How to Meet Unique Information Management and Compliance Challenges

How to Meet Unique Information Management and Compliance Challenges
February 14, 2009 at 8:32 pm
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A sophisticated pan-enterprise search solution is a smart approach for effective information management and compliance, especially in highly-regulated industries that have little room for error. With a pan-enterprise search infrastructure in place, a company can access all its systems to quickly uncover vital information pertinent to a specific project. Knowledge Center contributor Carol Fineagan shares how the right pan-enterprise search solution has fulfilled her company's unique knowledge management and compliance requirements.
- EnergySolutions, Inc. is recognized as a leader in nuclear waste processing. In the short time of two years, we made nine acquisitions. Like many companies that have gone through acquisitions, we faced the challenge of managing information from all of the acquired companies. Without the right tools,...

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From Bust to Robust: How IT Solutions Will Help Companies Return from the Brink
February 14, 2009 at 1:36 pm
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The global financial crisis has had many effects, but most analysts agree that its roots are in the lack of understanding that financial executives had regarding their companies' exposure to mortgage-backed security risks. Knowledge Center contributor David Sherriff explains how the new breed of financial IT solutions integrate the best of business process management software with accounting, compliance and reporting applications to provide a complete picture of risk across the business.
- As recent history has taught us, companies that don't know what they don't know are at risk of failing spectacularly. To a large degree, executives over the past few years had been flying blind, even as their companies had been flying high on the wings of complicated debt instruments and complex der...

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How to Move Beyond the CMDB in ITIL Version 3
February 13, 2009 at 11:47 pm
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Too much data and not enough information has been something heard repeatedly, as IT service providers struggle to make sense out of disparate data that exist in the IT universe. The CMDB within the ITIL has been the perceived answer to managing the wealth of data. ITIL Version 3 introduces a Service Knowledge Management System whose goal is to provide meaningful information, knowledge and wisdom to appropriate IT or business users for quality decision-making. Here, Knowledge Center contributor Linh C. Ho explains how the Service Knowledge Management System is achieved and how it relates to the CMDB.
- Data without any context or meaning is not useful to anyone. When the data is processed and presented, it becomes meaningful information with which the user can make informed decisions. In IT service management, providing the right information to the right people at the right time empowers IT, busin...

Better Artificial Nose Inspired By Sniffer-dogs

Better Artificial Nose Inspired By Sniffer-dogs
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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For the sensitive work of detecting explosives and drugs in airports and other high-risk areas, humans have long relied on a marvel of evolutionary biology: the sniffer dog. The canine nose can detect a seemingly infinite range of odors, alone and in combination, at concentrations down to the parts per trillion level.
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Shades Of 1918? Comparing Avian Flu With A Notorious Killer From The Past
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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Scientists compared the recent avian strain known in the scientific community as H5N1, with genetic ressortants of the 1918 virus -- source of the most severe influenza pandemic in recorded history. H5N1 was found to replicate profusely within the first 24 hours, causing severe damage to respiratory tissues while sending the host's innate immune response into a lethal overdrive, reminiscent of the trajectory of the original 1918 virus.
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Inuit Trails Represent Complex Social Network Spanning Canadian Arctic
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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Inuit trails are more than merely means to get from A to B. In reality, they represent a complex social network spanning the Canadian Arctic and are a distinctive aspect of the Inuit cultural identity. And what is remarkable is that the Inuit's vast geographic knowledge has been passed through many generations by oral means, without the use of maps or any other written documentation.
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Tailor-made Recombinant Proteins In Mammals
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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"Aldehyde tags" are used to label proteins in bacterial recombinant-DNA systems -- and now in proteins that can only be expressed by mammalian systems. While some recombinant drugs like insulin are made in bacterial systems, most have to be produced by mammalian cells. Aldehyde tags direct chemical modifications to specific sites on proteins, including monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutics important in the pharmaceutical industry.
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Volcanic Spreading And Lateral Variations In Structure Of Olympus Mons, Mars
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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The immense Olympus Mons volcano on Mars (about 23 km tall and 600 km wide) exhibits a somewhat lopsided structure: elongated to the northwest, shortened to the southeast, with corresponding types of faulting (extensional and compressional, respectively) prevalent in each sector.
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Pre-verbal Number Sense Common To Monkeys, Babies, College Kids
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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Scientists are studying how human adults and infants, lemurs, and monkeys think about numbers without using language. One researcher is looking for the brain systems that support number sense and trying to figure out how this cognitive skill develops.
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Climate Change Likely To Be More Devastating Than Experts Predicted, Warns Top IPCC Scientist
February 15, 2009 at 11:00 am
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Without decisive action, global warming is likely to accelerate at a much faster pace and cause more environmental damage than predicted, says Stanford scientist Chris Field, a leading member of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Field warns that higher temperatures could ignite tropical forests and melt the Arctic tundra, releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gas that could raise temperatures even more -- a vicious cycle that could spiral out of control.
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How Deadly Fungus Protects Itself
February 15, 2009 at 11:00 am
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Researchers have discovered how a deadly microbe evades the human immune system and causes disease. The study may help scientists develop new therapies or vaccines against infections caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. These fungal infections occur most commonly in those with compromised immune systems ý especially AIDS patients and transplant patients who must take lifelong immunosuppressive therapy.
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Ways To Minimize Tinnitus -- Troublesome Noises In The Ears
February 15, 2009 at 11:00 am
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Ringing, whining, whistling, hissing or whooshing. Any of those sounds in one or both ears when there is no external noise present could be a sign of tinnitus.
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Researchers Dig Through Millennia In The Valley Of The Kings
February 15, 2009 at 11:00 am
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The first field season is now over at the hut village of the workmen who built the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. However, the archaeologists working on the excavation have found that they still have a great deal to do. The sun, the wind and tourists have left their mark on the village, originally discovered by Bernard Bruyère in 1935.
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It's Hard Work That Fosters Responsibility In Teen Programs
February 15, 2009 at 11:00 am
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Researchers surveying more than 100 high schoolers involved in 11 different summer and after-school programs find that it's not the fun and games of these programs but the tough tasks -- those that ask young people to make sacrifices and do difficult things for the good of the group -- that are most likely to foster responsibility and self-discipline. In fact, many respondents spontaneously reported that developing responsibility was a goal of their participation in these programs.
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Micro RNA Plays A Key Role In Melanoma Metastasis
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 am
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Scientists have long wondered how melanoma cells travel from primary tumors on the surface of the skin to the brain, liver and lungs, where they become more aggressive, resistant to therapy, and deadly. Now, scientists have identified the possible culprit -- a short strand of RNA called microRNA that is over-expressed in metastatic melanoma cell lines and tissues.
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'Wake Up' To Health Risks Of Heavy Snoring
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 am
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Heavy snoring can be far from a nuisance. It can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where an individual briefly stops breathing during the night which raises the risk of heart failure and strokes.
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Plan Offers Guidance For Evaluating Menopause-like Condition In Girls And Young Women
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 am
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A comprehensive plan to help health care professionals diagnose and treat primary ovarian insufficiency -- a menopause-like condition affecting girls and young women that may occur years before normal menopause is expected -- has been developed.
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White-nose Kills Hundreds Of Bats Near Abandoned Mines In Pennsylvania
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 am
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Several hundred little brown bats are dead from White-Nose Syndrome in Lackawanna County, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking to residents for help uncovering other sites where this deadly disorder may have surfaced.
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Amid Rising Childhood Obesity, Preschoolers Found To Be Inactive
February 15, 2009 at 5:00 am
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A study of children enrolled at 24 community-based preschool programs finds that preschoolers are inactive for much of their preschool day, with 89 percent of physical activity characterized as sedentary. The study also finds that teachers very rarely encourage children to be more physically active. Based on these findings, there may be more of a need for preschool teachers to organize, model and encourage physical activity.
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Humans And Chimpanzees Genetically More Similar Than One Yeast Variety Is To Another
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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There may be greater genetic variation between different yeasts of the same species than between humans and chimpanzees. This is one of the findings of a new study. This study heralds a new era in evolutionary genetics research -- the mapping of an individual's DNA.
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Vigorous Exercise May Help Prevent Vision Loss
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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Vigorous exercise may help prevent both cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, according to a pair of studies that tracked approximately 31,000 runners for more than seven years.
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World's Oldest Swan Found Dead In Denmark
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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What was probably the world's oldest mute swan has been found dead in Denmark. This unusual example of Denmark's national bird lived to just past the ripe old age of 40. The previous record for a mute swan was 28 years old.
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New Surgical Technique Shows Promise For Improving Function Of Artificial Arms
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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A surgical technique known as targeted muscle reinnervation appears to enable patients with arm amputations to have improved control of functions with an artificial arm, according to a new study.
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New Cancer Research Tool: Tool Analyzes Function Of Crucial Set Of Proteins In Animals
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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Scientists have developed a new tool that enables them to analyze the function of a crucial set of proteins in animals --- a finding that could lead to a host of better drugs for and deeper insights into the workings of cancer.
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Tracking The Digital Traces Of Social Networks
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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Researchers have studied the massive online virtual world Second Life to test whether or not certain social theories are true. Having access to huge amounts of data gave them a way to answer how networks are created. Searching through anonymized data from Teen Grid, where only teenage players can socialize, the researchers found that teens' online friendships were disproportionately with people in their immediate geographic area -- likely with people they already knew.
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When It Comes To Elephant Love Calls, The Answer Lies In A Bone-shaking Triangle
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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An ecologist has been studying elephant communication for more than 15 years. During that time she's puzzled over which or their two seismic sensing systems -- either bone conduction or somatosensory reception -- elephants use most often in locating the source of a call. In her most recent field season last summer, she finally got an answer.
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New Genomic Test Can Personalize Breast Cancer Treatment
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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A set of 50 genes can be used to reliably identify the four known types of breast cancer, according to new research. Using this 50-gene set, oncologists can potentially predict the most effective therapy for each breast tumor type and thereby personalize breast cancer treatment for all patients.
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Ongoing Statin Therapy Associated With Lower Risk Of Death
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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Patients with high cholesterol levels who continually take statins appear to have a lower risk of death over four to five years, regardless of whether they already have diagnosed heart disease, according to a new report.
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Public Funding For Specialty Crops Inadequate, Research Suggests
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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Specialty crops, including fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops, have become increasingly important compared to other categories of agriculture in the United States over the past 50 years. These crops have continued to grow in production value, but this growth has not been matched by growth in public agricultural research spending.
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Social Support During Breast-feeding Helps Humans Have More Children
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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The fact that human mothers have support from family while they're breast-feeding may be a key strategy that enables humans to reproduce more rapidly than other primates, new research suggests. Social support helps mothers conserve energy in a way that allows their bodies to prepare for their next pregnancy.
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Cupid's Arrow May Cause More Than Just Sparks To Fly This Valentine's Day
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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Getting struck by Cupid's arrow may very well take your breath away and make your heart go pitter patter this Valentine's Day, reports an expert. Dopamine creates feelings of euphoria while adrenaline and norepinephrine are responsible for the pitter patter of the heart, restlessness and overall preoccupation that go along with experiencing love.
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Wildlife Salute Valentines Day Of Their Own
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 am
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While they might not be giving roses and writing love poems, wildlife have some pretty fascinating -- and sometimes downright bizarre -- courtship and mating rituals of their own.
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Camouflaging Of Viral DNA Could Be Crucial Step In Progression Of Cancers
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 am
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Fifteen percent of cancers can be linked to a viral infection. However, the biological changes that cause some asymptomatic carriers of a virus to develop malignancies are not well understood. In a new study, scientists mapped a chemical modification of DNA in Epstein-Barr, human papilloma and hepatitis B viruses and found that the viral genomes undergo changes during the progression of disease, with implications for new prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies.
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Education And Money Attract A Mate; Chastity Sinks In Importance
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 am
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This Valentine's Day, researchers have some new answers to the perennial question of what men and women want in a partner.
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Talking And Treating Erectile Dysfunction
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 am
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The conversation about male sexual dysfunction has grown from a whisper to a roar. From Bob Dole to Mike Ditka, erectile dysfunction, or ED, is no longer hush-hush as more men are talking more openly.
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Continuous Descent Arrivals: Atlanta Flight Test Evaluates Technique For Saving Fuel And Reducing Noise In Airliners
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 am
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Airline passengers arriving in Atlanta on early morning "redeye" flights during the past few months may have noticed something different during their descent to the runway. Instead of the typical sound of engine power rising and falling as the aircraft descended in a series of level flight steps, they may have noticed a quieter arrival -- without the steps.
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New Happiness Research Demonstrates When Material Items Are The Best Option
February 14, 2009 at 11:00 am
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It matters whether you give your loved one a material gift or an experience for Valentine's Day, say researchers.
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Hamsters On Treadmills Provide Electricity Through Use Of Nanogenerators
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 am
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Could hamsters help solve the world's energy crisis? Probably not, but a hamster wearing a power-generating jacket is doing its own small part to provide a new and renewable source of electricity.
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Targeted Immune Cells Shrink Tumors In Mice
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 am
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Researchers have generated altered immune cells that are able to shrink, and in some cases eradicate, large tumors in mice. The immune cells target mesothelin, a protein that is highly expressed, or translated in large amounts from the mesothelin gene, on the surface of several types of cancer cells. The approach shows promise in the development of immunotherapies for certain tumors.
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Spaniards Prefer Love To Be Passionate, Study Shows
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 am
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Spaniards of all ages, in the main, have a "romantic" conception of love. They see it as an irresistible passion, which involves great intimacy and a strong physical attraction, which is classified as "Eros" love. Far fewer of them view the sentiment as a lasting commitment based on closeness, friendship, companionship and affection (amiable or "storge" love), a model which is more common in the north of Europe.
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Computerized Writing Aids Make Writing Easier For Persons With Aphasia
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 am
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New research shows that it is possible to improve writing skills for those with aphasia with the aid of computerized writing aids.
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Exposure To Ash From TVA Spill Could Have 'Severe Health Implications'
February 14, 2009 at 5:00 am
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Scientists who analyzed water and ash samples from last month's coal sludge spill in eastern Tennessee concludes that "exposure to radium- and arsenic-containing particulates in the ash could have severe health implications" in the affected areas.
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Air Pollution Too High Near Some US Schools
February 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Air pollution is dangerously high around schools near some U.S. industrial plants, according to a recent study.
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Vitamin E May Decrease Mortality Of Elderly Male Smokers, Yet Increase Mortality Of Middle-aged Smokers
February 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Six-year vitamin E supplementation decreased mortality by 41% in elderly male smokers who had high dietary vitamin C intake, but increased mortality by 19% in middle-aged smokers who had high vitamin C intake.
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New Data Suggest 'Jumping Genes' Play A Significant Role In Gene Regulatory Networks
February 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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New research suggests that mobile repetitive elements -- also known as transposons or "jumping genes" -- do indeed affect the evolution of gene regulatory networks.
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Radioimmunotherapy: Promising Treatment For HIV Infection And Viral Cancers
February 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Scientists have piggybacked antibodies onto radioactive payloads to deliver doses of radiation that selectively target and destroy microbial and HIV-infected cells. The experimental treatment -- called radioimmunotherapy, or RIT -- holds promise for treating various infectious diseases, including HIV and cancers caused by viruses.
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Biofuels Boom Could Fuel Rainforest Destruction, Researcher Warns
February 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Farmers across the tropics might raze forests to plant biofuel crops, according to new research. "If we run our cars on biofuels produced in the tropics, chances will be good that we are effectively burning rainforests in our gas tanks," she warned.
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Mixed Population Provides Insights Into Human Genetic Makeup
February 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Genetic diseases and genetically mixed populations can help researchers understand human diversity and human origins according to a physical anthropologist.
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Virtual Games Players Stick Close To Home
February 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Researchers have analyzed a "gold mine" of networking data from EverQuest II, a fantasy massive multiplayer online role-playing game, along with a survey of 7,000 players. Their findings include that many players underestimate the amount of time they spend playing the games, the number of players who say they are depressed is disproportionately high -- and surprisingly -- most people played with people in their general geographic area.
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Molecules Self-assemble To Provide New Therapeutic Treatments
February 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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By tailoring peptide amphiphiles, small synthetic molecules, and combining them with other molecules, researchers can make a wide variety of structures that may provide new treatments for medical issues including spinal cord injuries, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Combining the PA molecules with hyaluronic acid, a biopolymer found in the human body in places like joints and cartilage, resulted in an instant membrane structure in the form of self-assembling sacs.
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Could Nanotechnology Make An Average Donut Into Health Food?
February 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
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European food companies already use nanotechnology in consumer products, but few voluntarily inform consumers. "The promise of nanotechnology," a Dutch scientist said, "is that it could allow re-engineering ingredients to bring healthy nutrients more efficiently to the body while allowing less-desirable components to pass on through."

