The next Wall Street tycoon will be a computer program

Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

The days of frantic Wall Street traders shouting and waving pieces of paper are long gone. Today's traders "rely on sophisticated computer programs to execute their trades in a very clever way, to send them down to the electronic markets, and to disguise their intentions so that their competitors don't know what they're up to," says Matthew Klein, author of Con Ed and founder of Collective2.com. In fact, the most frantic thing traders do these days is "go and get themselves another cup of coffee when things aren't going well," says Klein. But easy trading combined with risks hidden behind complex algorithms is a dangerous combination. "Computers can only make you faster and more efficient at what you normally do," says Klein. "In many cases you just get a lot better and faster at losing your money." ...continue reading 'The next Wall Street tycoon will be a computer program'

Windows 7 sounds ridiculous

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

At D6, Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates took the stage to discuss Microsoft and the future of Windows with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher of the Wall Street Journal. After massaging each other's egos for a while, Gates and Ballmer got into Windows 7 and their belief that the Vista follow-up will revolutionize the operating system market. And after taking it all in and listening carefully to what they had to say, I can say with the utmost certainty that they've really lost it. ...continue reading'Windows 7 sounds ridiculous'

Agent technology - the next big thing?

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

I have been thinking a lot about autonomous, software agents recently. I was somewhat startled when I concluded that we might be well on the way to creating a large number of these things, using nothing more complicated than Web technologies. Here is my (possibly) erroneous reasoning. ...continue reading 'Agent technology - the next big thing?'

Green Computing Summit 2008: Going green is no longer optional

Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld.com

If one message stood out among the others at last week's Green Computing Summit in Washington, DC, it was that going green is no longer just good for the bottom line; it's absolutely necessary. And it's not just the tree huggers who are saying so. Prominent business executives and top ranking federal officials are leading a green revolution that promises to radically change computer technology and the way it is managed. ...continue reading 'Green Computing Summit 2008: Going green is no longer optional'

Google should be scared of Microsoft

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

The crown jewel in the Microsoft/Yahoo deal is search. Sure, Google commands the U.S. search market, but Yahoo commands search markets all over the world and would provide Microsoft the immediate growth in users that it has been hoping for all along. With the help of some smart business decisions, and a lot of cash, the companies together may actually be able to match Google dollar-for-dollar in the advertising game. ...continue reading 'Google should be scared of Microsoft'

Good riddance: The end of the desktop is near

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

I've longed to write this column for years and now I can finally say with confidence that the desktop is on its way out and I couldn't be more excited. ...continue reading 'Good riddance: The end of the desktop is near'

Coping with RSI -- a field report

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

Back in February I wrote about the onset of my repetitive strain injury (RSI). The good news is that I'm still typing and I have managed to get the general level of pain and discomfort down pretty significantly by making a variety of changes. The bad news is I'm not sure which change or indeed combination of changes has made the difference. Debugging RSI is about the most complex problem I have ever tried to debug, I think. ...continue reading 'Coping with RSI -- a field report'

The top 10 social networking annoyances

Scott Spanbauer, PC World

Creating and maintaining virtual circles of friends on social networking sites turns out to be quite a bit of work and each service comes with its own set of quirks. Without ado, here are the ten most annoying things about today's social networking services. ...continue reading 'The top 10 social networking annoyances'

Green gear: Laptop bags from the scrap heap

Agam Shah, IDG News Service

After hurting the environment by drinking coffee from plastic cups for many years, buying an eco-friendly laptop bag seems like a path to redemption. While searching, I came across bags made from coconuts, recycled movie posters, recycled Coke bottles and wine corks. There are even stylish bags made of recycled newsprint. ...continue reading 'Green gear: Laptop bags from the scrap heap'

Windows XP SP3: Good for many but not for all

By Joel Shore, ITworld

In a previous column I talked about the imminent arrival of Windows XP Service Pack 3. I wondered who would be more excited about it, people currently using XP SP2 or frustrated Vista users begging for a downgrade. Today, we know one thing for certain: if your customers are running certain Hewlett-Packard PCs with an AMD processor, head for the hills. Or, at the very least, don't install the update. Too late? Bummer. ...continue reading 'Windows XP SP3: Good for many but not for all'

Don't kid yourself - Apple is a software company

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

Despite the remarkably beauty of the iPhone or MacBook Pro, Apple is first and foremost a software company -- and that is why it is successful. Unlike Microsoft, Apple doesn't allow its OS to be played with by too many developers and has stayed true to its belief that if it can control its software, it can create an environment that would appeal to the most people and create greater value. ...continue reading 'Don't kid yourself - Apple is a software company'

Extreme IT: Inveneo braves goats, killer bees

Odd quirks can disrupt a new computer setup even under the best of circumstances. But for Inveneo, a company that specializes in building computer and communications systems in mud-hut villages in Africa and other remote areas, killer bees and Ethernet-cable-chewing goats have been some of its more peculiar challenges. ...continue reading 'Extreme IT: Inveneo braves goats, killer bees'

Agent technology - the next big thing?

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

I have been thinking a lot about autonomous, software agents recently. I was somewhat startled when I concluded that we might be well on the way to creating a large number of these things, using nothing more complicated than Web technologies. Here is my (possibly) erroneous reasoning. ...continue reading 'Agent technology - the next big thing?'

Dmitri Alperovitch talks about reputation-based spam protection

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

What if you could determine ahead of time the intentions of everyone who sends you an email? Wouldn't it be wonderful to know, without a doubt, who the bad guys are? What if there were a central authority that knew the reputations of everyone who has ever sent an email? As it turns out, you don't have to be a mind-reader. Reputation-based security is very similar to what the financial services industry has created with credit agencies. In this interview, Dmitri Alperovitch, Chief Research Scientist at Secure Computing and developer of reputation-based security, talks about the evolution of spam, the next big thing in spam prevention, and how to identify the culprits before they bombard your email server. ...continue reading 'Dmitri Alperovitch talks about reputation-based spam protection'

Is innovation dead in the US?

By Don Reisinger, ITworld

what's going on in the tech world? Why are we being inundated with copycat products instead of devices that change the face of the industry and do something to propel us forward? I'm not naive enough not to know that the answer is economics. But really how is it possible that the so-called last "superpower" is woefully behind in robotics, broadband speeds, Internet connectivity, cell phone saturation, and cost leadership? ...continue reading 'Is innovation dead in the US?'

Blu-ray is a waste of my time (and yours)

Don Reisinger, ITworld

Ever since Blu-ray won the high-def format war earlier this year, almost everyone I speak with is wondering whether or not they should upgrade their entire library from DVD to the new format and start moving into the "future." Invariably, the answer is no. ...continue reading 'Blu-ray is a waste of my time (and yours)'

Psystar has shown that Apple should license Mac OS X

By Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

Last weekend, a small, defiant company called Psystar unleashed an opening salvo as it announced (and started selling) the Open Computer - its own desktop running Mac OS X Leopard. If nothing else, Psystar's impending martyrdom will blaze the path for countless other companies that believe they can stand up to Apple. ...continue reading 'Psystar has shown that Apple should license Mac OS X'

How to stop worrying and learn to love IT complexity

By Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

Ask yourself why you got in to IT in the first place. Was it to just turn up every day and monitor a stable-state system that works just fine all by itself? No. I didn't think so. Here is a weird factoid about IT folk who are good problem solvers: they are bored when there are no problems to solve. To avoid boredom (a heinous mental state!), they innovate. Innovation creates complexity. We tear our hair. We worry. But deep down, we really like it this way. ...continue reading 'How to stop worrying and learn to love IT complexity'