|
The InformationWeek June 2006 Archive « May 2006 | Main | July 2006 » |
|
|
Fight For Your Entertainment Rights
If you own an iPod or MP3 player; yearn for a music-enabled phone; download, share, or mix songs and video; or even if you just want to listen to your music or watch your videos in relative peace, take heed. Pending legislation could make the simplest exercise in legal home media use more cumbersome than you could ever imagine.
Continue reading "Fight For Your Entertainment Rights..."
(Almost) Everything You Want To Know About PC Power Supplies
"Power Supplies 101: A Comprehensive Guide" is a great little primer for understanding the power supplies that are in all your systems. Want to know how wattage really applies to amps for PCs? Curious about the different kinds of loads and what "Active PFC" really means? All is revealed in this guide.
Our Data Isn't Secure, So What Are We Going To Do About It?
One of the great things about my job is that there's never a shortage of things to do. This is especially the case when it comes to covering data security. Before the ink is dry on one story about a stolen laptop or breached database, I find another one to cover. But this troubling trend isn't just a case of "good-for-me-bad-for-you." I, too, have been ensnared in the web of identity theft and data breaches. Where is all this going, and what have we learned?
Continue reading "Our Data Isn't Secure, So What Are We Going To Do About It?..."
7 Lessons From IT Security Trial
Over the last several weeks, InformationWeek has been covering the trial of a former UBS PaineWebber systems administrator, Roger Duronio, who's accused of writing and setting off a highly destructive logic bomb at his former employer as revenge for not receiving the maximum yearly bonus. The government prosecution contends that Duronio was not only looking to wreak havoc, but also to profit by purchasing securities whose value would rise if the company's stock went down--the theory being that the company's stock would tank as a result of the security problem that prevented traders from doing their work.
Continue reading "7 Lessons From IT Security Trial..."
Daily News Podcast For Friday, June 30
In today's daily news podcast, Microsoft announces the availability of Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3, the Department of Veterans Affairs recovers a stolen notebook containing 26.5 million personnel identities (and insists they weren't used), Google comes out with a challenge to PayPal, and a new alliance forms to fight identity fraud. Meanwhile, the Editor's Note tells how it's time to replace that clunky CRT monitor with a spanking new LCD.
Your host today is Barbara Krasnoff.
It's Plain To See: LCDs Are Better Than CRTs
Some technology revolutions come with a great deal of bombast, PR, and headlines--for example, Microsoft's upcoming Vista operating system, which makes headlines every time Bill Gates sneezes. Others sort of sneak up on you to the point where you forget that things have ever been any different. That's the case with LCD displays.
Continue reading "It's Plain To See: LCDs Are Better Than CRTs..."
Daily News Podcast For Thursday, June 29
Today's podcast centers on security developments from Microsoft. The company has reissued one of the dozen June security bulletins it had released to fix flaws in the original, which broke dial-up functionality in certain cases. Meantime, security analysts say the company's IE browser has two significant unpatched bugs that create vulnerabilities due to proof-of-concept code that has gone public. Adobe has upgraded its highly popular Flash Player with Version 9, while Dell is touting new services offerings for the enterprise and the fast growth of its services business. In the daily commentary, we explore what's working and not working in laptops and cell phones--and there's plenty of fodder for that analysis.
Your host today is Tom Smith.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Mobility
Our two most relied upon computing/communications devices--the laptop and the cell phone--are making headlines today.
The failure rate on laptops (and desktops)--failure defined as necessitating replacement of a hardware component--is dropping, but remains higher than a rate I'd consider optimal.
Continue reading "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Mobility..."
Account And Data Theft By India's Outsourcing Workers Rare Compared To In-House Thievery At U.S. Banks
That the arrest on theft charges of an HSBC employee at the bank's outsourcing operations in India made big headlines shows that hiring low-wage staff in that country for sensitive financial work must be...a pretty safe business practice. Yup, you read that right, and here's the proof.
Continue reading "Account And Data Theft By India's Outsourcing Workers Rare Compared To In-House Thievery At U.S. Banks..."
Keybored? Here's Two New Ways To Enter Data
The most basic piece of PC technology has been around for more than a hundred years -- the keyboard. It came over from mechanical typewriters virtually intact. You'd think the "standard" 101-key keyboard would be the end of the discussion, but people just will not quit fiddling with it. And here are two more -- one that adds a key, and one that drops a whole bunch.
Continue reading "Keybored? Here's Two New Ways To Enter Data..."
Keybored? Here's Two New Ways To Enter Data
The most basic piece of PC technology has been around for more than a hundred years -- the keyboard. It came over from mechanical typewriters virtually intact. You'd think the "standard" 101-key keyboard would be the end of the discussion, but people just will not quit fiddling with it. And here are two more -- one that adds a key, and one that drops a whole bunch.
Continue reading "Keybored? Here's Two New Ways To Enter Data..."
Vista Volume Licensing May Require Product Activation
According to CRN, Microsoft is planning to require Vista and Longhorn customers with volume licenses to register and report their license key usage, ostensibly through some kind of licensing server running on Longhorn, and possibly a hosted server run by Microsoft. Although the article does not explicity state that product activation will be required, it seems pretty clear that de-activation will occur if there is a problem with the supplied license key, which is likely to have the same basic results (ie, calling Microsoft and having them turn your PCs back on).
Continue reading "Vista Volume Licensing May Require Product Activation..."
Go Ahead. Kill Your Scanner!
Our recent review of the Casio EX-Z1000 revealed interesting new features: The camera has 37 presets, among them a preset for photographing business cards, and another for taking pictures of pictures. Old pictures, to be precise (the preset "Old Photo" brings faded colors back to life). That's when it hit me: Why not use MY digital camera as a scanner?
Continue reading "Go Ahead. Kill Your Scanner!..."
Daily News Podcast for Wednesday, June 28
In today's daily news podcast, Vista has been shedding some technology, Intel's dual-core Itanium is due in July; Microsoft makes its anti-piracy tool less intrusive; in-flight calling has mixed success; Red Hat bemoans the state of education and a shallow tech talent pool; wireless firms agree on rules for mobile web sites; a Review looks at five low-cost 19-inch LCD displays; and a forensic expert traces the digital trail in the UBS sabotage trial. The editor's note looks at the abysmal state of data privacy, and asks whether it isn’t time to cut the public in on a piece of the action.
Your host today is Patricia Keefe.
Upping The Ante On Data Collection
So much about the overall issue and recent incidents of data loss are astounding, it's hard to know where to start.
One good place is the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, which offers up some sobering statistics on stolen data: Since Feb. 15, 2005 there has been over 200 data breaches (with some companies starring as repeat offenders) affecting the data of 88,399,953 individuals. At least - that's what's been reported.
Continue reading "Upping The Ante On Data Collection..."
Intel Cell Phone Effort A Failure Of Historic Proportions
Intel, the world's largest semiconductor company, on Tuesday finally owned up to one of the most colossal failures in that industry's history when it unloaded its communications and applications processor business to Marvell for $600 million. It's not surprising that Intel tried to slip that announcement in under the cover of its much splashier Woodcrest server processor extravaganza on Monday. There undoubtedly was a lot of anguish in Santa Clara when Intel finally bit the bullet and dropped its long battle to gain a position as a provider of processors for cell phones.
