Is Your PC EC?

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In This Issue:
1. Editor's Note: Is Your PC EC?
2. Today's Top Story
    - Microsoft Patch 'Erases' Outlook Express Addresses; Users Irked
    Related Stories:
    - Feds Issue Security Alert On Firefox, Thunderbird
    - Oracle Bug Exploit Loose
    - HP Recalls 15,700 Notebook Computer Batteries For Burn And Fire Hazard
3. Breaking News
    - MySQL To Outline Plug-In Plans, Database Upgrade
    - Online Hiring Up All Over, Monster Says
    - Apple Plans New Campus In California
    - Opera 9.0 Enters Beta
    - Special Report: Are Computers Destroying The Earth?
    - Apple Decision Deals Chipmaker A Serious Blow
    - Report: Uptick In Hiring Could Be Stymied By Lack Of Skilled Workers
    - New Service Offers Online Video Syndication
    - Oregon Man Fined $84K In Spyware Case
    - Microsoft Pushes SQL Server Toward Continuous Hot Availability
4. Grab Bag: News You Need From Around The Web
    - Google In China: The Big Disconnect (The New York Times - reg. required)
    - Webaroo Unplugged (Techtree.com)
    - Samsung Debuts 2 Gbyte Flash Memory For Cell Phones (TG Daily)
5. In Depth: Reviews And Personal Tech
    - Google Calendar Beta: A Hot Date
    - Review: D-Link DSM-520
    - Hot Apps: AMUST 1-Login 1.0
    - Will Easy Wikis Mean Busy Cliques?
    - More Americans Using The Web For Life's Critical Decisions
6. Voice Of Authority
    - IT Workforce Rise Occurs Despite Fewer Software Developers
7. White Papers
    - Epicor Manufacturer Globalization Survey 2005
8. Get More Out Of InformationWeek
9. Manage Your Newsletter Subscription

Quote of the day:
"The environmental movement has taught us that one intervenes in the product of eons and eons of evolution at one's peril." -- Leon Kass

1. Editor's Note: Is Your PC EC?

Is your PC environmentally correct? At first glance, the answer is a resounding no. Computers, cell phones, iPods, and other high-tech toys are basically cocktails of hazardous substances, including lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium, hexavalent chromium, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, and brominated flame retardants. Once they've entered our air, water, and soil via landfills and incineration, these toxins can cause cancer and damage our lungs, kidneys, bones, brains, reproductive systems, and more.

We blithely throw away our two-year-old cell phones and laptops, never thinking about where they'll end up or who they'll poison. The California Resource Recovery Association estimates that U.S. landfills receive 300,000 tons of this E-waste annually, and much more than that is shipped overseas for poorer countries like China, India, and Pakistan to disassemble and dispose of, according to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.

It seems, then, that computers and technology have been conclusively harmful to the earth. But take a step back and think for a minute. Technology is what makes it possible for us to study the environment and discover what helps and hurts our ecosystems. Computers and telecommunications help us analyze and spread that knowledge. The ability to telecommute keeps us from burning fossil fuels. In many ways, computers are helping us save the planet.

The arguments on both sides of the issue are compelling--and worth learning more about. Tomorrow is Earth Day, and in honor of the event we set two reporters to grapple over the question of whether computers and technology do more to help or harm the environment. Read their arguments, then head on over to our rea der poll and vote on who's got it right.

Our special report also includes a page of tips on how you can embrace technology and be friendly to the environment at the same time. If you've got your own tips to share or would like to weigh in on the debate, please submit a comment to my blog entry.

Valerie Potter
[email protected]
www.informationweek.com

2. Today's Top Story

Microsoft Patch 'Erases' Outlook Express Addresses; Users Irked
After applying the patch from security bulletin MS06-016, dozens of users say their Outlook Express E-mail client's address book disappeared and form-style messages couldn't be sent.

3. Breaking News

MySQL To Outline Plug-In Plans, Database Upgrade
At next week's MySQL users conference, the company will discuss its own storage engine, currently in development and code-named Falcon, as well as new deals it has recently inked to allow others to play nicely.

