eWeek articles from May 2006

eWeek archives from May 2006

Amazon Switches to Microsoft from Google.
May 1, 2006... LOS ANGELES--Microsoft Corp. scored an important win against rival Google Inc. over the weekend, as Amazon.com began using its technology to power the Internet retailer's A9 search unit. Microsoft's new Windows Live is at the core of the...

Green Returns to Head Sun's Software Business.(Rich Green)(Sun Microsystems Inc.)
May 1, 2006... Former Sun Microsystems executive Rich Green is returning to the company to take on the role of executive vice president for software. Green has always been involved in the software industry, focusing on developers, their activities and...

Internet Explorer Security Problems Multiply.
May 1, 2006... The list of serious unpatched vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser keeps getting longer and longer. Less than a week after researcher Michal Zalewski went public with a new zero-day vulnerability that could be used in...

Trend Micro Updates Security Appliances.
May 1, 2006... Trend Micro announced the latest iterations of its VirusWall network security appliances, promising increased ability for administrators to locate and address potential systems vulnerabilities using the devices. Due to arrive in June, the...

Cryptography Rides to the Notaries' Rescue.
May 1, 2006... To those who grew up in the electronic age, notarization of documents has the odor of antiquity and obsolescence. It is an ancient practice, but ironically it serves purposes directly analogous to many of high priority for modern electronic...

Mom and Pop Camping Shop Gets E-Commerce Boost.(Campmor Inc. contracts with Tachyon Solutions Inc.)
May 1, 2006... Nature enthusiasts no longer have to make a major hike to take advantage of the vast array of camping, fishing, rock-climbing and canoeing supplies housed within the walls of outdoor specialty equipment retailer Campmor. Since...

Early 802.11n Products Are Touchy Subjects.(Linksys Group Inc.'s wireless LAN equipment being tested)
May 1, 2006... In eWEEK Labs' tests of Linksys' wireless LAN equipment based on Version 1.0 of the 802.11n draft specification, we found the products to be incredibly fast and incredibly picky. We spent hours trying to squeeze performance out of the...

Toll Lane Ahead for Internet Traffic?
May 1, 2006... Collier County, which is tucked in the southwest tip of hurricane-prone Florida, reaches deep into the Internet for its taxpaying customers: culling weather data to prepare for the frequent storms, Googling for tech support, even...

Watching for Sun's Next Move.(Sun Microsystems Inc.)
May 1, 2006... It's an annual question as JavaOne approaches--will Sun announce an open-source Java? This year, the question is being asked again, but with added significance, reports eWeek Senior Editor Peter Galli. Scott McNealy is out as CEO; Jonathan...

Microsoft Vies for Systems Clout.
May 1, 2006... It's been a year since Microsoft said it wanted to become a major player in the competitive enterprise systems management space. At the Microsoft Management Summit here April 24-28, the company introduced several offerings designed to bolster...

Intel Lays a Trap to Ensnare Hackers.
May 1, 2006... Intel wants to lay a virtual trap for hackers. The chip maker, which launched its vPro brand for business desktops April 24, aims to increase PC security by stepping up the vPro machines' ability to proactively guard against malware. ...

Oracle Lulls Fusion Fears.
May 1, 2006... Relieving the very real forced-migration fears of its acquired customer base--particularly PeopleSoft and JD Edwards software users--Oracle announced April 25 it will continue to develop its individual lines of software indefinitely. More...

Juniper Lifts Curtain on Its WAN Plans.(Juniper Networks Inc.)
May 1, 2006... Juniper Networks made it clear it wants to become a bigger player in the WAN optimization and application acceleration space when it bought Peribit Networks and Redline Networks in 2005, but it's since said little to enterprise customers about...

Symantec Touts Professional Anti-Phishing Effort.(Symantec Corp. acquired Wholesecurity)
May 1, 2006... Symantec is relaunching the anti-phishing industry group gained via its 2005 acquisition of WholeSecurity and promising to bring a more professional approach to the effort while signing on some well-known participants. Dubbed as the...

