| IT careers: Retire? How about never? Posted by l33tdawg on Friday, December 11, 2009 - 12:00 AM (Reads: 215) |
 Source: Computer WorldFor as long as he could remember, Ben Richardson had big plans for an early retirement. Passionate about computers, but anxious to leave the confines of a desk job, Richardson, a technical adviser in database services for CVS/Caremark, had prepped for a host of post-tech alternatives even as he met the demands of his IT career. He took classes and labored on business plans, dreaming of the time when he would be able to retire from IT and pursue his love of what he calls "blue-collar hobbies." He thought he might teach school, start an HVAC business or even get into general contracting and welding. "I wanted to spend more time outside and get healthy," Richardson explains. "Sitting in a chair for 30 years takes its toll." |
Showing posts with label Computers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Computers. Show all posts
Saturday, December 12, 2009
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| Apple's universal iPhone, iPod dock concept detailed in filing Posted by l33tdawg on Friday, December 11, 2009 - 03:46 AM (Reads: 210) |
 Source: Apple InsiderApple may be developing a universal dock which can conform to the shape of the object being charged, thus eliminating the need for separate chargers and adaptors when switching between products. A universal dock for the iPod/iPhone was revealed in a patent application published Thursday. The dock's main feature is its ability to change forms to accommodate a variety of devices using an elastic, sponge-like substance that conforms to the shape of the device being charged. The sponge-like substance would be able to retain its shape between uses or could be reset using a button placed on the front of the dock for use with a different device. This would eliminate the current problem of differing generations of iPods/iPhones needing adapters to fit into certain docks and chargers. |
| 10 Email Security Lessons To Be Learned From Climategate Posted by l33tdawg on Friday, December 11, 2009 - 03:59 AM (Reads: 266) |
 Source: eWeek (Europe)As the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference, or COP 15, in Copenhagen, Denmark, gets under way this week, the summit has been muddied a bit by the details found in scientists' stolen emails. The emails contain information that has given those who believe global warming concerns are overblown a new lease on life. They are now supporting their opinions with those details. And all the while, the heated debate over global warming is becoming even more divided. But there are valuable lessons to be learned from the stolen emails. No, this won't be a discussion on global warming or climate change – that’s a debate for another day in another place. It will be a discussion on what can be learned from this incident to ensure that employees or consumers with sensitive information in their email won't fall victim to those planning to steal information. That said, it's important to note that no security plan will be absolutely effective. Sometimes, data is stolen. But the fact that scientists themselves didn't have proper security conditions in place to safeguard their email points to a dangerous trend: We just don't secure our email as well as we should. So let's take a look at some of the lessons learned from the stolen data and how we can protect our own email going forward. |
| Top 15 most common attacks in IT security Posted by l33tdawg on Friday, December 11, 2009 - 03:59 AM (Reads: 439) |
| Source: SC Magazine (UK) The 15 most common attacks in 2009 have been detailed by Verizon Business. In its ‘An Anatomy of a Data Breach' report, its authors have tapped the company's detailed investigative records to identify, rank and profile the most common attacks. In total, the report details nearly 150 ways to detect and combat security threats. It listed the top five most common security attacks as: keylogging and spyware; backdoor or command/control; SQL injection; abuse of system access/privileges; and unauthorised access via default credentials. |
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Google Chrome OS: New PC Operating System Introduced
SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Google Inc. is hoping to gain greater control over how personal computers work by developing a free operating system that will attack Microsoft Corp.'s golden goose _ its long-dominant Windows franchise.
The new operating system will be based on Google's 9-month-old Web browser, Chrome. Google intends to rely on help from the community of open-source programmers to develop the Chrome operating system, which is expected to begin running computers in the second half of 2010.
The early versions of the Chrome operating system will be tailored for "netbooks," a breed of low-cost, less powerful laptop computers that are becoming increasingly popular among budget-conscious consumers primarily interested in surfing the Web.
