From The Editor
By Jeff Caruso, Site Editor
- Cisco CEO John Chambers speaks on organization, competition
- As part of IDG Enterprise's "CEO Interview Series," our editors recently cornered Cisco's John Chambers and found him quite willing to talk on a variety of topics.
He said some interesting things,...
- All kinds of free stuff
- Our friends at PCWorld have compiled a long list of free software and services that can make your life a whole lot easier. And you can't beat the price. Check out the links below:
The 10 All-Time...
- Einstein 1 wasn't smart enough, so the government built a sequel
- Carolyn Duffy Marsan reports that the Department of Homeland Security has created a special intrusion-detection system and will deploy it widely this year.
The IDSs are called Einstein 2. The U.S....
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IT eager to deploy Windows 7; Cisco switches get video, security roles Listen now!
- Twitter's @anywhere could usher in big improvements
- Many South by Southwest attendees reportedly walked out halfway through the keynote appearance by Twitter CEO Evan Williams this week citing boredom, but the announcement he made on stage deserves careful attention, according to industry experts.
- Apps are a Goldmine for Developers
- A new study from Chetan Sharma Consulting claims that the market for apps will skyrocket to $17.5 billion by 2012. The independent study, commissioned by the world's second-largest app store GetJar, predicts that the number of app downloads will explode from around 7 million in 2009 to over 50 million by 2012.
- FCC launches broadband public safety Web page
- The FCC launched a "Broadband and Public Safety and Homeland Security" Web page to provide information about a proposed $16 billion national wireless network for emergency responders in the new National Broadband Plan.
- Nexus One Heads to Sprint
- Sprint says Google's Nexus One smartphone is headed to its network, but is mum on pricing and exactly when it will be available. Sprint becomes the fourth U.S. carrier to offer the Android OS phone.
- HP fined for disrupted work, union claims
- HP has been fined for not meeting service level targets due to a two-day strike last week, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union claimed as it considered fresh strikes.
- LTE may heat up mobile net neutrality debate
- Fine-grained network controls that are coming with next-generation mobile technology could make some demanding mobile applications such as video perform better but may also raise net neutrality concerns.
- Lord of the Rings: War in the North to debut in 2011
- While Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment already has a Lord of the Rings game on tap for this year--the motion-controlled, cartoon-styled Aragorn's Quest--the publisher will put out another LOTR game next year, as WBIE announced that Snowblind Studios will be developing Lord of the Rings: War in the North for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
- Public interest vs. propaganda game development
- With the White House making an appearance at the 2010 Game Developers Conference and First Lady Michelle Obama unveiling a health-oriented game design challenge, we're starting to see the rise of the public interest game developer. Who are these people, and how do they feel about government involvement in game development?
- Build Up Your Influence
- Thomas Flanagan, Amgen
- Rumor: Xbox 360 update adds USB storage support
- Joystiq reports it has a document confirming an Xbox 360 update that will allow the device to use USB storage units. There is a 16GB cap on the USB mass storage, but you could conceivable copy an entire disc-based game onto it.
- Nikon 18mm-55mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
- If you're looking to get the most out of your DSLR camera, having a variety of lenses is a good place to start. J&R has a refurbished Nikon 18mm-55mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor zoom lens on sale for $99--a whopping $220 cheaper than if you were to buy the lens brand-new.
- Flip Video MinoHD Pocket Camcorder
- If you're looking to be the next YouTube star, check out the 4GB Flip Video MinoHD pocket camcorder (first generation). Usually priced around $170, it's on sale at Amazon for $133. Just head over to the checkout to see your instant savings.
- HP TouchSmart 600 All-in-One PC
- You can get the HP TouchSmart 600 all-in-one desktop PC for $1050 at Office Depot. That's $150 off the usual price; the sale will last through the end of Saturday.
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sells 2.3 million units
- EA and developer DICE announced this morning that their first person war shooter, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, hit 2.3 million in sales across North America and Europe since hitting shelves earlier this month. They also have a by-the-numbers breakdown:
- Apple board member York passes away
- Jerome York, a member of Apple's board of directors, has passed away. York had been hospitalized Wednesday after suffering a brain aneurysm.
