Tips for safe online shopping

Shopping online does carry some risk, but so does shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. At least online shoppers don't need to worry about fender-benders in the parking lot, pick pockets at the mall, or getting the flu from all those fellow shoppers. 

But the nice thing about shopping online is that by following some basic guidelines you can be reasonably sure you'll have a safe experience.

Secure your PC: The first thing you need to do is be sure your computer is secure. Trend Micro's education director David Perry, says that "bad guys these days are operating by planting a keylogger on your system that listens in, surreptitiously waiting for you to use your credit card or your bank password so that they can steal your money." So, even if you're dealing with a legitimate merchant, you're at risk if your computer is infected. Your best protection from these attacks is to keep your operating system and browsers updated and use a good and up-to-date security program. If you're getting or giving a Netbook or other PC for the holidays, make sure that security software is installed right away. Most security companies offer a free-trial version that will tide you over for a month or so, but be sure to subscribe so you get ongoing protection. 

Click with care: You're going to be getting a lot of offers via e-mail this holiday season. While they might be legitimate, there is the possibility of some offers coming from criminals trying to trick you into giving your password to a rogue site or visiting a site that can put malicious software on your computer. Your best protection is to not click on any links--even if the message looks legitimate--but to type in the merchant's URL manually.

Know the merchant: : If you're not familiar with the merchant, do a little research like typing its name (and perhaps the word "scam") into a search engine to see if there are any reports of scams. Look for user reviews on sites like Eopinions.com. Look for seller ratings if you locate the merchant through a shopping search engine like Google Shopping . Google doesn't certify the integrity of the sites that come up in its searches, but if you see lots of seller ratings that are mostly positive, that's a pretty good sign. You're generally pretty safe with sellers that are affiliated with shopping aggregators like Amazon.com, Yahoo Shopping, Retrevo or BizRate. Microsoft's new Bing search engine offers a cash-back program with affiliated merchants.

It's a good idea to look for seals of approval from Truste or Better Business Bureau Online, but remember that a seal is only a graphic. It can be counterfeit. To be sure, visit the certifying agency's site to look up the merchant.

When you're about to enter your credit card, make sure you're on a "secure "site. The URL should have an https at the beginning (s for "security") and there should be a small gold lock in the lower right corner of the browser. This isn't an iron-clad guarantee, but still worth looking for. 

If you're still not sure, look for a phone number and call them. Aside from eliminating the chance of a keylogger grabbing your information, you may get a little more assurance talking to a human being.

Pay by credit card: Credit cards offer you an extra level of protection including the right to "charge back" if you feel you're a victim of fraud. The credit company will investigate your claim and permanently remove the charge if fraud can be proven. 

Also some credit card companies offer extra protections including extended warranties and protection against loss or theft. Federal law limits your liability for misuse of a credit card to $50 but many credit card companies will waive that limit. Unless you're very sure about the merchant, don't provide them with a checking account number and never disclose your social security number to online merchants. 

It's also a good idea to check your online credit card statement frequently. Most credit card companies will display recent charges online within a few days of the actual transaction. While you're on your credit card company's site, check your interest rate. Credit card companies have been known to "adjust" rates (usually upward) for a variety of reasons.

Know the real price: Be sure you understand the actual cost of the item, including shipping, handling, and sales tax. That can have an enormous impact on the final price. Many merchants are offering free shipping during the holidays and some merchants that have both online physical stores will let you pick up the item in the store for free. In most states if you do business with a merchant that has a physical presence in your state, the merchant is required to collect state sales taxes. Although it's tough to enforce, some states expect you to self-report all of your online purchases and pay sales taxes when you file your state income tax return.

Happy returns: Be sure you understand the merchant's return policies including the deadline for returns and what documentation you'll need. In most cases, they won't refund the shipping charges and you'll have to pay to ship it back. Always keep your packing until you're sure you're not going to return it. 

Read the privacy policy: The policy, according to the American Bar Association's Safeshopping.org, should disclose "what information the seller is gathering about you, how the seller will use this information; and whether and how you can "opt out" of these practices."

Enjoy the holidays: By paying attention to these tips, the odds of your being victimized by online fraud are pretty low --another good reason to be cheerful during the holiday season.

source : news.cnet.com

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Windows 7 Sales Beat Mac OS X Market Share

Windows 7 passed the 5% market share milestone last weekend, which put it, if only temporarily, above the total market share of all versions of Apple's Mac OS X, a Web measurement firm said today.


Last Saturday and Sunday, Windows 7 powered an estimated 5% and 5.14% of all computers that were online those days, according to Internet metrics vendor Net Applications. The two-day average of 5.07% was higher than the 5% of the market that Net Applications said Apple's operating system averaged for the week of Nov. 15-21.

"It's safe to say that Windows 7's daily share did peak above Mac's weekly share," said Vince Vizzaccaro, executive vice president at Net Applications, in an e-mail today. Vizzaccaro said his company had not yet compiled daily averages for Mac OS X, something that would be necessary to compare Windows 7's weekend numbers with the same dates for the Mac.

When Windows 7's Nov. 15-21 average was matched against Mac OS X, however, for an apples-to-apples comparison, Microsoft's 4.15% lagged behind Apple's 5%.

But Vizzaccaro was confident that Windows 7 would soon pass Mac OS X for good, and not just during a short stretch. "Certainly, the trend line shows Windows 7 will surpass Mac share soon," he predicted.

