Merrimack Tech News: 7/10/11

Friday, July 15, 2011

Today's Links and My Two Bits....

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Today's Links and My Two Bits....

“Eight Excellent Free Downloads”
http://www.pcworld.com/article/235057/still_awesome_after_all_these_years_eight_excellent_free_downloads.html#tk.nl_bux_h_misc

“Paragon Alignment Tool Works...But Do You Need It?”
http://www.pcworld.com/article/235277/paragon_alignment_tool_worksbut_do_you_need_it.html#tk.nl_bux_h_misc

“BootMed Teaches You How to Save Ailing PCs”
http://www.pcworld.com/article/235074/bootmed_teaches_you_how_to_save_ailing_pcs.html#tk.nl_bux_h_misc

“Hands On With the Cisco Cius Tablet”
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/235400/hands_on_with_the_cisco_cius_tablet.html#tk.nl_bux_h_misc

“Your Old Smartphone's Data Can Come Back to Haunt You”
http://www.pcworld.com/article/235276/your_old_smartphones_data_can_come_back_to_haunt_you.html#tk.nl_mcx_h_cbintro

“Combine Google Docs with Microsoft Office, Courtesy of SyncDocs”
http://www.pcworld.com/article/234993/combine_google_docs_with_microsoft_office_courtesy_of_syncdocs.html#tk.nl_mcx_h_cbstories

“LG Electronics Optimus 3D”
http://www.pcworld.com/article/235307/lg_optimus_3d_fun_powerful_and_a_little_gimmicky.html#tk.nl_mcx_h_cbstories

“Sony's Super-Slim VAIO Z MacBook Air Challenger Now Available”
http://www.pcworld.com/article/235681/sonys_superslim_vaio_z_macbook_air_challenger_now_available.html#tk.nl_mcx_h_crawl

“Cities could cash in by selling domain names”
http://gcn.com/articles/2011/07/13/agg-cities-revenue-licensing-domain.aspx

“Army's new modernization plan: IT on a tight budget”
http://gcn.com/articles/2011/07/12/army-modernization-plan.aspx

“VA CIO surveys his department's IT hits and misses”
http://gcn.com/articles/2011/06/13/va-baker-profile.aspx

“The weaponization of patents”
http://gcn.com/articles/2011/07/11/cybereye-tech-patents.aspx

“Old systems: When to modernize, leapfrog, shut down or stay the course”
http://gcn.com/articles/2011/05/30/internaut-legacy-modernization.aspx

“Google top brass (and Zuck) hit Google+ privacy button”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/facebook_google_brass_hide_from_google_plus/
More evidence that we live in the world of hypocrites.

“Google's Facebook: It rocks, but who cares?”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/google_plus/

“Before the PC: IBM invents virtualisation: A brief history of virtualisation”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/14/brief_history_of_virtualisation_part_2/

“CIA's DARPA working on human-brain-mimicking tech: Company that built the first internet node hired”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/14/iarpa_brain_bbn_deal/

“Microsoft COO: Our greatest enemy is old Windows: Dreams of phones and retail”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/14/turner_partners_pep_talk/

“World+Dog to favour dual-core laptops through 2014”
http://www.reghardware.com/2011/07/14/quad_core_notebook_growth/

“Sega forums still closed a month after mystery hack: Digital pillage leaves lasting damage”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/14/sega_forum_still_suspending/

“Berkeley Lab preps 100 Gbps prototype network: Level 3 and Ciena on board”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/internet2_100g_prototype/

“Ballmer's breaking point: Is Windows 8 already too late?: Office 365 politics”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/microbite_june_july_2011/

“VMware: We will virtualize entire world in six years: Deeper and deeper penetration”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/vmware_server_virtualization_penetration/

“US court test for rights not to hand over crypto keys: EFF pushing for digital Fifth Amendment”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/eff_piles_in_against_forced_decryption/

“Data ownership becomes fuzzy in the cloud: Stand up for your rights”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/cloud_data/

“Microsoft kills Windows Vista SP1 support: Update to proper, working Vista! We call it 'Windows 7'”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/vista_sp1_support_ends/

“Console gaming giant goes into handjobs: Electronic Arts buys Bejeweled maker PopCap”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/ea_buys_popcap/

“Netflix Alternatives”
http://www.pcworld.com/article/235629/netflix_alternatives_other_places_you_can_get_streaming_media_dvd_rentals.html#tk.nl_tex_h_cbintro

“Hard Slog -- the Real Future of the U.S. Economy”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-13/hard-slog-the-real-future-of-the-u-s-economy-peter-orszag.html

Surfs up!.................................Eric

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

My Two Bits on Netflix Rate Changes.

