Nortel uses USB drive to secure remote work
Nortel hopes to tackle the security of remote work with an "office on a stick," a USB drive that can link an employee's PC with a corporate VPN and keep all the information from a session encrypted.
Japan's Ricoh buys office supplier Ikon for US$1.6 billion
Japanese printer maker Ricoh plans to buy Ikon, the U.S. distributor of printing and copying equipment, in a deal worth US$1.6 billion, the companies announced Wednesday.
Sonoro combines Internet and FM radio
A new, cube-shaped radio called the elements W supports both Internet radio and good old FM broadcasts and is on sale now, Germany's Sonoro Audio announced at the IFA electronics show in Berlin on Wednesday.
LG to launch DVD player with Divx HD support
LG Electronics is at this week's IFA electronics show with two DVD players that will challenge Blu-ray Disc for a share of the optical-disc spotlight.
Altec Lansing integrates subwoofer into desktop speakers
No more big boxes on the floor - the latest speakers from Altec Lansing have built-in subwoofers, the company announced at the IFA electronics show on Wednesday.
Fujitsu Siemens shows its first netbook
A couple of weeks after images of the Amilo Mini netbook first appeared on YouTube, Fujitsu Siemens officially launched the device at the IFA electronics show in Berlin on Wednesday.
EU project promises safer traffic
A system to avoid traffic jams, accidents and other dangers will be demonstrated at IFA in Berlin by the Coopers (Cooperative Systems for Intelligent Road Safety) project.
LG unveils netbook PC with embedded 3G at IFA
LG Electronics will launch in October a netbook-class laptop PC based on Intel's Atom processor that also includes 3G wireless, it said Wednesday at the IFA show in Berlin.
LG puts Bluetooth into new LCD, plasma TV sets
LG Electronics is on the verge of launching a new range of LCD (liquid crystal display) and plasma TV sets in Europe that feature Bluetooth wireless networking, the company said Wednesday at the IFA electronics show in Berlin.
Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 has nifty features
Those who expect Internet Explorer 8 to be a warmed-over version of IE7 or a me-too response to Firefox 3 will be surprised by the just-released Beta 2 of IE8. It offers a well-thought-out set of features that makes Web browsing faster and more intuitive, including more intelligent tabs, a much improved Address Bar, and new tools designed to deliver information from other Web pages and services.
Nokia widens market share lead
Economic trouble in many regions of the world is slowing down mobile phone sales, presenting challenges to some phone vendors and opportunity for others, say Gartner researchers.
Blue Label Telecoms Group may venture into Nigeria and Ghana
South Africa's Blue Label Telecoms Group is exploring opportunities in Nigeria and Ghana after announcing a 25.5 percent increase in net profits for the year.
Kenya commission failed to use laptops in elections
Low Internet penetration in rural areas, software issues and computer illiteracy have been cited as some of the reasons that the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) could not use laptops during the controversial general elections last year.
Alienware Area-51 ALX gaming desktop
If you're looking for an ultimate gaming PC, look no further than the Alienware Area-51 ALX. But at a list price of US$7639, all this power will not come cheap.
Palm Treo Pro, HP iPaq 910c Business Messenger
In the world of smart phones, while Apple's TV ads insist that the iPhone 3G "works great with work" and BlackBerry fans eagerly await RIM's BlackBerry Bold, new Windows Mobile 6.1 handsets offer alternative products to corporate users who are willing to pay top dollar for a high-end smart phone with advanced features. I looked at shipping versions of two newcomers, HP's iPaq 910c Business Messenger and Palm's Treo Pro.
Mi phone finds a home in Kenya
In a market with an ever-increasing appetite for mobile phones, the low-priced Mi phones have found a home in Kenya, with sales of 10,000 units in the past quarter.
Immersion to pay Microsoft $20 million to settle patent suit
A company that makes touch sensors for interacting with computer applications and games has agreed to pay Microsoft more than US$20 million to settle a patent suit.
Kenyan techies launch Skunk Awards
Kenyan techies have launched the Skunk Awards 2008 to recognize top IT companies and individuals. The awards were created through the skunkworks list serve, a forum where Kenyan techies share ideas and help to sort out IT problems in real time.
Microsoft virtualization tools reinforce user's data center plans
Hosting provider RackForce Networks expects that Microsoft's just released Hyper-V virtualization technology will give it a chance to take a major step in its business strategy.
Mt. Sinai Medical Center looks to open standards for patient smartcards
New York City's Mt. Sinai Medical Center, which a few years ago began a project to give patients a smartcard storing identity and health records, is realigning its focus with an eye toward using format standards that could help spur many hospitals to back the idea of a single, shared patient card.
