Futuristic Citibank branches unveiled in Tokyo, complete with video hook-ups to financial consultants and touch-screen workstations, are to become the firm's global template, according to Citigroup Inc.'s technology czar.
Research firm's latest market analysis finds that enterprises are returning to IT spending following economic downturn of 2008 to 2009, with a particular interest in SaaS and SOA projects.
Ah, the light at the end of the tunnel. After two years of slackened IT spending, enterprises are opening their wallets again, according to Forrester Research, which has declared the tech downturn "unofficially over."
The market analysis firm if forecasting a healthy uptick in IT spending in 2010, as enterprises pursue strategic investments in SaaS and SOA projects.
Mike Leach is out of coaching after his firing by Texas Tech. As he sorts out his legal case with the school, he took time to attend an Oklahoma State practice in Stillwater last week.
Leach obviously has a relationship with Mike Gundy from his time in the Big 12. In addition, new Cowboys offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen was an assistant under Leach at Texas Tech.
Holgorsen, who was at Houston the past two seasons, is installing a similar offense with Oklahoma State.
THE US IS INVESTIGATING the recruitment policies of technology giants to see if they violate antitrust laws.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the US Justice Department has opened an inquiry to explore the hiring practices of companies like Intel, Google, Apple and IBM.
The investigation stems from allegations that the companies have policies not to recruit each others' skilled staff. So a Google engineer, for example, can't get a better job at Apple. This is tantamount to agreeing to price fixing because, if true, it has the effect of keeping labour costs down.
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/blog-post/1600686/tech-giants-investigation
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Palm Inc. shares surged for a second straight session on Monday, leading to gains across the tech sector as the smartphone maker's shares climbed more than 17% following reports the company is looking for a buyer.
Palm /quotes/comstock/15*!palm/quotes/nls/palm (PALM 5.95, -0.09, -1.49%) rose 88 cents to close at $6.04 a share after Bloomberg News reported the company has hired Goldman Sachs and Qatalyst Partners to search for a buyer for the maker of the Pre and other smartphones. Palm has seen its fortunes turn south of late due to weak sales and competition from the likes of Apple Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!aapl/quotes/nls/aapl (AAPL 242.17, -0.12, -0.05%) and Research In Motion Ltd. /quotes/comstock/15*!rimm/quotes/nls/rimm (RIMM 70.47, -0.07, -0.10%) Read more about the pressures facing Palm.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/palm-gains-take-tech-sector-spotlight-2010-04-12?dist=countdown
Microsoft is going after social communicators with a new class of phone called Kin, which will focus on people who share and communicate through social networks.
Two phones, Kin One and Kin Two, will launch in May on Verizon Wireless. The phones, both sliders, are built off the Windows Phone 7 platform but have been designed with a new user interface built specifically for status updates, sharing pictures and videos, local search and music.
It seems that not only are electric cars like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt soon to be a reality, but the vehicles are helping the struggling state in desperate need of manufacturing jobs. The Detroit Free Press takes a look at the five current and future plants specializing in electric-vehicle battery and other technologies from companies like Dow and LG Chem, most of which have deals to supply the automakers with battery packs.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/12/1575525/michigan-embraces-battery-tech.html
Photoshop CS5 can automatically correct lens distortions, straightening the lines in this fisheye shot, and fix chromatic aberration and vignetting.
(Credit: Adobe Systems)Two years ago, Adobe Systems thought the only big change coming with Photoshop CS5 would be the complete overhaul needed to build a 64-bit Mac version. With the unveiling of the software Monday, though, it's clear Adobe far exceeded that low expectation.
Photoshop CS5 brings a number of high-profile features for photographers, artists, and the broader designer market that uses the software. It's just one of numerous changes among the Creative Suite 5 packages Adobe is unveiling at a Monday event, but it's one of Adobe's highest-profile programs. So without further ado, here's what's coming when the new version ships in the next 30 days:
Photoshop CS5 can automatically correct lens distortions, straightening the lines in this fisheye shot, and fix chromatic aberration and vignetting.
(Credit: Adobe Systems)Two years ago, Adobe Systems thought the only big change coming with Photoshop CS5 would be the complete overhaul needed to build a 64-bit Mac version. With the unveiling of the software Monday, though, it's clear Adobe far exceeded that low expectation.
