HIGHLIGHTS
News: Google to host e-mail, build portal for BSkyB
News: Orange lets mobile users access PC content
News: Nintendo investigates flying Wii controllers
News: Police raid IBM's Moscow office
Opinion: The virtual taxman
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: The iPhone already arrived -- in 1995!
NEWS UPDATES
Google to host e-mail, build portal for BSkyB
Broadcaster and Internet service provider British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC (BSkyB) has asked Google Inc. to host e-mail and other services for its broadband customers in the U.K. Their collaboration could also lead to the creation of targeted TV ads.
Orange lets mobile users access PC content
France Télécom SA, the parent company of mobile phone operator Orange, is offering a service that lets mobile phone users access videos, music and other content from their PCs.
Nintendo investigates flying Wii controllers
Nintendo Co. Ltd. is taking a close look at the wrist-strap on the controller for its Wii console after several reports on the Internet about straps breaking, causing the controller to fly out of the hands of users, its president said Thursday.
Police raid IBM's Moscow office
Speaking Thursday, IBM spokesman Jonathan Batty confirmed that the raid had taken place. However, he wouldn't say if the authorities seized documents or computer equipment.
Elpida, Powerchip to invest $13.9B in DRAM venture
Japanese memory chip maker Elpida Memory Inc. and Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Corp. have announced a broad plan to invest US$13.9 billion over five years to build four new DRAM factories in Taiwan.
Access charges Palm $44 million for Palm OS license
Access Co. Ltd., the Japanese company that purchased PalmSource Inc. last year, has sold a perpetual license for the Palm OS to PDA-maker Palm Inc. for US$44 million, the companies said Wednesday.
Microsoft's 'Blue Dragon' debuts for Xbox 360
"Blue Dragon," one of two eagerly awaited role-playing games for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 games console, made its worldwide debut in Japan on Thursday.
YouTube 'reviewing' Japanese protest
Google Inc.'s YouTube is "reviewing" a letter sent to it on Monday by the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) and 22 others, calling on the operator of the popular Web site to do more to prevent users uploading copyrighted content.
Former telecom firm owner indicted on E-Rate fraud
The former president and owner of ATE Tel Solutions Inc. has been indicted and charged with defrauding a U.S. government program intended to help schools and libraries in poor areas connect to the Internet.
OPINION
The virtual taxman
By Dan Blacharski
I don't play online games, but a lot of people enjoy them. There are
virtual communities, entire virtual lives, filled with people who have
virtual jobs and even make virtual money. I can't imagine what it
would be like to have a virtual life—the real thing is hard enough—but
I suppose it could have advantages. Wouldn't it be great if, in real
life, when you screwed up something, you could just reboot and start
over? No such luck. But one real-life government agency wants in on
the virtual action, and it seems that a virtual taxman is going to be
taking a cut.
Read the full article here.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Nintendo investigated flying Wii controllers ... Elpida and Powerchip Semi invest $14 billion in DRAM plants ... NTT Docomo and Mitsubishi to replace 1.3 million batteries
ITWHIRLED
The iPhone already arrived -- in 1995!
Apple mobile phones and tablet computers are like the Loch Ness Monster to the Mac rumors community -- often whispered about, never seen in stores. But both of these products, and some even odder ones (like the "Wizzy Active Lifestyle Telephone") were produced by Apple in prototype form more than a decade ago.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
ATI loses ground after AMD purchase ... Yahoo reorganizes, COO to leave
HIGHLIGHTS
News: ATI loses ground in graphics after AMD purchase
News: Wii sold estimated 372,000 units at launch in Japan
News: Yahoo reorganizes into three groups, COO to leave
News: Microsoft warns of new Word attack
Tip: Sharing DVD drives
GottaGadget: What's your biggest gadget secret?
ITwhirled: Star Wars Kid gets more downloads than Paris Hilton
NEWS UPDATES
ATI loses ground in graphics after AMD purchase
ATI Technologies Inc. lost ground in every major graphics product category during the third quarter, and its acquisition by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is likely to blame, according to Jon Peddie Research.
Wii sold estimated 372,000 units at launch in Japan
Sales of Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii games console hit 372,000 units over its first two days on the market, according to figures from Enterbrain Inc.
Yahoo reorganizes into three groups, COO to leave
Yahoo Inc. will reorganize into three new units, as part of a shake-up that will see Chief Operating Officer Dan Rosensweig leave the company, Yahoo said Tuesday.
Microsoft warns of new Word attack
Microsoft Corp. warned Tuesday of a new, unpatched memory corruption error in its word-processing software, and said that it was investigating reports of "limited" attacks that exploit the problem.
Dell, Microsoft collaborate on storage tech
Dell Inc. and Microsoft Corp. rolled out a new storage system on Wednesday for file and application data that integrates hardware and software from both vendors. The system pairs Dell's PowerVault NX1950, a serial-attached SCSI (SAS) back-end storage array that can use up to 45 drives, with Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003, a file server and package of management tools.
Sametime links up with AIM, Google Talk
IBM Corp.'s Sametime has gained interoperability with public instant messaging networks from AOL LLC and Google Inc., and will interoperate with the one from Yahoo Inc. in a matter of weeks.
2006: The year in PCs and chips
Vendors in the PC and chip industries moved boldly in 2006, changing the marketplace map through mergers, recalls, layoffs and lawsuits. Oh, and they launched some impressive new products too, keeping Moore's Law moving as they built smaller, faster chips and cooler, more efficient computers. Here, in chronological order, we share a sampling of the biggest events of the past 12 months.
TIP
Sharing DVD drives
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
While only the newer Sun systems and higher-end PCs today are equipped
with DVD drives, application software is beginning to arrive on DVDs
because of the tremendous increase in storage capacity. Your typical
CD holds about 700 MB of data. That was a lot of data when system
disks were only a couple of gigabytes in size. DVDs, on the other
hand, may hold 4.3 or 4.7 GB -- and that's just a starting point. If
the multi-layer storage capacity of DVDs is ever fully employed, DVDs
will hold nearly 16 GB of data. With less overhead for data integrity
and more area, it's no wonder that Solaris is being shipped on DVDs
only.
So what do you do if you need to install software that is only
available on a DVD on a system which has only a CD drive? One answer
is to mount and share the DVD from a system with a DVD reader. Since
I had to do that just last week, I'll run through the steps in today's
column.
GOTTA GADGET
What's your biggest gadget secret?
Do you play games on your PDA during boring meetings? Do you have a separate account for gadget purchases that your spouse doesn't know about? Do you use your gadget in an unexpected way?
Share a secret, and enter our drawing to win an Apple iPod (with video capability).
ITWHIRLED
Star Wars Kid gets more downloads than Paris Hilton
Viral Factory, a British firm, declared the famous video of Ghyslain Raza, the Canadian teenager who swung a golf ball retriever around like a light saber, is the most commonly shared Internet video in history, with over 900 million views -- more than twice as many as Paris Hilton's infamous sex video. A decades-old film of an whale being dynamited on an Oregon beach, which was a meme from the early days of the Internet, also made the top ten.
News: ATI loses ground in graphics after AMD purchase
News: Wii sold estimated 372,000 units at launch in Japan
News: Yahoo reorganizes into three groups, COO to leave
News: Microsoft warns of new Word attack
Tip: Sharing DVD drives
GottaGadget: What's your biggest gadget secret?
ITwhirled: Star Wars Kid gets more downloads than Paris Hilton
NEWS UPDATES
ATI loses ground in graphics after AMD purchase
ATI Technologies Inc. lost ground in every major graphics product category during the third quarter, and its acquisition by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is likely to blame, according to Jon Peddie Research.
Wii sold estimated 372,000 units at launch in Japan
Sales of Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii games console hit 372,000 units over its first two days on the market, according to figures from Enterbrain Inc.
Yahoo reorganizes into three groups, COO to leave
Yahoo Inc. will reorganize into three new units, as part of a shake-up that will see Chief Operating Officer Dan Rosensweig leave the company, Yahoo said Tuesday.
Microsoft warns of new Word attack
Microsoft Corp. warned Tuesday of a new, unpatched memory corruption error in its word-processing software, and said that it was investigating reports of "limited" attacks that exploit the problem.
Dell, Microsoft collaborate on storage tech
Dell Inc. and Microsoft Corp. rolled out a new storage system on Wednesday for file and application data that integrates hardware and software from both vendors. The system pairs Dell's PowerVault NX1950, a serial-attached SCSI (SAS) back-end storage array that can use up to 45 drives, with Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003, a file server and package of management tools.
Sametime links up with AIM, Google Talk
IBM Corp.'s Sametime has gained interoperability with public instant messaging networks from AOL LLC and Google Inc., and will interoperate with the one from Yahoo Inc. in a matter of weeks.
2006: The year in PCs and chips
Vendors in the PC and chip industries moved boldly in 2006, changing the marketplace map through mergers, recalls, layoffs and lawsuits. Oh, and they launched some impressive new products too, keeping Moore's Law moving as they built smaller, faster chips and cooler, more efficient computers. Here, in chronological order, we share a sampling of the biggest events of the past 12 months.
TIP
Sharing DVD drives
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
While only the newer Sun systems and higher-end PCs today are equipped
with DVD drives, application software is beginning to arrive on DVDs
because of the tremendous increase in storage capacity. Your typical
CD holds about 700 MB of data. That was a lot of data when system
disks were only a couple of gigabytes in size. DVDs, on the other
hand, may hold 4.3 or 4.7 GB -- and that's just a starting point. If
the multi-layer storage capacity of DVDs is ever fully employed, DVDs
will hold nearly 16 GB of data. With less overhead for data integrity
and more area, it's no wonder that Solaris is being shipped on DVDs
only.
So what do you do if you need to install software that is only
available on a DVD on a system which has only a CD drive? One answer
is to mount and share the DVD from a system with a DVD reader. Since
I had to do that just last week, I'll run through the steps in today's
column.
GOTTA GADGET
What's your biggest gadget secret?
Do you play games on your PDA during boring meetings? Do you have a separate account for gadget purchases that your spouse doesn't know about? Do you use your gadget in an unexpected way?
Share a secret, and enter our drawing to win an Apple iPod (with video capability).
ITWHIRLED
Star Wars Kid gets more downloads than Paris Hilton
Viral Factory, a British firm, declared the famous video of Ghyslain Raza, the Canadian teenager who swung a golf ball retriever around like a light saber, is the most commonly shared Internet video in history, with over 900 million views -- more than twice as many as Paris Hilton's infamous sex video. A decades-old film of an whale being dynamited on an Oregon beach, which was a meme from the early days of the Internet, also made the top ten.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
MySpace tries to root out sex offenders ... AMD shrinks desktop chips
HIGHLIGHTS
News: MySpace tries to root out sex offenders
News: Japanese rights holders send protest to YouTube
News: AMD shrinks desktop chips to 65-nm design
News: Toshiba develops 100GB 1.8-inch HDD
News: NEC launches tough laptop PC
Storage Tip: New e-discovery rules mean no more business as usual
ITwhirled: Google code search reveals hidden comment gems
NEWS UPDATES
MySpace tries to root out sex offenders
Stepping up efforts to keep sex offenders off MySpace.com, the popular social networking Web site has partnered with an online identity and background verification company to build a U.S. national sex offender database and dedicate staff to checking the database against MySpace profiles.
Japanese rights holders send protest to YouTube
A broad group of companies and associations covering most of the Japanese entertainment industry is calling on YouTube Inc. to be more proactive in policing its Web site for copyrighted material.
AMD shrinks desktop chips to 65-nm design
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) began selling its top chip for desktop PCs made with a 65-nanometer design on Tuesday, continuing its efforts to keep up with Intel Corp. as the industry migrates from 90-nm design to a faster, more efficient generation of processors.
Toshiba develops 100GB 1.8-inch HDD
Higher capacity music players and laptop computers could be on the way thanks to a new hard-disk drive from Toshiba Corp. that manages a 25 percent jump in storage space over current models.
NEC launches tough laptop PC
NEC Corp. launched its latest laptop PC on Tuesday with a splash. A bottle of water was poured over the computer while it was operating to demonstrate its toughness to harsh environmental conditions.
FCC chief pushes AT&T-BellSouth vote
Kevin Martin, chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is trying to get the ball rolling toward a decision on AT&T Inc.'s proposed acquisition of BellSouth Corp.
OSDL refocuses efforts, loses CEO
Open Source Development Labs Inc., the nonprofit Linux development consortium, has laid off just under a third of its staff, with employee numbers in the U.S. and Asia falling from 28 to 19, along with the resignation of Stuart Cohen, the lab's high-profile chief executive officer.
SAP delivers first mySAP 2005 enhancements
SAP AG has delivered the first in a planned series of regular enhancements to the current version of its ERP (enterprise resource planning) software, as the vendor embarks on a new way to deliver ERP applications.
Novell to support Open XML in office suite in January
Microsoft Corp. and Novell Inc. have wasted little time in demonstrating there is real work being done as part of their recent Linux interoperability pact. Just a month after the historic deal between the companies, Novell said Monday it will support the proprietary document format in Microsoft Office 2007, Open XML, in its open-source version of the OpenOffice productivity suite by the end of January.
MySpace worm uses QuickTime for exploit
The social networking site MySpace.com is under what one computer security analyst calls an "amazingly virulent" attack caused by a worm that steals log-in credentials and spreads spam that promotes adware sites.
STORAGE TIP
New e-discovery rules mean no more business as usual
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
You may not have heard of the changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), but complying with them will have a significant impact on data and storage management. Why is this important? The FRCP rules govern discovery in civil litigation. Discovery means that you must provide legitimately requested company information to those who sue your company. FRCP Rule 26(a) clearly defines electronically stored information as discoverable.
ITWHIRLED
Google code search reveals hidden comment gems
Maybe you'll think twice next time about how you comment your code when you realize that it might end up on Google's code search. A Google open source specialist has found multiple instances of such gems as "you are not expected to understand this," "this shouldn't work," "your mother," and, of course, "windows sucks."