- Color and video coming to Kindle? Partner shows new screens
- Color e-reader screens that can imitate video playback were on show Thursday from the company that makes the Kindle for Amazon.com, as similar technologies move closer to debuting in finished products.
- Amazon Brings Kindle to Macs, But What's Next?
- Amazon has raised the stakes in a turf war among e-book sellers by releasing a beta of its Kindle software for Mac computers.
- Microsoft announces Windows 7 SP1
- Microsoft today announced service packs for both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, but declined to set a release date or a schedule for getting a beta in users' hands.
- What Size Flash Drive?
- After reading The Computer Maintenance Flash Drive, Zdrew asked the Answer Line forum how large a flash drive must be to carry all the programs I recommended.
- Ex-Employee Wreaks Havoc on 100 Cars -- Wirelessly
- More than 100 car owners in and around Austin, Texas recently discovered that their cars wouldn't start. Or that their horns wouldn't stop honking -- all night long. Or that their vehicle leases were suddenly (and luckily, temporarily) transferred to deceased rapper Tupac Shakur.
- Samsung Luxia 40-Inch HDTV
- Use coupon code UN40B6000 at Beach Camera to drop the price of the Samsung Luxia 40-inch LED high-definition TV by $200. The discount brings this slim (a mere 1.2 inches deep) TV set from a typical retail price of around $1200 down to just under $1000. Unveiled at CES last year, Samsung's Luxia line stands out for its focus on streamlined design and energy efficiency.
- HP settles cases with inkjet cartridge vendors
- Hewlett-Packard has settled patent infringement complaints that it filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission against inkjet cartridge vendors, HP said Thursday.
- HTC Vows to Defend Against Apple Patent Suit
- HTC has responded to Apple's patent suit to give notice that it intends to vigorously defend itself against allegations of patent infringement. Unlike other ongoing suits--such as the dispute between Nokia and Apple--HTC is not launching a countersuit accusing Apple of also infringing on its patents, but it isn't planning on going down without a fight.
- Tandberg launches desktop HD videoconferencing for execs
- Tandberg today unveiled a new HD videoconference system about three months before Cisco is expected to close on its agreement to buy the firm.
- Alcatel-Lucent lays groundwork for next-gen mobile services
- Alcatel-Lucent's new Ultimate Wireless Packet Core is designed to let operators get a handle on the current mobile data explosion and offer subscribers more advanced services, the company said on Thursday.
- National broadband plan: What’s in it for businesses?
- We've heard a lot about how the Federal Communications Commission's national broadband plan aims to provide 100 million U.S. households with 100Mbps broadband connections so far, but precious little on how it will affect enterprise users.
- Hello brings mobile messaging to iPhones
- SMS messaging is a bit of a pain. Sure, everybody with a cell phone has access to SMS, but it's a great way for cell phone providers to nickel-and-dime overzealous users. Instant messaging is a popular alternative, but it's sometimes a bit more full-featured than what people need. Ever been dragged into a chat room when push notifications are turned on? Yikes.
- Comcast, ISC offer IPv6 transition tool
- Comcast and Internet Systems Consortium have released open source software to help carriers and enterprises migrate to IPv6, the long-anticipated upgrade to the Internet's main communications protocol.
- Mobile developers take measure of Windows Phone 7
- Mobile developers had their first chance to learn details of the radically redesigned Windows Phone 7 mobile platform at Microsoft's MIX10 conference this week. They've got a lot think about, and they're thinking hard.
- Daily (Stale) Bread: The news we didn't post
- Today was dominated by government gaming analysis and newly-introduced iPhone and iPad apps that varied in usefulness. We covered those, but there were ever weirder headlines we didn't pick up for St. Patrick's Day.
- Microsoft lowers Windows licensing costs for virtual desktops
- Microsoft is lowering the price of licensing the Windows operating system in a virtual desktop deployment, and announcing new bundles with partner Citrix in an announcement Thursday.
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- Women in Games Conference 2010 canceled
- Despite running successful shows from 2004-2009, a lack of attendees has forced the creators of the Women in Games Conference to cancel this year's show, which was to be held next weekend.