In fact, Windows' overall market share of 92.64% for the week of Nov. 15-21 was slightly higher than the OS's October share of 92.52%. "We may be seeing an uptick in overall Windows share this month," Vizzaccaro confirmed. "This isn't too rare, but if we see three or four months in a row of Windows regaining market share, that would be a significant trend change."

The last time that Windows showed any appreciable increase in share was June 2009, when it gained 0.21%. Windows' biggest increase in the last two years was in March 2008, when it jumped 0.28%.

By Net Applications' account, Windows 7's share has been steadily growing since its Oct 22 debut. The first week after its launch, the new operating system accounted for 2.7% of all operating systems used worldwide; it climbed to 3.3% in the second week, to 3.7% in the third and to 4% during the fourth week post-debut.

With a week left in November, Windows 7 currently sports a 3.9% monthly average. At its current pace, it will reach 4% for the month, which means Microsoft's newest OS will have easily beaten Vista's first four months of market share gains.

Several Microsoft executives have bragged about Windows 7 sales , most recently CEO Steve Ballmer.

Last week, Ballmer told shareholders that Windows 7 had sold twice the number of copies as any other Microsoft operating system in the same time span. Like others who have talked about Windows 7 sales, however, Ballmer declined to spell out sales or revenue figures.

source : pcworld.com

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Google Improves Mobile Movie Search

A revamped app offers more info and search options to identify your choices more easily.

Stranded in the middle of a do-nothing town, armed only with a mobile phone? Google has streamlined its movie search function on your iPhone, Palm WebOS, or Android-powered device to make on-the-fly searching for movies easier.

When you search for "movies" on your mobile browser, you can click on "more movies" and an updated interface appears, lending you a film's synopsis, trailer, and local venues to check it out. You can also review ratings, list films by category, and ogle hot vampires on movie posters.

Searching by theater gives you the option of asking Google to find a flick nearest you, or reviewing a theater's listings to see what works with your schedule. Since the improved movie search is integrated with Google Maps, Google will help you get directions to the nearest bucket of popcorn.

The new search results are available in the U.S., U.K,, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Or, if you have an iPhone and want the same functionality outside of Safari, hit up the excellent (and free) Now Playing app.

source : itnews.com

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Porn plus Facebook can lead to embarrassment, perhaps worse

The mechanism behind a click-jacking attack that was spread by luring in Facebook users with a link to a porn site that has the potential to do more damage than just embarrassing those who fall for it.

When users clicked on a link posted to a friend's Facebook wall, their Firefox browsers were tricked into updating the victims' own Facebook settings so the same link is posted on their wall, a Facebook spokesman says.

12 tips for safe social networking

Facebook has responded by blocking the URL associated with the porn site and is taking down the links on affected users' walls. "Overall, an extremely small percentage of users were affected," a Facebook spokesman said via e-mail. "As always, we’re asking people not to click on suspicious links, even if they've been sent or posted by friends." (see the Facebook security page.)

Duped users wind up with the photo on their wall of a woman wearing a thong. If they click on the photo, they are directed to a site where, if they click on a button marked "click this button," the Facebook worm does its work, says Roger Thompson, the chief security researcher at security software vendor AVG, who blogged about the problem and posted a demonstration of how it worked .

The exploit didn't work with Internet Explorer, Thompson says.

Embarrassment and possible chastisement seemed to be the downside of falling victim. "[The photo link] advertises to all your friends that you went there, so it could get you in trouble with your spouse, family member or your employer if you're doing it at work," Thompson says.

But the mechanism could just as easily be used to steal passwords cached in browsers or inject other worms into them, he says. "It seems an awfully good hack just to direct people to an adult Web site for very small gain," he says. "How do they profit from that?"

Facebook and its infrastructure didn't seem to be at fault, Thompson says. They were interacting with what seemed to be a legitimate user who has logged in properly.

The Facebook spokesman says the site is hit by phishing and malware attacks daily and has automated systems that detect and flag Facebook accounts that are likely to be compromised. "We also delete malicious links and block them from being shared, and we work with third parties to get phishing and malware sites added to browser blacklists or taken down completely," he says.

source : itnews.com

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Hacks of Chinese temple were online kung fu, abbot says

A fake letter posted on Shaolin Temple's Web site repented for its commercial activities

A hacker who posted a fake message on the Web site of China's famous Shaolin Temple repenting for its commercial activities was just making a mean joke, the temple's abbot was cited as saying by Chinese state media Monday.

That and previous attacks on the Web site were spoofs making fun of the temple, Buddhism and the abbot himself, Shi Yongxin was cited as telling the People's Daily. 

"We all know Shaolin Temple has kung fu," Shi was quoted as saying. "Now there is kung fu on the Internet too, we were hacked three times in a row."

The Web site of the Shaolin Temple, China's most famous ancient temple for kung fu training and a major tourist spot, has been down since a fake letter attributed to the abbot was posted there two weeks ago saying he felt ashamed of the temple. The abbot regretted sacrificing the temple's sanctity to bring it expansion and fame, the fake letter said, according to a copy of the Web page cached by Google. 

One online example of the Shaolin Temple's commercial endeavors is on Taobao.com, China's biggest online auction and retail site, where the temple's official store sells bead bracelets, incense burners and pricier items like official Shaolin swords for around 10,000 yuan (US$1,466). 

"I do not dare to pray for the Buddha's forgiveness, I only ask that I will not go farther and farther down the no-return path of commercialization and become a sinner of Shaolin Temple and Buddhism," the fake letter on the Shaolin site said.

Earlier this month a message, written in traditional Chinese calligraphy, was posted on the temple's Web site telling Shi to "go and die."