Continue reading "Intel Cell Phone Effort A Failure Of Historic Proportions..."
IM: A Poor Fit For The Enterprise?
In the get-it-done-yesterday world we live and work in, instant messaging may sound like the perfect enterprise communications tool. After all, speed rules these days. Yet in spite of an enterprise push by the biggest IM platform providers, a lot companies are resisting the urge to dive in head first into deploying instant messaging as a corporate application.
Continue reading "IM: A Poor Fit For The Enterprise?..."
IM: A Poor Fit For The Enterprise?
In the get-it-done-yesterday world we live and work in, instant messaging may sound like the perfect enterprise communications tool. After all, speed rules these days. Yet in spite of an enterprise push by the biggest IM platform providers, a lot companies are resisting the urge to dive in head first into deploying instant messaging as a corporate application.
Continue reading "IM: A Poor Fit For The Enterprise?..."
Daily News Podcast for Tuesday, June 27
In today's daily news podcast, we look at Intel's introduction Monday of its new Xeon 5100 chip, code-named "Woodcrest"; breaking news from Microsoft, Apple and Jellyfish, editorial comments on net neutrality hypocrites, and protecting net neutrality from neutricidal telcos.
Your host today is Mitch Wagner.
The Top Ten List Of Top Ten Lists
Bloggers discovered quickly -- and lately have been abusing -- something we journalists have long known: Shoehorning your content into a list, and putting the number in the headline, is a cheap-and-easy way to generate more interest. And ten is the perfect number for items in your list. Even David Letterman knows that.
Continue reading "The Top Ten List Of Top Ten Lists..."
Net Neutrality Hypocrites
It's odd to hear people in an industry that exists because of government regulation argue against government regulation and for the free market. And yet that's exactly what happens when telcos and cable television vendors argue against net neutrality regulations, which would forbid them from giving preferential treatment to Internet traffic for companies that pay for the privilege.
Telcos and the cable TV industry don't exist in the vicious jungle of the free market. They live a protected existence, in partnership with government. Their businesses wouldn't exist if not for government regulation granting these companies the right to supersede the rules of private property and lay their cables through other people's land. Communities give cable TV companies monopoly rights to be the only vendor offering service in an area.
So it's hypocritical when companies that owe their very existence to government regulation scream bloody murder about the holiness of the free market when they're faced with the prospect of government regulation that doesn't suit them.
Continue reading "Net Neutrality Hypocrites..."
All Your Bases Belong To Microsoft
Or so Steve Ballmer would have it. Though it's dabbled in it for a while now, Microsoft dove headfirst into unified communications today with an offbeat press conference that showed exactly how many ways Microsoft can dominate much more than just your operating system, desktop productivity, and server software.
Continue reading "All Your Bases Belong To Microsoft..."
Program Analyst Job Pays $454.5 Million, So It Seems Or Not
Funny thing with numbers, they can tell much or little about the truth. Take, for instance, whether foreign nationals who enter the United States with H-1B visas in hand are paid the prevailing wage as the law requires.
Continue reading "Program Analyst Job Pays $454.5 Million, So It Seems Or Not..."
Tom Evslin: A Blogger Blooks
Tom Evslin and I have crossed paths in just about every one of his careers, although we've never met in person. This morning's crossing was a press release from the PR person for his murder mystery, hackoff.com, which he published first as a "blook," a blogged book, in installments on the Web, and has now issued in hardback. I haven't read it, but if it's as well written as his blog, Fractals of Change, it must be a page-turner.
Continue reading "Tom Evslin: A Blogger Blooks..."
Tom Evslin: A Blogger Blooks
Tom Evslin and I have crossed paths in just about every one of his careers, although we've never met in person. This morning's crossing was a press release from the PR person for his murder mystery, hackoff.com, which he published first as a "blook," a blogged book, in installments on the Web, and has now issued in hardback. I haven't read it, but if it's as well written as his blog, Fractals of Change, it must be a page-turner.
Continue reading "Tom Evslin: A Blogger Blooks..."
Daily News Podcast For Monday, June 26
In today's daily news podcast, we analyze Symantec's efforts to catch up to Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare, explain how a French firewall testing site is trying to disable Microsoft's controversial Windows Genuine Advantage Notification tool, explore a possible new advertising pricing model from Google, and preview the next release of Digg.com, the popular, user-driven site for ranking technology news on the Internet. The comments of the day focus on some less-than-stellar performances and also alert readers to a new service called MyInformationWeek.
Your host today is Tom Smith.
Daily News Podcast For Friday, June 23
In today's daily news podcast, Microsoft and Yahoo rev up their instant messaging platforms, Hewlett-Packard has become the first vendor to launch a notebook PC with a dual-core 64-bit processor, privacy advocates slam AT&T, and the Department of Veterans Affairs says it will provide a year's credit monitoring service to the veterans whose identities were stolen last month--but not until August. Meanwhile, the Editor's Note examines how fear can get in the way of solving our security problems.
Your host today is Barbara Krasnoff.
Firefox Scores One For World Cup Fans
Keeping up with the World Cup can be a pain, especially if you're at work and have to keep one eye peeled for your boss. If you could use a better way to catch the latest scores -- and if you only want soccer results -- drop by Mozilla.org and try out Boris Ruf's Footiefox extension.
Continue reading "Firefox Scores One For World Cup Fans..."
Dubious Distinctions
Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison is AWOL with his promised $115 million pledge to Harvard University. In a public relations nightmare for both sides, the University has gone public in an apparent attempt to embarrass Ellison and force him to pony up. Ellison's not returning the calls. Anyone got his cell phone number?
Continue reading "Dubious Distinctions..."
Another Cell Phone Health Risk: Killer Thunderstorms
At first it sounds like a hoax, but reportedly doctors at the Northwick Park Hospital in England claim that using cell phones, iPods, and devices of that ilk during thunderstorms increases a person's chances of being struck--and even killed--by lightning. The doctors cite a real case involving a teenager who was struck by lightning while using her cell phone in one of London's parks last year.
Continue reading "Another Cell Phone Health Risk: Killer Thunderstorms..."
Microsoft Is Thinking Way Inside The Box
Bill Hilf can be forgiven for knowing exactly which side his paycheck is buttered on, but his self-satisfied quotes on why Linux will never oust Microsoft from the desktop are emblematic of the problems Microsoft has created for itself and for PC users. Hilf told CRN reporter Paula Rooney that Linux will never gain momentum on the desktop because of the complexity involved in delivering a tightly integrated and tested desktop product.
Continue reading "Microsoft Is Thinking Way Inside The Box..."
Microsoft Is Thinking Way Inside The Box
Bill Hilf can be forgiven for knowing exactly which side his paycheck is buttered on, but his self-satisfied quotes on why Linux will never oust Microsoft from the desktop are emblematic of the problems Microsoft has created for itself and for PC users. Hilf told CRN reporter Paula Rooney that Linux will never gain momentum on the desktop because of the complexity involved in delivering a tightly integrated and tested desktop product.
Continue reading "Microsoft Is Thinking Way Inside The Box..."
Is Fear Driving Your Life?
Fear is a very powerful emotion. It can be a positive force, as when it gives us the adrenaline to run from danger or defend ourselves against a threat. But it can also make us view the world through a distorted and panic-inducing lens.
