Today's IT News Audio Update
Freescale accepts acquisition bid from investment firms ... Microsoft sued over use of Forefront name ... Unisys subcontractor arrested for stealing VA computer
HIGHLIGHTS
News: HP probe included physical, e-mail tracking
News: Apple's new iPods priced for profits, not market share
News: Security measures seen doing more harm than good
News: Gartner forecasts trouble with rootkits, ID theft
Windows Tip: Resolving IP address conflicts
ITwhirled: 12 startups to launch now ... Lucrative ventures in unlikely places
NEWS UPDATES
HP probe included physical, e-mail tracking
Hewlett-Packard Co. board members and journalists were under physical surveillance by investigators trying to find out who was providing information to reporters, and private investigators tried to put tracking software on a journalist's computer to keep tabs on e-mail, according to a New York Times report.
Apple's new iPods priced for profits, not market share
Apple Computer Inc.'s recent introduction of several new iPods shows the company is looking for better profit margins, not gaining market share, according to researcher Gartner Inc. And the move could boost its rivals.
Security measures seen doing more harm than good
Many of the security measures put in place after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York are doing more harm than good, said two speakers scheduled to present at the Hack In The Box Security Conference (HITB) this week.
Gartner forecasts trouble with rootkits, ID theft
Research analysts at Gartner Inc. are predicting a sticky web of security hazards for IT professionals over the next two years, ranging from targeted financial attacks to spyware to rootkits.
EMC launches new data management software
Network storage vendor EMC Corp. Monday introduced a new data storage management product that is the fruit of three software acquisitions the company has made in recent years.
Freescale accepts $17.6 billion equity buyout
Freescale Semiconductor Inc. has agreed to be acquired by a group of investment firms for US$17.6 billion.
Gartner: Security costs fall with good policies
Enterprises will increasingly face skilled IT criminals trying to infiltrate corporate networks for sensitive data stored in databases, but adopting new policies to evaluate risk should help drive the cost of defense down, computer security analysts said Monday.
Cross-site scripting the top security risk
Web administrators beware: cross-site scripting vulnerabilities are now far more attactive targets than more notorious bugs such as buffer overflows, according to new figures from Mitre, a U.S. government-funded research organization.
Caspian Networks may be acquired
Caspian Networks Inc., a one-time core router startup that today makes devices to improve network performance, is on the block.
WINDOWS TIP
Resolving IP address conflicts
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
A basic but often hard to troubleshoot issue that can arise on a TCP/IP network is an IP address conflict. This occurs when two computers on a network are assigned the same IP address, and this situation can arise in three different ways. First, you might misconfigure your network by manually assigning two computers the same static IP address. This is a common occurrence on smaller networks especially when computers are in a workgroup not a domain. Second, a DHCP server on your network might assign an address to a client computer that conflicts with a static IP address assigned to some other network device such as a router or printer. And third, if you have two DHCP servers on the same subnet that have overlapping scopes, you're likely to get client computers with duplicate addresses.
What I've discovered is that troubleshooting these situations not only requires clear thinking but sharp eyesight as well. For example...
Read the full article here
ITWHIRLED
12 startups to launch now ... Lucrative ventures in unlikely places
In 10 nations on four continents, the editors at CNNmoney.com have uncovered a dozen of the most intriguing new business opportunities in the world today. No 1: Build cheap Wi-Fi networks for Brazilian resorts.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
HP extends deadline for Mercury acquisition ... Microsoft's Zune to ship before year-end
Today's IT News Audio Update
Microsoft to ship Zune player before year-end ... China's BLX to offer 1GHz Godson-2 processor ... Nintendo gets ready to ship Wii console
HIGHLIGHTS
News: HP extends deadline for Mercury acquisition
News: Code posted for new IE attack
News: Adobe Q3 income feels Macromedia hit
News: Microsoft Zune device to ship in time for Christmas
Opinion: If 80 gigs is enough, then...
ITwhirled: Geek comic of the week: Diesel Sweeties
NEWS UPDATES
HP extends deadline for Mercury acquisition
Hewlett-Packard Co. has extended the deadline for Mercury Interactive Corp. shareholders to tender their shares in favor of the companies' proposed US$4.5 billion merger.
Code posted for new IE attack
Hackers have discovered a new vulnerability in Internet Explorer, and they've released code that could be used to attack users of Microsoft Corp.'s popular browser.
Adobe Q3 income feels Macromedia hit
Adobe has reported its financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 1, 2006, reflecting some financial impact following its December purchase of Macromedia.
Microsoft Zune device to ship in time for Christmas
The first Microsoft Corp. Zune products will hit U.S. retailers in time for the busy Christmas holiday season, with a 30G-byte digital media player and a Zune Marketplace online service the first to reach consumers, Microsoft said Thursday.
U.S. urges European regulators to lay off Apple DRM
A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) official has joined the debate surrounding Apple Computer Inc.'s proprietary digital music technology by criticizing European antitrust activities, but groups attacking Apple are defending their actions.
Former Novell head Messman quits board early
Novell Inc.'s former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jack Messman, who was ousted from those positions in June, has quit the company's board of directors a month and a half earlier than had been previously announced.
OPINION
If 80 gigs is enough, then...
By Sean McGrath
I have an 80 gigabyte hard disk in my laptop and, for the first time in my career in computing, I am having difficulty filling it up with stuff that I need to do my job. Sure I can fill it with lots of audio and lots of video (given enough bandwidth and patience) but to be honest, the amount of multimedia stuff I need for my day job is limited to some podcasts and the occasional product demo video.
ITWHIRLED
Geek comic of the week: Diesel Sweeties
This very popular Web comic has a distinctive visual style, in which all characters are built out of very large pixels -- perhaps appropriate for a strip in which many characters are robots. Clango, the main character, has philosophical discussions and a surprising number of emotional exchanges with his mechanical and human friends. There's even robot-human romance in the air (leading Clango to coin the phrase "Irrational flesh-thing! Why must I love you?"). Diesel Sweeties will begin to appear in newspapers in early 2007 -- it will be interesting to see if it can make the transition.
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Thursday, September 14, 2006
Microsoft tries to dazzle E.U. with Vista benefits ... Intel, Siemens team on enterprise VOIP
Today's IT News Audio Update
Microsoft touts positive impact of Vista on European economy ... Vista peripherals launched ... Mobile phones to get better TV screens
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft tries to dazzle E.U. with Vista benefits
News: Intel, Siemens team on secure VOIP for enterprises
News: Yahoo, Acer ink home page, search engine pact
News: State says it has evidence to charge HP officials
Opinion: Outsourcing the middleware layer
ITwhirled: The greatest software ever
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft tries to dazzle E.U. with Vista benefits
Microsoft Corp. tried to dazzle the antitrust regulators in Brussels on Thursday with new research that illustrates how immense the effect of Windows Vista will be next year on Europe's IT industry and the broader economy.
Intel, Siemens team on secure VOIP for enterprises
Intel Corp. and Siemens AG have agreed to collaborate in the development of new enterprise communication systems using VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) technology.
Yahoo, Acer ink home page, search engine pact
Yahoo Inc. reached a deal for prime real estate on all Acer Inc. PCs shipped globally, with a cobranded toolbar, home page and search engine, the companies said Wednesday.
State says it has evidence to charge HP officials
A day after Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) chairman Patricia Dunn promised to step down for her role in a spy scandal, the state of California is continuing to investigate the actions of HP officials and the private investigators they used.
Microsoft takes third shot at buggy security patch
Microsoft Corp. just can't seem to shake problems with its MS06-042 update for Internet Explorer. On Tuesday, Microsoft was forced to release its third version of the update because of a new security bug discovered in the update, according to Tony Chor, a group program manager with Microsoft.
Sun, Accenture back as best buddies after a lull
Sun Microsystems Inc. views global management consulting and outsourcing firm Accenture Ltd. as one of its most important and "indispensable" partners, according to Jonathan Schwartz, Sun's president and chief executive officer.
McData bundles three storage products into one
McData has bundled three separate SAN management products into one, called Enterprise Fabric Connection Manager (EFCM) 9.0, but previously known as EFCM, SANpilot and SANavigator.
OPINION
Outsourcing the middleware layer
By Sean McGrath
Apparently (I am too young to remember) photocopier machines were greeted with suspicion in some quarters when they were first introduced. How can you know that the machine has made a perfect copy of your vital document? I'm told by someone who remembers those days that he used to proof read the copies coming off the photocopier to check for accuracy.
This sounds silly now, which isn't to say that mechanical copying no longer needs to be done with care. Rather, we are now comfortable with the idea that all we need is a quick visual inspection of the photocopied page to see if it is all there. Once we have that, we do not need to inspect the individual letters to know we have a good copy. We trust the photocopier.
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
10 best movie cars ... Greatest software ever ... The 10 best mars images ever ... The 10 most beautiful places in America ... The top ten OS X screensavers
Microsoft touts positive impact of Vista on European economy ... Vista peripherals launched ... Mobile phones to get better TV screens
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft tries to dazzle E.U. with Vista benefits
News: Intel, Siemens team on secure VOIP for enterprises
News: Yahoo, Acer ink home page, search engine pact
News: State says it has evidence to charge HP officials
Opinion: Outsourcing the middleware layer
ITwhirled: The greatest software ever
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft tries to dazzle E.U. with Vista benefits
Microsoft Corp. tried to dazzle the antitrust regulators in Brussels on Thursday with new research that illustrates how immense the effect of Windows Vista will be next year on Europe's IT industry and the broader economy.
Intel, Siemens team on secure VOIP for enterprises
Intel Corp. and Siemens AG have agreed to collaborate in the development of new enterprise communication systems using VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) technology.
Yahoo, Acer ink home page, search engine pact
Yahoo Inc. reached a deal for prime real estate on all Acer Inc. PCs shipped globally, with a cobranded toolbar, home page and search engine, the companies said Wednesday.
State says it has evidence to charge HP officials
A day after Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) chairman Patricia Dunn promised to step down for her role in a spy scandal, the state of California is continuing to investigate the actions of HP officials and the private investigators they used.
Microsoft takes third shot at buggy security patch
Microsoft Corp. just can't seem to shake problems with its MS06-042 update for Internet Explorer. On Tuesday, Microsoft was forced to release its third version of the update because of a new security bug discovered in the update, according to Tony Chor, a group program manager with Microsoft.
Sun, Accenture back as best buddies after a lull
Sun Microsystems Inc. views global management consulting and outsourcing firm Accenture Ltd. as one of its most important and "indispensable" partners, according to Jonathan Schwartz, Sun's president and chief executive officer.
McData bundles three storage products into one
McData has bundled three separate SAN management products into one, called Enterprise Fabric Connection Manager (EFCM) 9.0, but previously known as EFCM, SANpilot and SANavigator.
OPINION
Outsourcing the middleware layer
By Sean McGrath
Apparently (I am too young to remember) photocopier machines were greeted with suspicion in some quarters when they were first introduced. How can you know that the machine has made a perfect copy of your vital document? I'm told by someone who remembers those days that he used to proof read the copies coming off the photocopier to check for accuracy.
This sounds silly now, which isn't to say that mechanical copying no longer needs to be done with care. Rather, we are now comfortable with the idea that all we need is a quick visual inspection of the photocopied page to see if it is all there. Once we have that, we do not need to inspect the individual letters to know we have a good copy. We trust the photocopier.