Shi replied to the allegations of commercialism by saying he supported the abolition of entry tickets for the temple, for which the temple splits revenue with the local government, the People's Daily said. The attacks on Shaolin's Web site should spur monks to improve themselves, Shi was cited as saying, adding the temple had not considered legal action in response.

Shaolin Temple, in China's eastern Henan province, was founded in the year 495 and a group of its monks fought for the Chinese emperor during a war in the seventh century, according to the temple Web site. The iconic temple is known among tourists for the legions of young, robe-wearing devotees who practice martial arts and perform shows on its grounds.

source : itnews.com

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Facebook worm spreads with a lurid lure

Facebook said the problem only affected a small number of users and disputes it is a worm

Some Facebook users have been infected with a worm after clicking on an image of a scantily clad woman, which then redirects the victims to a pornography site, according to security researchers.

The worm posts an image on a victim's Facebook Wall with a photo of a woman in a bikini and the message "click 'da button, baby." Wall posts are viewable by a Facebook user's friends.

If a friend clicks on the image and is logged into Facebook, the image is then is posted to their own Wall. Their Web browser will then open a Web page with a larger version of the same image. A further click on "da button" redirects the friend to a pornography site, according to Roger Thompson chief research officer for antivirus vendor AVG Technologies. Thompson posted a video of the attack on his blog.

The creators of the worm are likely making money by driving referrals to the pornography site, said Nick FitzGerald, a threat researcher for security vendor AVG. 

Researchers aren't quite sure exactly how the worm works but believe it may be a cross-site request forgery attack (CSRF) or a clickjacking attack or a mix of both.

A CSRF attack occurs when a victim's credentials are used to perform some action but without their knowledge. In this case, the attacker fraudulently posts the image to the victim's Facebook Wall, piggybacking on the fact the victim is logged into their account. 

Another possibility is clickjacking, where attackers use special Web programming to trick victims into clicking Web buttons without realizing it. 

Clickjacking is possible due to a fundamental design feature in HTML that allows Web sites to embed content from other Web pages. Web browsers are vulnerable to clickjacking attacks, although browser makers have worked to shore up defenses against them.

Facebook classifies the attack as clickjacking, an attack that is "not specific to Facebook," according to a written statement. Facebook also said the attack was not a worm.

"We've taken action to block the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) associated with this site, and we're cleaning up the relatively few cases where it was posted," the statement said. "Overall, an extremely small percentage of users were affected."

If the worm does spread through a clickjacking attack, "it may be difficult for Facebook to fix reliably," FitzGerald said. "Regardless, it is a worm."

Facebook warned users not to click on suspicious links. However, in this case, the link doesn't stand out as necessarily suspicious given the variety of Wall postings, graphics and applications that appear all over the popular social-networking site.

In fact, one security researcher inadvertently reposted the suspect graphic before realizing something wasn't right. "This shows that even experts can become complacent and trust systems when they really shouldn't," wrote Gadi Evron, an independent security researcher, on Dark Reading's blog.

source : itnews.com

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Windows 8 in 2012?

Steven Sinofsky may not be talking about Microsoft's future Windows plans, but the Windows Server team appears to see more value in letting customers know its road map. 

In at least two slides apparently shown at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles this week, Microsoft suggests that a major release update to Windows Server is due around 2012, with one of the slides confirming the Windows 8 code name. 

I've asked both the desktop and server teams for more context on the slides, which were noted this week by blogger Stephen Chapman. A similar slide cropped up--that time in Italian-- in August. 

For his part, Sinofsky sat completely stone-faced when I asked him in our interview Wednesday where Microsoft was at relative to Windows 8--later noting that he hadn't even used the word Windows next to the numeral 8. 

"I didn't say any of the words--Windows 8--those were all your words," he said 

The 2012 time frame would roughly coincide with Windows Server's plans of having a minor release every two years or so and a major release every four years. It released Windows Server 2008 R2, a minor update, earlier this year as the desktop team released Windows 7. 

In recent years, Microsoft has tended to line up its desktop and server releases fairly closely, although in this case the desktop OS was probably a more significant release than its server counterpart.

source : news.cnet.com

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Google Chrome OS: A Simple FAQ

Everyone's all a-twitter over Google's newly announced operating system, Google Chrome OS. Some swear it'll be a hit; others are convinced it's destined for failure. Love it or hate it, though, this puppy's one tough piece of software to ignore.

So what's Chrome OS all about, and what could do it for you? Here are some answers.

What is Google Chrome OS?

Google Chrome OS is a lightweight, cloud-based operating system demonstrated by Google for the first time this week. 

How's it different from Windows 7?

Well, it won't feature any launch parties, to start (at least, as far as we know). But the primary difference is that Google Chrome OS is designed to operate entirely off of the Internet. That means you won't store data or run programs on the computer itself; rather, everything will Web-driven.

So, what's the advantage?

Speed is one big plus: Because of the cloud-based configuration, Chrome OS can boot within as little as three seconds. That instant-on capability is a large reason why Google describes the Chrome OS experience as more like using a TV than using a computer: You press a button, and seconds later, you're doing your thing.

Security is another expected advantage. Since you aren't storing data or running applications locally, the odds of contracting a virus are significantly reduced. In fact, the Chrome OS won't even allow applications to make changes to the operating system if they want to -- and, on top of that, the OS will continually update itself and correct any corrupted modules automatically. The critical pieces of the OS will also be stored in read-only memory. 

Do you actually save any data locally?

