The Smartest, Dumbest Tech Moves of '07
Overall, the industry did several things right and wrong this year. But here's what Network World readers, columnists, bloggers and testers say are the absolute smartest and dumbest moves of 2007 -- and why they matter.
Joanne Cummings, Network World
Overall, the industry did several things right and wrong this year. But here'sf what Network World readers, columnists, bloggers and testers say are the absolute smartest and dumbest moves of 2007 -- and why they matter.
Smartest
1. Google's OpenSocial API and Android phone operating system. Google continues to make all the right moves. "Google has become one of the companies people look to to determine where the industry is headed. It is a force," says Josh Hinkle, manager of network management and security for the American Heart Association, in Camp Hill, Pa. "Like with Android, everyone anticipated Google coming out with its own GPhone, and it basically did the opposite. It went open source and is working with all these partners."
Tom Nolle, president of CIMI and a Network World columnist, agrees, pointing to the OpenSocial API as a smart move. "It was clever. By opening up the API, it is going to be able to build a market."
2. VMware IPO. "VMware has just been smart and right on target time after time," says Joel Snyder, senior partner at OpusOne and a Network World tester. "From a financial standpoint, it was really smart of EMC to spin it out and get all that cash. I'm sure the EMC CFO is getting a nice bonus at the end of the year and some high-fives from shareholders."
3. SCO suit gets slapped down. "The judge slapping down SCO in the SCO vs. IBM/Novell lawsuit was the smartest move," says Andreas Antonopoulos, founding partner at Nemertes Research and a Network World columnist. "It was a completely frivolous lawsuit by SCO against Linux when it sued IBM and Novell for intellectual property infringement and then failed to prove it. It was great that it got dismissed."
4. FCC's franchise order. "The smartest move was the FCC's franchise order, when it said the franchise law the cable companies had used to protect their incumbency in video is anti-consumer and anti-competitive," Nolle says. "The whole idea of IPTV and telco video would not have happened if that process had not gone forward."
5. Cisco's move into software with the WebEx acquisition. "That's smart because software lets the company add differentiable features to its products and it's getting a better level of strategic engagement with the customer," Nolle says. (See related story, "Three IT deals that matter.")
Dumbest
1. Funding of social networks. "No one has ever really done a study on the effectiveness of social network sites," Nolle says.
"Where is the return going to come from? What are we doing?" Snyder agrees. "One of the stupidest moves is Microsoft investing in Facebook," he says. "I personally think social networking sites are extremely trendy and there is no reason why there won't be another company coming up in a few weeks that everyone will just abandon Facebook and go to. It's just a trend as opposed to this is a fundamentally great product."
2. Comcast vs. the Bible. An Associated Press test in which researchers tried to download the Bible via BitTorrent proved Comcast was blocking BitTorrent content, whether it was copyrighted or not. "It was just a beautiful bit of PR on the AP researchers' side," Antonopoulos says. "And messing with the protocol in the way Comcast did with forged TCP packets was a dumb move, especially when the net neutrality issue is dying down."
3. Apple alienates iPhone users. "Hands down the dumbest move of the year," Hinkle says. "When it dropped the price [from the original $599 to $399], it didn't take care of their early adopters and just gave them a gift card to the Apple store. Very un-Steve Jobs like. A $100 gift card is a Microsoft move." (See related story, "Why one little gadget matters so much.")
4. Companies that don't encrypt their laptops. After high-profile cases such as those at the TJX Companies, Monster.com and the Department of Veterans Affairs, eschewing encryption is the height of idiocy. "Any company that's not doing that gets a bid for stupidest company of the year," Snyder says. (For an idea of how widespread this form of stupidity still is, see PrivacyRights.org's chronology of breaches, featuring at least 10 examples in the last two months.)
5. Ghost-bloggers. "Companies that have been posting fake blogs in which marketing communications writes it under the guise of the CEO are stupid," says Sue Hanley, an independent consultant and a Microsoft Subnet blogger. "There's no excuse for that now." Especially when Sun's Jonathan Schwartz shows that a CEO can blog and blog well.