Database Systems Boost Compliance.
May 1, 2006... On the surface, change management database systems are gaining traction because of fast-spreading audits to check for compliance with regulations. At the core, however, is IT managers' need to track and manage device, operating system and...

Keeping Systems in Check.
May 1, 2006... Configuresoft's Enterprise Configuration Manager 4.8 is a well-conceived, very usable configuration management tool that tracks myriad data points from hundreds or even thousands of servers, workstations, desktops and laptop systems. With its...

The Buzz.(Amazon.com Inc. and information management)
May 1, 2006... BlogWatch Bezos' security Footnoted.org found an interesting tidbit in Amazon's proxy statement, which is the subject of the following April 20 post: "No doubt that CEOs need security these days, given the uncertainty of...

Gentoo, Linux? Yes, Sometimes.
May 1, 2006... Gentoo is a Linux distribution that succeeds in striking a balance between fine-grained configurability and ongoing manageability. Click here [link omitted] to read the full review of the Gentoo Foundation's Gentoo 2006.0. Gentoo is a...

First Products Show 802.11n's Promise.
May 1, 2006... Some of the first products based on 802.11n show the wireless standard's performance potential--and problems. During eWEEK Labs' tests, Linksys products based on Version 1.0 of the 802.11n draft standard were, indeed, fast--faster than anything...

How eWEEK Labs Tested: 802.11n.(Linksys Group Inc.'s router and network adapter)
May 1, 2006... Ordinarily, we conduct wireless throughput testing in our West Coast offices, intentionally subjecting wireless products to the crowded radio frequency environment that is downtown San Francisco. In testing the Linksys Wireless-N Broadband...

Wanted: Tech Visionaries.(Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Scott McNealy decision to step down)(Column)
May 1, 2006... In his 22 years as CEO of Sun Microsystems, Scott McNealy spanned at least four generations of technology that mirrored the evolution of the company. I suppose I would get some disagreement here, but I'd mark those four generations as follows:...

Wall Street Stares Down Linux.
May 1, 2006... Linux has momentum in the financial services industry, but it still has a few more hurdles to clear before winning over Wall Street. While Linux and open-source software got a resounding endorsement from a panel of vendors and investors...

EMC Rolls With Latest Tools.
May 1, 2006... EMC opened its technology summit at EMC World on April 24 by unveiling its newest resource management software and security offerings. The products are the latest in EMC's efforts to remake its storage technology and product portfolio with...

Parallels: Virtualization for Less.(Parallels Workstation 2.1)
May 1, 2006... Parallels' Parallels Workstation 2.1 is a desktop virtualization product that stands out for its low cost and broad operating system platform support. Click here [link omitted] to read the full review of Parallels' Parallels Workstation...

The Cost of Free Virtualization Wares.
May 1, 2006... Virtualization is hot because it's so useful. As if that wasn't enough, the word "free" frequently now accompanies virtualization, but, as we've come to understand, free can mean many things. To take a couple of pages from the open-source...

Juniper to Reveal Plan for Application Acceleration.(Juniper Networks Inc. acquired Peribit Networks Inc. and Redline Networks Inc.)
May 1, 2006... Juniper Networks' acquisitions in 2005 of Peribit Networks and Redline Networks signaled an intention to become a bigger player in the WAN optimization and application acceleration space. But the company has done little since to share with...

A Fresh Face on Standards?(Microsoft officials want to change that perception by putting a new face on the company's standards effort)
May 1, 2006... With recent complaints surfacing in courtrooms near and abroad over Microsoft's anti-competitive behavior, one might believe that the Redmond, Wash., software giant hasn't learned any lessons, especially when it comes to dealing with standards....

Evaluating Trusted Technologies.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Internet can be a nasty place, where network-facing server applications are subject to probes of potential evildoers in search of known (or, worse, unknown) vulnerabilities to exploit. Trusted operating system features, such as...