That is a direct challenge to Microsoft, whose next operating system, Windows 7, is being geared for netbooks as well as larger computers.
The vast majority of netbooks already run on Windows, and that is unlikely to change unless Google can demonstrate the Chrome operating system is a significant improvement, said Forrester Research analyst Paul Jackson. He pointed out that many customers had returned the original netbooks that used open-source alternatives to Windows.
"It was not what people expected," he said. "People wanted Windows because they knew how to use it and knew how applications worked."
Google struck a confident tone in a blog posting late Tuesday night announcing its operating system. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company believes it can streamline the operating system to improve speed and reduce security threats.
"We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear _ computers need to get better," wrote Sundar Pichai, Google's vice president of product management, and Linus Upson, Google's engineering director. Microsoft hadn't responded to requests for comment through Wednesday.
Investors seemed to be betting on Google Wednesday as its shares rose $5.86, or 1.5 percent, to close at $402.49. Shares in Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft inched up 3 cents to $22.56.
The success of the Chrome operating system will likely hinge on its acceptance among computer manufacturers that have been loyal Windows customers for years, said Matt Rosoff, an analyst for the research group Directions on Microsoft. "Most people, when they get a new operating system, they get it with their PC," he said. "I don't think most people think much about their operating systems."
If enough computer manufacturers embrace the Chrome operating system, it could weaken Microsoft while opening up new avenues for Google to persuade consumers and businesses to use its suite of online applications and other Internet services, generating more opportunities for Google to sell lucrative Internet ads.
Getting consumers and businesses to switch to computers powered by a new operating system won't be easy, as Google has learned from the introduction of Chrome. Google says about 30 million people are using Chrome, a small fraction of the Web surfers who rely on Microsoft's market-leading Internet Explorer.
Microsoft's Windows operating system has been even more dominant for a longer period time despite challenges from Apple Inc. and various systems based on Linux, the same type of open-source software that Google plans to use.
"It's going to be tough," Standard & Poor's equity analyst Scott Kessler said of Google's foray into PC operating systems. "The reality is that as the importance of a device or task increases, people have a much lower inclination to consider a change."
Businesses will be especially reluctant to abandon Windows because, on average, about 70 percent of their applications are designed to run on that, said Gartner Inc. analyst Michael Silver.
"This is going to generate a lot of hype, but it will probably be three to five years before it has any noticeable impact on the market," Silver said.
Consumers are likely to be more tempted to experiment with the Chrome operating system because it probably will decrease netbook prices even further. Microsoft's operating system typically adds $50 to $100 to a computer's price, Silver said.
Netbooks are winning new fans largely because they are inexpensive. Gartner estimates about 21 million netbooks will be shipped worldwide this year. That's still just relatively small portion of the 149 million laptops and other mobile PCs that Gartner expects to be sold this year.
If the Chrome operating system gains market momentum, it could raise antitrust concerns, depending on how Google ties the software with its other products, including its dominant Internet search engine. Microsoft had faced such complaints in the U.S. and Europe in packaging Windows with its now-dominant Internet Explorer browser.
Chrome will run on the same x86 microprocessors that now power Windows and Apple Inc.'s Mac computers, as well as ARM chips used in smart phones.
Google has already introduced an operating system for smart phones and other mobile devices, called Android, that vies against various other systems, including ones made by Microsoft and Apple.
The Android system worked well enough to entice some computer makers to begin developing netbooks that will run on it. Acer Inc., the world's third-largest PC maker, said last month it would begin offering Android netbooks, saying it would cut costs and likely help computers start up more quickly.
Google, though, apparently believes a Chrome-based system will be better suited for netbooks.
The duel between Google and Microsoft has been steadily escalating in recent years as Google's dominance of the Internet's lucrative search market has given it the means to threaten Microsoft in ways that few other companies can.
