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It isn't just goblins and trick-or-treaters you need to be afraid of this Halloween. Network and server intrustions are continuing at a too-high rate. A recent VanDyke Software survey found that 25 percent of the respondents had been hit with an intrusion within the last two years. Yet in spite of the high incidence of intrusions, only slightly more than half of the system administrators polled said they had eliminated insecure protocols such as Telnet.
Continue reading "Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid..."
It isn't just goblins and trick-or-treaters you need to be afraid of this Halloween. Network and server intrustions are continuing at a too-high rate. A recent VanDyke Software survey found that 25 percent of the respondents had been hit with an intrusion within the last two years. Yet in spite of the high incidence of intrusions, only slightly more than half of the system administrators polled said they had eliminated insecure protocols such as Telnet.
Continue reading "Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid..."
I have a confession to make: I've been stealing from Google. With $1.578 billion in revenue last quarter, the company is unlikely to miss the pennies I've denied it. Still, I feel I owe an explanation: I'm "adnorant," which is to say I ignore online ads.
Continue reading "Stealing From Google..."
A Cambridge University study has found that text messaging has boosted the ability of teenagers to write. The study found that "today's teenagers are using far more complex sentence structures, a wider vocabulary and a more accurate use of capital letters, punctuation and spelling."
That's the good news. The bad news is that they're also "ten times more likely to use non-standard English in written exams than in 1980, using colloquial words, informal phrases and text-messaging shorthand - such as m8 for 'mate', 2 instead of 'too' and u for 'you'."
The study, of course, was conducted on UK teenagers. American kids are most likely similarly transformed by their obsessive use of instant messaging, rather than texting (and are ten times less likely to use the word "mate").
I would also guess that American teens can type faster than any previous generation in history.
Enjoy it now, because new technologies will inevitably come along any minute now that will make communication possibly without typing and without writing -- and those skills will be tossed aside for good.
Move over iPod snobs, with your fancy gadget aftermarket of music docking stations. We Treo 650 smart phone snobs now have one of our own. The Treo 650 Music Dock charges and connects (for PC synchronization) your Treo, and plays music either from the Treo or from an external music source (the dock sports a 3.5mm stereo input jack).
Does it provide rich, full sound? At $32, probably not. Still, it's a cool idea and I want one.
(via Techie Diva's Guide to Gadgets)
Black lists and white lists . . . what does it all mean? To many of us it all looks like spam. I once asked an associate of mine on the sales side of the house what makes for legitimate advertising. His response, while understandable, was a bit disturbing. His philosophy was any ads that are paid for are legitimate. It took me a while, and I didn't like myself better as a result, but I started to see his point.
As a culture, we've accepted without necessarily appreciating the notion of advertising as the means of paying the freight for all the various forms of passive media that we digest. We might be put off by the sheer volume, poor quality or content that offends, but we accept it in order to partake of the content that we purchase.
When it comes to interactive media, however, we draw a line. We don't like the marketers interacting directly with us, uninvited. We don't like it on our phone systems, we don't like it on our messaging systems, and we don't like our Web sessions interrupted by pop-up ads. It's more intrusive and makes us feel helpless, because we've lost the control that we can normally exert as subscribers to content.
Continue reading "Shoot The Messenger, Not The Medium..."
Black lists and white lists . . . what does it all mean? To many of us it all looks like spam. I once asked an associate of mine on the sales side of the house what makes for legitimate advertising. His response, while understandable, was a bit disturbing. His philosophy was any ads that are paid for are legitimate. It took me a while, and I didn't like myself better as a result, but I started to see his point.
As a culture, we've accepted without necessarily appreciating the notion of advertising as the means of paying the freight for all the various forms of passive media that we digest. We might be put off by the sheer volume, poor quality or content that offends, but we accept it in order to partake of the content that we purchase.
When it comes to interactive media, however, we draw a line. We don't like the marketers interacting directly with us, uninvited. We don't like it on our phone systems, we don't like it on our messaging systems, and we don't like our Web sessions interrupted by pop-up ads. It's more intrusive and makes us feel helpless, because we've lost the control that we can normally exert as subscribers to content.
Continue reading "Shoot The Messenger, Not The Medium..."
Thanks in large part to the Internet, enterprise threats are constant and they are everywhere-- viruses, Worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, phishing attacks, and on and on and on. And throw in the growing ubiquity of so-called greynet apps that end users can install without the help -- or approval -- of IT, and the threat worsens. So what is an under-resourced, overburdened systems administrator to do? Read our excellent feature on setting Internet policies and Web control practices and take heed - that is my advice.
Continue reading "Shades Of Grey..."
Thanks in large part to the Internet, enterprise threats are constant and they are everywhere-- viruses, Worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, phishing attacks, and on and on and on. And throw in the growing ubiquity of so-called greynet apps that end users can install without the help -- or approval -- of IT, and the threat worsens. So what is an under-resourced, overburdened systems administrator to do? Read our excellent feature on setting Internet policies and Web control practices and take heed - that is my advice.
Continue reading "Shades Of Grey..."
Microsoft, according to a number of reports, is "evolving its position" on the OpenDocument format. Although Microsoft told the State of Massachusetts last month that Office 12 will not support ODF -- and state officials effectively told Redmond to shove off by endorsing the format anyway -- the company was apparently hedging its bets in a big way.
Continue reading "Microsoft Does What The Others Didn't..."
It used to be the case that internally created and internally transmitted messages (the oldest form of e-mail) were of little threat to the security posture of an organization. That was before we actually started monitoring what went on behind closed doors, so to speak.
Organizations started paying a little more attention to internal messages once compliance and legal requirements made it more important to do so. But the focus for e-mail protection has always been on incoming messages, and more recently, outbound messages. But there is still a heck of a lot of messaging going on behind the firewall, and security and compliance vendors have only recently begun to address it.
Continue reading "Messaging Behind Closed Doors..."
It used to be the case that internally created and internally transmitted messages (the oldest form of e-mail) were of little threat to the security posture of an organization. That was before we actually started monitoring what went on behind closed doors, so to speak.