Photoshop CS5 brings a number of high-profile features for photographers, artists, and the broader designer market that uses the software. It's just one of numerous changes among the Creative Suite 5 packages Adobe is unveiling at a Monday event, but it's one of Adobe's highest-profile programs. So without further ado, here's what's coming when the new version ships in the next 30 days:
(Credit: Barnes & Noble) Barnes & Noble's Nook e-book reader will be getting wider exposure via Best Buy stores.
The Nook is due to be available to consumers at Best Buy retail outlets in the U.S. starting April 18, along with accessories such as covers and screen protectors, and free BN eReader software, the two companies said Monday.
The broader retail campaign comes hot on the heels of the Apple iPad going on sale amid intense media coverage and strong consumer interest. Not a dedicated e-reader like the Nook or Amazon's Kindle, the iPad tablet still promises to give people yet another option for reading digital books and magazines. (Amazon, for instance, has cooked up an iPad version of its Kindle app.)
One good thing about Web-based financial tool Mint is that it can be used without ever having to type in any purchases or money transfers; instead, its system simply does all the work for you. That's just changed though, as Intuit now lets you write in your own transactions--even before they happen.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20002271-248.html
The International Space Station's six-member crew participates in a Cosmonautics Day call from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev early Monday. Back row, left to right: Timothy Creamer, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Soichi Noguchi. Front row, left to right: Alexander Skvortsov, commander Oleg Kotov and Mikhail Kornienko.
(Credit: NASA TV)JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Houston--Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called the International Space Station Monday to mark the 49th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's launch on the first manned space flight, suggesting an international space summit to discuss future cooperative ventures on the high frontier.
"Space is our highest priority, regardless of how hard the economic situation is in the country," Medvedev said in translated remarks. "Space will always remain our priority. This is not just somebody's interpretation, it's our official state position."
Google has added another company to its shopping cart--this time it's U.K.-based Plink, a visual-search provider.
In a blog post Monday, Plink co-founders Mark Cummins and James Philbin announced the deal as "exciting news," especially for a company that only went public four months ago.
Plink apparently caught Google's eye by developing an Android app called PlinkArt, which lets you photograph and upload a snapshot of a painting that Plink then identifies to provide details about the artwork and its artist. You can then share that artwork with other people via your smartphone. PlinkArt seemed to hit it big with Android users, with Plink claiming more than 50,000 downloads of the app in just four weeks.
Instant-streaming discs are on their way to all Netflix subscribers who requested one for their Nintendo Wii, the online video rental service said in a blog post Monday.
Wii owners who have been waiting for the ability to view movies and television shows on their Wii consoles via Netflix can expect to receive the discs within the next few days. After getting the disc, they need only to insert it into the Wii to access all the content on Neflix's streaming service.
Netflix streaming for the Wii was originally announced in January. The company officially brought streaming to the Wii last month when it announced that some of its subscribers would be able to test the service on their consoles.
The 9.6 million players of the Facebook game Farm Town are being warned about fake security warnings popping up that are designed to mislead people into paying for antivirus protection they don't need.
"We are aware and have reported to the developers that many of our players have encountered the malware/spyware while on the Farm Town site," the moderator of a user forum for Farm Town maker SlashKey warned over the weekend. "We believe at this time that it is harmless to your computer and a result of one or more of the ads on the site, but you should NOT follow any links to any software claiming to 'clean your system.'"
Sophos' Graham Cluley said it appeared that third-party advertising displayed underneath the Farm Town playing window is to blame.
Changes to the underlying code for products like Google Spreadsheet improves speed and collaboration, according to the company.
(Credit: Google)Google has made some under-the-hood changes to its Google Docs product, promising faster service and real-time collaboration tools.
The changes address many of the demands of Google Docs users for more speed and better compatibility with offline products like Microsoft Word and Excel, said Jonathan Rochelle, group product manager for Google Apps. Google's Dave Girouard, president of the Enterprise group, is expected to introduce the changes at Google's Atmosphere conference Monday in Mountain View, Calif.
When I first heard about this, I wanted to believe it was about teeth.
Mine were still chattering from a piece of research performed by the University of Iowa that suggested that young gamers enjoyed more cavities. I experienced a severe attack of lockjaw, however, at the news that Korea--that's the nice Korea without the strange leader with dead Elvis' hair-- has imposed a nighttime ban on certain online games.
It seems, though, that the Korean government is less concerned about young gamers' molars and more concerned about their deep-seated obsession with being deep seated in their bedrooms into the late hours of the night.
According to the Korea Herald, those whose facial hair has insufficiently emerged onto their faces and armpits will have their access to 19 online games switched off by the government at midnight.