Continue reading "Is Fear Driving Your Life?..."
Daily News Podcast For Thursday, June 22
In today's daily news podcast, a million identities have been stolen from two financial services firms; Firefox, iTunes, and Skype top the list of most dangerous applications; Microsoft plans to repatch a June patch that's caused some problems; Ohio University suspends IT managers over data breaches; Microsoft and Yahoo make their IM apps more "corporate friendly"; an ex-CA executive pleads guilty to a bribery scheme; 64-bit systems solve SAP migration problems at one Hong Kong firm; the defense attacks "sloppy" investigation work in the UBS PaineWebber trial; and new online employment ads were up last month.
Today's In Depth is about robots, and our editorial comments are about IT playing the role of "heavy" when it comes to new Web applications.
Your host today is Johanna Ambrosio.
Will Intel's Woodcrest Change The Landscape?
In typical Intel fashion, the company has scheduled a major press event for Monday that will happen simultaneously in New York and San Francisco to herald the arrival of a new product the company has been talking about extensively for the past six months. While it will be interesting to see what new information will be provided by Intel, what will be more intriguing is to watch over the next six months and see just what impact Woodcrest will have in reversing the company's struggles against Advanced Micro Devices.
Continue reading "Will Intel's Woodcrest Change The Landscape?..."
To See Ourselves As Others See Us
Holy cow! This is me she's talking about here:
A few weeks ago Jon and I gave an interview to an IT magazine for an article about accidental entrepreneurship. They wanted to know how this website now pays our mortgage...
Read on for more about what it's like to be interviewed by me for an article, and then visited by an InformationWeek photographer.
Note that the blog post is pretty raunchy, so if you're likely to be offended, it's best to just not follow the link. As a matter of fact, it starts getting raunchy right after the part I quoted.
The article referenced here is currently penciled in for the July 3 issue. I finished it last night and I think it's pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. It's about people who turned their online hobbies into their livelihoods.
Change Is The Hardest Thing
It is human nature to resist change, or at the very least be overwhelmed by it. Yet the phrase adapt or die has never been more relevant than it is to the IT organization where change is the one constant with new devices, systems, and applications constantly appearing in the enterprise either organically or by acquisition. Unfortunately, as many businesses have discovered over time, keeping up with infrastructure changes is an ongoing battle of which too many companies find they are on the losing side because they don't have a baseline understanding of what their network resources are.
Continue reading "Change Is The Hardest Thing..."
Change Is The Hardest Thing
It is human nature to resist change, or at the very least be overwhelmed by it. Yet the phrase adapt or die has never been more relevant than it is to the IT organization where change is the one constant with new devices, systems, and applications constantly appearing in the enterprise either organically or by acquisition. Unfortunately, as many businesses have discovered over time, keeping up with infrastructure changes is an ongoing battle of which too many companies find they are on the losing side because they don't have a baseline understanding of what their network resources are.
Continue reading "Change Is The Hardest Thing..."
Is Central IT The Web 2.0 Villain?
The Boing Boing blog offers tips to get around Web filters. It offers such advice in case you're subjected to a Web filter by "your employer or corrupt, undemocratic, dictator-based government."
So that's what it's come to--central IT and Kim Jong Il are seen as tech compadres.
Continue reading "Is Central IT The Web 2.0 Villain?..."
Video: Zimbra Co-Founder On Open Source Messaging
Zimbra, the open source software company trying to take on conventional e-mail systems, such as Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes, made a new beta version of its Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS)available this week. It also landed a few more large-deployment customers, including H&R Block, Interim Healthcare, Sunterra and others.
I recently caught up with Zimbra co-founder Ross Dargahi. You can click the play button below to see what he had to say about competing with traditional e-mail systems. And you can find out where the Zimbra name comes from. You fans of '80s music might already know!
|
Flash player 7 or higher needs to be installed on your computer.
If you wish to get the latest version of Flash player, please download it here. |
If you've ever seen a Zimbra demo or tried out the software, you know it's pretty cool.
Continue reading "Video: Zimbra Co-Founder On Open Source Messaging..."
Can Gates Keep Departure On Schedule?
Bill Gates has announced he's leaving his day-to-day involvement with Microsoft in 2008. Kezia Jauron sends me an e-mail wondering if this is a Vista-like timetable: "If Microsoft says this will happen in July 2008, can we expect to see it sometime in the spring of 2009?"
Continue reading "Can Gates Keep Departure On Schedule?..."
Can Gates Keep Departure On Schedule?
Bill Gates has announced he's leaving his day-to-day involvement with Microsoft in 2008. Kezia Jauron sends me an e-mail wondering if this is a Vista-like timetable: "If Microsoft says this will happen in July 2008, can we expect to see it sometime in the spring of 2009?"
Continue reading "Can Gates Keep Departure On Schedule?..."
Podcast: Social Networking For Tweens
If you have "tweens"--kids between the ages of 8 and 14--chances are they're pretty computer-savvy. Many kids in this age group have computers, cell phones, and other ways to communicate with friends, but parents may not be ready for them to get involved in social networking sites such as MySpace, Y-Fly, and Friendster. Now there's a social networking site designed just for tweens called imbee.com. Developed by Industrious Kid Inc., the site allows kids to blog, share photos, exchange messages, and more. But here's the good news for parents:
Continue reading "Podcast: Social Networking For Tweens..."
MySQL Gets Lit
If you work with MySQL for a living -- or for fun, for that matter -- there's a new magazine in the works that you might find interesting. It's called Tabula: The MySQL Journal, and judging from the description its publisher posted online last week, it's going to be a first-rate operation.
Continue reading "MySQL Gets Lit..."
Daily News Podcast For Wednesday, June 21
In today's daily news podcast, we report on a second Excel bug found by security vendors just days after another serious vulnerability was confirmed by Microsoft. We also have a Q&A with software expert Michael Cusumano, who discusses whether Microsoft can regain its edge in software. Finally, we have an amusing story about the fact that most Microsoft workers perform searches using the Google search engine. The comments of the day focus on the fact that many businesses seem to be delaying plans to upgrade to Windows Vista from XP.
Your host today is Alice LaPlante.
If Vista Leaves You Cold
If you don't plan to jump on upgrading to Windows Vista right away, you've come to the right place. Our top story for this week is Fred Langa's terrific article showing you how to completely rebuild, repair, or refresh an existing XP installation without losing data--and without having to reinstall user software, reformat, or otherwise change or destroy your PC's setup.
Continue reading "If Vista Leaves You Cold..."
MOG's Music Blogging Service
MOG, a new social networking site aimed at music fans, launched today.
The question is: Does the world need another social networking service?
President and CEO David Hyman, formerly the CEO of music data service Gracenote, says the site is for people who are passionate about music. "When you're 18 to 24 years old, people really find each other through music," he says.
Continue reading "MOG's Music Blogging Service..."
Putting Tuition Money Where Your Mouth Is
Teenagers never listen to their parents, right? But when it comes to not pursuing tech careers, kids seem to be tuning in.
I've been hearing a lot lately from IT pros who say they're telling their own kids not to go into technology careers. That's the same advice many nontechie parents have been giving their kids since the dot-com bust.