Organizations started paying a little more attention to internal messages once compliance and legal requirements made it more important to do so. But the focus for e-mail protection has always been on incoming messages, and more recently, outbound messages. But there is still a heck of a lot of messaging going on behind the firewall, and security and compliance vendors have only recently begun to address it.
Continue reading "Messaging Behind Closed Doors..."
When President Bush scans the horizon for his next Supreme Court nominee, he might do well to not only choose a candidate who has spent some time on the bench, but also one with some understanding of, or background in, science and technology.
Such an addition to the Supreme Court would be very timely at this juncture in high-tech litigation and advances. We have entered a technological age, and we need Supreme Court justices who are up to speed on what that means, and can intelligently grapple with the issues this creates.
Continue reading "Supreme Impact On IT..."
It's hard to believe a company that controls more than three-quarters of perhaps the most profitable segment of the electronics industry can simultaneously look vulnerable and weak even while posting "banner" operational results. But Intel, in reshuffling its processor roadmap this week has ensured that the momentum rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has built over the past year will continue for at least another year.
Continue reading "Intel Self-Destruct Mode Aids AMD Momentum..."
If the writing wasn't on the wall before it, it certainly is now. IDC numbers published Thursday show that sales of wireless devices without voice communications capabilities slid for the seventh quarter in a row. Given that much of corporate mobile use rose up almost organically, with individuals increasingly using their personal wireless devices for work-related communications, this trend toward consolidation almost certainly mirrors the trend in the enterprise toward employees relying on single wireless device to handle all of their mobile communications.
Continue reading "The Future Is (Starting) Now..."
If the writing wasn't on the wall before it, it certainly is now. IDC numbers published Thursday show that sales of wireless devices without voice communications capabilities slid for the seventh quarter in a row. Given that much of corporate mobile use rose up almost organically, with individuals increasingly using their personal wireless devices for work-related communications, this trend toward consolidation almost certainly mirrors the trend in the enterprise toward employees relying on single wireless device to handle all of their mobile communications.
Continue reading "The Future Is (Starting) Now..."
Two Australian tourists in New Zealand found out the hard way that you can't always rely on GPS to give you the best route. The visitors rented a car from Avis, which comes with a GPS system, plugged in their destination and drove where the gadget told them to drive.
The system guided them through a ten-hour, death-defying journey into hell: through rivers, fog and perilous and narrow mountain passes terminating at a locked-gate dead end high in the mountains.
Continue reading "Don't Believe Everything Your GPS Tells You..."
As the trend continues to extend collaboration capabilities into all facets of our computing and communications experience, why not include our most often used Web tools, the search engines?
Why not, indeed, say bevy of new search players that are starting to put meat on the bones of the "Web 2.0" movement to make the Internet a more collaborative environment. While Web applications in general have become more collaborative, search engines have been slow to follow suit.
Continue reading "Collaboration Brings New Life To Web Searches..."
As the trend continues to extend collaboration capabilities into all facets of our computing and communications experience, why not include our most often used Web tools, the search engines?
Why not, indeed, say bevy of new search players that are starting to put meat on the bones of the "Web 2.0" movement to make the Internet a more collaborative environment. While Web applications in general have become more collaborative, search engines have been slow to follow suit.
Continue reading "Collaboration Brings New Life To Web Searches..."
In the last few days, economic news for IT has been pretty much all good - more funding, more jobs, and now, higher salaries on the horizon. A report issued this week by Robert Half Technology predicts that, on average, next year IT salaries will rise 3 percent versus the .5 average they saw this year. The report goes on to forecast that the most sought after will include lead applications developers, network security administrators, and IT auditors.
Continue reading "In The Money..."
In the last few days, economic news for IT has been pretty much all good - more funding, more jobs, and now, higher salaries on the horizon. A report issued this week by Robert Half Technology predicts that, on average, next year IT salaries will rise 3 percent versus the .5 average they saw this year. The report goes on to forecast that the most sought after will include lead applications developers, network security administrators, and IT auditors.
Continue reading "In The Money..."
Apple's iPod is cool enough -- especially the new one. Detractors belittle the device, saying that it's nothing more than a hard disk with a play button.
The iPod lovers and the iPod haters will disagree, but there's no denying the design influence Apple's music player has had over other music players, over other consumer electronics and over a large variety of random products.
Continue reading "My Favorite Fantasy iPod..."
The release of OpenOffice 2.0 is a red-letter day for the open-source movement, but what does it mean for for companies and individuals who now have a choice of more than half a dozen alternatives to Microsoft Office? Free is good, and OpenOffice is free -- but is it good? We'll find out -- there's a review coming in Desktop Pipeline RSN.
It looks like the office-suite marketplace is settling down into three camps. The first is the free ones, like OpenOffice. The second is the commercial ones, like Sun's StarOffice 8, that come with support. And the third, and by far the largest, is MS Office.
Continue reading "How Many Office Suites?..."
The release of OpenOffice 2.0 is a red-letter day for the open-source movement, but what does it mean for for companies and individuals who now have a choice of more than half a dozen alternatives to Microsoft Office? Free is good, and OpenOffice is free -- but is it good? We'll find out -- there's a review coming in Desktop Pipeline RSN.
It looks like the office-suite marketplace is settling down into three camps. The first is the free ones, like OpenOffice. The second is the commercial ones, like Sun's StarOffice 8, that come with support. And the third, and by far the largest, is MS Office.
Continue reading "How Many Office Suites?..."
Reading the recent news out of Google, I can't help thinking about Netscape. Like Google, Netscape had a dazzling entry into the world of business. At that time, Web browsers were still a new thing; there were literally two dozen commonly available, none of them with decisive market dominance. And none of them presented any significant competition to the Netscape browser, which was decisively smaller, faster and lighter.
Later, Netscape launched the first superstar dotcom IPO.
We all know how that story turned out: badly. The common wisdom is that Microsoft crushed Netscape by outmarketing it, and by illegally wielding its clout as a monopolist. And that's true, but there was another factor: Netscape lost sight of its customers and mission. The browser became the Elvis Presley of software: fat, slow, and bloated. Now, the company's only significant presence is as a brand owned by America Online.