Stimulus bill keeps H-1B hiring limits on bailout recipients

Stimulus bill keeps H-1B hiring limits on bailout recipients
February 13, 2009 at 5:54 pm
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A provision intended to require banks receiving federal bailout funds to give hiring priority to U.S. workers over foreigners with H-1B visas was left in the economic stimulus package when U.S. House and Senate negotiators agreed on a compromise bill this week.

The $789 billion stimulus bill was subsequently approved by the House of Representatives Friday, and a vote in the Senate is expected Friday night.


The provision designed to curb the use of H-1B visas was proposed last week by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) as an amendment to the Senate's stimulus legislation. The proposal initially sought to bar H-1B hiring by financial services firms receiving bailout money, but it was later modified to restrict such hiring.

The stimulus bill, once it is approved by the Senate and signed by President Barack Obama, will require firms that take bailout funding to make a good-faith effort to hire U.S. citizens before people who are in the country on H-1B visas.

Opponents of the measure says it is so restrictive that affected financial services firms likely will stop hiring H-1B workers altogether. However, the provision doesn't prevent them from using offshore outsourcing contractors, which typically are heavy users of H-1B visas.

As a result of the conference agreement, Sanders said in a statement Friday that he expects the H-1B provisions to be adopted along with the rest of the stimulus bill. He added that what may have prompted the negotiators to keep the H-1B restrictions in the bill were all of the ongoing layoffs and other job losses. "With thousands of financial services workers unemployed, it is absurd for banks to claim they can't find qualified American workers," Sanders said.

The proposed restrictions require firms that receive money under the federal Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) to comply with hiring rules set for "H-1B dependent" firms -- those with more than 15 percent of their workers on visas. Those rules set a number of strict requirements for hiring H-1B holders, including a need for companies to attest that they actively recruited American workers and are not displacing or replacing U.S. citizens with foreign workers.

However, the impact of the new legislation on offshoring of IT work may be limited. Ron Hira, an assistant professor of public policy at Rochester Institute of Technology and co-author of the book Outsourcing America, claimed that many TARP-recipient banks "have huge shadow workforces -- people who work for the bank indirectly through outsourcing contract firms."

The TARP-related hiring provision "will rectify some of the indefensible practices of quasi-nationalized banks," Hira said. "But unfortunately, it doesn't close the loopholes where most of the abuse occurs."

Hira said the amount of outsourcing by Wall Street firms has actually increased since the bailout program began last fall, citing deals such as offshore outsourcer Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.'s October agreement to acquire a unit of Citigroup that does business process outsourcing and IT services work. Similarly, Wipro Ltd. agreed in December to buy Citigroup's IT subsidiary in India.

In addition, Hira contended that "many, if not all, of these banks have human resource practices where they force their American workers to train foreign replacements, and subsequently lay off the American workers." That practice "sometimes results in tragedy," he added, citing the 2003 suicide of a former Bank of America programmer who reportedly was laid off after training his replacement.

On the other hand, Charles Kuck, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, expressed disappointed at the inclusion of the hiring restrictions in the compromise stimulus bill.

"These banks will not able to hire qualified foreign talent to pull them out of this mess -- if that was necessary," Kuck said. "Maybe we've got all the homegrown talent we need to pull us out of this mess, because now we have to hope we do."

While the restrictions don't prevent employers from hiring H-1B holders, Kuck predicted that the affected firms will be unlikely to do so because of the added cost and work that will now be involved. The key advantage of the H-1B program, he said, is the ability it gives companies to quickly hire people to fill available jobs.

"There are very few employers that are going to wait that period of time to be able to do that [under the restrictions] when they have to bring somebody on board right away," Kuck said. "You are effectively saying, 'You can't use the program.'"

The big question, according to Kuck, is whether companies receiving TARP funds will be able to bring in "the best person available to do the job." That's a separate issue, he said, from the low-level work that typically is going to outsourcing firms.

Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate

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WiMax and LTE supporters prepare for battle at MWC
February 13, 2009 at 3:36 pm
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Supporters of rival technologies WiMax and LTE (Long Term Evolution) will do their best to show momentum behind their respective technologies at Mobile World Congress.