News: MySpace tries to root out sex offenders
News: Japanese rights holders send protest to YouTube
News: AMD shrinks desktop chips to 65-nm design
News: Toshiba develops 100GB 1.8-inch HDD
News: NEC launches tough laptop PC
Storage Tip: New e-discovery rules mean no more business as usual
ITwhirled: Google code search reveals hidden comment gems
NEWS UPDATES
MySpace tries to root out sex offenders
Stepping up efforts to keep sex offenders off MySpace.com, the popular social networking Web site has partnered with an online identity and background verification company to build a U.S. national sex offender database and dedicate staff to checking the database against MySpace profiles.
Japanese rights holders send protest to YouTube
A broad group of companies and associations covering most of the Japanese entertainment industry is calling on YouTube Inc. to be more proactive in policing its Web site for copyrighted material.
AMD shrinks desktop chips to 65-nm design
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) began selling its top chip for desktop PCs made with a 65-nanometer design on Tuesday, continuing its efforts to keep up with Intel Corp. as the industry migrates from 90-nm design to a faster, more efficient generation of processors.
Toshiba develops 100GB 1.8-inch HDD
Higher capacity music players and laptop computers could be on the way thanks to a new hard-disk drive from Toshiba Corp. that manages a 25 percent jump in storage space over current models.
NEC launches tough laptop PC
NEC Corp. launched its latest laptop PC on Tuesday with a splash. A bottle of water was poured over the computer while it was operating to demonstrate its toughness to harsh environmental conditions.
FCC chief pushes AT&T-BellSouth vote
Kevin Martin, chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is trying to get the ball rolling toward a decision on AT&T Inc.'s proposed acquisition of BellSouth Corp.
OSDL refocuses efforts, loses CEO
Open Source Development Labs Inc., the nonprofit Linux development consortium, has laid off just under a third of its staff, with employee numbers in the U.S. and Asia falling from 28 to 19, along with the resignation of Stuart Cohen, the lab's high-profile chief executive officer.
SAP delivers first mySAP 2005 enhancements
SAP AG has delivered the first in a planned series of regular enhancements to the current version of its ERP (enterprise resource planning) software, as the vendor embarks on a new way to deliver ERP applications.
Novell to support Open XML in office suite in January
Microsoft Corp. and Novell Inc. have wasted little time in demonstrating there is real work being done as part of their recent Linux interoperability pact. Just a month after the historic deal between the companies, Novell said Monday it will support the proprietary document format in Microsoft Office 2007, Open XML, in its open-source version of the OpenOffice productivity suite by the end of January.
MySpace worm uses QuickTime for exploit
The social networking site MySpace.com is under what one computer security analyst calls an "amazingly virulent" attack caused by a worm that steals log-in credentials and spreads spam that promotes adware sites.
STORAGE TIP
New e-discovery rules mean no more business as usual
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
You may not have heard of the changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), but complying with them will have a significant impact on data and storage management. Why is this important? The FRCP rules govern discovery in civil litigation. Discovery means that you must provide legitimately requested company information to those who sue your company. FRCP Rule 26(a) clearly defines electronically stored information as discoverable.
ITWHIRLED
Google code search reveals hidden comment gems
Maybe you'll think twice next time about how you comment your code when you realize that it might end up on Google's code search. A Google open source specialist has found multiple instances of such gems as "you are not expected to understand this," "this shouldn't work," "your mother," and, of course, "windows sucks."
Monday, December 04, 2006
Dell unveils energy-efficient servers ... Qualcomm buys wireless chip companies
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Dell claims new servers save on electric bill
News: Sun enhances mobile delivery platform
News: Ask.com to revamp local search
News: Microsoft supports developers of mobile mashups
Interview: Beyond skill: Building a career in IT
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: 10 Products that set new standards of innovation
NEWS UPDATES
Dell claims new servers save on electric bill
Computer maker Dell Inc.'s solution to the data center energy crisis is to market more energy-efficient versions of its PowerEdge line of servers. The model 1950 and 2950 servers deliver a 25 percent improvement in performance per watt compared to the standard 1950 and 2950, the company claims.
Sun enhances mobile delivery platform
Sun Microsystems is today announcing enhancements to its Sun Java System Content Delivery Server (CDS) at the International Telecommunication Union's Telecom World show in Hong Kong. CDS provides a common infrastructure for delivering all types of content, including Java applications, games, ringtones and wallpaper.
Ask.com to revamp local search
IAC/InterActiveCorp's Ask.com has revamped and renamed its local search service, becoming the latest search engine provider to improve its offering in what is considered one of the most popular search segments for both advertisers and end users.
Microsoft supports developers of mobile mashups
Microsoft Corp. Monday took the wraps off a new service, called Connected Services Sandbox, that offers developers tools and support needed to produce Web-based applications for mobile phones that combine APIs (application programming interfaces) from different sources with telecommunication services.
Qualcomm buys WLAN and Bluetooth technologies
Qualcomm Inc. is making two acquisitions of Bluetooth and WLAN (wireless LAN) chip technologies, allowing it to further the integration of wireless networking capabilities in mobile phones.
IAnywhere beefs up RFID software
IAnywhere Solutions Inc. is adding location tracking capabilities and support for a wider range of sensor technologies in RFID Anywhere 3.0, the latest version of its sensor management software announced on Monday.
INTERVIEW
Beyond skill: Building a career in IT
The IT market and IT technology are constantly evolving, a characteristic that Steve Bjorg, Co-founder, President and CTO of MindTouch believes keeps a career in IT exciting. In this interview, Bjorg discusses the essential elements of a great career in IT.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Qualcomm buys wireless chip companies ... Microsoft mobile phone developer service ... Dell unveils energy-efficient servers ... Ask.com updates local search service
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
10 Products that set new standards of innovation ... Tiny Lisp course - Lisp in 10 bullets ... The 10 commandments of blogging ... 10 Steps you can take to guarantee failure ... 10 Useful free Windows programs
News: Dell claims new servers save on electric bill
News: Sun enhances mobile delivery platform
News: Ask.com to revamp local search
News: Microsoft supports developers of mobile mashups
Interview: Beyond skill: Building a career in IT
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: 10 Products that set new standards of innovation
NEWS UPDATES
Dell claims new servers save on electric bill
Computer maker Dell Inc.'s solution to the data center energy crisis is to market more energy-efficient versions of its PowerEdge line of servers. The model 1950 and 2950 servers deliver a 25 percent improvement in performance per watt compared to the standard 1950 and 2950, the company claims.
Sun enhances mobile delivery platform
Sun Microsystems is today announcing enhancements to its Sun Java System Content Delivery Server (CDS) at the International Telecommunication Union's Telecom World show in Hong Kong. CDS provides a common infrastructure for delivering all types of content, including Java applications, games, ringtones and wallpaper.
Ask.com to revamp local search
IAC/InterActiveCorp's Ask.com has revamped and renamed its local search service, becoming the latest search engine provider to improve its offering in what is considered one of the most popular search segments for both advertisers and end users.
Microsoft supports developers of mobile mashups
Microsoft Corp. Monday took the wraps off a new service, called Connected Services Sandbox, that offers developers tools and support needed to produce Web-based applications for mobile phones that combine APIs (application programming interfaces) from different sources with telecommunication services.
Qualcomm buys WLAN and Bluetooth technologies
Qualcomm Inc. is making two acquisitions of Bluetooth and WLAN (wireless LAN) chip technologies, allowing it to further the integration of wireless networking capabilities in mobile phones.
IAnywhere beefs up RFID software
IAnywhere Solutions Inc. is adding location tracking capabilities and support for a wider range of sensor technologies in RFID Anywhere 3.0, the latest version of its sensor management software announced on Monday.
INTERVIEW
Beyond skill: Building a career in IT
The IT market and IT technology are constantly evolving, a characteristic that Steve Bjorg, Co-founder, President and CTO of MindTouch believes keeps a career in IT exciting. In this interview, Bjorg discusses the essential elements of a great career in IT.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Qualcomm buys wireless chip companies ... Microsoft mobile phone developer service ... Dell unveils energy-efficient servers ... Ask.com updates local search service
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
10 Products that set new standards of innovation ... Tiny Lisp course - Lisp in 10 bullets ... The 10 commandments of blogging ... 10 Steps you can take to guarantee failure ... 10 Useful free Windows programs
Friday, December 01, 2006
AMD receives DOJ subpoena ... PlayStation 3 sales drop sharply
HIGHLIGHTS
News: AMD receives DOJ subpoena over graphics processing
News: Business Objects acquires SaaS firm Nsite
News: Storage spending jumps 10 percent in the third quarter
News: PlayStation 3 sales drop sharply on low supply
Opinion: All good things come to those who wait, even Vista and Office 2007
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Most delicious beta test ever
NEWS UPDATES
AMD receives DOJ subpoena over graphics processing
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has subpoenaed Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) as part of an antitrust investigation into the market for graphics processors and graphics cards, AMD said Thursday.
Business Objects acquires SaaS firm Nsite
Business Objects SA will acquire Nsite Software Inc., which develops a software-as-a-service delivery platform, in a move to offer more of its own products over the Internet, the companies announced.
Storage spending jumps 10 percent in the third quarter
Worldwide revenue for external disk storage systems rose to $4.3 billion in the third quarter of 2006, a 9.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the research firm IDC.
PlayStation 3 sales drop sharply on low supply
Sales of the PlayStation 3 console during its first full week of availability in Japan were sharply lower than those during the two days immediately following its launch, according to estimates published this week.
Gates Foundation expands digital divide initiative
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Thursday announced a new, US$328 million plan to provide computer and Internet services through public libraries in developing nations.
Alcatel-Lucent deal closes
Alcatel-Lucent, a global communications giant with combined annual revenue of more than €18 billion ($24 billion), will debut Friday after a sometimes rocky engagement between Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc.
OPINION
All good things come to those who wait, even Vista and Office 2007
By Joel Shore, ITworld
With Windows Vista and Office 2007 now released, what are your customers' expectations, and are you moving to lower them?
One thing we've learned over the years is that businesses are slow to upgrade client operating systems and applications. That happens for a variety of reasons: the software is unproven and risky, acquisition and deployment costs are prohibitive, training dazed and confused end-users is an enormous undertaking, help desk personnel lack intimate familiarity and expertise, or maybe new versions simply aren't needed.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft launches Vista ... Ken Kutaragi steps aside at SCEI ... AMD readies quad-core Opteron chip
ITWHIRLED
Most delicious beta test ever
Yes, you can participate in the beta testing of some innovative new chip designs -- even if you have no background in electrical engineering! That's because the "chips" in question are deep-fried potato slices dusted with a number of intriguing flavors. Web 2.0 comes to the snack aisle!
News: AMD receives DOJ subpoena over graphics processing
News: Business Objects acquires SaaS firm Nsite
News: Storage spending jumps 10 percent in the third quarter
News: PlayStation 3 sales drop sharply on low supply
Opinion: All good things come to those who wait, even Vista and Office 2007
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Most delicious beta test ever
NEWS UPDATES
AMD receives DOJ subpoena over graphics processing
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has subpoenaed Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) as part of an antitrust investigation into the market for graphics processors and graphics cards, AMD said Thursday.
Business Objects acquires SaaS firm Nsite
Business Objects SA will acquire Nsite Software Inc., which develops a software-as-a-service delivery platform, in a move to offer more of its own products over the Internet, the companies announced.
Storage spending jumps 10 percent in the third quarter
Worldwide revenue for external disk storage systems rose to $4.3 billion in the third quarter of 2006, a 9.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the research firm IDC.
PlayStation 3 sales drop sharply on low supply
Sales of the PlayStation 3 console during its first full week of availability in Japan were sharply lower than those during the two days immediately following its launch, according to estimates published this week.
Gates Foundation expands digital divide initiative
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Thursday announced a new, US$328 million plan to provide computer and Internet services through public libraries in developing nations.
Alcatel-Lucent deal closes
Alcatel-Lucent, a global communications giant with combined annual revenue of more than €18 billion ($24 billion), will debut Friday after a sometimes rocky engagement between Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc.
OPINION
All good things come to those who wait, even Vista and Office 2007
By Joel Shore, ITworld
With Windows Vista and Office 2007 now released, what are your customers' expectations, and are you moving to lower them?
One thing we've learned over the years is that businesses are slow to upgrade client operating systems and applications. That happens for a variety of reasons: the software is unproven and risky, acquisition and deployment costs are prohibitive, training dazed and confused end-users is an enormous undertaking, help desk personnel lack intimate familiarity and expertise, or maybe new versions simply aren't needed.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft launches Vista ... Ken Kutaragi steps aside at SCEI ... AMD readies quad-core Opteron chip
ITWHIRLED
Most delicious beta test ever
Yes, you can participate in the beta testing of some innovative new chip designs -- even if you have no background in electrical engineering! That's because the "chips" in question are deep-fried potato slices dusted with a number of intriguing flavors. Web 2.0 comes to the snack aisle!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Existing malware could affect Vista users ... Intuit to buy Digital Insight for $1.4 billion
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Existing malware could affect Vista users, Sophos says
News: Intuit to buy Digital Insight for $1.4 billion
News: Europe gets an extra version of Vista
News: Vista launch sparks competition between PC vendors
Tip: Do you LUA?
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Driving frustration finds online outlet
NEWS UPDATES
Existing malware could affect Vista users, Sophos says
Microsoft Corp. has touted Vista as a more secure version of Windows, but on the day of Vista's official launch, a security company has identified malware already in circulation that can infect computers running the OS.
Intuit to buy Digital Insight for $1.4 billion
With a promise to create new types of online banking services, financial software vendor Intuit Inc. has agreed to buy financial services provider Digital Insight Corp. for $1.35 billion in cash.
Europe gets an extra version of Vista
When Microsoft Corp. releases Windows Vista to business customers in Europe on Thursday, it will be offering an extra version of the OS to comply with the European Commission's antitrust ruling against the company.
