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Laying Waste To Your Enemies With Google Bombs
Wired has a How-To Wiki on its site that often has great little blurbs on how to get things done. Today's How-To idea? How to embarrass, frustrate, or annoy your enemies by sending them Google bombs. Is this valuable knowledge to share? Is bombing people on the Internet something mature professionals do? Or is it
Aquantia Seeks To Make 10GBase-T Scale
Darwin would have liked our industry. Evolution is constant and predictable, and it's particularly so for Ethernet, from its original 10 Mbps incarnation to the current 10 Gbps version -- pricing, power consumption, and port density follow a similar trend line. But just because the evolution happens, doesn't mean that it's easy.
Microsoft Combined With Intel For A Vista Logo Disaster
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer got its hands on the Microsoft e-mails that are part of the lawsuit regarding Microsoft's ill-fated Vista Capable logo program. Earlier, I said Microsoft, OEMs, and retailers all deserved blame in the logo disaster, but these insider e-mails have changed my opinion on apportioning blame.
Vaporware Vendor Targets New Markets
You have to admire a technology company that can build a business around airborne water particles. FogScreen has done that, with an impressive customer list that includes Disney, Nokia, 20th Century Fox, Sony, and Microsoft. Now it's taking its act to Vegas.
BI Goes Mainstream at Procter &Gamble
Philip Bierhoff, Systems Manager at Procter & Gamble, spoke at last week's FASTforward conference about strategies to increase user adoption as business intelligence goes mainstream. P&G's Symphony project creates "decision cockpits": dashboards based on specific roles and corporate divisions, and including information ranging from traditional BI reports to documents to news...
SaaS vendor NetSuite Opens Platform To ISVs, VARs
In launching the NetSuite Business Operating System, the vendor is offering to host third-party software on its multi-tenant, on-demand architecture. As a result, ISVs and VARs can extend NetSuite's underlying capabilities to specific verticals.
Taking Google Sites For A Spin
After seeing the news this morning about the launch of Google Sites, I decided to take the new tools for a spin. I signed up, bought myself a domain name, and went to work at customizing it and setting up users. Just how easy is it?
Those Other Ruby Web Frameworks
The Pragmatic Programmer has long advocated that it's good practice to learn at least one new programming language every year. If you're a web developer, it's at least as important to pick up a new framework from time to time.
Most Ruby developers tasked with building web applications are clearly working in Rails at this point. However, there are some great alternative fram
Why You Should Love Information Mess
David Weinberger, author of "Everything is Miscellaneous," believes we need to unlearn what we think that we know about the best ways to organize information... He looks at how many projects require a much greater degree of control as they increase in size, but contrasts that with the Web, which has growth only because of the lack of control. Control doesn't scale; we just thought that it did...
Microsoft-Yahoo Merger Perfectly Timed For A Recession
Although I still have a lot of doubt that Microsoft and Yahoo will ever consummate a marriage, Microsoft continues to pursue the deal with a lot of enthusiasm. I don't know how loudly I can say this, but Microsoft: It's a trap! There's a reason why some major Yahoo shareholders are suing to make this deal go through, pronto. They think you're crazy and they want to get the money before you sober up.
Google Offers Provisioning Toolkit For Enterprises
So you're taking the leap and deploying Google Apps across your enterprise. Rather than add users one by one, Google is giving IT admins a new way to create user accounts: the Apache 2.0 licensed Open Source Google Apps Provisioning Toolkit.
Media Advice For Entrepreneurs And Others
How to get your company noticed -- advice from a journalist, a professor, an analyst, and a flack.
Chronicle Of A Startup: The Kernel Of An Idea
I have an idea for a new venture that seems promising to me. Is it? I'm on my way to Silicon Valley to find out.
Microsoft loves Java
Microsoft's recent acquisition activity brings to it a lot of Java-based software, expertise, as well as a large Java-focused customer base.