The last week has seen a number of products announcements from the LTE camp, which will do its best to show that the development of the technology is moving forward at a rapid rate. Ericsson and Nokia Siemens, which last week unveiled a new base station, have announced new core network products ahead of the show.

The message from the vendors will be that they have equipment, especially radio base stations, ready for immediate trials and then deployment, according to Joao da Silva, senior research analyst at IDC.

Several of the operators that have voiced support for LTE will also be at the show in Barcelona, including Verizon Communications, China Mobile, and T-Mobile.

Operators from Asia and the U.S. can be expected to be more up front with their plans, compared to their counterparts in Western Europe, who have to be more cautions because most of them still don't have the frequencies needed for rolling out LTE, according to da Silva.

Visitors at the show can also expect a plethora of demos in the exhibition halls for prototype LTE chips and devices, according to Mark Newman, chief research officer at Informa Telecoms and Media.

While LTE is stewing, its proponents are also pushing faster versions of HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) as an alternative to WiMax. On Wednesday, Ericsson, for example, announced support for HSPA at 42M bps in its network equipment.

But the mobile WiMax camp is also out on a mission to demonstrate that a lot of operators are choosing WiMax. Mobile World Congress is a good opportunity to show how the ecosystem is developing, and show on the ground what it has going today, according to Ashish Sharma, corporate vice president of market development at Alvarion.

'"We are bringing in customers to the Intel pavilion to give a talk; Digicel is going to be there from the Caribbean; WiMax Telecom from Austria is coming, and I heard that Comstar is coming from Russia," Sharma said.

It's currently the best and worst of times for WiMax, according to Mike Roberts, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media.

It's the best of times because the technology has progressed quite a lot in the last year. "They've got equipment and devices certified to help with interoperability. There are also more devices to choose between, and we've got some major operators launch, such as Clearwire," said Roberts.

But when you look at the overall market picture; the worst of times is that the competition has made even more progress. HSPA has just boomed, and gone mass market, according to Roberts.

"In markets such as Western Europe it has effectively closed the door for WiMax," he said.

The WiMax camp will try to turn the tide at Mobile World Congress, but will struggle to do that, according to Roberts.

But there is still a future for the technology. "I think its going to be a sizeable niche. The bulk of the market is going to migrate to LTE, and WiMax will take a slice of the wireless broadband market," said Roberts.

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Update: Google opens Android store to paid apps
February 13, 2009 at 2:26 pm
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Developers of Android applications finally will be able to charge consumers for them, ending a few months of free Android downloads and potentially making Google's mobile platform more attractive to developers.

U.S. and U.K. developers can now go to the Android publisher Web site and upload their applications along with consumer pricing. Paid applications will go on sale in the U.S. starting in the middle of next week and in additional countries in the coming months, Google's Eric Chu wrote in a blog post Friday.

[ Related: Read all about Google Android in InfoWorld's special report ]

The Android Market launched in October  when the first phone based on the platform went on sale. But until now, it hasn't had any checkout or payment system, so application publishers have only been able to offer free software. Google had said it would start allowing sales early this year.

The post did not indicate how much the applications might cost, saying only that developers would be able to "upload their application(s) along with end-user pricing." Unlike on the App Store for Apple's iPhone, developers don't need to get their products approved by Google or by service providers. All they have to do is register for $25 and upload their apps.

The payment and billing tool for Android Market will be Google Checkout. That platform, launched in 2006, allows payment through major credit cards and lets users save their payment information on the site.

Later this quarter, developers in Germany, Austria, Netherlands, France, and Spain will be able to offer paid applications, and by the end of the quarter, additional countries will be announced, Chu wrote.

Also on Friday, Chu wrote that Android Market for free applications will become available to phone users in Australia beginning Sunday, Pacific time. Singapore users will get access in the coming weeks. The Android-based HTC Dream handset is set to launch on Monday in Australia and later in Singapore.

Developers are likely to take a wait-and-see attitude to selling Android applications, said analyst Greg Sterling of Sterling Market Intelligence. With the low price of a typical mobile application, developers may be drawn to the platform slowly as they watch the audience grow, he said.

"The sweet spot is really $1.99 or less. I think that's been pretty well-established by Apple," Sterling said.

Writing applications for the iPhone offers much more potential for volume today. There are more than 15,000 applications available from the App Store, and consumers have downloaded more than 500 million, according to Apple. There were 13.7 million iPhones sold in 70 countries last year. By contrast, the only Android phone available now is the T-Mobile G1, which is on sale in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. There are more than 1,000 applications on the Android Market, and thousands of developers are writing for it, according to Google.

For Google Checkout, the Android Market could be a big opportunity, Sterling said. Originally seen as a potential rival to eBay's PayPal, Checkout hasn't grabbed much market share, he said.

"It never really materialized as a threat to PayPal," Sterling said.

As a Web-based service, Checkout is fairly straightforward, but it will be critical for Google to make it easy for Android phone users to start using it, he said. Apple signs up iPhone users for its iTunes store as part of the activation process for the handset.

"If (Google) blows this part of it, then developers will be upset, and (Android) will be a less successful platform overall," Sterling said.

This story was updated on February 13, 2009

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Woman sues Microsoft over XP downgrade charge
February 13, 2009 at 2:11 pm
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A woman has filed a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft over a $59.25 charge for downgrading her Windows Vista PC to XP.

In a suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, Los Angeles resident Emma Alvarado is asking that Microsoft return the fee she paid for downgrading a Lenovo PC with the Windows Vista Business OS preinstalled to Windows XP Professional. Alvarado purchased the PC on June 20, 2008, according to the suit.

Alvarado also is inviting others who have paid fees to downgrade to XP to join the suit (PDF) and is requesting refunds for them as well.

Many customers who purchased PCs with Vista installed opted to downgrade to XP because they weren't happy with Vista's "numerous problems," according to Alvarado's suit.

"As a result, many consumers would prefer to purchase a new computer preinstalled with the Windows XP operating system or at least not preinstalled with the Vista operating system," according to the filing.

The suit goes on to accuse Microsoft of using its "market power to take advantage of consumer demand for the Windows XP operating system" by requiring people to buy Vista PCs and then charging them to downgrade to the OS they really want.

This action violates Washington state's Unfair Business Practices Act and the Consumer Protection Act, according to the suit.

Microsoft spokesman David Bowermaster said the company has not been served with the lawsuit, so it would be premature to comment about it.

When Microsoft released Vista to consumers on Jan. 30, 2007, it gave people the option to downgrade to XP if they weren't satisfied with the new OS.

As a result of overall dissatisfaction with Vista, Microsoft had to extend the amount of time it allowed original equipment manufacturers and custom system builders to sell PCs with XP preinstalled. The company also is facing a class-action suit in the same court over the "Windows Vista Capable" sticker program that let customers know a PC could run Windows Vista. Customers said they found the program misleading.

While the damages that could be awarded in the suit would likely not be a large sum for a multibillion-dollar company, the suit brings up a larger question of whether Microsoft will allow Windows 7 users to downgrade to XP.

Microsoft so far has not said publicly whether it will, and no one from the company was available for immediate comment Friday. Vista, being the OS released before Windows 7, would be the logical choice for a downgrade from Windows 7. However, given customers' dissatisfaction with Vista, Microsoft could offer an XP downgrade as well.

Al Gillen, an analyst with research firm IDC, said it would be a "very risky thing" for Microsoft to do to eliminate downgrade rights with Windows 7. He said it would alienate Microsoft's customer base to not continue giving customers an option if they're not happy with a new version of the Windows client.

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Bespin Web-based code editor effort launched
February 13, 2009 at 1:44 pm
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Mozilla Labs this week launched a preview of Bespin, a Web-based code editor intended to boost developer productivity, enable compelling user experiences and promote "open" standards.

Launched as a project within Mozilla's Developer Tools Lab, Bespin features an extensible framework for "Open Web" development, a concept in which applications are compatible with browsers based on open standards and do not require single-vendor plug-ins, according to Mozilla Labs developers Ben Galbraith and Dion Almaer.

[ Read an interview with Mozilla's Brendan Eich, creator of JavaScript. ]

Goals of Bespin include ease of use; real-time collaboration, including sharing live coding sessions; an integrated command line; extensibility in the interface; speed; and accessibility.

Based on JavaScript, Bespin is a code editing client based in a browser. It is intended to "to create an experience on the Web that is as rich as a desktop editor," said Galbraith, co-director of developer tools at Mozilla Labs, on Friday.

"The idea for Bespin is to sort of use later, newer Web technologies to try create a much better experience for code editing on the Web than we've seen before," Galbraith said. A lot of efforts to create Web-based code editors have resulted in editors with poor performance or poor user experiences, he said.

"We haven't seen anything yet on the Web that anyone would consider using for their day job," he said.

The focus of the preview release is speed along with support for large files. "To do this, we?ve used new HTML 5 technologies, specifically the Canvas tag," said Galbraith.

Bespin developers have envisioned cloud-based scenarios for the Bespin editor in which it would be easy to go to a Web site, type the name of an open source project, and then quickly be in that project. Developers could make changes and submit changes to the Web site.

"We don't enable the above scenario today, but it's an example of what is possible once we have a foundation of a great, high-quality Web-based code editor. So that is one of the things we're hoping to facilitate with the Bespin project," Galbraith said.

Although currently a preview, Bespin could turn into something more, he said. "Right now, we're just experimenting," Galbraith said. Mozilla is looking for developer feedback on Bespin.

An early prototype features such basic editing capabilities as syntax highlighting, large file sizes, undo/redo, previewing of files in the browser, and importing and exporting of projects.

Source code for Bespin is being released as open source under the Mozilla Public License.

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Indictments tell how H-1B visas were used to undercut wages
February 13, 2009 at 11:31 am
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Federal agents on Thursday said they arrested 11 people in several states in a crackdown on H-1B visa fraud and unsealed documents that detail how the visa process was used to undercut the salaries of U.S. workers.

Federal authorities allege that in some cases H-1B workers were paid the prevailing wages of low-cost regions and not necessarily the higher salaries paid in the location where they worked. By doing this, the companies were " displacing qualified American workers and violating prevailing wage laws," said federal authorities in a statement announcing the indictments.

[ InfoWorld's Bill Snyder argues  the H-1B visa has got to go, but doesn't support the proposal by Sen. Charles Grassley to lay off foreigners first. Meanwhile, the Senate approved strict rules on the hiring of H-1B workers. ]

Employers are required to pay H-1B workers prevailing wages, but those wage rates can vary significantly, by tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the region. How many U.S. workers may have been displaced was not detailed by federal authorities.

