IT Rx--less innovation, more talent; Can RSS save e-mail? [TECH UPDATE]

Welcome to ZDNet's Tech Update Today for Wed., January 26, 2005 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IN THIS ISSUE: DAN FARBER - Too much innovation or too little talent? TOP NEWS HEADLINES FROM ZDNN - Microsoft: Legit Windows or no updates - Sun warms to open-source server software - Apple releases patch for Mac OS X - Rambus files new memory suit - Vienna to softly embrace Linux - Federal agent raps ISPs over cybercrime - Thousands of Ford workers to go wireless LATEST BLOGS - Why Fiorina's big bet is failing -- Dan Farber - IBM choking on own dog food? -- David Berlind - Microsoft worrying about the wrong things? -- Dana Blankenhorn - RIM vs. Good: Whose network is more reliable? -- David Berlind - Google VoIP? No way: read the ad again -- Russell Shaw - Smoking SOA -- Britton Manasco DAVID BERLIND'S PICKS - OK, phishing killed e-mail. RSS to the rescue? - Listen in: Novell exec chats on Open Enterprise Server - Integration at warp speed now possible? - Can't IT find something better to do than play 'gotcha?' - Why does technology fail? COMMENTARY - VoIP: Has the dream of convergence failed? READERS - 'IT execs irrelevant if you have Macs' SLIDE SHOW - Digital in Detroit: new cars make us forget PCs IN THE BLOGS - T-Mobile one-ups VPN on hotspot security (so should you) CONTEST - Write your own ticket to PC Forum 2005 PREVIOUSLY ON TECH UPDATE TODAY - Can technology close the media's credibility gap? - Phil Windley asks: Whither innovation? - Sun issues open letter to IBM's Palmisano - Spyware: IT's public enemy No. 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <---------------Advertisement---------------> Upgrade Your WinXP Pro Skills with This Guide TechRepublic's WINDOWS XP PROFESSIOANL RESOURCE GUIDE, SECOND EDITION contains a wealth of tips and advice to help you set up, configure, and optimize your organization's Windows XP machines. With TechRepublic's informative guide, you'll find it easier than ever to master the ins and outs of the Windows XP Professional desktop operating system. To order your copy, click here: http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3490-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 <-------------------------------------------> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DAN FARBER Too much innovation or too little talent? In a New York Times op-ed piece, Nicholas "IT Doesn't Matter" Carr attributes the FBI's $170 million software train wreck to the fact that most large-scale IT projects fall short of expectations, sometimes spectacularly. What's more, Carr suggests, the FBI's biggest problem may be its desire to innovate. "When it comes to developing software today," he writes, "innovation should be a last resort, not a first instinct." Carr misses a key issue: The FBI failure has more to do with a lack of the right human resources and culture than it does with technical innovation. What do you think? Let me know. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3444-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Report: FBI may scrap new computer program http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3445-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Nick Carr responds: 'A rush to innovate is a rush to fail' http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3446-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TOP NEWS HEADLINES FROM ZDNN Microsoft: Legit Windows or no updates http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3447-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Sun warms to open-source server software http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3448-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Apple releases patch for Mac OS X http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3449-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Rambus files new memory suit http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3450-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Vienna to softly embrace Linux http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3451-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Federal agent raps ISPs over cybercrime http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3452-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Thousands of Ford workers to go wireless http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3453-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LATEST BLOGS Why Fiorina's big bet is failing -- Dan Farber http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3454-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 IBM choking on own dog food? -- David Berlind http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3455-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Microsoft worrying about the wrong things? -- Dana Blankenhorn http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3456-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 RIM vs. Good: Whose network is more reliable? -- David Berlind http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3457-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Google VoIP? No way: read the ad again -- Russell Shaw http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3458-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Smoking SOA -- Britton Manasco http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3459-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DAVID BERLIND'S PICKS OK, phishing killed e-mail. RSS to the rescue? Here's how bad phishing has gotten: Most eBay users won't open a legitimate message from the auction giant. Phishing has killed e-mail as an effective tool for commerce-enabled sites to engage in sensitive, confidential communication. So, here's an idea I pitched to Anti-Phishing Working Group chairman David Jevans: Why not use the Really Simple Syndication protocol (RSS) as an end-run around the e-mail infrastructures to keep customers in touch with such institutions? OK, saysJevans, but what about one-to-one communications? My answer: A separate RSS feed for every customer. Am I nuts? Tell me now. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3460-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Data leak puts PayPal users at phishing risk http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3461-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Listen in: Novell exec chats on Open Enterprise Server Novell has failed, twice so far, to sell ported versions of Netware (Netware on Solaris and HP-UX, Netware on x86 Unix), which makes its just announced Open Enterprise Server -- a SuSE Linux-based version of Netware -- the company's last chance to avoid a strikeout. In our latest IT Matters podcast interview, Novell's Charlie Ungashick stops by to discuss the prospects for OES. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3462-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ZDNet's podcasts: How to tune in http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3463-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Integration at warp speed now possible? The state of Wisconsin last year used Web services to integrate six procurement systems in less than two weeks. In fact, Joe McKendrick has heard of complex projects being wrapped up in an afternoon if the right standards are in place. Can Web services/SOA really compress months of work into days -- or even hours? http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3464-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 See blog: Capitalizaing on service-oriented archiecture http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3465-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Can't IT find something better to do than play 'gotcha?' Blogger George Ou can't believe any IT folks would spend valuable resources to craft a fake e-mail virus that "tests" which users will be fooled into double-clicking it. "There is simply no way an end user should ever be expected to know what they should click or not click," writes Ou. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3466-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 See George Ou's blog http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3467-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Why does technology fail? At one time or another, everyone's had their day ruined by a computer crash. Why does technology seem to fail at the most critical times? It's the machines' fault--and ours, writes Peter Cochrane, who offers a solution. But it means becoming less efficient and building in some slack. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3468-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------------------ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COMMENTARY VoIP: Has the dream of convergence failed? Given all the talk about melding voice and data networks, why aren't more companies doing it? Ben King looks at what's happened to the dream of convergence. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3469-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ READERS 'IT execs irrelevant if you have Macs' While ZDNet Research finds that Apple's "mindshare" among our site's readers is off the charts, a panel of European IT execs considers Apple irrelevant to business needs, which prompted member hipparchus2000 to suggest that "IT execs are irrelevant if you have Macs." Join the discussion. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3470-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 CIOs: Apple's not ready for business http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3471-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 See also: Apple's 'mindshare' off the charts, says ZDNet Research http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3472-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SLIDE SHOW Digital in Detroit: new cars make us forget PCs It used to be all about cams, pistons, and calipers, but today's cars are increasingly set apart by their cockpit technology. CNET editors just got back from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and here are some signposts to what will be in your next car. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3473-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IN THE BLOGS T-Mobile one-ups VPN on hotspot security (so should you) T-Mobile recently became the first U.S. wireless carrier to implement 802.1x port-based authentication, which George Ou calls a huge improvement in the security and robustness of wireless LAN hotspots that every enterprise ought to consider. Already secured via a VPN? No matter. Ou thinks the conventional Wi-Fi hotspot business model is simply too dangerous for anyone to use anymore. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3474-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Also: 'You use my hotspot, I"ll use your credit card' http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3475-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONTEST Write your own ticket to PC Forum 2005 What IT innovation have the experts underplayed...or even completely missed? Your answer could win you free admission to PC Forum 2005 -- and the opportunity to address the PC Forum audience. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3476-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PREVIOUSLY ON TECH UPDATE TODAY Can technology close the media's credibility gap? A growing disenchantment with the established media has many of us turning to alternate sources of information. Earlier this week, David Berlind asked: Can bleeding-edge publish-and-subscribe technology -- like podcasting -- help to close the media's credibility gap? Several ZDNet readers were fast out of the gate with opinions. JOIN THE DISCUSSION http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3477-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Phil Windley asks: Whither innovation? Nine out of every 10 American brand-name laptops are outsourced, and many of these well-known brands no longer design their own machines. Is this a harbinger of decreased competitiveness for U.S. companies? IT guru Phil Windley doesn't see it that way. "This is just another data point leading to the conclusion that laptops are a commodity," writes Windley, who will be a regular contributor to ZDNet's blogs. "To get a true picture of innovation in IT, you have to consider three separate sources: academic research, entrepreneurial activity, and open-source software development... There's plenty of innovation happening--just don't look for it in the manufacturing design of laptops." http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3478-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Sun issues open letter to IBM's Palmisano Sun is turning up the heat on Big Blue. An open letter from Jonathan Schwartz to Sam Palmisano calls on IBM to serve its customers by porting IBM applications to Sun's Solaris for x86 systems. Faced with Sun's relentless deployment of such guerilla tactics as blogs, open letters and customer testimonials, it's hard to imagine IBM coming up with any reasonable excuse that the IT community would accept...even if, as IBM says, Solaris 10 doesn't have enough market share today to justify development costs. http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3479-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 See also: Schwartz to IBM--don't lock us out http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3480-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 Spyware: IT's public enemy No. 1 What's the biggest threat to business networks in 2005? Front-line IT managers and security firms increasingly peg spyware -- typically associated with unprotected home PCs -- as the top security headache in the corporate world. Putting spyware first may become standard operating procedure this year. Where does spyware rank on your list of security priorities? http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3481-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ZDNet Research: Spyware planning off the mark http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3482-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Visit ZDNet's Tech Update home page: http://ct.zdnet.com.com/clicks?c=3483-45018394&brand=zdnet&ds=5 *******************ZDNET POWERCENTER****************** Sponsored resources from the top players in the tech industry today Adobe Intelligent Document Platform. 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