Now, let's fast-forward to the present. Like the Netscape browser ca. 1995, Google's search service is so fast and powerful that the competition can't compete.
Like Netscape, Google leveraged its early success to branch out into other services: In Netscape's case, that was Web servers, e-mail, and directory services. Google branched out to provide GMail, Google Maps, Froogle and, recently, Google Reader.
Like Netscape, Google is being hailed as the company that will kill Microsoft; doing to Microsoft what Microsoft did to IBM 20 years ago. And Microsoft's critics are talking just like they did during Netscape's prime, eight or nine years ago, saying that Microsoft is fat, bloated, doesn't understand the business models created by new technology, and doomed.
But Netscape took on too much. Is Google doing the same?
Continue reading "Is Google Spreading Itself Too Thin?..."
Call me a worrywart.
I'm troubled that reports about offshore outsourcing means many young people don't think they can make a career in IT and related fields, such as engineering. This attitude will damage our competitiveness as the world shrinks, making it more likely that more jobs requiring a high degree of tech know-how will end up overseas.
Enrollments are down at colleges offering many technical fields, and that troubles educators leading many of our top schools.
Recently, I caught up with Kristina Johnson, dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. She feels educators must and can do more to attract talented students to engineering and other technical careers. Globalization is a fact, and programs like Duke's are addressing that reality. Listen to what Johnson says.
Most software licenses serve two purposes: They demand the right to do crazy things, so that the slightly less crazy things they really want to do look reasonable; and they discourage users from thinking too hard about this fact. There's a way to solve the second problem -- and if you own or manage a business, thinking about the first problem might be a very good idea.
Continue reading "EULA Be Sorry Someday..."
For small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), it may be the only procedure.
Security is still the biggest concern for SMBs when it comes to their messaging systems, but archiving is starting to pick up steam as a priority for this group as well as large enterprises.
So says a report just published by the Radicati Group, which contains the results of Radicati's survey of businesses with less than 500 employees.
Continue reading "Before SOX, Archiving Was Just Good Procedure..."
For small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), it may be the only procedure.
Security is still the biggest concern for SMBs when it comes to their messaging systems, but archiving is starting to pick up steam as a priority for this group as well as large enterprises.
So says a report just published by the Radicati Group, which contains the results of Radicati's survey of businesses with less than 500 employees.
Continue reading "Before SOX, Archiving Was Just Good Procedure..."
That old Saturday Night Live skit about the dessert topping/floor wax was made for people like me. Ever since I was kid, I was a sucker for tips and tricks on how to multitask the things you already own, making them perform tasks you could never dream of on your own. My friends might have considered me too loosely wired when I roasted an ear of corn on my car engine's exhaust manifold while driving down the highway, or when I poached a trout using the rinse and wash cycles while running a load in the dishwasher. But I still get a kick out of those kinds of ideas.
So when C2C published a white paper on using an e-mail archiving system to help with an Exchange server migration, I was interested.
Continue reading "An E-mail Archiving System And A Floor Wax!..."
That old Saturday Night Live skit about the dessert topping/floor wax was made for people like me. Ever since I was kid, I was a sucker for tips and tricks on how to multitask the things you already own, making them perform tasks you could never dream of on your own. My friends might have considered me too loosely wired when I roasted an ear of corn on my car engine's exhaust manifold while driving down the highway, or when I poached a trout using the rinse and wash cycles while running a load in the dishwasher. But I still get a kick out of those kinds of ideas.
So when C2C published a white paper on using an e-mail archiving system to help with an Exchange server migration, I was interested.
Continue reading "An E-mail Archiving System And A Floor Wax!..."
Last week saw further consolidation in the SOA marketplace, as IBM Corp. announced that it had acquired DataPower Technology, removing from the field one of the last independent startups in XML acceleration, since Intel acquired Savega last summer.
Continue reading "SOA Consolidation Continues..."
Last week saw further consolidation in the SOA marketplace, as IBM Corp. announced that it had acquired DataPower Technology, removing from the field one of the last independent startups in XML acceleration, since Intel acquired Savega last summer.
Continue reading "SOA Consolidation Continues..."
I value the contributions information technology has made to our lives probably more than most people. I make my living on the Internet and spend the bulk of my time managing Web content and technology projects, and really enjoy working in this fast-evolving medium. Information technology -- in the form of a wirelessly enabled laptop computer and the omnipresent cell phone -- has permanently changed the lifestyle of my family, particularly as the computer's value as an educational tool increases almost daily.
Continue reading "A Hot Dog, A Soda And A...Cell Phone?..."
Regular readers of my blogs will know that, for the most part, I'm pro-offshoring. It's a hot-button issue, so it's not surprising that my inbox is usually stuffed with E-mails calling me, at best, misguided and, at worst, Propaganda Minister for the One World Conspiracy.
Continue reading "Why Dutch Call For More Offshore Outsourcing Means U.S. Businesses Have To Follow Suit..."
Let's say a car dealer sells you a new set of wheels. Then, let's say they send a mechanic to your house six months later who yanks out the stereo, replaces it with an AM radio and a coat-hangar antenna, and tells you it's an "upgrade." Most of us would call this behavior insane, stupid, suicidal, or all of the above. Yet here in the tech industry, we call it something else: a business model. Here's my question for all of you: Just how common is it?
Continue reading "A Question For All Of You..."
Remember the heady days of the Internet boom and endless technological possibilities? VC funding was plentiful, creativity was soaring, and yes, in the age of the overvalued acquisitions practicality was pretty scarce. But who hasn't missed those times just as little bit as we struggled through uncertain days and leaner years. Well, there certainly aren't any guarantees but it does look like things may be picking up, finally.
Continue reading "The Return Of The Boom Years?..."
Remember the heady days of the Internet boom and endless technological possibilities? VC funding was plentiful, creativity was soaring, and yes, in the age of the overvalued acquisitions practicality was pretty scarce. But who hasn't missed those times just as little bit as we struggled through uncertain days and leaner years. Well, there certainly aren't any guarantees but it does look like things may be picking up, finally.
Continue reading "The Return Of The Boom Years?..."
