Inside Dell's command center

If there’s a hurricane forming in the Caribbean, a major freeway closure in Los Angeles or flight delays out of Chicago, chances are that Jason Allen knows about it.

Allen is in charge of Dell’s five worldwide Global Command Centers, around-the-clock operational centers where technicians are constantly monitoring things like flight delays, traffic jams, weather conditions or even a special event that might impact the company’s ability to handle a support call.

Allen gave me a tour of the facility during a day-long visit this week to the company’s main campus just outside Austin, Texas. As I met with folks throughout the day, there was one thing I continued to hear: tech companies today have very similar offerings from a technology and equipment perspective these days. It takes something different – like a global command center to make sure that service contracts are upheld – to make a company stand out against its competitors.

When customers rely on Dell’s servers and other equipment to keep their data centers running or their e-commerce sites powered, they need quick results from Dell’s service teams when problems arise, Allen said. The last thing a customer wants to hear is that a part is out of stock or that flight delays out of Chicago will delay delivery of replacement equipment. His team is constantly playing a game of chess - managing vendors, parts deliveries, technician dispatches and more - to make sure that these sort of problems don’t get in the way of solving the customer’s problem.

The command centers are quite a sight to see. They are rows of workstations, set in a stadium setting so that everyone has a clear line of sight to a wall full of screens. Live broadcasts of the Weather Channel and CNN play on some of them. Another has Google Earth fired up, offering overlays of everything from traffic conditions heading to Los Angeles International Airport to the path of a Hurricane barreling its way up the East coast and the times until it hits. (see map image) Other screens offer big-picture or detailed looks at the current support tickets.

On any given day, anything can happen to spark a flurry of activity in the command center. But in most cases, the work being done from the center is proactive, not reactive. Say, for example, the President will be attending a fundraiser in downtown Indianapolis. From a security standpoint, that’s an event that will likely result in road closures and traffic disruptions – something that could keep the UPS driver from reaching a Dell customer.

Armed with that sort of information, technicians in the center can reach out to those customers, inform them of the upcoming event and develop a contingency plan in the event that the customer encounters any problems during that time.

“When service goes down and it’s affecting people, we use every tool to get the problem fixed as fast as possible,” Allen said. “There’s no room for error.”

(Jason Allen, Operations Manager of the Global Command Center, points out details from a customer support ticket being reviewed by technicians.)

First look: Google Chrome 2.0 - Fast but lacking features

Google has released Chrome 2.0. The speed-demon browser gets an additional kick of speed, a few more features, and a load of bug fixes.

First, let’s look at the speed side of things. Google’s Chrome browser was already fast, but the 2.0 update loads JavaScript-heavy web pages about 30% faster than version 1.0. Benchmark tests I’ve run seems to suggest that this claim holds true, and in fact when version 2.0 is compared against version 1.0 using Google’s V8 benchmark, the newer browser is twice as fast.
So, there’s plenty of speed available. But what about features?

Well, for those who like an all-singing, all-dancing browser, Google’s Chrome as always been a poor choice because while the browser packed plenty of power, it was very basic. Chrome 2.0 is no different.

Here are some of the most significant newly added features to Chrome 2.0:

• Ability to delete thumbnails from new tab page
• Full page zoom
• Full screen mode (by pressing F11)
• Autofill for web forms

Nothing to write home about! Still, I use Chrome regularly because I like the speed and love the stability.

Then there are the bug fixes. More than 300 of them according to Google.

If you are a Chrome user, the browser will automatically update when run. If not, head over to the Google Chrome download page.

For Mac and Linux users, there’s still no Google Chrome for you.

Kaspersky Red-Faced Over SQL Injection Hack

A group of hackers who were apparently not advanced enough to take full advantage of their mischief nevertheless managed to embarrass security firm Kaspersky. They may have been looking to build their hacker creds when they breached a database under the firm's protection by taking advantage of a SQL injection vulnerability.