- Google TV: Five Burning Questions
- Google, Intel, and Sony are reportedly banding together to produce a Web content platform for your living room called Google TV. The new platform would reportedly be available as a set-top box or as part of a Web-capable television. Google TV would be based on Google's mobile operating system, Android, and would also include a version of the Chrome browser for using Web applications like Twitter or Picasa, Google's online photo sharing and storage service, according to The New York Times.
- iPhone tops BlackBerry users wishlist
- According to a survey, nearly 40 per cent of BlackBerry users would rather have an iPhone.
- Group test: Top 5 NAS drives and media streamers
- PC Advisor picks out the best five home-entertainment, media-streaming devices available in the UK right now.
- Avanti boosts satellite broadband availability
- Avanti Communications has revealed it hopes to offer satellite broadband to even more Brits by September this year.
- ABC rule change opens door to iPad mags
- A Rule that determines magazine circulation details could have scuppered publishers plans to bring their titles to the iPad.
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- Education networks fill as students receive laptops
- The NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) networks are almost at capacity.
- LG backtracks on Sky 3D TV deal
- LG Electronics has denied reports Sky has purchased 15,000 3D TVs from the Korean manufacturer.
- HTC responds to Apple, 'disagrees' with legal action
- Smartphone manufacturer HTC fired back at Apple on Wednesday, saying that it "disagrees" with the legal actions Apple has taken. Earlier this month, Apple sued Taiwan-based HTC over alleged infringement of intellectual property. HTC, of course, was quick to respond that it had its own patent library and one of its chief software partners, Google, weighed in on its behalf.
- Microsoft sweetens pot for the virtual-desktop curious
- Microsoft offers new licensing and technology to spur virtual desktop usage
- Voters urged to write to MPs over Digital Economy Bill
- A website is urging Brits to join a campaign to stop the Digital Economy Bill being rushed through parliament.
- Facebook users targeted in massive spam run
- Facebook's 400 million users have been targeted by a spam run that could infect their computers with malicious software designed to steals passwords and other data, according to security researchers at McAfee.
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- Dell mines social media to build brand
- Computer giant Dell said it has halved negative sentiment about its brand through the proactive use of social media.
- Apple asks developers to test new Mac OS X 10.6.3 beta
- The developer community have been asked by Apple to test certain areas in Mac OS X 10.6.3 beta software
- Apple projector systems patent granted
- Apple has been granted a patent for "new projection systems and methods"
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- Flash-free iPad-ready site from Wall Street Journal
- The Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio have announced plans to create Flash-free versions of their websites for iPad users.
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- AMD’s new plan: a 4-socket server for the price of a 2-way
- Perennial challenger to Intel in microprocessors AMD has a new plan to entice buyers: put four-way servers in the same price bracket as two-way servers today when it launches its Opteron 'Maranello' platform later this month (full story here).
- Sony Mocks Wii, Xbox 360 in PlayStation Move Ad
- I've tried not to laugh, tried to maintain some semblance of journalistic dispassion, but screw it, these Kevin Butler PlayStation spots are hilarious. The latest plugs Sony's upcoming PlayStation Move motion control system with some pretty barbed razzing of Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's forthcoming controller-free Project Natal.
- O2 says net piracy letters 'bully' web users
- O2 has slammed a UK law firm for issuing letters to web users suspected of illegal file-sharing, saying they "bully or threaten" consumers.
- Hackers offered $100,000 for browser and phone exploits
- Security company 3Com TippingPoint has jacked up to $100,000 (£65,000) the prize money on offer to anyone able to hack a range of browsers and mobile devices at the forthcoming CanSecWest security conference.
- Net piracy could lose Europe £215bn by 2015
- Illegal file-sharers will cost the European creative industries £215bn by 2015, says Tera Consultants.
- IE9 Won't Support Windows XP
- Microsoft's new browser, Internet Explorer 9 (IE9), will not run on Windows XP, now or when the software eventually ships, the company confirmed this week.
- Facebook overtakes Google for first time
- Social network Facebook accounts for more internet visits than search engine Google, says Hitwise.
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- China Mobile wants iPad, and Chinese 3G for Apple's iPhone
- China Mobile hopes to offer both Apple's iPad and a version of the iPhone that supports China's homegrown 3G mobile standard, comments by China Mobile's top executive showed on Thursday.