Not much. Chrome OS will store a small amount of data locally, such as your system preferences. Even that data will be encrypted, though -- and synched with an online storage center, too. The idea, as Google explains it, is that you could lose your Chrome OS system, go get another one, and have everything back exactly the way it was within a matter of seconds. 

Will you be able to work offline?

Kinda-sorta-maybe, a little. Since Google Chrome OS runs cloud-based applications, your options will be limited when you aren't connected. Developers, however, may be able to build in a small amount of offline functionality for their programs.

What's the Chrome OS interface like?

No big surprise here: It's just like the interface of the Chrome browser. All of your applications run in tabs, and all of the tabs reside in windows. You can drag and drop tabs between windows at will. And there's a permanent tab called the application menu that shows you new and noteworthy apps for your system.

Want a closer look? Check out this Chrome OS visual tour.

Will you be able to run any program?

Technically, any Web-based application will work, so long as it's able to operate in a standards-compliant browser. Even Microsoft's Office Live will run on a Chrome OS computer -- in fact, it's the software's default program for opening files such as Excel documents.

Does that mean you couldn't install your own browser, like Firefox?

More or less. Chrome is the default browser in the Chrome OS, and you can't install software onto a Chrome OS system. The only way around it would be if a developer such as Mozilla were to take Google's open source code, create its own version of the Chrome operating system, and then sell its own Chrome OS devices with the Firefox browser built in.

What about Android apps -- can you run those?

Nope. Google says its Chrome OS will not run Android-specific applications, since they have to be downloaded to a device to work.

What kind of computers will run Google Chrome OS?

Google Chrome OS will run on netbooks and mobile tablets (the ones that actually exist, anyway). They'll be fairly scaled-down systems, since they won't need much functionality besides USB and Wi-Fi. Google is already working with manufacturers to come up with a list of hardware components that'll be allowed within the Chrome OS machines. Some of the early specifications include solid states disks (no hard drives) and full-sized keyboards.

Would Chrome OS replace your current computer?

Probably not. Chrome OS will provide more of a companion device -- after all, you won't be able to run complex programs not available on the cloud, nor will you necessarily be able to use advanced peripheral devices.

When will the Chrome OS computers be available?

Google expects to have Chrome OS systems on the market late next year, in time for the holiday season.

Can you try Chrome OS out any sooner?

Why, sure, as long as you're up for an adventure. Since the code is completely open source, you can get your hands on it right now. But since it won't run on just any computer, you'll have to set up a virtual machine to make it work. Read through this handy guide if you're brave enough to give it a whirl. Just make sure you know what you're doing.

How many golf balls can you fit in a school bus?

Uh, sorry, buddy -- wrong story. That's one of Google's interview questions. If you figure it out, though, let me know. 

JR Raphael is co-founder of geek-humor site eSarcasm. You can keep up with him on Twitter:

source : itnews.com

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3Com co-founder Metcalfe’s quick take on HP-3Com buyout

Ethernet inventor Bob Metcalfe co-founded 3Com in 1979, and now that company is about to be acquired 30 years later by HP. 

I caught up with Metcalfe, now a general partner with Polaris Ventures, briefly via BlackBerry to get his thoughts.

On HP buying 3Com:

3Com grew in the shadow of HP, always asking what would Bill [Hewlett] and Dave [Packard] do. The joke was that 3Com was the best of Xerox technology and HP marketing. Best wishes to 3Com and HP,

On 3Com’s legacy as an independent company:

After leaving Xerox PARC, I founded 3Com on June 4, 1979. We were a dot-com before the dots, and I am what in Silicon Valley they call "old money."

3Com's goal was computer communication compatibility -- 3Com -- and our first three chosen standards, then controversial, were Ethernet, TCP/IP, and Unix. 3Com shipped the first commercial version of TCP/IP for Unix in 1980 and the first PC Ethernet in 1982. We went three for three.

I was just in Marlborough to celebrate 3Com's recent 30th anniversary. Exhilarating.

On whether he still has a stake in 3Com:

I retired from 3Com in 1990 and sold all my shares soon thereafter to create a blind trust for my 1990s career in high-tech punditry. Today I own a few shares for old times’ sake, so I won't be seeing much of the $2.7B.

source : itnews.com

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Wall St.: HP-3Com union a real Cisco threat

Financial analysts see HP's pending purchase of 3Com as a threat to Cisco because it means 3Com Ethernet switches that are inexpensive and very popular in China will have better access to U.S. businesses via well-established HP sales channels.

"We see HP's acquisition as primarily a response to Cisco's converged network/CPU strategy," writes Catharine Trebnick, an analyst with Avian Securities. "With Cisco owning the bulk of the enterprise Ethernet market, they have the most to lose if HP is successful in integrating the 3Com portfolio."

Trebnick says HP's 3Com acquisition is filling a gap in its high-end networking to better compete with Cisco, and that 3Com's success in China will be a boon to HP. "Our conversations indicate that HP is well on its way to successfully maintaining [3Com's] China presence," she writes in a memo reacting to news of the deal.

A Brief History of 3Com 

Nikos Theodosopoulos and Jack Monti of UBS Warburg write that Cisco faces a long-term threat from the beefed-up HP because it could come at Cisco with aggressive pricing. 3Com's plan has been to sell its low-cost H-3C gear that is popular in China in countries around the world, they say. Trebnick is also optimistic that HP can use its established sales channels to expand 3Com's market share in North America where "success has been limited."

"This acquisition has negative implications for every other provider of networking equipment," Trebnick says, spelling out some specifics, with Cisco being the main target with the most to lose by the new HP.