Vista launch sparks competition between PC vendors
As Microsoft Corp. prepares to sell the business version of its Windows Vista operating system, Dell Inc. is beefing up its IT service offerings to compete for customers with Hewlett-Packard Co.
AMD launches four-core "4x4" motherboard
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) today launched a motherboard with four cores, targeting gaming enthusiasts in an effort to keep pace with the release of quad-core chips by rival Intel Corp.
Vista, Office 2007 business launch gets rolling in Asia
Microsoft Corp. kicked off the day-long launch of its Vista operating system, Office 2007 suite and Exchange Server 2007 applications for enterprise users with events at three locations in Asia Thursday.
Asustek readies SideShow laptop for Vista
Asustek Computer Inc. has prepared one of the first notebook PCs to use SideShow, a small display on the outside of the case that works with Windows Vista to allow users to scan e-mails and other information without booting up the laptop.
Sony's PlayStation unit shakes up top management
Ken Kutaragi will leave his position as president of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI), the Sony Corp. unit responsible for the PlayStation family of games consoles, and hand day-to-day control of the company to Kaz Hirai, previously head of SCEI's U.S. unit, the company said Thursday.
HP takes workstation out from under the desk
Financial traders at a London company wear shorts to work because heat from workstations under their desks is so bad. Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has invented technology to take the workstations out from under the desks and replace them with blade-style computers tucked away in a separate data center.
Nvidia ends options probe, takes $127 million charge
Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. found some irregularities in past stock-based compensation practices during an internal probe, and took a total of $127 million in non-cash charges over associated expenses, the company said Wednesday.
TIP
Do you LUA?
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
I've been running with a least-privileged user account (LUA) on my main Windows XP workstation now for over a year. In other words, the user account I use for checking email, browsing the web, writing reports and so on is an ordinary domain user account and is not a member of the local Administrators group on my computer. Why do I do this? Because running with an admin account results in a lot more damage when your machine gets compromised by some malware.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Intel readies 45nm quad-core processor ... Microsoft revamps WGA tool ... Asustek to offer Skype-ready motherboards
ITWHIRLED
Driving frustration finds online outlet
Victim of road rage? Got cut off by someone jabbering on their cell phone? Log on to platewire.com, the site that encourages you to name and shame drivers who are angry, dangerous, or just plain inept.
News: Existing malware could affect Vista users, Sophos says
News: Intuit to buy Digital Insight for $1.4 billion
News: Europe gets an extra version of Vista
News: Vista launch sparks competition between PC vendors
Tip: Do you LUA?
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Driving frustration finds online outlet
NEWS UPDATES
Existing malware could affect Vista users, Sophos says
Microsoft Corp. has touted Vista as a more secure version of Windows, but on the day of Vista's official launch, a security company has identified malware already in circulation that can infect computers running the OS.
Intuit to buy Digital Insight for $1.4 billion
With a promise to create new types of online banking services, financial software vendor Intuit Inc. has agreed to buy financial services provider Digital Insight Corp. for $1.35 billion in cash.
Europe gets an extra version of Vista
When Microsoft Corp. releases Windows Vista to business customers in Europe on Thursday, it will be offering an extra version of the OS to comply with the European Commission's antitrust ruling against the company.
Vista launch sparks competition between PC vendors
As Microsoft Corp. prepares to sell the business version of its Windows Vista operating system, Dell Inc. is beefing up its IT service offerings to compete for customers with Hewlett-Packard Co.
AMD launches four-core "4x4" motherboard
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) today launched a motherboard with four cores, targeting gaming enthusiasts in an effort to keep pace with the release of quad-core chips by rival Intel Corp.
Vista, Office 2007 business launch gets rolling in Asia
Microsoft Corp. kicked off the day-long launch of its Vista operating system, Office 2007 suite and Exchange Server 2007 applications for enterprise users with events at three locations in Asia Thursday.
Asustek readies SideShow laptop for Vista
Asustek Computer Inc. has prepared one of the first notebook PCs to use SideShow, a small display on the outside of the case that works with Windows Vista to allow users to scan e-mails and other information without booting up the laptop.
Sony's PlayStation unit shakes up top management
Ken Kutaragi will leave his position as president of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI), the Sony Corp. unit responsible for the PlayStation family of games consoles, and hand day-to-day control of the company to Kaz Hirai, previously head of SCEI's U.S. unit, the company said Thursday.
HP takes workstation out from under the desk
Financial traders at a London company wear shorts to work because heat from workstations under their desks is so bad. Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has invented technology to take the workstations out from under the desks and replace them with blade-style computers tucked away in a separate data center.
Nvidia ends options probe, takes $127 million charge
Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. found some irregularities in past stock-based compensation practices during an internal probe, and took a total of $127 million in non-cash charges over associated expenses, the company said Wednesday.
TIP
Do you LUA?
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
I've been running with a least-privileged user account (LUA) on my main Windows XP workstation now for over a year. In other words, the user account I use for checking email, browsing the web, writing reports and so on is an ordinary domain user account and is not a member of the local Administrators group on my computer. Why do I do this? Because running with an admin account results in a lot more damage when your machine gets compromised by some malware.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Intel readies 45nm quad-core processor ... Microsoft revamps WGA tool ... Asustek to offer Skype-ready motherboards
ITWHIRLED
Driving frustration finds online outlet
Victim of road rage? Got cut off by someone jabbering on their cell phone? Log on to platewire.com, the site that encourages you to name and shame drivers who are angry, dangerous, or just plain inept.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Novell halts Hula collaboration server project ... No more replies from Google Answers
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Novell pulls plug on Hula collaboration server project
News: EMC looks to get Asian operations back on track
News: U.S. and Russia strike deal to close AllofMP3.com site
News: HP Labs offers server cooling advances
Tip: Why complete and correct backups are even more important
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Japanese job referral company provides robot temp
NEWS UPDATES
Novell pulls plug on Hula collaboration server project
The future of Hula, the open-source collaboration server project initiated by Novell Inc., is in jeopardy since Novell pulled staff and funding from the project, according to a Hula newsgroup posting.
EMC looks to get Asian operations back on track
After several quarters of lackluster financial performance in Asia, EMC Corp. executives are looking to get the company's operations back on track.
U.S. and Russia strike deal to close AllofMP3.com site
Russia has agreed to U.S. demands to close the popular music website Allofmp3.com. The U.S. wants the site closed to fight music piracy, and Russia has agreed to improve its chance of gaining membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
HP Labs offers server cooling advances
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s HP Labs research center has developed a new approach to cooling data centers by adjusting air conditioning systems to changing server loads more precisely than what's available now.
No more replies from Google Answers
Google Inc. is pulling the plug on Google Answers, a service that allows people to submit questions over the Internet that researchers answer for a fee.
BitTorrent makes deals with major studios
BitTorrent Inc. on Wednesday announced deals with several major movie studios and content producers, as the streaming software company moves towards legitimacy instead of being a tool for piracy.
Apple patches AirPort wireless bug
Apple Computer Inc. has fixed a number of flaws in the software that ships with its personal computers, including a bug in its AirPort wireless drivers that was disclosed earlier this month.
3Com to take ownership of Huawei joint venture
3Com Corp. has agreed to buy out Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd's stake in a joint venture the two companies founded in 2003 to build networking equipment for enterprises.
TIP
Why complete and correct backups are even more important
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
If you haven't lost the flexibility of occasionally missing a backup, you may soon. Missing a backup or deciding to bring an online system back up instead of rerunning a failed backup job are no longer options as compliance requirements and the changes in overall corporate governance intensify. That increases the burden on you to get backups done correctly and completely all of the time. Here's why.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Intel's Centrino to get pre-standard 802.11n ... Zune no threat to iPod ... Nokia sees uptick in emerging market sales
ITWHIRLED
Japanese job referral company provides robot temp
Anyone who's ever taken an easy temp gig between permanent jobs, beware: A Japanese staffing company is beginning to offer its clients access to a robot that can greet people, show DVDs, and hand out balloons. "There are jobs that robots are better at," a company spokeswoman said ominously. Don't worry too much, though: Ubiko costs $445 an hour.
News: Novell pulls plug on Hula collaboration server project
News: EMC looks to get Asian operations back on track
News: U.S. and Russia strike deal to close AllofMP3.com site
News: HP Labs offers server cooling advances
Tip: Why complete and correct backups are even more important
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Japanese job referral company provides robot temp
NEWS UPDATES
Novell pulls plug on Hula collaboration server project
The future of Hula, the open-source collaboration server project initiated by Novell Inc., is in jeopardy since Novell pulled staff and funding from the project, according to a Hula newsgroup posting.
EMC looks to get Asian operations back on track
After several quarters of lackluster financial performance in Asia, EMC Corp. executives are looking to get the company's operations back on track.
U.S. and Russia strike deal to close AllofMP3.com site
Russia has agreed to U.S. demands to close the popular music website Allofmp3.com. The U.S. wants the site closed to fight music piracy, and Russia has agreed to improve its chance of gaining membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
HP Labs offers server cooling advances
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s HP Labs research center has developed a new approach to cooling data centers by adjusting air conditioning systems to changing server loads more precisely than what's available now.
No more replies from Google Answers
Google Inc. is pulling the plug on Google Answers, a service that allows people to submit questions over the Internet that researchers answer for a fee.
BitTorrent makes deals with major studios
BitTorrent Inc. on Wednesday announced deals with several major movie studios and content producers, as the streaming software company moves towards legitimacy instead of being a tool for piracy.
Apple patches AirPort wireless bug
Apple Computer Inc. has fixed a number of flaws in the software that ships with its personal computers, including a bug in its AirPort wireless drivers that was disclosed earlier this month.
3Com to take ownership of Huawei joint venture
3Com Corp. has agreed to buy out Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd's stake in a joint venture the two companies founded in 2003 to build networking equipment for enterprises.
TIP
Why complete and correct backups are even more important
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
If you haven't lost the flexibility of occasionally missing a backup, you may soon. Missing a backup or deciding to bring an online system back up instead of rerunning a failed backup job are no longer options as compliance requirements and the changes in overall corporate governance intensify. That increases the burden on you to get backups done correctly and completely all of the time. Here's why.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Intel's Centrino to get pre-standard 802.11n ... Zune no threat to iPod ... Nokia sees uptick in emerging market sales
ITWHIRLED
Japanese job referral company provides robot temp
Anyone who's ever taken an easy temp gig between permanent jobs, beware: A Japanese staffing company is beginning to offer its clients access to a robot that can greet people, show DVDs, and hand out balloons. "There are jobs that robots are better at," a company spokeswoman said ominously. Don't worry too much, though: Ubiko costs $445 an hour.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
YouTube goes mobile ... Nintendo sells 600,000 Wii consoles in 8 days
HIGHLIGHTS
News: YouTube goes mobile with Verizon
News: Software suite aims to speed Linux phone development
News: Nintendo sells 600,000 Wii consoles in 8 days
News: Treo 750 delay hurts Palm forecast
Tip: Three Google searches you must know for security's sake
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Rejected names for Windows Vista
NEWS UPDATES
YouTube goes mobile with Verizon
Online video-sharing service YouTube Inc. is extending its reach beyond PCs to mobile phones through a deal with Verizon Wireless Inc.
Software suite aims to speed Linux phone development
Trolltech AS is offering a suite of products designed to make it easier for mobile phone makers to develop Linux-based smart phones. Called the Qtopia Greensuite, it bundles together several applications and tools that are available separately today from a variety of vendors.
Nintendo sells 600,000 Wii consoles in 8 days
Sales of Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii console surpassed 600,000 in its first eight days on sale. The company has previously said that it plans to ship around 4 million units of the Wii to market before the end of this year.
Treo 750 delay hurts Palm forecast
Palm Inc. has lowered its financial forecast for the current quarter because of delays in bringing its latest Treo smartphone to market. Although its line of smartphones is selling well and the new Treo 750v introduced in Europe is popular, Palm hasn't been able to get the Treo 750 introduced in the U.S. as planned.
Newest Opera Mini eases mobile photo uploading
Opera Software ASA plans to release the third version of the Opera Mini mobile phone browser on Tuesday, adding features that aim to boost its social networking capabilities and improve functionality overall.
LCDs outsell CRTs in Europe
Despite a fall in demand for flat-panel televisions in Europe, liquid-crystal display (LCD) models outsold old-fashioned "tube" televisions for the first time there during the third quarter.
South Korean patent ruling threatens Microsoft Office
Microsoft Corp. may have to pull its Office suite from the shelves in South Korea as a result of losing a patent lawsuit in that country, according to published reports.
Lenovo targets business users with widescreen notebook
Making an effort to compete with Dell Inc. for business users, Lenovo Group Ltd. has launched a widescreen version of its ThinkPad line of notebook PCs.
Printer ink makers, vendors settle with Epson
Seiko Epson Corp. has won assurances from a number of manufacturers and importers of ink cartridges that the companies will end their business with Epson-compatible cartridges.
TIP
Three Google searches you must know for security's sake
By Brent Huston, Microsolved, Inc.
There are three simple yet powerful Google searches that can help attackers virtually "case" your organization as a target for data theft. Try them. They should give you a bird's eye view of your Internet presence and just what the simplest Google-powered attackers will notice at first glance.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft loses patent suit in South Korea ... UN tackles e-waste problem ... Palm lowers forecast
ITWHIRLED
Rejected names for Windows Vista
We all know that Longhorn became Vista. But what other names were in the running? Windows: Tokyo Drift? MS-DOS v9.0? Windows BORG: Resistance is Futile?
News: YouTube goes mobile with Verizon
News: Software suite aims to speed Linux phone development
News: Nintendo sells 600,000 Wii consoles in 8 days
News: Treo 750 delay hurts Palm forecast
Tip: Three Google searches you must know for security's sake
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Rejected names for Windows Vista
NEWS UPDATES
YouTube goes mobile with Verizon
Online video-sharing service YouTube Inc. is extending its reach beyond PCs to mobile phones through a deal with Verizon Wireless Inc.