Google already has rankled Microsoft by luring some of its top employees and developing an online package of computer programs that provide an alternative to Microsoft's top-selling word processing, spreadsheet and calendar applications.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has been trying to thwart Google by investing billions of dollars to improve its own Internet search and advertising systems _ to little avail so far. In the past month or so, though, Microsoft has been winning positive reviews and picking up more users with its search upgrade, Bing.
Now Google is aiming for Microsoft's financial jugular with the Chrome operating system.
Microsoft has drawn much of its power _ and profits _ from the Windows operating system that has steered most personal computers for the past two decades. The research firm IDC estimates the Windows operating system and software applications designed to run on it accounted for about $29 billion, or 58 percent, of Microsoft's revenue last year.
Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, and its co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, have not concealed their disdain for Windows.
Schmidt maintains Microsoft sometimes unfairly rigs its operating system to limit consumer choices _ something that Microsoft has consistently denied doing. Google fears Microsoft could limit access to its search engine and other products if Windows is set up to favor Microsoft products.
Schmidt and Brin are expected to discuss Google's new operating system this week when they appear at a media conference hosted by Allen & Co. at the Sun Valley resort in Idaho. They had not arrived at the conference Wednesday afternoon as other participants finished up their lunch and set out for a whitewater rafting trip.
info came from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/08/google-chrome-os-new-pc-o_n_227513.html
The new operating system will be based on Google's 9-month-old Web browser, Chrome. Google intends to rely on help from the community of open-source programmers to develop the Chrome operating system, which is expected to begin running computers in the second half of 2010.
The early versions of the Chrome operating system will be tailored for "netbooks," a breed of low-cost, less powerful laptop computers that are becoming increasingly popular among budget-conscious consumers primarily interested in surfing the Web.
That is a direct challenge to Microsoft, whose next operating system, Windows 7, is being geared for netbooks as well as larger computers.
The vast majority of netbooks already run on Windows, and that is unlikely to change unless Google can demonstrate the Chrome operating system is a significant improvement, said Forrester Research analyst Paul Jackson. He pointed out that many customers had returned the original netbooks that used open-source alternatives to Windows.
"It was not what people expected," he said. "People wanted Windows because they knew how to use it and knew how applications worked."
Google struck a confident tone in a blog posting late Tuesday night announcing its operating system. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company believes it can streamline the operating system to improve speed and reduce security threats.
"We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear _ computers need to get better," wrote Sundar Pichai, Google's vice president of product management, and Linus Upson, Google's engineering director. Microsoft hadn't responded to requests for comment through Wednesday.
Investors seemed to be betting on Google Wednesday as its shares rose $5.86, or 1.5 percent, to close at $402.49. Shares in Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft inched up 3 cents to $22.56.
The success of the Chrome operating system will likely hinge on its acceptance among computer manufacturers that have been loyal Windows customers for years, said Matt Rosoff, an analyst for the research group Directions on Microsoft. "Most people, when they get a new operating system, they get it with their PC," he said. "I don't think most people think much about their operating systems."
If enough computer manufacturers embrace the Chrome operating system, it could weaken Microsoft while opening up new avenues for Google to persuade consumers and businesses to use its suite of online applications and other Internet services, generating more opportunities for Google to sell lucrative Internet ads.
Getting consumers and businesses to switch to computers powered by a new operating system won't be easy, as Google has learned from the introduction of Chrome. Google says about 30 million people are using Chrome, a small fraction of the Web surfers who rely on Microsoft's market-leading Internet Explorer.
Microsoft's Windows operating system has been even more dominant for a longer period time despite challenges from Apple Inc. and various systems based on Linux, the same type of open-source software that Google plans to use.
"It's going to be tough," Standard & Poor's equity analyst Scott Kessler said of Google's foray into PC operating systems. "The reality is that as the importance of a device or task increases, people have a much lower inclination to consider a change."