She says it seems logical that if HP wants to compete with Cisco on all fronts, it needs to make more purchases, possibly Avaya for unified communications and Polycom for telepresence and videoconferencing gear.

The deal is bad news for Brocade, she says, because HP sells Brocade storage gear under the name StorageWorks and might have hoped to make inroads with its Ethernet gear as well. But she writes that 3Com has been doing R&D on fibre channel over Ethernet, "raising the possibility that HP may build that functionality organically."

Juniper is not affected as directly, she says, but if HP becomes stronger with corporate customers, it could blunt Juniper's momentum in enterprise sales.

Ittai Kidron and Joseph Park of Oppenheimer write that it is now unlikely that HP will try to buy Brocade, and also calls into doubt possible OEM relationships with Brocade and Juniper for data center switching and fibre channel over Ethernet products, because HP will probably try to develop this equipment in-house.

Near-term, though, the deal could be good for Cisco as well as Juniper and Brocade because integrating 3Com into HP will be disruptive, Kidron and Park write.

Analysts were impressed with 3Com's success in China, with Trebnick noting the Chinese government and corporate customers represent 30% of 3Com revenue, and Theodosopoulos and Monti noting its claim to 300 of the top 500 enterprises in China and a low-cost R&D center in that country.

Still, if HP wants to offer a complete array of network offerings it will have to make other purchases, strike OEM deals or develop its own technology, Theodosopoulos and Monti write in their bulletin about the deal.

In general, the purchase reduces the probability of other large networking mergers and acquisitions in the near term, they write, and that is likely to put pressure on the price of stocks of other companies they think might be acquisition targets, naming Brocade and F5. They also think that IBM is unlikely to buy networking vendors in the near term because it has OEM deals in the works with Juniper and Brocade that aren't fully up and running yet.

source : itnews.com

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HP, 3Com deal not without product overlap headaches

HP and 3Com fit remarkably well together when considering the target markets that drove them together in this week's blockbuster $2.7 billion deal: core Ethernet switching and China. But most of the rest – low-end, SMB and edge switching, plus wireless networking – faces considerable overlap.

Fortunately for HP, the overlap should be a minor distraction to what the company views as the real big game: next-generation data centers, where unified switching fabrics, virtualization and consolidated compute/storage and networking operations will drive spending into the next decade.

With the 3Com buy, HP inherits the S 12500 and S 5800 data center core and aggregation switches. Up to now, HP could not address high-density aggregation and core switching applications in data centers.

3Com also brings enterprise edge and core routing to HP.

"It gives us an edge-to-core [story] that we didn't have before," says Marius Haas, senior vice president and general manager of HP's ProCurve Networking business.

Once the 3Com deal closes next year, HP will own scores of next generation data centers in China, where HP operations are already strong – the company just posted a fourth quarter hike in revenue and profit thanks largely to business in China. HP will then set its sights globally to fend off Cisco and its Unified Computing System (UCS), which threatens to encroach on HP's blade server turf. It is this, plus 2,400 networking engineers in China that drove the marriage with 3Com.

"HP will be building a credible alternative to UCS, which is where a lot of the action is in data centers right now," says Rob Whiteley of Forrester Research. "The gloves are off and these two will make great competitors in the long run."

Do HP, 3Com value claims trump Cisco? 

HP and 3Com personnel further from the data center action have to be quivering though. Both companies are hallmarks in low-end and SMB networking where product rationalization will be most significant.

HP's low-end Ethernet switch line-up is virtually identical to 3Com's: a variable mix of stackable and standalone fixed-configuration and modular Layer 2 and Layer 3 10/100/1000/10000Mbps Ethernet managed and unmanaged, PoE and non-PoE switches for practically any edge or campus application. Both companies have been competing fiercely in this market based on low price, simple features, ease-of-use and lifetime warranties.

HP will have to base its rationalization decisions on which product line is newer and more feature-laden, analysts say."Whoever has newer/faster/better/more will get the nod," says Steve Schuchart of Current Analysis.

That will be a tall task given the rapid pace of enhancements and extensions HP and 3Com have been unveiling on their low-end switches over the last several years, such as Gigabit Ethernet and POE Plus.

Specifically, will there be a fit for both HP's ProCurve 8212 and 5400 series switches, and 3Com's S7500E and S7900E? How about the ProCurve 2910 and 3500 vs. 3Com's 4500G and 4800G, which all support comparable port densities and price?

Would HP really be willing to part with any of its ProCurve line?

"It will be interesting to see what HP keeps because the 3Com portfolio has been developed over the last 18 months, it's more recent," says Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at the Yankee Group. "I expect to see most of the 3Com portfolio live."

HP says the integration issue will be an easy one due to standards compliance and what it views as little to no overlap.

"These are open products that can interoperate with any other product that is already available in someone's network," said David Donatelli, HP's executive vice president and general manager of Enterprise Servers and Networking, during a conference call this week on the acquisition. "And again, due to the fact that there is very little overlap, these products complement themselves very well. So we are ready to go to market day one with the portfolio."

Another area of direct HP/3Com overlap is in wireless LANs. That product rationalization should be much easier, however. 

3Com has an OEM arrangement with Trapeze Networks but HP bought Colubris last year. Naturally, HP is expected to continue on with the Colubris product line.

But there are also product synergies in addition to core switching and edge routing. HP inherits a VoIP product line in the 3Com NBX and VCX IP PBX and handset portfolio.

3Com has less than .5% share of the total $16 billion enterprise telephony market however, according to Dell'Oro Group; but that's still more than the 0% HP has, which up to now addressed the market through partnerships with Avaya and Microsoft, among others.