- Google Maps for Android gets improved user interface
- Google has released version 4.1 of Google Maps for Android, adding a constantly-updated map wallpaper, tweaking the way search results are displayed and adding a new Latitude widget for tracking your friends.
- Nokia will launch music service in India
- Nokia will launch an online music service in India in the first half of this year, a spokeswoman of the company in India said on Thursday.
- Windows XP: No IE9 for you
- Microsoft's new browser, Internet Explorer 9, will not run on Windows XP, now or when the software eventually ships, the company confirmed.
- Apple's Ban on Screen Protectors Makes (Some) Sense
- Apple is reportedly removing iPhone, iPod, and MacBook screen protectors from its online and retail stores, just a couple of weeks before the iPad hits the stand.
- Amazon brings Kindle app to the Mac
- After months of anticipation, Amazon on Wednesday night released a beta of Kindle for Mac, software that lets you read Kindle e-books without the need for any special hardware (say, a Kindle). The free app for OS X 10.5 or later is available now in more than 100 countries, and joins the ranks of Kindle for iPhone, Kindle for PC, and Kindle for Blackberry.
- HTC says will fight Apple lawsuit, stresses innovations
- High Tech Computer (HTC) on Thursday said it plans to "fully defend itself" against the patent infringement lawsuit filed by Apple early this month, adding it has always respected the intellectual property of others and will continue to do so.
- IBM, insurer develop 'eHarmony for the call center'
- IBM and insurance provider Assurant Solutions have come up with a project that, in the manner of dating services like eHarmony, uses analytics to match up call center callers with the most appropriate representative.
- Twitter hit by site outage
- Users of popular micro-blogging service Twitter have been unable to access the site since just after 3am GMT Wednesday (11pm EDT/8pm PDT Tuesday).
- Child porn, drugs lead Internet content complaints in Japan
- Complaints to a Japanese Internet watchdog regarding illegal content almost doubled in 2009, led by a surge in reports related to child pornography and illegal drugs.
- Report: Google TV is coming to your living room
- Google is working with Intel, Sony and other partners to develop Google TV, a service aimed at putting the Internet search giant's Web offerings in people's living rooms, the New York Times reported Wednesday.
- Report: Apple director York hospitalized
- Jerome York, a 13-year-veteran of Apple's board of directors, has been hospitalized after suffering a brain aneurysm, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The Journal, citing a person familiar with the matter, says that York is "in very serious condition" at Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital in Pontiac, Mich.
- Estonia defense minister: Cyberattacks will grow
- Three years after a widespread cyberattack temporarily shut down the Estonian economy, Estonia's defense minister said such incidents will only continue to grow.
- Twisted Pixel explodes with new Comic Jumper information
- As one of the hottest and most intriguing new developers in the gaming industry, we were genuinely surprised about the silence of Twisted Pixel (the developers of The Maw and 'Splosion Man) at GDC 2010. Turns out they were saving their big unveiling for this month's fan-focused events. The company's newest game, a side-scrolling brawler called Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley, debuted at the South by Southwest festival in Austin Texas this week, and will also be out in full force at PAX East next weekend. The game does not have a release date or system set yet, but Twisted Pixel's latest release states that "the company's goal is to create inspiring and memorable character-driven games for consoles." Given the developer's history with Xbox Live Arcade, seeing the game on that downloadable service seems like a safe bet.
- Hosted Drupal CMS planned for midyear
- Acquia hopes to make a hosted version of its Drupal open-source content management system widely available in about three months, the company's CTO said Wednesday.
- New Cisco Ethernet switches to play broader video, security roles
- Cisco Wednesday is unveiling new Ethernet access switches and enhanced routers designed to take on more of the jobs frequently handled by separate devices, such as those dedicated to handling video traffic or ensuring network security.
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- U.S. agency denies Google's Nexus One trademark
- Just as Google's Nexus One phone may be about to gain momentum, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) denied the search giant's application for the Nexus One trademark.
- Nvidia warns of graphics drivers with overheating risk
- Nvidia on Wednesday asked customers to remove drivers that caused its GeForce graphics cards to overheat, which ultimately crashed some PCs.