From time to time, I like to let you know of inexpensive (or sometimes free) tools that might help guide your thinking as you begin or continue to roll out new compliance processes. I noticed a couple interesting new Web-based survey tools that help assess employee attitudes and awareness of integrity and antifraud risks as part of an ethics program evaluation.
I found it interesting because it got me thinking about all the compliance-related products out there designed to document controls. Of course there is some urgency in doing just that, but how many companies truly understand what it is they are trying to control? Perhaps you have potential controls issues that are based on attitudes and beliefs that have been allowed to flourish unchecked.
Continue reading "Being Compliant And Ethical..."
From time to time, I like to let you know of inexpensive (or sometimes free) tools that might help guide your thinking as you begin or continue to roll out new compliance processes. I noticed a couple interesting new Web-based survey tools that help assess employee attitudes and awareness of integrity and antifraud risks as part of an ethics program evaluation.
I found it interesting because it got me thinking about all the compliance-related products out there designed to document controls. Of course there is some urgency in doing just that, but how many companies truly understand what it is they are trying to control? Perhaps you have potential controls issues that are based on attitudes and beliefs that have been allowed to flourish unchecked.
Continue reading "Being Compliant And Ethical..."
In the name of protecting against phishing, identity theft and other forms of fraud, federal regulators handed banks and consumers an enormous job recently. The work required will make online transactions a great deal more expensive for banks--who will no doubt pass the expense on to customers. The requirement will make online transactions far less convenient for consumers. And it'll be, at best, partially effective.
As reported in a story by my colleague Steve Marlin, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council is giving banks until the end of next year to implement two-factor authentication for online transactions. Right now, banks only use one-factor authentication: You go to the bank's web site, enter in a login and password, and you're in your account.
With two-factor authentication, you'll need something else in addition to your password to get in. Generally speaking, that something else is a hardware token, such as a smart card or a gadget the size of a key fob that generates one-time passwords. (For a photo of one of those gadgets, follow the link in the previous story.) Some banks distribute a list of one-time passwords on a scratch-off card.
Implementing support for two-factor authentication is going to be a huge expense for banks.
Moreover, for consumers, it's one more thing to worry about, remember, and eventually lose and have to go to the trouble of replacing.
But it'll be worth it if it wipes out online bank fraud, right?
One problem: It won't.
Continue reading "How Not To Stop Online Bank Fraud..."
This podcast interview with IBM Master Inventor Nizam Ishmael Jr. served as the basis for this story, which was published today in print and online.
Continue reading "Interview With IBM's Nizam Ishmael Jr...."
Forrester recently issued a report confirming what many of us have suspected for some time: Instant messaging isn't the cool thing that it used to be and there is no loyalty among users.
The last statement is rather obvious because loyalty has never been a major part of the strategy. You can't have closed networks and expect users to play on your turf exclusively. Imagine where the mobile handset market would be if you could only talk to in-network users. Microsoft and Yahoo have decided that the benefits of a controlled community of users tied to their own portals don't outweigh the market penetration they might achieve with a more open approach. Good for them. Forrester also expects AOL to follow on their heels. Why, because as Forrester's survey pointed out, there is little correlation between IM preference and portal preference.
But the bigger problem for IM is that it is heavily dependent on the under-25 market. IM penetration among adults 25 and older has been declining steadily since 2003 according to Forrester. And the researcher found that the older those teens and young adults get, the more IM clients they are likely to use. No surprise there. As their world expands, so does their circle of contacts.
Continue reading "As Teens Abandon IM, What's Left?..."
Forrester recently issued a report confirming what many of us have suspected for some time: Instant messaging isn't the cool thing that it used to be and there is no loyalty among users.
The last statement is rather obvious because loyalty has never been a major part of the strategy. You can't have closed networks and expect users to play on your turf exclusively. Imagine where the mobile handset market would be if you could only talk to in-network users. Microsoft and Yahoo have decided that the benefits of a controlled community of users tied to their own portals don't outweigh the market penetration they might achieve with a more open approach. Good for them. Forrester also expects AOL to follow on their heels. Why, because as Forrester's survey pointed out, there is little correlation between IM preference and portal preference.
But the bigger problem for IM is that it is heavily dependent on the under-25 market. IM penetration among adults 25 and older has been declining steadily since 2003 according to Forrester. And the researcher found that the older those teens and young adults get, the more IM clients they are likely to use. No surprise there. As their world expands, so does their circle of contacts.
Continue reading "As Teens Abandon IM, What's Left?..."
Enterprise management software vendors still have a lot of ground to cover when it comes to educating the market on Business Service Management. Last week's Systems Management Pipeline poll shows that while nearly half of the respondants think BSM sounds terrific in theory, they believe the products associated with it are either too expensive or too complex for them to implement. Forty-one percent of the respondents said that while they like the concept, they are far to busy fighting fires to stop and implement something as complicated as BSM sounds.
Continue reading "Educating The Masses..."
Enterprise management software vendors still have a lot of ground to cover when it comes to educating the market on Business Service Management. Last week's Systems Management Pipeline poll shows that while nearly half of the respondants think BSM sounds terrific in theory, they believe the products associated with it are either too expensive or too complex for them to implement. Forty-one percent of the respondents said that while they like the concept, they are far to busy fighting fires to stop and implement something as complicated as BSM sounds.
Continue reading "Educating The Masses..."
My Web video debut describes how Firefox's stalled market share and the threat of Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 could mean big trouble soon for the plucky, open-source browser. Download the video here (Windows Media format, 2 min., 7 sec, 7.3 MB), or, if you have your podcasting software pointing at this blog, the video should download automatically.
Like I said, this is my first effort, so it's not exactly an award-winner, production-wise. My goals were modest: to produce an intelligent video, in which you could see me and easily hear what I was saying, and which included a couple of cool graphics. Looking at the final product, I can see a couple of glaring production mistakes.
- The video shows a guy with a prodigiously huge head inexplicably crowded into one corner of the frame. I should have pointed the camera lower down.
- I wore a T-shirt. Hey, I always wear a T-shirt this time of year when working from home. I just wasn't thinking that I was filming myself for a video that was going out over the Internet. Duh.
