Voices

The next Wall Street tycoon will be a computer program

2008-06-04T21:47:00.001-04:00

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

2008-06-03T14:15:00.001-04:00

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?

2008-05-27T11:11:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-27T11:08:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-27T11:08:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-23T14:07:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-23T14:06:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-23T14:02:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-23T14:01:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-23T14:01:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-23T14:00:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-23T13:57:00.000-04:00

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?

2008-05-23T13:56:00.000-04:00

Dmitri Alperovitch talks about reputation-based spam protection

2008-05-09T09:35:00.001-04:00

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?

2008-05-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

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)

2008-04-30T10:59:00.000-04:00

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

2008-04-23T09:09:00.000-04:00

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

2008-04-23T09:08:00.000-04:00

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'

Defining success for IT projects

2008-04-14T15:43:00.001-04:00

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

I am always amused when I read stats of the form: "X percent of IT projects fail". It would be funny if it wasn't so misleading. "That darned IT stuff.", the subtext goes. "It has failure written all over it..." Right. Here is an alternative headline: "X percent of attempts to fundamentally change the way an organization operates, fail." ...continue reading 'Defining success for IT projects'

Apple and Sony are the only brands that matter

2008-04-14T15:40:00.001-04:00

By Don Reisinger, ITworld

How did Apple and Sony brainwash consumers so thoroughly? Surely we can find products that other companies make better, but both firms sit atop the personal technology industry with nary a hint of a competitor. All the while, better products, like a Canon digital camera or an iRiver Clix sit on store shelves while Sony's Cyber-shot and Apple's iPod continue to sell extremely well. This is especially baffling in an age where people are keen on research. ...continue reading 'Apple and Sony are the only brands that matter'

New face of IT recruiting

2008-04-11T11:26:00.000-04:00

By Emmanuel Conde, Bridge Resourcing Solutions

Move over job fairs. The recruiting industry has changed, and it's either do or die. Recruiters who once relied on faxes and job fairs to collect candidates and connect with hiring companies must consider social networks, blogs, virtual worlds, and other online media in order to survive. There's a lot to choose from, and the key is to keep it fun, share the experience, and connect the virtual and real worlds when possible. ...continue reading 'New face of IT recruiting'

Interview: Sun's Mark Monroe on virtualization strategies that work

2008-04-07T11:56:00.001-04:00

By Ken Brill, The Uptime Institute

Both internally and externally with clients, Sun has been able to realize significant savings through virtualization. By sorting applications into 4 groups - mission critical, business critical, business operational, and business administrative - IT departments can identify the greatest virtualization opportunities with the lowest risk. "The target-rich environment is that business operational and business administrative [bucket]. Not only are they good candidates but there are tons of them laying around in the data centers and in the laboratories and on people's desks," says Mark Monroe, Director of Sustainable Computing at Sun. In this interview with The Uptime Institute's Ken Brill, Monroe discusses virtualization strategies that help organizations achieve consolidation goals, improve efficiencies of space, and lower energy consumption. Listen now

Interview: Microsoft's Mike Manos on scaling up Moore's Law to the data center

2008-04-07T11:55:00.000-04:00

By Ken Brill, The Uptime Institute

Moore's Law says that the number of transistors on a chip will double approximately every 18 months. But does Moore's Law work at the level of the whole system of a data center? Can the number of transistors (inside all the servers) double every 18 months at about the same cost, when the cost of the infrastructure (power and cooling) necessary to support those transistors is taken into account? In this interview, Microsoft's chief of data centers, Mike Manos, explains what Microsoft is doing in its new state-of-the-art data centers to scale up Moore's Law from the chip-level to the 500,000 sq. ft. data center level. If it can be done, then the economic productivity of enterprise computing can grow even as the carbon footprint is reduced. Listen now!

Ken Brill on green IT

2008-04-07T11:54:00.002-04:00

"Green IT must focus on energy consumption of the data center as a first priority," says Ken Brill of The Uptime Institute. In fact, says Brill, the energy consumption in a data center is so overwhelming that for companies to reduce their carbon footprints in any meaningful way, they must address energy efficiency in the data center. Here, Brill discusses the four metrics of green IT and how greenness equates to bottom line profitability. Listen now!

