Technology World
Main 
Technology
Army TechnologyCyberwarsMilitary TechnologyNewsfactor TechnologyTechnology WorldYahoo TechnologyRandom FeedsArchives
|
Feb 2012 |
Jan 2012 |
Dec 2011 |
Nov 2011 |
Oct 2011 |
Sep 2011 |
Aug 2011 |
Jul 2011 |
Jun 2011 |
May 2011 |
Apr 2011 |
Mar 2011 |
Feb 2011 |
Jan 2011 |
Dec 2010 |
Nov 2010 |
Oct 2010 |
Sep 2010 |
Aug 2010 |
Jul 2010 |
Jun 2010 |
May 2010 |
Apr 2010 |
Mar 2010 |
Feb 2010 |
Jan 2010 |
Dec 2009 |
Nov 2009 |
Oct 2009 |
Sep 2009 |
Aug 2009 |
Jul 2009 |
Jun 2009 |
May 2009 |
Apr 2009 |
Mar 2009 |
Feb 2009 |
Jan 2009 |
Dec 2008 |
Nov 2008 |
Oct 2008 |
Sep 2008 |
Aug 2008 |
Jul 2008 |
Jun 2008 |
May 2008 |
Apr 2008 |
Mar 2008 |
Feb 2008 |
Jan 2008 |
Dec 2007 |
Nov 2007 |
Sun, 31 May 09
Susan Boyle: A Web Star Born, a Web Opportunity Lost?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67200.html
The final act of the year's biggest pop culture sensation will not be seen on TVs, beamed out to multiplexes or heard much on the airwaves. Well, at least not in America. The phenomenon of Susan Boyle, seen by millions of Britons on ITV's "Britain's Got Talent," has been a worldwide digital storm played out in sporadic installments on the Internet. Videos of her first performance in April -- "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables" -- have been watched more than 220 million times, according to Internet video research firm Visible Measures.
Sat, 30 May 09
Obama Outlines Serious New Cybersecurity Strategies
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67199.html
President Barack Obama held a press conference on Friday to announce the creation of a new White House office of cybersecurity, helmed by a chief who will report to the National Security Council and the National Economic Council. That person has not yet been named, but speculation is rampant that it will be Melissa Hathaway, who led a recent two-month review on cybersecurity issues. The new cybersecurity czar will integrate and coordinate all cybersecurity policies for the government.
Sat, 30 May 09
Google Unleashes Web App Tidal Wave
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67198.html
The same developers who gave you Google Maps now think they've come up with the single best way for users to navigate all the communication and collaboration tools they currently use on a computer. Judging from some early tech press/blogger reaction, as well as an early thumbs-up from the development community, Google Wave may indeed have the ability to take on not only the most popular office applications, but also the hottest social networks. Google Wave washed over the crowd Thursday at Google's I/O developer conference in San Francisco.
Sat, 30 May 09
It's Time to Push Back Against Twitter Backlash
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67190.html
It's a love-hate relationship right up there with dysfunctional parents du jour Jon and Kate; the media has a middle-school crush on Twitter, and the media is the first to say nasty things about Twitter while Twitter is in study hall. Some of its members are using a helluva lot more than 140 characters to do their damage. The New York Times' Maureen Dowd and "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau are just two of the better-known Pulitzer winners to dip their respective pens in a big bowl o' snark to eviscerate the short-messaging service.
Sat, 30 May 09
A Clarion Call for Expanding E-Commerce
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67182.html
America's winemakers have won a victory for online wine sales in Kansas, but the legislative battle demonstrates the challenges that e-commerce, a key force for economic recovery, still faces from outdated thinking and entrenched political institutions. Signed into law in April, 2009, Kansas Senate Bill 212 allows direct-to-consumer wine shipments over the Web for state residents beginning July 1. A common-sense outcome to many, this victory was hard-fought in a state that previously banned all DTC wine shipments.
Sat, 30 May 09
Of Zune, iPhone and Pre: Sweating the Small Stuff
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67191.html
There are lots of interesting tidbits floating around the Apple-focused blogosphere lately -- Apple quietly updated its low-end white MacBook, upstart Mac cloner Psystar filed for bankruptcy, and Steve Wozniak reportedly spoke on the phone to Steve Jobs, who apparently sounded "energetic." Not surprisingly, though, some of the most interesting news revolves around mobile action: AT&T's network upgrade plans; the Palm Pre reportedly syncing with iTunes; and the not-yet-released Zune HD's sweet touchscreen.
Sat, 30 May 09
Japanese University Uses iPhones as Truant Officers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67194.html
A prestigious Japanese university is giving away hundreds of iPhones, in part to use the device's global positioning system to nab students that skip class. Truants in Japan often fake attendance by getting friends to answer roll call or hand in signed attendance cards. That's verging on cheating since attendance is a key requirement for graduation in Japan. Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo is giving Apple's iPhone 3G to 550 students in its School of Social Informatics, which studies the use of Internet and computer technology in society.
Fri, 29 May 09
2 New E-Readers on the Block: One Cheaper, One Touchier
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67187.html
Two upcoming e-readers demonstrated Wednesday could force changes in the market. They are Plastic Logic's reader and British firm Interead's Cool-er. Plastic Logic's reader, which has a much larger screen than the Amazon Kindle, targets business readers. The Cool-er has the same 6-inch screen size as the Amazon Kindle 2, but it's priced at almost $100 less. Both devices were among the items demonstrated at the D: All Things Digital conference held by The Wall Street Journal.
Fri, 29 May 09
Spotify Mobile App Plays Tunes Even When the Stream Runs Dry
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67186.html
Stockholm-based Spotify is still trying to navigate a maze of licensing obstacles before it can launch a U.S. version of its much-hyped desktop streaming music application. Yet its developers showed how they've been keeping busy Wednesday with an Android smartphone app demonstration during the Google I/O conference in San Francisco. Spotify's demo highlighted a feature that could be a very attractive proposition for U.S. mobile music lovers and could make it an iTunes competitor: the ability to store streamed music.
Fri, 29 May 09
Data Security's $64 Billion Question: Who Are You?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67179.html
In today's Internet-driven world of business, customer data -- traditionally the lifeblood of any enterprise -- takes on a new and frightening importance. On the one hand, businesses have to provide partners, staff and contractors access to data; on the other, they have to ensure that data does not get lost by accident -- or stolen. Meanwhile, they have to also cope with the threat of data breaches by organized gangs of cybercriminals who target data in the enterprise. The computer industry has come up with various proposed solutions, all around one main theme: identity management.
Fri, 29 May 09
Skyfire Lets Fly With Speedier Mobile Browser
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67177.html
Skyfire stirred up the smartphone world further on Wednesday with the release of a full 1.0 version of its mobile Web browser. More than 1 million mobile phone users have installed and used the beta version of the browser over the past five months, according to company officials. The new browser supports Windows Mobile, as well as Symbian phones with Nokia's S60 platform. A new version that also supports Research In Motion's BlackBerry platform may be released in beta form soon.
Fri, 29 May 09
FOSS Gems Sparkle in the Summer Sun
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67180.html
Perhaps it was the unofficial arrival of summer earlier this week; or maybe it's simply the overwhelming beauty of FOSS. Either way, Linux bloggers far and wide have seemed inspired to accentuate the positive, and to celebrate all that's wonderful about free and open source software. TuxRadar, for example, recently posted a list of "100 open source gems," highlighting its picks for some of the best new open source releases and updates.
Fri, 29 May 09
Honolulu Voters Unenthused About First Digital Election
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67184.html
They built a new digital voting system, but the voters didn't come. There was some disagreement Wednesday over why only 6.3 percent of eligible voters used a new, first-in-the-U.S. digital voting procedure to cast ballots for Honolulu neighborhood board seats via the Internet or by touch-tone phone. Still, officials at both the Neighborhood Commission, which oversees the neighborhood board elections, and the San Diego, Calif.-based company that created the voting system, insist that digital voting is probably the wave of the future.