Cummings is a freelance writer in North Andover, Mass. She can be reached at jocummings@comcast.net.
For more information about enterprise networking, go to NetworkWorld. Story copyright 2007 Network World Inc. All rights reserved.
Customers wait in line to purchase the Wii game console outside the Nintendo store in midtown Manhattan, New York, November 21, 2007.
(Brendan McDermid/Reuters)
In this photo provided by Nintendo Co., Wii Sports video game systems are shown Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007, as they pass through the company's distribution center in North Bend, Wash. Nintendo says it has tripled its distribution workforce to meet consumer demand for the holidays.
(AP Photo/Nintendo Co., Corky Trewin)
People try out the Wii console at a media event east of Tokyo, October 10, 2007. Nintendo and telecoms operator NTT's regional units said they would cooperate in Japan to promote the broadband Internet access for the hot-selling Wii game console.
(Yuriko Nakao/Reuters)
(Credit: Nintendo of America)
The Nintendo Wii launched more than a year ago, and the system is still incredibly hard to find. This long after the system started shipping, people are still camping in front of stores as soon as they hear about new shipments.
Friday morning, Nintendo of America's president and CEO, Reggie Fils-Aime, held a telephone press conference to address the continuing shortage of the Wii.
Fils-Aime said Nintendo hadn't expected as much demand for the Wii as they're getting. Since the launch, he claimed, Nintendo has almost doubled its global production from 1 million to 1.8 million Wiis per month, and tripled its workforce at Nintendo of America's North Bend, Wash., distribution center. The Nintendo president wouldn't say whether Nintendo would further increase its Wii production, but he denied any claims that Nintendo is stockpiling Wiis.
"There was no ability for us to stockpile systems in the summer for the holiday rush," Fils-Aime said. "Enough systems would make everyone, including me, much happier."
According to Fils-Aime, Wiis will be available next week at all major retailers. If past patterns are any indication, however, that "availability" will be limited to shoppers willing to camp out before stores open on Sunday or Monday morning. Since Christmas is just two weeks away, you're probably still going to have some difficulty finding a Wii.
While that seems to be the biggest hope for Christmas Wiis, Reggie also announced a raincheck program in conjunction with GamesStop to get more Wiis out to shoppers in January. Even if Wiis are out of stock, on December 20 and 21, consumers will be able to purchase them for January.
On those two days, if you put down the full retail price of the Wii at a GameStop, you'll receive a raincheck guaranteeing you a Wii in January. The rainchecks will be available only as supplies last, but Fils-Aime said GameStop has "many tens of thousands" of rainchecks available across its 3,000+ stores. Perhaps the Wii-hungry will be camping out next week to get a raincheck for a Wii next month. We'll find out by next Friday.
"We went into the launch with very high expectations," Fils-Aime said. "What we didn't expect was to throw out the whole playbook and essentially create a whole new level of sell-through for this industry. You can't plan for that."
We had a pretty good idea that a new iPhone would be coming in 2008, but what will it look like?
A report from Goldman Sachs Wednesday spotted by AppleInsider doesn't exactly shed much more light on that subject, but says that Apple is gearing up to deliver two new iPhones next year. The first one sounds like it will be just a storage upgrade with more flash memory in the first half of the year, while the second half of the year should bring the long-awaited 3G iPhone, according to the report.
Not one, but two iPhones could be released next year, according to Goldman Sachs.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Both Apple CEO Steve Jobs and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson have indicated that 2008 is the year for the 3G iPhone, so that's not much of a surprise. An iPhone that could connect to 3G (third-generation) data networks would allow for faster download speeds, but Apple has held off on introducing such a model to this point because of concerns over battery life, according to Jobs.
Goldman also thinks that Apple is getting ready to introduce a newer version of Apple TV, which had a disappointing first year. But the report doesn't make much sense; it says Apple is going to attach an LCD screen to Apple TV. Maybe I'm missing something very obvious, and feel free to point it out below, but I just can't fathom why Apple would want to do that. Apple TV's problems have nothing to do with the lack of a display.