Data center energy consumption exeeds EPA predictions

2008-04-07T11:54:00.001-04:00

New research from the Uptime Institute shows data center energy consumption in the top third of sites researched grew 20% - 30% annually in 2006 and 2007, far exceeding the EPA's predicted 9% growth from 2006 to 2010. If data center power consumption continues to grow at the current rate, 10 new coal-fired or nuclear power plants will be needed by 2010 and 20 more (for a total of 30) by 2015. Here, Uptime Institute's Ken Brill discusses the broad-reaching impact of these findings. Listen now

Book review: Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition

2008-04-03T15:53:00.001-04:00

By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld

An intense, thorough and extremely well written book, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition can take you from basic hacking concepts to building your own security code in a surprisingly short time. It is probably the best book to read if you want a thorough understanding of various hacking techniques, especially if you know enough about programming to put some of what you learn into practice -- not for hacking, I would hope, but to use the same skills for vulnerability testing and the same knowledge for protecting your network. ...continue reading 'Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition'

Not Just an Experiment: Guy Kawasaki's Alltop.com

2008-04-03T15:52:00.000-04:00

Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

It's not an experiment, it's not a demonstration site, it's just a commercial web property designed to provide something useful, gain readership and make some money. Guy Kawasaki's two new Web companies, Truemors.com and Alltop.com, represent a new direction not just for Guy Kawasaki, but for the entire community of Web entrepreneurs. Guy talks about how the Web has changed, and how it's a lot cheaper today to start a Web company than it used to be. ...continue reading 'Not Just an Experiment: Guy Kawasaki's Alltop.com'

Andy Hunt: Secrets of a Rock Star Programmer

2008-04-03T15:51:00.000-04:00

By Ed Burns

The two most important things developers do, says Pragmatic Programmers co-founder Andy Hunt, is communicate and learn. And he should know. Hunt's career arc has brought him through most of the roles one can have in the IT industry, from rank-and-file programmer at a Fortune 100 company, to senior architect, to independent consultant, to his current role as the co-founder of the Pragmatic Programmers LLC. He and fellow Pragmatic Programmers founder Dave Thomas are seen as true thought leaders in today's global programming community. ...continue reading 'Andy Hunt: Secrets of a Rock Star Programmer'

Connecting A to B: A swivel chair approach

2008-03-27T12:04:00.000-04:00

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

I find it interesting that we have a tendency to rush to find IT solutions to our IT problems. A good example of this I think is the speed with which we snicker at the very mention of a swivel chair-based integration strategy. It smacks of wrongness. We feel a strong urge to take the chair away and do it "properly". ...continue reading 'Connecting A to B: A swivel chair approach'

Even Apple will be hated one day

2008-03-27T12:03:00.000-04:00

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

Apple and Google zealots may not like to hear that their beloved will be hated one day like Microsoft, but it's true. In an industry where users are fickle and power translates to evilness, no one is safe from the wrath of anonymous haters that dislike anything that looks like an empire. ...continue reading 'Even Apple will be hated one day'

Even the best information is useless if not acted upon

2008-03-27T12:02:00.000-04:00

Joel Shore, ITworld.com

It's not a "computer glitch" when the system works perfectly and humans fail to act. It's important that we not lose sight of the people who operate intricate systems, put data in, and read the reports that come out. That's not a technical issue, but an education and training issue. "You got the information, you got the report. Now what action are you going to take?" That's what separates a successful business from an abject failure. ...continue reading 'Even the best information is useless if not acted upon'

RIM better get to work if it wants to compete with Apple

2008-03-12T15:44:00.001-04:00

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

Until last week, RIM's BlackBerry device was one of the few smartphones able to address the needs of business professionals. That all changed with Apple's announcement of significant improvements to its iPhone. Now, RIM has to do more than add a touchscreen and a hidden keyboard to its BlackBerry, it'll have to offer the kind of SDK Apple announced. ...continue reading 'RIM better get to work if it wants to compete with Apple'

Windows XP: The operating system that refuses to die

2008-03-05T10:28:00.001-05:00

By Joel Shore, ITworld

It's pretty clear that XP is not going away anytime soon. Businesses are putting off migrating to Vista as long as possible (because that means buying new machines), and Microsoft seems to have realized that if you can't kill XP, you might as well modernize it. Thus, we are about to beget Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. No complaints here. I'm looking forward to it. ...continue reading 'Windows XP: The operating system that refuses to die'

Where Microsoft lost its way - Google obsession

2008-03-04T17:02:00.001-05:00

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

Microsoft has always been a software company and Google has always been an online services firm. So why are they such fierce competitors? The answer: Microsoft is jealous of Google. And that jealousy has led the company to believe it can be a bloated mess and offer a wide array of products without focusing on its core competency - software. ...continue reading 'Where Microsoft lost its way - Google obsession'

Oops! Repetitive Strain Injury

2008-03-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld

Twenty five years bashing a computer keyboard has finally caught up with me I'm afraid. Movable aches and pains running up and down arms, in and out of my wrists, through my fingers, shooting pains in my shoulder and arm muscles...the works! What's a geek to do? ...continue reading 'Oops! Repetitive Strain Injury'

Coping with technology churn

2008-02-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld

I am genetically predisposed to believe that you get what you pay for. Sadly, I have found out the hard way that is not how the IT world works. Take the example of the personal printer business, which is based around the consumables, making the cost of the printer almost negligible. Moreover, technology changes too fast for arguments around "hard wearing" or "room for expansion" to be worth much. ...continue reading 'Coping with technology churn'