Businesses will be especially reluctant to abandon Windows because, on average, about 70 percent of their applications are designed to run on that, said Gartner Inc. analyst Michael Silver.
"This is going to generate a lot of hype, but it will probably be three to five years before it has any noticeable impact on the market," Silver said.
Consumers are likely to be more tempted to experiment with the Chrome operating system because it probably will decrease netbook prices even further. Microsoft's operating system typically adds $50 to $100 to a computer's price, Silver said.
Netbooks are winning new fans largely because they are inexpensive. Gartner estimates about 21 million netbooks will be shipped worldwide this year. That's still just relatively small portion of the 149 million laptops and other mobile PCs that Gartner expects to be sold this year.
If the Chrome operating system gains market momentum, it could raise antitrust concerns, depending on how Google ties the software with its other products, including its dominant Internet search engine. Microsoft had faced such complaints in the U.S. and Europe in packaging Windows with its now-dominant Internet Explorer browser.
Chrome will run on the same x86 microprocessors that now power Windows and Apple Inc.'s Mac computers, as well as ARM chips used in smart phones.
Google has already introduced an operating system for smart phones and other mobile devices, called Android, that vies against various other systems, including ones made by Microsoft and Apple.
The Android system worked well enough to entice some computer makers to begin developing netbooks that will run on it. Acer Inc., the world's third-largest PC maker, said last month it would begin offering Android netbooks, saying it would cut costs and likely help computers start up more quickly.
Google, though, apparently believes a Chrome-based system will be better suited for netbooks.
The duel between Google and Microsoft has been steadily escalating in recent years as Google's dominance of the Internet's lucrative search market has given it the means to threaten Microsoft in ways that few other companies can.
Google already has rankled Microsoft by luring some of its top employees and developing an online package of computer programs that provide an alternative to Microsoft's top-selling word processing, spreadsheet and calendar applications.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has been trying to thwart Google by investing billions of dollars to improve its own Internet search and advertising systems _ to little avail so far. In the past month or so, though, Microsoft has been winning positive reviews and picking up more users with its search upgrade, Bing.
Now Google is aiming for Microsoft's financial jugular with the Chrome operating system.
Microsoft has drawn much of its power _ and profits _ from the Windows operating system that has steered most personal computers for the past two decades. The research firm IDC estimates the Windows operating system and software applications designed to run on it accounted for about $29 billion, or 58 percent, of Microsoft's revenue last year.
Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, and its co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, have not concealed their disdain for Windows.
Schmidt maintains Microsoft sometimes unfairly rigs its operating system to limit consumer choices _ something that Microsoft has consistently denied doing. Google fears Microsoft could limit access to its search engine and other products if Windows is set up to favor Microsoft products.
Schmidt and Brin are expected to discuss Google's new operating system this week when they appear at a media conference hosted by Allen & Co. at the Sun Valley resort in Idaho. They had not arrived at the conference Wednesday afternoon as other participants finished up their lunch and set out for a whitewater rafting trip.
info came from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/08/google-chrome-os-new-pc-o_n_227513.html
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Dell Adamo XPS
STYLE
Thinnest laptop in the world at 9.99mm1
13.4-inch widescreen LED HD display
Elegantly matched external peripherals
CRAFTSMANSHIP
Opens with a stroke of your finger
Keyboard folds seamlessly into display
Unique angled design when open
Cool, quiet, solid state drive
Weighs a mere 3.2 lbs.
Metallic key cap, full-size keyboard
PERFORMANCE
1.4GHz Intel® Core™2 Duo ULV processor - delivering ultra-low-voltage mobile performance
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
4GB 800MHz DDR3 dual-channel memory2
Intel® Ultimate-N WiFi Link 5300 (802.11a/g/n) Half Mini card and Dell™ Bluetooth® 2.1 adapter
Up to 5 hours and 17 minutes with an optional extended battery life on a full charge3
info came from http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Dell+Adamo+XPS&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10
Sunday, November 15, 2009
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