Fri, 29 May 09
AAA iPhone App Is a Handy Road-Trippin' Resource
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67174.html
An organization rooted in 20th century car culture is joining 21st century smartphone culture. AAA has introduced a free iPhone application, AAA Discounts, which uses GPS technology to instantly identify nearby businesses offering deals for AAA members. AAA, which has more than 51 million members, is best-known for providing roadside help when your car breaks down. However, most members know the card can also be used for discounts. If you're like me, though, it's too much trouble to plan travel based on where discounts are offered.
Thu, 28 May 09
Microsoft Sharpens the Picture for Zune HD
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67176.html
Dogged by rumors in the blogosphere about its Zune portable media player, Microsoft threw in the towel on Wednesday, divulging a few details about the upcoming Zune and confirming that the next generation of the device will be available in the U.S. this fall. The Zune HD will target the same market as the iPod touch, which has proved hugely successful for rival Apple. It will combine a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition video output capabilities, an organic light-emitting diode touchscreen, WiFi and a full-screen Internet browser.
Thu, 28 May 09
The Blood and Guts of Biometric Systems
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67166.html
When biometric security devices began appearing nearly a decade ago, they were often touted as the final word in security technology. After all, stealing your password is one thing -- stealing a thumb, a retina or a voice print is a bit more of a chore. Hackers, however, developed techniques to fool biometrics scanners, much like they've found ways around spam filters and firewalls. Biometric device vendors, in turn, learned how to improve early scanners and algorithms to develop more ironclad security products.
Thu, 28 May 09
Free Help for Implementing FOSS in the Enterprise
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67170.html
There are clearly more reasons these days than ever before for companies to adopt free and open source More about open source software. Adopting it they are, too -- in droves, it seems. How else could vendor Red Hat, for example, surpass all expectations with its most recent earnings report? Yet the fact that Red Hat is doing well highlights the other part of the financial equation for many enterprises: support. Enterprise software -- whether free or proprietary -- is not something you can just plug in and then be done with it.
Thu, 28 May 09
'Sims 3' Characters Get Personality Plus
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67173.html
Maybe it's neat, childish, lucky, ambitious and insane -- just depends on what traits gamers choose for their neighborhood of virtual playthings in "The Sims 3," Electronic Arts and Maxis' popular life-simulating game for the PC and Mac. Executive producer Ben Bell said it will focus more on social behavior than ever before. "'The Sims 3' is a huge step forward for us," said Bell. "You can create incredibly detailed people who have real personalities that you get to design using a feature we call 'personality traits.'"
Thu, 28 May 09
Twitter Gets the TV Bug
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67172.html
Twitter, the Web site that asks what everybody's doing, says it wants to be doing a TV series. The social-networking site has teamed with Reveille Productions and Brillstein Entertainment Partners to develop an unscripted series based on the popular site, which invites 140-character postings from members around the world. The show would harness Twitter to put players on the trail of celebrities in an interactive, competitive format, the show's producers announced Monday.
Wed, 27 May 09
Windows 7 Beta to Stay Alive Until July
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67165.html
Early adopters of Microsoft's next operating system won't face debilitating bi-hourly shutdowns or be forced to clean-install the release candidate until July 1, despite an email that went out over the holiday weekend setting a June 1 deadline. The date for the shutdowns to begin is actually July 1, a month before the Windows 7 beta program expires, according to Microsoft Windows blogger Brandon LeBlanc, who posted the information early Tuesday to the company's Windows 7 blog.
Wed, 27 May 09
Plan Your Project's Testing - or Plan to Fail
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67159.html
Does testing require a plan? That may sound like a silly question, but many organizations leave the testing to the end of the project, and whatever time is left is the time that will be spent on testing. That philosophy brings up many questions: What is the purpose of the test plan? What is to be accomplished with the testing? How are resources allocated for testing? How much time should be spent on testing? And, of course, how much testing is enough?
Wed, 27 May 09
Is an Android Army Mustering for a Fall Attack?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67163.html
Palm will unveil its long-awaited Pre smartphone June 6, and Apple's next-generation iPhone is expected to hit the market shortly thereafter. So where are the smartphones based on Google's Android platform, which is considered a potentially serious threat to the iPhone? Rumors have it that AT&T will unveil an Android smartphone from HTC in August; meanwhile, several vendors have announced that they'll be making smartphones based on the open mobile operating system. There are also reports that Taiwanese smartphone powerhouse HTC will soon have an Android phone in China.
Wed, 27 May 09
The Neverending 'Year of Linux on the Desktop' Debate
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67160.html
Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, summer is unofficially here. What better way to celebrate than with another rousing "Year of Linux on the desktop" debate?! Sure enough -- it may be an oldie, but it's clearly a goodie, and in recent days, bloggers far and wide have been ready and willing to entertain the question again. Some questions just can't be debated too much, especially if you're a Linux geek! "Those who claim it will never be the 'Year of GNU/Linux' should wake up and smell the roses," blogger Robert Pogson told LinuxInsider.
Wed, 27 May 09
Is Windows App Envy a Thing of the Past?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67153.html
A few years ago, a computer buyer who wanted an Apple Mac may have been forced back into the PC store in order to run the applications he already had, needed, or wanted. Now, though, the Mac and its OS X operating system have risen in popularity and permeate the consciousness of computer buyers around the world -- thank the iPhone and iPod for that. So, is Windows application envy a thing of the past for Mac owners? Take Microsoft, for example. The company ditched its Internet Explorer for the Mac browser years ago, but it has delivered increasingly robust versions of Office.
Mon, 25 May 09
Google Is the Sarah Palin of Enterprise Vendors
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67151.html
We all remember Sarah Palin. Like many, I got too got excited about the difference she would bring to the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. She showed well at events, and she looked good on paper. Then came her interviews, and suddenly she was the new Dan Quayle -- or, basically, another person who trades on looks and luck and doesn't figure doing homework is actually necessary. Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) More about Google, when it came to the idea of cloud computing, initially showed well.
Mon, 25 May 09
The Vatican's Web 2.0 Strategy
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67145.html
Pope Benedict XVI has entered the world of social networking sites and smartphones with a Vatican portal that includes Facebook and iPhone applications. The Pope2YouWeb site was launched Thursday and allows Facebook users to send virtual postcards with photos of Benedict and excerpts from his messages. An application for iPhone and iPod touch gives surfers video and audio news on the pope's travels and speeches, as well as on Catholic events worldwide. The new portal is the latest update in the Vatican's efforts to broaden the pope's audience and reach out to young people.
Sun, 24 May 09
The Smartphone as Baby Rattle, Storybook or Speak & Spell
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67146.html
When Annamarie Saarinen needed to soothe her ailing daughter, she used a rattle -- downloaded to her iPhone. Jeff Hilimire uses a white noise application on his phone to make shushing noises for his infant daughter. Tracie Stier-Johnson lets her young daughters answer trivia questions on her phone while waiting in the doctor's office or at parent-teacher conferences. "You can only play 'I spy' so many times," said Stier-Johnson, 40, of Racine, Wis., whose daughters like the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" game she loaded on her iPhone.
Sat, 23 May 09
Chrome 2.0 Juices Up JavaScript
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67147.html
Google on Thursday revealed Chrome 2.0, a purportedly faster and more feature-filled version of the search giant's Web browser. The extra speed comes from an update to its V8 JavaScript engine and from a new version of the open source WebKit rendering engine. However, Chrome's speed advantage may soon be overshadowed by rivals. Mozilla, for example, is expected to release a final version of Firefox 3.5. Also, speeding up JavaScript may lead to security problems.
Sat, 23 May 09
Mozilla Straps On Jetpack for Firefox Devs
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67139.html
Mozilla's call to developers to participate in its Jetpack project on Wednesday is the latest onslaught in the ongoing war of the Web browsers. Jetpack is an open source application programming interface that will let users create add-ons for Mozilla's Firefox browser using the Web technologies they already know. Google has launched a project to add extensions to its Chromium open source code that closely follows Mozilla's direction in some respects. Meanwhile, some developers are concerned that the launch of Jetpack could mean Mozilla will kill off Greasemonkey.