Software suite aims to speed Linux phone development
Trolltech AS is offering a suite of products designed to make it easier for mobile phone makers to develop Linux-based smart phones. Called the Qtopia Greensuite, it bundles together several applications and tools that are available separately today from a variety of vendors.
Nintendo sells 600,000 Wii consoles in 8 days
Sales of Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii console surpassed 600,000 in its first eight days on sale. The company has previously said that it plans to ship around 4 million units of the Wii to market before the end of this year.
Treo 750 delay hurts Palm forecast
Palm Inc. has lowered its financial forecast for the current quarter because of delays in bringing its latest Treo smartphone to market. Although its line of smartphones is selling well and the new Treo 750v introduced in Europe is popular, Palm hasn't been able to get the Treo 750 introduced in the U.S. as planned.
Newest Opera Mini eases mobile photo uploading
Opera Software ASA plans to release the third version of the Opera Mini mobile phone browser on Tuesday, adding features that aim to boost its social networking capabilities and improve functionality overall.
LCDs outsell CRTs in Europe
Despite a fall in demand for flat-panel televisions in Europe, liquid-crystal display (LCD) models outsold old-fashioned "tube" televisions for the first time there during the third quarter.
South Korean patent ruling threatens Microsoft Office
Microsoft Corp. may have to pull its Office suite from the shelves in South Korea as a result of losing a patent lawsuit in that country, according to published reports.
Lenovo targets business users with widescreen notebook
Making an effort to compete with Dell Inc. for business users, Lenovo Group Ltd. has launched a widescreen version of its ThinkPad line of notebook PCs.
Printer ink makers, vendors settle with Epson
Seiko Epson Corp. has won assurances from a number of manufacturers and importers of ink cartridges that the companies will end their business with Epson-compatible cartridges.
TIP
Three Google searches you must know for security's sake
By Brent Huston, Microsolved, Inc.
There are three simple yet powerful Google searches that can help attackers virtually "case" your organization as a target for data theft. Try them. They should give you a bird's eye view of your Internet presence and just what the simplest Google-powered attackers will notice at first glance.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft loses patent suit in South Korea ... UN tackles e-waste problem ... Palm lowers forecast
ITWHIRLED
Rejected names for Windows Vista
We all know that Longhorn became Vista. But what other names were in the running? Windows: Tokyo Drift? MS-DOS v9.0? Windows BORG: Resistance is Futile?
Monday, November 27, 2006
E-commerce companies report a busy weekend ... Google reaches accord with two Belgian press groups
HIGHLIGHTS
News: E.U. battles flood of unwanted e-mail
News: E-commerce companies report a busy weekend
News: Vista adoption to outpace Windows XP, analyst says
News: Google reaches accord with two Belgian press groups
Tip: Creating CDs for Unix or Windows
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: 10 Weird science facts
NEWS UPDATES
E.U. battles flood of unwanted e-mail
The European Commission has warned its member states to beef up their efforts to cut spam, spyware and malicious software, after research showed that up to 85 percent of all e-mail received in the European Union is unsolicited.
E-commerce companies report a busy weekend
While consumers may be opening their wallets to online retailers like never before, there's also evidence they are after bargains like never before. Two online price comparison sites, Pricegrabber.com and Shopping.com, which point consumers to the lowest prices for various items, reported surging traffic.
Vista adoption to outpace Windows XP, analyst says
Adoption of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Vista operating system will happen at a faster pace than any previous operating system release, with up to 15 percent of PC users moving to Vista within the first year that it is available, software analyst David Mitchell predicts.
Google reaches accord with two Belgian press groups
Google Inc. has reached an agreement with two groups representing authors and photographers in Belgium that had objected to the way the company indexes and displays their content on its Google News Web site.
PlayStation 3, Wii prices falling online
The recently-launched PlayStation 3 and Wii game consoles remain popular on Internet auction sites, but the price they are fetching is falling as launch-related hype dies down.
Electronic Arts looks to Baltics for programmers
Electronic Arts Inc. is looking to hire developers in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania to work at its Swedish subsidiary, Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment (Dice), where about 220 staff currently work on its "Battlefield" game and other titles.
U.N. summit to address issue of growing e-waste
Measures to reduce the millions of tons of electronic waste generated each year by manufactures of computers, mobile phones and other consumer electronic products will be the focus of a United Nations-sponsored conference in the capital of Kenya.
TIP
Creating CDs for Unix or Windows
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
Preparing a CD that displays proper file names whether it is mounted on a Unix system or on a Windows box requires little more than the proper set of arguments to the mkisofs command and software that knows how to work with ISO images. In this week's column, we look at a script that prepares a multi-use ISO image from files in a selected directory.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
E.U. tells Swift to stop violating privacy rules ... Google's lawyers defend Google News ... More digital camera troubles for Sony
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
Top ten girl geeks ... Top 10 data loss disasters ... Top 10 reasons to pursue a career in plumbing ... 10 Weird science facts you didn't know ... Top 10 investing scams
News: E.U. battles flood of unwanted e-mail
News: E-commerce companies report a busy weekend
News: Vista adoption to outpace Windows XP, analyst says
News: Google reaches accord with two Belgian press groups
Tip: Creating CDs for Unix or Windows
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: 10 Weird science facts
NEWS UPDATES
E.U. battles flood of unwanted e-mail
The European Commission has warned its member states to beef up their efforts to cut spam, spyware and malicious software, after research showed that up to 85 percent of all e-mail received in the European Union is unsolicited.
E-commerce companies report a busy weekend
While consumers may be opening their wallets to online retailers like never before, there's also evidence they are after bargains like never before. Two online price comparison sites, Pricegrabber.com and Shopping.com, which point consumers to the lowest prices for various items, reported surging traffic.
Vista adoption to outpace Windows XP, analyst says
Adoption of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Vista operating system will happen at a faster pace than any previous operating system release, with up to 15 percent of PC users moving to Vista within the first year that it is available, software analyst David Mitchell predicts.
Google reaches accord with two Belgian press groups
Google Inc. has reached an agreement with two groups representing authors and photographers in Belgium that had objected to the way the company indexes and displays their content on its Google News Web site.
PlayStation 3, Wii prices falling online
The recently-launched PlayStation 3 and Wii game consoles remain popular on Internet auction sites, but the price they are fetching is falling as launch-related hype dies down.
Electronic Arts looks to Baltics for programmers
Electronic Arts Inc. is looking to hire developers in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania to work at its Swedish subsidiary, Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment (Dice), where about 220 staff currently work on its "Battlefield" game and other titles.
U.N. summit to address issue of growing e-waste
Measures to reduce the millions of tons of electronic waste generated each year by manufactures of computers, mobile phones and other consumer electronic products will be the focus of a United Nations-sponsored conference in the capital of Kenya.
TIP
Creating CDs for Unix or Windows
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
Preparing a CD that displays proper file names whether it is mounted on a Unix system or on a Windows box requires little more than the proper set of arguments to the mkisofs command and software that knows how to work with ISO images. In this week's column, we look at a script that prepares a multi-use ISO image from files in a selected directory.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
E.U. tells Swift to stop violating privacy rules ... Google's lawyers defend Google News ... More digital camera troubles for Sony
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
Top ten girl geeks ... Top 10 data loss disasters ... Top 10 reasons to pursue a career in plumbing ... 10 Weird science facts you didn't know ... Top 10 investing scams
Friday, November 24, 2006
Google defends against Belgian newspaper copyright case ... Sony finds CCD problem with some digital cameras
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Google defends against Belgian newspaper copyright case
News: E.U. panel asks Swift to stop giving banking data to U.S.
News: French filmmaker sues Google Video
News: Sony finds CCD problem with some digital cameras
Interview: Ex-PeopleSoft CEO talks hosted apps, Oracle
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Geek Comic of the Week: Overcompensating
NEWS UPDATES
Google defends against Belgian newspaper copyright case
Google Inc. launched a robust defense of its practice of caching and summarizing newspaper articles on its news search engine Google News in a Brussels courtroom on Friday.
E.U. panel asks Swift to stop giving banking data to U.S.
An international banking organization violated European Union and Belgian data privacy laws by turning over information to U.S. authorities for terrorism investigations, an independent panel set up by the European Commission has concluded.
French filmmaker sues Google Video
A French film company filed a lawsuit against Google Inc. in the Paris Commercial Court, charging the search giant with copyright infringement.
Sony finds CCD problem with some digital cameras
Problems with the image pick-up in eight models of Sony Corp. digital still camera could mean the inability to take clear pictures or any photos at all, the company said Friday.
New Skype handset doesn't require a PC
A Danish company has begun selling a cordless telephone handset that works with Skype and doesn't require a personal computer.
INTERVIEW
Ex-PeopleSoft CEO talks hosted apps, Oracle
Craig Conway, the former head of PeopleSoft, has kept a low profile in the IT world since his public ouster from the company in October 2004, a few months before the enterprise applications vendor was acquired by Oracle. In this interview, he talks about his new role at enterprise search startup Kazeon, his old nemesis Oracle, and the future of on-demand applications.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft meets European regulator's deadline ... French Assembly to use open-source software ... U.K. to legalize radio transmitters for portable music devices
ITWHIRLED
Geek Comic of the Week: Overcompensating
This comic bills itself as real things that actually happen to Webcomic artist Jeffery Rowland and his friends, many of whom are Webcomic artists themselves. But we sort of doubt they ever tried to market a line of tequila that comes with a free GED, or took the world's sketchiest limo ride in which the driver tried to sell them a pimp cup.
News: Google defends against Belgian newspaper copyright case
News: E.U. panel asks Swift to stop giving banking data to U.S.
News: French filmmaker sues Google Video
News: Sony finds CCD problem with some digital cameras
Interview: Ex-PeopleSoft CEO talks hosted apps, Oracle
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Geek Comic of the Week: Overcompensating
NEWS UPDATES
Google defends against Belgian newspaper copyright case
Google Inc. launched a robust defense of its practice of caching and summarizing newspaper articles on its news search engine Google News in a Brussels courtroom on Friday.
E.U. panel asks Swift to stop giving banking data to U.S.
An international banking organization violated European Union and Belgian data privacy laws by turning over information to U.S. authorities for terrorism investigations, an independent panel set up by the European Commission has concluded.
French filmmaker sues Google Video
A French film company filed a lawsuit against Google Inc. in the Paris Commercial Court, charging the search giant with copyright infringement.
Sony finds CCD problem with some digital cameras
Problems with the image pick-up in eight models of Sony Corp. digital still camera could mean the inability to take clear pictures or any photos at all, the company said Friday.
New Skype handset doesn't require a PC
A Danish company has begun selling a cordless telephone handset that works with Skype and doesn't require a personal computer.
INTERVIEW
Ex-PeopleSoft CEO talks hosted apps, Oracle
Craig Conway, the former head of PeopleSoft, has kept a low profile in the IT world since his public ouster from the company in October 2004, a few months before the enterprise applications vendor was acquired by Oracle. In this interview, he talks about his new role at enterprise search startup Kazeon, his old nemesis Oracle, and the future of on-demand applications.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft meets European regulator's deadline ... French Assembly to use open-source software ... U.K. to legalize radio transmitters for portable music devices
ITWHIRLED
Geek Comic of the Week: Overcompensating
This comic bills itself as real things that actually happen to Webcomic artist Jeffery Rowland and his friends, many of whom are Webcomic artists themselves. But we sort of doubt they ever tried to market a line of tequila that comes with a free GED, or took the world's sketchiest limo ride in which the driver tried to sell them a pimp cup.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Google News finds more trouble in Europe ... Firefox vulnerable to password-stealing attack
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft files more documents to avoid E.U. fine
News: Wanted: Buyer for Siemens enterprise networks group
News: Google News finds more trouble in Europe
News: Firefox vulnerable to password-stealing attack
Opinion: Thousands of wireless access points
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: In defense of difficult clients
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft files more documents to avoid E.U. fine
Microsoft submitted the latest batch of technical information about its Windows operating system to the European Commission antitrust department Thursday, meeting the last in a string of deadlines imposed by the regulator over the past two years.
Wanted: Buyer for Siemens enterprise networks group
German electronics and engineering conglomerate Siemens AG is discovering that selling products can be much easier than selling parts of the company. Talks to unload Siemens Enterprise Networks, a unprofitable unit that sells communications equipment to businesses, "are continuing" with several interested parties, but no buyer has been found yet, Siemens spokeswoman Monika Brücklmeier said Thursday.
Google News finds more trouble in Europe
Google is facing mounting protests from newspaper publishers in Europe, the impact of which could ultimately affect the amount of content available to end users through search engines.
Firefox vulnerable to password-stealing attack
A flaw in Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser makes it easy for cybercriminals to steal user information on Web sites where users create their own pages, such as MySpace.com.
Siemens fraud investigation deepens
The investigation into fraud at Siemens now involves as much as $258 million, ten times the liability previously admitted. Two more Siemens staff have been arrested, with six people now in custody.
OPINION
Thousands of wireless access points
By James Gaskin
How well are you managing your wireless network? Do you know where all your access points are? Do you know how many clients are using those access points at this moment? Now multiply those questions by over 7,000 access points spread across 220 locations, and give me your answers.
That was the problem facing the Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools and their plan to provide wireless broadband network access for every classroom across their district. An ambitious and obviously well-funded district, Fairfax County needed immediate support for wireless problems. If a classroom has a problem, and tech support is an hour away, the class will be over before help can arrive. Thus the need for leading edge management.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
U.K. company sells preowned Microsoft licenses in the U.S. ... Palm starts taking orders for new Treo ... Asustek introduces new motherboard for quad-core chips
ITWHIRLED
In defense of difficult clients
You know who we're talking about: the client whose last site was built by his son using FrontPage or the client who doesn't understand your aversion to "click here" links. But this article proposes that such clients might be the best thing that ever happens to you.