Why Windows XP should be available until Windows 7

2008-02-20T14:15:00.001-05:00

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

Just when XP was at its height, Microsoft decided to drop Windows Vista on us, claiming "The wow was now." Sadly, the company failed to realize that the only "wow" coming out of most people's mouths was followed by something like, "what a crappy operating system." And with the release XP Service Pack 3, there's even less reason to switch. ...continue reading 'Why Windows XP should be available until Windows 7'

Learn to shut up. 6 ways to speak more concisely

2008-02-13T16:29:00.000-05:00

Mike Staver, The Staver Group

Shutting up is a valuable skill to learn in business, in personal relationships -- really, in all areas of life. Shutting up makes you appear more confident and intelligent, and you may actually learn something. ...continue reading 'Learn to shut up. 6 ways to speak more concisely'

What Google's Android means to the tech industry

2008-02-13T16:28:00.000-05:00

Don Reisinger, ITworld.com

If nothing else, Google's Android platform is a by-product of where the tech industry is in its development phase. Instead of being the scary beast from years ago where people didn't want to know about tech and couldn't care less how to get the most out of it, we've entered a phase where people want to tinker with their gadgets just as much as they want to fix up their homes. ...continue reading 'What Google's Android means to the tech industry'

CEO Jim Whitehurst pilots Red Hat into future

2008-02-08T12:03:00.001-05:00

When Matthew Szulik left Red Hat abruptly for family health reasons in December, many people were scratching their heads over the company's new choice of CEO -- a young executive from Delta Airlines, Jim Whitehurst. But Whitehurst's chief operating officer title at Delta and position outside of the technology industry are misleading; a peek into his past reveals a computer science degree and a passion for open-source technology, not to mention a smooth operator who helped bring a struggling airline out of bankruptcy. In this interview, Whitehurst talks about his first month on the job and where he thinks Red Hat should focus its attention to evolve at a sustainable pace. ...continue reading 'CEO Jim Whitehurst pilots Red Hat into future'

Learn to love simple electronic filing systems

2008-01-29T16:35:00.000-05:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld

A simple remedy might be all you need to organize your information rather than resorting to an overly complicated database management system. ...continue reading 'Learn to love simple electronic filing systems'

Apple's MacBook Air ultra-thin could spawn improved PC

2008-01-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

By Joel Shore, ITworld

The envelope, please. No, it's not just an awards-show phrase, it's precisely how Steve Jobs unveiled Apple's latest masterwork, the ultrathin MacBook Air computer at Macworld earlier this week. Just 0.16 inches at its thinnest point, Jobs pulled the computer from a standard-size manila interoffice envelope. I'm no Mac maven, but like the crowd packed into the Macworld keynote address, I'm duly impressed. ...continue reading 'Apple's MacBook Air ultra-thin could spawn improved PC'

Information security is everyone's job

2008-01-09T17:27:00.001-05:00

Paula W. Hamm, Symantec Corp

The effectiveness of even the best technology and processes put in place by IT personnel is frequently undermined if employees do not understand both the value of the organization's information assets and their role in securing these assets. With proper education and training, employees can become an organization's strongest line of defense and its most valuable security asset. ...continue reading 'Information security is everyone's job'

IT job skills that matter now

2007-12-27T14:04:00.000-05:00

Carolyn Duffy Marsan, Network World

The hottest skills for IT professionals to develop center on business acumen rather than deeper technical expertise. Project management, financial analysis and communications skills are in big demand, according to CIOs, recruiters and IT staffing specialists. ...continue reading 'IT job skills that matter now'

Google-DoubleClick Deal Moving Ahead

2007-12-27T13:55:00.000-05:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

Bad news for all the conspiracy theorists who believe that Google will be able to read your thoughts and direct advertising directly into your brain: the FTC has given the go-ahead for the Google-DoubleClick merger. ...continue reading 'Google-DoubleClick Deal Moving Ahead'

Advice to Apple: Ignore the Enterprise

2007-12-19T14:56:00.000-05:00

James Gaskin, ITworld.com

Technology has become such a big business the current leadership lacks any measurable amount of guts. Who knew we'd miss Scott McNealy mouthing off? So I was thrilled to read this blog from MarketCircle CEO Alykhan Jetha. Short summary: Apple should ignore the enterprise business and focus on small and medium businesses. ...continue reading 'Advice to Apple: Ignore the Enterprise'

Operating Systems on the Web

2007-12-18T16:17:00.003-05:00

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

Computers are paradoxes of potentiality that respond to our pleadings with sublime indifference. Computers are fast, stupid and general purpose. With every passing year they get faster for sure. The stupidity stays pretty constant it seems. But the "general purpose" bit...Well now. I think that is different and becoming more different with the passage of twenty-first century time. ...continue reading 'Operating Systems on the Web'