Online Hiring Up All Over, Monster Says
During March, listings for law enforcement and health care jobs were particularly strong.

Apple Plans New Campus In California
It will likely take at least three years to build the new campus, which will be located near current Cupertino headquarters, Steve Jobs says.

Opera 9.0 Enters Beta
Among Opera's new features are "widgets," small Web-based applications similar in function to the same-named applets in Mac OS X and to Yahoo's Widget Engine.

Special Report: Are Computers Destroying The Earth?
With Earth Day just around the corner, two reporters cross swords over the question of whether computers and technology are helping or hurting the environment. See what they have to say, then vote on who's got it right.

Apple Decision Deals Chipmaker A Serious Blow
PortalPlayer, which gets 90% of its sales from a media processor used in the iPod, said it won't be supplying Apple's new midrange and high-end flash-based MP3s.

Report: Uptick In Hiring Could Be Stymied By Lack Of Skilled Workers
Chief executive officers plan to increase head count within the next 12 months, but say finding the correct people for the job has proven difficult, according to Deloitte.

New Service Offers Online Video Syndication
Subscribers who syndicate video clips receive a thumbnail, headline, and summary directly through the ClipSyndicate platform.

Oregon Man Fined $84K In Spyware Case
Zhijian Chen holds the dubious honor of being the first defendant nailed by Washington state's 2005 Computer Spyware Act.

Microsoft Pushes SQL Server Toward Continuous Hot Availability
The company also forges closer ties to SAP with Service Pack 1 for SQL Server 2005.

All Our LatestNews

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In this episode:

John Soat With 'Money Talks'
Intel earnings take a dive, Apple profits rise, Oracle issues security patches, and people are using the Internet to make critical life decisions.

Lori MacVittie With 'Larry Loves Linux'
Is Oracle head Larry Ellison to issue a Linux operating system?

Peter Gorenstein With 'Home Sweet Home Page'
Track real-estate values around the country using Zillow.com.

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4. Grab Bag: News You Need From Around The Web

Google In China: The Big Disconnect (The New York Times - reg. required)
What do the Chinese really want from the Internet--and what can, and can't, companies like Google do about it?

Webaroo Unplugged (Techtree.com)
Webaroo has announced that its eponymous software will allow users to "search the Web, offline." Techtree.com met up with the startup's co-founders to delve into what that really means.

Samsung Debuts 2 Gbyte Flash Memory For Cell Phones (TG Daily)
Samsung announced what it claims is the fastest and highest capacity flash card for cell phones. The fingernail-sized MMCmicro flash card can store 2 Gbytes--enough for about 400 digital music tracks--according to Samsung.

5. In Depth: Reviews And Personal Tech

Google Calendar Beta: A Hot Date
The beta release of Google Calendar offers a lot of interesting features, but may have been premature.

Review: D-Link DSM-520
D-Link's high-def TV media appliance promises much, but fails to deliver.

Hot Apps: AMUST 1-Login 1.0
Memorize one master password of your choice to access all your password-based Web sites from any computer.

Will Easy Wikis Mean Busy Cliques?
Wetpaint wants people to use its wiki tools to build online communities of animal lovers, political junkies, gamers, and more. Once the sites are up, will advertisers follow?

More Americans Using The Web For Life's Critical Decisions
A survey of the U.S. online population found that 45%, or about 60 million Americans, had used the Internet to help them make big decisions.

6. Voice Of Authority

IT Workforce Rise Occurs Despite Fewer Software Developers, Thanks To Managers
Numbers don't always add up. Take, for instance, the latest IT employment stats that show American IT employment at a record high. Eric Chabrow explains.

7. White Papers

Epicor Manufacturer Globalization Survey 2005
As Epicor tallied the results of its 2005 survey of 174 U.S. manufacturers, it became clear that no company is immune to the effects of globalization. Many respondents experienced shrinking profit margins due to global competition, necessitating tough business decisions such as offshoring and downsizing.

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