News: Microsoft files more documents to avoid E.U. fine
News: Wanted: Buyer for Siemens enterprise networks group
News: Google News finds more trouble in Europe
News: Firefox vulnerable to password-stealing attack
Opinion: Thousands of wireless access points
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: In defense of difficult clients
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft files more documents to avoid E.U. fine
Microsoft submitted the latest batch of technical information about its Windows operating system to the European Commission antitrust department Thursday, meeting the last in a string of deadlines imposed by the regulator over the past two years.
Wanted: Buyer for Siemens enterprise networks group
German electronics and engineering conglomerate Siemens AG is discovering that selling products can be much easier than selling parts of the company. Talks to unload Siemens Enterprise Networks, a unprofitable unit that sells communications equipment to businesses, "are continuing" with several interested parties, but no buyer has been found yet, Siemens spokeswoman Monika Brücklmeier said Thursday.
Google News finds more trouble in Europe
Google is facing mounting protests from newspaper publishers in Europe, the impact of which could ultimately affect the amount of content available to end users through search engines.
Firefox vulnerable to password-stealing attack
A flaw in Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser makes it easy for cybercriminals to steal user information on Web sites where users create their own pages, such as MySpace.com.
Siemens fraud investigation deepens
The investigation into fraud at Siemens now involves as much as $258 million, ten times the liability previously admitted. Two more Siemens staff have been arrested, with six people now in custody.
OPINION
Thousands of wireless access points
By James Gaskin
How well are you managing your wireless network? Do you know where all your access points are? Do you know how many clients are using those access points at this moment? Now multiply those questions by over 7,000 access points spread across 220 locations, and give me your answers.
That was the problem facing the Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools and their plan to provide wireless broadband network access for every classroom across their district. An ambitious and obviously well-funded district, Fairfax County needed immediate support for wireless problems. If a classroom has a problem, and tech support is an hour away, the class will be over before help can arrive. Thus the need for leading edge management.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
U.K. company sells preowned Microsoft licenses in the U.S. ... Palm starts taking orders for new Treo ... Asustek introduces new motherboard for quad-core chips
ITWHIRLED
In defense of difficult clients
You know who we're talking about: the client whose last site was built by his son using FrontPage or the client who doesn't understand your aversion to "click here" links. But this article proposes that such clients might be the best thing that ever happens to you.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
IBM, Cray win DARPA supercomputer contracts ... Vista complies with U.S. antitrust ruling
HIGHLIGHTS
News: IBM, Cray win DARPA supercomputer contracts
News: Virtualization takes toll on physical server sales
News: Vista complies with U.S. antitrust ruling
News: Gartner: Mobile phone sales grow - except in Japan
Opinion: The Chinese Internet: No happiness
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Did electronic voting machines eat this man's only vote?
NEWS UPDATES
IBM, Cray win DARPA supercomputer contracts
IBM Corp. and Cray Inc have beat out Sun Microsystems Inc. to win sizable U.S government contracts to design a new generation supercomputer.
Virtualization takes toll on physical server sales
New numbers from Gartner Inc. show that computer server sales slowed in the third quarter, a trend the research company attributes to virtualization.
Vista complies with U.S. antitrust ruling
Microsoft Corp's Windows Vista OS doesn't pose antitrust issues so far, according to the latest status report on Microsoft's compliance with the U.S. antitrust settlement.
Gartner: Mobile phone sales grow - except in Japan
Worldwide mobile phone sales grew 21.5 percent year on year to 251 million units in the third quarter, with India and China driving growth, according to research from Gartner Inc.
Dell beats estimates with AMD chip sales
Dell Inc. Tuesday pointed to its adoption of processors from AMD for pushing it to $677 million in profit for the third quarter, though the company has delayed reporting final numbers due to an accounting investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Microsoft licenses Office UI for free
Microsoft Corp. is licensing the new user interface (UI) in Office 2007 for free so developers can build applications that look similar to the programs in the suite, the company said Tuesday.
Google adds indexing tools for News portal
Google Inc. has developed new tools it says will make it easier for webmasters and publishers of news sites to control how the search engine indexes their content for inclusion in the Google News portal.
Google explores separate test network in SF
Google Inc. has asked for the right to use as many as 1,500 San Francisco light poles for wireless equipment on a test network of its own, separate from the citywide Wi-Fi infrastructure that the company proposed along with EarthLink Inc.
OPINION
The Chinese Internet: No happiness
By Dan Blacharski
I've lived and traveled all over Asia, and love it -- there's nothing quite like strolling by the street vendors peddling fried beetles and chicken heads. In countries like Thailand, where there is relatively more freedom than some other Asian countries, I marveled at the stark contrast of seeing a vendor in her big straw hat selling live fish right outside of a flourishing and modern Internet café.
Over the weekend, Reporters Without Borders reported that Chinese Internet users could no longer connect to the Chinese or English versions of Wikipedia. There's been some back and forth in China around Wikipedia (as well as several other online sites), with China re-opening the English Wikipedia on October 10, and the Chinese version in the middle of November. Has there been a change of heart again by the powers that be? It would seem so, and today, if a Chinese citizen wants to know about the history of American Thanksgiving, what was the longest novel in English ever published, or to read about British game show host Richard Dawson or some other such trivia, they'll have to go elsewhere.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft won't use Vista activation feature in Office 2007 ... Analysts back Yahoo "Peanut Butter" memo ... Dell reports Q3 results
ITWHIRLED
Did electronic voting machines eat this man's only vote?
Randy Wooten knew he'd get at least one vote for mayor in Waldenburg, Arkansas (population 80) -- his own. But when the final results came in, and there was a big "0" next to his name, his suspicions turned to the electronic voting machines that kept the talley.
News: IBM, Cray win DARPA supercomputer contracts
News: Virtualization takes toll on physical server sales
News: Vista complies with U.S. antitrust ruling
News: Gartner: Mobile phone sales grow - except in Japan
Opinion: The Chinese Internet: No happiness
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Did electronic voting machines eat this man's only vote?
NEWS UPDATES
IBM, Cray win DARPA supercomputer contracts
IBM Corp. and Cray Inc have beat out Sun Microsystems Inc. to win sizable U.S government contracts to design a new generation supercomputer.
Virtualization takes toll on physical server sales
New numbers from Gartner Inc. show that computer server sales slowed in the third quarter, a trend the research company attributes to virtualization.
Vista complies with U.S. antitrust ruling
Microsoft Corp's Windows Vista OS doesn't pose antitrust issues so far, according to the latest status report on Microsoft's compliance with the U.S. antitrust settlement.
Gartner: Mobile phone sales grow - except in Japan
Worldwide mobile phone sales grew 21.5 percent year on year to 251 million units in the third quarter, with India and China driving growth, according to research from Gartner Inc.
Dell beats estimates with AMD chip sales
Dell Inc. Tuesday pointed to its adoption of processors from AMD for pushing it to $677 million in profit for the third quarter, though the company has delayed reporting final numbers due to an accounting investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Microsoft licenses Office UI for free
Microsoft Corp. is licensing the new user interface (UI) in Office 2007 for free so developers can build applications that look similar to the programs in the suite, the company said Tuesday.
Google adds indexing tools for News portal
Google Inc. has developed new tools it says will make it easier for webmasters and publishers of news sites to control how the search engine indexes their content for inclusion in the Google News portal.
Google explores separate test network in SF
Google Inc. has asked for the right to use as many as 1,500 San Francisco light poles for wireless equipment on a test network of its own, separate from the citywide Wi-Fi infrastructure that the company proposed along with EarthLink Inc.
OPINION
The Chinese Internet: No happiness
By Dan Blacharski
I've lived and traveled all over Asia, and love it -- there's nothing quite like strolling by the street vendors peddling fried beetles and chicken heads. In countries like Thailand, where there is relatively more freedom than some other Asian countries, I marveled at the stark contrast of seeing a vendor in her big straw hat selling live fish right outside of a flourishing and modern Internet café.
Over the weekend, Reporters Without Borders reported that Chinese Internet users could no longer connect to the Chinese or English versions of Wikipedia. There's been some back and forth in China around Wikipedia (as well as several other online sites), with China re-opening the English Wikipedia on October 10, and the Chinese version in the middle of November. Has there been a change of heart again by the powers that be? It would seem so, and today, if a Chinese citizen wants to know about the history of American Thanksgiving, what was the longest novel in English ever published, or to read about British game show host Richard Dawson or some other such trivia, they'll have to go elsewhere.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft won't use Vista activation feature in Office 2007 ... Analysts back Yahoo "Peanut Butter" memo ... Dell reports Q3 results
ITWHIRLED
Did electronic voting machines eat this man's only vote?
Randy Wooten knew he'd get at least one vote for mayor in Waldenburg, Arkansas (population 80) -- his own. But when the final results came in, and there was a big "0" next to his name, his suspicions turned to the electronic voting machines that kept the talley.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
JBoss signs research, services deal with Bull ... Alcatel sues Microsoft over digital video patents
HIGHLIGHTS
News: JBoss signs research, services deal with Bull
News: Alcatel sues Microsoft over digital video patents
News: Dell to report Q3 results today despite accounting woes
News: School shoot-out spurs debate on violent PC games
Windows Tip: Robocopy just got better
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Party like it's 1999
NEWS UPDATES
JBoss signs research, services deal with Bull
French systems and services provider Bull SA has formed a broad partnership with JBoss that could see the Red Hat Inc. subsidiary's open-source middleware used more widely in Europe.
Alcatel sues Microsoft over digital video patents
Alcatel SA has accused Microsoft Corp. of infringing seven of its U.S. patents. The patents describe how to implement fast-forward and rewind functions in digital video streams, among other things.
Dell to report Q3 results today despite accounting woes
Dell Inc. plans to report its third quarter financial results later today once the U.S. stock market closes, after delaying the announcement by nearly a week due to accounting troubles.
School shoot-out spurs debate on violent PC games
A long-simmering debate in Germany about banning violent computer games is burning again after an aloof teenager on Monday stormed his former high school, shot five people and later killed himself.
Akamai to buy Nine Systems for media control
Online delivery service company Akamai Technologies Inc. is buying Nine Systems Corp., a multimedia management service provider, expanding its toolset for online content.
GSM operators team on near field communications
Several mobile phone operators are collaborating on an initiative aimed at achieving a common approach to short-range wireless technology in mobile phones that can be used for contactless applications such as ticketing and billing.
PSP software update coming Wednesday
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will begin offering a software update for the PlayStation Portable on Wednesday that allows it to interoperate with the recently launched PlayStation 3.
Tacos-for-life for a PlayStation 3
People have pushed and shoved for it, queued overnight in the rain for it and its been sold online at great profit. Now the Taco Bell fastfood chain is offering a "lifetime" of tacos in exchange for a PlayStation 3.
WINDOWS TIP
Robocopy just got better
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
If you're an IT pro you probably have a few favorite tools that you always rely on. One of my favorites is Robocopy, which has been around at least since the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit and probably earlier (except my brain is too shot right now to remember -- occupational hazard of being in IT).
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
HP offers personalized PC support over the Internet ... Microsoft steps up software-as-service efforts ... Toshiba to ship 8GB SD card
ITWHIRLED
Party like it's 1999
Clear your calendar. Dotcom-style company holiday parties are making a comeback, according to the annual holiday party survey released by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Among the survey's findings: spending will increase an average of 16%, with the additional funds going to alcohol and offsite venues.
News: JBoss signs research, services deal with Bull
News: Alcatel sues Microsoft over digital video patents
News: Dell to report Q3 results today despite accounting woes
News: School shoot-out spurs debate on violent PC games
Windows Tip: Robocopy just got better
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Party like it's 1999
NEWS UPDATES
JBoss signs research, services deal with Bull
French systems and services provider Bull SA has formed a broad partnership with JBoss that could see the Red Hat Inc. subsidiary's open-source middleware used more widely in Europe.
Alcatel sues Microsoft over digital video patents
Alcatel SA has accused Microsoft Corp. of infringing seven of its U.S. patents. The patents describe how to implement fast-forward and rewind functions in digital video streams, among other things.
Dell to report Q3 results today despite accounting woes
Dell Inc. plans to report its third quarter financial results later today once the U.S. stock market closes, after delaying the announcement by nearly a week due to accounting troubles.
School shoot-out spurs debate on violent PC games
A long-simmering debate in Germany about banning violent computer games is burning again after an aloof teenager on Monday stormed his former high school, shot five people and later killed himself.
Akamai to buy Nine Systems for media control
Online delivery service company Akamai Technologies Inc. is buying Nine Systems Corp., a multimedia management service provider, expanding its toolset for online content.
GSM operators team on near field communications
Several mobile phone operators are collaborating on an initiative aimed at achieving a common approach to short-range wireless technology in mobile phones that can be used for contactless applications such as ticketing and billing.
PSP software update coming Wednesday
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will begin offering a software update for the PlayStation Portable on Wednesday that allows it to interoperate with the recently launched PlayStation 3.
Tacos-for-life for a PlayStation 3
People have pushed and shoved for it, queued overnight in the rain for it and its been sold online at great profit. Now the Taco Bell fastfood chain is offering a "lifetime" of tacos in exchange for a PlayStation 3.
WINDOWS TIP
Robocopy just got better
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
If you're an IT pro you probably have a few favorite tools that you always rely on. One of my favorites is Robocopy, which has been around at least since the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit and probably earlier (except my brain is too shot right now to remember -- occupational hazard of being in IT).
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
HP offers personalized PC support over the Internet ... Microsoft steps up software-as-service efforts ... Toshiba to ship 8GB SD card
ITWHIRLED
Party like it's 1999
Clear your calendar. Dotcom-style company holiday parties are making a comeback, according to the annual holiday party survey released by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Among the survey's findings: spending will increase an average of 16%, with the additional funds going to alcohol and offsite venues.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Yahoo makes online ad deal with newspapers ... Check Point buys Pointsec
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Yahoo makes online ad deal with newspapers
News: Check Point adds encryption with Pointsec buy
News: Nintendo's Wii goes on sale
News: Microsoft steps up SaaS efforts in Europe
Unix Tip: Comparing files with checksums
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Top ten lies of Web 2.0
NEWS UPDATES
Yahoo makes online ad deal with newspapers
Yahoo Inc. and seven newspaper publishers in the U.S. are partnering to deliver local advertising and search services to online newspaper readers.