Master Foo On Structured Documents

2007-12-18T16:17:00.001-05:00

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

Master Foo instructs: Ask yourself what parts of your structural rules are better expressed outside of a hierarchical schema rather than within it. Embrace the controlled vocabulary. Do not fight it. It is stronger than you are and it has Murphy's Law on its side. ...continue reading 'Master Foo On Structured Documents'

Google Knol Battles Wikipedia

2007-12-18T16:14:00.000-05:00

Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

Google has come up with a more workable alternative to Wikipedia's approach of creating content through anonymous committee. The search giant's new service, Knol, hopes to cover all topics, but unlike Wikipedia, continuous editing and revision by anonymous trolls, wannabes, policy wonks and nit-pickers will not be allowed. And as anyone who has ever been party to a report written by committee can attest, this is a good thing. ...continue reading 'Google Knol Battles Wikipedia'

One-on-one with a global CCIE headhunter

2007-12-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

Eman (Emmanuel Conde) is a global CCIE headhunter. He connects with CCIEs in over a dozen countries and uses innovative techniques to find great new minds. Today, he shares his thoughts on recruiting smart IT professionals, things you need to do now to prepare for 2008 and his exciting email mentor efforts. ...continue reading 'One-on-one with a global CCIE headhunter'

Leaving it to your imagination

2007-12-13T09:43:00.000-05:00

By Sean McGrath

Technology's limitations have a way of forcing us to think past the norms, the obvious, the "reality" that is out there. We think beyond mere emulation and invent new things. ...continue reading 'Leaving it to your imagination'

In memoriam: the ISV

2007-12-13T09:41:00.000-05:00

The past 12 months saw many of the remaining big names in business software absorbed into other companies, including Hyperion, Business Objects, Cognos, Opsware and webMethods. They join PeopleSoft, Siebel, JD Edwards and JBoss from the recent past. Outside of security companies, it is now difficult to name even a half dozen well-known, best-of-breed vendors that are holding their own. ...continue reading 'In memoriam: the ISV'

Doris Lessing and the Internet: "We never thought to ask"

2007-12-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

The tech blogs have been abuzz with criticism of British writer Doris Lessing's Nobel Prize acceptance speech, in which she referred to the "inanities" of the Internet. Much of the blogosphere took immediate offense. But as much as we love to defend our favored medium, one cannot deny the hard truth of the matter. She's right, the Internet is indeed full of inane and meaningless nothings, wild inaccuracies and unpolished drivel. But we cannot limit this observation to the Internet alone, and blame technology; there is also a high crap-to-quality ratio on television, and yes, even in printed books. ...continue reading Doris Lessing and the Internet: "We never thought to ask"

vPro and Altiris Update

2007-12-13T09:33:00.000-05:00

James Gaskin, ITworld

Every time you touch a user's PC you lose money. If there's one big benefit from the update of Intel's vPro hardware technology with Altiris software, it's the way you remotely manage more PC problems than before, even when the PC is frozen or turned off. ...continue reading 'vPro and Altiris Update'

Scratching and sniffing the ones and zeros

2007-12-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

By Sean McGrath

We have five senses and we like to use them. All the 1s and 0s in our digitized lives are ultimately translated into some combination of sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. Of those, sight, touch and hearing are currently well-covered, digitally speaking. PCs, MP3 players, vibrating game consoles... I cannot recall yet smelling or tasting a translated digital artifact but it is only a matter of time I'm sure. ...continue reading 'Scratching and sniffing the ones and zeros'

Tim Berners-Lee on Redefining the Web

2007-12-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

Tim Berners-Lee coins a new term "giant global graph", and gets the
joint a buzzin. ...continue reading 'Tim Berners-Lee on Redefining the Web'

This isn't a device, it's a service

2007-11-28T15:31:00.000-05:00

Sean McGrath, ITworld

It is too early to say but one thing is abundantly clear I think. The emphasis in the IT industry is shifting from software/hardware as something to be owned and cherished and capitalized and depreciated to software/hardware as something to be consumed and rented and thrown out over time. ...continue reading 'This isn't a device, it's a service'

Android will change the way the mobile phone industry works

2007-11-20T16:53:00.001-05:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

Google put an end to the speculation. They're not going to manufacture a Gphone. But, they are doing something even better. Their Android project is designed to create a new approach to cell phone applications, by forming an open platform that includes an operating system, user interface and applications, with no proprietary restrictions. It will include, as they put it, "major changes from the status quo."
...Continue

There's never an Office doctor around when you need one

2007-11-20T16:52:00.001-05:00

Joel Shore, ITworld.com

For many, the Microsoft Office 2007 experience has been, well, something
that falls well short of bliss. For others, it is a breath of fresh air.
It would seem I fall somewhere in the middle. ...Continue

Process Versus Culture

2007-11-20T16:51:00.001-05:00

James Gaskin, ITworld

Public exposure kills moldy corporate thinking and rejuvenates your culture, giving process a fair chance. ...Continue

Where does all the time go?

