World’s Trees Rejoice as Circuit City Liquidates January 16, 2009
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Business, News.Tags: Bankruptcy, Business, Circuit City
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Fair well, Circuit City. I did what I could to help you stay afloat. I feel bad for the front line employees losing their jobs. Can’t say I feel the same about the stiffs at corporate, though. Remember a couple of years ago when Circuit City management thought a good way to save money was to fire the all the higher paid store workers, and replace them with lower paid newbies? “Thanks for your loyal service over the years, but you’ve become too expensive.” It seems the Universe is back in balance as karma has caught up to CC. Perhaps the geniuses at corporate should have thought of some other strategies to keep the business afloat, like getting rid of those big-ass receipts.
Don’t Do What Donnie Don’t Does January 16, 2009
Posted by AlisterComputeron in News, Operating Systems.Tags: Virus, Windows, Windows Updates
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Windows updates. As an IT administrator you hate doing them: waiting for the maintenance window, reboot, and the inevitable user who’s using the system when you apply an update.
I had gotten a little lax on doing my updates, both for servers and for the desktops. Then my wife’s company, which is a publicly traded on Nasdaq, got infected with the Downadup virus, you know, the one that’s gotten some news lately.
If you don’t know, the Downadup virus infects computers by exploiting a vulnerability in Windows. No surprise there. However, Microsoft issued a patch for this flaw back in October. So all these computers getting infected could have avoided their fate had IT admins just applied the stupid patches.
Fortunately for me, I had applied some patches since October, despite my laziness complacency, and our computers were protected from the recent outbreak. I got a good chuckle, however, listening to the stories my wife told about the mess her IT department had on its hands.
So, Windows patches are pain, but not nearly the pain that having to disinfect a bunch computers is. Apply your updates.
Steve Jobs’ Heart Attack: Just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s True October 3, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Internet, News.Tags: Apple, CNN, News, Steve Jobs
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I must admit that I got quite a chuckle from this morning’s “Steve Jobs has a heart attack, but not really” story. I found the story even funnier since the gaffe occurred on CNN’s iReport web site (I’m purposely not linking to it), the web site of “citizen journalists.” CNN, along with the other news (and I used that term loosely) channels have gone way down hill in recent years. CNN Headline News used to be quite a good source of quick news updates: 30-minute blocks with “regular” news, sports, finance, weather, and human interest. But now all the channels are filled with the latest attention-grabbing stories to drive ratings, and they seem to have a need to analyze every detail. I’m digressing a bit now.
I first heard the “news” via Twitter. One of my Twitter buddies posted a Tweet with the link the iReport story (and by story, I mean the fictional kind). I clicked over and was immediately skeptical. So I browsed to Yahoo Finance to see if there was any word there, and to see what, if anything was going on with Apple’s stock. I figured if anyone knew, it would be the stock traders, right? No. At around 9:45 ET, Apple’s stock was down about 5%, according to Yahoo’s real time quotes. This was after Apple had opened at 9:30 up 5% or so. Apparently stock traders, who should know better, got duped, too. At around 10am, everyone found out Steve was fine, and Apple’s stock recovered and was going back up.
Listen, people. The Internet is a wild frontier of mis-information, lies, and stories being reported before they actually happen (I’m talking to you China and Bloomberg). We all know that! So why, do people who should know better, act on a story that “broke” on the Internet!? An old boss of mine used to say, “believe half of what you read and none of what you hear.” (Or was it the other way around?) If you use the Internet to get your news, use the Internet to confirm those stories, too.
Anyhoo, way to go CNN; your “Citizen News” is just as worthless as your regular news.
The Economy Sucks and so will IT Budgets in 2009 October 1, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in News.Tags: Economy, IT, Technology
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In addition to being a tech fan and an avid reader of tech blogs and news, I’m also a fan and observer of the financial markets. Prior to two weeks ago – prior to the announcement that the Government should bail out financial institutions, and the subsequent failure of the first version of said bailout plan – things, from what I was reading, were “okay, but could be better” to “bad but not all that bad.” This sentiment was especially true in the tech sector, and perhaps a little worse in the financial sector.
Now it seems there is much more talk of doom and gloom. The President and his staff have finally acknowledged that there’s a problem in the financial sector, and that the economy is on shaky ground. Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, says the finacial crisis will “sap consumer and business spending, affecting all companies, including [Microsoft].” Additionally,
Financial issues are going to affect both business spending and consumer spending, and particularly … spending by the financial services industry.
Steve said, “no company will be immune to these issues.”
Similarly, securities firm JMP Securities says that IT software spending in 2009 could be at its lowest since 2001. Results from a JMP survey indicate that 74% of respondents say their software budgets will be down to flat next year. Investment firm Citi also cut ratings on software firms due to macroeconomic conditions.
So what does this mean in the real world, i.e., the world in which every-day IT dudes, like me and you, exist? Well, I can tell you our company is expecting a flat-ish IT budget for next year. We have a couple of big projects planned, but a couple of others have been cut or postponed, including moving our old PBX to VOIP.