A team of hackers exploited a SQL injection vulnerability to gain access to a customer database protected by security company Kaspersky. It appears the attack did not compromise any data, according to Roel Schouwenberg, a Kaspersky senior antivirus researcher. However, it certainly dealt a blow to the company's reputation.
"A Romanian hacker team found a vulnerability in a new site we launched in the U.S.," Schouwenberg told TechNewsWorld. "That vulnerability allowed them to to get some access to that part of the site. Fortunately, no data has been compromised -- but if the hackers had been more advanced, they could have gotten access to 2,500 email addresses and activation codes for new products."
The hackers' motives for carrying it out the attack are unclear.
Insufficient Notice
"They said they alerted us to the problem before making it public," said Schouwenberg. "They did -- but only by an hour."
They sent an email Saturday evening, Moscow time, to Kaspersky, he said.
The attack was likely more about the hackers' desire for 60 minutes of fame than anything else, he speculated.
Kaspersky developed the compromised site with a third party, Schouwenberg pointed out. "Unfortunately, there was some vulnerability in the code written by the third party that slipped by our review process. We could have done a better job in catching that, for our part."
As part of its clean-up efforts, Kaspersky has retained Next Generation Security Software's David Litchfield to conduct an independent audit and security risk analysis. The results, expected within 24 to 48 hours, will be posed on the company's Web site.
Previous internal reviews and audits had turned up vulnerabilities, "but they were never exploited in the wild," Schouwenberg said.
Could Happen to Anyone?
Kaspersky, no doubt, is mortified by the incident. (Schouwenberg readily acknowledged the lapse was bad, but also pointed out that the company's core competency is antimalware). Certainly, the breach is enough to cast doubt not only on Kaspersky's security bona fides, but also on the industry as a whole.
Companies that rely on the Internet security industry to protect their own operations and customers have reason for concern, suggested Rohyt Belani, CEO of Intrepidus Group. "SQL injections are the most deadly, and they are very difficult to protect against," he told TechNewsWorld. "This could have happened to almost anybody."
Unless a coder is highly attuned to the security implications, it is easy to write an application that could be vulnerable to such an attack, he said.
Take an online mortgage application, for example. The field that requests the name should be explicitly limited to accept only alphabet characters. However, a developer might not do this, Belani said, because names can require other characters, such as apostrophes.
"Attackers know that that particular field becomes part of a database query in the back end system -- so they inject SQL characters into that field, which can then modify the flow in the back end," he explained. If the attack is successfully executed, portions of the database can be shown back to the user or corrupted in certain ways.
Need to Test
Testing is the best protection.
"Here's another example of companies not testing their Web applications before deploying them out there for customers -- and hackers," Mandeep Khera, CMO for Cenzic, told TechNewsWorld.
This incident highlights a problem Cenzic has seen with other attacks -- which is that companies often don't find out they are being hacked for a long time -- and many times, they discover it only accidentally.
"Our advice to anyone who has a Web site with forms is to start testing those for vulnerabilities," he said, "and even if you can't fix all the vulnerabilities right away, at least make it difficult for those hackers who are going for the low-hanging fruit.

Can a Semantic Kumo Wrestle Google to the Mat?

In the realm of search, Microsoft trails far behind Google and Yahoo, two engines that deliver search results mainly by matching keywords. Can adding a little semantic technology give Microsoft's search engine a better idea of what's on the searcher's mind -- and thus attract more users? Redmond is expected to deliver such a product, known as "Kumo," in the coming weeks.


In about two weeks, Microsoft is expected to launch Kumo, its sort of old, sort of new search engine.
Microsoft regards Kumo as its Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) killer, according to analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group, and the software company is banking heavily on it despite deep internal divisions over the project.
Kumo will reportedly take over Microsoft's Live Search and incorporate semantic Web search capabilities, which could be the next wave in search engine technology.
However, in some ways, the semantic Web is already creeping up on us -- we just don't know it yet.
What Is Kumo?
Kumo is a combination of Microsoft's Live Search search engine and semantic Web technology the vendor acquired when it bought Powerset in July 2008, according to semantic Web expert Michael K. Bergman, CEO and cofounder of Structured Dynamics.
"I have looked at what's been released with Kumo so far, and I'm quite familiar with Powerset," he told TechNewsWorld.
San Francisco-based Powerset offered search and natural language capabilities based on an exclusive license it secured for natural-language processing technology from Xerox's (NYSE: XRX) Palo Alto Research Center in early 2007.
Microsoft made the purchase after walking away from negotiations to buy Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) earlier in the year.
Microsoft declined to comment for this story. "Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation," Waggener Edstrom Account Coordinator Katy Spaulding told TechNewsWorld in response to an email request.
The Google Killer?
Microsoft has long lagged behind Google and Yahoo in the search engine marketplace. It has a powerful incentive to challenge the market leaders: A strong search engine would help its online ads business.
To that end, it has shaped Kumo as its weapon against Google in the search engine war.
"Kumo was designed from the ground up to be a Google killer," Enderle told TechNewsWorld. "Microsoft put a lot of effort into it."
What does Google think about this new kid on the block?
"Search is a highly competitive industry, and we welcome competition that stimulates innovation and provides users more choice," Google spokesperson Nate Tyler told TechNewsWorld.
The project may be a costly one for Redmond. The amount of time and money Microsoft has spent on Kumo has caused deep divisions within the vendor's management, Enderle said.
"I understand a lot of people on the Microsoft board want them to stop this project," he added. "They want Microsoft to focus on things they do well and not waste any more money."
Talks With Yahoo Resume
Could that division be why Microsoft has reportedly resumed talks with Yahoo recently? Is Microsoft looking again to buy Yahoo's search engine?
Not likely, Enderle said. "We don't really know what they're talking to Yahoo about."
Buying up Yahoo's search technology now could prove troublesome, he noted.
"You wouldn't want to throw together a lot of technologies from different vendors in the hope that they're going to work," Enderle explained. "You'll spend all your time trying to integrate these separate products that weren't built with the idea of integrating with anything else."
The Semantic Web
The semantic Web provides a common framework that lets data be shared and reused across applications, enterprises and communities, according to W3C, an international Web standards consortium.
The semantic Web is essentially already here, and Kumo is a part of it, Structured Dynamics' Bergman said. "Google's doing a lot there, but very quietly."
Basically, the semantic Web adds structure to Web searches. However, users will see increased structure such as the search results in the center of the page and a hierarchical organization of concepts or attributes in the left-hand column, which is what Kumo appears to be doing.

