy when users' login sessions sit idle for hours or days. Not only can login session consume resources, tie up software licenses and prevent file systems from being unmounted but, since we generally can't see what is going on at the user end of these sessions, we don't know whether these users could provide opportunities for unauthorized individuals to execute commands and access data under the guise of authorized users. A user who leaves for lunch without logging out or securing his login sessions by locking his screen, for example, might be giving someone else a chance to run commands using his account.
Read the full article here
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