The arrests were carried out by federal, state and local agents working in Iowa, California, Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New Jersey. The government's action "is the result of an extensive, ongoing investigation into suspected H-1B visa fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy," said Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, in a statement. The investigation was dubbed Operation Pacific Vision.

The H-1B workers were also victims, according to the federal indictments. Some were hired for jobs that didn't exist . One worker from Pakistan, for instance, who arrived in the U.S. for a programming job, ended up with a job pumping gas.

The Iowa-focus and connections raised in the indictments are notable in one regard. It's the home state of the U.S. Senate 's leading critic of the H-1B program, Republican Chuck Grassley , who released in October a study on visa fraud by the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Service (USCIS) that found that one-in-five H-1B applications were either fraudulent or had violated a law or regulation in some other way.

The company that seemed to get the most attention from federal authorities is Vision Systems Group, which authorities said had its principal places of business in Somerset and South Plainfield, N.J., and an office in Coon Rapids, Iowa. The company was cited in a 10-count indictment. Calls to the company seeking comment were not returned by press time.

The indictment, in part, alleges that Vision submitted a Labor Condition Application, where employers detail prevailing wage data, for a location in Iowa "rather than the prevailing wage where the worker would actually be employed."

The indictment does not say where the H-1B employee would be employed, but from a prevailing wage perspective, location is important.

For instance, using data from the Foreign Labor Certification Data Center Online Wage Library , the prevailing wage of a computer programmer in Des Moines, for instance, ranges from $42,800 a year for a beginner to more than $71,000 a year. But in the Newark, N.J., area, a computer programmer's pay would range from $55,000 to $108,100, according to the wage calculator.

Michael Aytes, acting director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said the action "is a prime example of how the Department of Homeland Security identifies fraud."

"Our adjudication officers can spot inconsistencies during the application process that ultimately lead to the successful outcome we're seeing today," said Aytes, in a statement. "Visa fraud undermines the integrity of the immigration system and I'm proud that our officers have helped to ensure that the American people and our customers can continue to depend on a reliable system."

The government arrested on conspiracy and mail fraud, Shiva Neeli in Boston, Ramakrishna Maguluri in Atlanta, Villiappan Subbaiah in Dallas, Suresh Pola, in Pennsylvania, Karambir Yadav in Louisville, Ky., Amit Justa and Venkata Guduru, both in New Jersey, and Vijay Myneni in San Jose.

Charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud, was Vishnu Reddy, in Los Angeles, and Chockalingam Palaniappan in San Jose, who operated a company named Pacific West Corporation in Santa Clara, Calif.

Praveen Andapally in New Jersey, was charged with conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, and making a false statement in an immigration matter.

The government can charge mail and wire fraud if it believes the mail was used to send a false statement in support of a visa application.

Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate.

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Reports: Windows 7 out before Christmas
February 13, 2009 at 10:42 am
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With Windows 7 Beta getting positive reviews, more rumors are emerging that Microsoft's new operating system will be available before Christmas. But Microsoft is still refusing to admit that Windows 7 will be ready by the end of this year and insists on the January 2010 release date.

Windows 7 will be available at retail by Christmas this year -- say both The Inquirer and CNet News, according to different sources. The Inquirer quotes Microsoft techie Mark Russinovich, who said in a webcast that Windows 7 "will be sent for manufacture three years after Vista did the same, which was in October 2006."


On the other hand, CNet's Ina Fried quotes "PC industry sources in Asia and the U.S" saying that "they have heard things are on track to launch by this year's holiday shopping season." CNet also says that Microsoft is prepping a program to offer Vista users an inexpensive alternative to updating to Windows 7.

My colleague over at ComputerWorld, Preston Gralla, also uncovered evidence in early January that Windows 7 will ship this year. Based on a leaked internal Microsoft memo regarding the Windows 7 upgrade program, Preston is "assuming that within two or three months of the July 1 date (upgrade program launch), Windows 7 will ship."

According to the leaked Microsoft memo, the Windows 7 Upgrade Program lets PC makers give free upgrades to Windows 7 for customers that purchase Vista computers starting July 1. The free or cheap update would be basically the

equivalent version of Vista to Windows 7. As previously reported, the versions in which Windows 7 will come are highly similar to Vista's.

Microsoft reiterated several times that Windows 7 might not be ready in time for this year's holiday season, sticking to their originally planned launch date in early 2010. However, if indeed Microsoft will give users who buy a new computer with Windows Vista a free/cheap copy of Windows 7 when the new OS becomes available, the launch date of W7 shouldn't be too far away.

PC World is an InfoWorld affiliate.

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Will Microsoft let Windows 7 users downgrade to XP?
February 13, 2009 at 8:09 am
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Downgrade rights for Windows 7 will be "hugely important," an analyst said Thursday, but he's not optimistic that Microsoft will let users continue to install Windows XP on new machines.

Microsoft has yet to reveal its plans for "downgrades" from Windows 7, the in-development successor to Vista , noted Michael Silver , an analyst with Gartner. But the issue is just as important for Windows 7 as it has been for Vista.

[ Randall Kennedy recently called Microsoft's Windows 7 upgrade strategy disrespectful to IT | Peter Bruzzese, meanwhile, says Microsoft's strategy is the correct one | Test Center: Windows 7 benchmarks unmasked | Special report: Early looks at Windows 7. ]

"Downgrade rights are hugely important for Windows 7," said Silver. "Will Microsoft offer downgrades [from Windows 7] to XP? They've not answered that question yet. But it's really important."

Microsoft confirmed that it's not ready to spell out downgrades for the new OS. "Final decisions are still being made on details like end-user downgrade rights outlined in the applicable product license terms," a company spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

In Microsoft parlance, "downgrade" describes the Windows licensing rights that let users of newer versions replace it with an older edition without having to pay for another license. In effect, the license for the newer Windows is transferred to the older edition.

When Microsoft launched Vista in early 2007, it spelled out limited downgrade rights to the older Windows XP. Only buyers of PCs with pre-installed editions of Vista Business and Vista Ultimate could downgrade, and then only to Windows XP Professional. That path, however, became extremely popular as users balked at migrating to Vista, and instead bought new computers, then downgraded to XP Professional themselves or ordered systems that had been downgraded to XP at the factory.

Microsoft has recognized the continued popularity of XP in the Vista years. In the last three months of 2008, for example, it extended the availability of XP to both small and large computer makers, pushing out cut-off dates to the end of May and July 2009, respectively.

However, Silver is not optimistic that Microsoft will continue the practice and allow customers with Windows 7 licenses to transfer them to XP. "We're extremely confident that Microsoft will offer free downgrade rights [from Windows 7] to Vista," said Silver. "But will Microsoft do the right thing for customers and give them downgrade rights to XP, or will it try to get some additional revenue out of the situation? At this point, it's hard to tell."

Saying he's somewhat "on the fence" about whether Microsoft would, in fact, offer downgrades from Windows 7 to XP, he quickly added, "I think that there's a slightly better chance that they won't."

The problem facing businesses still running Windows XP, said Silver, is that without downgrade rights they would be forced to make a very tough choice when Windows 7 debuts, and presumably sweeps Vista from new PCs.

"For companies running XP that don't have Software Assurance, no downgrade rights means they will have to get machines pre-installed with Vista," he said, describing the first 12 to 18 months after Windows 7's launch. That's when business typically swear off a new operating system as they test it and their applications, or simply wait out the inevitable bugs that pop up early in an OS's life.

"For the first year or so of Windows 7, organizations using XP will either have to buy Software Assurance or pay for a [Windows 7] upgrade later for those Vista machines," said Silver.

Microsoft's Software Assurance, a type of "buyer protection" program that gives companies rights to all upgrades for a specified period in exchange for annual payments, also allows corporate administrators to freely downgrade any edition of Windows.

Silver's doubt about Microsoft's plans for Windows 7 downgrade rights stems in part from hints by the company about sticking to a Vista-only policy. "If it offers only downgrades to Vista, Microsoft will try to say that it's policy [to limit downgrades] only to the last version," he said. "But that's not true. With XP, they gave downgrades to [Windows] 2000 and [Windows] NT 4.0 and [Windows] 98. In other words, there is precedent for downgrades to more than just one version."

Although Microsoft has revealed some details about Windows 7, including the multiple versions it expects to distribute, it continues to keep other information secret, including the prices it will charge for the new OS and the eventual ship date.

As of earlier today, Microsoft has halted all downloads of Windows 7 beta, the only preview it's offered to the general public. Steven Sinofsky, the senior vice president in charge of the Windows engineering group, however, has said that the company will move directly to a release candidate , and skip the usual multiple betas.

Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate.

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Report: China Unicom to hold iPhone talks with Apple
February 13, 2009 at 7:31 am
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China United Telecommunications (China Unicom) is reportedly sending top executives to meet with Apple in the U.S. next month as rumors that the operator plans to bring the iPhone to China gain steam.

China Unicom executives are going to the U.S. to negotiate with Apple over the introduction of the iPhone , and are likely to set a release date, according to a report (in Chinese) carried by Sina.com, citing "knowledgeable sources."


China Unicom plans to launch WCDMA (Wideband Code Divison Multiple Access) 3G services in May.

In recent months, Apple had been rumored to be holding talks with China Mobile, the country's largest mobile operator, about selling the iPhone in China. But those talks were always a long shot due to technological and business reasons, and lately rumors have been circulating that China Unicom is talking to Apple about selling the iPhone.

The 3G iPhone supports WCDMA, which is widely used in Asia, North America and Europe. However, China Mobile was granted a license to offer 3G services using TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous CDMA), a different 3G technology that was developed in China and is significantly less mature from a development standpoint.

Even before Chinese regulators made the news official last month, China Mobile was long been expected to receive a license for TD-SCDMA, not WCDMA. For China Mobile to offer the 3G iPhone, Apple would be required to redesign the handset using new components that would need to be sourced from different suppliers. These changes would greatly increase the cost to Apple and likely result in higher prices for end users.

One of the main sticking points between Apple and China Mobile was the Apple Store, which the company uses to sell and distribute third-party applications, Sina reported. This was a sales channel that China Mobile, which has its own plans for an application store. did not want to yield to Apple's control.

For this reason, a deal to bring the iPhone to China will likely involve significant concessions from China Unicom to meet Apple's requirements, the report said.

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With global effort, a new type of worm is slowed
February 13, 2009 at 7:17 am
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There have been big computer worm outbreaks before, but nothing quite like Conficker .