2007-11-20T16:49:00.001-05:00

Sean McGrath, ITworld

In my formative years, I was lucky enough to be exposed to JSP. No, not JSP as in Java. The other one. The previous one. The one that stands for Jackson Structured Programming. This lead me to JSD (Jackson Structured Design) and, to cut a long story short, the wiring of my brain was changed forever. ...Continue

Why Radiohead's "Pay what you will" gimmick won't turn the music industry on its head

2007-11-14T12:11:00.000-05:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

The band Radiohead decided to cut the middleman -- in this case the record label -- and offer an album online. Fans could download it at will, and pay anything they wanted, or nothing at all. Contrary to what some bloggers are saying, this isn't really going to turn the music industry on its head. ...Continue

Culture of Security

2007-11-13T16:17:00.001-05:00

James Gaskin, ITworld.com

During the Altiris ManageFusion conference in October, I had the pleasure of being on a security "panel of experts" for infotainment during lunch one day. A panelist I hadn't met, Andi Mann of EMA, used a wonderful phrase I warned him I would steal: culture of security. ...Continue

Paper doesn't dance

2007-11-13T16:13:00.000-05:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld

So let me guess. You have lots of paper floating around your organization right? Filing cabinets full of the stuff. Shelves bulging under the crushing weight of forest and ink. Me too. Now why is this so? Will all the computerization and digitization going on in this world, why does all the paper persist? There are many reasons, not just one. Today I am thinking about files specifically. ...Continue

Paper doesn't dance

2007-11-09T12:03:00.000-05:00

Master Foo blowing bubbles

2007-11-08T09:48:00.001-05:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

Master Foo provides advice for predicting upcoming trends. ...Continue

Google and Firefox: Cause for Concern?

2007-11-08T09:47:00.001-05:00

Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

It's pretty clear that without Google, Mozilla would not exist. Mozilla gets 85 percent of its revenues from Google, and even though it's a non-profit (a designation that in reality is functionally meaningless), Mozilla isn't just a bunch of volunteer geeks -- it's a big business in and of itself, with an office to run and payroll to meet. ...Continue reading 'Google and Firefox: Cause for Concern?'

I used to know what XML is. Now I am not so sure.

2007-10-31T11:02:00.000-04:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

I used to know what XML is. With one hundred percent certainty I used to know that XML is a way of annotating text to make the structure of the text both open and explicit to machines. I have written a lot of stuff about it over the years. In the years since the acronym has crossed the chasm into, um, the chasms that follow the first chasm, there has been an enormous proliferation in the usage scenarios for XML. Not all of them wholly appropriate in my opinion but let us not go there today. For today's purposes, let us focus on two illustrative divergences in the interpretation of that humble TLA "XML". ...Continue

Symantec still digesting Altiris

2007-10-25T11:12:00.001-04:00

James Gaskin, ITworld.com

I just returned from ManageFusion Orlando, the Altiris user conference. Last April, two days before ManageFusion, Symantec gobbled Altiris. Company officials could only say they promise to integrate the companies and products properly, but had no time to actually do anything. This gave some Altiris customers indigestion, because Symantec hasn't always integrated acquisitions well. ...continue reading 'Symantec still digesting Altiris'

Why I Gmail

2007-10-25T11:11:00.001-04:00

By Sandra Henry-Stocker, ITworld.com

I recently closed an email account that I had been using since I moved to the Delmarva peninsula nearly seven years ago. I have switched to Gmail. Had the account I closed not been a local provider for most of the years that I was a customer and had I not put a good deal of value of electronic stability (I'd been sandra@ that provider for many years), I would never have hung on so long. Gmail is everything I need and then some.

YouTube gets anti-piracy religion

2007-10-24T10:52:00.000-04:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

I've wondered aloud and within this space on numerous occasions, just what Google had in mind - and if they were in fact in their right mind - when they bought YouTube. At the time of the acquisition, YouTube was a vehicle for marginally useful home-made videos of poor quality, with no apparent revenue model. But it seems that the Googlers may have been crazy like a fox in the acquisition, and it may yet transform YouTube into something worthwhile, and maybe even profitable. ...continue reading 'YouTube gets anti-piracy religion'

The hidden costs of the multi-tasking software developer

2007-10-24T10:51:00.001-04:00

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

There are times when the software world has a word/phrase for something that flows from geekdom into the mainstream. "Context switching" is one of them, I think. ... continue reading about the hidden costs of the multi-tasking

Will there be a gPhone? Should there be?

2007-10-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

Speculation among bloggers about the possibility of Google getting into the cell phone business has been rising lately. USA Today carried an article this morning about the gPhone project, which may or may not even exist -- suggesting that Google is going to get into the ad-supported mobile phone business. There's no evidence that such is the case, but it does make an interesting proposition. ...continue reading 'Will there be a gPhone?'