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
10 best movie cars ... Greatest software ever ... The 10 best mars images ever ... The 10 most beautiful places in America ... The top ten OS X screensavers
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The hard disk drive turns 50 ... HP insiders could face charges
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP insiders could face charges, California's AG says ... Business Objects buys ALG ... EC warns Microsoft on bundling security tools
HIGHLIGHTS
News: The hard disk drive turns 50
News: IBM puts its first Cell computer on sale
News: Business Objects to buy ALG Software
News: Sun, IBM launch tape encryption technology
Opinion: Deploy on your schedule, not Microsoft's Auto-Update schedule
ITwhirled: Telephone psychics scientifically proven
NEWS UPDATES
The hard disk drive turns 50
Inside the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, sits an odd-looking, refrigerator-sized contraption that could have been created by an out-of-control set designer for "Lost in Space."
IBM puts its first Cell computer on sale
IBM Corp. has started selling the first computer based on its multicore Cell processor, targeting organizations that run compute-intensive tasks like medical imaging or oil exploration.
Business Objects to buy ALG Software
Business Objects SA is stepping up its efforts in the area of corporate performance management software with an acquisition and the integration of some existing applications with its business intelligence suite.
Sun, IBM launch tape encryption technology
Sun Microsystems Inc. and IBM Corp. are both introducing data tape encryption technology this week, protecting against a security breach that can endanger or embarrass an enterprise.
Salesforce.com highlights analytics in next release
Salesforce.com Inc. is drawing particular attention to the analytics customization capabilities it plans to offer in the next version of its hosted CRM (customer relationship management) software, known as Salesforce Winter '07.
Sun, Accenture team up on identity-enabled SOA
Sun Microsystems Inc. and global management consulting and outsourcing firm Accenture Ltd. are expanding their existing relationship to cover joint development work around identity-enabling, service-oriented architecture (SOA) and composite applications.
Skype launches video calling between Macs and PCs
With the latest beta of Skype for the Macintosh, released on Wednesday, Skype hopes to help bridge the barrier between Macs and PCs for video calling.
Apple offers cheaper, brighter, bigger iPods
Apple updated its iPod range Tuesday, introducing larger capacities, brighter screens and lower prices across the range.
OPINION
Deploy on your schedule, not Microsoft's Auto-Update schedule
By Joel Shore
There are probably as many holes in Windows' and Internet Explorer's security infrastructure than there once were in the poorly maintained roads of legend in Blackburn, Lancashire (4,000, according to a 1967 U.K. Daily Mail news story famously paraphrased by John Lennon).
One of the things I like about Windows XP is its ability to heal thyself, using Auto Update to download and apply patches to fill those holes as Microsoft deems necessary. Unfortunately, it needs to do that way too often. That is very likely to become a problem when Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 7.
ITWHIRLED
Telephone psychics scientifically proven
A researcher at the University of Cambridge (yes, that Cambridge) believes he has proven that people do, in fact, have the ability to guess who might be phoning them. And, yes, it works for e-mail too.
HP insiders could face charges, California's AG says ... Business Objects buys ALG ... EC warns Microsoft on bundling security tools
HIGHLIGHTS
News: The hard disk drive turns 50
News: IBM puts its first Cell computer on sale
News: Business Objects to buy ALG Software
News: Sun, IBM launch tape encryption technology
Opinion: Deploy on your schedule, not Microsoft's Auto-Update schedule
ITwhirled: Telephone psychics scientifically proven
NEWS UPDATES
The hard disk drive turns 50
Inside the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, sits an odd-looking, refrigerator-sized contraption that could have been created by an out-of-control set designer for "Lost in Space."
IBM puts its first Cell computer on sale
IBM Corp. has started selling the first computer based on its multicore Cell processor, targeting organizations that run compute-intensive tasks like medical imaging or oil exploration.
Business Objects to buy ALG Software
Business Objects SA is stepping up its efforts in the area of corporate performance management software with an acquisition and the integration of some existing applications with its business intelligence suite.
Sun, IBM launch tape encryption technology
Sun Microsystems Inc. and IBM Corp. are both introducing data tape encryption technology this week, protecting against a security breach that can endanger or embarrass an enterprise.
Salesforce.com highlights analytics in next release
Salesforce.com Inc. is drawing particular attention to the analytics customization capabilities it plans to offer in the next version of its hosted CRM (customer relationship management) software, known as Salesforce Winter '07.
Sun, Accenture team up on identity-enabled SOA
Sun Microsystems Inc. and global management consulting and outsourcing firm Accenture Ltd. are expanding their existing relationship to cover joint development work around identity-enabling, service-oriented architecture (SOA) and composite applications.
Skype launches video calling between Macs and PCs
With the latest beta of Skype for the Macintosh, released on Wednesday, Skype hopes to help bridge the barrier between Macs and PCs for video calling.
Apple offers cheaper, brighter, bigger iPods
Apple updated its iPod range Tuesday, introducing larger capacities, brighter screens and lower prices across the range.
OPINION
Deploy on your schedule, not Microsoft's Auto-Update schedule
By Joel Shore
There are probably as many holes in Windows' and Internet Explorer's security infrastructure than there once were in the poorly maintained roads of legend in Blackburn, Lancashire (4,000, according to a 1967 U.K. Daily Mail news story famously paraphrased by John Lennon).
One of the things I like about Windows XP is its ability to heal thyself, using Auto Update to download and apply patches to fill those holes as Microsoft deems necessary. Unfortunately, it needs to do that way too often. That is very likely to become a problem when Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 7.
ITWHIRLED
Telephone psychics scientifically proven
A researcher at the University of Cambridge (yes, that Cambridge) believes he has proven that people do, in fact, have the ability to guess who might be phoning them. And, yes, it works for e-mail too.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
HP's Dunn steps down amid spying scandal ... Microsoft's new search engine exits beta
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP's Dunn steps down amid spying scandal ... EC expands Intel investigation ... Red Hat offers beta of Linux server OS with Xen
HIGHLIGHTS
News: HP's Dunn to step down in January
News: HP's head of global operations to leave next month
News: Microsoft's new search engine exits beta
News: Juniper, Symantec partner on enterprise security
Tip: Accept no imitation when shopping for an information lifecycle management solution
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: eBay 101
NEWS UPDATES
HP's Dunn to step down in January
Patricia Dunn, Hewlett-Packard Co.'s embattled chairman, will be relieved of those duties after the board's Jan. 18, 2007, meeting, but will continue as a director.
HP's head of global operations to leave next month
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s executive vice president of global operations, Gilles Bouchard, will leave the company at the end of October. The news came Tuesday immediately before HP announced that Chairman Patricia Dunn will step down.
Microsoft's new search engine exits beta
Microsoft Corp. is removing the beta, or test, tag from Live Search, its next-generation search engine, and making it the underlying search tool at its MSN.com portal.
Juniper, Symantec partner on enterprise security
Juniper Networks Inc. and Symantec Corp. will jointly work on unified threat management (UTM) and intrusion detection and prevention (IDP) products, and in the long term will extend their partnership to antivirus and threat detection.
EMC plans new Web content management tool
Storage giant EMC Corp. plans another foray into Web content management with the upcoming launch of a tool to handle content layout as well as management.
Red Hat users invited to test RHEL 5
Red Hat Inc. has pushed out the first public beta of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, an upgrade to its operating system that includes virtualization technologies intended to help companies get more use from their hardware.
U.S. defense department builds world's biggest SAN
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is creating the world's largest storage network by combining a number of separate networks into a gigantic 17,000-port Meta SAN monster.
Grids help eBay do big business
A massive computing grid helps eBay Inc. make changes to its auction Web site on the fly while maintaining a 99.94 percent up time, said Paul Strong, a distinguished research scientist there.
TIP
Accept no imitation when shopping for an information lifecycle management solution
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
Do not accept any simple substitutes or imitations that work only on blocks when searching for an information lifecycle management solution.
ITWHIRLED
eBay 101
Always wanted to learn how to become an eBay mogul? If you attend the UK's University of Northampton, you can take a class on it.
Monday, September 11, 2006
DOJ asks about HP spying allegations
HIGHLIGHTS
News: DOJ asking about HP spying allegations
News: McAfee apologizes for bugs in Falcon roll out
News: Dell may have to restate earnings
News: Next generation supercomputers face disk failure
Tip: Six sensible steps to keep disaster recovery real
NEWS UPDATES
DOJ asking about HP spying allegations
HP acknowledged in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing Monday that it is cooperating with an inquiry by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California into possibly illegal tactics used by investigators hired by HP to investigate news leaks from the company's board members.
McAfee apologizes for bugs in Falcon roll out
In an e-mail sent to some users last week, McAfee Executive Vice President Bill Kerrigan acknowledged that there had been glitches in the roll out of the company's new line of client protection software, released last month. "We would like to extend our sincere apologies to anyone who may have had problems with their computers due to the upgrade," he wrote.
Dell may have to restate earnings
Dell Inc. has delayed filing its quarterly earnings report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and may have to restate past earnings statements, the company said Monday.
Next generation supercomputers face disk failure
The next generation of supercomputers could be crippled by hard drive failures every few minutes, the U.S. Department of Energy has warned, and so it is funding a Petascale Data Storage Institute to solve the problem.
TIP
Six sensible steps to keep disaster recovery real
Most companies shouldn't have to replicate every piece of data to protect their business from the next cataclysmic event. Nor should they necessarily have to cough up millions for a mirror site that traces every network transaction. And let's face it, catastrophes are extremely rare. Be that as it may, enterprises are increasingly being held accountable for their data and prudence points to being prepared. Three experts weigh in on the most commonly overlooked elements in today's disaster recovery plans. Just in case.
News: DOJ asking about HP spying allegations
News: McAfee apologizes for bugs in Falcon roll out
News: Dell may have to restate earnings
News: Next generation supercomputers face disk failure
Tip: Six sensible steps to keep disaster recovery real
NEWS UPDATES
DOJ asking about HP spying allegations
HP acknowledged in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing Monday that it is cooperating with an inquiry by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California into possibly illegal tactics used by investigators hired by HP to investigate news leaks from the company's board members.
McAfee apologizes for bugs in Falcon roll out
In an e-mail sent to some users last week, McAfee Executive Vice President Bill Kerrigan acknowledged that there had been glitches in the roll out of the company's new line of client protection software, released last month. "We would like to extend our sincere apologies to anyone who may have had problems with their computers due to the upgrade," he wrote.
Dell may have to restate earnings
Dell Inc. has delayed filing its quarterly earnings report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and may have to restate past earnings statements, the company said Monday.
Next generation supercomputers face disk failure
The next generation of supercomputers could be crippled by hard drive failures every few minutes, the U.S. Department of Energy has warned, and so it is funding a Petascale Data Storage Institute to solve the problem.
TIP
Six sensible steps to keep disaster recovery real
Most companies shouldn't have to replicate every piece of data to protect their business from the next cataclysmic event. Nor should they necessarily have to cough up millions for a mirror site that traces every network transaction. And let's face it, catastrophes are extremely rare. Be that as it may, enterprises are increasingly being held accountable for their data and prudence points to being prepared. Three experts weigh in on the most commonly overlooked elements in today's disaster recovery plans. Just in case.