Anyway, the report also says that Goldman can't find as much evidence of the long-rumored ultraportable notebook that's supposedly on tap for Macworld, saying that "possible design issues" might have delayed that model. Just another day in the Apple rumor business.
Specifically, Warner's said Batman Begins will be up before 2008, with the older Batman Forever and the horrifying Batman & Robin, Analyze That and - yes! - Miss Congeniality also appearing on Xbox Live before you have to go back to work in the New Year. Hopefully this means other movie companies will sign up and regularly update the list of available films on 360's Video Store, as there's very little to watch up there right now.
Pricing for the online movies starts at 250 points for something rubbish and old from the 1980s like Risky Business in standard definition, increasing to 540 points if you want to spend quite a while downloading the 6.9GB HD version of 70s serial killer film Zodiac. You 'd better not be on a capped internet service if you're planning to watch some HD movies tonight...
Although with Xbox 360 now able to stream and play vast piles of pirated material thanks to getting DivX support in its last dash update, surely the more tech-aware 360 owners will be sticking to using Bittorrent for their movie releases?
Tips and tools for saving printer ink, plus free password management utilities--and informative wildlife videos.
Steve Bass
Even though I buy recycled and remanufactured printer cartridges, I'm still stunned by the cost. So short of shoplifting, I'll try practically anything to save ink.
There are two tricks I use. The first isn't perfect, but it won't cost you a thing.
When I print from a Web site, I always highlight the material on the page that I want to print and choose Selection in the print dialog box. That way chances are good I won't get stuck printing everything on the page.
Unfortunately, chances are also good that I'll pick up stuff I don't want--like a graphic. I might also end up printing an extra page with the tail end of the Web page, say, the "contact us" info.
Two Printer Tools
So the second trick is to use a utility to ensure that doesn't happen. True, it'll cost about the same as buying an inkjet cartridge. But the programs I talk about here give you a preview of exactly what will print, and let you delete specific pages before they're sent to the printer. And both tools have trial versions, so you can see whether they'll work for you before paying for them.
The first program is FinePrint, the $50 tool I've used for almost a decade. It has a plethora of features, including a way to use a two-, four-, or eight-up layout, which is ideal for printing drafts.
The other program is GreenPrint, which costs $35. Among other things, it lets you transform any page you're about to print into a PDF document. It also uses special fonts that fit more text on a page--without making it difficult to read. Kirk Steers explains how to save money with this nifty-sounding print utility.
While you're reading, take a look at a free Internet-based printing tool from Hewlett-Packard. Read "A New Way to Print Any Document on the Road" for details.
Useful, Free Tools to Manage Your Passwords
I'm a RoboForm fan, to the extent that I'd give up a browser if it was incompatible with the program. Read "RoboForm Eliminates Password Post-Its" to learn about the program.
I encourage you to download the free version to try it out. I've seen the Pro version (RoboForm Pro Password Manager & Form Filler) for as low as $24 online. I can guarantee that once you get through the short learning curve, you'll rely on RoboForm the way I do.
If you're not willing to open your wallet, you might want to try KeePass. It's free, open source, and has many of RoboForm's functions.
Here's something profound: "The more complex you make your passwords, the harder they are to crack... but the harder they are to remember." That's from the makers of CloakPass, a smart, free utility that handles the job of making your simple-to-remember password something extraordinarily difficult for a hacker to break.
Here's how it works: Head for a Web site that requires a login. Type an easy-to-remember password into the password field--say, stevebass--and hit Enter. CloakPass automatically transforms your simple password into a difficult-to-hack version. No matter when you visit the site, provided CloakPass is in your system tray, your simple password is transformed into something like Zf12#$6KYb8.
Once you get start using the program, you'll find it most useful on those sacred sites like banks, PayPal, eBay--anywhere where your concern level is high. For the rest, I recommend using RoboForm.
I tried the free version of CloakPass. The Standard version is $20 and the Pro version is $30; each provides extra features, such as symbols like @#%*. You might not find these extras necessary, unless, of course, you work for the FBI or NSA.