With so many companies purportedly offshoring, outsourcing, and hiring cheap H-1B workers, that $40,000 (give or take a couple of zeros) in tuition money may as well be flushed down the toilet, they say. Why drain college savings or saddle kids with a zillion dollars in student loan debt to pursue a career with no job security and a very bleak future, they say.
Continue reading "Putting Tuition Money Where Your Mouth Is..."
Why U.S. Tech Firms Need More, Not Fewer, Indian Workers
Less than one-half of IBM's revenues derive from sales to customers in the United States. Earlier this week, Indian outsourcer TCS bagged two deals worth more than $30 million in Latin America. Here's why these two facts combined show why American tech services firms have no choice but to continue adding staff in India and China while trimming down their more expensive U.S. workforce.
Continue reading "Why U.S. Tech Firms Need More, Not Fewer, Indian Workers..."
Bill Gates Waves Goodbye Earlier Than Planned
The first utterance out of a reporter's mouth when Bill Gates disclosed plans to ease out of day-to-day management at Microsoft was to question whether Gates was leaving the company earlier than expected. Microsoft officials should have been prepared for that, but they weren't. "I don't remember ever making a prediction about a particular timeframe," Gates replied. In fact, however, Gates did make such a prediction, in 2003, when he indicated he would keep working at Microsoft for another 10 years. That means he'll be exiting five years sooner than he said he would.
Continue reading "Bill Gates Waves Goodbye Earlier Than Planned..."
Introducing InformationWeek Download
Here at InformationWeek, we know you don't have a lot of time. You're trying to do five things at once, working 16-hour days, constantly being interrup--
-- Oh, wait, sorry. The phone is ringing. I need to see who that is. Can you hold on one minute? --
-- I'm back now. Where was I?
Oh, yeah. Busy. Constant interruptions. No time.
You don't have a lot of time. You don't have time to go hunting around through billions of documents on the Internet, looking for the information you need to make purchasing and buying decisions.
That's what our new site, InformationWeek Download is all about.
Continue reading "Introducing InformationWeek Download..."
Daily News Podcast for Tuesday, June 20
In today's daily news podcast, we present Fred Langa's how-to that demonstrates how to completely rebuild, repair, or refresh an existing XP installation without losing data, reinstalling user software, reformatting, or otherwise destructively altering the setup. We also have a story about what happens when outsourcing goes bad, and explore the fact that U.S. engineering groups are filing a growing number of discrimination complaints against American companies for allegedly favoring foreign workers. Finally, we delve into plans by Nokia and Siemens To Merge Phone Equipment Units.
The comments of the day introduce you to InformationWeek Download. Think of it as TiVo for InformationWeek. Just like TiVo lets you watch the shows you want when you want to watch them, InformationWeek Download gets you the information you need for enterprise IT, whenever you need that information.
Your host today is Alice LaPlante.
The Exciting And Dangerous World Of USB Memory Drives
In the world of gadgets and technology, you would think that the dullest possible category would be USB flash memory drives -- those ubiquitous pocketable diskette-replacements that generally do nothing but store data. But you'd be wrong.
Continue reading "The Exciting And Dangerous World Of USB Memory Drives..."
Daily News Podcast for Monday, June 19
In today's daily news podcast, an unpatched flaw is causing problems, one of the 12 security updates Microsoft released last week leads to problems with dial-up networking, McAfee has begun beta testing two of its four new consumer security services, Ray Ozzie is talking about his transition to chief software architect, PC Pioneer Dan Bricklin is showing off his latest invention--a hybrid open source spreadsheet and wiki--AOL begins its beta test of enterprise instant messaging, Google is testing an e-commerce payment system it says is NOT like Paypal; and Yahoo's search engine has been found to be the biggest censor in China.
Today's in-depth is about identity theft, and our editorial comments are about Microsoft in a post-Bill world.
Your host today is Johanna Ambrosio.
Can Microsoft Now Finish Growing Up?
With Bill Gates going off to do what sounds to me like the coolest job on the planet (except my own, of course), perhaps now the company can become the full enterprise partner it has long pined to be.
Continue reading "Can Microsoft Now Finish Growing Up?..."
A New Use For Floppies
Got a roomful of old floppy drives and diskettes, with no idea what to use them for? Why not do what the IT guys at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis., did and turn them into a RAID array?
We ran across a box of USB floppy drives that were just sitting there...looking very sad and lonely. We blew off the dust from them and decided to give them a second life. We also had to test the drives, and rather than waste the time to test each drive individually we thought it would just be easier to RAID them all together and test them all at once. So that's exactly what we did.
Make sure to watch the video...
Daily News Podcast For Friday, June 16
In today's daily news podcast, we learn that Bill Gates is cutting back his day-to-day role at Microsoft in order to spend more time working with his charitable foundation. In other news, AOL plans to relaunch Netscape.com along the lines of Digg and YouTube with editorial oversight, Google has launched a government search site, a team of researchers has found a way to quickly erase computer hard drives that contain sensitive data, and Parallels has released software that lets users run Windows virtualizations on Intel-powered Macs. Today's In Depth roundup is on reviews and personal tech, and the editorial comments are about switching from Windows to a Mac.
Your host today is Valerie Potter.
The Failure Of Search
Is Google killing the Internet?
Seth Jayson at Motley Fool claims Google is killing the Internet by making Web spam and click fraud profitable. Scott Karp at Publishing 2.0 contends, "Pay-per-click advertising is destroying the economics of content, making it more profitable to create entire sites with nothing but ads."
Dave Winer misses the point by arguing (correctly) that at least people are no longer beholden to media gatekeepers to be heard. This says nothing of the issue Jayson and Karp are trying to address: the signal-to-noise ratio online.
Continue reading "The Failure Of Search..."
Netscape Is Dead. Let Go Already.
Remember in the '80s when actress Bette Davis was in her 70s and used to appear on talk shows in a miniskirt, tight blouse, and heavy makeup? The whole thing was ghastly, unsettling, and embarrassing.
Watching AOL attempt to revive Netscape is like that.
Continue reading "Netscape Is Dead. Let Go Already...."
Are You Seriously Considering Switching To A Mac?
I've been using Windows since the Dark Ages, and never in a million years did I think I'd ever switch to a Mac. Oh sure, I admired the sleek lines and solid construction of Apple hardware, not to mention the cutting-edge look and features of OS X. But we live in a Windows world that depends on Windows apps, and for most of us it simply hasn't been practical to consider owning a Mac as our sole computer.
Continue reading "Are You Seriously Considering Switching To A Mac?..."
Desperately Seeking Neutrality
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would amend the Communications Act of 1934 (that's the law's original date; it's been amended and revised several times since then). Missing from the bill was any explicit requirement for what advocates and ideologues have come to call "net neutrality." You'd hardly know it from most of the coverage, but if you actually read the bill and associated regulations, such a mandate is shown to be entirely unnecessary.
Continue reading "Desperately Seeking Neutrality..."
Yahoo Mail Exposure Left Plenty Of Opportunity For JavaScript Worm
The Yahoo Mail worm exploited a JavaScript on-load function for HTML images, a function intended for Web applications to deliver a specific image-handling instruction to a browser. The on-load tag leaves space for 3 to 4 Kbytes of JavaScript to run in the browser. That's more than enough...
Continue reading "Yahoo Mail Exposure Left Plenty Of Opportunity For JavaScript Worm..."