Toshiba, Memory-Tech develop 3-layer DVD, HD DVD disc ... No decision at Sunday HP board meeting
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP board doesn't reach decision at Sunday meeting ... Software pirate sentenced to 87 months in prison ... NEC in talks to sell Packard Bell PC division
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Prototype 3-layer DVD, HD DVD disc developed
News: Storage software market grows without EMC, says IDC
News: No decision at Sunday HP board meeting
News: E.U. expands Intel probe
Feature: Skype slips into business
Windows Tip: Remotely changing the default script host
ITwhirled: What hath Wiki wrought?
NEWS UPDATES
Prototype 3-layer DVD, HD DVD disc developed
A three-layer optical disc developed by Toshiba Corp. and Memory-Tech Corp. can be read by both DVD and HD DVD players, making it possible for movie companies to package both a standard definition and high-definition version of the same movie on a single disc.
Storage software market grows without EMC, says IDC
EMC Corp. and Symantec Corp. missed out on a boom in storage software sales in the second quarter, according to research by IDC. While the worldwide market for storage software grew 8.6 percent from a year earlier, to $2.5 billion, revenue from storage software dropped 3.2 percent at EMC and slipped 1.8 percent at Symantec Corp.
No decision at Sunday HP board meeting
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s board of directors took no action at a special Sunday meeting and will reconvene late Monday to continue discussions about the scandal that has occupied the company over the past week.
E.U. expands Intel probe
The European Commission has expanded an ongoing antitrust probe of computer chip maker Intel Corp. to examine claims that the company has been pressuring the Continent's largest computer retail chain not to sell computers containing chips made by archrival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd confirmed Monday.
WebMethods makes Infravio its second recent SOA buy
Business integration suite vendor WebMethods Inc. is on the acquisition trail again, this time looking to pick up expertise in SOA (service-oriented architecture) governance through the planned purchase of Infravio Inc.
E.U. and U.S. still haggling over passenger data sharing
European and U.S. security officials were locked in talks in Brussels Monday to replace a passenger data sharing agreement that was outlawed by a European court in May.
Record number of phishing sites seen for July
Cybercriminals created a record number of phishing Web sites in July and also hijacked a record number of brands to help them do their work, a consortium that monitors online fraud said Monday.
NEC selling off Packard Bell
NEC Corp. executives are negotiating the sale of the company's Packard Bell division, reportedly to eMachines founder Lap Shun "John" Hui. The move would leave NEC without a consumer PC brand, while it continues to supply the European professional market with NEC-branded computers.
FEATURE
Skype slips into business
Two years ago, Mark Ehr and a few co-workers began using Skype Ltd. to communicate between Proxima Technology's Denver headquarters and its offices in Sydney, Australia, and Windsor, England. Soon, top executives began using Skype for internal calls. "That set the tone for the rest of the company," Ehr says, and today Skype is the primary means of making intracompany calls at Proxima. Skype has also allowed Proxima to put off a planned migration to an internal VOIP telephony system.
TIP
Remotely changing the default script host
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
By default, Windows computers have Wscript.exe configured as their default script host instead of Cscript. The difference between these two script hosts is mainly evident when your script generates some kind of output. For example, if Wscript.exe is your default host, then your script output is windowed and is displayed as a series of popup dialog boxes. But if Cscript.exe is your default host, then your script output is displayed within the command prompt window in which your script is running.
Now if you are an enterprise admin who has started developing your logon scripts using VBScript (.vbs files) instead of the old batch language (.bat files) you must pay attention to this matter of which default script host is configured on your users' computers. For example, say you write the following simple logon script that maps a drive....
Read the full article here
ITWHIRLED
What hath Wiki wrought?
When Jimbo Wales founded Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit, he probably never imagined this: rival Milwaukee-based ferry services vandalizing each others Wikipedia entries in an attempt to woo customers.
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP board doesn't reach decision at Sunday meeting ... Software pirate sentenced to 87 months in prison ... NEC in talks to sell Packard Bell PC division
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Prototype 3-layer DVD, HD DVD disc developed
News: Storage software market grows without EMC, says IDC
News: No decision at Sunday HP board meeting
News: E.U. expands Intel probe
Feature: Skype slips into business
Windows Tip: Remotely changing the default script host
ITwhirled: What hath Wiki wrought?
NEWS UPDATES
Prototype 3-layer DVD, HD DVD disc developed
A three-layer optical disc developed by Toshiba Corp. and Memory-Tech Corp. can be read by both DVD and HD DVD players, making it possible for movie companies to package both a standard definition and high-definition version of the same movie on a single disc.
Storage software market grows without EMC, says IDC
EMC Corp. and Symantec Corp. missed out on a boom in storage software sales in the second quarter, according to research by IDC. While the worldwide market for storage software grew 8.6 percent from a year earlier, to $2.5 billion, revenue from storage software dropped 3.2 percent at EMC and slipped 1.8 percent at Symantec Corp.
No decision at Sunday HP board meeting
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s board of directors took no action at a special Sunday meeting and will reconvene late Monday to continue discussions about the scandal that has occupied the company over the past week.
E.U. expands Intel probe
The European Commission has expanded an ongoing antitrust probe of computer chip maker Intel Corp. to examine claims that the company has been pressuring the Continent's largest computer retail chain not to sell computers containing chips made by archrival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd confirmed Monday.
WebMethods makes Infravio its second recent SOA buy
Business integration suite vendor WebMethods Inc. is on the acquisition trail again, this time looking to pick up expertise in SOA (service-oriented architecture) governance through the planned purchase of Infravio Inc.
E.U. and U.S. still haggling over passenger data sharing
European and U.S. security officials were locked in talks in Brussels Monday to replace a passenger data sharing agreement that was outlawed by a European court in May.
Record number of phishing sites seen for July
Cybercriminals created a record number of phishing Web sites in July and also hijacked a record number of brands to help them do their work, a consortium that monitors online fraud said Monday.
NEC selling off Packard Bell
NEC Corp. executives are negotiating the sale of the company's Packard Bell division, reportedly to eMachines founder Lap Shun "John" Hui. The move would leave NEC without a consumer PC brand, while it continues to supply the European professional market with NEC-branded computers.
FEATURE
Skype slips into business
Two years ago, Mark Ehr and a few co-workers began using Skype Ltd. to communicate between Proxima Technology's Denver headquarters and its offices in Sydney, Australia, and Windsor, England. Soon, top executives began using Skype for internal calls. "That set the tone for the rest of the company," Ehr says, and today Skype is the primary means of making intracompany calls at Proxima. Skype has also allowed Proxima to put off a planned migration to an internal VOIP telephony system.
TIP
Remotely changing the default script host
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
By default, Windows computers have Wscript.exe configured as their default script host instead of Cscript. The difference between these two script hosts is mainly evident when your script generates some kind of output. For example, if Wscript.exe is your default host, then your script output is windowed and is displayed as a series of popup dialog boxes. But if Cscript.exe is your default host, then your script output is displayed within the command prompt window in which your script is running.
Now if you are an enterprise admin who has started developing your logon scripts using VBScript (.vbs files) instead of the old batch language (.bat files) you must pay attention to this matter of which default script host is configured on your users' computers. For example, say you write the following simple logon script that maps a drive....
Read the full article here
ITWHIRLED
What hath Wiki wrought?
When Jimbo Wales founded Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit, he probably never imagined this: rival Milwaukee-based ferry services vandalizing each others Wikipedia entries in an attempt to woo customers.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Chase Card Services dumps customer details ... Samsung site hijacked as malware host
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP accessed reporters' phone records in leak search ... Intel launches vPro ... EU legislators warn Microsoft sanctions may hurt European businesses
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Chase Card Services dumps customer details in landfill
News: Samsung site hijacked as malware host
News: HTC unveils Windows smart phone line-up
News: Reporters' phone records accessed in HP probe
Opinion: Menu Option Judo
ITwhirled: Ten MySQL best practices
NEWS UPDATES
Samsung site hijacked as malware host
The U.S. corporate website of Samsung Telecom has been hijacked and used to host and distribute malware, security vendor Websense has revealed.
HTC unveils Windows smart phone line-up
High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC), the largest maker of handsets that use Microsoft Corp. software, has launched four new smart phones including one that's designed to rival the BlackBerry.
Amazon opens video download store
Amazon.com Inc. unveiled the Unbox Video Store on Thursday, a direct rival to Apple's iTunes 24-7 video store, which allows U.S. users to buy or rent TV shows, movies and other video content from the Internet.
Reporters' phone records accessed in HP probe
Hewlett-Packard Co. obtained the telephone records of nine reporters as part of its internal probe of information leaks, the company confirmed Thursday.
U.S. court halts alleged Web site billing scheme
A U.S. district court has ordered a halt to an operation that allegedly added unauthorized charges to the phone bills of small businesses and nonprofit groups for Web sites services that, in many cases, they didn't know they had and didn't request, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said.
Apple notes intermittent MacBook shutdowns
Apple has published a terse note effectively requesting feedback relating to reports of intermittent shutdowns affecting MacBooks. While not all users are affected by this, Apple's technical note urges users who are to "contact AppleCare for service."
OPINION
Menu Option Judo
By Sean McGrath
One of the distinguishing features of Judo as a martial art is that it emphasizes how you can use the weight of your opponent to your own advantage.
Hold that thought.
Now, close your eyes - no wait, that won't work - just imagine that you are a computer program skilled in the arts of Judo. Your 'opponent' is a user who is seeking to find errors in your coding. Bugs in the algorithms that make up your innermost being. The user's starting point every day is that you - the application - are always at fault. The user demands to be always right, even if, from your perspective as a logical computer program, the bugs lies within the user, not within your software. No amount of gently prodding the user to read the manual or take a training course appears to help. You seek to defend yourself against these never ending attacks. How to proceed?
Read the full article here
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
10 worst blockbusters of all time ... 10 best practices for avoiding ID theft ... The 10 best Will Ferrell skits ... Ten MySQL best practices ... Top 10 wine lists in New York City
Thursday, September 07, 2006
SEC plans 'action' over corruption at Lucent China ... E.U. criticized for action against Microsoft
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP board member resigns over handling of investigation into media leaks... Sony reduces shipment forecast for PlayStation 3 ... SEC warnsLucent it plans to take action over corruption at Chinese operations
HIGHLIGHTS
News: E.U. criticized for action against Microsoft
News: IBM will build new Department of Energy supercomputer
News: SEC plans 'action' over corruption at Lucent China
News: HP offers Integrity servers with Montecito chips
Tip: Scripting multiple Outlook windows
ITwhirled: Betrayed by a cell phone
NEWS UPDATES
E.U. criticized for action against Microsoft
Four European Parliament members warned the European Commission that itsactions toward Microsoft Corp. could endanger the competitiveness ofEuropean businesses by delaying the release of Vista, Microsoft's nextoperating system.
IBM will build new Department of Energy supercomputer
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) chose IBM Corp. to build a newsupercomputer for its Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, IBMannounced Wednesday.
SEC plans 'action' over corruption at Lucent China
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned LucentTechnologies Inc. to expect an "enforcement action" over violations ofthe Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by executives at its Chineseoperations.
HP offers Integrity servers with Montecito chips
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) is launching two servers using Intel Corp.'snew dual-core Itanium chip in a bid to gain market traction for thetroubled Itanium line.