Open ESB Update
Recently, I spoke with Kevin Schmidt of Sun Microsystems regarding Open ESB, a community-driven open-source ESB used by Sun and other companies. Sun contributed Open ESB to the community under the CDDL license years ago, and uses it as the basis fo
Adobe Aims for the Next Generation of Apps
Some day we will stop talking about "RIAs" (Rich Internet Applications) and Web 2.0 apps and Web apps; they will all just be apps. The same goes for "desktop applications." They will just be apps too. In fact, I wish we had a simple name for all these flavors of apps right now. Thankfully, I can see the horizon of that "some day."...
Gmail Chat Goes Invisible. :-D
Instant messengers, rejoice! Google has updated Gmail Chat and Talk with the ability to go invisible. This was a much-needed feature of the IM client built into Gmail. Google stepped up and delivered.
Q&A: MicroStrategy, Teradata and Informatica CTOs on Pervasive BI
Jeff Bedell, executive vice president of technology and CTO of MicroStrategy, Stephen Brobst, CTO of Teradata, and James Markarian, senior VP of product strategy and CTO of Informatica, have collaborated on a noted whitepaper and joint presentations on the topic of pervasive business intelligence. Intelligent Enterprise contributing editor Mark Madsen recently asked these three thought leaders about the latest trends carrying us toward broader adoption and near-real-time decision support.
Google Outlines The Secret To Its Success
Apparently, there's some level of mystery involved in Google's success. So much so that Google's chief economist Hal Varian put together a bunch of ideas on why Google continually succeeds. Varian has one answer. I have another.
Windows Vista Childbirth Pack 1
I have become convinced that Windows service packs and childbirth have a lot in common. You approach the big day with nervous anticipation, and hope that everything will come out OK. That day sometimes involves a lot of pain, but a few years after each event people look back wistfully and think, "Gee, that wasn't so bad. I'm sure glad we did it." As the big day arrives for Vista Service Pack 1, be prepared for that short-term pain.
Sun, MySQL Seal the Deal
It's a done deal. In what seems like record time for an acquisition of this magnitute -- under six weeks, but who's counting -- Sun and MySQL have sealed the deal and MySQL is now part of Sun Microsystems.
"This is the most important acquisition in Sun history, and the most important acquisition in the modern software industry," Schwartz said.
And he may be right.
The Road To Pervasive BI
If you're not using business intelligence tools throughout your workforce, it's time to start--or get left behind in your competitors' dust
Sergey Brin: MicroHoo 'Unnerving'
At a recent event, Google co-founder Sergey Brin called Microsoft's bid for Yahoo "unnerving" and said the move imperils innovation on the Internet. Google also posits that the merger would be illegal. Maybe the merger could violate antitrust laws. Or maybe Brin likes being King of the Mountain, and doesn't want anything to threaten that. Oh, and Brin? Innovation will continue w
Full Nelson: Appcelerator For Rich Internet Applications
We just wrote about Appcelerator a month ago -- in fact, it was our Startup of the Week. But we got a chance to talk to CEO Jeff Haynie, who gives a great overview of what this company is doing: letting you build rich Internet applications quickly using standard technology like HTML/CSS on the front end and Ruby On Rails, Java, PHP, .Net and more on the back end.
Full Nelson: Krugle Code Search Not So Evil
I know. It sounds just like Google. It's search. How does Google allow it? It helps that the last name of one of Krugle's founders is Krugler. But the other founder is Steve Larsen -- couldn't they have named it after him? And was his name really always Ken Krugler, or did he change it just so they could do this? I will answer none of those questions. But I will tell you that I wish I were a developer, because Krugle, a code search engine, is an awesome idea. (Note,
Full Nelson: Redfly Neither Smartphone Nor Ultralight PC
By show of hands, how many people have attempted a business trip with only a (fill in your favorite term: PDA, Smartphone, whatever)? Keep those hands up . . . how many of this group has been satisfied with that experience? Anyone? We are at an infection point. No, NOT inflection -- please don't use that term (and don't call a stomach a tummy and don't ever let me catch you saying "mani-pedi"). We're becoming infected with the notion that we will not need a laptop. The choices include a.) the sm
Commercial Open Source: A Half-Baked Business Model
PacketTrap CEO Steve Goodman struck a nerve with his prediction that commercial open source software companies are doomed to fail. The fact that his controversial position wasn't universally rejected is evidence that questions remain over the commercial open source model.