Cisco Pulls Advanced Routing Services Together.(Cisco Systems Inc.)
May 1, 2006... Cisco's 7200 Series Router--like a Swiss army knife--will get still more handy features to better handle the increasing demands coming from edge routers such as Cisco's newer Integrated Services Routers. Cisco at Interop on May 1 will...

Citrix, Coyote Point Think Big with App-Accelerator Platforms.(Citrix Systems Inc., Coyote Point Systems)
May 1, 2006... With the increasing number of Web applications enterprises are adding for internal use and the continued centralization of servers, performance demands on application-delivery controllers are skyrocketing. Two vendors at Interop the week of May...

Foundry Future-Proofs VOIP and Wireless.(Foundry Networks launched FastIron GS stackable edge switches)
May 1, 2006... Foundry Networks will sing a convergence tune at Interop as it prepares to release new switch products that support voice over IP and wireless. To help network managers prepare for a second wave of POE (Power over Ethernet) requirements...

Level 3 to Buy Communications Provider TelCove.(Level 3 Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK (Reuters)--Level 3 Communications Inc. said on Monday it agreed to buy privately-held TelCove Inc. for $1.08 billion in cash and stock in a deal that gives it an extended land-line network and wireless airwaves licenses. Level 3,...

Microsoft Puts Money Behind Web Strategy Talk.
May 1, 2006... SEATTLE (Reuters)--Microsoft Corp. is backing up its talk of investing in Web services with cash, months after chairman Bill Gates called the company to arms over an Internet "sea change" in which software and services become delivered over the...

NetBank Says May Sell Mortgage Servicing Platform.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... NEW YORK (Reuters)--Online banking company NetBank Inc. said Monday that it is pursuing a possible sale of its mortgage servicing platform together with most of its portfolio of mortgage servicing rights. NetBank said its management...

MSN: Money Pit or (Not So) Secret Weapon?(Microsoft investment plans for 2007)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Is Microsoft's MSN unit a bottomless money pit, or the strategic lynchpin upon which the company's future depends? The answer depends on what you think of Microsoft's budget for 2007. Many Microsoft watchers are still reeling over...

Rhode Island Embarks on Wireless Network.(Rhode Island Wireless Innovation Networks)
May 1, 2006... PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (Reuters)--America's smallest state is seeking to become its first to offer a wireless broadband network from border to border. Backers of Rhode Island's $20 million project say it would improve services and make...

SAP Pumps Up Virtual Iron.(Virtual Iron Software get funds from SAP Ventures)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Virtual Iron continues to garner support from industry heavyweights, announcing May 1 additional venture funding from software giant SAP. The Lowell, Mass., company, which offers products aimed at virtualizing data center environments,...

Will Web Apps Need COPEing Mechanisms?
May 1, 2006... The Internet is progressing toward "a future of control in large part exercised by technologies of commerce, backed by the rule of law." So wrote Lawrence Lessig in 1999, adding: "The challenge of our generation is to reconcile these two...

Who Cares About Open-Source Java?(Sun Microsystems Inc.)
May 1, 2006... Sun Microsystems has cried wolf a few too many times. Recent word that Sun is planning to open-source Java or some part of it generated a big yawn on my part. I might have been interested a few years ago. But now I say, Who cares? How many...

Pet Supply Manufacturer Finds the Purr-Fect CRM Fix.
May 1, 2006... The volume of calls that came into its customer care center threatened to make Radio Systems employees feel about as uncomfortable as a dog ravaged with fleas. After all, the manufacturer of pet containment systems, electronic pet doors,...

Oracle Slams Shut the Data Vault.(Oracle Database Vault)
May 1, 2006... Oracle's new database Vault technology restricts data access rights of even powerful users, while its new encryption technology, Secure Backup, encrypts data to tape. Oracle introduced two new security tools on April 25: Database Vault,...

The Microsoft Comedy Channel.
May 1, 2006... And now for something completely different--not!" tittered the Tabby, as the Microsofties queued up, once again, a golden oldie video at the Microsoft Management Summit in San Diego. It's not Spamalot, but the video, which was presented during...