Mobile phones to get PVR features next year
Watching TV on a mobile phone could get more interesting next year withnew technologies that promise to bring TiVo-like recording functionalityto portable devices.
SAP, Cisco ramp up their partnership
Enterprise applications vendor SAP AG and networking company CiscoSystems Inc. are touting their new marketing alliance on governance,risk and compliance (GRC) business processes as a major milestone intheir 18-month-old partnership.
Hutchison's 3G growth slows, customers top 13.5 million
Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. now serves over 13.5 million 3G(third-generation) mobile phone customers worldwide, but the rate atwhich it adds new users has slowed down substantially.
Microsoft aims to patent verb-conjugation technology
Any U.S. high school student who has struggled through verb conjugationsin Spanish class knows how hard it can be to keep all of the verb formsstraight when trying to learn a new language. Now Microsoft Corp. hasfiled a patent for a technology that may help by automaticallyconjugating verbs in various languages.
PC hard disk system warns of Tsunamis
Governments seeking inexpensive technology to warn of tsunamis could beinterested in a free software application that monitors vibrations inthe hard disks of computers in an attempt to detect the underseaearthquakes that cause tsunamis.
TIP
Scripting multiple Outlook windows
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
Most knowledge workers in enterprise environments live by MicrosoftOutlook. Email is so important for today's businesses that getting themost out of using Outlook is essential for job effectiveness.
One complaint I used to have about Outlook 2003 was that I could onlyopen one copy of the program at a time. Double-click on the Outlookshortcut on the desktop, and an Outlook window opens. Double-click onthe same shortcut again and nothing happens. This frustrates me becauseI could manage my email more efficiently if I could have multipleOutlook windows open, one displaying my general Inbox, another my Urgentfolder where I route mail that's flagged as important, another my folderwhere I route mail for a big project I'm working on, and so on. It'sgreat to be able to create rules in Outlook that will route incomingmessages to whatever folders they should be directed, but I'd like tohave these folders always visible on my desktop so I can easily see newmessages arriving in each folder.
ITWHIRLED
Betrayed by a cell phone
As the line between cell phones and PDAs blurs, a lot of people havesome pretty sensitive stuff on their phones: business deals, illicitlove notes, and so on. But just because you delete that informationbefore you throw the phone away doesn't mean it's all gone forever.
Today's IT News Audio Update
HP board member resigns over handling of investigation into media leaks... Sony reduces shipment forecast for PlayStation 3 ... SEC warnsLucent it plans to take action over corruption at Chinese operations
HIGHLIGHTS
News: E.U. criticized for action against Microsoft
News: IBM will build new Department of Energy supercomputer
News: SEC plans 'action' over corruption at Lucent China
News: HP offers Integrity servers with Montecito chips
Tip: Scripting multiple Outlook windows
ITwhirled: Betrayed by a cell phone
NEWS UPDATES
E.U. criticized for action against Microsoft
Four European Parliament members warned the European Commission that itsactions toward Microsoft Corp. could endanger the competitiveness ofEuropean businesses by delaying the release of Vista, Microsoft's nextoperating system.
IBM will build new Department of Energy supercomputer
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) chose IBM Corp. to build a newsupercomputer for its Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, IBMannounced Wednesday.
SEC plans 'action' over corruption at Lucent China
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned LucentTechnologies Inc. to expect an "enforcement action" over violations ofthe Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by executives at its Chineseoperations.
HP offers Integrity servers with Montecito chips
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) is launching two servers using Intel Corp.'snew dual-core Itanium chip in a bid to gain market traction for thetroubled Itanium line.
Mobile phones to get PVR features next year
Watching TV on a mobile phone could get more interesting next year withnew technologies that promise to bring TiVo-like recording functionalityto portable devices.
SAP, Cisco ramp up their partnership
Enterprise applications vendor SAP AG and networking company CiscoSystems Inc. are touting their new marketing alliance on governance,risk and compliance (GRC) business processes as a major milestone intheir 18-month-old partnership.
Hutchison's 3G growth slows, customers top 13.5 million
Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. now serves over 13.5 million 3G(third-generation) mobile phone customers worldwide, but the rate atwhich it adds new users has slowed down substantially.
Microsoft aims to patent verb-conjugation technology
Any U.S. high school student who has struggled through verb conjugationsin Spanish class knows how hard it can be to keep all of the verb formsstraight when trying to learn a new language. Now Microsoft Corp. hasfiled a patent for a technology that may help by automaticallyconjugating verbs in various languages.
PC hard disk system warns of Tsunamis
Governments seeking inexpensive technology to warn of tsunamis could beinterested in a free software application that monitors vibrations inthe hard disks of computers in an attempt to detect the underseaearthquakes that cause tsunamis.
TIP
Scripting multiple Outlook windows
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
Most knowledge workers in enterprise environments live by MicrosoftOutlook. Email is so important for today's businesses that getting themost out of using Outlook is essential for job effectiveness.
One complaint I used to have about Outlook 2003 was that I could onlyopen one copy of the program at a time. Double-click on the Outlookshortcut on the desktop, and an Outlook window opens. Double-click onthe same shortcut again and nothing happens. This frustrates me becauseI could manage my email more efficiently if I could have multipleOutlook windows open, one displaying my general Inbox, another my Urgentfolder where I route mail that's flagged as important, another my folderwhere I route mail for a big project I'm working on, and so on. It'sgreat to be able to create rules in Outlook that will route incomingmessages to whatever folders they should be directed, but I'd like tohave these folders always visible on my desktop so I can easily see newmessages arriving in each folder.
ITWHIRLED
Betrayed by a cell phone
As the line between cell phones and PDAs blurs, a lot of people havesome pretty sensitive stuff on their phones: business deals, illicitlove notes, and so on. But just because you delete that informationbefore you throw the phone away doesn't mean it's all gone forever.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Cisco banks on 'quad play' for sustained growth ... Customization to drive next Salesforce release
HIGHLIGHTS
Cisco banks on 'quad play' for sustained growth
Customization to drive next Salesforce release
Advocacy groups organize to stop surveillance bills
Cisco, Microsoft demo network security cooperation
BT reveals plans for all-IP network
Apple ships 24" iMac and updates range
Intrado tests VOIP E911 fix
NEWS UPDATES
Cisco banks on 'quad play' for sustained growth
Cisco Systems Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Chambers Wednesday stoked the networking vendor's love affair with IT investors by pointing to the company's unified communications strategy and broad product portfolio as a way to sustain growth over the long term.
Customization to drive next Salesforce release
Salesforce.com Inc. is starting to provide some details about the next version of its hosted CRM (customer relationship management) software, including the product's primary focus, which will be customization.
Advocacy groups organize to stop surveillance bills
A group of civil liberties and other advocacy groups are urging supporters to contact the U.S. Congress as it moves ahead to approve an electronic surveillance program run through the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).
Cisco, Microsoft demo network security cooperation
It has taken nearly two years, but Microsoft Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. are finally ready to demonstrate how their network access security products will work together. The demonstration will be held at the Security Standard Conference in Boston this week, where the two companies also will announce plans to roll out an early beta program for certain customers who want to test the new products.
BT reveals plans for all-IP network
BT has revealed the first details of how it plans to roll out its 21st Century Network (21CN), the ambitious all-IP network announced in 2004, designed to replace BT's traditional switched public network.
Apple ships 24" iMac and updates range
Apple has updated its entire iMac line with new Intel Core 2 Duo processors in every model and also launched a 24-inch iMac. The company claims its new processor offers up to 50 percent faster performance than before. In the U.S., iMac prices now start at $999.
Intrado tests VOIP E911 fix
Intrado Inc., a vendor of emergency dialing technology, has conducted a successful trial of using E911 emergency dialing capabilities with mobile VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) phones, the company said.
HIGHLIGHTS
Cisco banks on 'quad play' for sustained growth
Customization to drive next Salesforce release
Advocacy groups organize to stop surveillance bills
Cisco, Microsoft demo network security cooperation
BT reveals plans for all-IP network
Apple ships 24" iMac and updates range
Intrado tests VOIP E911 fix
NEWS UPDATES
Cisco banks on 'quad play' for sustained growth
Cisco Systems Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Chambers Wednesday stoked the networking vendor's love affair with IT investors by pointing to the company's unified communications strategy and broad product portfolio as a way to sustain growth over the long term.
Customization to drive next Salesforce release
Salesforce.com Inc. is starting to provide some details about the next version of its hosted CRM (customer relationship management) software, including the product's primary focus, which will be customization.
Advocacy groups organize to stop surveillance bills
A group of civil liberties and other advocacy groups are urging supporters to contact the U.S. Congress as it moves ahead to approve an electronic surveillance program run through the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).
Cisco, Microsoft demo network security cooperation
It has taken nearly two years, but Microsoft Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. are finally ready to demonstrate how their network access security products will work together. The demonstration will be held at the Security Standard Conference in Boston this week, where the two companies also will announce plans to roll out an early beta program for certain customers who want to test the new products.
BT reveals plans for all-IP network
BT has revealed the first details of how it plans to roll out its 21st Century Network (21CN), the ambitious all-IP network announced in 2004, designed to replace BT's traditional switched public network.
Apple ships 24" iMac and updates range
Apple has updated its entire iMac line with new Intel Core 2 Duo processors in every model and also launched a 24-inch iMac. The company claims its new processor offers up to 50 percent faster performance than before. In the U.S., iMac prices now start at $999.
Intrado tests VOIP E911 fix
Intrado Inc., a vendor of emergency dialing technology, has conducted a successful trial of using E911 emergency dialing capabilities with mobile VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) phones, the company said.
HP filing reveals details of board in-fighting, leaks ... SAP unveils GRC products
Today's IT News Audio Update
Intel lays off thousands more workers ... Vista pricing revealed by Microsoft ... Analysts expect DRAM prices to stay high
HIGHLIGHTS
News: HP filing reveals details of board in-fighting, leaks
News: SAP unveils GRC products, announces Cisco collaboration
News: Google unveils historical research service
News: Sony slashes launch PS3 shipments, big shortages likely
Tip: Scripting multiple Outlook windows
ITwhirled: Securing your job the old-fashioned way
NEWS UPDATES
HP filing reveals details of board in-fighting, leaks
All's still not well in the higher echelons of Hewlett-Packard Co. as revealed in a filing the company made to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). The brouhaha relates to the sudden and unexpected resignation of Silicon Valley venture capitalist Thomas Perkins from HP's board of directors in May.
SAP unveils GRC products, announces Cisco collaboration
Delivering on a promise made earlier this year, SAP AG has unveiled the first set of products to help businesses meet their compliance requirements, in addition to announcing a marketing agreement with Cisco Systems Inc.
Google unveils historical research service
Google Inc. plans to enhance its Google News service with a feature designed to let users find articles with historical information on events and people.
Sony slashes launch PS3 shipments, big shortages likely
In what could result in a Christmas disappointment for hundreds of thousands of children, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has drastically decreased the number of PlayStation 3 consoles it expects to ship this year as it wrestles with shortages of key components.
Testers: Vista appears stable in RC1 release
Early feedback from testers already using Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) report that the OS is more stable than expected, which bodes well for Microsoft Corp.'s plan to have Vista out according to its current schedule.
