Maximum PC - Maximum IT

Most Mobile Phones Will Have Browsers by 2015

Paul Lilly — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:14:43 +0000

Are you still rocking a mobile phone without a Web browser? If so, you'll be in the minority by 2015, according to a new study from ABI Research.

"Mobile browser are evolving along two paths," says senior analyst Mark Beccue. "On one hand, highly sophisticated browsers (which we are calling full Internet browsers) will be found in all smartphones and a growing number of enhanced (or feature) phones.

"Such devices can host these browsers because they have advanced application processors, expanded memory capacity, and adequate screen size and resolution."

"Parallel to this development, a new family of browsers has emerged: the proxy-based (or client-server or compression) browser, which is epitomized by the Opera Mini.

According to ABI Research, about 3.8 billion handsets will sport browsers inside by 2010, which will work out to over 60 percent of the installed base of mobile handsets.

iSuppli Optimistic about Semiconductor Growth

Paul Lilly — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:14:36 +0000

Market research firm iSuppli is adjusting its already positive outlook for the semiconductor industry, saying that revenue growth is poised to be even higher than originally forecast.

"The semiconductor market already was in for beefy growth in 2010 because of strong consumer demand for electronic products," observed Dale Ford, senior VP for iSuppli. "However, it's now apparent that semiconductor sales are getting an infusion of growth hormone in 2010 because of a number of factors, including rising prices, inventory buildups and richer chip content in key electronic products like smartphones and advanced LCD TVs. All this is causing chip revenues to bulge to awesome dimensions this year."

If iSuppli's crystal ball is to be believed, worldwide semiconductor revenues in 2010 will climb to $310.3 billion, up 35.1 percent from $229.6 billion in 2009. That's a fair amount more than the 30.9 percent growth rate iSuppli predicted earlier this year.

iSuppli's confidence in the semiconductor industry doesn't stop there. While some have compared the recent upswing to that of the year 2000 and warns that the bubble could again pop, iSuppli says these are two very different scenarios.

"The most common word that is heard in the last month regarding the economy and the semiconductor industry is 'double-dip,'" Ford observed. "Fears abound that the market's recent success is too good to be true and that an imminent correction is due. However, iSuppli does not agree with a double-dip outlook. Rather, iSuppli projects a return to more standard growth patterns in the second half of 2010 and into 2011 that will result in semiconductor revenue growth of 7% next year."

GE, Intel Form New Healthcare Company

Paul Lilly — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:14:28 +0000

GE and Intel have announced that they've entered into a definitive agreement to form a 50/50 joint venture to create a new healthcare company focused on telehealth and independent living.

The joint venture will combine assets of GE Healthcare's Home Health division with Intel's Digital Health Group, with both companies owning an equal share. Once formed, the new company will focus on developing and marketing products, services, and technologies focused on healthy, independent living at home and in assisted living communities around the globe.

"New models of care delivery are required to address some of the largest issues facing society today, including our aging population, increasing healthcare costs and a large number of people living with chronic conditions," said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini. "We must rethink models of care that go beyond hospital and clinic visits, to home and community-based care models that allow for prevention, early detection, behavior change and social support. The creation of this new company is aimed at accelerating just that."

Pending regulatory and otehr customary closing conditions, the two sides hope to have the joint venture completed by the end of the year.

Image Credit: Intel

U.S. Officials Charge Oracle with Fraud

Paul Lilly — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:07:04 +0000

The U.S. Department of Justice has Oracle in its sights and is slamming the software maker with a lawsuit accusing the company of committing fraud in conjunction with a government contract worth millions of dollars, CNET reports.

"We take seriously allegations that government contractor has dealt dishonestly with the United States," said Tony West, assistant attorney general for the civil division of the Department of Justice, in a statement. "When contractors misrepresent their business practices to the government, taxpayers suffers."

According the lawsuit, Oracle's government customers, such as the State Department, Energy Department, and even the Justice Department, to name a few, received deals "far inferior" to Oracle's commercial clients. The lawsuit goes on to allege that Oracle misrepresented its true commercial sales practices, thereby defrauding the U.S.

Image Credit: NEC

NEC Launches New LED-Backlit Monitor for Business Users

Paul Lilly — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:06:05 +0000

NEC this week added to its MultiSync display line with a new eco-friendly monitor the company says was designed with business users in mind.

"NEC is committed to continuing its strong leadership role within the industry by contributing to a greener environment with an eco-friendly display in the quickly-growing 23-inch category," said Lynn Gu, Product Manager for NEC Display Solutions. "The MultiSync E231W uses an LED-backlit panel to increase energy savings by up to 40 percent in comparison to conventional CCFL-backlit LCD monitors. This is especially beneficial for our business customers in this economic downturn."