Another Patent Lawsuit Sours BlackBerry.(Visto case aganist Research In Motion for patent infringement )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Visto, a wireless e-mail software maker, says it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Research In Motion, the makers of BlackBerry devices. Visto says it thinks the case at hand is bolstered by its recent victory in a federal...

Levi's New Style: RFID.(Radio-frequency identification technology)
May 1, 2006... Radio-frequency identification technology, also known as RFID, has its supporters and detractors. Both groups now have something to talk about. A working group of major companies--IBM is the charter member--and advocacy groups announced...

RIM Says Visto Patent Complaint Invalid.(Research In Motion Inc.)
May 1, 2006... There is an updated version of this story available. For the most recent version, click here [link omitted]. TORONTO (Reuters)--Research In Motion said on Monday it is again being sued for patent infringement, less than two months after...

Gentoo, Linux? Yes, Sometimes.
May 1, 2006... Gentoo is a Linux distribution that succeeds in striking a balance between fine-grained configurability and ongoing manageability. Click here [link omitted] to read the full review of the Gentoo Foundation's Gentoo 2006.0. Gentoo is a...

Telecom Layoffs Continue to Decline.
May 2, 2006... Telecommunications sector job cuts fell almost 30 percent in the first four months of 2006, from 37,118 to 26,418, according to data released May 2 by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement consultancy. A total of 315,566 jobs...

EDS Reports Higher Quarterly Profit.(Electronic Data Systems Corp.)(Brief article)
May 2, 2006... BOSTON (Reuters)--Computer-services company Electronic Data Systems Corp. on Tuesday reported higher quarterly profit and revenue. EDS, the world's No. 2 computer-services company after International Business Machines Corp., reported...

Adobe Sees Net at Low End of Range, Shares Off 7 Percent.(Adobe Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
May 2, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters)--Design software maker Adobe Systems Inc. said on Tuesday it sees second-quarter profit and revenue at the low end of its previous targets, sending the company's shares down 7 percent after hours. The company, which...

Samsung Launches First Ultramobile Tablet PC.(Samsung Electronics Company Ltd.)
May 2, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO--Samsung Electronics on May 1 launched its Q1 here--not the company's latest quarterly earnings results, but its first ultramobile PC. The device is the first using the "Origami" mini-Tablet reference design from Microsoft and...

Solaris 10 to Get Its New 128-Bit File System.
May 2, 2006... Users of Sun Microsystems' supported Solaris 10 operating system will finally get the new 128-bit ZFS (zettabyte file system), which brings virtually unlimited data capacity. Sun executives will use the Network Computing event in Washington...

Microsoft Should Give BitLocker Encryption to All.
May 2, 2006... Here's a spring SAT question for the IT executive: When it comes to Windows Vista upgrades, is Microsoft more like the Internal Revenue Service or an Atlantic City casino? Regardless of whether you work for a large, midsize or small...

Intel to Spend $1 Billion to Push Net in Poor Nations.(Brief article)
May 2, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters)--Intel Corp. said on Tuesday it plans to spend $1 billion to promote Internet use and computer training in developing countries, the latest move in the No. 1 chip maker's effort to break into new markets. The...

China's Latest Cellphone Fad Rings Up Big Bucks.
May 2, 2006... HONG KONG (Reuters)--Peng Shan, a spirited 21-year-old Beijing design student, changes her cellphone 's ringback tones as often as people change clothes, part of a growing fad that's delivering piles of cash to China's mobile carriers. ...

Sun Rolls Out New Storage Products in Data Push.(Sun Microsystems Inc.)
May 2, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters)--Sun Microsystems Inc. on Monday announced new data storage hardware and software offerings, broadening its focus on the fast-growing storage industry and aiming to build on its $4.1 billion acquisition of Storage...

Startup Finds New Ways to Free Up Application Bottlenecks.
May 2, 2006... To date application accelerators have addressed performance bottlenecks in front of the Web server. Startup Crescendo Networks on May 1 at Interop in Las Vegas introduced new technology that deals with the bottlenecks behind the Web server. ...

