Worried you’ll be forced to buy Windows 8? Relax!
I've heard from several people who are concerned they won't be able to find new PCs with Windows 7 this holiday season. Businesses planning on buying new PCs may have money allocated for the machines, but there's not nearly enough in the coffers to train the troops in the care and feeding of the new dual-faced operating system as well.
For those people, I have some good news and some sorta good news.
Back in July 2010, Brandon LeBlanc on the Windows Team Blog had some words of cheer. "In the interest of providing more consistency and predictability with how we manage the Windows lifecycle," LeBlanc said, "we are confirming our current policy of allowing retailers to sell the boxed version of the previous OS for up to 1 year after release of a new OS, and that OEMs can sell PCs with the previous OS pre-loaded for up to 2 years after, the launch date of the new OS." Read more...
Summer security: 4 warm-weather worries
Think summer means emptier offices and less to worry about in the security department? Not anymore.
According to the security experts we spoke with, more mobile devices, and folks using their own smartphones to access corporate networks, means summer vacations pose a new kind of risk these days. And while the financially-motivated criminals may be on vacation, the politically-motivated "hacktivists" actually view summer as a prime time to strike.
Read on for the four security threats you should be on guard for during these warm months. Read more...
Android developers face legal hurdles in license compliance
Developers who make apps for Android have a lot more to worry about than just building great software.
While Google's Android is offered under the Apache and GPL licenses, the mobile operating system has components referencing 19 open source licenses overall, Black Duck Software executive Peter Vescuso told an audience at LinuxCon in Vancouver.
Even single projects used within Android, like Bionic or WebKit, can have more than a dozen licenses attached to them, some of which may not be certified by the Open Source Initiative. Despite what some people might believe, the obligations spelled out in these open source licenses do not apply to Google alone. Whether you're a device manufacturer or independent developer, compliance challenges must be met. Read more...