"I think they'll continue to partner with Microsoft and Avaya, but I think they should keep [the 3Com VoIP products] and refresh them," Kerravala says.

And 3Com's TippingPoint business gives HP security products it either had to partner to obtain or could not offer customers at all. TippingPoint's product line consists of threat management and intrusion prevention appliances installed in 30% of the Fortune 1000."This is huge for HP, it gives them legitimate network security," says CurrentAnalysis' Schuchart.

The enterprise edge routers HP obtains from 3Com are those in the MSR line. MSRs feature a Linux-based server blade for running open source applications like IP PBX, security and WAN optimization, much like Cisco's wildly successful ISR series platforms.

source : itnews.com

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Apple launches iTunes Preview

iTunes. You know it. I know it. We all have some sort of a relationship with it, whether it's love for the things it does or hate for how bloated it has become.

So what happens when you send a link to a song or album from the iTunes Store to somebody who doesn't have or even want iTunes? Well, the person used to be whisked away to a magical page that would kindly implore him or her to install this wonderful, free software called (yes) iTunes. That makes your hypothetical iTunes-hating buddy unhappy.

But not anymore!

Apple has quietly launched iTunes Preview, a feature that shows what music is available on iTunes from the convenience of your Web browser. Yes, even Internet Explorer 6. iTunes Preview lets anyone browse through the entire iTunes catalog's worth of music, info, and user reviews for any region.

You can access iTunes Preview in one of two ways, either through iTunes Charts on Apple's Website or automatically through any link generated from the iTunes Store's Copy Link feature.

Unfortunately, it's still not possible to listen to previews outside of iTunes. That makes iTunes Preview's name a bit of a misnomer, but it's certainly more marketable than, say, iTunes Tease. Just in case you forget, there's a giant ad on top of the page to remind you that you must install iTunes to sample and purchase this music.

For now, this feature only works with music, but it's easy to see how this may someday be extended to movies, TV shows, and the App Store.

source : itnews.com

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Bing vs. Google: Feature Wars

Google added SafeSearch and enhanced movie listings on the heels of Microsoft announcing improvements to Bing.

If you haven't noticed, Bing and Google are engaged in a tit-for-tat over which search engine has the best features. 

On Wednesday, Bing unveiled new and improved tools like Wolfram Alpha integration, Facebook Previews and full-page weather reports. Then Google hit back on Thursday with enhanced movie listings and even safer SafeSearch. Before that Bing unveiled an overhauled maps interface, the next day Google announced Street View was now available in all fifty states. Last month during the Web 2.0 Summit, the two search engines sent out competing press releases bragging about Twitter integration, and on and on it goes.

Google may be the dominant search engine, but Bing is doing its best to push its way up the popularity charts.

With so much attention focused on adding new stuff, you've got to wonder what the future has in store for search and whether this feature war is getting out of hand.

The Battle for Search

It's nothing new to try and suck the life out of a competitor's product by making a competing major announcement around the same time. Palm and Sprint tried to do that to Apple with the launch of the Palm Pre. Not to mention that Google Wave launched on May 28, the same day that Bing made its debut. But lately, the battle between Google and Bing is getting to be like a tennis match that never ends, just a constant rally back and forth as each side tries to outmaneuver the other.

Look at Wednesday: Bing announces some interesting new features that integrate the computational power of Wolfram Alpha into its search results. As an added bonus, Bing gets limited Facebook integration and tweaks its weather results. 

How does Google respond? An announcement about tweaked movie searches, and password protection for your SafeSearch settings--Google's filter for explicit content. Improved SafeSearch is worth talking about and likely a welcome improvement, but the Google Movies announcement looks like a desperate plea to prove that Google can be just as consumer oriented as Bing.

The Future

Although competing announcements can get a little tiring, there's a lot to love about the heavy competition in the search market. Google and Microsoft realize that search is where the online money is, which is why they spend so much time on new features and products that will keep you coming back for more. Increased competition could lead to helpful technologies emerging like improved semantic search, hyper local features, voice activated search on your PC and who know what else? 

It's an exciting future for search--I can't believe I just said that--and Google and Bing are working hard to deliver the latest and greatest features to their loyal users. I just hope they don't lose focus on basic things like filtering search spam and phishing detection in the rush to deliver new features before the other guy does.

source : itnews.com

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3Com customers welcome HP

3Com customers contacted in the wake of this week's blockbuster HP-3Com buyout news were generally positive, but did voice some concerns on product direction and customer relations.

Customers said they considered HP's willingness to fork over $2.7 billion an endorsement of the vendor and technology they deployed. They also welcomed HP's wide array of resources, deep pockets and overall stability.

"I'm actually relieved to hear the news," says Jeff Hoge, IT manager at Primland, Ltd., a resort and event facility in southwestern Virginia. "Primland has a significant investment in 3Com products and HP's buyout should improve the longevity of our equipment."

"We were surprised," says Fred Tarca, associate vice president of information services at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. "But it validates everything we originally felt about 3Com. Hewlett-Packard's endorsement makes us feel that we were not far off base when we did our own technical due diligence on 3Com. We feel really good about that."

"It's all good," says Ted Malos, IT director for the Ventura Unified School District in California. "My last employer was an all-HP shop," he said, making note of the company's service and support reputation.

3Com co-founder Bob Metcalfe's quick take on the HP-3Com deal

But Ventura is now 95% 3Com – the other 5% is HP -- and Malos is comfortable managing this environment from 3Com's Intelligent Management Center suite. That's a potential product overlap area where he hopes 3Com wins out over HP.