Implementing the un-implementable

2007-10-16T16:11:00.001-04:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld

There is a school of thought that holds fast to the principle that systems analysis has to be fully bottomed out before design/coding can sensibly proceed. The classic embodiment of this approach is the so-called waterfall method. There is another school of thought that holds fast to the principle that systems analysis is a fool's errand. Better to design a little, code a little, deliver a little and then iterate the procedure over and over again. Extreme programming embodies this approach. Today, I have a different form of controversy in mind. Brace yourself for a real shocker.

Seven Ways Top-Performing Companies Get Ahead of the Pack

2007-10-15T14:23:00.000-04:00

All leaders want to be part of a top-performing company. All employees do, too. And partners and customers seek out businesses that are at the top of their game, as well. It's natural to want to spend our working hours engaged with dynamic organizations that flourish, not struggling ones that flounder. But have you ever wondered what makes a company a top performer? Rick Lepsinger has, and when his company did a research study on a related subject, he discovered some surprising answers.

It's Back to the Future For Windows XP

2007-10-10T14:58:00.000-04:00

A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that software used to make me smile.

That was back on Oct. 25, 2001, the day Windows XP arrived. That's just shy of six years ago and we've had only one meaningful update since then, Service Pack 2 in Aug. 2004. (I don't really count SP1 as "meaningful.") At last, SP3 has appeared on the horizon, and for those of us who still rely on XP to get the job done, SP3 is borrowing from the future -- from Windows Vista, to be precise.

Perhaps by now you've read that news leaked this week about details of the forthcoming release of Windows XP Service Pack 3, courtesy of a blog on NeoSmart Technologies' Web site. ...continue reading 'It's Back to the Future For Windows XP'

Google and DoubleClick: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

2007-10-10T14:57:00.001-04:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

It's been since April that Google announced its plans to buy DoubleClick, but the deal's not done yet. Deep-pocketed Google has been on a shopping spree all year, buying up Web 2.0 media companies; including mobile social network Zingku, YouTube, Writely, and others; and amidst all that, is still trying to compete against Big Telco, buy bandwidth, and create their own phone. And at the same time Google is buying up other companies left and right, they're expanding organically too, by launching dozens of other applications and services. ...continue reading 'Google and DoubleClick: Good, Bad, or Ugly?'

Web 3.0 definitions debated and disputed

2007-10-10T14:08:00.000-04:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld

There's been a considerable buzz this week in response to a blog entry by Jason Calcanis, founder of the human-powered search engine Mahalo. At a time when most of us are still trying to figure out Web 2.0, he has put out an "official" (quote marks his) definition of Web 3.0, calling it "the creation of high-quality content and services produced by gifted individuals using Web 2.0 technology as an enabling platform."

Clearly, Jason is engaging in a bit of wishful thinking, but if the Web were indeed to evolve into that vessel of high-quality content, we would all be better off for it. In the current state of affairs, regrettably, the high quality content is dwarfed by dreck, and the voices of gifted individuals are drowned out by the voices of others far less eloquent. ...continue reading 'Web 3.0 definitions debated and disputed'

Whatever happened to dis-intermediation?

2007-10-09T10:33:00.000-04:00

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

Do you remember the beginnings of the "the Web changes everything" e-commerce boom? The word dis-intermediation seemed to be on the lips of everyone reading the tea leaves at the time.

It would only be a matter of time (or so we were told) before the Internet ushered in a whole new era. An era in which consumers and producers interact directly without middle-men taking cuts along the way. The Web (or so we were told) would reduce both the cost of selling and the cost of buying resulting in - gasp! - lower costs all round. ... Continue reading Re-intermediating the dis-intermediated

I have looked at clouds from both sides now

2007-10-02T09:16:00.001-04:00

Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

Depending on your particular point of view, network clouds can be a fantastic concept, not requiring you to know or care where stuff lives or whether the right thing is going to happen when you connect to it. Or they can be a dangerous concept: You cannot know where your stuff lives on the cloud. You cannot care for or protect it by yourself. You have no option but to connect to it and hope that matters such as security, availability etc. happen somehow. How scary is that!

Seagate Ratchets Up Support for System Builders

2007-09-26T16:34:00.000-04:00

By Joel Shore, ITworld.com

Perhaps the single most crucial aspect of any data center is storage, and mere talk about storage subsystems failure is enough to drive any IT director to update the old résumé. Seagate appears to be doing something about it. On Monday (Sept. 24), disk drive maker Seagate announced a major initiative in which it is ratcheting up support for system builders with a new campaign to drive adoption of high-capacity storage with Windows Vista. That's a good thing.

Apple Controls the Flow of iPhone Apps

2007-09-26T16:33:00.000-04:00

By Dan Blacharski

The difference between Apple and Microsoft has more to do with strategic marketing and business model than technology.