We had a feeling it would be the case, but Apple CEO Steve Jobs confirmed on Monday that the original iPhone would not run the company's newest iPhone OS.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET) Jobs responded to a customer e-mail asking if the new operating system would support the original iPhone, according to Mac enthusiast site MacStories. In his typical succinct style, Jobs said:
"Sorry, no.
Sent from my iPhone"
Apple previewed iPhone OS 4 during a special event at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters last week. Among the revelations at the event was that not all iPhone models would support some of more advanced features of the new operating system.
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.--Wal-Mart Stores pushed forward with a risky sustainability initiative at a time when its public image was suffering. But ultimately the company's rationale for "going green" was purely economic, according to former CEO Lee Scott.
Lee Scott, chairman and former CEO of WalMart.
(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET) Over the past five years, Wal-Mart has put in place a number of initiatives including renewable energy at stores, reducing waste in packaging, and creating a sustainability index of its suppliers. Its actions have raised suspicions and admiration from outsiders, politicians, and employees.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Google learned some hard security lessons after it was attacked late last year by hackers, CEO Eric Schmidt said Monday.
Google's Eric Schmidt discusses the security ramifications of the attacks on its systems late last year during Atmosphere 2010.
(Credit: Tom Krazit/CNET)"Google is now particularly paranoid about that," Schmidt said during a question-and-answer session following Google's Atmosphere 2010 conference before about 400 CIOs. After the company learned that some of its intellectual property was stolen during an attack that originated from inside China, it began locking down its systems to a greater degree and accelerated plans to move to Web-based systems like Chrome OS netbooks.
After spending a year studying how piracy and illegal counterfeiting affects the United States, the Government Accountability Office says it still doesn't know for sure.
"Some experts we interviewed and literature we reviewed identified potential positive economic effects of counterfeiting and piracy."--GAO report
Congress tasked the GAO in April 2009 with reviewing the efforts to quantify the size and scope of piracy, including the impacts of Web piracy to the film and music industries. In a 32-page report issued Monday, the GAO said most of the published information, anecdotal evidence, and records show that piracy is a drag on the U.S. economy, tax revenue, and in some cases potentially threatens national security and public health. But the problem is, according to the GAO, the data used to quantify piracy isn't reliable.
"Three widely cited U.S. government estimates of economic losses resulting from counterfeiting cannot be substantiated due to the absence of underlying studies," the GAO said. "Each method (of measuring) has limitations, and most experts observed that it is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify the economy-wide impacts."
SAN FRANCISCO--The fact that Microsoft and Verizon picked a nightclub to launch the Kin tells you a lot about their target market.
Browser in use on the Kin One.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)The short and squat Kin One and the wider-screened Kin Two are two shapes for the same idea--the mobile phone for those who want to broadcast their every thought, sight, and sound--"lifecasters," as Microsoft's Robbie Bach called them. Although many phones have Facebook or Twitter applications, social networking is at the heart of the Kin. Sharing has its own dedicated green button and is at the center of the Kin experience.
The target demographic is men and women between 15 and 30, said Bach, who runs Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices unit. The two companies said the phones would launch next month, but didn't say exactly when during the month, nor would either company talk at all about pricing.
"A team of researchers at MIT has just announced that they have successfully modified a virus to split apart molecules of water, paving the way for an efficient and non-energy-intensive method of producing hydrogen fuel. 'The team, led by Angela Belcher, the Germeshausen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biological Engineering, engineered a common, harmless bacterial virus called M13 so that it would attract and bind with molecules of a catalyst (the team used iridium oxide) and a biological pigment (zinc porphyrins). The viruses became wire-like devices that could very efficiently split the oxygen from water molecules. Over time, however, the virus-wires would clump together and lose their effectiveness, so the researchers added an extra step: encapsulating them in a microgel matrix, so they maintained their uniform arrangement and kept their stability and efficiency.'"
http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/04/12/1856230/MIT-Researchers-Harness-Viruses-To-Split-Water
"Usually, Gov 2.0 deals mainly with outward transparency of government to the citizens. But SeeClickFix is trying to drive data in the other direction, letting citizens report and track neighborhood problems as mundane as potholes, and as serious as drug dealers. In a recent interview, co-founder Jeff Blasius talked about how cities such as New Haven and Tucson are using SeeClickFix to involve their citizens in identifying and fixing problems with city infrastructure. 'We have thousands of potholes fixed across the country, thousands of pieces of graffiti repaired, streetlights turned on, catch basins cleared, all of that basic, broken-windows kind of stuff. We've seen neighborhood groups form based around issues reported on the site. We've seen people get new streetlights for their neighborhood, pedestrian improvements in many different cities, and all-terrain vehicles taken off of city streets. There was also one case of an arrest. The New Haven Police Department attributed initial reports on SeeClickFix to a sting operation that led to an arrest of two drug dealers selling heroin in front of a grammar school.'"