First spotted in November, the worm had soon infected more computers than any worm in recent years. By some estimates it is now installed on more than 10 million PCs. But ever since its first appearance, it has been strangely quiet. Conficker infects PCs and spreads around networks, but it doesn't do anything else. It could be used to launch a massive cyberattack, crippling virtually any server on the Internet, or it could be leased out to spammers in order to pump out billions upon billions of spam messages. Instead, it sits there, a massive engine of destruction waiting for someone to turn the key.

[ Related: "Microsoft puts $250,000 bounty on Conficker worm" | Learn how to secure your systems with Roger Grimes' Security Adviser blog and newsletter, both from InfoWorld. ]

Until recently, many security researchers simply didn't know what the Conficker network was waiting for. On Thursday, however, an international coalition revealed that they had taken unprecedented steps to keep the worm separate from the command-and-control servers that could control it. The group is comprised of security researchers, technology companies, domain name registrars who have joined forces with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which oversees the Internet's Domain Name System.

Researchers had taken apart Conficker's code and discovered that it uses a tricky new technique to phone home for new instructions. Each day, the worm generates a fresh list of about 250 random domain names such as aklkanpbq.info. It then checks those domains for new instructions, verifying their cryptographic signature to ensure that they were created by Conficker's author.

When Conficker's code was first cracked, security experts snatched up some of these randomly generated domains, creating what are known as sinkhole servers to receive data from hacked machines and observe how the worm worked. But as the infection became more widespread, they began registering all of the domains -- close to 2,000 per week -- taking them out of circulation before criminals had a chance to tell their infected computers what to do. If ever the bad guys tried to register one of these command-and-control domains, they would have found that they'd already been taken, by a fictional group calling itself the "Conficker Cabal." Its address? 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond Washington.

This is a new kind of cat-and-mouse game for researchers, but it has been tested a few times over the past few months. In November, for example, another group used the technique to take control of domains used by one of the world's largest botnet networks, known as Srizbi , cutting it off from its command-and-control servers.

With thousands of domains, however, this tactic can become time-consuming and expensive. So with Conficker, the group has identified and locked up names using a new technique, called domain pre-registration and lock.

By dividing up the work of identifying and locking out Conficker's domains, the group has only kept the worm in check, not dealt it a fatal blow, said Andre DiMino, co-founder of The Shadowserver Foundation, a cybercrime watchdog group. "This is really the first key effort at this level that has the potential to make a substantial difference," he said. "We'd like to think we've had some effect in crippling it."

This is uncharted territory for ICANN, the group responsible for managing the Internet's address system. In the past, ICANN has been criticized for being slow to use its power to revoke accreditation from domain name registrars who have been widely used by criminals. But this time it's getting praise for relaxing rules that made it hard to lock down domains and for bringing together the group's participants.

"In this specific case they greased the wheels so that things would move quickly," said David Ulevitch, founder of OpenDNS. "I think they should be commended for that. ... It's one of the first times that ICANN has really done something positive."

The fact that such a diverse group of organizations are all working together is remarkable, said Rick Wesson, CEO of network security consultancy Support Intelligence. "That China and America cooperated to defeat a malicious activity on a global scale... that's serious. That's never happened," he said.

ICANN did not return calls seeking comment for this story and many of the participants in the Conficker effort, including Microsoft, Verisign, and the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) declined to be interviewed for this article.

Privately, some participants say that they do not want to draw attention to their individual efforts to combat what may well be an organized cybercrime group. Other say that because the effort is so new, it is still premature to discuss tactics.

Whatever the full story, the stakes are clearly high. Conficker has already been spotted on government and military networks and has been particularly virulent within corporate networks. One slip-up, and Conficker's creators could reprogram their network, giving the computers a new algorithm that would have to be cracked and giving them an opportunity to use these computers for nefarious purposes. "We have to be 100 percent accurate," Wesson said. "And the battle is a daily battle."

(Sumner Lemon in Singapore contributed to this report.)



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Apple issues massive security update for Mac OS X
February 13, 2009 at 6:53 am
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Apple today issued multiple updates for Mac OS X and Java that patched 55 bugs, including one for its Safari Web browser that prompted a security researcher to blast the company for a half-hearted approach to security.

The updates were the largest released by Apple in nearly a year.

[ Discover the key Mac and Apple tech trends for business users. Read InfoWorld's Enterprise Mac blog and newsletter. ]

The year's first bug updates from Apple patched 48 security vulnerabilities in the company's operating system and its components, four in Apple's implementation of Sun Microsystems' Java, two non-security flaws it admitted it had introduced with faulty code in Mac OS X 10.5.6, and one fix it said was a "proactive security measure." The majority of the bugs -- 32 altogether -- were in open-source components or software not originally crafted by Apple, as in the case of the quartet of Java flaws.

But the Safari vulnerability may be the one most people remember.

According to Brian Masterbrook, one of the three researchers Apple credited with reporting the Safari bug, Apple had information about the flaw more than seven months ago. "After six months passed without a fix, I decided to post a warning on January 11, 2009, due to my judgment that this issue could be exploited at any time as long as it remained unfixed," Masterbrook said in an entry to his blog Thursday , after Apple had delivered its updates. Masterbrook had posted some information about the bug, as well as a workaround to temporarily disable the RSS feed feature in the browser, in a Jan. 11 warning .

The RSS vulnerability -- present in both the Mac and Windows versions of the browser -- could be used to introduce attack code from a malicious Web site. All criminals had to do, said Masterbrook, was dupe users into visiting such a site. Attacks based on tempting users to a rogue site are commonplace on the Internet, although the vast majority of them are aimed at Windows users.

"This vulnerability...does not require intricate knowledge of the processor or operating system to exploit," Masterbrook said today. "I discovered it accidentally, which indicates that this issue could also be discovered by others. These two factors should have indicated to Apple that this vulnerability carried a high risk."

He took Apple to task for the way it handles reports of security vulnerabilities, and patches its software. "It took seven months for Apple to patch this latest vulnerability in Safari, despite numerous opportunities for it to be addressed in updates that were already scheduled," he said. "OS X users are at this point in the unenviable situation of hoping that Apple starts taking these issues more seriously before phishing exploits, drive-by malware, and viruses become widespread on the platform."

Apple addressed the Safari flaw in both the Security Update 2009-001 for Mac OS X , and in a separate update for Windows users that bumped up the browser to Version 3.2.2. While recent data puts Safari's overall browser usage share at 8.3 percent, the Windows edition accounted for a scant 0.3 percent last month, about a quarter the share of Google's Chrome .

The company last patched Safari in November 2008, when it updated the browser twice in less than two weeks to plug more than a dozen holes.

Other parts of Mac OS X that Apple patched today ranged from the Pixlet codec -- which contained a bug that could be triggered by a malformed movie file -- and the Folder Manager to the printing module and Remote Apple Events, which could be exploited to steal information.

The separate Java updates -- one aimed at Mac OS X 10.4, a.k.a. Tiger, the other targeting Mac OS X 10.5, or Leopard -- fixed four vulnerabilities for each version of Apple's operating system, and brought the software up to par with patches Sun released two months ago .

Apple last patched its operating system in mid-December 2008, when it fixed 21 flaws . Today's patch tally was more than double that, and considerably higher than other large security updates the company issued last year, including a 40-bug release in October . In fact, today's update was the largest by Apple since a 90-fix update in March 2008.

Security Update 2009-001 and the Java updates can be downloaded manually from the Apple site or installed using Mac OS X's built-in patch service. Safari 3.2.2 for Windows can be downloaded from the Apple site.

Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate.

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You don't know tech: The InfoWorld news quiz
February 13, 2009 at 6:00 am
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The week of Friday the 13th proved an unlucky one for small Web startups and a Michigan congressman who's just a bit too enamored of Twitter. On the other hand, Amazon trotted out a new Kindle, Google unveiled yet more free services, Yahoo came up with a plan for making money, and 26 lucky people won awards just for tweeting. Maybe you'll have good luck too on our quiz. Each correct answer is worth 10 points. Now cross your fingers, toss some salt over your left shoulder, spin around three times in a clockwise direction, and begin.

1. Michigan Congressman Peter Hoekstra's Twittering got him in a bit of hot water last week. What did he tweet that should have stayed untweeted?

a. Notes from a closed-door session with President Obama
b. Details of a foreign intelligence briefing
c. A hush-hush fact-finding mission to Iraq
d. 25 random things nobody else wanted to know about him

Take the InfoWorld news quiz

Feds Bust Nationwide H1-B Visa Scam

Feds Bust Nationwide H1-B Visa Scam
February 13, 2009 at 5:40 pm
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Federal agents arrest 11 people in seven states for submitting false statements and documents in support of their H1-B visa petitions. The Department of Justice has also issued a 10-count indictment against IT services firm Vision Systems Group of New Jersey for conspiracy and mail fraud involving H1-B visas. The indictment also seeks $7.4 million in forfeitures against Vision Systems while warning other IT firms are under investigation.
- Federal authorities have busted an alleged nationwide H1-B scam ring, arresting 11 people in seven states and bringing a 10-count indictment against a New Jersey IT services firm. The indictment charges Vision Systems Group with one count of conspiracy, eight counts of mail fraud and seeks $7.4 ...

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Court Denies Cable Bid to Turn Back Privacy Rules
February 13, 2009 at 5:30 pm
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A U.S. appeals court denies a bid by the cable industry to overrule privacy rules that make it more difficult for them to share subscribers' personal information with other parties. A petition by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association argued that federal rules on telecom carriers' use of customer data violate free speech rights.
- WASHINGTON (Reuters) A U.S. appeals court on Friday denied a bid by the cable industry to overrule privacy rules that make it more difficult for them to share subscribers' personal information with other parties. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied a petition b...

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10 Things You Need to Know NOW About ... Green IT
February 13, 2009 at 5:13 pm
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eWEEK editors keep you up-to-date on important IT topics. Compiled by Debra Donston.
- ...

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Amazon`s Kindle 2 Faces Possible Copyright Battle
February 13, 2009 at 4:52 pm
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Amazons Kindle 2 had a buzz-heavy Feb. 13 launch with Jeff Bezos and Stephen King. But now the Authors Guild has said that one of the electronic readers new features, text-to-speech, could violate authors' audio book copyrights.
- At Amazons Kindle 2 launch at the Morgan Library and Museum on Feb. 13, CEO Jeff Bezos highlighted a new feature for the electronic reader: text-to-speech. Its good news for anyone who wants their document read to them in an electronic voice, but according to the Authors Guild, it also potentia...

