NetFlash: Life in the caffeine lane

OK, how many of you out there have ever heard of or used for that matter, caffeinated soap? I didn’t even know there was such a thing until last week. My colleague Cara Garretson wrote in her Wider Net story ,“IT workers and caffeine: A high-octane affair” that using caffeinated soap is one of the ways at least one tech support center employee helps give himself that extra boost each day.

OK, how many of you out there have ever heard of or used for that matter, caffeinated soap? I didn’t even know there was such a thing until last week. My colleague Cara Garretson wrote in her Wider Net story, “IT workers and caffeine: A high-octane affair,” that using caffeinated soap is one of the ways at least one tech support center employee helps give himself that extra boost each day.

Xoxide, Gwenhwyfar’s Garden, ThinkGeek and others sell this stuff, which in most cases anyway, seems aimed at the harried IT worker on the go. In ThinkGeeks case, each bar of its Shower Shock promises to contain approximately 200 milligrams of caffeine per serving or shower – or about two-times a normal cup of coffee.

Our story takes a look at other forms of IT worker “performance enhancement” products from Jolt Cola to Red Bull and of course, coffee, but the soap seemed to me to be the most over the edge. Read more: https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0315widernetcaffeine.html

Microsoft’s entry to stir speech recognition market

Microsoft is about to stir the speech recognition market with the launch of its Speech Server products next week. The vendor promises speech recognition for the masses, but analysts warn that speech-enabling applications is not easy.https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0316microentry.html

Sun snatches up XML guru

Sun has hired one of the creators of XML, Tim Bray, to help set the technical direction for its software group.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0315sunsnatc.html

Mgmt. matters: Zurich Life tackles change management

During the 1990s Mark Bradley’s employer, Zurich Life, acquired a couple of companies (parts of Kemper and all of Scudder, Stevens & Clark) and merged about three or four IT shops into one large organization. Growing business meant growing IT tasks, and the number of merged shops made the service management waters murky.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0315mm1.html

Nortel CFO and controller placed on leave

Nortel has placed its chief financial officer and its controller on paid leaves of absence because of questions over the company’s 2003 financial results.

https://www.nwfusion.com/edge/news/2004/0315nortecfoa.html

Today on Layer 8

Check out the new photo and enter this week’s caption contest; meet a New York man whose hobby is ordering products offered via spam; why those in-car DVD players may be advancing your children’s’ knowledge of the birds and the bees; hear your favorite TV stars share their most cherished cuss words; all that and much more today at your home for not-just-networking news.

https://www.nwfusion.com/weblogs/layer8/