IT

Analyst: Flame Devs Used FOSS to Help Them Hide
September 17, 2012

The developers of the now-notorious Flame malware used command and control servers running the 64-bit version of Debian and the OpenVz virtualization technology in their work. They wrote most of the server code in PHP, researchers at Kaspersky Lab and Symantec have found during continuing investigations into the malware.

Island Dispute Prompts Violence Against Japan's Tech Titans
September 17, 2012

Japanese electronics company Panasonic halted some of its operations in China after protesters -- apparently upset about Japan's claim to disputed islands -- attacked a pair of Panasonic factories. Protests also forced Japanese electronics company Canon to close three of its four Chinese plants.

VMworld 2012: Passing the Torch - and the Ammunition
September 11, 2012

Chief executive transitions in the IT industry often tend toward melodrama or at least bald quirkiness: The number of ignominious CEO departures at HP and Yahoo could qualify both companies for their own telenovelas. After successfully acquiring Sun Microsystems, Oracle unceremoniously booted CEO Jonathan Swartz, an event he noted by tweeting a Zen-like haiku.

New vCloud 5.1 Brings Data Centers Into the Virtual Fold
August 28, 2012

VMware has launched what it claims is the first solution to deliver what it calls the "software-defined data center" -- its vCloud Suite 5.1. This integrates the company's virtualization, cloud infrastructure and management portfolio into one bundle. It lets users set up their own virtual data centers, consisting of virtual compute, storage, networking and security resources.

How Secure Is the Cloud, Really?
August 28, 2012

Cloud security skeptics were given yet another reason to doubt the fortitude of online storage when the strange tale of Mat Honan emerged earlier this month. Through the clever use of social engineering, a hacker was able to wreak havoc on the Wired journalist's digital life.

An Intrepid Expedition Into the Wilds of Virtualization
August 27, 2012

The latest BriefingsDirect end-user case study uncovers how outerwear and sportswear maker and distributor Columbia Sportswear has used virtualization techniques and benefits to significantly improve its business operations. We'll see how Columbia Sportswear's use of deep virtualization assisted in rationalizing its platforms and data center.

Facebook Kisses HTML5 Goodbye With Rebuilt iOS App
August 25, 2012

Facebook has released a new version of its iOS app, one that the company rebuilt from the ground up using Apple's Xcode integrated development environment. In doing so, it got rid of HTML5, on which the previous version of its iOS app relied. The move to native iOS has sped up the app's performance, Facebook stated.

Twitter Tosses Tumblr Out of the Friend-Finding Circle
August 24, 2012

Weeks after removing its find-friends feature from Instagram, Twitter has done the same to blogging service Tumblr. Twitter's already changed the rules for app developers in version 1.1 of its API, which is coming soon. Both parties took a low-key approach when asked to comment.

5 Warning Signs of Ineffective Security
August 21, 2012

Most cars nowadays come with driver and passenger airbags. It's a great safety feature that's helped save numerous lives since installing them routinely has become the norm. But sometimes, though it is rare, airbags fail to deploy even when circumstances arise where they should. Ask yourself: How would you know the difference between an airbag that works compared to one that doesn't?

Big Data and the Deep Blue Sea
August 20, 2012

A fascinating global ocean studies initiative helps best define some of the IT superlatives around big data, cloud computing and middleware integration capabilities. The Ocean Observatories Initiative and its accompanying Cyberinfrastructure Program aims to provide an unprecedented ability to study the Earth's oceans and climate using myriad distributed data centers and literally oceans' worth of data.

Twitter Wants to Keep Devs' Hands Out of the Cookie Jar
August 17, 2012

While Twitter restricts users to just 140 characters in a single tweet, its developers are limited to just three characters -- namely its "API" -- and it's cracking down on that. Twitter announced Friday that it will further restrict developer access to its API -- discouraging services that tend to replicate the Twitter experience, among other things.

Goko Shows Its Hand
August 16, 2012

Startup game company Goko emerged from its 2011 stealth launch on Thursday, officially unveiling its HTML5-based lineup. The company -- which released its software development kits to independent developers interested in publishing and monetizing games for the HTML5 platform -- has held its cards closely but is now revealing its hand.

App.net Chases Ad-Free Social Network Dream
August 14, 2012

App.net founder Dalton Caldwell watched the social Web's trajectory with admiration and then dismay over the years. From all accounts, he liked its initial promise. As it morphed into a commercialized, ad-supported ecosystem of products, however, he apparently grew disillusioned. Hence the crowd-funded campaign Caldwell has launched to build ad-free, subscriber-based rival products.

Qt's Move Gives FOSS the Jitters
August 13, 2012

There's been much ado about Linux desktops in recent months, but few would dispute KDE's prominence among them. That, indeed, is one of the many reasons there's been so much concern over Nokia's impending sale of the Qt toolkit, upon which KDE is based.

The Cloud: It's Not Just a Technology - It's a Catalyst
August 13, 2012

"The word 'cloud' gets thrown around a lot, but when I drill into the topic, I find that customers are really talking about services and integrating different services, whether they are on-premises, in the public cloud arena, or even that gray land, which is called 'outsourcing,'" said HP's Paul Muller.

Facebook Steps Out on Mobile App Ad Tightrope
August 09, 2012

Facebook announced Tuesday that it is testing a new ad program for mobile apps in a limited beta. The system is aimed at iOS and Android developers who want to grow the audience for their apps, according to Facebook engineer Vijaye Raji. Anyone who clicks on an ad for an app will be sent to the App Store or Google Play to download it, assuming it is not already installed on the device.

Google Grafts Gmail Onto Web Searches
August 09, 2012

Google has announced it's testing a new service that will include relevant information from a user's personal Gmail account when that person types in a query on the company's basic search page. Google said the service is meant to further integrate the company's Web presence and its many functions, including e-mail, so that users can have faster, more relevant information at their fingertips.

Why Ham Radio Is Still Handy
August 08, 2012

The tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 highlighted two phenomena common in disasters: Network communications tower sites were destroyed, and network traffic overwhelmed systems. Power failures cut off the Internet, and in New York, debris raining down onto ground-based infrastructure destroyed much of any communications left.

Nuance's Nina Challenges Siri, and She Means Business
August 07, 2012

There is a new natural-language, speech-based virtual assistant in town: Nuance on Monday introduced Nina to rival Apple's Siri. Nina can be used by smartphone application developers -- or any other type of user who would like to deploy the technology's mix of speech recognition, text-to-speech and voice biometric technology, for that matter.

Apple v. Samsung: The Trial and the Tribulations
August 04, 2012

Samsung and Apple have been battling it out in courtrooms all over the world for months, if not years, with the worldwide conflict becoming kind of a dull hum in the background. This motion goes that way, that one goes this way, lawyers keep lawyering, whatever. But what's going on in California this week is supposed to be the case that's actually exciting, because it's come to the point of a real trial.