Intel announces layoffs, reorganization
Continuing his quest to stop a slide in profits, Intel Corp. Chief Executive Paul Otellini announced layoffs of about 7,500 more people Tuesday. Together with previously announced layoffs of middle-management executives and the sale of two business units in recent months, the actions will reduce Intel's workforce by a total of 10,500 people by 2008 -- about 10 percent of the entire company.
Sybase to buy messaging vendor Mobile 365
Sybase Inc. is adding to its mobile portfolio, grabbing messaging service provider Mobile 365 for about $425 million in cash.
HTC to launch BlackBerry rival by end of 2006
Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC), the largest maker of mobile handsets that run the Windows Mobile OS, plans to launch a smartphone that looks like a BlackBerry, complete with a QWERTY keypad, by the end of the year.
Cisco-IBM group wins Silicon Valley wireless deal
Silicon Valley will get a homegrown Wi-Fi network from Cisco Systems Inc. to provide Internet access in metropolitan areas spread across about 1,500 square miles.
Sony upgrades LocationFree platform
Sony Corp. is upgrading its LocationFree platform with more efficient video compression and a receiver add-on for televisions.
SAP is sued over patent infringement
I2 Technologies Inc. accused SAP AG of patent infringement in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The alleged patent infringements relate to SCM models and tools in areas such as managing factory planning systems, negotiating and tracking the sale of goods and allocating manufactured product to sellers.
TIP
Scripting multiple Outlook windows
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprise
Most knowledge workers in enterprise environments live by Microsoft Outlook. Email is so important for today's businesses that getting the most out of using Outlook is essential for job effectiveness.
One complaint I used to have about Outlook 2003 was that I could only open one copy of the program at a time. Double-click on the Outlook shortcut on the desktop, and an Outlook window opens. Double-click on the same shortcut again and nothing happens. This frustrates me because I could manage my email more efficiently if I could have multiple Outlook windows open, one displaying my general Inbox, another my Urgent folder where I route mail that's flagged as important, another my folder where I route mail for a big project I'm working on, and so on. It's great to be able to create rules in Outlook that will route incoming messages to whatever folders they should be directed, but I'd like to have these folders always visible on my desktop so I can easily see new messages arriving in each folder.
ITWHIRLED
How to write unmaintainable code
Programmers take notice! Did you know that if you follow industry conventions in terms of variable names, comments, code indentation, and the like, that just anyone could maintain your code, and thus you'd be easily replaced? In order to ensure that only you can understand the code you write, thus making you indispensable, follow these simple tips.
Today's IT News Audio Update
Intel lays off thousands more workers ... Vista pricing revealed by Microsoft ... Analysts expect DRAM prices to stay high
HIGHLIGHTS
News: HP filing reveals details of board in-fighting, leaks
News: SAP unveils GRC products, announces Cisco collaboration
News: Google unveils historical research service
News: Sony slashes launch PS3 shipments, big shortages likely
Tip: Scripting multiple Outlook windows
ITwhirled: Securing your job the old-fashioned way
NEWS UPDATES
HP filing reveals details of board in-fighting, leaks
All's still not well in the higher echelons of Hewlett-Packard Co. as revealed in a filing the company made to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). The brouhaha relates to the sudden and unexpected resignation of Silicon Valley venture capitalist Thomas Perkins from HP's board of directors in May.
SAP unveils GRC products, announces Cisco collaboration
Delivering on a promise made earlier this year, SAP AG has unveiled the first set of products to help businesses meet their compliance requirements, in addition to announcing a marketing agreement with Cisco Systems Inc.
Google unveils historical research service
Google Inc. plans to enhance its Google News service with a feature designed to let users find articles with historical information on events and people.
Sony slashes launch PS3 shipments, big shortages likely
In what could result in a Christmas disappointment for hundreds of thousands of children, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has drastically decreased the number of PlayStation 3 consoles it expects to ship this year as it wrestles with shortages of key components.
Testers: Vista appears stable in RC1 release
Early feedback from testers already using Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) report that the OS is more stable than expected, which bodes well for Microsoft Corp.'s plan to have Vista out according to its current schedule.
Intel announces layoffs, reorganization
Continuing his quest to stop a slide in profits, Intel Corp. Chief Executive Paul Otellini announced layoffs of about 7,500 more people Tuesday. Together with previously announced layoffs of middle-management executives and the sale of two business units in recent months, the actions will reduce Intel's workforce by a total of 10,500 people by 2008 -- about 10 percent of the entire company.
Sybase to buy messaging vendor Mobile 365
Sybase Inc. is adding to its mobile portfolio, grabbing messaging service provider Mobile 365 for about $425 million in cash.
HTC to launch BlackBerry rival by end of 2006
Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC), the largest maker of mobile handsets that run the Windows Mobile OS, plans to launch a smartphone that looks like a BlackBerry, complete with a QWERTY keypad, by the end of the year.
Cisco-IBM group wins Silicon Valley wireless deal
Silicon Valley will get a homegrown Wi-Fi network from Cisco Systems Inc. to provide Internet access in metropolitan areas spread across about 1,500 square miles.
Sony upgrades LocationFree platform
Sony Corp. is upgrading its LocationFree platform with more efficient video compression and a receiver add-on for televisions.
SAP is sued over patent infringement
I2 Technologies Inc. accused SAP AG of patent infringement in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The alleged patent infringements relate to SCM models and tools in areas such as managing factory planning systems, negotiating and tracking the sale of goods and allocating manufactured product to sellers.
TIP
Scripting multiple Outlook windows
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprise
Most knowledge workers in enterprise environments live by Microsoft Outlook. Email is so important for today's businesses that getting the most out of using Outlook is essential for job effectiveness.
One complaint I used to have about Outlook 2003 was that I could only open one copy of the program at a time. Double-click on the Outlook shortcut on the desktop, and an Outlook window opens. Double-click on the same shortcut again and nothing happens. This frustrates me because I could manage my email more efficiently if I could have multiple Outlook windows open, one displaying my general Inbox, another my Urgent folder where I route mail that's flagged as important, another my folder where I route mail for a big project I'm working on, and so on. It's great to be able to create rules in Outlook that will route incoming messages to whatever folders they should be directed, but I'd like to have these folders always visible on my desktop so I can easily see new messages arriving in each folder.
ITWHIRLED
How to write unmaintainable code
Programmers take notice! Did you know that if you follow industry conventions in terms of variable names, comments, code indentation, and the like, that just anyone could maintain your code, and thus you'd be easily replaced? In order to ensure that only you can understand the code you write, thus making you indispensable, follow these simple tips.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
New Word flaw being used in attacks ... Microsoft sets Vista pricing
HIGHLIGHTS
News: New Word flaw being used in attacks
News: Microsoft sets Vista pricing, expands tester base
News: Lucent settles suits against Alcatel deal
News: IBM opens latest specialized 'Hipod' lab in Brazil
Research: Mobile Banking
NEWS UPDATES
New Word flaw being used in attacks
Symantec Corp. warns that an unpatched flaw in the Windows 2000 version of Microsoft Office 2000 is being used by attackers to run unauthorized software on a victim's computer.
Microsoft sets Vista pricing, expands tester base
Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday released the pricing for Windows Vista, about a week after online retailer Amazon.com disclosed the OS's pricing on its Web site. The company also expanded the tester base of Vista to about 5 million users as it begins gearing up for Windows Vista's widespread release, which is scheduled for early next year.
Lucent settles suits against Alcatel deal
Lucent Technologies Inc. has averted a potentially embarrassing delay of its shareholder vote on a merger with Alcatel SA, settling two suits by shareholders who said the deal doesn't maximize shareholder value.
IBM opens latest specialized 'Hipod' lab in Brazil
IBM Corp. has chosen Sao Paulo as the sixth global location for its specialized software and services laboratories known as "Hipods" or high-performance on-demand solutions facilities, which focus on resolving large-scale computing issues for IBM customers, including eBay Inc. and Google Inc.
Wi-Fi phones arrive, but still expensive
The trickle of Wi-Fi phones is becoming a flood, with two new products coming from Panasonic and Linksys, but they still look expensive.
Belkin to ship 802.11n WiFi products this month
Belkin has unveiled its range of new wireless devices based on the draft standard for next-generation wireless networking, 802.11n.
RESEARCH
Mobile Banking
By Dan Blacharski
The technology to make payments using your mobile phone is here.
Read the full article here
HIGHLIGHTS
News: New Word flaw being used in attacks
News: Microsoft sets Vista pricing, expands tester base
News: Lucent settles suits against Alcatel deal
News: IBM opens latest specialized 'Hipod' lab in Brazil
Research: Mobile Banking
NEWS UPDATES
New Word flaw being used in attacks
Symantec Corp. warns that an unpatched flaw in the Windows 2000 version of Microsoft Office 2000 is being used by attackers to run unauthorized software on a victim's computer.
Microsoft sets Vista pricing, expands tester base
Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday released the pricing for Windows Vista, about a week after online retailer Amazon.com disclosed the OS's pricing on its Web site. The company also expanded the tester base of Vista to about 5 million users as it begins gearing up for Windows Vista's widespread release, which is scheduled for early next year.
Lucent settles suits against Alcatel deal
Lucent Technologies Inc. has averted a potentially embarrassing delay of its shareholder vote on a merger with Alcatel SA, settling two suits by shareholders who said the deal doesn't maximize shareholder value.
IBM opens latest specialized 'Hipod' lab in Brazil
IBM Corp. has chosen Sao Paulo as the sixth global location for its specialized software and services laboratories known as "Hipods" or high-performance on-demand solutions facilities, which focus on resolving large-scale computing issues for IBM customers, including eBay Inc. and Google Inc.
Wi-Fi phones arrive, but still expensive
The trickle of Wi-Fi phones is becoming a flood, with two new products coming from Panasonic and Linksys, but they still look expensive.
Belkin to ship 802.11n WiFi products this month
Belkin has unveiled its range of new wireless devices based on the draft standard for next-generation wireless networking, 802.11n.
RESEARCH
Mobile Banking
By Dan Blacharski
The technology to make payments using your mobile phone is here.
Read the full article here
Panasonic recalls laptop batteries ... Microsoft nets phishing filter technology
Today's IT News Audio Update
IPod maker drops lawsuit against Chinese journalists ... MySpace tests music download service ... China's broadband market to overtake the U.S. next year
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Panasonic recalls laptop batteries in Japan
News: Microsoft nets phishing filter technology
News: No show for SanDisk MP3 players
News: Record sales highlight DRAM price rise
News: Google, sex keys to blogging success
ITwhirled: The Office Values
NEWS UPDATES
Panasonic recalls laptop batteries in Japan
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic) is recalling several thousand laptop computer battery packs because mechanical problems with the pack's latch could lead to overheating of the battery.
Microsoft nets phishing filter technology
Microsoft Corp. is using data-mining techniques from a third party in its Internet browsers to guard against "phishing" attacks, where dubious Web sites try to harvest personal information from unknowing victims.
No show for SanDisk MP3 players
Music lovers hoping to see the latest MP3 music players from SanDisk Corp. at the IFA consumer electronics show in Germany will have to find an alternative venue outside the country. SanDisk was forced to remove the MP3 music players after an Italian patents company won a legal ruling in a local court.
Record sales highlight DRAM price rise
Some of Taiwan's DRAM makers have reported record monthly sales for August, highlighting an increase in DRAM prices that could continue in the months ahead.
Google, sex keys to blogging success in China
Two China-based bloggers have found the secret to generating more page views: sex sells, and Google helps readers find it.