Sat, 23 May 09
The iTablet Cometh?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67137.html
Apple aficionados turned their attention this week back to a rumored Apple iPod touch-like tablet device. Chatter about such a gadget has risen and fallen several times over the past few months, so what put it back on the front burner? It seems a recent Piper Jaffray report suggests Apple is working with suppliers to deliver such a large-screen touch tablet sometime in the first half of 2010. Meanwhile, netbooks continue to be all the rage on the PC side of the fence, though Mac netbook rumors have appeared to die down lately.
Sat, 23 May 09
North Korea Lets Citizens Tiptoe Onto Mobile Net
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67141.html
North Korea has begun limited Internet service for mobile phone users, a government Web site reported, months after launching an advanced network in cooperation with an Egyptian telecommunications company. The service allows North Koreans to access a Web site through their phones to see news reports carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency as well as news about the capital Pyongyang, according to the government-run Uriminzokkiri Web site.
Sat, 23 May 09
Dead Cat Lives On to Mock Human Foibles
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67144.html
A new Internet phenomenon has drawn the interest of millions -- including Stephen Colbert. One of the most popular current online crazes is something called "Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat," a user-generated video meme. The formula is a simple. A clip is played of a pratfall or some unfortunate, self-inflicted accident. This is immediately followed by an old clip of a cat playing an upbeat tune on a keyboard. The keyboard cat is, in a way, the smiling face of fate, perpetually making light of silly human failures. It's not stupid pet tricks, it's stupid people tricks.
Fri, 22 May 09
The 21st Century Journalist: PR by Day, Reporter by Night?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67136.html
Maybe it's another example of great minds thinking alike -- or in my case, a not-so-great mind kinda-sorta thinking along the same lines as Edward Wasserman, journalism professor at Washington and Lee University and nationally syndicated media columnist. I had every intention of using this week's column to discuss the forced migration of out-of-work journalists and how they might be able to keep food on the table. By now you know the combination of factors at play here.
Fri, 22 May 09
Can a Semantic Kumo Wrestle Google to the Mat?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67132.html
In about two weeks, Microsoft is expected to launch Kumo, its sort of old, sort of new search engine. Microsoft regards Kumo as its Google killer, according to tech analyst Rob Enderle, and the software company is banking heavily on it despite deep internal divisions over the project. Kumo will reportedly take over Microsoft's Live Search and incorporate semantic Web search capabilities, which could be the next wave in search engine technology. However, in some ways, the semantic Web is already creeping up on us -- we just don't know it yet.
Fri, 22 May 09
Getting IT on the C-Suite's Radar
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67122.html
Aberdeen's research shows a 16 percent increase in the number of organizations that are satisfied with the performance of business-critical applications since March of 2008. However, the disparity among respondents is profound. Ninety-three percent of Best-in-Class organizations are satisfied with their application performance, and only 48 percent of Industry Average and Laggard organizations show the same level of satisfaction. Nearly half of organizations surveyed are still struggling in managing the performance of business-critical applications.
Fri, 22 May 09
Clouds in the Forecast, Too Few Teapots, Much Ado About Ubuntu One
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67127.html
The launch of Ubuntu One into beta not long ago has sparked a virtual tempest of debate about clouds -- cloud computing, that is, and where Linux fits into it all. Ubuntu has already figured prominently in the news of late, both for Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth's recent assertion that Linux doesn't need Wine -- causing a small gale of controversy in and of itself -- and for the even more shocking news that emerged shortly thereafter indicating that the Ubuntu logo had been stolen!
Fri, 22 May 09
Storms Could Delay Hubble Repair Crew's Homecoming
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67131.html
Atlantis' astronauts checked their ship's flight systems and packed up Thursday in hopes of an on-time end to their triumphant Hubble Space Telescope repair mission, although the weather prospects were dismal. Thunderstorms pounded NASA's spaceport throughout the morning, and more bad weather was expected Friday when Atlantis was due to return home. The rain did not dampen NASA's jubilation over the crew's impressive Hubble repairs, which garnered presidential kudos.
Fri, 22 May 09
Indonesian Imams Concerned About Facebook Flirting
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67130.html
Muslim clerics are seeking ways to regulate online behavior in Indonesia, saying the exploding popularity of social networking sites like Facebook could encourage illicit sex. Around 700 clerics, or imams, gathering in the world's most populous Muslim nation on Thursday were considering guidelines forbidding their followers from going online to flirt or engage in practices they believe could encourage extramarital affairs. Indonesia was the fastest-growing country in Southeast Asia for the site in 2008, with a 645 percent increase to 831,000 users.
Fri, 22 May 09
This Putty Tat Tweets
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67129.html
He's one of the most popular users on Twitter. More than 500,000 follow his growing celebrity, his every adventure and, well, his cat naps. Meet Sockington. Twitter's latest star is a microblogging cat who regales more than half a million with his musings on meal time, personal hygiene and the view from the top of the stairs. Sockington, or "Socks" for short, is the cat of Jason Scott, a 38-year-old computer historian and computer administrator from Walham, Mass. Since late 2007, Scott has been tweeting from Sockington's perspective.
Thu, 21 May 09
Will Kumo Find Google's Search Soft Spots?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67124.html
It's difficult to imagine Google -- the market maker and breaker of all things online-search related -- ever being dislodged from its perch as king of the hill. If there were a company that could do so, it would most likely be another market maker -- say, Microsoft. To be sure, Microsoft has made a number of attempts to crack the
search market, to limited success. However there has been buzz lately around its renovation of Live Search, codenamed "Kumo."
Thu, 21 May 09
GAO-Predicted GPS Failure Could Have Drastic Consequences
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67123.html
The business and national security implications of a Global Positioning Satellite system failure would be too enormous to bear, and as a result, the prediction made in a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report is unlikely to come to pass, a Gartner research analyst who follows the industry told TechNewsWorld on Wednesday. However, businesses that depend on the service would be well-served by taking steps to prepare for an outage anyway, Thilo Koslowski said.
Thu, 21 May 09
'Punch Out!!' for Wii a Winner on Split Decision
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67120.html
In the early 1980s, after Muhammad Ali retired, boxing was losing its mojo. It took two larger-than-life brawlers to bring star power back to the ring: Mike Tyson and Little Mac. They were the stars of the 1987 Nintendo game "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" If you had a Nintendo Entertainment System back then, odds are that at some point you laced up Mac's gloves, stepped into the ring and pounded your way through a roster of palookas like Glass Joe and Bald Bull. The final match, if you made it that far, was against the fearsome Tyson.
Thu, 21 May 09
Court Rules White House Can Keep Email Secrets
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67119.html
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the office that has records about millions of possibly missing emails from the Bush White House does not have to make them public.
The appeals court in Washington ruled that the White House Office of Administration is not an agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act, allowing the White House to keep secret documents about an email system that has been plagued with problems. During its first term, the Bush White House failed to install electronic record-keeping for email when it switched to a new system.
Thu, 21 May 09
Mobile App Lets Friends Track Your Every Move
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67121.html
I'm running late. I'm stuck in traffic. I'm stopping by the market for a bottle of wine. I'm circling for a parking space. I'm just down the block. I'm right outside. Today, people trade these little updates with a string of cell phone calls and text messages. However, companies including Google are betting that will change as more smartphones come with GPS technology built in. Glympse, a Seattle-area startup, is the latest in the field. Its application, also called "Glympse," lets smartphone users send a message and a link to a map marking their location.
Wed, 20 May 09
Enterprise Mobile Security: Conquering Chaos
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67115.html
Somewhere in the middle of the laptop/netbook/smartphone explosion, IT lost control. The days of IT issuing the same mobile device to all employees are all but gone. These days, different types of workers need different kinds of devices. Sometimes employees bring their personal devices into the workspace, adding another layer to IT's burden. On top of all that, there's the fact that the underlying technologies in devices and apps are constantly changing. It's no wonder the IT world of neat little silos has all but vanished.
Wed, 20 May 09
Dell Offers Bright-Hued Netbook Geared for the Crayon Set
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67108.html
Dell's new education-themed netbook may look like it's aimed at kids, but it's really educators the Texas-based computer manufacturer is hoping to lure with the Latitude 2100. The 10.1-inch netbook is designed specifically for school environments, with rubbery non-slip surfaces, an optional antimicrobial keyboard and a telltale network activity light along the top edge of the clamshell to alert teachers when little minds might be straying from their studies. It also lacks vents on the computer's bottom, a design feature meant to keep spilled liquids out of the case.