Daily News Podcast For Thursday, June 15
In today's daily news podcast, we explore two separate entanglements impacting Apple Computer: a probe into whether the iPod infringes Creative Technology patents, as well as allegations that the iPod Nano is being assembled in a sweatshop in China. We also cover a Microsoft security update for its Office suite that impacts Mac and Windows, and spell out key enhancements in HP's blade server line. The commentary of the day includes high-level IT industry support for a higher H-1B visa limit.
Your host today is Tom Smith.
The Case For More H-1B Visas
Few issues generate more passion than H-1B visas. Many U.S.-born IT pros and those threatened or displaced claim that the program is costing countless Americans their IT jobs.
Continue reading "The Case For More H-1B Visas..."
Brownie Troop Field Trip Into The Privacy Jungle
My grade-school-age daughter came home with a permission slip needing a signature in advance of her Brownie troop's field trip to a local tutoring center. But I bristled when I saw the information required. The center, a commercial business, wanted to know her name, address, age, grade level, school, favorite subject, and academic proficiency in math, reading, and spelling.
Continue reading "Brownie Troop Field Trip Into The Privacy Jungle..."
Homeland Security Chief Devises His Own Spam Solution
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff no longer has a problem with spam. Not wanting to be deluged with lots of garbage, Chertoff no longer uses e-mail.
Continue reading "Homeland Security Chief Devises His Own Spam Solution..."
Blade Servers Are Hip, But Do They Meet Customer Needs
For what is now in many ways a niche technology segment, blades servers are getting a lot attention, effort, and investment from the major server vendors. Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday announced a complete revamp of its blade server architecture, IBM recently revealed that a venture capital firm will invest $100 million in third-party companies developing products around its blades, and Sun Microsystems will soon reenter the market with a new product based around its Galaxy server.
Continue reading "Blade Servers Are Hip, But Do They Meet Customer Needs..."
IBM Chief Palmisano Says Offshore Outsourcing Could Help Save World from Terrorism
In a letter to the Financial Times, IBM CEO Sam Palmisano says his multi-billion dollar investments in offshore production facilities are part of a campaign to transform the company from classic multinational (read: evil, exploitive, outdated, bad for world peace) into "a new actor" known as "the globally integrated enterprise." The GIE, says Palmisano, is a benevolent form of industrial organization that creates lasting wealth and meaningful jobs around the world. It can even disarm terrorists--figuratively, at least. Sounds like a corporation your mother could love, even if she's a raving anarchist. But is this really why IBM is spending $6 billion in India?
Continue reading "IBM Chief Palmisano Says Offshore Outsourcing Could Help Save World from Terrorism..."
Kevin Smith, Why Do You $%&#@% Hate InformationWeek?
Oh, Kevin Smith, why do you repay my years of devoted fannishness by threatening to vandalize InformationWeek?
Or, to rephrase the question in your language: Why the $#^&@% do you $%#&@%-ing repay me for seeing and recommending all your movies -- even Jersey Girl! Even Mallrats! -- by $#&^@ defacing my Web site, you $%@&*$ [offensive homophobic epithet deleted]?
Continue reading "Kevin Smith, Why Do You $%&#@% Hate InformationWeek?..."
Mr. Spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin, Teaches A Master Class
Google got all the press last week with its Google Spreadsheets with Web-based collaborative features. But at the same time the man who invented the spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin, unveiled wikiCalc, his own version of a Web-based collaborative spreadsheet. Bricklin has historically been one of the most interesting minds at work in our business, and wikiCalc is a master class in the importance of getting the details right.
Continue reading "Mr. Spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin, Teaches A Master Class..."
Mr. Spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin, Teaches A Master Class
Google got all the press last week with its Google Spreadsheets with Web-based collaborative features. But at the same time the man who invented the spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin, unveiled wikiCalc, his own version of a Web-based collaborative spreadsheet. Bricklin has historically been one of the most interesting minds at work in our business, and wikiCalc is a master class in the importance of getting the details right.
Continue reading "Mr. Spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin, Teaches A Master Class..."
Is This The Future iPod Phone?
A Mac enthusiast Web site has pointed out and detailed a recent patent that appears to be a "stealth" patent by Apple for an iPod video smartphone that does it all: cell phone calls, wireless videoconferencing, wireless P2P networking, video playing, picture taking and much more. It even sports the famous round Apple Click Wheel on the front.
Continue reading "Is This The Future iPod Phone?..."
Daily News Podcast for Wednesday, June 14
In today's daily news podcast, The Yahoo mail may be the first of many as Ajax proliferates. Google is upgrading its mapping products with developer tools. Virtualization delivers a cost-saving lesson for Bowdoin College and our reviewer finds that Windows Live OneCare protects your PC--almost.
Your host today is Mitch Wagner .
Are You Certifiable?
The latest word on certification is that the gap is closing between IT pros who have certain acronyms and initials after their names and those who don't. In fact, over the last year, pay for non-certified IT skills grew nearly 70% more than pay for certifications, according to a recent survey, which tracked the market value of 212 IT skills and certifications.
Continue reading "Are You Certifiable?..."
Let The UBS Trial Be A Warning To You
The trial against a former UBS employee charged with hacking the company's networks shows up embarrassing failures in UBS's security and disaster preparedness measures.
The defendant is Roger Duronio, 63, who, at the time of the crime, was a UBS PaineWebber systems administrator. Duronio is facing charges of computer sabotage and securities fraud in a federal trial in U.S. District Court in Newark that's ongoing this week. Prosecutors say Duronio, who was angry because he thought he wasn't making enough money, planted a type of malicious software called a "logic bomb," while logged in from home over the company VPN, that went off March 4, 2002.
Here's where it gets embarrassing for UBS PaineWebber: As testimony by its own employees shows, UBS PaineWebber failed to take some elementary security precautions which could have minimized the damage. And that failure might--if defense attorney Chris Adams gets his way--make it impossible for U.S. prosecutors to get a conviction against Duronio.
Continue reading "Let The UBS Trial Be A Warning To You..."
Brightest Cell Phone Innovation Ever
Cell phones are the "black hole" of gadgets. Other stand-alone gadgets get sucked into phones, their functionality duplicated in phones, and replaced -- PDAs, wristwatches, calculators and, in the future, MP3 players, TV remote control units and more. But the best feature you could possibly put into a cell phone -- or any other gadget for that matter -- is technology that would enable it to charge itself without being plugged in.
Continue reading "Brightest Cell Phone Innovation Ever..."
Coming In Through The Backdoor
Something about the mere mention of a Trojan virus is chill inducing. Of course, the idea of malicious code surreptitiously stealing onto the network and wreaking havoc with precious data should cause alarm. And unfortunately it looks like rather than easing, the threat from Backdoor Trojans is actually becoming an increasingly virulent one in Windows environments.
Continue reading "Coming In Through The Backdoor..."
Coming In Through The Backdoor
Something about the mere mention of a Trojan virus is chill inducing. Of course, the idea of malicious code surreptitiously stealing onto the network and wreaking havoc with precious data should cause alarm. And unfortunately it looks like rather than easing, the threat from Backdoor Trojans is actually becoming an increasingly virulent one in Windows environments.
Continue reading "Coming In Through The Backdoor..."