You have two reasons to watch the video: (1) Well-reasoned discussion about Firefox's upcoming troubles or (2) Laugh at how much of a doofus I look like.
As if carpal tunnel wasn't bad enough - it appears we now have digit-specific repetitive stress to look forward to, or dodge as the case may be.
I guess this means I'd better steer clear of the BlackBerry and other such tiny-keyboarded gadgets. Rats. Just as I was beginning to warm up to the idea, too. It was hard enough getting over the aging eyesight issue, I mean, can you really read those things? I see people all over the place with BlackBerries held a foot from their faces, furiously paddling away with their thumbs for all they are worth. (I was already braced for the inevitable debate with myself - glasses on or off for this one?)
Continue reading "Hand-Held Hand Hell..."
Can you smell it? There's something in the air, but it's not the autumnal hearth. A smoldering anger, something I'd call "code rage," is everywhere, spilling over into, permeating, and often dominating every discussion we've had with readers this year about the state of the IT industry, IT careers, and education. For each commentator who loves the industry and offers upbeat advice, you'll find 10 or more cynical, resentful, and seething posts.
Continue reading "Improving The IT Workplace..."
The next time you dig into your pocket for $40 or $50 to buy a couple of cartridges for your inkjet printer, just remember -- the printer manufacturers don't enjoy charging such outrageous prices. They're only doing it to make you happy. Really. HP said so yesterday when it sued Cartridge World for supposedly violating a patent on its ink formulation.
The article included a quote from Pradeep Jotwani, senior vice president of supplies for the company's printing group: "HP spends millions of dollars annually in R&D to create innovations that benefit our customers, and we are rigorous in our protection of this investment."
Thanks, Mr. Jotwani. Could you maybe be, like, oh, 50 percent less rigorous?
Continue reading "Ink Is Thicker Than Water..."
The next time you dig into your pocket for $40 or $50 to buy a couple of cartridges for your inkjet printer, just remember -- the printer manufacturers don't enjoy charging such outrageous prices. They're only doing it to make you happy. Really. HP said so yesterday when it sued Cartridge World for supposedly violating a patent on its ink formulation.
The article included a quote from Pradeep Jotwani, senior vice president of supplies for the company's printing group: "HP spends millions of dollars annually in R&D to create innovations that benefit our customers, and we are rigorous in our protection of this investment."
Thanks, Mr. Jotwani. Could you maybe be, like, oh, 50 percent less rigorous?
Continue reading "Ink Is Thicker Than Water..."
The trade-off for a business hiring a new, enthusiastic, and relatively cheap college grad is that recruit's lack of practical working experience. In a nutshell, new hires don't have an extensive background in field to draw from for problem solving that can be so crucial. Companies are still willing to give newcomers a chance but businesses are looking for ways to bring their new hires up to speed as rapidly as possible. Businesses looking to accelerate their new hires' skills acquisition would be wise to take a page from the skills training book of a couple of vendors.
Continue reading "Accelerating Skills Development..."
The trade-off for a business hiring a new, enthusiastic, and relatively cheap college grad is that recruit's lack of practical working experience. In a nutshell, new hires don't have an extensive background in field to draw from for problem solving that can be so crucial. Companies are still willing to give newcomers a chance but businesses are looking for ways to bring their new hires up to speed as rapidly as possible. Businesses looking to accelerate their new hires' skills acquisition would be wise to take a page from the skills training book of a couple of vendors.
Continue reading "Accelerating Skills Development..."
By the mid-21st century, as envisioned by futurist Ray Kurzweil, society will be shaped by intelligent, networked devices integrated and implanted into almost everything, including people.
Imagine the privacy concerns of 2030 and beyond, when the Internet consists of nodes that could include nanobots sewn into our clothing and injected into our bloodstream. Imagine, too, how ill-willed individuals could exploit these advances in IT.
Kurzweil, in the final of a five-part series, discusses the delicate balance that must be achieved between privacy and security as technology advances in the coming decades explodes at exponential rates.
Earlier Podcasts of the Kurzweil interview:
* Singularity explained.
* Thinking machines with emotions.
* Civil liberties for machines.
* World-Wide Mesh.
Related Podcast
* PalmPilot founder and artificial-intelligence researcherJeff Hawkins discusses his new venture to develop technology based on the brain's neocortex.
A reader responding to my most recent blog about a user survey and the future of e-mail brought up an interesting point about the nature of always-on communication technology. He said his life pattern had changed once he started using his Blackberry device, and that he felt somehow more compelled to read e-mail on his Blackberry the moment it is received, akin to the urgency of answering a mobile phone. He ended with a lament that he and his associates spend more time looking at the device and less time in direct personal interaction. Even "Good Morning" greetings around the office are handled via IM.
It's a common lament about technology in general and, of course, we always have a choice to respond immediately or not to any communication. But some media are just more compelling. Back in the good ol' days before answering machines, most people felt fairly compelled to answer the ring of a telephone, and auditory signals are still very compelling (although the "You've Got Mail" thing grew tiresome pretty fast). If you didn't answer the ring, you didn't know who was calling. There was always a little mystery. Today, in our always-on, constantly connected world, that feeling of being compelled seems to be largely a function of a) the newness of the medium and b) the level of exclusivity you can exert on the environment (which is partially a function of price). Something always comes along soon that is more compelling and sooner or later it's cheap and pervasive enough that the entire planet can find you. And that makes the existing message medium less compelling. Cases in point:
Continue reading "Are You Going To Answer That?..."
A reader responding to my most recent blog about a user survey and the future of e-mail brought up an interesting point about the nature of always-on communication technology. He said his life pattern had changed once he started using his Blackberry device, and that he felt somehow more compelled to read e-mail on his Blackberry the moment it is received, akin to the urgency of answering a mobile phone. He ended with a lament that he and his associates spend more time looking at the device and less time in direct personal interaction. Even "Good Morning" greetings around the office are handled via IM.