Wed, 20 May 09
Facebook Knocks Down Another Single Sign-On Hurdle With OpenID Adoption
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67111.html
Facebook is adding support for OpenID to its Web site, allowing users access to the social media sign-on platform. Facebook is the standard's largest relaying party -- that is, the largest Web site accepting log-ins from OpenID. The move is beneficial to Facebook because a great many of its users are likely active on other social media sites, Sterling Market Intelligence Principal Greg Sterling told TechNewsWorld. Accepting OpenID "is a philosophical position that is consistent with what Facebook has been trying to achieve," he remarked.
Wed, 20 May 09
Is Your Staff Making IT Audits More Painful Than Necessary?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67097.html
Nowadays, being in IT means dealing with audits -- this is true regardless of whether you do business in a regulated industry, whether you provide service to clients in those industries, or whether your organization has a non-vertical need for an audit. The unfortunate bottom line in today's world: Audits are going to happen, they're probably going to be more painful than we'd like, and they're usually going to mean sidelining already busy resources to answer questions and produce evidence. Let's face it -- it's not a boon to our productivity.
Wed, 20 May 09
Don't Overlook the Joys of Analog Life, Schmidt Tells Grads
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67101.html
The head of the world's most popular search engine urged college graduates on Monday to step away from the virtual world and make human connections. Speaking at the University of Pennsylvania's commencement, Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt told about 6,000 graduates that they need to find out what is most important to them -- by living analog for a while. "Turn off your computer. You're actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around us," Schmidt said.
Wed, 20 May 09
Mozilla's Fennec Frolics on HTC Phones
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67100.html
Mozilla on Monday announced the first alpha release of its Fennec mobile browser for the Windows Mobile 6 operating system. This alpha is available only on the HTC Touch Pro from Sprint. Versions for other smartphones will be unveiled later. While Microsoft continues to upgrade the sixth version of its mobile OS, it is expected to release a new edition, Windows Mobile 7, next year. Mozilla first tested Fennec on Maemo, a software platform developed by Nokia with various open source projects, including Debian and Gnome.
Wed, 20 May 09
Facebook Kicks Out Friends With 'Funny' Names
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67107.html
Alicia Istanbul woke up one recent Wednesday to find herself locked out of the Facebook account she opened in 2007, one that Facebook suddenly deemed fake. The stay-at-home mom was cut off not only from her 330 friends, including many she had no other way of contacting, but also from the pages she had set up for the jewelry design business she runs from her Atlanta-area home. Although Istanbul understands why Facebook insists on having real people behind real names for every account, she wonders why the online hangout didn't simply ask before acting.
Wed, 20 May 09
Astronauts Bid Hubble Fond Farewell Following Historic House Call
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67105.html
Spacewalking astronauts completed repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope on Monday, leaving it more powerful than ever and able to peer even deeper into the cosmos -- almost to the brink of creation. The last humans to lay hands on Hubble outfitted the observatory with another set of fresh batteries, a new sensor for precise pointing, and protective covers. That equipment, along with other improvements made over the last five days, should allow the telescope to provide dazzling views of the universe for another five to 10 years.
Tue, 19 May 09
Wolfram|Alpha Launch Sparks Cheers, Curiosity, Confusion
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67099.html
For the past few weeks, the arrival of the new search engine Wolfram|Alpha was hyped as the next stage of search engine technology -- a "Google-killer," a new way to ask the Internet a direct question. So naturally, a few enterprising technology writers and bloggers wanted answers to some very specific queries when the Web site finally went live over the weekend. The "Atlantic Monthly" asked if Wolfram|Alpha knew the name of Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee. Tech blog Mashable asked the musical question, "How many roads must a man walk down before he can call himself a man?"
Tue, 19 May 09
The Rise and Fall of Traditional Journalism, Part 2
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67094.html
The economy came crashing down in September 2008 as the credit markets seized up, a massive dislocation which is now, tsunami-like, causing huge damage to the economy. This has significantly reduced the amount of credit available for businesses. Many news organizations -- made vulnerable by media competition, the rapid drying-up of advertising dollars, fragmenting markets and the Internet -- are being forced to close their doors, and it is very likely that many cities' alternate papers, and in some cases their primary papers, will cease production this year.
Tue, 19 May 09
The Coming Visual Computing Revolution
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67088.html
For the last decade, the PC market has kind of sucked. Against the massive growth of the '90s, and with the exception of Apple, which didn't do well in that decade, the PC market has been a poor reflection of the excitement that once surrounded it. Part of the problem was the focus on computation and the lack of focus on things that make computing exciting. In this respect, Apple was the exception, and that helps explain why users tend to be more excited about Apple products. They have, until now, virtually stood alone -- but that is about to change.
Tue, 19 May 09
Wine: Can't Live With It, Can't Live Without It
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67092.html
Wine may maketh glad the heart of man, as the saying goes, but when that man is a Linux geek, all bets are off. That's at least one conclusion that could be drawn from a contentious two weeks or so on the Linux blogs following comments Mark Shuttleworth made at the Ubuntu Open Week workshop series over IRC late last month. The topic, indeed, was Wine; specifically, during a Q&A, Shuttleworth was asked which he thought was more important to Ubuntu's success: native Linux ports, or Wine and Windows compatibility in general.
Sun, 17 May 09
Kids, Summer Camp and Tech Separation Anxiety
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67084.html
Tim Chai keeps in touch with friends through Facebook, listens to music on his iPod and never goes anywhere without his BlackBerry. So when the 17-year-old was looking for a summer camp, he ruled out a church camp with a no cell phone, no computer policy. "I just thought it was too much for me to handle," said Tim, of Carmel, Ind. "I love my Internet. I love my phone. I'm not ashamed to say it." For a generation used to texting, Facebook and YouTube, going away to sleepaway camp can be a bit unnerving.
Sun, 17 May 09
Wonky Wolfram|Alpha Best Left to the Geek Clique
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67071.html
When a free Web service called "Wolfram|Alpha" launches, the general public will get to try a "computational knowledge engine" that has had technology insiders buzzing because of its oracle-like ability to spit out answers and make calculations. Which has a bigger gross domestic product, Spain or Canada? What was New York City's population in 1900? When did the sun rise in Los Angeles on Nov. 15, 1973? How far is the moon right now? If I eat an apple and an orange, how much protein would I get? Wolfram|Alpha will tell you.
Sat, 16 May 09
Phishers Cast Lures Into Facebook's Social Stream
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67086.html
A new wave of phishing and spamming attacks is hitting Facebook users as scammers attempt to get hold of their passwords, the social networking site has acknowledged. Similar phishing and spamming scams -- in which messages supposedly from their friends lure victims to a malicious Web site -- have been occurring with greater
intensity since the end of April. The sites typically display a fake, though convincing-looking, Facebook page where users are prompted to input their login information.
Sat, 16 May 09
Getting Back to Business After Disaster Strikes
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67075.html
Over the years, I have been involved with my share of data center recovery exercises -- everything from power outages to hurricanes to earthquakes to chemical explosions. Each time, no matter how well the business continuity plan is written, there is always something that is learned. Here are a few lessons that stand out from my experience. Before you tell everyone that you have a business continuity plan in place, you should actually make sure that you have written one so you know what to do. Oh, and by the way, everyone should know where it is so that it can be easily located.
Sat, 16 May 09
In Space, Everyone Can Hear You Tweet
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67080.html
On Twitter, messages of 140 characters may seem confining. Mike Massimino is finding a different type of space even more limiting -- outer space. The astronaut is sending messages to the social networking site from 350 miles above Earth on the space shuttle Atlantis -- and what's cramping his "tweets" is time, not the character limit.
On Earth, Massimino tweeted about having dinner, eating lunch, working out in the gym and watching a movie. In space, he just doesn't have the time to tweet the routine, if you consider anything on orbit routine.