Daily News Podcast for Tuesday, June 13
In today's daily news podcast, we're informed about the nature of rootkits, and why they have the potential to get more dangerous in the future. We also have a story about how National Semiconductor is giving its employees iPods as training and communication tools. Next, we explore how demand for the beta version of Windows Vista is maxing out Microsoft's servers. Finally, we delve into the H1-B visa situation.
The comments of the day focus on whether employers should be using the Internet to seek out information of a highly personal nature on potential employees.
Your host today is Alice LaPlante.
Forget Paper Trails: The Internet Has A Longer Memory
Should employers be entitled to look up their prospective hires' profiles on MySpace.com and other social networking sites? Or has an important line been crossed--both ethically and legally?
A career counselor at New York University, who routinely deals with recruiters from major corporations, said dozens of companies were checking out social networks and personal Web sites before deciding who to hire, according to an article in The New York Times. And when describing what they were looking for, she used some alarming words: "lifestyle" and "core values." What's worrisome is the subjectivity of such words. How easy it would be for an HR professional--no matter what political, religious, or social leanings he or she had--to screen out people on the basis of things that are legally off-bounds.
Continue reading "Forget Paper Trails: The Internet Has A Longer Memory..."
Microsoft's Dexterous Dance Toward Atlas
Ajax caught both the Java and Microsoft .Net communities by surprise as it swept through the ranks of Web developers. But Microsoft isn't backing off its Web application turf, even though pushed by upstarts like Exadel, Backbase, and Laszlo Systems.
Continue reading "Microsoft's Dexterous Dance Toward Atlas..."
H-1B Debate About More Than Numbers
Every time InformationWeek writes about the emotional issues of IT employment, such as H-1B visas this week or career planning against offshoring in April, some readers zero in on the numbers and debate their relevance and veracity with a fire-spitting passion. And bless them for it.
Continue reading "H-1B Debate About More Than Numbers..."
MacBook Owners See Red After Laptops Turn Yellow
I blogged May 17 that less than 24 hours after Apple unveiled its new MacBook laptop, some users started reporting that the black matte finish on the notebooks was peeling off. Now it turns out that users of the white version say the white finish is turning yellow on the top. One person posted pictures on Flickr.
Continue reading "MacBook Owners See Red After Laptops Turn Yellow..."
Daily News Podcast For Monday, June 12
In today's daily news podcast, the VA plans to recall all its laptops after its big data breach. Our breaking news headlines examine criticisms of Microsoft over its anti-piracy tool, and we have ongoing coverage of the UBS PaineWebber logic bomb trial. Our In Depth report features more on Microsoft, and my editorial comments on the news of the day look at VoIP security--it's deja vu all over again.
Your host today is Mitch Wagner.
5 Open-Source Security Tools For Your Arsenal
In the movies, hacking is glamorous. A few lines of code, a little pen testing, and you're in. You don't need to cast Angelina Jolie (Hackers) or Hugh Jackman (Swordfish) to portray hacking as it truly is: a game of patience and persistence that's mostly trial and error, heavy emphasis on the "error."
Assuming no prior knowledge of a system an attacker seeks to penetrate, hacking is done in stages. The attacker is a digital gumshoe pounding the electronic pavement in search of any clues he can find about his mark, until a weak link is discovered, the chains are broken, and the castle gate is dropped across the moat. The smart defender will look to confound his nemesis at every turn, and there are several open-source tools available to make sure you find your weaknesses before your opponent does. It's a matter of who gets there first.
Continue reading "5 Open-Source Security Tools For Your Arsenal..."
How Will Tagged Drugs, RFID On Clothing, And Human Chips Affect Your Privacy?
With Florida about to pass a new law on July 1 that requires pharmaceutical distributors to document who takes possession of prescription drugs as they travel from manufacturer to retailer, item-level RFID tagging is fresh on everyone's minds. With instances of item-level tagging also appearing in the retail industry, concerns about violation of people's privacy are once again a hot topic.
Continue reading "How Will Tagged Drugs, RFID On Clothing, And Human Chips Affect Your Privacy?..."
VoIP: It's Security Deja Vu All Over Again
Our report on Voice over IP security hazards should send a chill through any business or consumer relying on the technology.
Continue reading "VoIP: It's Security Deja Vu All Over Again..."
Teen-Only Ringtone -- Can You Hear Me Now?
This is a story about the use of technology used by both sides in the ancient and ongoing battle between teenagers and adults.
It starts with a clever bit of entrepreneurship. A company called Compound Security Systems developed what amounts to a “teenager repellant” designed to drive kids away from malls, stores and other places where teens congregate and annoy paying customers. Called the Mosquito, the electronic box produces an ultra-sonic tone within the audible range of children and teenagers, but just above what most people over 25 can hear -- somewhere in the 18 to 20kHz range.
Continue reading "Teen-Only Ringtone -- Can You Hear Me Now?..."
Daily News Podcast For Friday, June 9
In today's daily news podcast, we list five things you should know before installing Vista Beta 2. We also continue the saga of UBS PaineWebber, whose network is apparently still suffering four years after its logic bomb attack; report how the data theft at the Veterans Affairs agency is affecting not only past but also current members of the military; and try to decipher the jargon of wireless technology. Meanwhile, the Editor's Note muses about the current epidemic of long-term software betas.
Your host today is Barbara Krasnoff.
Wristwatch Is Peripheral Device For Your Phone
Citizen announced a new wristwatch this week called the Citizen VIRT W700. The watch stays in contact with your cell phone via Bluetooth. If you get a call, the watch vibrates, flashes a light and displays Caller ID info. Best of all, if you leave your phone somewhere, the watch alerts you immediately.
Continue reading "Wristwatch Is Peripheral Device For Your Phone..."
Singin' The Beta Blues
Once upon a time, having the word "beta" attached to the end of a product name meant the product wasn't ready for prime time. In fact, back when I was reviews editor for a print publication, I used to spend a lot of time on the phone making absolutely sure that the software sent by company reps was final code and not beta. Why? Because if reviewers found something wrong with the program, I didn't want the rep to call me back complaining that we had trashed an unfinished application. Now all that has changed.
Continue reading "Singin' The Beta Blues..."
Is That A Projectorphone In Your Pocket?
There are two big problems with computing devices small enough to put into your pocket: input and output. Solutions to the input problem include things like Palm's Graffiti and the BlackBerry's thumb keypad. Solutions to the output problem include . . . uh, well, I guess there aren't really any solutions, just a lot of tiny, tiny screens. But a company called Microvision this week showed off something promising: a video projector small enough to be built into a cellphone.
Continue reading "Is That A Projectorphone In Your Pocket?..."
Is That A Projectorphone In Your Pocket?
There are two big problems with computing devices small enough to put into your pocket: input and output. Solutions to the input problem include things like Palm's Graffiti and the BlackBerry's thumb keypad. Solutions to the output problem include . . . uh, well, I guess there aren't really any solutions, just a lot of tiny, tiny screens. But a company called Microvision this week showed off something promising: a video projector small enough to be built into a cellphone.
Continue reading "Is That A Projectorphone In Your Pocket?..."
Is Dell In Serious Trouble?