I’m typically an optimist, and I think this latest crisis will pass, as many other crises in America have been overcome. Sure things suck when you’re face to face with it: there’s job stagnation; the threat of losing a job; watiching your retirement savings tank with every failed bank. But, and this is the optimist talking again, we’ll get through it, and hopefully be stronger and wiser because of it.
Webcasters get Victory in Congress September 29, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Internet, News, Technology.Tags: Congress, Internet, News, Streaming Audio, Technology
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Pandora, Webcasting appear headed for Senate victory | News – Digital Media – CNET News
It’s good to see that the House of Representatives voted to pass the Webcaster Settlement Act, and now the Senate is expected to also pass it. Amid all the wrangling over the $700 billion bailout of our financial system, I’m glad Congress found a few minutes to assist small web broadcasters. Because if the world is going to end, I’d like to be listening to streaming audio on the Internet when it happens.
The Webcaster Settlement Act extends the deadline for Internet streaming audio providers to negotiate royalty rates with artists and the record labels. Had the act not passed, Pandora and other providers would be forced to pay high royalties that would likely have forced many webcasters out of business.
Fans of Pandora helped persuade the House to support the act, which was voted on Saturday. The Senate will vote on it Monday. And who said Congress doesn’t work for the little guy?
Technorati Tags: Technology, News, Internet, Streaming Audio, Congress
Handset Makers and Carriers getting Ready for Android September 28, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Internet, Mobility, News, Smartphone, Technology.Tags: Android, Apple, Google, iPhone, Motorola, News, Technology
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Motorola Building Up 350-Person Android Team. Nokia Also Sniffing Around.
Now that Google and T-Mobile have introduced the Android-equipped G1, other handset manufacturers and carriers are getting geared up their very own versions.
Motorola is increasing its Android team from 50 to 350 people. Nokia and Verizon may also be recruiting developers.
According to TechCrunch:
There is a certain inexorable logic behind all the interest in Android.1. It is a more capable mobile Web computer than anything other than the iPhone.
2. It is a very appealing development environment for app creators—and just like on the PC, apps will drive adoption.
3. Most importantly, as an open-source OS, manufacturers don’t have to pay a licensing fee to whoever controls the OS. Given the razor-thin margins in the cell phone business, that alone is reason for manufacturers to embrace Android (with the exception of Nokia, which owns Symbian). But you can see why Motorola might see Android as the key to its recovery.
I think this is an early indication of how big Android is going to be. It may be Apple battling Google for the dominant position in the mobile market.
Technorati Tags: Android, iPhone, Apple, Google, Motorola, Technology, News
Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere 2008 September 25, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Blogging, Internet, News, Technology.Tags: Blogging, Blogosphere, Internet, Surveys, Technology
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Technorati: State of the Blogosphere 2008
Admittedly, I didn’t give my previous post on Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere adequate coverage. I found an article about the survey at Ars Technica, thought it was interesting, and quickly shared it.
But then I read the survey, and it’s got some really interesting stuff. Technorati covers five different topics and includes and introduction in their survey:
- Introduction
- Who are the Bloggers
- The What and Why of Blogging
- The How of Blogging
- Blogging for Profit
- Brands in the Blogosphere
The survey has some great insight for those who want to improve their blog, increase traffic, or possibly even generate income from a blog. The survey separates the top 10% of blogs, or the top 100 from the rest of the field and compares what top bloggers are doing differently from the rest of the blogosphere. Charts and graphs give a visual representation of the differences between top bloggers and the rest of us.
Technorati Tags: Technology, News, Survey, Blogging, Blogs, Blogosphere
The Blogging Community Lives On September 25, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Blogging, Internet, News, Technology.Tags: Blogging, Internet, Technology
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The blogosphere is alive and well. Ars Technica reported that according to Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere 2008, the number of blogs continues to growth, albiet at a slower rate.
Technorati says that it has tracked 133 million blogs since 2002. It says it is tracking 900,000 new posts each day, which is down from 1.5 million posts from March 2007.
The majority of bloggers surveyed say they advertised their blog, and are generating revenue from blogging. The median revenue, though, is around $200, but if you hit the big time, i.e., have 100,000 unique visitors each month, you could be making $6,000 to over $75K.
Most people blog for fun, but 42% said they would like to make money from their blog eventually.
Microsoft’s “I’m a PC” Ad Made on a Mac: So What? September 22, 2008
Posted by AlisterComputeron in Mac, News, Technology, Windows.Tags: Advertising, Apple, Mac, Microsoft, PC, Technology
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Microsoft’s new “I’m a PC” ad debuted last week. The pro-Apple blogs are jumping all over the report (like this one) that the ad was created on a Mac. Now I’m a Mac guy, but I gotta say “so what?” when it comes to this story.
First, Microsoft itself, didn’t create the ad, their agency created the ad. Had the Microsoft dudes worked in secret at the Redmond fortress to create the ad on a Mac that they sneaked on campus in a Dell server box, then I’d say there’d be something to the story.
Which brings me to my next point: how many ad agencies are there using PCs to create content? I’m sure there are a few, but my guess is the vast majority of the creative shops are using Macs.
So, big deal, Microsoft’s ad was created on its competitor’s platform, the same platform that it attempts to target with its lame-assed “I’m a PC” ads.