Read the full article here.

My PC has appendicitis

2007-09-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

It recently struck me that the years have not been kind to all parts of what is known as a PC. There are bits of the PC that could disappear tomorrow without adversely affecting its performance. Kind of like the appendix. Humans haven't had a use for those things since we stopped roaming the prairies in our loincloths and chewing on switchgrass.

Implementing time by expanding space in Web 2.0

2007-09-18T09:12:00.000-04:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

Do not adjust your set. You have not stumbled into a science fiction or theoretical physics article, as the title might perhaps suggest. The topic of this article is - would you believe - URLs. URLs and time. URLs and space...Actually, the topic is really web 2.0.

Picture the scene. You have a website on which you publish stuff. The nature of the stuff doesn't really matter. The important thing is that there is stuff you want to publish today and there will be other stuff you want to publish tomorrow and the day after that...

Windows update update

2007-09-18T09:10:00.001-04:00

By Dan Blacharski

Did you catch the recent brouhaha last week over a so-called "stealth" Windows update, which apparently occurred without giving users the option of denying or delaying it? Here's a summary of what was being posted around the web.

iPhone Price Cuts Triggers Whining

2007-09-12T16:55:00.001-04:00

By Dan Blacharski

It's not too often that dramatic price reductions in a popular product elicits whining as a reaction, but such is the case with the Apple iPhone. Apple's expensive iPhone, which debuted just a few short weeks ago at $599, is now $399. Personally, I won't spend more than twenty bucks on a mobile communications device, but I suppose I would be bitterly disappointed had I waited in line to pay $599 for something that was $200 cheaper just a little over a month later. But as everybody knows, in the world of technology, early adopters always pay a higher price for something that inevitably becomes cheaper later. I'm not surprised that the iPhone came down in price. What is surprising is that it came down so quickly.

Read the full article here.

Open XML Rejection by ISO Means Status Quo -- For Now

2007-09-12T16:53:00.001-04:00

By Joel Shore, ITworld.com

Back in seemingly prehistoric times -- September 2005 -- the People's Republic of Massachusetts announced that it would dump the proprietary file formats of Microsoft's Office applications and adopt the XML-based OpenDocument Format instead. Since Office didn't support ODF, the move meant getting rid of Office from thousands of state-owned computers and replacing it with ODF-compliant applications. Much has happened since then. 'Twas the "Save As" heard 'round the world.

Read the full article here.

Combinatorical Enterprise Architecture

2007-09-11T15:08:00.001-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about enterprise architecture recently (an occupational hazard I must deal with on a daily basis). I got to thinking about how, over the years, I have noticed a distinct pattern underlying EAI projects that work out well. No, I don't mean SOA or Open APIs or protocol independence or any of those IT-shaped things. The pattern is at a different level. It goes like this...

Tinfoil hats, or unfortunate reality?

2007-09-07T17:27:00.000-04:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

Two things are happening that relate to privacy that are cause for concern. First, government intrusion of privacy is at an all-time high (warrantless wire-tapping, etc.), and second, RFID technology is advancing in many ways. There are vocal advocates who proclaim that humans should be "tagged." And according to the Wireless Weblog, there is one company that already requires employees to have microchips implanted in their arms as a condition of employment. Remind me to put that one on my list of places I would never want to work. This is no "feel-good" bill. It's a legitimate bill that should be passed immediately, not just in California but everywhere, because it takes pre-emptive action against the possibility of a grave injustice that could realistically happen.

Read the full article here.

YouTube and advertising: Accepting the inevitable

2007-08-30T10:50:00.000-04:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

You wanna play, you gotta pay. YouTube has ads on videos now, a common-sense move that long-term is the only way for sites like these to survive. Fortunately for YouTube users, the "pay" end of the deal is that you have to give YouTube advertisers your eyeballs for a few seconds.

Read the full article here.

Trusting systems

2007-08-29T12:36:00.000-04:00

By James Gaskin, ITworld.com

Who do you trust? Your spouse? Your boss? Your dog? Your software?

Standard answers: Dog absolutely, spouse probably, boss maybe, but who thinks about trusting software? Smart, high performing companies. A leading vendor in this new space, SignaCert (.com), aims to automate software trust, audit trails, and best practices to enable more companies to reap the benefits of management automation reliability. Continue...

Network outages should spur integrators to stay in contact with customers

2007-08-28T11:50:00.001-04:00

By Joel Shore, ITworld.com

You've to feel for the 20,000 people stranded recently at Los Angeles International Airport's Tom Bradley International Terminal and the 200 million more around the globe who lost access to Skype. Television and general-interest news organizations ascribed the woes to the ubiquitous "computer glitch." We, of course, know better. And usually the truth is a lot scarier.

Read the full article here.