Will this first week of June 2006 serve as a tipping point in the future history of Dell, one of the great American success stories that has found itself uncharacteristically battling uncertainty for the past several quarters as it has announced unspectacular earnings reports? Can Dell use the announcements of a new line of servers it made this week--and even more dramatic changes to its portfolio that are waiting in the wings--to reignite its engines? Or are the current difficulties simply the start of a long fall from the top of the technology mountain?
Continue reading "Is Dell In Serious Trouble?..."
Daily News Podcast For Thursday, June 8
In today's daily news podcast, we analyze major new product initiatives from Dell, which aims to reverse recent trends with new momentum in servers and storage. The company also has a new partnership whereby Google will use Dell servers in the Google search appliance. Microsoft has dropped a key "sync" function in Windows Vista, and Seagate is delivering a variety of new storage products for businesses and consumers. In the day's comments, we focus on credibility as it relates to IT security, using as two specific examples a trial of a former UBS PaineWebber systems administrator and the latest in a long-running list of major security breaches. The latest breach is noteworthy for who is being victimized: active military personnel.
Your host today is Tom Smith.
Credibility On Trial
There are two high-profile trials going on this week, both testing the credibility of IT security.
Continue reading "Credibility On Trial..."
PCs Are The New Lunchbox
When I was a lad, most of the kids who brought lunch to school carried a pop-culture themed metal lunchbox -- usually comic or TV characters. Well, we all grew up, got jobs and now sit there with our PCs all day. Why not choose a PC that looks like an oversized lunchbox?
Continue reading "PCs Are The New Lunchbox..."
Daily News Podcast For Wednesday, June 7
In today's daily news podcast, the trial opens for a systems admin accused of taking down UBS PaineWebber's network, a new reliability survey has Windows servers beating Linux boxes, Microsoft rolls out more security products, Intel gives a sneak preview of Core Duo while HP rolls out the first dual-core 64-bit notebook, the AT&T-BellSouth merger triggers opposition, Google readies Spreadsheet, and MacBook users encounter some extraneous plastic. The editor's note calls for a data bill of rights.
Your host today is Patricia Keefe.
A Data Bill Of Rights
One of the biggest obstacles to fighting cybercrime is the corporations themselves. Never mind that many still don't heed the advice of their IT departments and make the appropriate investments in security. Once a crime occurs--be it hacking, identity theft, stolen equipment, or logic bombs--these same companies notoriously tend to bury their heads--and the news--in the sand. Many don't tell the cops, they don't tell their partners, and they especially don't tell their victimized customers, employees, alumni, or applicants. They keep it very quiet for as long as they can.
Continue reading "A Data Bill Of Rights..."
Apple And Blackberry -- Not What You Think
Everybody's talking today about Canaccord Capital analyst Peter Misek's prediction that Apple and Research In Motion (RIM), maker of the popular BlackBerry handhelds, will join forces to develop what is already being called the AppleBerry. But this fruity partnership -- if it happens at all -- won't result in an iPod with PIM functionality.
Continue reading "Apple And Blackberry -- Not What You Think..."
Sign Of The Times
Admit it; today's 6-6-06 date got you thinking that it might not be a bad day to avoid black cats, sidewalk cracks, and ladders. If you aren't superstitious, talk of the opening of the remade horror film "The Omen" and media musings on whether the triple sixes will bring another bad day on Wall Street may make you a little more cautious than normal. And heck, a little extra caution can't be a bad thing at a time when we are so incredibly dependent on access to secure and reliable technology to communicate and do our jobs, and threats to the continuity and integrity of these systems seem to be everywhere.
Continue reading "Sign Of The Times..."
Sign Of The Times
Admit it; today's 6-6-06 date got you thinking that it might not be a bad day to avoid black cats, sidewalk cracks, and ladders. If you aren't superstitious, talk of the opening of the remade horror film "The Omen" and media musings on whether the triple sixes will bring another bad day on Wall Street may make you a little more cautious than normal. And heck, a little extra caution can't be a bad thing at a time when we are so incredibly dependent on access to secure and reliable technology to communicate and do our jobs, and threats to the continuity and integrity of these systems seem to be everywhere.
Continue reading "Sign Of The Times..."
How 6 Billion IBM Dollars Helped Chase Apple Out Of India
In just the past two days, Apple Computer said it's cutting and running from a fledgling tech services operation in India, while IBM announced plans to invest a further $6 billion in the country over the next three years. These can't both be smart business decisions, can they?
Continue reading "How 6 Billion IBM Dollars Helped Chase Apple Out Of India..."
Gift Ideas To Keep Dad Fit--Or At Least Pretend He Is
Forget the same old gifts for Father's Day! How many ties, tools, and golf balls does he really need? Watch my Technocreep video blog for a few ideas that will help the Dad in your life get slim and buff--or at least pretend like he is.
|
Flash player 7 or higher needs to be installed on your computer.
If you wish to get the latest version of Flash player, please download it here. |
Check out the Personal Tech Pipeline for more on the new Nike running shoe or the MyFoodPhone service from Sprint. You'll also find the Ultimate Summer Gadget Guide! Want to read more about the HP camera with the slimming feature? I first heard about it on a local news station in Washington, D.C. Check out this story on NBC4.com.
What's the best gift you ever got for Father's Day? Here are a few more items--some practical, some unusual--to check out.
Continue reading "Gift Ideas To Keep Dad Fit--Or At Least Pretend He Is..."
Daily News Podcast For Tuesday, June 6
In today's daily news podcast, we hear about reasons why Microsoft caved in so quickly when Adobe threatened a lawsuit against the write-as-PDF feature in Office 2007. We also have a Q&A with Microsoft's Steve Ballmer that touches on this battle of wills.
We'll explore the surprising news that Apple is closing down outsourced operations in India just three months after initiating them.
Finally, we delve into a series of recent developments in the IT employment landscape.
The comments of the day focus on the Adobe-Microsoft tussle.
Your host today is Alice LaPlante.
Microsoft And Adobe: A Fight To The Last Brick?
The news late last week that Adobe threatened to take legal action against Microsoft unless it stripped PDF support from Office 2007 was the second time in as many weeks that a prominent Microsoft partner rose up against Redmond. (The previous week it was Symantec, which, unlike Adobe, filed an actual lawsuit.)
Continue reading "Microsoft And Adobe: A Fight To The Last Brick?..."
Everyone's Waking Up To The Importance Of India To IBM
The NY Times has an article today highlighting India's importance to IBM, saying IBM now employs 43,000 people there, or about 13% of its total workforce. BusinessWeek recently ran its own take on this move. InformationWeek posted this storyline in March, when we also put it on the cover of our magazine.
Continue reading "Everyone's Waking Up To The Importance Of India To IBM..."
Who Needs A Headquarters?
Whatever happened to the virtual organization? It's alive and well at Accenture.
Continue reading "Who Needs A Headquarters?..."
Daily News Podcast For Monday, June 5
In today's daily news podcast, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admits there's a lot of work left to do on Vista, the U.S. hits the H-1B Visa cap for fiscal 2007, the EU clashes with Homeland Security over access to airline passenger data, the FBI wants Internet records kept for two years, and the growing volumes of data are fueling database sales. We tell you six things you didn't know about Linux, and the World Cup goes live on the Internet. The Editor's Note considers the upsides of "reverse outsourcing."
Your host today is Patricia Keefe.