It's a common lament about technology in general and, of course, we always have a choice to respond immediately or not to any communication. But some media are just more compelling. Back in the good ol' days before answering machines, most people felt fairly compelled to answer the ring of a telephone, and auditory signals are still very compelling (although the "You've Got Mail" thing grew tiresome pretty fast). If you didn't answer the ring, you didn't know who was calling. There was always a little mystery. Today, in our always-on, constantly connected world, that feeling of being compelled seems to be largely a function of a) the newness of the medium and b) the level of exclusivity you can exert on the environment (which is partially a function of price). Something always comes along soon that is more compelling and sooner or later it's cheap and pervasive enough that the entire planet can find you. And that makes the existing message medium less compelling. Cases in point:
Continue reading "Are You Going To Answer That?..."
It's time for corporate America to get specific. Shortly after the SOX legislation was introduced, we heard a lot of drum beating about shareholder value and the rosy, glass-half-full notion that early adopters of compliance management technology would hold a competitive advantage over the kickers and screamers. It seemed plausible at the time—still does, but the examples of that actually happening are few and far between.
So it gets me wondering: In the final analysis, will SOX go down as nothing more than a remedial reaction, designed to restore investor confidence, or are companies just being tight-lipped about how compliance initiatives are providing shareholder value? It wouldn't be the first time that discussions of competitive advantage are kept out of the media. Oh, technology vendors are quick to offer up case studies with real live user organizations, and they are generally educational, but they fall short of describing how a particular implementation or new practice is delivering shareholder value.
Continue reading "Show Me The Value..."
It's time for corporate America to get specific. Shortly after the SOX legislation was introduced, we heard a lot of drum beating about shareholder value and the rosy, glass-half-full notion that early adopters of compliance management technology would hold a competitive advantage over the kickers and screamers. It seemed plausible at the time—still does, but the examples of that actually happening are few and far between.
So it gets me wondering: In the final analysis, will SOX go down as nothing more than a remedial reaction, designed to restore investor confidence, or are companies just being tight-lipped about how compliance initiatives are providing shareholder value? It wouldn't be the first time that discussions of competitive advantage are kept out of the media. Oh, technology vendors are quick to offer up case studies with real live user organizations, and they are generally educational, but they fall short of describing how a particular implementation or new practice is delivering shareholder value.
Continue reading "Show Me The Value..."
I had an opportunity to catch-up with Tim Partridge, senior vice president and general manager for Dolby Labs in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Click on this podcast link to hear Tim Partridge, senior vice president and general manager for the Professional Division at Dolby Labs, talk about digital rights management in the movie industry.
Recent economic news has been mixed at best, thanks in large part to soaring oil prices. But the employment picture remains bright. The IT professional, in particular, continues to be a hot commodity as businesses keep looking to technology as a means to drive new revenue opportunities and cut expenses. Monster.com's September local job index showed classified ads for IT professionals were up for 22 of its top 28 metropolitan markets.
Continue reading "IT Job Opportunities Still Abound..."
Recent economic news has been mixed at best, thanks in large part to soaring oil prices. But the employment picture remains bright. The IT professional, in particular, continues to be a hot commodity as businesses keep looking to technology as a means to drive new revenue opportunities and cut expenses. Monster.com's September local job index showed classified ads for IT professionals were up for 22 of its top 28 metropolitan markets.
Continue reading "IT Job Opportunities Still Abound..."
askSam has posted Leonardo Da Vinci's Complete Notebooks in a free, searchable askSam database. The REAL Leonardo (not the Hollywood DiCaprio) thus joins Hamlet, HIPAA, and the published opinions of John Roberts -- in all the database company has built a library of almost two dozen texts available for searching online or for download along with its free askSam reader app.
askSam, in case you're not familiar with it, is a database manager that is especially good at handling freeform text. It's one of those PC apps that's been around forever, and it's worth the reminder that it's still as good as always.
Continue reading "askSam and the REAL Leonardo..."
askSam has posted Leonardo Da Vinci's Complete Notebooks in a free, searchable askSam database. The REAL Leonardo (not the Hollywood DiCaprio) thus joins Hamlet, HIPAA, and the published opinions of John Roberts -- in all the database company has built a library of almost two dozen texts available for searching online or for download along with its free askSam reader app.
askSam, in case you're not familiar with it, is a database manager that is especially good at handling freeform text. It's one of those PC apps that's been around forever, and it's worth the reminder that it's still as good as always.
Continue reading "askSam and the REAL Leonardo..."
One year ago, Apple Computer dumped iTunes 4.7 on millions of unsuspecting customers. If that sounds like an ominous way to describe a routine software update, it's because this "update" -- or, if you prefer, "trojan horse" -- is more notorious for what it took away from users' systems than for what it added.
Continue reading "Apple's Captive Audience..."
If CIOs think they have a challenging job today, look what's on the horizon.
In the fourth of a five-part interview, the IT innovator and futurist Ray Kurzweil sees the Internet rapidly evolving to a world-wide mesh, tied together by an unimaginable number of devices, including ones embedded in the environment, on our clothing, and inside our bodies. Devices now spokes on the network, such as cell phones and wireless PDAs, will become nodes. Search engines of the future won't wait for us to ask; they'll anticipate the information we'll seek.
Will such massive networking ensure job security for future CIOs? I ponder what Kurzweil's cyrstal ball says about that.
Earlier Podcasts of the Kurzweil interview:
* Singularity explained.
* Thinking machines with emotions.
* Civil liberties for machines.
Later Podcast:
* Privacy threatened. Check out the Podcast Directory at InformationWeek.com on Friday.
How many of you think life would be so much easier if the brass in your company actually took Sarbanes-Oxley compliance seriously? With all the fear and loathing voiced over the C-level accountability of Section 404, we still hear from IT managers that their bosses still don't take SOX seriously.
The publicized fines levied for non-compliance have been few and far between, and the threat of incarceration for CEOs and CFOs has not been made real. Little wonder, according to some, why their compliance budgets get laughed at. And little wonder who gets blamed if material deficiencies crop up . . . you.
Continue reading "Tired Of Crying Wolf..."