Mozilla Straps On Jetpack for Firefox Devs

Jetpack is Mozilla's new API for developers to create add-ons for the Firefox Web browser. Currently, many Firefox add-ons work through an extension called "Greasemonkey," which some fear may disappear if Jetpack takes off. Jetpack, however, has its advantages in terms of compatibility and the ability to activate new features without a browser restart.

Mozilla's call to developers to participate in its Jetpack project on Wednesday is the latest onslaught in the ongoing war of the Web browsers.
Jetpack is an open source application programming interface (API) that will let users create add-ons for Mozilla's Firefox browser using the Web technologies they already know.
Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) has launched a project to add extensions to its Chromium open source code that closely follows Mozilla's direction in some respects.
Meanwhile, some developers are concerned that the launch of Jetpack could mean Mozilla will kill off Greasemonkey, a Firefox extension that lets users customize the way Web pages look and feel.
About Jetpack
Jetpack is an exploration in using Web technologies such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript to create add-ons for the Firefox browser, according to Mozilla.
It will let users add new features without having to worry about compatibility and without having to restart their browsers, as is now the case.
"Jetpack is an open source platform on top of which anybody that can write a Web page can now enhance the browser," Asa Raskin, head of user experience at Mozilla Labs, told LinuxInsider. "We want to make the Web better and make it as personal as it can be."
The current Jetpack release version is 0.1, which means it needs a lot more work. Mozilla intends to tweak and fine-tune the project with feedback from developers, especially on the API design.
"We ask ourselves, what are the cool innovations we can't see around the corner that are coming, because all of a sudden there are new communities -- students, anyone who can create a Web page -- that are making the open Web a better space," Raskin said.
Staving Off the Competition
The timing of Mozilla's announcement -- one week before Google's I/O Developer Conference, to be held in San Francisco May 27 and 28 -- is no coincidence, according to Laura DiDio, principal at research firm ITIC.
"It's an attempt to fight off Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 8," she told LinuxInsider.
"Is it a pre-emptive strike? Yes," DiDio said. "Mozilla's more concerned about Google than Microsoft."
The 800-Pound Googorilla
There's good reason to fear Google. The Internet giant released version 2.0 of its Chrome browser to the public on Thursday.
In addition to being faster, Chrome 2.0 is more stable; has an improved New Tab page; offers full-screen mode; and has Form Autofill.
Google has fixed more than 300 bugs that caused crashes since it launched the browser eight months ago, the company said.
Extensions to Chrome
Google is also working on extensions to Chromium, the open source project whose code Chrome is built on.
It is closely following Mozilla's lead in extensions. "Most extensions should be able to load in place without forcing a browser restart or even a page reload when they are installed," the Chromium developer documentation for extensions states.
As is the case with Mozilla's Jetpack, Google wants Web developers to use JavaScript, HTML and cascading style sheets (CSS) to create Chromium extensions.
Google wants use cases for Chromium extensions to be like Greasemonkey. One of these APIs will consist of read-write user scripts that will inject JavaScript into Web pages.
Monkey Gone to Heaven?
Some Mozilla users have begun voicing fears that Jetpack will kill off Greasemonkey.
"How is this any different from Greasemonkey?" asked Casey in a comment on the Mozilla Jetpack blog. "Aren't you just risking taking development resources away from them and their community when they already have something great in place?"
Greasemonkey is not a Mozilla project, Raskin pointed out. However, there is no conflict between Greasemonkey and Jetpack.
"Greasemonkey is an awesome Firefox extension," Raskin said, "but it's about modifying pages you're looking at, whereas Jetpack lets you modify the browser."