Netflix is one of today’s top stories and where my wife and I own stock in the company I thought I give you our diverse perspectives on the whole issue of Netflix raising rates. On the bulls side for this stock is my wife and I take the bears side. My wife absolutely loves the company and the stock. She agrees with the CEO that it should not be everything to everyone. She likes to look at Netflix as being an online library of movies, and tv shows. Just like you would go into a public library to borrow a DVD or VHS tape, you go to Netflix to find something that you might enjoy, though not absolutely love. My wife believes that people are over reacting to the news of the rate hikes, and that people are not thinking logically on the matter. Because when they do they will realize that it’s a win win for everyone. Yes Netflix can trim staff, and with fewer DVD rentals going out the door, they can now use the cost savings from the DVD side of the business, and use those savings to acquire content deals. Valid points. We are like every one else who subscribes to Netflix. We had the talk last night after dinner about which pricing plan do we go with, and like most people we will go with the $7.99 option. Though unlike most people we will wait, and take advantage of the last month of the $9.99 plan. Then closer to 9/1 change over to the unlimited streaming for $7.99. We will do as most everyone else is doing look at RedBox as an option when we want to see a movie that’s only on DVD. When it comes to the stock, my wife loves it, and thinks it will go higher. She wanted to buy the stock when it was at a hundred. We did against my better judgement. I have this thing about buying stock over a hundred dollars. I don’t like too. To me any stock over a hundred is bordering on pricey, and I usually look for right time to sell at or above that level, since I believe in the old saying buy low and sell high. I am rather sceptical of the Netflix business model. I believe that it can turn a profit but I have to wonder if it can turn a large enough profit to be fairly priced at these levels. Netflix will loose some customers as a result of the rate hikes but can they add customers in Latin America to offset the losses in the States? To me that will be something that the company will have to prove in order for it to be to judge at fair value at the 290 level.

I have to admit here that we own Apple and Google stock. I look for both to go higher, and then we are selling. We plan on selling Google near the 600 ceiling, this stock is like a roller coaster, we like it but want to take some profits at or near a good top. As for Apple I think we’ll be sitting on this one for awhile, too much upside potential.

Those are my Two Bits...............Eric

Today's Favorite Articles and My Two bits.

People continue to cut the proverbial cable cord..
http://www.cnbc.com/id/43713743/

“FCC Opens New Tech Tire-Kicking Center”
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/470818-FCC_Opens_New_Tech_Tire_Kicking_Center.php
Another site to see if you should go the nations capital. What is DC becoming Disney World North? All that’s missing are the roller coaster rides on the Capital Green. Wait I shouldn’t have said that I don’t want to give anyone any ideas.

Comcast touts the fact that it’s tech support is supporting 22 million customers.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/xfinity-signature-support-now-available-to-more-than-22-million-comcast-customers-2011-07-13?reflink=MW_news_stmp
If you want to believe company numbers........

“How IPv6 contributes to a more agile and responsive organization”
http://informationweek.in/Internet/11-07-13/How_IPv6_contributes_to_a_more_agile_and_responsive_organization.aspx

“Western Digital to offer Windows-based small storage”
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/wd_soho_storage_appliance/

Some white papers on various elements of the Data Center.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/13/hyphen/

“Will keyboards type out death knell for cursive writing?”
http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/keyboards-type-out-death-knell-cursive-writin?source=NWWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2011-07-12
I personally think that cursive writing should still be taught in schools. I think it should be a part of a childes education. If they don’t learn it, they might be placed at a disadvantage at some point in their lives.