Sat, 16 May 09
Mac Bloggers Pine for Steve, Patch Systems, Protest Stunted Sling Software
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67078.html
Some of the biggest news in the Apple-focused blogosphere this week centers around Apple's upcoming June 8 Worldwide Developers Conference. There's the news, certainly, of what Apple said it'll deliver, and then there are the predictions of what might or might not show up -- a new iPhone, perhaps? Plus, Apple updated Mac OS X to 10.5.7 and plugged a few holes in Safari. Then there's Sling Media, which delivered a new SlingPlayer Mobile app for the iPhone, and that picked up a surprising amount of steam.
Sat, 16 May 09
New Nintendo Wii Thingy Fine-Tunes Motion Control
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67081.html
There's nothing all that charming about Nintendo's latest gadget. It's not as zany as a zapper or as sexy as a steering wheel. It doesn't even tell you whether you're losing weight. However, the game maker is hoping a small cube-shaped device called "Wii MotionPlus" will take the Wii's motion-sensing controls to a new level of precision. It's no secret the wrist-flicking Wii Remote's lack of accuracy has long been the console's clunky downfall. The Wii MotionPlus, available beginning June 8, successfully defeats that dilemma by using gyroscopic sensors.
Fri, 15 May 09
IBM Launches All-Seeing, All-Knowing, Real-Time Data Cruncher
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67072.html
As the pace of business increases, business intelligence technologies have been forced to speed up so they can crunch more data and do it faster. On Thursday, IBM unveiled InfoSphere Streams, a high-performance computing system designed to, in essence, provide business intelligence capabilities on steroids. Based on IBM's System S stream computing technology, InfoSphere Streams lets users analyze structured and unstructured data in real-time from thousands of sources. Users can mash up data to create new applications based on goal descriptions from business users.
Fri, 15 May 09
What the Third Coming of iPhone Needs to Win the Enterprise
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67074.html
The buzz around an expected new iPhone model is heating up to a feverish pitch as Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference nears its June kickoff in San Francisco. Will Apple unveil the new device at the conference? Will Steve Jobs present it when he returns from medical leave later in June? Might Jobs make a surprise appearance at WWDC, third-gen iPhone in hand? Or will his return have nothing to do with it? Rumors about new features for the device are also rife.
Fri, 15 May 09
You Could Be File-Sharing More Than You Think
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67065.html
With the Congressional Oversight and Government Reform Committee taking a fresh look at the privacy and security risks posed by using LimeWire and other peer-to-peer file-sharing applications, now is a good time for both home and office users of these services to reassess the safety of their own sensitive data. Committee members last month directed Mark Gorton, chairman of The Lime Group, which owns LimeWire; U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.; and Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, to prepare for new hearings on peer network security.
Fri, 15 May 09
The Great Debate Over a Linux Standard Package Format
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67064.html
Conversation on the Linux blogs tends to be either outraged and angry or jubilant and enthusiastic. In the last few days, however, some of it has been positively mournful. Widely revered reverse engineer Fjalar Ravia -- more commonly known by his pseudonym "Fravia+" -- passed away on Sunday, May 3, 2009. In April, Fravia+ posted a farewell message on his blog, announcing that he had just weeks to live after battling cancer for more than two years.
Fri, 15 May 09
Chordmaster Gets Pickers Grinnin', Strummers Smilin'
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67059.html
Learning to play the guitar can be extremely easy if all you really want to do is knock out power chords and make some loud noise. There's nothing wrong with that -- some musicians really have won fame and glory with little more than three working fingers and an overpowered amp. However, if you want to actually be good at playing and really understand the instrument, you'll want to tighten your grasp on the myriad tonal relationships and arrangements that a guitar's design makes possible. In other words, you gotta learn them chords.
Fri, 15 May 09
Astronauts Begin Risky Business of Repairing Hubble
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67068.html
A pair of spacewalking astronauts stepped outside Thursday to begin demanding repair work on the Hubble Space Telescope, a job made all the more dangerous because of the high, debris-ridden orbit. John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel emerged from space shuttle Atlantis and quickly got started on their first job, a camera swap. The telescope -- the size of a school bus -- loomed over them. "Ah, this is fantastic," Grunsfeld said as he floated out. "Woo-hoo," Feustel shouted.
Thu, 14 May 09
Google Labs Cooks Up New Recipes for Web Wandering
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67063.html
Google launched on Tuesday a series of new search features that let users integrate options for displaying and analyzing their search results beyond the traditional listing of keyword hits ranked by assumed relevance. The new services are part of a platform of additional features Google is developing and will make live in the future, though it offered no set timetable. The innovations announced at Google's Searchology event are the Search Options Panel, the Wonder Wheel, Rich Snippets and Google Squared.
Thu, 14 May 09
The Crucial Role of Application Testing in Software Development
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67052.html
During the software development life cycle, time and resources need to be committed to application testing. This is the testing that is done by the testing group, or black box testers. The allocation of time and resources is always a problem, as some organizations aren't quite sure how much should be assigned. Where Does Testing Belong? Some say at the beginning, others say at the end. Some even say nowhere, as it doesn't really add anything to the product's reliability or success. After all, the developers have done the white box testing.
Thu, 14 May 09
Apple Goes Gaga on Security With OS X Update
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67060.html
With the release of Mac OS X 10.5.7 Wednesday, Apple appears to have acknowledged a raft of security issues surrounding its operating system. The latest updated version of the Mac operating system addresses bugs, improves support, and contains 47 security fixes, by the count of security software vendor Intego. The package includes updates to the OS, core graphics and the iChat video chat client, as well as to the Safari browser. Apple recommends that users of Mac OS X 10.5, also known as "Leopard," install Mac OS X 10.5.
Thu, 14 May 09
Can Android Grow From Micro-Machine to Iron Giant?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67053.html
Worldwide sales of Android-based smartphones are expected to grow 900 percent by year's end, according to a report from research firm Strategy Analytics. Meanwhile, the Apple iPhone should continue to see strong sales but remain the second fastest-growing handheld platform. Research In Motion's BlackBerry is not expected to lose its footing, standing firm as the second most popular smartphone operating system in the U.S. last year, according to the report. The Android OS is currently available in just one smartphone in the U.S.
Thu, 14 May 09
Study Sees Eco-Threat in Power-Guzzling Gadgets
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67048.html
Charge your iPod, kill a polar bear? The choice might not be quite that stark, but an energy watchdog is alarmed about the threat to the environment from the soaring electricity needs of gadgets like MP3 players, mobile phones and flat-screen TVs. In a report Wednesday, the Paris-based International Energy Agency estimates new electronic gadgets will triple their energy consumption by 2030 to 1,700 terawatt hours, the equivalent of today's home electricity consumption of the United States and Japan combined.
Thu, 14 May 09
Shuttle Crew Moves In for Dicey Hubble Repair Job
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67057.html
Shuttle Atlantis and its crew moved toward the Hubble Space Telescope for a 350-mile-high grab Wednesday that will set the stage for five days of treacherous spacewalking repairs in an orbit littered with space junk. Late Tuesday, the astronauts got comforting news: The ugly stretch of nicks on Atlantis' thermal tiles were not considered serious, and no further inspections were needed. NASA is continuing to prep another shuttle, though, just in case a piece of space junk hits the shuttle during the mission.
Wed, 13 May 09
Microsoft Disowns Zune Phone Teaser Tweets
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67050.html
Twitter messages hinting at the possible emergence of a Zune phone -- posted by a user who appeared to be a Microsoft insider -- drew a considerable amount of attention recently, especially considering their timing. They came to light at around the same time Microsoft launched a new ad touting the benefits of its Zune Pass music service over its rival, Apple's iTunes. Microsoft, however, has disavowed the messages, or "tweets," as fake. The tweets in question urged readers not to buy the iPhone or Palm Pre and hinted that a new Microsoft product launch was in the works.
Wed, 13 May 09
Jesus Brouhaha Highlights App Store's Capricious Sense of Taste
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67051.html
The growing list of controversies surrounding the Apple App Store might make for a new killer iPhone app. Call it "Developer Demolition Derby": use the phone's accelerometer to keep your third-party app on course to Apple approval and financial success while steering it past objectionable content, consumer outrage, censorship obstacles and inconsistent company guidelines. The makers of the Me So Holy app couldn't stay on that course. The developers announced on their blog Monday that Apple had rejected their application.