Google Wants Your Medical Records
Last fall, Google announced that it will begin pushing into the health care arena by creating an electronic medical records system. The day for that push has finally come. Today, it announced a trial with the Cleveland Clinic
Report From India: A Web-Based Startup, Employee Head Count: 2
India's IT scene has been defined by its outsourcing giants. Its future will be defined in large part by companies like dhanaX. I visited the microfinancing startup's Bangalore office this week, just days before its planned soft launch. They've spent about $20,000 to get this far. Can two people, in a shared office with the chairs still wrapped in plastic, really pull this off?
10G iSCSI Solutions Move Closer to the Mainstream
Because of its IP based design and potential to lower storage costs, iSCSI has been gaining momentum recently. One reason why the technology may be worth a close look is it is now starting to support 10G bps transmission rates.
Google Needs To Create A Search Engine For Mobile Phones
Ever wish you could search for content on your phone effectively, just like you can on your desktop or the Internet? A company called Nuance offered a free trial to attendees of the Mobile World Congress last week that allowed you simply start typing a query in using T9. It automatically searched your entire phone for that content, be it a contact, file, image, application, etc. Google, can you do this, too?
Full Nelson: ClearContext Has a Fuzzy Outlook
I'm not an Outlook user, but most e-mail clients I have tried -- and even Outlook back when I used it -- seem pretty self-explanatory, so I'm a little unclear about the need for ClearContext. This product aims to make Outlook e-mail more manageable, more efficient, more automated. Maybe this is just one of those things where you don't know you're missing. Since our company is moving to Outlook in the next few months, maybe I'll have to see for myself.
An Invitation To Startups And Innovative Software Companies
Got a new and interesting product that the business technology world should know about? Here are three ways to get the word out.
Microsoft Backs News-Crunching Startup
Silobreaker has joined Microsoft's Startup Accelerator Program. A news aggregation portal similar to Google News, Silobreaker goes a step further by displaying the relationships between subjects in the news, global news hotspots, and the amount of media attention devoted to a topic.
Crapware Moves From Annoying To Threatening
As I read the news of a security exploit for Microsoft Works, it struck me that the companies delivering our computer hardware and software often work at cross purposes. One of the core principles of computer security is to reduce attack surfaces by removing or disabling software so that it won't run by default. Yet the pre-installed crapware on most OEM systems does just the opposite.
Google Apps Gets Integrated Telephony Features
Let's say you're a Google shop. You run Google everything, including Mail, Chat, Apps, Calendar, and so on. You recently caught wind of unified communications services and how they consolidate a lot of your, well, communications, into one place. Cool, right? A new offering from Voice Mobility lets you integrate those unified communications telephony services into your existing Google Apps set up.
Full Nelson: SaaS Startup LongJump Reaches For The Clouds
Stop me if you've heard this story before: software as a service, but not just a product, a platform, with APIs for companies to build on; fully customizable, mostly for SMBs, hovering around CRM. No, this is not another story about Salesforce.com, but a small startup called LongJump based in Sunnyvale, Calif., where the CEO -- Pankaj Malviya -- also is the founder and the CTO and probably shuts out the lights when all the employees go home for the night.
Join Us For InformationWeek Live -- Later Today
I'm pleased to report that Microsoft will be joining us at 3 pm Eastern time today for our InformationWeek Live session to discuss the company's big, upcoming server announcements. Microsoft plans to launch Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, and Visual Studio 2008 on Feb. 27 -- the first server OS upgrade in five years, and the first database upgrade in three.