Study: Apple iPod mobile may be sales challenge
Apple may be unwise to assume consumers want an iPod that is also a mobile phone, new research warns.
Symbian-to-PC worm on the loose
A worm that can move from a Symbian phone to a PC has been reported by security experts F-Secure.
DOS lives! Open source reinvents past
Twelve years after Microsoft announced it would stop development of DOS, an open source replacement -- FreeDOS -- has hit its 1.0 release.
Browzar no more than advertising platform
A new, free browser that claims it can safeguard privacy has been hit with accusations that it is really a platform for advertising and -- worse still -- is insecure.
ITWHIRLED
The Office Values
Microsoft is apparently pretty peeved that these internal spoof "training" videos, made by the team behind the original UK version of The Office, have found their way onto Google Video, but we don't know why. Doesn't the world's largest corporation, which has a somewhat sinister reputation, want to show its human side? At any rate, the videos, as fans of Ricky Gervais will guess, are hilarious.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Microsoft looks set to ship Vista on time ... Singapore tests free Wi-Fi service ... Trial of Livedoor chief starts with plea of not guilty
Today's IT news audio update
Sandisk device records live TV to flash cards ... iPod subcontractor dismisses Chinese libel suit ... Google seeks surfers' help to label images
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Sandisk device records live TV to flash cards
News: iPod subcontractor dismisses Chinese libel suit
News: Crikey! Crocodile Hunter news devours bandwidth
News: Google seeks surfers' help to label images
News: MySpace enters crowded music download market
NEWS UPDATES
Sandisk device records live TV to flash cards
Sandisk Corp. now offers a small, lightweight portable device that allows consumers to record all types of video input, including live TV, to a range of flash memory cards.
iPod subcontractor dismisses Chinese libel suit
The subcontractor accused of mistreating workers at an iPod factory in China dropped its libel suit against two reporters and the news organization they work for in Shanghai.
Crikey! Crocodile Hunter news devours bandwidth
News that Australia's own crocodile hunter Steve Irwin has died had Web site traffic in overdrive today with many news sites operating on low bandwidth mode due to high traffic.
Google seeks surfers' help to label images
Google Inc. is asking surfers with time on their hands to help it categorize and label the images indexed by its search engine, building a database of knowledge about the contents of the images.
MySpace enters crowded music download market
MySpace.com is launching a new music download service that emphasizes music from independent artists, the latest in a string of services announced in recent weeks that hope to topple iTunes from its crown.
Today's IT news audio update
Sandisk device records live TV to flash cards ... iPod subcontractor dismisses Chinese libel suit ... Google seeks surfers' help to label images
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Sandisk device records live TV to flash cards
News: iPod subcontractor dismisses Chinese libel suit
News: Crikey! Crocodile Hunter news devours bandwidth
News: Google seeks surfers' help to label images
News: MySpace enters crowded music download market
NEWS UPDATES
Sandisk device records live TV to flash cards
Sandisk Corp. now offers a small, lightweight portable device that allows consumers to record all types of video input, including live TV, to a range of flash memory cards.
iPod subcontractor dismisses Chinese libel suit
The subcontractor accused of mistreating workers at an iPod factory in China dropped its libel suit against two reporters and the news organization they work for in Shanghai.
Crikey! Crocodile Hunter news devours bandwidth
News that Australia's own crocodile hunter Steve Irwin has died had Web site traffic in overdrive today with many news sites operating on low bandwidth mode due to high traffic.
Google seeks surfers' help to label images
Google Inc. is asking surfers with time on their hands to help it categorize and label the images indexed by its search engine, building a database of knowledge about the contents of the images.
MySpace enters crowded music download market
MySpace.com is launching a new music download service that emphasizes music from independent artists, the latest in a string of services announced in recent weeks that hope to topple iTunes from its crown.
Friday, September 01, 2006
New beta out for next-generation Firefox 2.0 browser...EMC-HP storage race tightens in second quarter...Intel may lay off thousands next week, reports say
Today's IT news audio update
Alcatel has reached an agreement to buy Nortel’s 3G mobile phone network business, Intel is expected to announce the results of an internal review of its operations, Sony has appointed one of its presidents to oversee product quality and safety ...
HIGHLIGHTS
News: EMC-HP storage race tightens in second quarter
News: Microsoft offers free parental control service
News: Alcatel-Lucent deal faces legal test
News: Hitachi targets cars, videos with new hard disks
News: TDK develops prototype 200G Blu-ray disc
News: Alcatel to buy Nortel's UMTS business
News: Intel may lay off thousands next week, reports say
News: MS Antitrust: US makes formal request for extended order
News: New phones run Skype without PC
News: New beta out for next-generation Firefox 2.0 browser
ITwhirled: The war on CAPS LOCK
Opinion: Communications Mashup
NEWS UPDATES
EMC-HP storage race tightens in second quarter
Number two storage systems maker Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has closed the gap between it and number one EMC Corp. to what research company IDC calls "a statistical tie."
Microsoft offers free parental control service
Microsoft Corp. has opened up testing of a new Web-based service that allows parents to control what their kids do on the Internet.
Alcatel-Lucent deal faces legal test
Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc.'s plan to form a global communications equipment giant may run into a roadblock next week in a state court in New Jersey.
Hitachi targets cars, videos with new hard disks
Hitachi Ltd. hopes to win market share from rival Toshiba Corp. with three new high-capacity hard drives that will reach the digital video recording and automotive navigation markets in 2007.
TDK develops prototype 200G Blu-ray disc
In the battle of new optical storage formats, Blu-ray Disc has added another weapon -- even more storage.
Alcatel to buy Nortel's UMTS business
Alcatel SA has reached a preliminary agreement to buy Nortel Network Corp.'s 3G (third-generation) mobile phone network business for US$320 million.
Intel may lay off thousands next week, reports say
Intel Corp. will announce the results of an internal review of its operations next week that could result in thousands of layoffs at the company, according to published reports.
MS ANTITRUST: US makes formal request for extended order
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Microsoft Corp. filed formal paperwork Wednesday to extend part of an antitrust judgment against the company for at least two years.
New phones run Skype without PC
Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV has announced a new phone that allows users of Skype Ltd.'s Internet telephony service to make calls without having to boot up their PCs.
New beta out for next-generation Firefox 2.0 browser
Mozilla Corp. has released a new test version of Firefox 2.0, which will be the next major version of its popular open-source browser.
ITWHIRLED
The war on CAPS LOCK
Tired of your grandmother sending you e-mails in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS? One brave band of visionaries, organized on a Google Groups site, is daring to dream of the impossible: a day when the caps lock key is no longer a standard feature on computer keyboards.
OPINION
Communications Mashup
By James Gaskin
Call it Unified Messaging, Unified Collaboration, or call it years of
hype with unfulfilled potential. Or you can call it Unifying
Communications like the people at AVST (.com), as long as you keep
trying to organize and update communications in new ways. And have
another year or two of patience.
Today's IT news audio update
Alcatel has reached an agreement to buy Nortel’s 3G mobile phone network business, Intel is expected to announce the results of an internal review of its operations, Sony has appointed one of its presidents to oversee product quality and safety ...
HIGHLIGHTS
News: EMC-HP storage race tightens in second quarter
News: Microsoft offers free parental control service
News: Alcatel-Lucent deal faces legal test
News: Hitachi targets cars, videos with new hard disks
News: TDK develops prototype 200G Blu-ray disc
News: Alcatel to buy Nortel's UMTS business
News: Intel may lay off thousands next week, reports say
News: MS Antitrust: US makes formal request for extended order
News: New phones run Skype without PC
News: New beta out for next-generation Firefox 2.0 browser
ITwhirled: The war on CAPS LOCK
Opinion: Communications Mashup
NEWS UPDATES
EMC-HP storage race tightens in second quarter
Number two storage systems maker Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has closed the gap between it and number one EMC Corp. to what research company IDC calls "a statistical tie."
Microsoft offers free parental control service
Microsoft Corp. has opened up testing of a new Web-based service that allows parents to control what their kids do on the Internet.
Alcatel-Lucent deal faces legal test
Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc.'s plan to form a global communications equipment giant may run into a roadblock next week in a state court in New Jersey.
Hitachi targets cars, videos with new hard disks
Hitachi Ltd. hopes to win market share from rival Toshiba Corp. with three new high-capacity hard drives that will reach the digital video recording and automotive navigation markets in 2007.
TDK develops prototype 200G Blu-ray disc
In the battle of new optical storage formats, Blu-ray Disc has added another weapon -- even more storage.
Alcatel to buy Nortel's UMTS business
Alcatel SA has reached a preliminary agreement to buy Nortel Network Corp.'s 3G (third-generation) mobile phone network business for US$320 million.
Intel may lay off thousands next week, reports say
Intel Corp. will announce the results of an internal review of its operations next week that could result in thousands of layoffs at the company, according to published reports.
MS ANTITRUST: US makes formal request for extended order
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Microsoft Corp. filed formal paperwork Wednesday to extend part of an antitrust judgment against the company for at least two years.
New phones run Skype without PC
Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV has announced a new phone that allows users of Skype Ltd.'s Internet telephony service to make calls without having to boot up their PCs.
New beta out for next-generation Firefox 2.0 browser
Mozilla Corp. has released a new test version of Firefox 2.0, which will be the next major version of its popular open-source browser.
ITWHIRLED
The war on CAPS LOCK
Tired of your grandmother sending you e-mails in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS? One brave band of visionaries, organized on a Google Groups site, is daring to dream of the impossible: a day when the caps lock key is no longer a standard feature on computer keyboards.
OPINION
Communications Mashup
By James Gaskin
Call it Unified Messaging, Unified Collaboration, or call it years of
hype with unfulfilled potential. Or you can call it Unifying
Communications like the people at AVST (.com), as long as you keep
trying to organize and update communications in new ways. And have
another year or two of patience.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Amazon.com spills beans on Office 2007 ship date ... Sony launches official PlayStation 3 site in Japan...Nokia muscles up N80 series Internet features
Today's IT news audio update
The contract manufacturer of the iPod has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists... , A French investor-advisory firm has urged Alcatel’s shareholders to reject its merger with Lucent...
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Nokia muscles up N80 series Internet features
News: EU/US discord could ground passengers, air chief says
News: Biggest contract electronics maker posts strong Q2
News: Sony launches official PlayStation 3 site in Japan
News: IPod maker cuts damage claim to 1 renminbi
News: Micron Technology unveils 16G-byte memory chip
News: Intel to launch vPro desktop bundle Sept. 7
News: Web browser focuses on not leaving user footprints
News: Novell initiates internal stock option investigation
News: Amazon.com spills beans on Office 2007 ship date
ITwhirled: The war on CAPS LOCK
Opinion: If 80 gigs is enough, then...
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
NEWS UPDATES
Nokia muscles up N80 series Internet features
Nokia Corp. will release a new version of its N80 multimedia phone next month with beefed-up Internet capabilities.
EU/US discord could ground passengers, air chief says
A failure by the U.S. and European Union to reach a new agreement next month on the provision of passenger data for transatlantic flights could ground up to 105,000 people each week, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) director general said Thursday.
Biggest contract electronics maker posts strong Q2
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, continued to increase its lead over rivals in the second quarter, posting a 30 percent rise in sales
Sony launches official PlayStation 3 site in Japan
Three weeks ahead of the first public unveiling of its PlayStation 3 console, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has launched an official Web site for the new console.