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Google Opens Android to Paid Apps
February 13, 2009 at 4:10 pm
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Google is now allowing application developers to sell Android applications via the Android Market. Google Checkout will serve as the payment and billing mechanism for Android Market.
- Google is now allowing developers to sell applications for its Android platform via the Android Market. In a blog post on Feb. 13, Eric Chu, mobile platform program manager for Google, said: I'm pleased to announce that Android Market is now accepting priced applications from US and UK devel...

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Cisco Faces Increased Competition from Juniper, ProCurve
February 13, 2009 at 4:08 pm
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Cisco, HP and Juniper find themselves grappling for control of an enterprise networking space thats opened up thanks to increasing usage and new trends such as virtualization and the cloud. Whoever comes to dominate the more flexible networks of the future will need to rely on constant innovation to stay in front of the pack.
- Efficiency is the name of the road map game for enterprise networking in 2009, at least according to one Cisco Systems executive. quot;Today, you get servers from one company, SAN from another, and then IT pays their employees and contractors to assemble it – and only once its assembled can yo...

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Paul Allen's Charter Stiffs Common Shareholders
February 13, 2009 at 2:03 pm
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Charter Communications restructures debt load with a planned Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The deal allows Charter to live for another day, keeps Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen still in charge and leaves common stockholders with worthless stock.
- Cable company Charter Communications -- bankrolled by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's largest investment since leaving Microsoft in 1983 -- said Feb. 12 it plans to file for bankruptcy in an effort to reduce the nation's fourth-largest cable operator's heavy debt load by as much as $8 billion...

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Tech Financials: 'It's the Winter of Our Digital Discontent'
February 13, 2009 at 1:26 pm
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It's not hard to see that 2008-09 is going to get worse before it gets much better. Some sectors, such as storage, data center automation and e-discovery, seem immune to the downturn, but chip, computer, handheld, flash memory and server makers continue to struggle big time.
- As the smoke clears and the Q4 earnings report window closes, it's a bit daunting to look back and revisit the economic damage key players in the the IT industry have had to suffer in the last three months of 2008. The Q1 2009 forecasts, as one might imagine, are not any better. As one IT analy...

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Source: Sirius XM Still in Talks with Liberty
February 13, 2009 at 1:21 pm
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Sirius XM Radio is still in talks with Liberty Media to create a deal that will keep the satellite radio company from having to declare bankruptcy, according to sources. The deal could also mean that Sirius, which is home to Howard Stern's radio show, could stave off a takeover by EchoStar.
- NEW YORK (Reuters) With only days to go until a critical deadline, Sirius XM Radio Inc is still in talks with potential investor Liberty Media Corp, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The talks are seen as a last-ditch attempt by Sirius Chief Executive Mel Karmazin to stave off a ...

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New Samsung Cell Phone Powered by Sunlight
February 13, 2009 at 1:13 pm
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At the upcoming Mobile World Congress conference, Samsung plans to show off its "Blue Earth" cell phone that uses solar energy instead of traditional batteries to power the handset device. The Samsung Blue Earth phone also offers a number of other eco-friendly features, including a personal CO2 monitor.
- Samsung is taking eco-friendly to new extremes at the Mobile World Congress later this month with its "Blue Earth" cell phone, which uses solar energy instead of traditional batteries to power the device. The new device -- designed to emulate a flat, rounded pebble -- features a solar panel l...

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Is Barack Obama the Most Tech-Savvy President of All Time?
February 13, 2009 at 12:45 pm
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Absolutely not, at least not yet. It takes more than a RIM BlackBerry, knowledge of Facebook, the ability to power on an Apple MacBook and an Internet connection. Knowing a good thing when they saw it, many a president has seized upon the day's innovative opportunities in science and technology. Presidents throughout history have grabbed that moment and some were even right, including today's birthday boys: Washington and Lincoln. An eWEEK random sampling of presidents and innovation.
- ...

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U.S. Tweaks Internet Privacy Guidelines
February 13, 2009 at 12:01 pm
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Federal regulators tweak recommendations for how Web sites should collect, save and share information about users, extending them to ISPs and mobile users.
- WASHINGTON (Reuters) Federal regulators tweaked recommendations for how websites should collect, save and share information about users, extending them to Internet service providers and mobile users. The Federal Trade Commission issued new guidance on Thursday for the self-regulated industry tha...

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Dell Offers SMBs "Stimulus" Financing on Laptops, Servers
February 13, 2009 at 10:59 am
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The world's largest computer maker reaches out to midmarket companies through special financial programs for select Dell laptops and servers.
- While Washington lurches toward passing another economic stimulus package, Dell is reaching out to small and medium-size (SMB) business owners to help them stay afloat as the worldwide economic crisis ricochets onward. This week the company announced financing deals on select Latitude laptops and Po...

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Going Mobile: What to Expect at GSMA Mobile World Congress
February 13, 2009 at 10:54 am
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Is Dell's rumored smartphone making its debut? Can RIM, Toshiba, Acer, Samsung or Google's Android platform knock the Apple iPhone off the top of the smartphone pile? And who will Verizon choose as its LTE equipment vendors? The industry's leading anaylsts weigh in on expectations for this year's Mobile World Congress.
- Next Monday, the mobile industrys largest exhibition, GSMA Mobile World Congress, kicks off in Barcelona. The four-day conference is expected to draw nearly 50,000 attendees and more than 1,000 exhibitors from across the globe. As the show draws nearer, rumors continue to circulate and whispered...

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Nokia, Microsoft, RIM Target Mobile Software Sales
February 13, 2009 at 10:40 am
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In an effort to catch up to Apple's online App Store, Microsoft, Nokia, RIM and other telecom heavyweights are looking to develop and sell their own lines of mobile software for both consumers and business users. This month's Mobile World Conference is Spain is a likely launching pad for these applications.
- HELSINKI (Reuters) - Technology firms like Nokia and Microsoft are rushing to open their mobile software stores, hoping to follow the runaway success of Apple's online App Store. The focus of the cellphone market has been shifting to software development since Google and Apple entered the mobile...

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In the Obama Era Routing Has to Change Too
February 13, 2009 at 10:24 am
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If you're looking for the really serious security issues to address, ones that might need government help, securing BGP should be on the short list.
- If you were in charge of the nation's cyber-security what would you focus on? One really scary problem that doesn't get enough attention is the insecurities in BGP, the router protocol of the Internet. BGP has been getting some attention as of late from Homeland Security, but it's still way down the...

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Telecom Industry Faces Test at Mobile World Congress
February 13, 2009 at 10:19 am
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At the 2009 Mobile World Congress show in Spain, the telecom industry is facing a major test after a dismal year that saw retail sales fall and businesses cutting back on mobile phone purchases and other equipment. Still, several big players, including Dell, Acer, Asus and other handset makers, are looking to make a big splash with new smartphone offerings.
- LONDON (Reuters) - The world's mobile telecom industry will gather in the Spanish city of Barcelona next week, hoping to find ways to outwit the downturn, powerful new rivals and software developers threatening to steal their thunder. Mobile World Congress, the phone industry's biggest annual g...

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Google Android Bug Not as Bad as Feared, Security Researcher Says
February 13, 2009 at 9:24 am
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Security researcher Charles Miller is backing away from a warning about the Google Android browser. If an exploit were successful, the actual code that would be executed would run in the media player, not the browser due to its application sandboxing.
- A security researcher is backing away from a warning he issued about the Google Android operating system. Charles Miller, principal security analyst at Independent Security Evaluators, discovered a vulnerability in the multimedia subsystem Android uses for its browser. The bug, which exists in Pack...

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Mozilla Ships Bespin Web-based Code Editor
February 13, 2009 at 8:52 am
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The Mozilla Developer Tools Lab has delivered its first new product – a web-based code editor called Bespin. Bespin is an extensible code editor that is built on top of leading edge browser technology including Canvas.
- The dynamic duo of Dion Almaer and Ben Galbraith of Ajaxian.com fame has done it again. This time with a new web-based code editor called Bespin from Mozilla. The team who joined forces to form the Mozilla Developer Tools Lab last year struck with their first new solution out of the group. quot;...

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Security Vendor McAfee Sees Profits Surpass Street Projections
February 13, 2009 at 12:19 am
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McAfee reported a solid quarter, surpassing Wall Street forecasts. McAfee officials said they will still look to cut costs in the wake of last year's purchase of Secure Computing, the company's biggest-ever acquisition at $465 million.
- Security software maker McAfee Inc. reported slightly higher-than-expected quarterly profit and forecast revenue for the current quarter above Wall Street's expectations, as viruses and malicious programs increasingly flood the market. Sales of security software -- applications that guard computer...