The Federal Information Tax
The most shocking thing about AT&T's surrender of its customer call data to the National Security Agency is that AT&T sold its shareholders short--it gave away all that valuable data for nothing, except perhaps the goodwill of government regulators.
Data brokers know better. Knowledge is both power and payday. "Today, information is everything," ChoicePoint proclaims on its dbt.com Web site, home of its AutoTrackXP service for professional investigators. "Whether in insurance, government, banking, law enforcement or other fields, getting information quickly and easily is essential for smart decision making."
Continue reading "The Federal Information Tax..."
Reverse The (Outsourcing) Curse?
What goes around comes around, even in outsourcing apparently! A front-page story in a recent Boston Globe says Indian software companies are facing a labor crunch similar to what U.S. companies experienced five years ago and are responding in kind. To wit--companies like Infosys Technologies and Tata Consultancy Services are planning to recruit thousands of new workers from around the world over the next year--including from the U.S.
Continue reading "Reverse The (Outsourcing) Curse?..."
Monitoring Employees' Outbound E-Mail Doesn't Make You Big Brother
Many of you are deeply involved in privacy initiatives at your company, and you know better than anyone else that it's a very complex and touchy issue, and that it can be hard to find credible information that helps you achieve those important objectives. And while I wish it were otherwise, the nonsense that many media outlets pump out about this critical subject makes it easy for me to understand why so many people don't trust journalists as much as they used to--or even at all. This isn't an easy admission from someone who's toiled in the field for almost 30 years, but some of the crap being cranked out today under the heading of "news" reminds me of how Oscar Wilde described fox hunting: "The unthinkable in pursuit of the inedible."
Let me share with you the latest "news" from Reuters--and before you read this, sit down and take a deep breath cause it's a real shocker: "According to a new study, about a third of big companies in the United States and Britain hire employees to read and analyze outbound e-mail as they seek to guard against legal, financial, or regulatory risk." Well stop the danged presses, huh? What will Reuters bring us next--maybe an expose on how teenagers use IM more than traditional e-mail?
Now in itself, that quote isn't such a big deal because I don't think most people expect a lot of high-impact information from Reuters about business technology. But check out the opening sentence from that Reuters dog-bites-man yawner: "Big Brother is not only watching but he is also reading your e-mail." Yes, score another one for the "objective" mainstream media. All the effort you and your colleagues have put into trying to secure your e-mail systems is, in the eyes of Reuters, nothing more than a devious and subversive effort to trample privacy and civil liberties.
Continue reading "Monitoring Employees' Outbound E-Mail Doesn't Make You Big Brother..."
MasterCard Watch Lets World Cup Soccer Fans Pay On The Fly
Some people like soccer. Some people like spending money. But if you're someone who likes soccer and spending money, you're in luck. A new wristwatch is on the way in honor of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Germany that will let fans buy small-ticket items by waving the watch over a MasterCard reader, similar to the way MasterCard PayPass smartcards and tokens work. The skeptic in me says this will boost transaction fraud like nobody's business. But my more curious side wants one of these timepieces in a way I haven't felt since that clunky watch I had 20 years ago that played primitive video games and weighed about 5 pounds.
Continue reading "MasterCard Watch Lets World Cup Soccer Fans Pay On The Fly..."
Steve Ballmer Answers Wall Street...Sort Of
Steve Ballmer has heard an earful from Wall Street lately about explaining rampant spending and buying back more stock. But Microsoft's CEO gave little ground at an investors' conference in New York this week.
Continue reading "Steve Ballmer Answers Wall Street...Sort Of..."
Daily News Podcast For Friday, June 2
In today's daily news podcast, heads are rolling at the Veterans Administration in the wake of its identity theft debacle, the former systems administrator for UBS PaineWebber is facing federal charges for computer sabotage, and security vendor Symantec has spelled out how it will compete with Microsoft for consumers' security business. There's also a new "ransomware" Trojan out, and Yahoo is upgrading its video search service to make it more like saving favorite TV channels with a remote control.
Today's in-depth roundup is on reviews and personal tech, and the comments of the day describe some really cool gadgets for summer.
Your host today is Valerie Potter.
About That Schwartz Blog, 'Nobody's Created More Jobs Than You'
The message wasn't surprising, but the deliverer was. New Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz faced the music and announced that 4,000 to 5,000 employees will be dismissed at Sun over the next six months. What does this Schwartz have in common with the one who, upon being appointed a month ago, said he wasn't there "to take a whack to head count"?
Continue reading "About That Schwartz Blog, 'Nobody's Created More Jobs Than You'..."
The Toys Of Summer
Summer doesn't really start until June 21, but most of us count Memorial Day as the unofficial start of the season. And you'll be dancing in the streets after you read "The Ultimate Summer Gadget Guide."
We gave technology writer George Jones the enviable task of hunting down this summer's gotta-have-it gadgets. He found everything from a digital camera the size of a credit card to a 10-foot-long personal submarine that can dive underneath the water as well as skim along the surface. (I swear I'm not making this up.)
Continue reading "The Toys Of Summer..."
AMD Keeps The Innovation Heat On Intel
Three years ago Advanced Micro Devices was an afterthought to most within the technology field. The company was a persistent gnat that was always buzzing around microprocessor giant Intel, but provided minimal disruption. By the time AMD held its annual Technology Day conference on Thursday, it had transformed into a truly disruptive force in the industry, and it continues to put the technology innovation heat on its larger rival.
Continue reading "AMD Keeps The Innovation Heat On Intel..."
Microsoft Maintains Focus
"Focus" is a word that gets used a lot in the business press. Companies that want to be successful should maintain focus, the gurus preach -- they should emphasize what they do well and build on their competitive advantages rather than chasing off after every market segment and product line out there. If you're looking for examples of companies that lack focus you couldn't do better than Microsoft. And it's at it again, with moves into the markets for handheld games and music players. But wait, that is Microsoft's focus, isn't it? Total war? "All your dollar are belong to us"?
Continue reading "Microsoft Maintains Focus..."
Microsoft Maintains Focus
"Focus" is a word that gets used a lot in the business press. Companies that want to be successful should maintain focus, the gurus preach -- they should emphasize what they do well and build on their competitive advantages rather than chasing off after every market segment and product line out there. If you're looking for examples of companies that lack focus you couldn't do better than Microsoft. And it's at it again, with moves into the markets for handheld games and music players. But wait, that is Microsoft's focus, isn't it? Total war? "All your dollar are belong to us"?
Continue reading "Microsoft Maintains Focus..."
Vonage's Customer IPO Experiment Backfires
Vonage broke ground with its May 24 IPO by setting aside a portion of its initial offering for customer purchase. In theory, this would allow customers to take advantage of any initial run-up in price and would also motivate customers to help keep the stock price high. This was a pretty good idea (on paper anyway), but in practice it seems to have backfired horribly, as the stock has fallen well below its IPO price, with the company's customers left the poorer for playing along with the "reward" program.
This would be bad enough, but things have been made even worse by the fact that Vonage apparently sent signals that it wouldn't require customers to buy the stock they had committed to purchase, then followed with a statement that customers would indeed have to buy the stock and take whatever losses they were facing. This has compounded the sense of loss and betrayal and is shaping up to be one of the biggest corporate fiascos of the year.
Continue reading "Vonage's Customer IPO Experiment Backfires..."
« May 2006 | Main | July 2006 »