The service and support aspect Malos raves about gives Tarca pause. He hopes to retain a close relationship with HP once all the dust settles.

"We've always had good luck dealing with companies where we had strong relationships with key management, " Tarca says. "Now we're dealing with a company that's huge. Will we lose our ability to negotiate and discuss our real requirements with HP the same way we could do so with 3Com?"

For Tarca, this is the second time HP has bought its way into the Quinnipiac IT department. The school was a customer of LeftHand Networks, a storage vendor HP bought a year ago.

"Where we keep our information and now what it travels on will be HP-owned," Tarca says. "We never really dealt with HP and then all of the sudden they became an important vendor."

That's true with Primland as well, where it's waiting to see what, if anything, happens to 3Com's NBX/VCX VoIP products after the acquisition closes. HP does not have a VoIP or enterprise IP telephony product line of its own, instead relaying on partnerships with Microsoft and Avaya, among others.

"The product synergies should be very interesting to see -- I could imagine an H3C switch module for BladeCenter and the VCX running on HP servers," says Hoge, who seems anxious for anyone to update the product line.

"As a current NBX administrator (and former NBX integrator), it is frustruating to see no significant product features being added to that platform in the last few years; meanwhile, Cisco, Avaya, and Mitel have left 3Com in the dust in the telephony market," Hoge says.

source : itnews.com

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Windows 7's real killer feature

What gives Windows 7 a strong future is not what you're thinking
Everyone loves a killer feature: that must-have capability or technology that prompts you to plunk down your hard-earned cash in an effort to upgrade your computing experience.

In the case of Windows, there have been precious few versions that included a truly killer feature. Windows 3.1 was a killer version because it allowed PCs to finally break (or at least reduce the impact of) the dreaded 640K barrier. Windows NT was a killer version (at least for power users) because it introduced the concepts of client/server security and true, hardware-based memory protection to the environment.

Windows XP was a killer version because it bridged the gap between the consumer (Windows 9x) and business (Windows NT) computing spaces. And though generally considered a flop, Vista was a killer version in that it forced the Windows ecosystem to evolve beyond the Windows XP paradigm and thus paved the way for Windows 7.

Which brings me to my main point: Windows 7 is a killer version -- but not for the reasons you think. It's not because it fixes Vista's many faults -- it doesn't. Rather, it glosses them over with fresh paint and behavioral tricks.

It's also not because of the new UI. Although I'm a huge fan of the new task-bar-driven interface, much of the underlying concept is merely a rip-off of the Mac's aging dock metaphor. And it's not because Windows 7 is somehow lighter than Vista -- testing shows it takes up about the same amount of RAM when executing an identical workload.

source : infoworld.com

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Want a Droid for work e-mail? It'll cost you extra

Accessing Exchange e-mail over the new 'iPhone killer' costs an extra $15 per month

The industry is abuzz over the Motorola Droid, the first Google Android 2.0-based smartphone, to be released on Friday, Nov. 6, in the United States, with network access provided by Verizon Wireless. But users who buy the device and expect to use its built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support to get corporate e-mail from Exchange servers will have to pay an additional $15 per month for the privilege, Verizon confirms.

Verizon offers three data plans for Droid customers: $30 month on top of your voice plan's rate for non-Exchange usage, $45 per month on top of your voice plan's rate for Exchange usage, and $50 per month total cost for a data-only plan (whether or not you use it to access Exchange). Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney notes that the requirement to get the $45 "smartphone plan" for corporate e-mail usage applies to any smartphone, such as the BlackBerry -- not just to the Droid. "The Droid is primarily a consumer phone," Raney adds.

That pricing contrasts with AT&T's $30 monthly data plan (on top of your voice plan's rates) for the Apple iPhone and Research in Motion BlackBerry, the two most popular business-class smartphones; AT&T offers a $35-per-month data-only plan for the BlackBerry, but has no such plan for the iPhone. However, AT&T's business data plans charge $45 per month if the smartphones are used to access corporate e-mail or servers.

Sprint doesn't break out its data plans' costs for the Palm Pre and BlackBerry, but its smartphone plans cost the same as AT&T's, with a $30-per-month difference in charges for its voice-only phones' plans and its data-capable phones' plans. Like Verizon, Sprint offers a data-only plan for these devices for $50 per month.

source : infoworld.com

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Intel chipset causing iPhone sync problem with Windows 7

Intel believes the problem Intel P55 Express Chipset users are having is related to BIOS or system configuration issues

Some Windows 7 users are complaining on an Apple discussion forum that they can't synch their iPhones to their new PCs.

The affected users -- there are 80 pages of people discussing the issue on the forum -- have discovered that in addition to running Windows 7, they are all using computers with the Intel P55 Express Chipset.

Intel is investigating the issue and believes it is a BIOS or system configuration issue, but the company is still investigating, an Intel spokesman said.

On Sunday, an Apple employee posted a note on the forum asking people with Windows 7 PCs that have the Intel P55 chipset to e-mail the company with specific details about their computer, iPhone model and the behavior they’re seeing. The note indicates that Apple is also investigating the problem.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some people on the forum say they've had some luck reverting to an older version of iTunes or even switching to Windows XP mode on their computers.

source : infoworld

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DiVitas extends mobile collaboration to iPhone, Android, RIM

Web-based clients for the smartphone operating systems offer desk-phone features, presence, and messaging

Mobile unified communications vendor DiVitas Networks has added iPhone, BlackBerry and Android to the set of platforms it is supporting with software to access desk-phone and presence features on cell phones.