Chrome 2.0 Juices Up JavaScript

A new version of Google's Chrome browser boasts faster speed by way of improvements to V8 and WebKit. Other new features include full-screen mode and autofill. A faster JavaScript experience, however, could also pave the way for faster malware, since the language is a favorite among scammers. Google contends Chrome is no less safe than other browsers.

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) on Thursday revealed Chrome 2.0, a purportedly faster and more feature-filled version of the search giant's Web browser.
The extra speed comes from an update to its V8 JavaScript engine and from a new version of the open source WebKit rendering engine.
However, Chrome's speed advantage may soon be overshadowed by rivals. Mozilla , for example, is expected to release a final version of Firefox 3.5.
Also, speeding up JavaScript may lead to security problems.

New Features in Chrome 2.0
Chrome 2.0 is faster than Version 1, released eight months ago, because it runs JavaScript faster, according to Google.
It also incorporates some of the features beta testers requested the most. One is an improved new tab page that lets users remove thumbnails.
Another is a new full-screen mode, and a third feature is form autofill.
However, full-screen mode and form autofill are both features other browsers have had for a while (think deadly rivals Internet Explorer and Firefox).
Why Chrome 2.0 Works Faster
The V8 JavaScript engine is open source technology developed by Google and written in C++. It increases performance by compiling JavaScript to native machine code before execution, instead of to a bytecode or interpretation.
It also employs optimization techniques such as inline caching, which remembers the results of a previous method lookup directly at the call site. A call site of a function is a line in the code that passes arguments to the function and receives return values in exchange.
These optimizations let JavaScript applications run at the speed of a compiled binary.
Will Firefox Pose a Speed Challenge?
Chrome 2.0 may not hold its speed advantage very long, however -- Mozilla will issue the release candidate (RC) of Firefox 3.5 in the first week of June, according to Mozilla director Mike Beltzner's post on the company's blog. That new version of the browser could be sped up too.
"It's pretty common competition among the browsers -- they always want to be fastest," Randy Abrams, director of technical education at security software vendor ESET, told TechNewsWorld.
Mozilla did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Speed Kills?
Supercharging JavaScript may not always result in a faster user experience.
"I'm not sure how big an impact speeding up JavaScript is going to make unless you're using some huge JavaScript application," ESET's Abrams said.
Speeding up JavaScript could also speed up the malware based on the language.
"Malware based on JavaScript will run faster," Abrams said. "JavaScript is the vector of choice for drive-by attacks."
In a drive-by attack, a Web page containing malicious code downloads that code onto visitors' computers without their knowledge or permission ,and without the user having to click on any links.
Malware authors use JavaScript in almost 90 percent of Web pages that contain malicious script, according to Stephan Chenette, manager of security at Web security software vendor Websense.
Hard to Scratch Chrome?
It's not necessarily open season on users of Google Chrome, since it uses a sandboxing model that makes it difficult to hack, Google spokesperson Eitan Bencuya told TechNewsWorld.
Sandboxing means isolating code so that it cannot interact with the operating system or applications on a user's computer.
Still, ESET's Abrams thinks sandboxing is not enough. "Chrome does have some protection other browsers don't, in that it sandboxes individual tabs," he said. "That might protect the operating system itself, but it's not going to do anything to protect you against cross-site scripting or clickjacking."
Sandboxing offers only limited protection, he warned. "It's only effective if you go to each different site in a different tab. Otherwise, the old data will be accessible when you use the same tab to click on a new site."
Google contends Chrome is no less safe than other browsers. "All of the topics you mention are tough issues to fight, and they affect all browsers," Bencuya said.

Unboxing the 22-inch iZ3D 3D Monitor

Opening a brand new piece of electronic kit is like Christmas to me, so I decided to share my gleeful glee with you. Yes, it’s true: You have the privilege of seeing yours truly unboxing and depackaging the robust 22-inch 3D monitor from iZ3D. Pics and video after the jump.

If the mere unboxing of this monitor is all the convincing you need, it’s got a $50 discount at Newegg right now.