Check Point adds encryption with Pointsec buy
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. plans to acquire Pointsec Mobile Technologies AB in an effort to extend its security offering to laptops and other remote access devices.
Nintendo's Wii goes on sale
The next-generation video games battle became a three-console race on Sunday as retailers across the U.S. and Canada put Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii on sale.
Microsoft steps up SaaS efforts in Europe
Microsoft is partnering with managed hosting companies in Europe to provide ISVs with services to help them adapt their applications and businesses to the software-as-a-service model. It will also help ISVs to find a hosting partner and provide them with discounts on licenses for some of Microsoft's software for a limited time.
IBM offers new single sign-on tool for SMBs
IBM Corp. has added a new single sign-on tool to its Tivoli software range to make life easier for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) to link their Web sites with those of partners and customers.
EMC to offer embedded version of Documentum
EMC Corp. is looking to drum up more market share and revenue for its Documentum enterprise content management (ECM) software. The vendor will announce Monday plans to offer a version of the product specifically designed to meet the needs of application vendors so that they can embed Documentum into their software.
Report: Plea talks in HP case, new director named
Defense and prosecution attorneys in the Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) spying case are scheduled to meet with the presiding judge Dec. 4 to discuss possible plea bargains, the San Jose Mercury News reported Saturday.
U.S. government clears Alcatel-Lucent deal
President Bush has accepted a recommendation that he not suspend or prohibit the planned merger of Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc. on security grounds after an agency that oversees foreign investment said the deal should be allowed, apparently clearing it to go forward.
Reports: AMD to cut 375 jobs in wake of ATI acquisition
Four weeks after beating Wall Street estimates for financial earnings, chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) will lay off 375 workers, according to published reports.
UNIX TIP
Comparing files with checksums
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
Unix systems provide numerous ways to compare files. The most common way to verify that you have received or downloaded the proper file is to compute a checksum and compare it against one computed by a reliable source. MD5 is frequently used to compute checksums because it is computationally unlikely that two different files will ever have the same checksum. Similar commands, such as sum and cksum, also compute checksums but not with as much reliability. Let's look at several checksums and see why.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Nintendo launches Wii in the U.S. and Canada ... AMD to lay off 375 staff ... President Bush lets Lucent-Alcatel deal move forward
ITWHIRLED
Top ten lies of Web 2.0
As tech stocks start to get a bit giddy again, all of us who went through boom and bust are telling ourselves all kinds of things about why it's different this time -- but deep in our hearts, we aren't so sure.
News: Yahoo makes online ad deal with newspapers
News: Check Point adds encryption with Pointsec buy
News: Nintendo's Wii goes on sale
News: Microsoft steps up SaaS efforts in Europe
Unix Tip: Comparing files with checksums
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Top ten lies of Web 2.0
NEWS UPDATES
Yahoo makes online ad deal with newspapers
Yahoo Inc. and seven newspaper publishers in the U.S. are partnering to deliver local advertising and search services to online newspaper readers.
Check Point adds encryption with Pointsec buy
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. plans to acquire Pointsec Mobile Technologies AB in an effort to extend its security offering to laptops and other remote access devices.
Nintendo's Wii goes on sale
The next-generation video games battle became a three-console race on Sunday as retailers across the U.S. and Canada put Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii on sale.
Microsoft steps up SaaS efforts in Europe
Microsoft is partnering with managed hosting companies in Europe to provide ISVs with services to help them adapt their applications and businesses to the software-as-a-service model. It will also help ISVs to find a hosting partner and provide them with discounts on licenses for some of Microsoft's software for a limited time.
IBM offers new single sign-on tool for SMBs
IBM Corp. has added a new single sign-on tool to its Tivoli software range to make life easier for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) to link their Web sites with those of partners and customers.
EMC to offer embedded version of Documentum
EMC Corp. is looking to drum up more market share and revenue for its Documentum enterprise content management (ECM) software. The vendor will announce Monday plans to offer a version of the product specifically designed to meet the needs of application vendors so that they can embed Documentum into their software.
Report: Plea talks in HP case, new director named
Defense and prosecution attorneys in the Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) spying case are scheduled to meet with the presiding judge Dec. 4 to discuss possible plea bargains, the San Jose Mercury News reported Saturday.
U.S. government clears Alcatel-Lucent deal
President Bush has accepted a recommendation that he not suspend or prohibit the planned merger of Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc. on security grounds after an agency that oversees foreign investment said the deal should be allowed, apparently clearing it to go forward.
Reports: AMD to cut 375 jobs in wake of ATI acquisition
Four weeks after beating Wall Street estimates for financial earnings, chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) will lay off 375 workers, according to published reports.
UNIX TIP
Comparing files with checksums
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
Unix systems provide numerous ways to compare files. The most common way to verify that you have received or downloaded the proper file is to compute a checksum and compare it against one computed by a reliable source. MD5 is frequently used to compute checksums because it is computationally unlikely that two different files will ever have the same checksum. Similar commands, such as sum and cksum, also compute checksums but not with as much reliability. Let's look at several checksums and see why.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Nintendo launches Wii in the U.S. and Canada ... AMD to lay off 375 staff ... President Bush lets Lucent-Alcatel deal move forward
ITWHIRLED
Top ten lies of Web 2.0
As tech stocks start to get a bit giddy again, all of us who went through boom and bust are telling ourselves all kinds of things about why it's different this time -- but deep in our hearts, we aren't so sure.
Friday, November 17, 2006
HP quadruples income for Q4 ... Hackers post Windows 2000 exploit
HIGHLIGHTS
News: HP quadruples income for fourth quarter
News: Attack code posted for latest Microsoft bugs
News: Wall Street Beat: Open source in turmoil
News: Avaya buys Traverse to make voice mail easy
Storage Tip: RAID 6 to Replace RAID 5
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Geek comic of the week: Double Helix
NEWS UPDATES
HP quadruples income for fourth quarter
Capping a year when it reclaimed the title of world's largest PC vendor despite a boardroom scandal, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) on Thursday reported net income of $1.7 billion for the fourth quarter, more than four times its mark for that period last year.
Attack code posted for latest Microsoft bugs
Hackers have posted code that could be used to target Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system in a worm attack. It takes advantage of a flaw in the Windows Workstation service, which Windows uses to do things like file-sharing or printing over the network.
Wall Street Beat: Open source in turmoil
Major software vendors are shaking up the open-source market. Microsoft Corp.'s deal with Novell Inc. and Oracle Corp.'s move to support Red Hat Linux have sent IT investors scurrying to figure out what it all means.
Avaya buys Traverse to make voice mail easy
Avaya Inc. moved to make voice mail easier to use on the road, acquiring a maker of software that lets users get their office messages without dialing in.
YouTube strikes video deals to dodge lawsuits
Google Inc.'s YouTube signed a contract with the National Hockey League (NHL) to offer game highlights, the latest deal struck by the video sharing sensation as it attempts to stamp out pirated clips from its site and avoid copyright lawsuits.
IBM blasts energy-efficiency of HP's blade servers
IBM Thursday released test results that show that its BladeCenter line of servers uses up to 30 percent less electricity than HP's BladeSystem servers. Although the tests were done internally by IBM, a company executive said IBM would welcome an independent analysis of the energy efficiency of both company's systems.
SugarCRM supports full open-source stack
SugarCRM Inc. became the latest open-source player to offer users a way to more simply install and support a full software stack comprising its own CRM (customer relationship management) application and other third-party offerings.
Google hires spreadsheet company founders
Google Inc. may be planning to beef up its online spreadsheet offering by hiring the founders of iRows, a browser-based spreadsheet service.
STORAGE TIP
RAID 6 to Replace RAID 5
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
The introduction of RAID technology has been a boon that made the use of open systems storage for a wide range of business applications (including mission-critical) practical. To continue to harp on a subject that has been discussed previously, RAID is great, but only one failure can safely be tolerated. Enterprises run a risk during the time that it takes to rebuild an array after a disk failure. That risk is having a much longer downtime than can be tolerated with today’s 24X7 applications to rebuild from tape if a second disk fails. Multiple-parity RAID is the solution. RAID 6 is the currently most popular implementation of multiple-parity RAID.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Skype launches mobile VOIP service ... Google looks to protect YouTube from lawsuits ... Hackers post Windows 2000 exploit
ITWHIRLED
Geek comic of the week: Double Helix
Ned and Traslar are two vaguely unkempt white-lab-coated fellows who star in this comic. Probably at some point they were supposed to be scientists of some kind, but today they mostly trade comics and video-game related bon mots while all hell breaks loose around them.
News: HP quadruples income for fourth quarter
News: Attack code posted for latest Microsoft bugs
News: Wall Street Beat: Open source in turmoil
News: Avaya buys Traverse to make voice mail easy
Storage Tip: RAID 6 to Replace RAID 5
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Geek comic of the week: Double Helix
NEWS UPDATES
HP quadruples income for fourth quarter
Capping a year when it reclaimed the title of world's largest PC vendor despite a boardroom scandal, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) on Thursday reported net income of $1.7 billion for the fourth quarter, more than four times its mark for that period last year.
Attack code posted for latest Microsoft bugs
Hackers have posted code that could be used to target Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system in a worm attack. It takes advantage of a flaw in the Windows Workstation service, which Windows uses to do things like file-sharing or printing over the network.
Wall Street Beat: Open source in turmoil
Major software vendors are shaking up the open-source market. Microsoft Corp.'s deal with Novell Inc. and Oracle Corp.'s move to support Red Hat Linux have sent IT investors scurrying to figure out what it all means.
Avaya buys Traverse to make voice mail easy
Avaya Inc. moved to make voice mail easier to use on the road, acquiring a maker of software that lets users get their office messages without dialing in.
YouTube strikes video deals to dodge lawsuits
Google Inc.'s YouTube signed a contract with the National Hockey League (NHL) to offer game highlights, the latest deal struck by the video sharing sensation as it attempts to stamp out pirated clips from its site and avoid copyright lawsuits.
IBM blasts energy-efficiency of HP's blade servers
IBM Thursday released test results that show that its BladeCenter line of servers uses up to 30 percent less electricity than HP's BladeSystem servers. Although the tests were done internally by IBM, a company executive said IBM would welcome an independent analysis of the energy efficiency of both company's systems.
SugarCRM supports full open-source stack
SugarCRM Inc. became the latest open-source player to offer users a way to more simply install and support a full software stack comprising its own CRM (customer relationship management) application and other third-party offerings.
Google hires spreadsheet company founders
Google Inc. may be planning to beef up its online spreadsheet offering by hiring the founders of iRows, a browser-based spreadsheet service.
STORAGE TIP
RAID 6 to Replace RAID 5
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
The introduction of RAID technology has been a boon that made the use of open systems storage for a wide range of business applications (including mission-critical) practical. To continue to harp on a subject that has been discussed previously, RAID is great, but only one failure can safely be tolerated. Enterprises run a risk during the time that it takes to rebuild an array after a disk failure. That risk is having a much longer downtime than can be tolerated with today’s 24X7 applications to rebuild from tape if a second disk fails. Multiple-parity RAID is the solution. RAID 6 is the currently most popular implementation of multiple-parity RAID.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Skype launches mobile VOIP service ... Google looks to protect YouTube from lawsuits ... Hackers post Windows 2000 exploit
ITWHIRLED
Geek comic of the week: Double Helix
Ned and Traslar are two vaguely unkempt white-lab-coated fellows who star in this comic. Probably at some point they were supposed to be scientists of some kind, but today they mostly trade comics and video-game related bon mots while all hell breaks loose around them.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Skype launches first mobile service ... Sony seen losing big money on PS3 hardware
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Skype launches first mobile service
News: Sony seen losing big money on PS3 hardware
News: Qualcomm buys IT monitoring and management vendor
News: BenQ weighs on Infineon's earnings
Security Tip: When security through obscurity makes sense
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: The seven phases of owning an iPod
NEWS UPDATES
Skype launches first mobile service
Skype Ltd. launched its first mobile voice-over-IP service in collaboration with an operator, 3 Group, whose customers will soon be the first to use it.
Sony seen losing big money on PS3 hardware
Sony Corp. is taking a big loss on each PlayStation 3 console it sells but end users are benefitting from "supercomputing performance" at the price of a cheap PC, according to research company iSuppli Corp., which dismantled the console to analyze the parts inside.
Qualcomm buys IT monitoring and management vendor
Wireless technologies developer Qualcomm Inc. has acquired nPhase LLC, a provider of "machine-to-machine" technology that helps large businesses manage and monitor dispersed computing devices, Qualcomm announced Thursday.
BenQ weighs on Infineon's earnings
Additional charges related to the spin-off of its memory chip unit and bankruptcy of a large mobile phone customer have widened the fourth-quarter loss at German chip maker Infineon Technologies AG.
Google, Yahoo and Microsoft partner to help webmasters
Strange bedfellows Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. have partnered to simplify how webmasters and online publishers submit their sites' content for indexing in the companies' search engines.
Microsoft plans CardSpace plug-in for Firefox
Microsoft Corp. will write a software plug-in that allows the Firefox open-source Web browser to work with Microsoft's Cardspace identity management technology.
Apple iPhone rumors multiply
Rumors that Apple Computer Inc. plans to launch a mobile phone next year are gaining momentum, although the company's Taiwanese manufacturing partners are giving little away.
SECURITY TIP
When security through obscurity makes sense
By Brent Huston, MicroSolved, Inc.
