There’s Still Life in Web Browsers

There’s Still Life in Web Browsers

With Web applications quickly wallpapering the desktops of PC users these days, it seems the traditional Web browser soon will become obsolete. While the Web has been reinvented many times over, no long-standing browser — Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari — has shown much innovation since its inception. But with the recent debut of Google’s Chrome, “the browser is here to stay,” said Ray Valdes, a vice president of research for Gartner in San Jose, Calif. In fact, the bar is now raised for Chrome launches a Web-based application in a window that presents the app without the traditional window panes of the address bar, bookmarks, etc. Pundits claim it could accelerate the demise of the browser, despite the fact that it is one itself.

Article published at Certification Magazine.

Watch for a Vista Update in April

Watch for a Vista Update in April

Microsoft Corp. will deliver Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) to manufacturing in April 2009, two months after it issues a final test version to users, according to a Web site that accurately predicted several Windows ship dates in 2008. TechARP.com, a Malaysian Web site that nailed the release-to-manufacturing (RTM) dates for Vista SP1 and XP SP3 earlier this year, said that Microsoft will post a release candidate -- the final test version -- of Vista SP2 in February 2009, finish the service pack next April and offer it to users via download from the Web at some point afterward.

Story at PCWorld.com.

Opera releases fast browser for Google Android

Opera releases fast browser for Google Android

Opera Software has released the first third-party browser for the Google Android operating system.

Opera's Opera Mini 4.2 browser for mobile phones can be loaded onto the G1 Android device sold by T-Mobile. Various other phones running other operating systems can also use Opera Mini.

A technical preview of Opera Mini was previously released for an earlier version of Android in April 2008, before the first Android-powered device was launched.

Read the whole story here.

-Ken

Outsourcing qualification launched

Outsourcing qualification launched

An academic qualification in outsourcing is now available through the National Outsourcing Association (NOA).

The qualification has been in development for three years and is accredited by Middlesex University. It will enable businesses to benchmark skills and help them recruit and train individuals that will manage outsourcing contracts.

Demand for outsourcing is growing and suppliers and users of outsourcing services want best practices guidelines.

According to Gartner, there will be £180bn worth of IT outsourced in Western Europe by 2011. In the UK, research firm Nelson Hall said there was $3.6bn worth of business processes outsourced overseas in 2007. It said this will grow 25% every year and reach $8.8bn in 2011.

Read the whole article here.

You can see...

Vista could hide rootkits or fall victim to DoS attacks

Vista could hide rootkits or fall victim to DoS attacks

A security firm has found a flaw in Windows Vista that could allow rootkits to be hidden in the OS or a denial-of-service attack to be launched.

The vulnerability was found by Austrian security company Phion, which discovered the vulnerability last month. Microsoft has been informed about the threat, but so far has not announced any plans to fix it.

Read the whole article here.

-Ken

The Top 10 Problems with IT Certification in 2008

The Top 10 Problems with IT Certification in 2008

Less than 10 years ago, certification was a surefire way to enter the growing IT sector. But certification no longer guarantees that you will be able to find a high quality job in IT. It still has its place, but the IT certification industry has faced some systemic problems that no one has addressed since its emergence. Warren Wyrostek calls on personal and real-world experience to share the top 10 problems with IT certification in 2007/2008...

4. Certifications Have Been Devalued

This next problem is no secret. IT certifications have been devalued since their heyday in the mid- to late 1990s. The reasons for the devaluation could be the basis for a book. Some of the major reasons why many in the industry do not respect IT certs are the following:

- It is difficult to truly accept whether candidates know their stuff based on these exams. If you pay enough, a trained chimp could pass...

Microsoft praises Nintendo for 'broadening market'

Microsoft praises Nintendo for 'broadening market'

A bit of Christmas spirit has been shown by Microsoft's Shane Kim as he praised the work of rival company Nintendo.

The corporate vice-president of Microsoft Games Studios believes that Nintendo has done a good job in broadening the market and his company has to work harder on appealing to a wider range of audience.

He told Venturebeat: "I can tell you how that conversation goes at Microsoft. They say, 'I don't think that's a game' but the guy at Nintendo says 'I don't care, I'm selling a whole bunch of that stuff.

Read the whole article here.

-Ken

Data Transfer Rates to Jump With USB 3.0

Data Transfer Rates to Jump With USB 3.0

A standards group on Monday released specifications for a new Universal Serial Bus standard that could speed up data transfers between computers and devices such as digital cameras and flash drives. The USB 3.0 specification increases bandwidth and transfers data between devices close to 10 times quicker than its predecessor, USB 2.0, said Jeff Ravencraft, president of the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) and senior technology strategist at Intel, during a speech at the USB Superspeed Developers Conference in San Jose, California. USB ports are used to connect host devices, such as PCs, to other devices such as printers and storage drives. While USB 2.0 provides transfer rates that are enough for most devices today, USB 3.0 will be used in future devices that are more portable and as the use of multimedia applications such as video proliferates, Ravencraft said.

Read the rest of the story at...

What not to do if you're a technician...in Outer Space

What not to do if you're a technician...in Outer Space

A spacewalking astronaut accidentally let go of her tool bag Tuesday after a grease gun inside it exploded, and helplessly watched as the tote and everything inside floated away. It was one of the largest items ever to be lost by a spacewalker, and occurred during an unprecedented attempt to clean and lube a gummed-up joint on a solar panel. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper was just starting to work on the joint when the mishap occurred. She said her grease gun exploded, getting the dark gray stuff all over a camera and her gloves. While wiping off herself, the white, backpack-size bag slipped out of her grip, and she lost all her other tools. "Oh, great," she mumbled.

Full news story is at FOXNews.com.

Why Apple Won't Allow Adobe Flash on iPhone

Why Apple Won't Allow Adobe Flash on iPhone

Don't hold your breath waiting for the iPhone to support Adobe's Flash software: Apple's terms-of-service agreement prohibits it. Although Adobe says it is working on a version of its popular Flash player for the iPhone, Apple is unlikely ever to permit it to appear in the handset's App Store, no matter how much customers want it. "I'm pretty skeptical that Flash could be implemented in a way that doesn't violate the Terms of Service of the developer's agreement," said Bart Decrem, CEO of Tapulous, developer of the popular Tap Tap Revenge iPhone game.

The full story can be found at Wired.com.