Wed, 13 May 09
The Next Frontier for Packet Switching
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67035.html
Packet switching, in short, is a method to deliver data across a computer network connection. The impact of packet switching cannot be understated, as it essentially makes today's Internet function. Looking to the future, packet switching is on the precipice of impacting and disrupting another technology -- storage -- which is gaining more and more attention in the enterprise as the amount of digital data that needs to be stored grows exponentially. Over the past few years, the nature of data that needs to be stored has changed to larger, digital content, media and imaging.
Wed, 13 May 09
Number-Crunching Search Engine WolframAlpha Preps for Launch
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67042.html
A new search service that brings a measure of artificial intelligence to traditional Internet searching is set to go public soon. Wolfram|Alpha has been anticipated for several months, and recently drew attention when a small number of testers were given access to it. The brainchild of creator Stephen Wolfram, Wolfram|Alpha is a computational knowledge engine that analyzes the relationships among search terms to create an answer to a search query.
Wed, 13 May 09
A Technological Eye on Criminal Behavior
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67047.html
The surveillance cameras at Big Y, a Massachusetts grocery chain, are not just passively recording customers and staff. They're studying checkout lines for signs of "sweethearting." That's when cashiers use subtle tricks to pass free goods to friends: obscuring the bar code, slipping an item behind the scanner, passing two items at a time but charging for one. There simply aren't enough watchful human eyes to keep it from happening. So Big Y is using technology to block it -- with implications far beyond dishonest cashiers.
Wed, 13 May 09
Hubble Repair Crew Conducts Shuttle Safety Check
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67045.html
The Atlantis astronauts inspected their ship for any signs of launch damage Tuesday as they raced after the Hubble Space Telescope on an especially perilous and bold repair mission. Back on Earth, NASA continued prepping another space shuttle to rush to the astronauts' rescue if any serious damage is found. Over at the pad used by Atlantis, NASA discovered a surprising amount of damage from Monday's liftoff. On their first full day in orbit, Atlantis' crew used a laser-tipped boom to look for damage during a survey that was expected to take several hours.
Wed, 13 May 09
Facts, Fibs and Wikipedia
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67041.html
When Dublin university student Shane Fitzgerald posted a poetic but phony quote on Wikipedia, he was testing how our globalized, increasingly Internet-dependent media was upholding accuracy and accountability in an age of instant news. His report card: Wikipedia passed. Journalism flunked. The sociology major's obituary-friendly quote -- which he added to the Wikipedia page of Maurice Jarre hours after the French composer's death March 28 -- flew straight on to dozens of U.S. blogs, as well as newspaper Web sites in Britain, Australia and India.
Tue, 12 May 09
UC Berkeley Data Breach Exposes 160,000
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67037.html
About 160,000 people may have had their personal data stolen during a computer security breach at the University of California at Berkeley. Affected groups include current and former UC Berkeley students and family members, as well as about 3,400 students of Mills College who received, or were eligible to receive healthcare at UC Berkeley. The university has informed campus police and the FBI about the breach, and it has begun notifying about 160,000 people whose data may have been stolen by hackers.
Tue, 12 May 09
The Rise and Fall of Traditional Journalism, Part 1
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67030.html
The term "journalism" conjures up powerful memories for many people. For some, it's the epic confrontation between Edward R. Murrow and Sen. Joe McCarthy, which ultimately led to the senator's downfall and the end of the Red Scare. For others, it's Walter Cronkite, whose stentorian tones and skill in telling the story served to chronicle the 1960s, earning him the sobriquet of the "Most Trusted Man in America." Still others can point to Bob Woodward's coverage of Watergate during the 1970s, which ultimately forced President Richard Nixon to resign in disgrace.
Tue, 12 May 09
How Apple Made Windows 7 Better
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67027.html
Last week, a number of Apple supporters took me to task for my comment that Apple made the technology equivalent of sugar water and that Steve Jobs gave up on his goal of changing the world. I'm hardly original in thinking this way. It does amaze me that not a single Apple fan cared about global warming, philanthropy, or even Apple's lack of computing prowess. They earn their reputations every week. This week, I'll argue that Apple did unintentionally change the world by making Windows -- especially Windows 7 -- better.
Tue, 12 May 09
Lies, Damn Lies and Linux Market Share Statistics
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67031.html
Market share, market share, what's Linux's true market share? That, in essence, has been the question du jour on the Linux blogs in recent days. It all started when NetApplications' Hitslink.com released some statistics for April indicating that Linux just passed 1 percent for the first time. Around the same time, however, W3Counter published figures for the same month indicating that it had just passed 2 percent. Many FOSS aficionados, meanwhile, argue that it could be 6 percent or higher. The result? You guesstimated it: nothing short of chaos and confusion.
Mon, 11 May 09
Mimo Mini Monitor's a Useful Sidekick for Full-Sized Displays
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67021.html
When you're surfing the Web, editing photos, listening to MP3s and tweeting, it's easy to run out of real estate on your computer display. If only you had a little extra screen -- like a digital kid brother -- that could show an auxiliary program like a Twitter application. Now you do. All hail the mini monitor. These diminutive displays are quite helpful with everyday computing tasks but take up less desk space than a full-sized monitor you might use as a second screen. You don't need a special slot in your PC to connect the miniature displays. A basic USB connection handles it.
Sun, 10 May 09
Xerox Goes for the Green With Crayon-Like Printer Ink
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67026.html
The "razors and razor blade" analogy is always the first to be employed when analysts -- or technology reporters -- begin their discussions of the copier/printer business. If you're HP or Xerox, you sell the machine once, but you really make your money supplying customers with ink cartridges, toner and other supplies during the life of that machine. That's why the new ColorQube 9200 office printer, announced Thursday by Xerox, could be a significant development in the industry.
Sat, 9 May 09
Still Hunting for the Perfect E-Reader
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67023.html
They are either the silicon-drenched saviors of books, newspapers and magazines, or yet one more reason for deep-pocketed early technology adopters to spend money. The subject is e-book readers, and the introduction this week of Amazon's new larger-screen Kindle DX is just the latest option in this rapidly expanding consumer electronics segment. However, the current economic crisis in publishing -- especially among newspapers and magazines -- has many in that industry trying to read the growth in the segment as a possible happy ending for their businesses.
Sat, 9 May 09
The Good, Bad and Ugly Bits of Windows 7 RC
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67022.html
Microsoft's limited distribution of the Windows 7 release candidate on April 30 -- followed by its more widespread release a week later -- has triggered a firestorm of opinions, comments, critiques and compliments. As usual, the commenters can be generally divided into two camps: Windows haters and Windows fans. On the whole, though, the RC has received a considerable amount of praise, even from some Mac users. However, security -- always an issue with Microsoft -- could be a problem.
Fri, 8 May 09
My Dream TV News Job: Broadcast Meets the Web
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67013.html
Someone has made a tragic mistake and handed me the keys to a major TV station group. I've been told I can take it for a spin, provided my buddies and I don't trash the leather seats. I have to make sure it's got plenty of gas when I bring it back -- dent-free, or it's my ass. This scenario is playing out only in the multiplex of my mind and is only slightly less plausible than the plot and dialogue in the new "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" movie. However, recently it seems like every he/she-who-is-not-a-journalist-but-plays-one-on-TV is offering up manifestos and revenue models.
Fri, 8 May 09
Portable Ubuntu, Windows Live Together in Perfect Harmony
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67016.html
Want to try out Ubuntu Linux without giving up your Windows desktop? How about running Ubuntu from a USB drive on any Windows PC while still operating within Windows? Portable Ubuntu provides both of these computing options, no setup hassles or programming skills required. You do not even have to reboot the computer or set up a dual boot environment -- and no, you do not need to install any virtual machine software to make it work. Argentinean programmer Claudio Cesar Sanchez Tejeda released Portable Ubuntu in mid-April.