- Revised cybersecurity bill introduced in Senate
- A revised version of a cybersecurity bill first proposed last year was introduced again in the U.S. Senate today, notably without a controversial provision that would have given the president authority to disconnect networks from the Internet during a national emergency.
- MacUpdate bundle offers Parallels, other apps for $50
- Fancy a bundle? MacUpdate has announced the release of its Promo Spring Bundle 2010, which includes 10 different Mac apps for the low, low price of $50.
- Delphi Capital Management Opts for Cloud Storage
- Phil Mentesana, chief technology officer at Delphi Capital Management, knew that backing up critical data to tapes and schlepping them offsite for safe storage wasn't exactly a smart plan.
- China's control of rare metals threatens jobs, tech
- China is facing increasing criticism for holding down the value of its currency to gain export advantage, and for its cyber-attacks against Google. But another growing concern is its control of rare earth metals critical to high-tech manufacturing.
- Study's Forecast of 'Mobile App Explosion' Is Overblown
- As mobile apps become more popular, it's tempting to throw up lofty predictions with big billion-dollar figures attached, as Chetan Sharma Consulting does in a new study. But the study's projection of $17.5 billion in mobile app sales in 2012 seems too good to be true.
- Sprint WiMax Phone Rumors Abound, Carrier Stays Mum
- One thing's for certain: Sprint will introduce a fourth-generation (4G) wireless phone at some point this year. When exactly? The wireless carrier isn't saying, despite ongoing rumors that the official launch will happen next week at the CTIA Wireless trade show in Las Vegas.
- How to Know if Your iPhone Battery is on Death Row
- Apple posted details of its iPad battery replacement service earlier this week. Mind you, the iPad isn't even expected to hit the stores until April 3rd. Perhaps Apple has learned something from the battery life backlash that continues to plague its iconic iPhone.
- Social networking addicts updating from bed, bathroom
- Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are occupying more and more of users' time, according to a study released Wednesday by Retrevo Inc.
- Public safety fee for broadband will be less than $1 a month
- The FCC is moving quickly to implement a $16 billion nationwide wireless network for use by emergency responders that will be paid partly through a fee of less than $1 a month on all U.S. broadband users.
- Supply Chain Management to the Rescue
- Imperial Sugar's supply chain systems helped save its reputation after a refinery disaster.
- Ngmoco to release 6 iPad games near launch
- Though all iPhone games will run just fine on the iPad when it launches on April 3, there are very few iPad-specific titles confirmed yet. Ngmoco CEO Neil Young filled us in on his company's plans to rectify that at the Game Developers Conference last week.
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- Pay $9 bucks to look at Final Fantasy XIII on your iPhone
- Square Enix has released a "Larger-Than-Life" Final Fantasy XIII screen shot/art gallery on the App Store today to celebrate the launch of the game, which occurred last week. It costs $8.99.
- No copy-and-paste in Windows Phone 7 OS
- Developers can implement their own clipboards within apps, but Microsoft is favoring contextual tapping instead
- FCC should expect broadband plan opposition, official says
- As the U.S. Federal Communications Commission begins to implement its first national broadband plan in the coming weeks, it should expect opposition from nearly everyone in the tech and telecom communities to some parts of the proposal, said the leader of the team that put it together.
- Apple lets iPhone developers schedule sales
- On Wednesday, developer Amro Mousa from Return7 posted on Twitter that Apple has now added the ability for developers to schedule a sale window for their iPhone applications, allowing them to temporarily schedule a different price. Macworld has independently confirmed the new feature.
- Today's PC hardware limits streaming 3D content
- Content providers are increasingly streaming 3D video over the Internet, but many computers are not yet 3D-ready and users may not be all that interested in that viewing option, analysts said.
- IT's 'love affair' with Windows XP ending, says survey
- Businesses are finally prying their hands from Windows XP as they warm to Windows 7, a research company said today.
- Outsourcing: Prepare Now for Anti-Offshoring Laws
- It's unclear whether Congress will ever pass any anti-offshoring legislation, but if they do, outsourcing customers will scramble to comply with it. Here are three simple ways outsourcing customers can address "protectionist" legislation ahead of time.
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