Read the CloakPass Getting Started page and FAQ to get a better idea how the program works.
REVIEW
Nintendo's next-generation console is finally here, bringing significant advances to the gaming world. While it lacks the HD (high-definition) graphics, hard disk and Blu-ray Disc drive that distinguish the upcoming Sony PlayStation 3 (don't expect to see this released in the UK until March 2007), the Wii has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Graphically the console seems to match – if not slightly surpass – the PS2. However, the Wii's standard-definition graphics leave it some way behind the PS3, which recently upgraded its graphics output to an impressive 1,080p HD, and Xbox 360.
But the Wii regains the initiative with its innovative controls. The Wii Remote (or 'Wiimote') fully immerses you in the game with its force-feedback technology and motion sensing. The latter means you must mime the actions while playing a game. Play a golf game, for instance, and you'll need to hold the controller as if it were a golf club.
You can bolt on an additional joystick-style controller called the Nunchuk to expand your options. In boxing titles, you can use the Wiimote as one glove and the Nunchuk as another.
In practice, the control system is wildly addictive, and everyone will want a go. Wii Sports is included with the console, and this demonstrates the genius of the controller. However, you may also wish to invest in a ‘classic' controller for more conventional games, such as fast-paced fighting titles.
Other games available will include Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy and Wario Ware. But Wii isn't just about games. The console also includes Wi-Fi (but not ethernet) and can display photos, although the standard-definition drive can't yet play films – Nintendo and Sonic Solutions are working on that one.
You can browse the web and shop at gaming stores – you can even download (for a fee) classic games from previous consoles, including NES, SNES and Nintendo 64.
Verdict
Those looking for HD graphics and Blu-ray capabilities should wait for the PS3. But we think the Nintendo Wii, a fun console with a refreshingly different controller, will have a wide appeal – especially among casual gamers.
Danny Allen and Robin Morris
REVIEW
Microsoft's Xbox 360 Elite is here, and this version of the sleek game console offers more than just cosmetic improvements. The unit's bolstered specs - such as a 120GB hard disk drive and an HDMI 1.2 connector, perfect for today's high-def TVs - mean more room to store digital content, and a better way to view high-definition content.
This update of the current Xbox 360 won't make sense for every gamer to upgrade to, but HDMI capability alone makes the Elite a more-appealing option if you're planning on buying your first Xbox. The new console went on sale in the US yesterday, and retails at $480. To buy it online into the UK currently costs around £350-£400, however.
Our first impressions of this new iteration of Microsoft's two-year-old game console are generally positive - particularly with regard to the dramatically improved integration of the optional Xbox HD DVD Player, and the improved image quality offered by HDMI (the differences are there, albeit not as striking as one might expect).
The Xbox 360 Elite differs from the current Xbox 360 in ways beyond cosmetic finish. Black, however, really can be slimming - even in the context of an inanimate game console. The matte-black Xbox 360 Elite manages to look more svelte than its off-white predecessor.
Looks aren't everything, though. While we can appreciate that the Xbox 360 Elite will blend in better with the rest of your entertainment components, we're more interested in the unit's bolstered specs and what those new features will let us do. We were also interested to see how the unit handled - especially with regard to high-definition movie playback.
Breezy setup
Initial setup of the Xbox 360 Elite is a snap. Simply choose the language and establish your Xbox Live account or migrate an existing one.
From there, you can select the High Definition Settings option for choosing the optimal audio and video for high definition.
This option is prominently displayed on the console's screen, and we applaud its inclusion since many users will use the Xbox 360 Elite on a high-definition TV. However, choosing this option is a bit disappointing. It deposits you into the Console Settings panel, directly into the display settings. Adio was just one of many console settings we could adjust below that. We'd expected to go to a menu that unified setting the audio and video for high-def.
The menu showed our current, default setting for the display - 1080i wide-screen. We next drilled down two more levels within the menu, so I could select the HDTV setting. We chose 1080p, to match the resolution of the Pioneer Elite Pro FHD-1 50in plasma display we were using. The menu also has an option to select screen format, but on the unit we tested, that option was grayed out.