How many of you think life would be so much easier if the brass in your company actually took Sarbanes-Oxley compliance seriously? With all the fear and loathing voiced over the C-level accountability of Section 404, we still hear from IT managers that their bosses still don't take SOX seriously.
The publicized fines levied for non-compliance have been few and far between, and the threat of incarceration for CEOs and CFOs has not been made real. Little wonder, according to some, why their compliance budgets get laughed at. And little wonder who gets blamed if material deficiencies crop up . . . you.
Continue reading "Tired Of Crying Wolf..."
We--as in 'we the world community of e-mail users'--are continuing to do the Texas two-step with those evil spam-makers. But even as the number of spam messages continues unabated and is in fact rising, there have been a couple of recent developments that give me hope.
Continue reading "Dancing With Spammers..."
Yippee!
I'm sitting here staring at the FedEx "We're sorry we missed you!" door tag on my desk. The FedEx Express delivery person left it while I was out this morning. I can't pick-up the package until after 6 p.m., the tag reads, but I know what's inside.
Continue reading "My Apple Video iPod Arrived!..."
Does sender certification work as a method of ensuring the legitimacy of e-mail senders? According to Habeas Inc., provider of the popular Habeas Safelist database of certified senders, it does.
Habeas claims that it is now receiving more than 20 million requests per day from messaging systems worldwide. That represents a ten-fold increase in traffic in the last six months.
Continue reading "Playing It Safe Doesn't Always Work, But It's A Good Start..."
Does sender certification work as a method of ensuring the legitimacy of e-mail senders? According to Habeas Inc., provider of the popular Habeas Safelist database of certified senders, it does.
Habeas claims that it is now receiving more than 20 million requests per day from messaging systems worldwide. That represents a ten-fold increase in traffic in the last six months.
Continue reading "Playing It Safe Doesn't Always Work, But It's A Good Start..."
A new Forrester Research study shows that the Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are literally almost everywhere. With the overwhelming majority of companies either implementing new and upgrading existing VPNs this year, VPNs are at the top of the project list for most IT managers. One of the biggest benefits VPNs promise is added flexibility so it is no surprise that demand for browser-based SSL VPNs that have the potential to allow end users to connect from non-corporate computers are taking off in a big way.
Continue reading "Virtually Ubiquitous..."
A new Forrester Research study shows that the Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are literally almost everywhere. With the overwhelming majority of companies either implementing new and upgrading existing VPNs this year, VPNs are at the top of the project list for most IT managers. One of the biggest benefits VPNs promise is added flexibility so it is no surprise that demand for browser-based SSL VPNs that have the potential to allow end users to connect from non-corporate computers are taking off in a big way.
Continue reading "Virtually Ubiquitous..."
I've become as dependent on my e-mail as the next person, but for me it's still an office and an occasional home activity. I consider traveling on business or pleasure an extension of my professional and personal lives so I'll include laptops in my mix of e-mail devices. I rarely, and I do mean rarely, use the Internet capabilities of my GSM network provider. I find it intrusive, but then I will also turn off my phone when I'm out camping, fishing, and mountain biking, checking once in a while for messages.
Continue reading "E-mail: Is It In You..."
I've become as dependent on my e-mail as the next person, but for me it's still an office and an occasional home activity. I consider traveling on business or pleasure an extension of my professional and personal lives so I'll include laptops in my mix of e-mail devices. I rarely, and I do mean rarely, use the Internet capabilities of my GSM network provider. I find it intrusive, but then I will also turn off my phone when I'm out camping, fishing, and mountain biking, checking once in a while for messages.
Continue reading "E-mail: Is It In You..."
Let's assume that Ray Kurzweil's prediction comes true, that by mid-century, perhaps sooner, technology advances so rapidly that machines with human intellect, emotion, and self-awareness become a reality.
How do we treat these new beings? Are they alive? Do they have rights?
These are disturbing questions. An equally alarming one: What happens when people of ill will get hold of these machines?
In the third of a five-part podcast interview I had with Kurzweil, the futurist, author, and IT innovator addresses these concerns. After listening to Kurzweil, let us know what you think. Share your thoughts in the Comments box below.
Click on these links to listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of the Kurzweil interview. Future parts of the series can be retrieved by going to the Podcast Directory at InformationWeek.com. Also, listen to a podcast interview with PDA innovator Jeff Hawkins, whose latest venture, Numenta, is developing technology based on the neocortex, the part of the brain believed to be responsible for conscious thought, spatial reasoning, and sensory perception.
I definitely want some of the magic pixie dust that Google uses. Google gets away with stuff that other companies--particularly Microsoft--get hammered for. But Google gets a free pass. Because it's Google. And everybody loves Google.
Microsoft faces constant scrutiny for the data it collects--or might collect--on its customers. Four years ago, when the company introduced "product activation" to stem piracy, privacy advocates cried foul. Likewise, Microsoft proposed technology code-named HailStorm as a way of consolidating login information for multiple sites; privacy concerns eventually scuttled that proposal.
Google regularly gets away with this kind of thing. According to its privacy policy, Google explicitly reserves the right to track every time you click on a link from one of its searches. If you use Gmail as your primary E-mail--and many people do--Google keeps a repository of all your E-mail, and indexes it for marketing purposes.
And yet there's no outcry against Google; nobody complains except for a few privacy advocates (and, unfortunately, the phrase "privacy advocate" these days is simply a polysyllabic way of saying "kook").
Continue reading "Google's Magic Pixie Dust..."
If you haven't heard of the SOA Leaders Council, it's something you should check out. It's a collaborative peer-to-peer community of corporate and government SOA users who share their experiences and expertise with real-world SOA implementations. There's not a single vendor in sight. Instead, actual users talk about actual projects--both successes and challenges.
Continue reading "Still-Evolving Standards Chief Challenge Of SOA..."
If you haven't heard of the SOA Leaders Council, it's something you should check out. It's a collaborative peer-to-peer community of corporate and government SOA users who share their experiences and expertise with real-world SOA implementations. There's not a single vendor in sight. Instead, actual users talk about actual projects--both successes and challenges.
Continue reading "Still-Evolving Standards Chief Challenge Of SOA..."