DiVitas extends call features from PBX (private branch exchange) systems to mobile phones along with integrated instant messaging, presence and location information, and status reporting. The idea is to let workers use one phone and one number both inside and outside the office, with the same features for incoming and outgoing calls. The company has already worked with Nokia and Samsung to get its software on selected Symbian and Windows Mobile devices, respectively. Monday's introduction of the software brings DiVitas to all major enterprise cell-phone platforms.

DiVitas says it offers a more complete set of features on mobile phones than do the two biggest unified communications players, Cisco Systems and Avaya. But all vendors are moving toward making cell phones do the work of desk phones and desktop collaboration, according to analyst Brad Shimmin of Current Analysis.

It was critical to support a range of cell-phone platforms because diversity will be the rule in enterprise mobility, said DiVitas founder and CEO Vivek Khuller. Company-owned cell phones make up a small percentage of workers' devices today, and despite a desire for tighter control by some enterprises, the trend is moving away from them, he said.

"That is a lost game," Khuller said. "'Bring your own device' is the name of the game going forward."

Despite the lure of the much-talked-about application stores for all three of the new platforms, DiVitas went with Web-based software instead. This meant not having to get software approved for any app stores and helped to provide a consistent interface across all the phones, as well as a newly introduced desktop PC client, Khuller said. More importantly, it simplifies maintenance for IT departments, he said. Administrators can define the features on the Web-based interface and control user access to them on an ongoing basis, without having to worry about upgrading software on individual devices.

Ease of deployment and administration is a key advantage of DiVitas' Web-based approach, Shimmin said. However, a native client could provide better access to internal phone resources such as the calendar and contact list, as well as enterprise applications, he said. Eventually, DiVitas may want to go with native software, he said.

"This is a good compromise ... given the level of control and management we have for these devices right now, which is relatively nothing," Shimmin said. He expects a hybrid model to eventually take over, in which employees choose their own phones but allow their employers to install and control software on them in exchange for paying the monthly service bill. Most enterprise IT shops won't fully dictate and deploy workers' phones, he said.

The new software is available immediately for a list price of $250 per device. It is available outside the U.S. through DiVitas' channel partners and can be translated into other languages for a one-time cost.

source : infoworld

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Windows 7 share surges 40% in first week of release

Overall, the Windows OS continued to lose share globally while Apple's Mac OS X picked up most of that loss, according to Net Applications

Windows 7's market share surged nearly 40 percent in the week following its release, according to Web measurement company Net Applications.

Overall, Windows continued to lose share globally, dropping 0.23 of a percentage point during October, while Apple's Mac OS X picked up most of that loss, gaining 0.15 of a point to finish the month near 5.3 percent, its highest ever.

Windows 7's peak of 3.48 percent on Saturday, Oct. 31, represented an even larger 82 percent increase over the average of Oct. 1 through Oct. 22. For the month, Windows 7 finished with a market share of 2.15 percent, up 41 percent over the 1.52 percent for September. The numbers from Net Applications mean that about one in every 44 personal computers was running Windows 7 last month.

But some countries boast a much higher Windows 7 share, Net Applications said. "Upon analysis of global Windows 7 usage share, we noticed a distinct pattern," the company said in a note posted on its site. "Russia and many Eastern European countries already have significant share of Windows 7 usage. We are sure these are all properly licensed users."

The tongue-in-cheek comment was well taken: Of the top 25 countries by Windows 7 usage, 17 are in Eastern Europe or formerly part of the U.S.S.R. Slovenia, where 7.8 percent of the computers ran Windows 7 last month, led the list, followed by Lithuania in the No. 3 spot (6.5 percent), Rumania as No 4 (6 percent) and Latvia at No. 5 (6 percent). In Russia, at No. 21, 4.2 percent of all machines used Windows 7.

Net Applications' implication -- that the Windows 7 share in Eastern Europe is due to counterfeit copies -- is backed up by data from a May 2009 report generated by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), an industry-backed anti-piracy organization, and research firm IDC. In 2008, the piracy rate in Central and Eastern Europe was the highest of all seven regions the BSA and IDC tracked.

Slovenia's piracy rate -- the estimated percentage of all software in use that is not legally licensed -- was 47 percent last year, more than double the rate in the U.S. Lithuania, Rumania, Latvia and Russia, meanwhile, had piracy rates of 54 percent, 66 percent, 56 percent and 68 percent, respectively.

However Windows 7 was acquired -- legally or not -- its increase was outweighed by a steeper-than-usual decline in Windows XP last month. The eight-year-old operating system lost 0.92 percentage point in October, significantly more than the 0.64 point average loss each month during the past year, falling to 70.6 percent.

Vista rebounded from September, when it fell for the first time in more than two years. Vista's October share of 18.77 percent, however, was still off its record of 18.8 percent in August.

Windows' overall share dropped 0.23 of a percentage point to 92.5 percent. Microsoft's OS has lost about two and a half share points in the last year.

As it has repeatedly, Mac OS X was the recipient of most of the users lost to Microsoft: Apple's operating system climbed by 0.15 of a percentage point to end October at 5.27 percent, a new record and only the second time it's finished above 5 percent since Net Applications revised its methodology in June.

Net Applications measures operating system usage by tracking the machines that surf to the 40,000 sites it monitors for clients, which results in a pool of about 160 million unique visitors per month. It weights share by the estimated size of each country's Internet population.

October's operating system data can be found on Net Applications' site.

source : infoworld.com

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