For years you have been hearing how security through obscurity doesn't work. Pundits, auditors, security consultants and everyone else who has been through infosec 101 consistently hammer home the point that security through obscurity is a dangerous practice. But, with some of the recent things that have emerged, it just might be useful to your organization.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Google, Microsoft, Yahooo collaborate .... iPhone rumors multiply ... Sony's loss on PS3 is users' gain
More podcasts
ITWHIRLED
The seven phases of owning an iPod
Everyone knows about the "OH MY GOD IT'S SO SMALL AND SHINY" phase. Apple doesn't want you to find out about the next six, where you end up eating cardboard to survive.
News: Skype launches first mobile service
News: Sony seen losing big money on PS3 hardware
News: Qualcomm buys IT monitoring and management vendor
News: BenQ weighs on Infineon's earnings
Security Tip: When security through obscurity makes sense
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: The seven phases of owning an iPod
NEWS UPDATES
Skype launches first mobile service
Skype Ltd. launched its first mobile voice-over-IP service in collaboration with an operator, 3 Group, whose customers will soon be the first to use it.
Sony seen losing big money on PS3 hardware
Sony Corp. is taking a big loss on each PlayStation 3 console it sells but end users are benefitting from "supercomputing performance" at the price of a cheap PC, according to research company iSuppli Corp., which dismantled the console to analyze the parts inside.
Qualcomm buys IT monitoring and management vendor
Wireless technologies developer Qualcomm Inc. has acquired nPhase LLC, a provider of "machine-to-machine" technology that helps large businesses manage and monitor dispersed computing devices, Qualcomm announced Thursday.
BenQ weighs on Infineon's earnings
Additional charges related to the spin-off of its memory chip unit and bankruptcy of a large mobile phone customer have widened the fourth-quarter loss at German chip maker Infineon Technologies AG.
Google, Yahoo and Microsoft partner to help webmasters
Strange bedfellows Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. have partnered to simplify how webmasters and online publishers submit their sites' content for indexing in the companies' search engines.
Microsoft plans CardSpace plug-in for Firefox
Microsoft Corp. will write a software plug-in that allows the Firefox open-source Web browser to work with Microsoft's Cardspace identity management technology.
Apple iPhone rumors multiply
Rumors that Apple Computer Inc. plans to launch a mobile phone next year are gaining momentum, although the company's Taiwanese manufacturing partners are giving little away.
SECURITY TIP
When security through obscurity makes sense
By Brent Huston, MicroSolved, Inc.
For years you have been hearing how security through obscurity doesn't work. Pundits, auditors, security consultants and everyone else who has been through infosec 101 consistently hammer home the point that security through obscurity is a dangerous practice. But, with some of the recent things that have emerged, it just might be useful to your organization.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Google, Microsoft, Yahooo collaborate .... iPhone rumors multiply ... Sony's loss on PS3 is users' gain
More podcasts
ITWHIRLED
The seven phases of owning an iPod
Everyone knows about the "OH MY GOD IT'S SO SMALL AND SHINY" phase. Apple doesn't want you to find out about the next six, where you end up eating cardboard to survive.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
E.C. may fine Microsoft again ... AOL upgrades AIM with offline messaging, chat logs
HIGHLIGHTS
News: European Commission may fine Microsoft again
News: SAP, Microsoft plan more Duet features and new version
News: AOL upgrades AIM with offline messaging, chat logs
News: Microsoft releases six security updates
Unix Tip: Automating Analog
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: New Zealand allows "text-speak" in test answers
NEWS UPDATES
European Commission may fine Microsoft again
The European Commission has threatened Microsoft with daily fines of €3 million (US$3.8 million) if it doesn't provide interoperability information about its Windows operating system by Nov. 23, the Commission said Wednesday.
SAP, Microsoft plan more Duet features and new version
Businesses interested in Duet, the software application jointly developed by Microsoft Corp. and SAP AG, can look forward to new features and a new version of the product over the next several months.
AOL upgrades AIM with offline messaging, chat logs
AOL LLC has upgraded its popular AIM instant messaging service with new features like the ability to send messages to offline users and to store IM sessions in a PC.
Microsoft releases six security updates
Microsoft Corp. has issued six security updates, fixing critical bugs in Windows components ranging from Internet Explorer to the Microsoft NetWare client service.
Security group ranks human error as top security worry
The SANS Institute has some controversial advice for computer security professionals looking to lock down their networks: spear-phish your employees.
Nokia releases Sourcefire-based security appliance
Nokia Corp. has introduced a security appliance aimed at helping enterprises keep their networks secure, particularly in the face of threats that arise as more employees access corporate data remotely from devices like smartphones and laptops.
Pirated Vista may be useless, Microsoft says
Pirated copies of Microsoft's new Vista computer operating system "will be of limited value" to those who use them. "This unauthorized download relies on the use of pre-RTM [release-to-manufacture] activation keys that will be blocked using Microsoft's Software Protection Platform," Microsoft said in a prepared statement.
Former CA sales executive gets seven years in jail
The former head of worldwide sales at Computer Associates has been sentenced to seven years in jail after pleading guilty to financial fraud charges in April.
No stores and no phones means no clients for EasyMobile
EasyMobile Ltd. plans to shut its mobile phone service in the U.K. on Dec. 13, leaving its 80,000 customers to find a new service provider. The EasyMobile low-cost offering launched first in the U.K. last year, with plans to become available in 12 European countries. Mimicking a successful model spearheaded in Denmark, EasyMobile initially only sold SIM cards but no phones, and had no stores, selling exclusively online.
UNIX TIP
Automating Analog
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
For those of us who use Analog routinely to understand how well our web sites are doing, a little automation goes a long way. To prepare monthly reports, for example, you will want to rotate your log files, keeping each month's log data separately. Whether you retain old log files or only the Analog reports, you can set up for your sites in a way that lends itself to month by month comparisons.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
E.U. threatens additional fines against Microsoft ... AOL upgrades AIM service ... Borland to spin off developer tools group ... Microsoft issues six security updates
ITWHIRLED
New Zealand schools give up: "Text-speak" to be accepted in test answers
Kiwi high schoolers will be permitted to use "text-speak" -- the sort of abbreviations common in text messages and instant messaging conversations -- in national exams this year, as long as the answer "clearly shows the required understanding." Throwing a bone to everyone over the age of 19 who is righteously horrified by this idea, the nation's educational authority noted that on English tests and others where good language use is specifically required, text abbreviations would be penalized.
News: European Commission may fine Microsoft again
News: SAP, Microsoft plan more Duet features and new version
News: AOL upgrades AIM with offline messaging, chat logs
News: Microsoft releases six security updates
Unix Tip: Automating Analog
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: New Zealand allows "text-speak" in test answers
NEWS UPDATES
European Commission may fine Microsoft again
The European Commission has threatened Microsoft with daily fines of €3 million (US$3.8 million) if it doesn't provide interoperability information about its Windows operating system by Nov. 23, the Commission said Wednesday.
SAP, Microsoft plan more Duet features and new version
Businesses interested in Duet, the software application jointly developed by Microsoft Corp. and SAP AG, can look forward to new features and a new version of the product over the next several months.
AOL upgrades AIM with offline messaging, chat logs
AOL LLC has upgraded its popular AIM instant messaging service with new features like the ability to send messages to offline users and to store IM sessions in a PC.
Microsoft releases six security updates
Microsoft Corp. has issued six security updates, fixing critical bugs in Windows components ranging from Internet Explorer to the Microsoft NetWare client service.
Security group ranks human error as top security worry
The SANS Institute has some controversial advice for computer security professionals looking to lock down their networks: spear-phish your employees.
Nokia releases Sourcefire-based security appliance
Nokia Corp. has introduced a security appliance aimed at helping enterprises keep their networks secure, particularly in the face of threats that arise as more employees access corporate data remotely from devices like smartphones and laptops.
Pirated Vista may be useless, Microsoft says
Pirated copies of Microsoft's new Vista computer operating system "will be of limited value" to those who use them. "This unauthorized download relies on the use of pre-RTM [release-to-manufacture] activation keys that will be blocked using Microsoft's Software Protection Platform," Microsoft said in a prepared statement.
Former CA sales executive gets seven years in jail
The former head of worldwide sales at Computer Associates has been sentenced to seven years in jail after pleading guilty to financial fraud charges in April.
No stores and no phones means no clients for EasyMobile
EasyMobile Ltd. plans to shut its mobile phone service in the U.K. on Dec. 13, leaving its 80,000 customers to find a new service provider. The EasyMobile low-cost offering launched first in the U.K. last year, with plans to become available in 12 European countries. Mimicking a successful model spearheaded in Denmark, EasyMobile initially only sold SIM cards but no phones, and had no stores, selling exclusively online.
UNIX TIP
Automating Analog
By Sandra Henry-Stocker
For those of us who use Analog routinely to understand how well our web sites are doing, a little automation goes a long way. To prepare monthly reports, for example, you will want to rotate your log files, keeping each month's log data separately. Whether you retain old log files or only the Analog reports, you can set up for your sites in a way that lends itself to month by month comparisons.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
E.U. threatens additional fines against Microsoft ... AOL upgrades AIM service ... Borland to spin off developer tools group ... Microsoft issues six security updates
ITWHIRLED
New Zealand schools give up: "Text-speak" to be accepted in test answers
Kiwi high schoolers will be permitted to use "text-speak" -- the sort of abbreviations common in text messages and instant messaging conversations -- in national exams this year, as long as the answer "clearly shows the required understanding." Throwing a bone to everyone over the age of 19 who is righteously horrified by this idea, the nation's educational authority noted that on English tests and others where good language use is specifically required, text abbreviations would be penalized.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Microsoft hits rough patches with managed services ... Intel bids for rebound with quad-core chips
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Microsoft hits rough patches with managed services
News: Idea sharing leads IBM to invest $100M in new areas
News: Intel bids for rebound with quad-core chips
News: Microsoft puts corporate AV client into beta
Windows Tip: Are cached credentials secure?
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Powerbook vs. microwave
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft hits rough patches with managed services
Microsoft Corp. is nurturing a plan to expand its work in managed services over the next year as companies look to reduce the cost of their internal IT management, a top company executive said Tuesday.
Idea sharing leads IBM to invest $100M in new areas
IBM Corp. will invest $100 million over the next two years in 10 potential new business opportunities after conducting a massive trawl for ideas among its staff, partners, customers and academic institutions.
Intel bids for rebound with quad-core chips
Intel Corp. has launched a family of quad-core processors, hoping to take back its crumbling share of the server market and win users in the trendy gaming PC segment.
Microsoft puts corporate AV client into beta
Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday will take a step toward competing with McAfee Inc. and Symantec Corp in the enterprise security market by releasing a beta version of its Forefront Client Security desktop software.
Longhorn beta 3 due first half of 2007
Microsoft Corp. will release beta 3 of the next version of Windows Server, code-named Longhorn, in the first half of 2007. Beta 3 of Longhorn is expected to be feature complete and will be tweaked only for performance and quality control before the first release candidates of the product appear.
IBM holds lead on Top500 Supercomputers list
IBM has maintained its lead, and its bragging rights, over rivals in the number of supercomputer systems it operates throughout the world. IBM holds a 47.8 percent share of the biannual Top500 Supercomputers list. Second-place HP holds a 31.2 percent share of systems on the list.
HP brings its quad-core servers to market
Tuesday's debut of Intel Corp.quad-core-powered computers from Hewlett-Packard Co. completes the introduction of quad-core hardware from major computer and server manufacturers.
WINDOWS TIP
Are cached credentials secure?
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
A reader recently contacted me concerning a previous tip Troubleshooting Cached Logons where I shared a script that could be used to query your event logs to determine whether your machine is currently logged on using cached credentials. When you try to log onto your domain and your Windows XP computer can't contact a domain controller, your computer uses cached credentials to authenticate. These credentials are cached locally on your machine from a previous successful domain authentication, and are designed to enable you to log onto domain members when domain controllers are unavailable.
The reader told me that he heard from "some security experts" that storing domain credentials locally on client machines like this poses a security vulnerability since anyone who can gain access to your computer can run a password cracker against these stored credentials and extract your domain username and password from them. But how serious a vulnerability is this? To find the answer, I cracked open one of my all-time favorite books, Protect Your Windows Network: From Perimeter To Data by Jesper M. Johansson and Steve Riley.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Zune to hit store shelves today ... IBM tops supercomputer list ... Sun releases Java under open-source license
More podcasts
ITWHIRLED
Powerbook vs. microwave
We know that G3 Powerbooks are really outdated these days, but does that mean you should just stick them in a microwave to see what happens? This group of destructive types apparently thought so. Thankfully, Google Video exists to help document the "experiment."
News: Microsoft hits rough patches with managed services
News: Idea sharing leads IBM to invest $100M in new areas
News: Intel bids for rebound with quad-core chips
News: Microsoft puts corporate AV client into beta
Windows Tip: Are cached credentials secure?
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Powerbook vs. microwave
NEWS UPDATES
Microsoft hits rough patches with managed services
Microsoft Corp. is nurturing a plan to expand its work in managed services over the next year as companies look to reduce the cost of their internal IT management, a top company executive said Tuesday.
Idea sharing leads IBM to invest $100M in new areas
IBM Corp. will invest $100 million over the next two years in 10 potential new business opportunities after conducting a massive trawl for ideas among its staff, partners, customers and academic institutions.
Intel bids for rebound with quad-core chips
Intel Corp. has launched a family of quad-core processors, hoping to take back its crumbling share of the server market and win users in the trendy gaming PC segment.
Microsoft puts corporate AV client into beta
Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday will take a step toward competing with McAfee Inc. and Symantec Corp in the enterprise security market by releasing a beta version of its Forefront Client Security desktop software.
Longhorn beta 3 due first half of 2007
Microsoft Corp. will release beta 3 of the next version of Windows Server, code-named Longhorn, in the first half of 2007. Beta 3 of Longhorn is expected to be feature complete and will be tweaked only for performance and quality control before the first release candidates of the product appear.