At Gartner's ITXpo conference, HP CEO Mark Hurd promised the company will "double down" on the company's core hardware, software, and service areas. If I interpret Hurd's comments correctly, "doubling down" means not only will HP not sell off its printer, PC, or any of its other mainstay businesses as has been rumored for months but the company will actually invest more attention and resources in those areas. However, Hurd made no specific commitments, and his statements raise plenty of questions about how the company's future growth plans.
Continue reading "HP: Back To Basics?..."
At Gartner's ITXpo conference, HP CEO Mark Hurd promised the company will "double down" on the company's core hardware, software, and service areas. If I interpret Hurd's comments correctly, "doubling down" means not only will HP not sell off its printer, PC, or any of its other mainstay businesses as has been rumored for months but the company will actually invest more attention and resources in those areas. However, Hurd made no specific commitments, and his statements raise plenty of questions about how the company's future growth plans.
Continue reading "HP: Back To Basics?..."
The most confusing, frustrating and mind-numbing aspect of any compliance automation project is discovering that there are now a host of hardware and software tools for any compliance activity you can think of, and many you didn't think of. There are compliance tools that cost a couple hundred bucks and some that can set you back a couple hundred thousand just to initiate preliminary designs. If your company is like the majority who got past the initial regulatory audits the manual way, fixing problems with chewing gum and duct tape, you've probably been charged with making sure that experience isn't repeated.
But after a quick look at the compliance tools landscape, you're at a loss. The financial folks want a budget for making the pain go away. But the further you explore, the more frustrating the situation becomes. It's a bit like the poor sap who decides to refinish his kitchen cabinets and by the time he's done he's taking out a second mortgage to pay for new counters, plumbing, fixtures, flooring, wallpaper and appliances.
Continue reading "Do All Compliance Roads Lead To BPM?..."
The most confusing, frustrating and mind-numbing aspect of any compliance automation project is discovering that there are now a host of hardware and software tools for any compliance activity you can think of, and many you didn't think of. There are compliance tools that cost a couple hundred bucks and some that can set you back a couple hundred thousand just to initiate preliminary designs. If your company is like the majority who got past the initial regulatory audits the manual way, fixing problems with chewing gum and duct tape, you've probably been charged with making sure that experience isn't repeated.
But after a quick look at the compliance tools landscape, you're at a loss. The financial folks want a budget for making the pain go away. But the further you explore, the more frustrating the situation becomes. It's a bit like the poor sap who decides to refinish his kitchen cabinets and by the time he's done he's taking out a second mortgage to pay for new counters, plumbing, fixtures, flooring, wallpaper and appliances.
Continue reading "Do All Compliance Roads Lead To BPM?..."
Microsoft wants you to know it's making progress on the security of its software. It's feeling so comfortable, in fact, that last Thursday and Friday it held a meeting in Redmond and invited several security consultants to critique its performance.
Unfortunately, the PR value of the "Blue Hat" (the consultants aren't black hats -- the bad guys -- nor are they necessarily white hats -- the good guys, get it?) session was undercut by problems in Microsoft's most recent set of patches to fix security vulnerabilities in its products, released last Tuesday.
Continue reading "Microsoft's Patch Dilemma..."
Microsoft wants you to know it's making progress on the security of its software. It's feeling so comfortable, in fact, that last Thursday and Friday it held a meeting in Redmond and invited several security consultants to critique its performance.
Unfortunately, the PR value of the "Blue Hat" (the consultants aren't black hats -- the bad guys -- nor are they necessarily white hats -- the good guys, get it?) session was undercut by problems in Microsoft's most recent set of patches to fix security vulnerabilities in its products, released last Tuesday.
Continue reading "Microsoft's Patch Dilemma..."
The latest figures from outsourcing advisory firm Technology Partners International show that the offshoring of IT and business processes is having the desired effect--it's bringing down the cost of these services.
Continue reading "Customers Win As Offshoring Drives Outsourcing Prices Lower..."
No doubt Ray Kurzweil and Jeff Hawkins rank among the top original thinkers and IT innovators. Both see computing mirroring the functions of the human brain. But they don't agree on how fast scientists and engineers will develop technologies that exhibit the most complex cerebral traits of humans: self-awareness, emotion, and even a sense of one's own mortality.
Because of technology's exponential growth, Kurzweil sees emotion-laden, self-aware machines being developed by mid-century. Hawkins' view on technology patterned after the human brain is more limited than Kurzweil's prognostications, saying such artificial beings will take centuries, not decades, to create. The brain is just too complex to replicate that quickly. Emotional robots that run amok, Hawkins says, will remain science fiction for a very long time.
I caught up with Kurzweil via cell phone. In the second of five podcasts from our talk, he says society will face some tough choices in mere decades as it decides how to treat technologies that act like humans.
Hawkins share his thoughts in another podcast about a more benign technology, in which devices will be built using hierarchical temporal memory, the patterns found in the neocortex, the part of the brain that differentiates mammals from other vertebrates.
Both men have impressive credentials to make these predictions. Kurzweil--author of the recently published book--The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology--has been at the forefront of technological innovation, as the principal developer of the first omni-font optical character recognition, the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, the first CCD flat-bed scanner, the first text-to-speech synthesizer, the first music synthesizer capable of recreating the grand piano and other orchestral instruments, and the first commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition.
Hawkins, of course, is no technology slacker. Give him much of the credit for making the personal digital assistant a mainstay business tool, as founder of two pioneering PDA makers, Palm and Handspring. Now, he started a new company, Numenta, which is developing technology based on the neocortex. His ideas can be found in his book, On Intelligence.
So, who's right? Listen to their podcasts, and tell us what you think by responding in the comments box below.
All InformationWeek podcasts can be found by clicking on Podcast Directory at InformationWeek.com.
I received lots of sharp, thoughtful, and sometimes funny feedback to my last blog, Seeding IT's Future." Some readers applauded, some snorted and some wanted to know what I was smoking, and whether they could have some too. In between, some interesting questions were raised, and points posited, that I'd like to address, along with what I think are some erroneous assumptions about where my blog was coming from.
Continue reading "Why We Need IT..."