The 23-inch panel boasts a widescreen LED-backlit display with a 1920 x 1080 HD screen resolution. It also comes with a number of green-inspired technologies, such as a carbon footprint meter and the Intelligent Power Manager (IPM), which NEC says helps conserve energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by switching to a lower power state or automatically powering down when you're not using the display.

The MultiSync E231W will ship in August for $299.

Image Credit: NEC

Microsoft Outs Pricing, Release Date for Office 2011 for Mac

Paul Lilly — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:05:31 +0000

According to Microsoft, Office 2011 for the Mac platform will land on store shelves at the end of October, and while that's a good two months away, Mac users will save a bundle over Office for Mac 2008.

The new version will come in two main flavors, including Office for Mac Home & Student Edition ($119 for a single install, $149 for a three-installation family pack), and Office for Mac Home & Business Edition 2011 ($199 for a single install, $249 for a two-installation multi-pack). By comparison, the latest version for Mac -- Office for Mac 2008 -- runs $149 for the Home Edition and $399 for the Business Edition.

All new versions will include Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Messenger for Mac, while the Home & Business and Academic editions will also include Outlook.

For those who just can't wait, Microsoft said that those who purchase a qualifying Office 2008 suite between now and November 30, 2010 will be eligible to download the new version at no cost. See here for terms and conditions.

VA Setting Aside Billions for IT

Paul Lilly — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:05:02 +0000

Over the next five years, the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) will make available to businesses at least $12 billion in IT contracts, an effort the VA says is intended to modernize its operations.

That's actually a decrease from the $3.5 billion the VA currently spends in IT. A new program called Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology, or T4, is changing the way the VA acquires technology, moving away from blanket contracts that General Services Administration negotiates with tech vendors and now doing its own purchasing.

The VA has canceled several IT projects lately that have fallen short of exceptions, including a recent $500 million project intended to modernize financial management systems. At the same time, the agency is hiring IT workers, with 200 of the 1,200 IT jobs being advertised by the federal government belonging to VA-related positions.

Microsoft to Release Emergency Windows Update

Paul Lilly — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:04:59 +0000

In a recent blog post, Dave Forstrom of the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) announced plans to release a security update later today to plug up a security hole discovered two weeks ago..

"We are releasing the bulletin as we've completed the required testing and the update has achieved the appropriate quality bar for broad distribution to customers," Forstrom wrote. "Additionally, we're able to confirm that, in the past few days, we've seen an increase in attempts to exploit the vulnerability. We firmly believe that releasing the update out of band is the best thing to do to help protect our customers."

The security hole, which Microsoft outlined in a recent advisory, involves Windows' mishandling of shortcuts in such a way that an attacker could gain access to a person's system when the user clicks a specially crafted shortcut. Security firm Sophos described the vulnerability as a "nasty" rootkit because of the way "it bypasses all Windows 7 security mechanisms, including UAC, and doesn't require administrative privilege to run."

Adobe Eyes Enterprise Expansion with Day Software Acquisition

Paul Lilly — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:04:11 +0000

Adobe announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Day Software, a move the company says is intended to strengthen its enterprise software solutions on the Web.

"Adobe’s acquisition of Day represents a key milestone in our efforts toward delivering best-in-class customer experience management solutions to enterprises and governments worldwide," said Rob Tarkoff, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Enterprise Solutions, Adobe. "With the addition of Day to our enterprise portfolio, we will be able to enhance the value of our offering and deliver on our vision of the web as the hub of customer interaction."

The two companies will operate as a product line within Adobe's Digital Enteprise Solutions Business Unit, with Day CEO Erik Hansen joining Adobe and reporting directly to Rob Tarkoff, Adobe said.

"We are excited to join Adobe and combine our expertise in WCM with technologies that create and deliver rich online and offline experiences leveraging the ubiquity of Flash and PDF," Hansen added. "We believe this is a winning combination for both Adobe and Day customers."

Image Credit: kval.com

HP Talks Up Cost-Saving Prefab Data Centers

Paul Lilly — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:03:09 +0000

Hewlett-Packard (HP) is pitching the use of prefabricated buildings as a way to cut the upfront cost of designing and constructing a data center in half, while having the added bonus of consuming less energy.

"Most people don't realize how expensive and how complicated data centers are," says Peter Gross, vice president and general manage of HP's Critical Facilities Services division. "To build a typical enterprise data center, for a midsize bank for instance, you're going to spend between $40 million and $100 million before the first server is even installed."

HP says it's Flexible Data Center offers a standardized, modular approach to designing and building data centers, and can be expanded as needed. It's based on a "butterfly" design featuring four prefabcricated quadrants, or modules, that branch off from a central administrative hub.

More info here.

Image Credit: HP