Satellite phones and solar iPod chargers

2007-08-27T17:20:00.000-04:00

By Steven Schwankert

You don't really learn about technology until you're removed from it to the point where you're at both extremes of the technological spectrum. Say, using plentiful Mongolian sunshine to charge your iPod.

During the course of a two-week scuba diving expedition to the landlocked Asian country's Lake Khosvgol, we learned about both ends of that spectrum. For the members of our team who work in Mongolia, satellite telephones and generators are part and parcel of their work. In all, we moved over a ton of equipment from places such as Hong Kong and Beijing to the lake shore and back, along with personal equipment from our participants' home countries, including Austria, the United States, and the U.K.

Read the full article here

DIGITAL GEAR: Satellite messenger reaches earth

2007-08-24T11:56:00.000-04:00

By Agam Shah

If a cell network goes down in an emergency, satellites could be used to send a distress call. Spot Inc.'s Spot messaging device uses satellites to send rescue alerts to emergency responders or to family members via SMS (Short Message Service) or e-mail. A more earthly gadget is Iogear Inc.'s Digital Scribe, a digital pen and receiver package that records, recognizes and digitizes handwritten notes immediately from a normal pad. Staying on earth, Logitech Inc.'s Pure-Fi Dream speaker system plays songs from both iPods and iPhones.

Read the full article here.

The annotation age

2007-08-23T11:38:00.000-04:00

By Shane Schick, ITBusiness.ca

A new feature on Google's news aggregator will allow those who are involved in a story to add their own comments to the articles. So, if you were quoted in a story and felt the media got it wrong (as we often do), you'd have a chance to set the record straight. But this is not a media story. It's an IT story, because it is a sign of what will soon become the preoccupation of technology professionals everywhere.

Read the full article here.

Blog Insights: Old Media Assimilating New Media, or Other Way Around?

2007-08-22T12:14:00.000-04:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

I used to work at a small weekly where we had manual typewriters and a typesetting machine that still created type with metal slugs. I learned how to run the brand-spankin' new phototypesetting machine when it came in, and marveled about how the media business was changing. A few years later, even the phototypesetting machines became obsolete, and all the layout was done digitally on PCs. I didn't know it at the time, but that was only the beginning. Of course, the old-timers decried the computerized machines and sang the praises of the "hot type" equipment, but I could tell right away that its days were numbered, and that the news business would be all the better for it.

Read the full article here.

PDF and HTML: Splitting the difference

2007-08-21T11:11:00.000-04:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

I never thought I would hear myself saying this, but I think the world needs another file format for storing images.

Like many people in this industry, I have often had to fight the file format fight converting images endlessly from format A to format B and back again to achieve some result or work around some application limitation. More than once I have said to myself "It's only pixels darn it! How many sensible ways can there possibly be to store these things?". And now I find myself advocating the creation of another one? What gives?

Read the full article here.

Interview: Wikia CEO on lunacy, air miles and being profitless

2007-08-17T11:47:00.000-04:00

By Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service

Gil Penchina, CEO of Wikia Inc., showed up for a recent interview in a brown T-shirt that said "Wikia" in yellow letters on the front, and "Lunatic" on the back.

"We have a monopoly on lunacy," he said, when asked about the shirt.

While Google Inc. works hard to nurture its image as a whacky, non-corporate company, Wikia seems to manage it quite effortlessly. Started by Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales, the company is not making much money yet, and its executives seem barely interested in doing so. But they do like to work. The company began life building Web sites using its wiki collaboration software where users can discuss their passions, vent opinions and share experiences. So far there are 3,000 sites and around 80,000 Web pages, supported by the 38 people at Wikia.

In this interview, Penchina talks about his company and what makes him tick.

Read the full interview here.

The rush of tools to the hand

2007-08-16T10:46:00.000-04:00

By Sean McGrath, ITworld.com

I think there is a universal law that goes something like this:

The degree to which information technology can
truly help problem X is inversely proportional
to the enthusiasm with which the average young
software developer approaches the problem.

Maybe "universal law" is a bit high here? How about "rule of thumb"? Yes, that's better. Example? Personal productivity. "How hard can it be?", says the typical enthusiastic young software developer. "You have meetings, calendar appointments, notes, TODO lists, contact list, task lists, expense recording...Just a whole bunch of lists really. How hard can it be to get a computer application to manage that sort of thing?"

Read the full article here

More ill-conceived IT security legislation

2007-08-15T12:38:00.000-04:00

By Dan Blacharski, ITworld.com

Germany's new anti-hacking law, approved in May and implemented last week, was designed to target dangerous attacks on computer networks in both the public and private sectors. The new law specifically highlights denial-of-service attacks and sabotage as punishable crimes, as well it should. If a hacker brings down a network, steals information, or causes a business or public agency to lose time and money, then that hacker should suffer the consequences.

But the problem with the well-intentioned law is that it defines "hacking" as simply gaining access to secure data, even if nothing is stolen.

Read the full article here.