Verizon Profit Falls; Wireless Growth Boosts Sales.(Verizon Communications Inc. acquired MCI Inc.)
May 2, 2006... NEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters)--Verizon Communications Inc., the biggest U.S. telephone company, said on Tuesday its quarterly profit fell on merger costs, but revenue rose 25 percent, boosted by strong growth in its wireless business and its recent...

'Doom' Creators to Unleash New Mobile Game.(Electronic Arts Inc.)(Brief article)
May 2, 2006... LOS ANGELES (Reuters)--Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. on Tuesday said it will offer "Orcs & Elves," a fantasy role-playing game from the makers of the blockbuster "Doom" titles, to Verizon Wireless customers later this month. ...

Would Another Vista Delay Matter?(Microsoft Windows Vista)(Brief article)
May 2, 2006... If yet another Windows release date falls by the wayside, would anyone care? That's the question that Microsoft watchers are asking, as Microsoft comes into the home stretch with its Windows Vista release. Researchers with the Gartner...

Helio Launches Into MySpace Orbit.
May 2, 2006... The long-awaited Helio mobile phone carrier launched today with their first two phones and a raft of multimedia services aimed at the "lifestyle of young people," according to a statement by founder Sky Dayton. I saw Helio's two phones,...

Security Watch: The Fake Internet Lottery Jackpot is... All Your Money!(Brief article)
May 2, 2006... The Watch There's another zero-day attack on Internet Explorer. There are conflicting claims about how serious it is, but read about how serious it could be in the Zero-Day IE Attack section. Everyone's got their own names for malware...

US Finance Sector Puts Web Pricing in Cross Hairs.
May 2, 2006... WASHINGTON (Reuters)--The U.S. financial sector, a powerful force in Washington, may be gearing up to jump into a Capitol Hill fight over the future of the Internet and stop an effort it says could add billions in costs just to maintain current...

Microsoft, SAP Ramp Up, Rename Mendocino.
May 2, 2006... The courtship between Microsoft and SAP is growing more amorous by the day. The two companies announced May 2 that they will offer almost double the functionality initially outlined for Mendocino 1.0--before the joint development project even...

Microsoft-Google Browser War Doubles Down.
May 2, 2006... High-profile employees at Microsoft and Yahoo say rival Google's complaints to authorities about a supposed unfair Microsoft practice is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. These are relatively new voices to the debate, raging in...

Homeland Security Audit Flags 'Critical' Linux Bug.
May 2, 2006... An open-source security audit program funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has flagged a critical vulnerability in the X Window System which is used in Unix and Linux systems. Coverity, the San Franciso-based company managing...

Apple Renews Flat-Rate iTunes Music Contracts.(Apple Computer Inc. iTunes Music Store)(Brief article)
May 2, 2006... LONDON (Reuters)--Apple Computer has renewed contracts with the world's four largest music companies to sell songs through its iTunes Music Store, after blocking their attempts to end iTunes' flat-rate pricing scheme, Apple said on Tuesday. ...

Computer Literacy Isn't Kid Stuff.
May 2, 2006... The label of "computer literacy" isn't useful for much besides inducing taxpayers to spend too much on irrelevant classroom technology. It can be used to describe a working knowledge of the generic menu-driven interface of file and edit...

SPARQL Will Make the Web Shine.
May 2, 2006... I've been writing about the Semantic Web for a few years now--pretty much ever since I first read about it in Tim Berners-Lee's 1999 book, "Weaving the Web." During that time, I've been excited about the possibilities of the Semantic Web....

Microsoft Settles California Antitrust Claims.(Brief article)
May 2, 2006... SEATTLE--Microsoft Corp. tentatively agreed to pay $70 million in vouchers to several California municipalities to settle an antitrust claim that it used its market dominance to overcharge government customers, plaintiff lawyers said on...

Readers Respond: Net Neutrality for All.
May 2, 2006... Regarding your April 17 Our View, "Net Neutrality for All," one thing we often overlook is that Uncle Sam and his state and municipal cousins, brothers and sisters, for all intents and purposes, are still dependent on what used to be (and is...