Expand Networks secures $8.5 million in venture capital
WAN optimization vendor Expand Networks taps $8.5 million for R&D
Zambian manufacturers concerned over Free Trade Area
The Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) has expressed concern over the newly launched Free Trade Area in the Southern African Development Community region, which will see the abolition of 85 percent duty on ICT and other products.
Grim outlook for U.S IT spending, study says
U.S. companies are pulling back hard on IT spending as the economic downturn continues, a new study by ChangeWave Research has found.
Consumer electronics will do well, says Philips CEO
The future for consumer electronics looks bright and high oil prices will help the industry, according to Hans-Joachim Kamp, who spoke at IFA in Berlin on Wednesday.
Cisco buys into e-mail with $215 million PostPath acquisition
Cisco is buying PostPath, a maker of e-mail and calendaring software, for $215 million and plans to add those capabilities to its on-demand Web Ex Connect collaboration platform.
Why does my PC suddenly shut itself off?
If Windows inexplicitly closes and your PC shuts down, it's almost certainly overheated. The PC, which monitors the temperature of the CPU, is protecting it's delicate circuits from the ravages of heat. (On the other hand, if you PC frequently shuts off without closing Windows first, causing an error message when you next boot, it's likley time to replace the power supply.)
595 immigrants arrested at electronics plant
Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have arrested approximately 595 people suspected of being illegal aliens in the U.S., some with alleged ties to identity theft, at an electronics manufacturing plant in Laurel, Mississippi.
Baseball's video and secure telephone links ready for instant replay
Major League Baseball has installed a video setup and secure telephone links in all 30 stadiums in preparation for Thursday's debut of instant replay.
IT nonprofit looks into operating in Uganda
Close the Gap, an international nonprofit aimed at reducing the digital divide, has undertaken preliminary inquiries into the possibility of operating in Uganda.
Oracle integrates CRM On Demand with Siebel
Oracle has developed prebuilt integration software for its CRM On Demand product and the on-premise Siebel CRM, providing customers with a single view of their CRM data, the company announced Wednesday.
IEEE standardizes fast Wi-Fi roaming
The IEEE has completed 802.11r, a standard that lets Wi-Fi devices roam quickly between access points, improving the performance of VoIP on enterprise LANs.
iPhone fantasy football draft tools
About a decade and at least one employer ago, I had a boss who decided to give us, his underlings, some unsolicited career advice during a staff meeting. "If some of you were to devote the same energy to your jobs as you do to fantasy sports," he said, "who knows how far you could go?" He wasn't looking specifically at me when he said this, but that was all right, since everyone else in the room was.
Build your own free security suite
Do-it-all suites are the name of the security game these days. Sure, you can gather free programs that cover the bases much as a suite would, but who wants to bother with finding out which apps work together and which ones might leave you pulling your hair out?
Micro Express MicroFlex 82B value desktop PC
A powerful, fully equipped value-oriented system, the MicroFlex 82B sports a 3-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 CPU, 2GB of memory, a 250GB Serial ATA hard drive, and Windows Vista Business. Unlike many budget PCs, the MicroFlex 82B ships with a dedicated graphics card--an nVidia GeForce 8800GT that carries 512MB of video memory. Thanks to its speedy processor and dedicated graphics, the MicroFlex 82B achieved a WorldBench 6 score of 117. While that doesn't quite reach high-end gaming PC territory, it makes this machine ideal for everyday computing tasks and even some gaming, too.
Air traffic network glitch cleared-up for now
As of this morning, the FAA said flights around the country were not longer being delayed after a massive communications malfunction Tuesday.
MSI's Wind low-cost laptop to launch in Europe at IFA
Micro-Star International's (MSI) low-cost Wind laptop will get its formal European launch at this week's IFA electronics show in Berlin, the company said Wednesday.
Maxian to show new PMPs at Berlin's IFA
South Korea's Maxian will unveil a couple of new portable media players at the IFA consumer electronics in Berlin later this week.
Dell puts Linux and Atom in Vostro PCs for emerging markets
Dell unveiled Wednesday two new laptops and two desktops in its Vostro range designed to meet the needs of small and medium-size enterprises (SME), governments, and educational institutions in emerging markets in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.
Locked iPhones can be unlocked without a password
Private information stored in Apple's iPhone and protected by a lock code can be accessed by anyone with just a few button presses.
China Mobile says music users top 80M, touts temblor efforts
China Mobile, the world's largest mobile phone service provider, on Wednesday said it had mostly recovered from the earthquake that hit Sichuan, China earlier this year.