Report From India: Warning-- A Startup Job Could Be Hazardous To Your Marriage Prospects
When Siva Prasad Cotipalli quit a plum marketing job with Oracle in India to found a startup, his mother didn't worry about his business plan. "She's worried if I'll get married," says Cotipalli, whose company, Dhanax, is a two-person, Internet-based microlending startup that I visited today in Bangalore. Startups sound cool, but in India would-be in-laws prefer to see Infosys or IBM on the business card.
Windows Server 2008 Is SP1... Huh?
Many companies wait until the first service pack of Microsoft operating systems are released before deploying them. With Windows Server 2008, the initial release is already Service Pack 1. You read that right.
RIM Hauls Motorola Into Court
Relations between the US and Canada grew frosty as Montreal, based Research In Motion pulled Schaumberg, Ill Motorola into court. The two sides are warring over wireless patents and payments, a quick resolution seems unlikely, and businesses could suffer.
Vista's Anytime Upgrade Is An Every-Time Hassle
Typically, users and small businesses buy a computer with either Vista Home or Vista Business installed by the manufacturer. Microsoft offers these users an opportunity to upgrade to Vista Ultimate via the Anytime Upgrade process. These past few weeks I have been working to help a user who's had a nightmare of a time with her HP computer running Vista. At this point I don't know the complete list of problems and haven't yet seen a full resolution, but one thing has already been made very clear:
Google Search Results Now Showing Video Ads
Late last week Google began testing a new way to advertise within search results: video ads. Rather than the barely visible text ads you see off to the right of your results pages, the new ads will feature everything from images and maps to full-on video. The evolution of advertising marches onward.
TDWI Keynote: Larry English Takes on the Status Quo
Organizations that aren't managing information as a resource are wasting as much as half their IT budgets "moving data from database A to database B." This troubling perspective, from expert Larry English, kicked off this week's TDWI World Conference in Las Vegas. Here's the keynoter's advice on the right approach.
The Wealthy Use Google, The Poor Use Yahoo
Talk about a digital divide. Hitwise recently performed some analysis of the traffic patterns on the Google and Yahoo search engines. Google users tended to be older and spend more money online. Yahoo users, conversely, were often younger and spent less money online. Which is the better audience to have?
Join Us For InformationWeek Live To Discuss Microsoft's Enterprise Server Announcements
Microsoft plans to launch Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, and Visual Studio 2008 on Feb. 27 -- the first server OS upgrade in five years, and the first database upgrade in three. The products are the foundation of Microsoft's lucrative servers and tools business. But with Microsoft fallen behind on key technologies for the server products, and challenges from competitors including Linux, can Microsoft maintain momentum?
Windows Server Goes Green
When Microsoft celebrates the latest launches of Windows Server, SQL Server, and Visual Studio later this month, one of the talking points will be energy savings. With that in mind, InformationWeek recently sat down with Microsoft's new chief environmental strategist, Rob Bernard.
Red Hat Extends JBoss Middleware With Open-Source SOA Platform
In addition, Red Hat launched three product initiatives within the open-source community, including the development of software for BEA Tuxedo-compatible transaction processing, SOA governance and systems management.
When Harry 'Online Dating' Met Sally 'Social Networking'
I'm usually a sucker for romance, especially during this time of year, which is why when I got off the train this morning and was greeted by a red rose from Engage.com, I had to stop and find out more.
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2021 State of ITOps and SecOps Report
This new report from InformationWeek explores what we've learned over the past year, critical trends around ITOps and SecOps, and where leaders are focusing their time and efforts to support a growing digital economy. Download it today!
Monitoring Critical Cloud Workloads ReportIn this report, our experts will discuss how to advance your ability to monitor critical workloads as they move about the various cloud platforms in your company.
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