IBM holds lead on Top500 Supercomputers list
IBM has maintained its lead, and its bragging rights, over rivals in the number of supercomputer systems it operates throughout the world. IBM holds a 47.8 percent share of the biannual Top500 Supercomputers list. Second-place HP holds a 31.2 percent share of systems on the list.
HP brings its quad-core servers to market
Tuesday's debut of Intel Corp.quad-core-powered computers from Hewlett-Packard Co. completes the introduction of quad-core hardware from major computer and server manufacturers.
WINDOWS TIP
Are cached credentials secure?
By Mitch Tulloch, MTIT Enterprises
A reader recently contacted me concerning a previous tip Troubleshooting Cached Logons where I shared a script that could be used to query your event logs to determine whether your machine is currently logged on using cached credentials. When you try to log onto your domain and your Windows XP computer can't contact a domain controller, your computer uses cached credentials to authenticate. These credentials are cached locally on your machine from a previous successful domain authentication, and are designed to enable you to log onto domain members when domain controllers are unavailable.
The reader told me that he heard from "some security experts" that storing domain credentials locally on client machines like this poses a security vulnerability since anyone who can gain access to your computer can run a password cracker against these stored credentials and extract your domain username and password from them. But how serious a vulnerability is this? To find the answer, I cracked open one of my all-time favorite books, Protect Your Windows Network: From Perimeter To Data by Jesper M. Johansson and Steve Riley.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Zune to hit store shelves today ... IBM tops supercomputer list ... Sun releases Java under open-source license
More podcasts
ITWHIRLED
Powerbook vs. microwave
We know that G3 Powerbooks are really outdated these days, but does that mean you should just stick them in a microwave to see what happens? This group of destructive types apparently thought so. Thankfully, Google Video exists to help document the "experiment."
Monday, November 13, 2006
Sun open sources Java under GPL ... Hands on with PlayStation 3
HIGHLIGHTS
News: Sun open sources Java under GPL
News: Qualcomm makes headway in Europe and against Nokia
News: Samsung offers look at future of mobile phones
News: SAP appoints head of new SME unit
Storage Tip: The long tail of data storage
Product Review: Hands on with PlayStation 3
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: 10 Reasons why Opera is better than Firefox
NEWS UPDATES
Sun open sources Java under GPL
It's no surprise that Sun Microsystems Inc. is making its core Java platform freely available; what is somewhat unexpected is the vendor's choice of open-source license - the GNU general public license version 2 (GPLv2).
Qualcomm makes headway in Europe and against Nokia
Motorola Inc. will use Qualcomm Inc. chips in future UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service) phones in a deal that could give Qualcomm leverage in an ongoing patent licensing dispute with Nokia Corp.
Samsung offers look at future of mobile phones
Mobile phones will undergo a dramatic transformation over the next few years, incorporating more powerful processors and more storage, as well as new technologies, including sensors to monitor a user's health and a wider range of entertainment and online services.
SAP appoints head of new SME unit
Keen to carve out a larger chunk of the global market for enterprise applications, German business software vendor SAP AG has established a new global unit to target small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and appointed a company veteran to head the assault.
Google gives 'start' page to hosted apps suite
Google Inc.'s Apps for Your Domain has a new component: an entry Web page that organizations can use as a central point for users to access this suite of hosted applications.
Iran nukes, not Iraq, biggest concern, Netanyahu says
Iran's potential development of nuclear weapons is a bigger threat to Middle East peace than the ongoing war in Iraq, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a group of technology investors Sunday in Palo Alto, California.
Samsung plots showdown between flat-panel TVs
PDP and LCD TVs occupy different segments of the flat-panel television market, with PDPs generally used for larger screens, or those that measure more than 40 inches across the diagonal. However, Samsung hopes that a new factory set to start production late next year will permit volume production of LCD TVs with screens that measure 50 inches or more across the diagonal.
STORAGE TIP
The long tail of data storage
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
Thinking about how to approach the abundance of data caused by fixed content data isn't easy but thinking about how to create tiered storage and active archives to take advantage of the data "niches" of the "Long Tail" of storage is a start.
Read the full article here.
PRODUCT REVIEW
Hands on with PlayStation 3
Are first impressions meant to last or made to be broken? On Friday I wrote of my first impressions of the PlayStation 3 console. Based on gaming last week, I found the graphics great but otherwise the experience wasn't much different from other games consoles. I picked up the PlayStation 3 Saturday morning when it launched here in Japan and after a weekend with the device find myself with a new opinion of the industry's latest hot product.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
PlayStation 3 debuts in Japan ... Novell deal binds Microsoft with exclusivity ... Google downplays Google Video lawsuit
More podcasts
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
Top 10 classic commercials ... 10 Reasons why Opera is better than Firefox ... Top 10 QB rivalries of all time ... 10 Coolest Lego creations ... 10 confusing signs
News: Sun open sources Java under GPL
News: Qualcomm makes headway in Europe and against Nokia
News: Samsung offers look at future of mobile phones
News: SAP appoints head of new SME unit
Storage Tip: The long tail of data storage
Product Review: Hands on with PlayStation 3
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: 10 Reasons why Opera is better than Firefox
NEWS UPDATES
Sun open sources Java under GPL
It's no surprise that Sun Microsystems Inc. is making its core Java platform freely available; what is somewhat unexpected is the vendor's choice of open-source license - the GNU general public license version 2 (GPLv2).
Qualcomm makes headway in Europe and against Nokia
Motorola Inc. will use Qualcomm Inc. chips in future UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service) phones in a deal that could give Qualcomm leverage in an ongoing patent licensing dispute with Nokia Corp.
Samsung offers look at future of mobile phones
Mobile phones will undergo a dramatic transformation over the next few years, incorporating more powerful processors and more storage, as well as new technologies, including sensors to monitor a user's health and a wider range of entertainment and online services.
SAP appoints head of new SME unit
Keen to carve out a larger chunk of the global market for enterprise applications, German business software vendor SAP AG has established a new global unit to target small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and appointed a company veteran to head the assault.
Google gives 'start' page to hosted apps suite
Google Inc.'s Apps for Your Domain has a new component: an entry Web page that organizations can use as a central point for users to access this suite of hosted applications.
Iran nukes, not Iraq, biggest concern, Netanyahu says
Iran's potential development of nuclear weapons is a bigger threat to Middle East peace than the ongoing war in Iraq, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a group of technology investors Sunday in Palo Alto, California.
Samsung plots showdown between flat-panel TVs
PDP and LCD TVs occupy different segments of the flat-panel television market, with PDPs generally used for larger screens, or those that measure more than 40 inches across the diagonal. However, Samsung hopes that a new factory set to start production late next year will permit volume production of LCD TVs with screens that measure 50 inches or more across the diagonal.
STORAGE TIP
The long tail of data storage
By David Hill, Mesabi Group
Thinking about how to approach the abundance of data caused by fixed content data isn't easy but thinking about how to create tiered storage and active archives to take advantage of the data "niches" of the "Long Tail" of storage is a start.
Read the full article here.
PRODUCT REVIEW
Hands on with PlayStation 3
Are first impressions meant to last or made to be broken? On Friday I wrote of my first impressions of the PlayStation 3 console. Based on gaming last week, I found the graphics great but otherwise the experience wasn't much different from other games consoles. I picked up the PlayStation 3 Saturday morning when it launched here in Japan and after a weekend with the device find myself with a new opinion of the industry's latest hot product.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
PlayStation 3 debuts in Japan ... Novell deal binds Microsoft with exclusivity ... Google downplays Google Video lawsuit
More podcasts
ITWHIRLED
She's a 10
Top 10 classic commercials ... 10 Reasons why Opera is better than Firefox ... Top 10 QB rivalries of all time ... 10 Coolest Lego creations ... 10 confusing signs
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Motherboard sales slide further ahead of Vista ... PS3 to get software update on launch day
HIGHLIGHTS
News: PC motherboard sales slide further ahead of Vista
News: Lenovo reports slimmer profit as sales rise
News: PlayStation 3 to get software update on launch day
News: Google filing reveals video lawsuit
Security Tip: Three steps toward enclave computing
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: The interface of a cheeseburger
NEWS UPDATES
PC motherboard sales slide further ahead of Vista
Sales of motherboards used in desktop PCs continue to decline ahead of the launch of Microsoft's new Windows Vista OS, a sign that could foretell bargains for users in coming months.
Lenovo reports slimmer profit as sales rise
Lenovo Group Ltd. reported a 10 percent year-on-year increase in the volume of shipments for the second fiscal quarter, but pricing pressure meant that revenue for the quarter increased just 1 percent year on year, to $3.7 billion.
PlayStation 3 to get software update on launch day
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will offer the first software update for its PlayStation 3 games console on Saturday simultaneously with the start of sales of the device.
Google filing reveals video lawsuit
Google revealed that its own online video-sharing service is the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit, adding to worries that the company may become the subject of expensive lawsuits related to the YouTube Inc. video-sharing service it is buying.
Cisco profit, revenue surge ahead in Q1
Cisco Systems Inc. kept growing fast in its fiscal first quarter, posting revenue of $8.2 billion and net income of $1.6 billion or $0.26 per share.
Firefox 1.5 support ending April 24
On April 24, 2007, developers plan to stop issuing security and stability fixes for the open-source browser, Mozilla said Wednesday in a note posted on the Mozilla.com Web site.
Gartner: Consumers to lose $2.8B to phishers in 2006
Browser makers may have added new antiphishing features to their products in recent months, but the criminals are still gaining ground in their efforts to defraud U.S. consumers, according to the Gartner Inc. research firm.
Ozzie: Vista fulfills fundamental OS role
Vista, the next version of Windows' client-side operating system, is designed to fulfill the fundamental role of an operating system today: provide users with a safe environment when they are on the Web, the company's Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie said Wednesday.
AOL wanted to buy YouTube, CEO says
AOL LLC wanted to acquire YouTube Inc. but Google Inc. was the only company in a position to put together the $1.65 billion all-stock offer that landed it the deal with the video sharing maverick, AOL's chief executive officer said Wednesday.
Ask, Microsoft brainstorm ways to topple Google
Plenty of opportunities exist in the search engine sector to make a run at leader Google Inc., executives from Ask.com and Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday. Among the arguments they shared with attendees at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco is that much potential exists for improvement in the search user experience.
SECURITY TIP
Three steps toward enclave computing
By Brent Huston, MicroSolved, Inc.
Many organizations have identified the move to enclave computing as a viable and logical strategy for their future security architectures. To prepare for this transition, organizations and security teams must start by doing three things.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Vista released to manufacturers ... Nvidia announces new GPU technology ... News Corp. looking for Chinese MySpace partner
ITWHIRLED
The interface of a cheeseburger
One western information architect in Japan had an epiphany while waiting in line at McDonald's. Check out this funny but informative piece on why the Golden Arches has one of the easiest-to-use interfaces you'll ever encounter -- and why the iPod's logo is on the back, not the front.
News: PC motherboard sales slide further ahead of Vista
News: Lenovo reports slimmer profit as sales rise
News: PlayStation 3 to get software update on launch day
News: Google filing reveals video lawsuit
Security Tip: Three steps toward enclave computing
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: The interface of a cheeseburger
NEWS UPDATES
PC motherboard sales slide further ahead of Vista
Sales of motherboards used in desktop PCs continue to decline ahead of the launch of Microsoft's new Windows Vista OS, a sign that could foretell bargains for users in coming months.
Lenovo reports slimmer profit as sales rise
Lenovo Group Ltd. reported a 10 percent year-on-year increase in the volume of shipments for the second fiscal quarter, but pricing pressure meant that revenue for the quarter increased just 1 percent year on year, to $3.7 billion.
PlayStation 3 to get software update on launch day
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will offer the first software update for its PlayStation 3 games console on Saturday simultaneously with the start of sales of the device.
Google filing reveals video lawsuit
Google revealed that its own online video-sharing service is the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit, adding to worries that the company may become the subject of expensive lawsuits related to the YouTube Inc. video-sharing service it is buying.
Cisco profit, revenue surge ahead in Q1
Cisco Systems Inc. kept growing fast in its fiscal first quarter, posting revenue of $8.2 billion and net income of $1.6 billion or $0.26 per share.
Firefox 1.5 support ending April 24
On April 24, 2007, developers plan to stop issuing security and stability fixes for the open-source browser, Mozilla said Wednesday in a note posted on the Mozilla.com Web site.
Gartner: Consumers to lose $2.8B to phishers in 2006
Browser makers may have added new antiphishing features to their products in recent months, but the criminals are still gaining ground in their efforts to defraud U.S. consumers, according to the Gartner Inc. research firm.
Ozzie: Vista fulfills fundamental OS role
Vista, the next version of Windows' client-side operating system, is designed to fulfill the fundamental role of an operating system today: provide users with a safe environment when they are on the Web, the company's Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie said Wednesday.
AOL wanted to buy YouTube, CEO says
AOL LLC wanted to acquire YouTube Inc. but Google Inc. was the only company in a position to put together the $1.65 billion all-stock offer that landed it the deal with the video sharing maverick, AOL's chief executive officer said Wednesday.
Ask, Microsoft brainstorm ways to topple Google
Plenty of opportunities exist in the search engine sector to make a run at leader Google Inc., executives from Ask.com and Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday. Among the arguments they shared with attendees at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco is that much potential exists for improvement in the search user experience.
SECURITY TIP
Three steps toward enclave computing
By Brent Huston, MicroSolved, Inc.
Many organizations have identified the move to enclave computing as a viable and logical strategy for their future security architectures. To prepare for this transition, organizations and security teams must start by doing three things.
PODCAST
Daily IT News Audio Update
Vista released to manufacturers ... Nvidia announces new GPU technology ... News Corp. looking for Chinese MySpace partner
ITWHIRLED
The interface of a cheeseburger
One western information architect in Japan had an epiphany while waiting in line at McDonald's. Check out this funny but informative piece on why the Golden Arches has one of the easiest-to-use interfaces you'll ever encounter -- and why the iPod's logo is on the back, not the front.
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