http://news.slashdot.org/story/10/04/12/1944254/Crowdsourcing-the-Department-of-Public-Works
"The NY Times reports that Boeing and Lockheed Martin will happily sell rockets to carry astronauts into space, but are leery about taking a leading role in President Obama's vision for a revamped NASA that relies on commercial companies to provide taxi transportation to the ISS. 'I don't think there is a business case for us,' says Lockheed Martin's John Karas about space taxis. Both Boeing and Lockheed were stung during the last burst of optimism for the commercial space business about a decade ago. They invested several billion dollars — Lockheed to develop its Atlas V, Boeing for the Delta IV — in the hopes that the huge market for commercial satellites would supplement their traditional business of launching American military spy satellites. The market did not materialize, and what business there was went to European and Russian rockets that were cheaper. The hoped-for commercial market for space taxis hinges on one small company, Bigelow Aerospace, which is developing inflatable space habitats that it hopes to market as research facilities to companies and foreign nations looking to establish a space program."
http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/04/12/2026208/Companies-Skeptical-of-Commercial-Space-Market
"I've been thinking about this for a while and have no idea where to start. I have little or no previous experience in electronics — just what is covered in GCSE physics (wiring a plug and resistors — not much, I know). The majority of my interest lies in the wireless communication side of the field — i.e. ham radios and CB — but I am also interested in how many things work, one example being speakers, simply to better understand it. I would preferably like to start with some form of practical guide rather than learning the theory first, but where I would find such a walkthrough eludes me."
http://ask.slashdot.org/story/10/04/12/2033210/Where-To-Start-In-DIY-Electronics
"The armed forces of the world have already begun to hunt down and shoot robots. No, it's not the beginning of the man-machine war; it's a state-of-the-art training simulation that's very cool to watch. Australia-based Marathon Robotics has taken Segways and turned them into human-shaped autonomous robots capable of moving around streets and buildings just like people in a crowd! The Marathon bots can act like insurgents, hostages, or civilians, letting armed soldiers practice before being exposed to the real thing. The Australian Department of Defense already has a training camp using the robots, and the US Marine Corps will be establishing one this year."
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/04/12/2056245/Aussie-Army-Trains-With-Fleet-of-Robots-On-Segways
"A Fort Meyers news station reports a nerdy husband getting his wife out of a red-light camera ticket by proving the light was set with too short of a yellow. Then he goes out and proves that nearly 90% of the lights are set an average of about 20% too short. Is this a local incident, or have local governments nationwide found a new revenue source? What puzzles me is how a single picture can tell if you ran a light. If you are in the intersection before the light turns red, you have not run it, even if it takes a little while to clear it (say to yield to an unexpected obstacle). Wouldn't you need two pictures — one just before the light went red showing you are not in the intersection, and another after the light went red showing you in the intersection?"
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/04/12/225248/Red-Light-Camera-Ticket-Revenue-and-Short-Yellows
"We like to imagine that every Microsoft OS installation will work just as well as the company promises. When things don't work out, identifying and remedying the case of failure can be time-consuming and frustrating. This lesson in how to determine why Windows 7 didn't install may help you troubleshoot a problem of your own, and save you from a Lost Weekend. Maybe you'll find this account useful all on its own. But the real key here is that the author is Ed Tittel — who's written over 100 books. If this hardware geek spends days solving a CPU-meets-Windows 7 problem, what chance do mere mortals have?"
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/04/12/2222204/Lessons-In-Hardware--OS-Troubleshooting
"HTML5 has the potential to capture the online video market from Flash by providing an open standard for web video — but only if everyone can agree on a codec. So far Adobe and Microsoft support H.264 because of the video quality, while Mozilla has been backing Ogg Theora because it's open source. Now it looks like Google might be able to end the squabble by making the VP8 codec it bought from On2 Technologies open source and giving everyone what they want: high-quality encoding that also happens to be open. Sure, Chrome and Firefox will support it. But can Google get Safari and IE on board?"
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/04/13/0141208/Google-to-Open-Source-the-VP8-Codec
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