Penguins Marching Into Trouble

Penguins Marching Into Trouble
February 13, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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Magellanic penguins, like most other species of the flightless birds,
are having their survival challenged by wide variability in conditions
and food availability, a biologist has found.
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Anti-HIV Gel Shows Promise In Large-scale Study In Women
February 13, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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An investigational vaginal gel intended to prevent HIV infection in
women has demonstrated encouraging signs of success in a clinical
trial conducted in Africa and the United States.
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Particulate Matter From California Wildfires Is More Toxic Than
Particulate Matter In Ambient Air
February 13, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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A study of coarse and fine particulate matter (PM) generated by the
California wildfires of 2008 suggests a toxicity level greater than
that of an equivalent dose of PM in ambient air. The study adds to
growing literature supporting source and component specific
differences in toxicity of pollutant particles of a given size, and
challenges regulators to consider toxicity as well as mass or size
when regulating particle pollution.
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Few Women Follow Healthy Lifestyle Guidelines Before Pregnancy
February 13, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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Very few women follow the nutritional and lifestyle recommendations
before they become pregnant, even when pregnancy is in some sense
planned, finds a new study.
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Mass Media Often Failing In Its Coverage Of Global Warming, Says
Climate Researcher
February 13, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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What is wrong with reporting on global warming? "The problem is CNN
just fired their science team. Why didn't they fire their economics
team or their sports team?" "Why don't they send their general
assignment reporters out to cover the Superbowl?" one expert said.
Researchers have to do their part, too, he said, by clearly explaining
issues.
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Startling Numbers Of Active-military Personnel Engaging In Frequent
Binge Drinking
February 13, 2009 at 11:00 pm
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Binge drinking is common among active-duty military personnel and is
strongly associated with many health and social problems, including
problems with job performance and alcohol-impaired driving, according
to a new study. More than 30 million binge-drinking episodes were
reported in 2005.
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Ultra-Compact Dwarf Galaxies: Stars Packed Together In Early Universe
A Million Times More Closely
February 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm
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In the early Universe, a newly-discovered type of galaxy,
Ultra-Compact Dwarfs (UCDs) had stars packed together a million times
more closely than anything we see today. Astronomers suggests that the
remnants of these stars still make up most of the mass of UCDs in the
present day.
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Alzheimer's Prevention? New Method To Stimulate Immune System May Be
Effective At Reducing Amyloid Burden In Alzheimer's
February 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm
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Researchers have discovered a novel way to stimulate the innate immune
system of mice with Alzheimer's disease -- leading to reduced amyloid
deposits and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease related pathology
-- without causing toxic side effects.
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Have Migraine? Bigger Waistline May Be Linked
February 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm
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Overweight people who are between the ages of 20 and 55 may have a
higher risk of experiencing migraine headaches, according to a new
study.
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Seeing The Forest And The Trees Helps Cut Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
February 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm
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Putting a price tag on carbon dioxide emitted by different land use
practices could dramatically change the way that land is used,
according to new research. When all carbon emissions -- fossil fuel,
industrial and land-use change emissions -- are included in a global
management plan, deforestation slows and could reverse, managers place
limits on the expansion of biofuels production, and emission control
becomes cheaper.
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Psychoactive Compound Activates Mysterious Receptor
February 13, 2009 at 8:00 pm
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A hallucinogenic compound found in a plant indigenous to South America
and used in shamanic rituals regulates a mysterious protein that is
abundant throughout the body, researchers have discovered.
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Novel Quantum Effect, Quantum Spin Hall Effect, Directly Observed And Explained
February 13, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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Physicists has succeeded in gaining an in-depth insight into a most
unusual phenomenon. They succeeded for the first time in directly
measuring the spin of electrons in a material that exhibits the
quantum spin Hall effect, which was theoretically predicted in 2004
and first observed in 2007. Astonishingly, the spin currents flow
without any external stimulus as a result of the internal structure of
the material.
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Second-hand Smoke May Cause Dementia
February 13, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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Exposure to second-hand smoke could increase the risk of developing
dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment, according to new
research.
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Neural Mapping Paints Haphazard Picture Of Odor Receptors
February 13, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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Despite the striking aromatic differences between coffee, peppermint,
and pine, a new mapping of the nose's neural circuitry suggests a
haphazard patchwork where the receptors for such disparate scents are
as likely as not to be neighbors. Inexplicably, this seemingly random
arrangement is faithfully preserved across individuals and even
species, with cells that process the same scent located in precisely
the same location on the olfactory bulb, the brain's first processing
station for odors.
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Extra Copies Of A Gene Carry Extra Risk
February 13, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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A missing LIS1 gene causes severe mental retardation. New research
shows that extra copies of LIS1 can cause developmental problems, as
well.
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Violent Computer Games Have Role In Fire Safety
February 13, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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The software code underlying violent computer games can be used to
train people in fire safety, new academic research has found.
Commercial games such as Doom 3 and Half Life 2 can be used to build
virtual worlds to train people in fire evacuation procedures by
applying the games' underlying software code, according to
researchers.
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Bar Workers Who Smoke Also Benefit From Smoking Ban, Study Finds
February 13, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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The health of bar workers, who actively smoke cigarettes,
significantly improves after the introduction of a smoking ban,
reveals new research.
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High-tech Tests Allow Anthropologists To Track Ancient Hominids Across
The Landscape
February 13, 2009 at 2:00 pm
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Dazzling new scientific techniques are allowing archaeologists to
track the movements and menus of extinct hominids through the seasons
and years as they ate their way across the African landscape, helping
to illuminate the evolution of human diets.
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How Influenza Virus Hijacks Human Cells
February 13, 2009 at 2:00 pm
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Researchers have now precisely defined an important drug target in
influenza. A new high resolution image details a crucial protein
domain that allows the virus to hijack human cells and multiply in
them.
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New Method Monitors Critical Bacteria In Wastewater Treatment
February 13, 2009 at 2:00 pm
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Researchers have developed a new technique using sensors to constantly
monitor the health of bacteria critical to wastewater treatment
facilities and have verified a theory that copper is vital to the
proper functioning of a key enzyme in the bacteria.
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Marijuana Use Linked To Increased Risk Of Testicular Cancer
February 13, 2009 at 2:00 pm
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Frequent and/or long-term marijuana use may significantly increase a
man's risk of developing the most aggressive type of testicular
cancer. Being a marijuana smoker at the time of diagnosis was
associated with a 70 percent increased risk of testicular cancer. The
risk was particularly elevated (about twice that of those who never
smoked marijuana) for those who used marijuana at least weekly and/or
who had long-term exposure to the substance, beginning in adolescence.
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Test Reveals Genetic Defect That Causes Infertility In Pigs
February 13, 2009 at 2:00 pm
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In the late 1990s the Finnish Yorkshire pig population was threatened
by a genetic defect which spread at an alarming rate and led to
infertility. The defective gene has now been mapped. Sequence analysis
of the candidate gene KPL2 revealed the presence of an inserted
retrotransposon, a DNA sequence which moves around independently in
the host genome.
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New Factor In Teen Obesity: Parents
February 13, 2009 at 2:00 pm
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Researchers have found that adolescents are more likely to eat at
least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day if their parents
do. Contrarily, teens whose parents eat fast food or drink soda are
more likely to do the same.

Enough With the Browser Toolbars Already!

Enough With the Browser Toolbars Already!
February 10, 2009 at 8:41 pm
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Taking up space in your browser and pushing their own pay-per-click services is a great way for companies to make money. The features might be tempting but there are so many bad toolbars that you're better off browsing clean.
- Whenever I go to clean up a friend/relative's computer that they complain is too slow there's one thing I almost always find: Numerous browser toolbars, particularly in Internet Explorer. Not all browser toolbars are bad, but the bad ones do seem to get around. There is a long and disturbing histo...

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IBM's New Cloud Computing CTO Now Central Player in a Huge Trend
February 10, 2009 at 8:28 pm
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Kristof Kloeckner, formerly vice president of strategy and technology for IBM's Software Group, was appointed to his new position at the end of 2008. Previously he had been vice president of development for Tivoli. He's going to need every bit of an impressive IT background to handle this new job.
- SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Now that IBM has designated space, capital and personnel for its new Blue Cloud computing division, the newly appointed CTO of that group suddenly finds himself a central player in the hottest current IT trend in the world -- and at the world's largest IT company, no less. We...

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Sun Microsystems Discusses Changes Afoot for MySQL Database
February 10, 2009 at 8:05 pm
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Sun Microsystems spent $1 billion to buy MySQL AB early last year. In recent days, the company has had two prominent names, Marten Mickos and Monty Widenius, announce their resignations. However Sun says adoption of MySQL 5.1 is going strong, and revealed some strategic plans for the MySQL database.
- Its been roughly a year since Sun Microsystems acquired MySQL AB and brought the open source database into its portfolio. A lot has happened in the ensuing months, from the release of MySQL 5.1 to the resignations of two prominent names long associated with MySQL, Monty Widenius and Marten Mickos. ...

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IBM Blue Gene Supercomputer Looks to Break the Petaflop Mark in Europe
February 10, 2009 at 6:00 pm
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IBM, which recently announced that it would build a massive supercomputer capable of 20 petaflops of performance, may set new supercomputing records in Europe when it builds a Blue Gene/P System machine in Germany later in 2009. This water-cooled IBM Blue Gene supercomputer could be the first supercomputer in Europe to break the petaflop barrier. Right now, only IBM's Roadrunner system and Cray's Jaguar supercomputer offer petaflops of performance.
- IBM is looking to build the first supercomputer in Europe later in 2009 that passes the petaflop barrier, which will make the machine the first high-performance computer on the continent to offer a performance of more than 1 quadrillion calculations per second. On Feb. 10, IBM and the German re...

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Hackers Crack FAA
February 10, 2009 at 5:59 pm
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The personal information of more than 45,000 Federal Aviation Agency employees and retirees exposed to possible identity theft. FAA reports hacked server was not connected to air traffic control system or any other FAA operational system.
- Just a day after President Obama ordered a comprehensive review of the government's cyber security systems, the FAA (Federal Aviation Agency) reported Feb. 10 hackers illegally accessed an agency computer and stole employee personal identity information. The FAA said in a statement the hacked ser...

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Intel's 32-nm 'Westmere' Processors on Track for Late 2009
February 10, 2009 at 4:35 pm
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Intel is looking to make the next significant upgrade to its processor line with its 32-nm processors currently code-named Westmere. The next step in Intel's processor revolution includes a massive $7 billion dollar investment in its chip manufacture facilities here in the United States. Intel believes that the new processor will all it to leapfrog rivals such as AMD, which recently came out with its own 45-nm processors, although the company does have its sights set on a 32-nm chip eventually.
- Intel unveiled its new 32-nm working microprocessor for both laptops and desktops at a Feb. 10 event in San Francisco. The chip giant also plans on investing $7 billion over the next two years on its 32-nm manufacturing technology, centered on upgrading production facilities in New Mexico, Ari...

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Microsoft Fixes Critical Bugs in Microsoft Exchange Server, Internet Explorer for Patch Tuesday
February 10, 2009 at 3:56 pm
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Microsoft's February Patch Tuesday release contains four security bulletins. Two are rated critical, one affecting Internet Explorer and the other Microsoft Exchange Server. The other security bulletins affect editions of SQL Server and Microsoft Office Visio.
- Microsoft issued four security bulletins for February's Patch Tuesday release in order to plug a number of remote code execution vulnerabilities in its products. Two of the bulletins are rated quot;critical. quot; Arguably the one with the greatest impact is MS09-003, which addresses two bugs a...

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Obama Orders 60-Day Cyber Security Review
February 10, 2009 at 3:35 pm
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Just how secure are the federal networks that hold large amounts of sensitive data? President Barack Obama wants to know and appoints Bush cyber security guru holdover Melissa Hathaway to head a 60-day review of federal systems.
- President Obama ordered his National Security and Homeland Security advisors Feb. 9 to conduct an immediate review of the government's cyber security pland, programs, and activities. Heading the 60-day review will be head by Melissa Hathaway, who served as the cyber security coordinator executive u...