“Microsoft revs dump-XP campaign, says 'time to move on'”
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/071211-microsoft-revs-dump-xp-campaign-says.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2011-07-12
Yeah but what if someone cannot afford to buy a new computer and can only run what they have, which just might be XP? Every time you turn around they up grade something and they want you to pay for the newer versions. What do they think people have money trees in their back yards, or on their apartment porches? Use to be when you bought something it would last quite a few years, including software. Not anymore, and if I have to buy a new machine it’ll because my current machine kicked the bucket. I’ll admit it I’m cheap and I’m frugal, gotta start saving for my retirement and not add to Steve Ballamer’s bonus.

“Verizon Pursues Tough Line on Labor”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304584404576442272637486618.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

“Why Your Business Should Worry About the ISP Copyright Fight”
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/235329/why_your_business_should_worry_about_the_isp_copyright_fight.html#tk.nl_bpx_h_cbstories

Is Microsoft the Clouds biggest cheerleader?
http://www.cloudtweaks.com/2011/07/cloud-computing%E2%80%99s-unlikeliest-supporter-microsoft/

“VMware Shows Its Cloud Strategy”
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/vmware-shows-its-cloud-strategy/

“US law enforcement agencies increasingly obtaining Facebook warrants”
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/us-law-enforcement-agencies-increasingly-obtaining-facebook-warrants/2156?tag=nl.e539

“SharePoint 2010 SP1: What it does -- and does not do”
http://www.infoworld.com/d/microsoft-windows/sharepoint-2010-sp1-released-along-new-capacity-boundaries-and-limits-785?source=IFWNLE_nlt_daily_2011-07-13

“How to become the new business analyst needed in IT”
http://www.infoworld.com/t/it-strategy/the-new-business-analyst-586?source=IFWNLE_nlt_daily_2011-07-13

“Google Chromebook lacks luster -- and purpose”
http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/google-chromebook-lacks-luster-purpose-796
Sounds like a Google product.

“IT and Security Can't Keep Up As Consumer Device Use Grows”
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/235622/it_and_security_cant_keep_up_as_consumer_device_use_grows.html#tk.nl_bdx_h_crawl

“Fired IT workers file lawsuit claiming H-1B workers replaced them”
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/071211-fired-it-workers-file-lawsuit.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_daily_am_2011-07-13

“Cisco injects new life into Catalyst 6500 switch”
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/071211-cisco-live-catalyst6500.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_daily_am_2011-07-13

“Polycom and Microsoft bring Lync to room telepresence”
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/converg/2011/071111convergence2.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_convergence_voip_2011-07-13

“IPv6 Deployment Misperception: I can do the minimum at my Internet Edge and get by”
http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/ipv6-deployment-misperception-i-can-do-minimu?source=NWWNLE_nlt_cisco_2011-07-13

“Cyberwar and cyber-isolationism”
http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2011/071211-bradner.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_security_2011-07-13

“Is your company ready for legal holds and compliance with mobility and the cloud?”
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/sec/2011/071111sec2.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_cloud_security_2011-07-12

“Does Tech’s Labor Market Have a Structural Problem?”
http://news.dice.com/2011/07/12/update-does-the-tech-labor-market-have-a-structural-problem/

“The Need for Big Data Expertise is Only Going to Grow”
http://news.dice.com/2011/07/12/big-career-opportunities-in-big-data/

“Amazing Perks at the 100 Best Companies for IT Workers”
http://news.dice.com/2011/07/11/amazing-perks-at-the-100-best-companies-for-it-workers/

“How to Absolutely, Positively Show You’re a Bad-Ass Geek”
http://news.dice.com/2011/07/11/how-to-absolutely-positively-show-youre-a-bass-ass-geek/
No thanks I like being a closet Geek..............

“"Depraved" Wi-Fi hacker gets 18 years in prison”
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/071311-wifi-hack.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2011-07-13

“Banks ‘friend’ people on Facebook, then foreclose on them”
http://bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1351465&srvc=business&position=4

“‘Green’ firms push for federal support”
http://bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1351462&position=0
They shouldn't be in business if they can’t turn a profit in the marketplace without government aid.

“Gong show helps get sales going at Waltham co.”
http://bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1351451&srvc=business&position=3

Surfs up!...............................Eric