IPod maker cuts damage claim to 1 renminbi
The iPod manufacturer at the heart of a furor over the treatment of workers in China has reduced the damages it is seeking from a pair of journalists accused of defaming the company.
Micron Technology unveils 16G-byte memory chip
Micron Technology Inc. is offering a new 16G-byte DRAM memory chip it's billing as the densest server-memory module on the market.
Intel to launch vPro desktop bundle Sept. 7
Intel Corp. is set to announce next week that Hewlett-Packard Co. and other vendors are ready to ship the chip company's vPro technology bundle in business desktops, according to sources.
Web browser focuses on not leaving user footprints
The latest entrant to the crowded Internet browser market is the appropriately named Browzar, a tool specifically designed to protect users' privacy by not retaining details of the Web sites they've searched.
Novell initiates internal stock option investigation
Novell Inc. has begun an internal review to investigate how the company granted stock options to employees in recent years and to assess whether, in the light of the findings, Novell will need to restate any earnings.
Amazon.com spills beans on Office 2007 ship date
Windows Vista isn't the only forthcoming Microsoft Corp. software for which Amazon.com Inc. has apparently pre-announced availability. The online retailer also is taking pre-orders for Microsoft Office 2007, and has listed that the day that product will be available is the same as Windows Vista: Jan. 30, 2007.
ITWHIRLED
The war on CAPS LOCK
Tired of your grandmother sending you e-mails in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS? One brave band of visionaries, organized on a Google Groups site, is daring to dream of the impossible: a day when the caps lock key is no longer a standard feature on computer keyboards.
OPINION
If 80 gigs is enough, then...
By Sean McGrath
I have an 80 gigabyte hard disk in my laptop and, for the first time in my career in computing, I am having difficulty filling it up with stuff that I need to do my job. Sure I can fill it with lots of audio and lots of video (given enough bandwidth and patience) but to be honest, the amount of multimedia stuff I need for my day job is limited to some podcasts and the occasional product demo video.
Today's IT news audio update
The contract manufacturer of the iPod has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists... , A French investor-advisory firm has urged Alcatel’s shareholders to reject its merger with Lucent...
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Nokia muscles up N80 series Internet features
News: EU/US discord could ground passengers, air chief says
News: Biggest contract electronics maker posts strong Q2
News: Sony launches official PlayStation 3 site in Japan
News: IPod maker cuts damage claim to 1 renminbi
News: Micron Technology unveils 16G-byte memory chip
News: Intel to launch vPro desktop bundle Sept. 7
News: Web browser focuses on not leaving user footprints
News: Novell initiates internal stock option investigation
News: Amazon.com spills beans on Office 2007 ship date
ITwhirled: The war on CAPS LOCK
Opinion: If 80 gigs is enough, then...
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
NEWS UPDATES
Nokia muscles up N80 series Internet features
Nokia Corp. will release a new version of its N80 multimedia phone next month with beefed-up Internet capabilities.
EU/US discord could ground passengers, air chief says
A failure by the U.S. and European Union to reach a new agreement next month on the provision of passenger data for transatlantic flights could ground up to 105,000 people each week, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) director general said Thursday.
Biggest contract electronics maker posts strong Q2
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, continued to increase its lead over rivals in the second quarter, posting a 30 percent rise in sales
Sony launches official PlayStation 3 site in Japan
Three weeks ahead of the first public unveiling of its PlayStation 3 console, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. has launched an official Web site for the new console.
IPod maker cuts damage claim to 1 renminbi
The iPod manufacturer at the heart of a furor over the treatment of workers in China has reduced the damages it is seeking from a pair of journalists accused of defaming the company.
Micron Technology unveils 16G-byte memory chip
Micron Technology Inc. is offering a new 16G-byte DRAM memory chip it's billing as the densest server-memory module on the market.
Intel to launch vPro desktop bundle Sept. 7
Intel Corp. is set to announce next week that Hewlett-Packard Co. and other vendors are ready to ship the chip company's vPro technology bundle in business desktops, according to sources.
Web browser focuses on not leaving user footprints
The latest entrant to the crowded Internet browser market is the appropriately named Browzar, a tool specifically designed to protect users' privacy by not retaining details of the Web sites they've searched.
Novell initiates internal stock option investigation
Novell Inc. has begun an internal review to investigate how the company granted stock options to employees in recent years and to assess whether, in the light of the findings, Novell will need to restate any earnings.
Amazon.com spills beans on Office 2007 ship date
Windows Vista isn't the only forthcoming Microsoft Corp. software for which Amazon.com Inc. has apparently pre-announced availability. The online retailer also is taking pre-orders for Microsoft Office 2007, and has listed that the day that product will be available is the same as Windows Vista: Jan. 30, 2007.
ITWHIRLED
The war on CAPS LOCK
Tired of your grandmother sending you e-mails in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS? One brave band of visionaries, organized on a Google Groups site, is daring to dream of the impossible: a day when the caps lock key is no longer a standard feature on computer keyboards.
OPINION
If 80 gigs is enough, then...
By Sean McGrath
I have an 80 gigabyte hard disk in my laptop and, for the first time in my career in computing, I am having difficulty filling it up with stuff that I need to do my job. Sure I can fill it with lots of audio and lots of video (given enough bandwidth and patience) but to be honest, the amount of multimedia stuff I need for my day job is limited to some podcasts and the occasional product demo video.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
iPod contract maker sues journalists for defamation ... AT&T online store hacked, thousands affected... Windows goes Bolivian
Today's IT news audio update
The contract manufacturer of the iPod has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists... , A French investor-advisory firm has urged Alcatel’s shareholders to reject its merger with Lucent...
HIGHLIGHTS
News: iPod contract maker sues journalists for defamation
News: French advisory firm opposes Lucent-Alcatel merger
News: CTIA: New specification to lock down mobile phones
News: DDR2 finally crowned DRAM king
News: AT&T online store hacked, thousands affected
News: Windows goes Bolivian
News: Emulex acquires Sierra Logic for $180 million
News: Fujitsu plans higher capacity 2.5-inch drives
News: Intel unveils "Merom" chip for notebooks
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Top 10 custom JavaScript functions of all time
NEWS UPDATES
iPod contract maker sues journalists for defamation
The contract manufacturer of the iPod music player has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists who wrote articles about working conditions at factories where iPods are made, according to Chinese press reports.
French advisory firm opposes Lucent-Alcatel merger
Alcatel SA shareholders have been urged by a French advisory group to reject the proposed merger with Lucent Technologies SA, citing unfavorable financial and corporate governance terms.
CTIA: New specification to lock down mobile phones
A new set of security standards designed to lock down mobile devices has been hammered out and is set to be unveiled at the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show being held in Los Angeles next month.
DDR2 finally crowned DRAM king
After a much longer than expected delay, DDR2 (double data rate, second generation) has finally taken over as the most popular memory chip used in PCs.
AT&T online store hacked, thousands affected
AT&T Inc. confirmed Tuesday that its online store had been hacked and the credit card information and personal data of up to 19,000 customers possibly compromised.
Windows goes Bolivian
Microsoft has released an update giving Windows an interface in the Quechua language, descended from the tongue of South America's ancient Incas.
Emulex acquires Sierra Logic for $180 million
Emulex Corp. will buy Sierra Logic Inc. to build a bigger enterprise storage portfolio.
Fujitsu plans higher capacity 2.5-inch drives
Fujitsu Ltd. will soon bring the benefits of perpendicular recording technology to its family of 2.5-inch hard-disk drives.
Intel unveils "Merom" chip for notebooks
Intel Corp. formally announced its "Merom" chip for notebooks Monday, as vendors including Dell Inc's Alienware, Gateway Inc. and Toshiba America Inc. announced new models built around the processor.
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
The top 10 video game badasses ... Top 10 custom JavaScript functions of all time ... Top 10 sites for students ... 10 best musical works ... The 10 best cruise ships in 2006
Today's IT news audio update
The contract manufacturer of the iPod has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists... , A French investor-advisory firm has urged Alcatel’s shareholders to reject its merger with Lucent...
HIGHLIGHTS
News: iPod contract maker sues journalists for defamation
News: French advisory firm opposes Lucent-Alcatel merger
News: CTIA: New specification to lock down mobile phones
News: DDR2 finally crowned DRAM king
News: AT&T online store hacked, thousands affected
News: Windows goes Bolivian
News: Emulex acquires Sierra Logic for $180 million
News: Fujitsu plans higher capacity 2.5-inch drives
News: Intel unveils "Merom" chip for notebooks
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Top 10 custom JavaScript functions of all time
NEWS UPDATES
iPod contract maker sues journalists for defamation
The contract manufacturer of the iPod music player has filed lawsuits against two Chinese journalists who wrote articles about working conditions at factories where iPods are made, according to Chinese press reports.
French advisory firm opposes Lucent-Alcatel merger
Alcatel SA shareholders have been urged by a French advisory group to reject the proposed merger with Lucent Technologies SA, citing unfavorable financial and corporate governance terms.
CTIA: New specification to lock down mobile phones
A new set of security standards designed to lock down mobile devices has been hammered out and is set to be unveiled at the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show being held in Los Angeles next month.
DDR2 finally crowned DRAM king
After a much longer than expected delay, DDR2 (double data rate, second generation) has finally taken over as the most popular memory chip used in PCs.
AT&T online store hacked, thousands affected
AT&T Inc. confirmed Tuesday that its online store had been hacked and the credit card information and personal data of up to 19,000 customers possibly compromised.
Windows goes Bolivian
Microsoft has released an update giving Windows an interface in the Quechua language, descended from the tongue of South America's ancient Incas.
Emulex acquires Sierra Logic for $180 million
Emulex Corp. will buy Sierra Logic Inc. to build a bigger enterprise storage portfolio.
Fujitsu plans higher capacity 2.5-inch drives
Fujitsu Ltd. will soon bring the benefits of perpendicular recording technology to its family of 2.5-inch hard-disk drives.
Intel unveils "Merom" chip for notebooks
Intel Corp. formally announced its "Merom" chip for notebooks Monday, as vendors including Dell Inc's Alienware, Gateway Inc. and Toshiba America Inc. announced new models built around the processor.
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
The top 10 video game badasses ... Top 10 custom JavaScript functions of all time ... Top 10 sites for students ... 10 best musical works ... The 10 best cruise ships in 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Samsung shrinks 1G-bit DDR2 chips ... Nokia top, Lenovo bottom of eco-friendly list ... Server vendors to use Intel "Tulsa" chips
Today's IT news audio update
Chip maker TSMC sues SMIC for breaking legal settlement ... Microsoft Canada lets Vista pricing slip out ... Wi-Fi Alliance to certify 802.11n gear before standard ready
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Samsung shrinks 1G-bit DDR2 chips
News: Server vendors to use Intel "Tulsa" chips
News: Nokia top, Lenovo bottom of eco-friendly list
News: Nokia appliances to get a snort of Sourcefire
News: Wi-Fi Alliance to certify pre-standard 802.11n gear
News: Service provider launches VM hosting
News: Customers may pay more for Microsoft legacy support
News: Denmark joins converged Wi-Fi cellular fray
News: Verizon plans co-branded Windows Live services
News: Verizon launches do-it-yourself gaming server software
News: Microsoft leaks Vista pricing on Web site
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: EFF sues dinosaur Barney over free speech
Storage Tip: Know your data types
NEWS UPDATES
Samsung shrinks 1G-bit DDR2 chips
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has started mass-producing 1 G-bit DDR (double data rate 2) DRAM memory chips using an advanced manufacturing process that allows it to make the chips smaller and at less cost.