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Adobe Creative Suite 4 a Big Upgrade for Web, Rich Media Developers
February 10, 2009 at 3:27 pm
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With its Adobe Creative Suite 4, Adobe offers signifcant enhancements over Creative Suite 3. The improvements to the graphics suite of tools include an redone interface, better component integration and upgraded 3D tools. Adobe's new offering completes the integration of the former Macromedia products with the Adobe Creative Suite. The new Adobe Creative Suite 4 also gives developers a choice of six versions to choose from.
- Adobe Creative Suite 4 adds a revamped interface, improved component integration and advanced 3D tools to the dominant graphics suite. And while some users will probably be able to get by just fine with the older versions, serious Web and rich media developers will find Creative Suite 4 to be a very...

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AMD Postpones Vote on Abu Dhabi Spinoff
February 10, 2009 at 3:21 pm
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Advanced Micro Devices is forced to postpone a vote that would spin off the desktop and notebook chip maker's manufacturing facilities into a separate company. At a special meeting of shareholders, AMD failed to obtain the required quorum for an official vote, the company says.
- SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 10 (Reuters) Advanced Micro Devices Inc said on Tuesday that it had postponed a shareholder vote to approve its plan to spin off its manufacturing plants, after failing to obtain the requisite quorum. Shares of AMD, which competes with Intel Corp in making microprocessors f...

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Salesforce.com Delivers Salesforce CRM Spring `09 Release
February 10, 2009 at 2:23 pm
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Salesforce.com expands its cloud offering by delivering a new offering: Salesforce CRM Spring 09. Built on the company's Force.com platform, Salesforce CRM Spring '09 is Salesforce.com's 28th generation release. The Salesforce CRM Spring '09 offering features both a service cloud and a sales cloud.
- Salesforce.com has delivered Salesforce CRM Spring '09, its cloud computing solution for customer service and sales. Salesforce CRM Spring '09 is available to the companys nearly 52,000 customers and is built on the company's Force.com platform. Salesforce CRM Spring '09 is Salesforce.com's 28th ge...

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Court Denies Verizon Petition on Customer Switching
February 10, 2009 at 1:40 pm
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A U.S. appeals court denies Verizon's petition to overturn another court's order that bars the telephony company from soliciting customers and trying to talk them out of switching phone service providers. Cable providers such as Comcast and Time Warner originally complained about Verizon's tactics.
- WASHINGTON (Reuters) A U.S. appeals court has denied Verizon Communication Inc's request to overturn a federal order barring the phone company from marketing to customers to talk them out of switching phone services. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected on Tuesday Veriz...

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Facebook, MySpace Sign EU Anti-bullying Pact
February 10, 2009 at 1:28 pm
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17 social networking Web sites, including Facebook and MySpace, sign a pact with the European Union in an attempt to cut down on so-called cyber-bullying. The agreement aims to protect the rights of underage users of social networking Web sites.
- BRUSSELS (Reuters) Seventeen social networking sites in Europe including Facebook and MySpace signed on Tuesday a pact aimed at curbing quot;cyber-bullying quot; and protecting the privacy of underage users, the European Commission said. The Commission, the 27-nation EU's executive arm, said th...

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Cisco Forecasts Dramatic Mobile Video Traffic Growth
February 10, 2009 at 1:15 pm
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Despite a bleak economic climate, Cisco's latest Visual Networking Index predicts global mobile traffic will increase 66 times over the next five years with mobile video accounting for nearly 64 percent of traffic by 2013. The primary driver of this surge in mobile traffic will be driven by laptops, netbooks and smartphones connecting to the network.
- Almost 64 percent of the world's mobile traffic will be video within the next five years, according to Cisco's latest VNI (Visual Networking Index) Mobile Forecast for 2008-2013 released Feb. 10. They key driver of the mobile traffic will be laptops, netbooks and smartphones connecting to the...

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Dell Latitude XT2 Tablet Offers Longer Battery Life, DDR3 Memory
February 10, 2009 at 12:40 pm
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Dell, which first began offering its Latitude XT tablet notebook in 2007, is revamping its lineup with the Latitude XT2. The updated Dell tablet is offering users up to 11 hours of battery life with a 6-cell battery along with the option of using newer DDR3 memory instead of more conventional DDR2 memory. The Dell XT2 tablet laptop also comes with Intels ultra low-volt Core 2 Duo processors.
- Dell has revamped its Latitude XT tablet PC to include a 6-cell battery that offers up to 11 hours of battery life, as well as other features such as support for newer DDR3 (double data rate 3) main memory. The Dell Latitude XT2 tablet officially went on sale Feb. 10 for a starting price of $2,...

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Intel Investing $7 Billion in U.S. Manufacturing Facilities
February 10, 2009 at 10:57 am
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In January, Intel announced plans to slow production and shutter some chip manufacturing facilities. Now, the worlds largest supplier of x86 processors for desktops, laptops and server systems is announcing that it will invest $7 billion in building facilities to manufacture its next generation of 32-nm processors – "Westmere" – which are scheduled to hit the IT market in late 2009. The news of Intels investment comes as other companies, such as Panasonic, have looked to cut both jobs and costs.
- Intel plans to invest $7 billion over the next two years to build and update its U.S. manufacturing facilities in order to ramp up production for the companys new line of 32-nanometer processors – a vital component for the still-growing "netbook" market as well as for future generations of desk...

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IBM Unveils Cloud Computing Division, Strategy and Partnership
February 10, 2009 at 10:32 am
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Until now, a potential IBM customer looking to build or refurbish a data center to supply infrastructure for cloud-type services must start with IBM Global Services and work his/her way through that formidable bureaucracy. Now there's a specific door on which to knock.
- SAN JOSE, Calif. -- It took a while longer than some of its competitors, but as of Feb. 10, it appears that big, hulking IBM finally does have the start of a cohesive cloud computing strategy in place. In 2008, Cisco Systems, Dell, Symantec, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, EMC and dozens o...

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How to Reduce PC Costs
February 10, 2009 at 10:31 am
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As refresh cycles lengthen, IT managers must balance the costs of buying new desktops or laptops or maintaining the old one.
- At BMC Software, older corporate desktops and laptops are given new life. Theyre rehabbed and repurposed, handed down to other employees or put into test and development roles. "We basically recycle computers," said Jim Grant, senior vice president of strategy and corporate development at BMC...

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Google PowerMeter Keeps You Lean and Green
February 10, 2009 at 10:25 am
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Google wants to use open protocols and standards to give consumers a better understanding of how much electricity they use and is using social-networking-enabled software tools such as Google PowerMeter to bolster interest.
- Do you ever wonder why the electric bill you receive at home or at your business costs what it does? Most people simply do not pay attention to the amount of electricity they use, but Google (who else?) announced a new tool to make people more aware of their power-sapping ways. On Monday, Ed L...

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Flawed Intel Chip Technology Leads to Processor Breakthrough
February 10, 2009 at 10:21 am
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A flaw that had been identified in Intels Pentium processor more than a decade ago may show the way to greater power efficiency when it comes to building tomorrows processors, according to new research from Rice University. This discovery could change the way chip makers such as Intel and AMD create their CMOS test chips.
- A group of Rice University researchers are trying to show that a flaw within Intels Pentium processor might actually lead to a major breakthrough in creating more energy-efficient chips in the future. To read more about this discovery and how it may affect chip makers, click here for the full sto...

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Lenovo Chairman Promises PC Maker Will Be Profitable Again
February 10, 2009 at 10:04 am
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Lenovo posted the smallest growth last year of the world's top four PC makers. Its shipments grew 8 percent, compared with a 53 percent gain for Acer, 13 percent for Hewlett-Packard and 11 percent for Dell.
- BEIJING, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Lenovo Group, the world's fourth-largest PC maker, said on Tuesday it would focus on China and other emerging markets and low-cost personal computers as the route back to profitability in 2010. Chairman Liu ChuanzhiHe forecast further losses this calendar year and...

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Challenging Oracle
February 10, 2009 at 9:52 am
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In this eWEEK podcast hosted by Mike Vizard, EnterpriseDB CEO Ed Boyajian explains why during these tough economic times so many customers are now investing in an open-source Postgres database alternative to run their Oracle-based applications.
- Audio Podcast Content....

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Slow Moving Clouds
February 10, 2009 at 9:49 am
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In this eWEEK podcast hosted by Mike Vizard, Rackspace CTO John Engates explains why so many small-to-midsize customers are moving slowly when it comes to embracing all the concepts associated with cloud computing.
- Audio Podcast Content....

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Spansion Japan Files for Bankruptcy Protection
February 10, 2009 at 9:42 am
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Spansion, owned 11.4 percent by Fujitsu and 8.7 percent by Advanced Micro Devices, is the world's biggest maker of NOR-type flash memory with a market share of about 40 percent. The Japanese unit of flash memory maker Spansion said it filed for bankruptcy protection with total liabilities of $810 million.
- TOKYO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The Japanese unit of flash memory maker Spansion said it filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday with total liabilities of $810 million, the latest victim of the chip sector's global downturn. Sharp price falls and weak demand in the chip market, which are also ...

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eWeek Newsbreak, Feb. 9, 2009
February 10, 2009 at 9:15 am
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Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is rolling out five new Phenom II processors for high-end desktops and gaming PCs. Included in the release is a set of energy-efficient tri-core and quad-core chips AMD says these will consume 50 percent less power than previous versions. Microsoft says its Environmental Sustainability Dashboard for Microsoft Dynamics AX can help execs and IT administrators interested in green IT reduce their carbon footprint and save money by monitoring everything from energy costs and consumption to greenhouse gas emissions. Over the weekend the Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft will soon launch its own cell phone software store. This news comes on the tail of Microsofts limited release of its My Phone service, which syncs information like contacts and calendar appointments on a cell phone to a password protected website. According to Reuters, business computer maker Sun Microsystems recently announced that two top executives with its mySQL open-source database unit are leaving the company. The two include, Marten Mickos, now former senior vice president who was chief executive of MySQL and MySQL founder Monty Widenius New information is out, urging companies to keep an eye of Flash security. With hackers increasingly targeting Web 2.0 sites, knowing how to develop secure Adobe Flash applications can be a difference maker when it comes to avoiding mass compromises.
- Video Content....

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Doyenz Announces Automated Virtual IT for SMBs
February 10, 2009 at 7:18 am
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Doyenz aims to provide midmarket virtualization and cloud computing solutions with its Automated Virtual IT service.
- As more and more midmarket companies look to virtualization as a cost-effective solution to business IT challenges, an increasing selection of vendors are offering services geared at small and medium-size businesses. Doyenzs Automated Virtual IT, a managed service for IT consultants that leverag...