We then moved back to adjust the audio settings, to select the digital output. The default setting here was for Dolby Digital 5.1; however, you can also choose digital stereo or Dolby Digital with WMA Pro. The onscreen display warns you that you can get only digital audio output through certain connectors - you must use an Xbox 360 Component HD, Advanced SCART, S-Video, or VGA HD AV cable to get digital output.
Strangely, though, the menu doesn't make any mention of the HDMI AV cable, despite the cable coming with the Xbox 360 Elite (that inclusion is a nice touch since the cable could be expensive). That omission also means that the unit's setup makes no mention of what kind of audio you can expect to recieve over HDMI.
(We're awaiting confirmation on what audio the Elite can support over HDMI; if it's limited to the same stated specs as within the menu options, though, that would be a major disappointment - especially considering that many HD DVD movie titles have shipped with multichannel Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus audio tracks.)
Specs boost
On paper, the new Xbox 360 has several advantages over the existing Xbox console. Hard drive capacity has jumped from 20GB to 120GB - a huge benefit if you plan to use the Xbox for lots of movie and music downloads via Xbox Live. The unit also now has an HDMI 1.2 interface; HDMI is the optimal interconnect for high-definition video playback, and can present a better image (at up to 1080p resolution) than can component video (limited to 1080i output on the Xbox 360) or VGA (at 1080p).
The system ships with a matching black wireless controller, which Microsoft rates as usable up to a 30ft range. The Xbox 360 Elite also ships with a plethora of included cables: the aforementioned HDMI AV cable; the Component HD AV cable with component, S-Video, and composite audio inputs; an audio adaptor for composite audio and optical audio inputs; a headset; and an ethernet cable.
Trying to transfer content from your current Xbox? You'll have to procure the Hard Drive Transfer Cable (for moving content from your existing 20GB Xbox to the Xbox 360 Elite). Also missing from the box's bundled contents: a remote control. You'll have to buy one separately.
High-def movie playback
We were interested to see how Microsoft handled playing HD DVD movies on the Elite. In our informal hands-on testing of the console with Microsoft's HD DVD Player add-on drive, we could see some notable improvements over its predecessor, specifically in integration and image quality.
The Xbox 360 Elite and the HD DVD drive enjoy vastly tighter integration which, in turn, results in a far more seamless experience than you might have had with the Xbox 360.
Now, you don't even have to install a driver disc for the HD DVD drive - just plug it in, and the Elite recognises the drive. Once connected, if you move down to the open tray graphic on screen, it lets you open the tray for the Xbox 360, or for the HD DVD drive.
Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite
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We found that HD DVD image quality on the movies we tested over an HDMI connection (and at 1080p resolution) appeared slightly better as compared to the Xbox 360 over component video (at 1080i resolution). Images were noticeably sharper when compared with the Xbox 360's images over component video at 720p resolution.
We noticed that those images were a little bit more crisp, and had a smidgeon more depth and detail in the costumes in The Phantom of the Opera, for example; and a brick wall in Mission Impossible: 3's chapter 7 - which was a problem spot for the Xbox 360 - rendered smoothly. Some colours seemed off, though; at times, I noticed in both of those movies skin tones redder than I would expect, for example.
HDMI and 1080p resolution may make less of an impact on how games appear than it does on how movies appear. This is because many games were created at 720p resolution; by contrast, all HD DVD movies are encoded at 1080p.
While we're not yet convinced that the Xbox 360 Elite would match the image quality of a dedicated HD DVD player, we look forward to doing a side-by-side comparison (as well as to checking out how the Xbox 360 Elite handles upconverting standard-def DVDs).
More important, we don't see anyone buying the Xbox 360 Elite solely for its high-def video playback. Its $480 price tag - not counting the extra $200 or so you'll pay for a HD DVD Player add-on drive - positions the Xbox 360 Elite squarely at the gamer audience. High-def playback over HDMI may be a nice bonus for movie playback, but only if you intend to buy the Xbox 360 Elite for multiple purposes.