Fri, 8 May 09
MacBook Madness! Rave Reviews, Hacked Macs, 3G Thirst
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67014.html
Lots of minor topics peppered the Apple-focused blogosphere this week, but two items stood taller than most. First off, Consumer Reports gave MacBooks of all sizes -- despite their high prices -- phenomenal ratings in almost every category in its tests of laptop computers. Secondly, built-in support for 3G wireless data services seems to be coming to MacBooks sometime soon. In other news, Mac clone maker Psystar might be cooking up its own Mac laptop, despite its ongoing litigation with Apple.
Fri, 8 May 09
Kindle Could Be the Big E-Reader That Could
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67011.html
Amazon's announcement of the Kindle DX on Wednesday -- hot on the heels of the Kindle 2's emergence earlier this year -- appears to have injected new life into the e-reader industry, which has been languishing for about 10 years. Several newspapers have indicated they will experiment with the Kindle DX -- as well as with competing devices from companies like Plastic Logic -- to distribute content directly to readers. Amazon is also attacking the textbook industry, lining up publishers who account for 60 percent of that market, as partners.
Fri, 8 May 09
Twitter Search Leaves the Nest for Linked Pages
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67010.html
Those who are looking for Twitter to finally hit a revenue-generating home run may have to settle for a series of singles and line-drives instead. The microblogging service keeps rolling out new features that may eventually add up to a business model -- the latest examples being the ability to search Web pages through links embedded in tweets, and to rank results based on reputation. Twitter's new vice president of operations, Santosh Jayaram, reportedly mentioned the new features during a Wednesday panel discussion at TIEcon, a conference for enterpreneurs in Santa Clara, Calif.
Fri, 8 May 09
New Spec to Grease Wheels for Wireless Gadget Data Sharing
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67009.html
Over a dozen technology companies announced Thursday their participation in the Wireless Gigabit Alliance, an organization formed to establish a unified specification for 60 gigahertz wireless technology. The new wireless alliance has been working behind closed doors for more than a year. The collection of semiconductor makers and digital media device manufacturers quietly banded together to develop a new solution for faster wireless connectivity among digital devices like cameras, media players and computers.
Fri, 8 May 09
Fuel Shortage Could Cause Deep Space Missions to Sputter
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67007.html
NASA is running out of nuclear fuel needed for its deep space exploration. The end of the Cold War's nuclear weapons buildup means that the U.S. space agency does not have enough plutonium for future faraway space probes -- except for a few missions already scheduled -- according to a new study released Thursday by the National Academy of Sciences. Deep space probes beyond Jupiter can't use solar power because they're too far from the sun. So they rely on a certain type of plutonium, plutonium-238. However, it isn't found in nature; it's a byproduct of nuclear weaponry.
Fri, 8 May 09
DoT Review Finds FAA Is a Sitting Duck for Cyberattacks
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67005.html
U.S. air traffic control systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks, and support systems have been breached in recent months allowing hackers access to personnel records and network servers, according to a government audit. The Transportation department's inspector general concluded that although most of the attacks disrupted only support systems, they could spread to the operational systems that control communications, surveillance and flight information used to separate aircraft.
Thu, 7 May 09
Planning a Migration Route From Visual Basic 6 to .Net
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66946.html
Given the unpredictable nature of today's market climate, many software-oriented companies are scrambling to cut costs and streamline their application development processes. For organizations utilizing Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 as their primary development environment, the difficulty of achieving this agility was magnified by the April 8, 2008, termination of all support for VB6. Some resource-heavier organizations have the in-house domain expertise required to manage a migration from VB6 to the newer Visual Basic.Net; others face a tough decision.
Thu, 7 May 09
The Android Netbooks Cometh
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67002.html
With all the hopes many in the FOSS community have pinned to the increasingly popular netbook, it's no great surprise that the topic is a contentious one. So, when the first Android netbook was spotted recently, excitement on the blogs went through the proverbial roof. Computerworld's Seth Weintraub seems to have been the first to shine a spotlight on the Skytone Alpha 680, which was apparently announced a few weeks ago in Hong Kong. Further investigation revealed that the ARM-based machine will cost around $250 and should be available within three months.
Thu, 7 May 09
Multiple Choice Makes 'Trivial Pursuit' for iPhone Easy as Pie
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66991.html
Depending on who you're playing with -- and what deck of questions you're playing with -- a game of real, in-the-flesh "Trivial Pursuit" can be many things: a relaxing way to spend a night in with friends, perhaps, or an abject lesson in intellectual humility. It can also be a fine way to drift into a coma if you're playing with someone who clearly doesn't know the answer but just won't give up pondering the question. On the other hand, some people like watching the other guy sweat.
Thu, 7 May 09
Can Jumbo Kindle Save Students' Backs - and the Newspaper Industry's Neck?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66999.html
Amazon on Wednesday unveiled the new Kindle DX, a larger version of its Kindle e-reader, during a press conference at Pace University. The Kindle DX's screen measures 9.7 inches diagonally -- the Kindle 2 measures just 6 inches. Amazon heads were accompanied at the event by executives from the device's two major target markets -- the newspaper and publishing industries. Newspapers and at least one university will be testing the distribution of content through the Kindle DX this fall. Priced at $489, the Kindle DX will be released this summer.
Thu, 7 May 09
Tiny Dots Make New LEDs Easier on the Eyes
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66995.html
Light-emitting diodes are prime candidates for replacing inefficient incandescent bulbs but have a few things working against them. They can provide a pleasing warm light or they can be energy-efficient, but they haven't been able to be both at the same time. On Tuesday, two small companies showed off an LED lamp that's both very power-efficient and produces a light similar to that of a standard tungsten or halogen bulb. The LEDs in the lamp shine through a thin layer of "quantum dots," a scattering of particles of very small but precisely controlled size.
Thu, 7 May 09
Report: N. Korea Boosting Cyberspy Ops Against US
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66996.html
North Korea runs a cyber warfare unit that tries to hack into U.S. and South Korean military networks to gather confidential information and disrupt service, a news report said Tuesday. The North's military has expanded the unit, staffing it with about 100 personnel, mostly graduates of a Pyongyang university that teaches computer skills, Yonhap news agency reported, citing an intelligence agency it didn't identify.
South Korea's Defense Ministry said it is aware that Pyongyang has been training hackers in recent years.
Thu, 7 May 09
Libraries Make Case for Broadband Upgrades
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66998.html
The libraries in Delaware County, Pa., are trying to shift into warp speed. The county is hooking eight branches to a fiber-optic network to help meet library patrons' ever-rising demand for high-bandwidth tasks like streaming educational videos and uploading online resumes. Yet that still leaves 17 of the county's branches in the digital slow lane. Jacking just the eight libraries into fiber lines is costing about $200,000 this year, a big chunk of the system's budget. So the other branches have to wait.
Thu, 7 May 09
Chocolate Factory Waste Propels Eco-Friendly Speedster
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66997.html
Scientists unveiled on Tuesday what they hope will be one of the world's fastest biofuel vehicles, powered by waste from chocolate factories and made partly from plant fibers. Its makers hope the racer will go 145 mph and give manufacturers ideas about how to build more ecologically friendly vehicles. The car runs on vegetable oils and chocolate waste that has been turned into biofuel. The steering wheel is made out of plant-based fibers derived from carrots and other root vegetables, and the seat is built of flax fiber and soybean oil foam.
Wed, 6 May 09
Gadgets on the Run: Keeping Tabs on Moving IT Assets
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66986.html
It's no secret that the business world is going mobile. Companies are beginning to move to a virtual environment -- especially sales teams who have to be on the road more often. The trend of telecommuting is also starting to catch on. With this in mind, IT managers are faced with a new headache: managing what they can't see. Companies are struggling to create and understand mobile IT strategy. IT asset managers are faced with the challenge of managing mobile "moving assets" in a variety of scenarios.
Wed, 6 May 09
Windows 7 RC: To Run or Not to Run?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66989.html
Six days after unveiling a Windows 7 release candidate to techies on the MSDN network and TechNet, Microsoft has released the operating system to the general public. However, this version of the operating system is perhaps best left to serious techies and professionals rather than everyday users hoping to snag a next-generation OS for free -- Microsoft will not provide technical support. There are considerable risks involved with using an unfinalized version of an operating system, and the vendor has warned users not to test it on their primary home or business PC.