Server vendors to use Intel "Tulsa" chips
Dozens of server manufacturers Tuesday announced plans to incorporate Intel Corp.'s new dual-core 64-bit Xeon 7100 processor, dubbed "Tulsa," into upcoming servers.
Nokia top, Lenovo bottom of eco-friendly list
Nonprofit environmental organization Greenpeace has rated mobile phone giant Nokia Corp. highly for its eco-friendly policies, but gave low marks to Lenovo Group Ltd., Motorola Inc. and Apple Computer Inc., among others.
Nokia appliances to get a snort of Sourcefire
Nokia Corp. plans to integrate Sourcefire Inc.'s intrusion prevention software into its line of network security appliances by year-end.
Wi-Fi Alliance to certify pre-standard 802.11n gear
The Wi-Fi Alliance will start certifying next-generation wireless LAN products in the first half of next year no matter what.
Service provider launches VM hosting
Bulletproof Networks will this week launch a dedicated virtual machine (VM) hosting service. The service, which will be operational on September 1, 2006, includes standard and enterprise-level offerings with access to IT engineers, additional performance and memory capacity and continuous support.
Customers may pay more for Microsoft legacy support
It could become more costly for customers who have older versions of certain Microsoft Corp. software to continue purchasing support from the vendor.
Denmark joins converged Wi-Fi cellular fray
Denmark joins a growing number of countries where households and small businesses can buy converged Wi-Fi-cellular services.
Verizon plans co-branded Windows Live services
By early 2007, Verizon Communications Inc. will bundle a variety of Microsoft Corp. software services into its broadband Internet access package, the companies said Tuesday.
Verizon launches do-it-yourself gaming server software
Verizon Communications Inc. has released new software that allows PC and console gamers to set up their own servers to host multiplayer games on their own computers.
Microsoft leaks Vista pricing on Web site
Microsoft Corp. on Monday accidentally listed the pricing of the high-end consumer versions of Windows Vista on its Canadian Web site.
ITWHIRLED
EFF sues dinosaur Barney over free speech
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed a lawsuit against the company that produces the "Barney and Friends" children's television program, saying it has harassed the creator of a Barney parody Web site with "baseless legal threats."
TIP
Storage Tip: Know your data types
Today's IT news audio update
Chip maker TSMC sues SMIC for breaking legal settlement ... Microsoft Canada lets Vista pricing slip out ... Wi-Fi Alliance to certify 802.11n gear before standard ready
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Samsung shrinks 1G-bit DDR2 chips
News: Server vendors to use Intel "Tulsa" chips
News: Nokia top, Lenovo bottom of eco-friendly list
News: Nokia appliances to get a snort of Sourcefire
News: Wi-Fi Alliance to certify pre-standard 802.11n gear
News: Service provider launches VM hosting
News: Customers may pay more for Microsoft legacy support
News: Denmark joins converged Wi-Fi cellular fray
News: Verizon plans co-branded Windows Live services
News: Verizon launches do-it-yourself gaming server software
News: Microsoft leaks Vista pricing on Web site
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: EFF sues dinosaur Barney over free speech
Storage Tip: Know your data types
NEWS UPDATES
Samsung shrinks 1G-bit DDR2 chips
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has started mass-producing 1 G-bit DDR (double data rate 2) DRAM memory chips using an advanced manufacturing process that allows it to make the chips smaller and at less cost.
Server vendors to use Intel "Tulsa" chips
Dozens of server manufacturers Tuesday announced plans to incorporate Intel Corp.'s new dual-core 64-bit Xeon 7100 processor, dubbed "Tulsa," into upcoming servers.
Nokia top, Lenovo bottom of eco-friendly list
Nonprofit environmental organization Greenpeace has rated mobile phone giant Nokia Corp. highly for its eco-friendly policies, but gave low marks to Lenovo Group Ltd., Motorola Inc. and Apple Computer Inc., among others.
Nokia appliances to get a snort of Sourcefire
Nokia Corp. plans to integrate Sourcefire Inc.'s intrusion prevention software into its line of network security appliances by year-end.
Wi-Fi Alliance to certify pre-standard 802.11n gear
The Wi-Fi Alliance will start certifying next-generation wireless LAN products in the first half of next year no matter what.
Service provider launches VM hosting
Bulletproof Networks will this week launch a dedicated virtual machine (VM) hosting service. The service, which will be operational on September 1, 2006, includes standard and enterprise-level offerings with access to IT engineers, additional performance and memory capacity and continuous support.
Customers may pay more for Microsoft legacy support
It could become more costly for customers who have older versions of certain Microsoft Corp. software to continue purchasing support from the vendor.
Denmark joins converged Wi-Fi cellular fray
Denmark joins a growing number of countries where households and small businesses can buy converged Wi-Fi-cellular services.
Verizon plans co-branded Windows Live services
By early 2007, Verizon Communications Inc. will bundle a variety of Microsoft Corp. software services into its broadband Internet access package, the companies said Tuesday.
Verizon launches do-it-yourself gaming server software
Verizon Communications Inc. has released new software that allows PC and console gamers to set up their own servers to host multiplayer games on their own computers.
Microsoft leaks Vista pricing on Web site
Microsoft Corp. on Monday accidentally listed the pricing of the high-end consumer versions of Windows Vista on its Canadian Web site.
ITWHIRLED
EFF sues dinosaur Barney over free speech
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed a lawsuit against the company that produces the "Barney and Friends" children's television program, saying it has harassed the creator of a Barney parody Web site with "baseless legal threats."
TIP
Storage Tip: Know your data types
Monday, August 28, 2006
Oracle continues PeopleSoft 9 rollout ... AOL 9.0 is accused of 'badware behavior' ... McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks'
Today's IT news audio update
Google launches hosted application suite for small business ... Toshiba to make Microsoft's Zune music player ... Much work remains to be done on Oracle's Fusion project
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Oracle continues PeopleSoft 9 rollout
News: Google rolls out apps-hosting beta version for biz
News: AOL 9.0 is accused of 'badware behavior'
News: McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks'
News: Google signs advertising deal with eBay
News: Atheros to pave way for cheaper fast WLAN
News: Toshiba will build Microsoft Zune players
News: Qualcomm launches chip for low-cost phones
Podcast: Today's" IT news audio update
ITwhirled: The automatic Web 2.0 logo creator
NEWS UPDATES
Oracle continues PeopleSoft 9 rollout
Oracle Corp. continued to release pieces of its PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 applications suite, turning its attentions to performance management. The move is part of Oracle's most substantial revamp of the suite since acquiring PeopleSoft in January 2005.
Google rolls out apps-hosting beta version for biz
Google Inc. has launched Google Apps for Your Domain, a suite of hosted collaboration applications for small to medium-size businesses, universities, groups and affinity organizations, with plans to expand to larger companies by year's end.
AOL 9.0 is accused of 'badware behavior'
AOL LLC's free Internet client software has earned the company a slap on the wrist from StopBadware.org, a consortium set up to combat malicious software. In a report set to be released Monday, the group advises users to steer clear of the software because of its "badware behavior."
McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks'
Cell phone users should watch out for text messages containing a Web site link which, when visited, could download a Trojan horse, security experts have warned.
Google signs advertising deal with eBay
Google Inc. has signed a deal to become the exclusive provider of text-based advertising for eBay Inc.'s Web sites outside of the U.S.
Atheros to pave way for cheaper fast WLAN
Wireless LAN access points based on the first draft of a new, faster standard are likely to dip below US$100 for the holidays.
Toshiba will build Microsoft Zune players
Microsoft Corp. confirmed Friday that Toshiba Corp. will manufacture its Zune music player, a product the company aims to take on Apple Computer Inc.'s successful iPod.
Qualcomm launches chip for low-cost phones
With an eye to the nascent market for low-cost mobile phones in emerging markets, Qualcomm Inc. has unveiled a new chip that integrates several components into a single system.
ITWHIRLED
The automatic Web 2.0 logo creator
Do you want to turn your last-generation dot-com into a new Ajax-based, user-content-driven, blogging/wiki/whatever Web 2.0 company? Well, the first thing you're going to need is a new logo. Thankfully, this online utility (which actually seems to be built on a lot of Web 2.0 technologies) does it quick and easy for you.
TIP
Scripting multiple Outlook windows
Today's IT news audio update
Google launches hosted application suite for small business ... Toshiba to make Microsoft's Zune music player ... Much work remains to be done on Oracle's Fusion project
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Oracle continues PeopleSoft 9 rollout
News: Google rolls out apps-hosting beta version for biz
News: AOL 9.0 is accused of 'badware behavior'
News: McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks'
News: Google signs advertising deal with eBay
News: Atheros to pave way for cheaper fast WLAN
News: Toshiba will build Microsoft Zune players
News: Qualcomm launches chip for low-cost phones
Podcast: Today's" IT news audio update
ITwhirled: The automatic Web 2.0 logo creator
NEWS UPDATES
Oracle continues PeopleSoft 9 rollout
Oracle Corp. continued to release pieces of its PeopleSoft Enterprise 9 applications suite, turning its attentions to performance management. The move is part of Oracle's most substantial revamp of the suite since acquiring PeopleSoft in January 2005.
Google rolls out apps-hosting beta version for biz
Google Inc. has launched Google Apps for Your Domain, a suite of hosted collaboration applications for small to medium-size businesses, universities, groups and affinity organizations, with plans to expand to larger companies by year's end.
AOL 9.0 is accused of 'badware behavior'
AOL LLC's free Internet client software has earned the company a slap on the wrist from StopBadware.org, a consortium set up to combat malicious software. In a report set to be released Monday, the group advises users to steer clear of the software because of its "badware behavior."
McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks'
Cell phone users should watch out for text messages containing a Web site link which, when visited, could download a Trojan horse, security experts have warned.
Google signs advertising deal with eBay
Google Inc. has signed a deal to become the exclusive provider of text-based advertising for eBay Inc.'s Web sites outside of the U.S.
Atheros to pave way for cheaper fast WLAN
Wireless LAN access points based on the first draft of a new, faster standard are likely to dip below US$100 for the holidays.
Toshiba will build Microsoft Zune players
Microsoft Corp. confirmed Friday that Toshiba Corp. will manufacture its Zune music player, a product the company aims to take on Apple Computer Inc.'s successful iPod.
Qualcomm launches chip for low-cost phones
With an eye to the nascent market for low-cost mobile phones in emerging markets, Qualcomm Inc. has unveiled a new chip that integrates several components into a single system.
ITWHIRLED
The automatic Web 2.0 logo creator
Do you want to turn your last-generation dot-com into a new Ajax-based, user-content-driven, blogging/wiki/whatever Web 2.0 company? Well, the first thing you're going to need is a new logo. Thankfully, this online utility (which actually seems to be built on a lot of Web 2.0 technologies) does it quick and easy for you.
TIP
Scripting multiple Outlook windows
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