Verdict
If you haven't jumped on the Xbox bandwagon just yet, but had planned to (Halo 3, anyone?), the Xbox 360 Elite merits your consideration. The inclusion of the 120GB hard drive, HDMI, and full 1080p support may make this console pricey, but it's also a much more attractive option than its predecessor.
Melissa J Perenson
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The great news is there are tons of choices that will help you keep that gizmo looking brand new.
The choices these days are dizzying. Some are quite fashionable, like an all pink patent leather-look Liz Claiborne cell phone case.
If you love the look of your phone, there are clear, hard plastic cases. The advantage is that if you drop them, it's the case that's scratched, not the phone.
There's also one that's like a mini wet suit, giving your phone the same protection as a scuba diver or a surfer.
For those who own this year's number one electronics fashion statement, the iPhone, there's a new line of thin plastic skins called BodyGuardz, custom cut to fit dozens of the latest small electronic devices.
You spray on a liquid that keeps them from sticking to your hands, put the plastic on and voila... nearly invisible protection. They are popular with iPhone owners. They're even made for some laptops.
Consider it post-holiday wrapping.
InformationWeek
"People were generally happy with the tools we've offered in [Office] 2007," Reed Shaffner, product manager for Microsoft Office, said in an interview. "You're not going to hear about a ton of new features." Office 2007 has seen strong sales that Microsoft officials have credited with significantly bolstering the company's financial earnings.
SP1 is available today as a free download from OfficeOnline and will be available as an automatic update between three and six months from now. It will also be available for companies through Windows
Microsoft said in November that Office SP1 wouldn't be available until next year, so it might be considered an early release.
Before release, Microsoft limited beta testing to some large enterprises and internal Microsoft users, an indication that the company believes Office 2007 SP1 isn't as significant as some other products that go through a much more intensive testing phase before release. Shaffner said SP1 shouldn't cause any compatibility problems, but added that companies should test it anyway before releasing it across their businesses.
Most of the changes are relatively minor, including specific fixes to increase stability under certain conditions, including the five bugs that most often crashed each Office application. Other improvements include compatibility with Windows Server 2008, improved performance and better protection from security
Apple's iPhone takes another step to becoming a business tool
Astaro Corporation is offering iPhone support to virtual private networks controlled by its Astaro Security Gateway appliance.
This support allows iPhone users to connect to such networks using their home and business networks. It means iPhone users can access email and internal sites protected by Astaro's security solution.
The company claims setting the system up requires just a few clicks to create VPN access on the Astaro appliance side.
Astaro's product offering is available commercially for business, the company also offers a free home user license which offers protection to ten IP addresses.
"As an Apple iPhone user myself, we have made it extremely easy to access networks protected by Astaro Security Gateway" said Gert Hansen, chief security architect and co-founder of Astaro. "It's a great feeling to
provide everyone with an iPhone the ability to connect to their networks for free. It turns the iPhone into a real business tool, albeit a very stylish one."
Astaro has created a configuration guide providing step-by-step instructions on how to configure Apple's iPhone and Astaro Security Gateway VPN settings.
This document as well as Astaro's free home user license download is available from the company's website.
Latest research puts iPods and iPhones in top five must-have items this season
iPods, iPhones, PSPs, and Nintendo's Wii and DS Lite seem set to be the top five electronic gadgets under European Christmas trees this year, new research claims.
comScore this morning released the results of its study (assessed during the first three weeks of November) looking into the frequency of online search inquiries for the most popular gadgets in the UK, France and Germany this Christmas.
The Nintendo Wii (with an average of 4.9 million weekly searches) seems the most in-vogue gadget this season, hotly-pursued by the iPod, which drew 3.5 million searches. The Nintendo DS Lite, the Sony Playstation PSP, and the Apple iPhone (1,706,504 searches) complete the top five.While iPod achieved 1,706,504 searches of its own, the iPod nano received an average of another 287,000 searches each week.
The most popular mobile phone was the iPhone, with the Nokia N95 and Samsung U600 its closest competitors.
ComScore assessed the figures by tracking searches across a clutch of leading electronics devices.