Wed, 6 May 09
Home Automation: The Unfulfilled Promise
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66973.html
For the last 30 years, many people have invested a lot of money and effort chasing an unrealized promise of hoped-for explosive growth in home automation. With not a lot of commercial progress, it might be seen as foolish to pursue opportunities in this space. However, the promise of addressing latent needs of the 100 million households in the U.S. -- and the rest of the world -- to create a new consumer electronics category is highly seductive. I suggest it may be timely to consider lessons learned in past failed efforts to kick-start a mainstream home automation business.
Wed, 6 May 09
Another Google Flub? Ancient Japanese Maps Stir Old Prejudices
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66982.html
When Google Earth added historical maps of Japan to its online collection last year, the search giant didn't expect a backlash. The finely detailed woodblock prints have been around for centuries, they were already posted on another Web site, and a historical map of Tokyo put up in 2006 hadn't caused any problems. However, Google failed to judge how its offering would be received. The company is now facing inquiries from the Justice Ministry and angry accusations of prejudice because its maps detailed the locations of former low-caste communities.
Wed, 6 May 09
Unusual Suspects Capture Webby Awards
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66984.html
Jimmy Fallon's late-night show hasn't been on the air three months, but he's already got an award. The comedian was chosen as person of the year by the annual Webby awards for being "one of the most ardent online evangelists." The 13th annual Webbys were announced Tuesday. A special achievement award was also given to Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, who released his 2008 album, "The Slip," as a free download. Seth MacFarlane, the "Family Guy" creator, was honored as film and video person of the year for his Web franchise "Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy."
Wed, 6 May 09
Rhythm Games: Beyond the Fake Guitars and Dance Mats
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66985.html
Thanks to "Dance Dance Revolution," "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band," music games have become an increasingly popular part of the video game universe. However, you don't need a plastic floor mat or a phony guitar to get your groove on. In Nintendo's excellent "Rhythm Heaven," you use a DS stylus to match the beat. In the popular iPhone series "Tap Tap Revenge," you just use your fingers. Of course, if you still want to shred, you've probably already bought "Guitar Hero: Metallica." Here are three games that find new ways to turn the beat around.
Mon, 4 May 09
Amazon Invitation Stokes Big Kindle Rumors
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66976.html
Amazon is poised to announce a larger version of its Kindle e-reader, according to sources cited in a news report that surfaced Sunday. Amazon, for its part, has sent out invitations to a press conference on Wed., though it hasn't specified whether or not a new Kindle will make its debut in connection with the event. If the rumor is true, the big-screen Kindle will come only three months after Kindle 2 was launched.
Mon, 4 May 09
EU Commissioner Urges US to Cut ICANN's Umbilical Cord
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66975.html
The Internet is an American invention, and the governing body that assigns domain names to Web sites around the world has had its roots in the U.S. However, it's time for ICANN -- the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers -- to go "global" in every sense of the word, according to one European Union official. EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding said in a Sunday video message on her Web site that she hopes the 11-year-old organization will stop operating under the auspices of the U.S. Commerce Department when its contract expires Sept. 30.
Mon, 4 May 09
The Burgeoning Momentum Behind Unified Communications
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66966.html
Even as the economic tsunami devastates IT budgets and scuttles many planned technology upgrades, a growing wave of companies continue to pursue unified communications solutions. While once viewed as a "nice-to-have" for large organizations with correspondingly large information technology budgets, unified communications solutions have advanced to within reach of organizations of all sizes, including many small and medium-sized businesses. Simply put, UC solutions increase an organizations' productivity and reduce operating costs.
Mon, 4 May 09
The Irony of Failure: Apple, Microsoft ... and Google?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66962.html
As I write this, Google is being investigated by the DoJ for antitrust violations that make Microsoft's actions look trivial by comparison. It took Microsoft over a decade to exhibit the type of behavior that Google is now engaged in, which increasingly seems to favor cash over conscience. In terms of its non-economic goals, history may view Google as a failure. Just as not making a difference is defining Apple and not getting the new market is defining Microsoft, being evil is likely to define Google. In all of these cases, I don't expect a great outcome.
Mon, 4 May 09
Does Linux Suck?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66970.html
When someone criticizes our favorite operating system on the Linux blogs, they typically get called Windows fanbois and are sent packing. But when someone from the right side of fence takes the trouble to put together a video and accompanying slide show explaining *why* they think Linux sucks -- and, moreover, what they think needs to be done to fix it -- it's hard not to pay attention. Sure enough, that's just what came up on the Linux blogs last week thanks to the efforts of Bryan Lunduke, cohost of Jupiter Broadcasting's Linux Action Show.
Mon, 4 May 09
Apple's Changes Can't Rattle These Bones
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66968.html
Text editors aren't the sexiest applications in the Apple Universe, but they have a knack for attracting loyal adherents. That's something Bare Bones Software has been able to count on for more than a decade. The Bedford, Mass., company's flagship product, BBEdit, is in its ninth version and is still going strong. What's the secret to the venerable app's longevity? "We really build for the long run," CEO and Founder Rich Siegel told MacNewsWorld. "When we engineer a product, we're not thinking about fads." Bare Bones also tries to build flexibility in its offerings.
Mon, 4 May 09
Seeking Friends and Followers, DoD Takes to the Social Nets
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66961.html
You don't often hear a three-star general using the word "friend" as a verb. However, for Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley and other Army brass, a new era has brought a new language -- and new tools like online social networks Twitter and Facebook -- for seeking out young recruits and spreading the military's message. Freakley, who heads the Army command that oversees recruiting, says social networking sites offer another way to reach tomorrow's soldiers. "They live in the virtual world," Freakley said.
Mon, 4 May 09
The E-Book Library's Conspicuously Absent Volumes
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66947.html
The latest J.R.R. Tolkien project lasted six years, more than half as long as the author needed to complete his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Getting permission to release a book in electronic form can be as hard -- or harder -- than writing it. "The Tolkien estate wanted to be absolutely confident that e-books were not something ephemeral," says David Brawn, publishing operations director at HarperCollins UK, which announced last week that the late British author's work -- among the world's most popular -- would be available for downloads.
Mon, 4 May 09
Is Sony Whipping Up a Wii Wannabe?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66963.html
In the month before each year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, the rumors about gaming company plans usually start flying faster than zombie body parts in "Resident Evil 5." Buzz about the upcoming 2009 show ratcheted up on Thursday with a report that Sony may be getting ready to show off a motion-sensing PlayStation 3 controller at the big video game convention in June in Los Angeles. The information comes from three sources, including one who has seen the controller and two who know about what Sony has planned for the peripheral at E3, according to the report.
Mon, 4 May 09
Congress Should Say 'No' to Internet Tax Hike
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66956.html
Voters are still reeling from tax day in a tough recession, and taking to the streets in protest, but state governments and their allies aren't listening. In fact, they are gearing up to squeeze more money out of the nation's workers. Their target is online shopping, and if the pro-tax coalition gets its way, embattled Americans will soon be shouldering higher tax burdens. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Representative Bill Delahunt, a D-Mass., are set to introduce a bill that will allow states to collect more sales taxes online, according to recent reports.
Mon, 4 May 09
Flu-Coverage Fever: A Web-Borne Virus
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66953.html
By now, you know the best ways to protect yourself: Wash your hands, manage your stress, avoid contamination. Wearing a mask is optional, but it couldn't hurt. However, if by chance you are exposed to an infectious swine-flu-related headline or story on cable news or the Internet, stay in your home and contact the proper authorities. A hazmat team will be sent as soon as possible. I'm now convinced that the threat of a flu pandemic that may have started south of our border is much too important to leave to the likes of the round-the-clock news landscape.
Mon, 4 May 09
Study: Doctors Could Give Wikipedia a Booster Shot
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66959.html
Researchers are suggesting that doctors could be spending more time writing and editing Wikipedia pages on medical topics, despite questions that have been raised about the collaborative online encyclopedia's credibility. Medical professionals should recognize that Wikipedia has become a major online source of health information for consumers, researchers wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. The study was prepared by two medical students who are Wikipedia contributors.
© amigura.co.uk All Rights Reserved.
