Next from Microsoft: ‘Blue’, the Windows 8 they hope you don’t hate
Vid Windows Blue - the supposedly leaked sequel to Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system - will apparently look a lot more like Windows Phone 8 and allow users to further personalise their computers.
Copies of what appears to be build 9364 of Windows Blue are circulating on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks; once the alpha-grade software is installed, users will find they are able to customise colours on the start screen and poke smaller tiles without needing to go through the options warehouse of the Control Panel, we're told. Read more...
White House exploring executive order to secure critical networks
President Obama is exploring the option of using his executive authority to get government agencies and critical infrastructure owners to implement better controls for protecting their computer networks.
According to a report by Reuters, the White House is considering the move because of the continuing delay by Congress to pass the Cybersecurity Act bill.
The bill is heavily supported by the White House and is designed to bolster cyber security by giving businesses and government agencies better mechanisms for sharing cyberthreat information. It is sponsored by Senators Joseph Lieberman (Ind,-CT) and Susan Collins, (R-ME) and several other democratic lawmakers. The bill calls for the creation of an inter-agency council that would work with critical infrastructure owners to develop new voluntary cybersecurity standards.
The act also requires certain government agencies to submit to an annual security certification process and offers liability protection for private companies that get voluntarily certified each year. Read more...
Married to your desk? 5 tips for a better relationship
Here's a sobering statistic: With a 40- to 45-hour work week, many Americans spend about 25% of the year on the job. For those of us who stare at computer screens all day, that amounts to more than 2,000 hours with our keisters glued to chairs. In less technical terms, we're practically married to our desks.
For as many hours as we whittle away at our workstations, though, most of us put surprisingly little thought into optimizing our offices. Quick: When's the last time you actually stopped to think about how efficient your physical workspace is? If you're anything like me, the answer is probably "never."
Workstation optimization can make a significant difference in your ability to get things done. Believe me: I've slowly but surely been making changes to my own humble office, and with each adjustment, I've noticed more productivity and less time wasted (unintentionally, at least -- my midday YouTube-browsing habit shows no signs of subsiding).
The best part: It doesn't take much to do a workstation tune-up. Here are five simple tips to get you started. Read more...
New MacBook Pros are just around the corner
Apple may do its best to keep new products under wraps before they are officially revealed, but the company is a creature of habit and we've learned a few things just from observation. For example, one of the sure-fire signs that a refresh — Apple's term for a revamp of a hardware line — for one of Apple's computers is on the horizon, is the near halt of new shipments hitting store shelves. That's just what has happened to retailer stocks of new MacBook Pros, and appears that the new model is just around the corner. Read more...
Big businesses take a small bite of the Apple
On the surface, USAA looks like a prime example of how Apple is making new inroads into large enterprises. The financial services company has deployed more than 500 iPhones and 300 iPads, has about 200 Macintosh computers, and it's considering bringing in more Macs to displace some of its Windows desktops.
San Antonio-based USAA has also released a customer-facing app for iPhones and iPads, and it's considering developing others for internal use. "There seems to be a simmering demand for them, and some good business cases," says Mike Pansini, assistant vice president of IT infrastructure architecture at USAA.
But as is the case at many large companies, USAA's relationship with Apple is more measured than it might first appear. Read more...
IBM brings brain power to experimental chips
IBM has created prototype chips that could mimic brain-like functionality, which the company said is an "unprecedented" step forward in creating intelligent computers that collect, process and understand data quickly.
The prototype chips will give mind-like abilities for computers to make decisions by collating and analyzing immense amounts of data, similar to humans gathering and understanding a series of events, said Dharmendra Modha,project leader for IBM Research. The experimental chips, modeled around neural systems, mimics the brain's structure and operation through silicon circuitry and advanced algorithms.
IBM hopes reverse-engineering the brain into a chip could forge computers that are highly parallel, event-driven and passive on power consumption, Modha said. The machines will be a sharp departure from modern computers, which have scaling limitations and require set programming by humans to generate results. Read more...
Cash for clunkers: Old tech equipment boosts the bottom line
Like most big companies, GlaxoSmithKline had systems in place to help keep track of its computers, servers and other IT equipment.
Even so, equipment would still fall through the cracks -- employees would leave, and managers would forget to call the desktop services group to pick up their computers. Or workers would need extra machines for special projects but then fail to turn them in when the projects were complete. Or people would ask to hold on to old computers after an upgrade to clear off data, and the unit would fall off the roster.
Multiply those instances over several years, and you wind up with a big pile of unused tech gear. Read more...
Can’t sleep? Blame your computer, cell phone
Not getting enough sleep these days? You may have to blame your computer or your cell phone.
The National Sleep Foundation on Monday released the results of a poll showing that many people aren't getting a good night's sleep. The survey found that 43% of Americans said they rarely or never get a good night's sleep during the week. A full 60% said they experience a sleep problem, such as waking too early, snoring or feeling unrefreshed, every night.
While part of the problem is busy lives, crying babies and jobs that require attention around the clock, another is electronics, the foundation said. Read more...