FDA to Require Standard Language on Electronic Drug Labels.(Food and Drug Administration)
May 2, 2006... To find drug information about heart attacks, a physician should remember to search not just for "heart attack" but also for "MI," "infarct" and "myocardial infarction." Automated, electronic ways to access drug information can miss or...

Eager IT Leaders Could Swallow Security Industry.
May 2, 2006... With industry experts predicting a wave of consolidation across the security applications sector, the continued efforts of the IT industry's largest players to bake more defense features into their products could accelerate the rapid shifts in...

IBM Buys BuildForge to Help Developers Meet Compliance Mandates.(International Business Machines Corp.)(Brief article)
May 2, 2006... IBM on May 2 announced its acquisition of BuildForge, a maker of software to help automate software development processes. Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM acquired BuildForge to bolster its Rational business unit. In addition to automating software...

Survey: HIPAA Compliance Drops, Patient Concerns Grow.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)
May 2, 2006... Fewer hospitals and health care facilities are complying with federal laws to protect patient privacy, and more patients are refusing to sign forms to release health information, according to a survey by the American Health Information...

As IT Certifications Devalue, Vendors Up the Ante.
May 2, 2006... A recent research report by Foote Partners, a New Canaan, Conn.-based management consultancy firm, found that noncertified IT skills have been growing in value at a rate nearly two times that of certified skills. A new follow-up report...

Outspoken Saudi Bloggers Wary of "Official" Group.(Official Community of Saudi bloggers)
May 3, 2006... RIYADH (Reuters)--Outspoken bloggers in ultraconservative Saudi Arabia said this week they fear that a new "official community" of Saudi bloggers was an attempt to threaten their freedom and anonymity. The Internet has become a vibrant...

US FTC Sues Companies for Selling Phone Records.(Federal Trade Commission)
May 3, 2006... WASHINGTON (Reuters)--U.S. authorities said on Wednesday they had filed suit against five online companies, charging they had illegally sold confidential phone records. The Federal Trade Commission said it is asking a court to bar the sale...

Qwest Posts Higher Quarterly Profit.(Qwest Communications International Inc.)(Brief article)
May 3, 2006... NEW YORK (Reuters)--Qwest Communications International Inc., the fourth-largest U.S. local telephone company, on Wednesday posted a higher quarterly profit as revenue rose on growth in its high-speed Internet services. Profit was $88...

Nokia Starts Shipping BlackBerry Rival.(Nokia E61)(Brief article)
May 3, 2006... HELSINKI (Reuters)--Nokia has started deliveries of its E61 business phone with full keyboard, a model directly competing with RIM's BlackBerry device, the world's largest handset maker said on Wednesday. "First deliveries started late...

McAfee Granted Wireless Update Patent.(Brief article)
May 3, 2006... McAfee said Monday that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had awarded it a patent regarding methods to update computer files on mobile devices. The company says that the technology could be used to update a file on a mobile device with a...

Skype Plans Web-Phone Conversations for Groups.
May 3, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters)--Web phone-calling company Skype is bringing social networking to crowds as it unveils a service for groups of up to 100 people to hold spontaneous conversations online. The international phone-calling service, which...

HP Unveils Cool Fan Design.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)
May 3, 2006... Hewlett-Packard will roll out a more powerful and efficient fan design in summer 2006 for its blade servers that was inspired by devices used in some remote-controlled model airplanes. HP's Active Cool Fans design will first appear in the...

Borland Lays Off 20% of Work Force.(Borland Software Corp.)
May 3, 2006... Borland Software has announced a new organizational structure, including the layoff of about 300 employees, or 20 percent of the company's work force. Borland, based in Cupertino, Calif., announced its new structure on May 3, saying the...

Why IT Certs Don't Add Up.
May 3, 2006... Here's a good recipe for combustion: Take one survey on IT certifications, discover that these credentials could be viewed as a waste of money and then tell a bunch of techies that all those acronyms following their names are just about...