Apple, iPhone King of Smartphones

Proving once again its chiefdom and absolute head honcho position at the top of the smartphone class, the Apple iPhone came in first in a JD Power and Associates survey about how satisfied customers have been with their life-management devices. Outstripping other “competitors” like HTC and RIM, the iPhone is king, at least in the customer’s minds, on a variety of different features. Details after the jump.

Apple got “among the best” scores on design, ease of operations, features and OS. However the iPhone tanked on battery life. HTC also lost some traction on battery life, however RIM’s Blackberry was ranked among the best in battery life on cell phones. Life’s Good for LG, top in the customer’s mind in non-smartphones (those regular phones that don’t do much but call people – how dull) but we won’t hold that against them. Sony Ericsson wasn’t far behind LG in the regular cell phone class.

In other random facts, the JD Powers study also pointed out that more and more smartphone users are electing to rely entirely on mobile communications, getting rid of their landlines. Also, 1/3 of traditional cell phone users said they would like to get an upgrade on features – mostly GPS capabilities – in their next phone. There you go, looks like the Garmin-Asus Nuvifone will have a market.

In the race to make the XenoProduct, rumors flutter to and fro about consoles becoming a home PET scanner and dessert topping, and your controller a Bass-O-Matic and cat o’ nine tails. Rising to the top yet again is the rumor of a Playstation phone.

Sony Ericsson jefe Hideki Komiyama recently told The Financial Times that “… as part of his recovery plan for Sony Ericsson, a good idea would be to leverage Sony’s brand recognition in the gaming market, and that a PlayStation phone built on SE’s current Walkman and Cybershot handsets ‘could happen’.”

Is this a leak or wishful thinking? It seems like it might be a little late to start working on a Playstation Phone, doesn’t it?

Star Trek Review–Sure Feels Good to be a Trekkie

I really do love Star Trek. I can’t however, call myself a full fledged Trekkie. If Trekkies were categorized according to the Starfleet’s table of ranks, I’d probably only be a junior grade lieutenant, a provisional lieutenant commander at best. But compared to the average civvie, I do concern myself with the details, background info and plot consistency–the lore, really–of the Star Trek Universe. That’s why, despite a few awkward moments, I’m genuinely surprised and pleased to have loved the hell out of J. J. Abram’s Star Trek: The College Years.

The Latest Acer Aspire Boasts Better Specs

The latest Acer Aspire One 571 (not to be confused with the already out and same old specs Acer Aspire One 751) boasts upgraded specs not typical of netbooks. Which is something to really get excited about.

The 571 looks the same on the outside, but it’s what’s inside that counts. The 10.1″ screen has a resolution of 1280×720p and a 16:9 aspect ratio. That’s HD on a netbook. To make HD possible, this Acer has been updated with a Quartics q1721 Multimedia Coprocessor that allows the netbook to decode H.264 - aka HD video at the previously mentioned resolution.

Then on the left side of the netbook they have added a Vmedia optical drive. No word on price or dates, but you can check out our review of the best netbooks on the market while you’re waiting.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Video Game Release Date

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters July 15th, but you won’t have to wait that long to explore Hogwarts and its environs. Below you’ll find not only more info, but you’ll have to fight off a hoard ofInferi!

Yeah I know that was lame.

The video game version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes to PS2, PS3, 360, Wii, PSP, and DS; as well as both PCs and Macs June 30th. They even say it comes to “… mobile devices,” so does that mean iPhones, BlackBerries, and/or G1s? Maybe just Windows Mobile devices?

You’ll be able to perform the usual assortment of wizardry and witchcraft, but there are a few new things in Half Blood Prince, like managing Ron Weasley’s love life and studying potionology. I hope there will be more interactive environs in this one, mainly to satisfy my destructive desires.

Kaspersky Internet Security

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The Great Debate Over a Linux Standard Package Format

Does FOSS need a common packaging framework? It's an unnecessary waste of time, argued opponents. It will save developers loads of time, insisted proponents. It's irrelevant, chimed in Slashdot blogger hairyfeet: "The problem with Linux is NOT the packages, it is the fact that trying to develop for Linux is like trying to hit a dartboard with a live bumblebee."
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Conversation on the Linux blogs tends to be either outraged and angry (probably most common) or jubilant and enthusiastic (generally when Redmond is taken down a notch or two). In the last few days, however, some of it has been positively mournful.

The cause? Widely revered reverse engineer Fjalar Ravia -- more commonly known by his pseudonym "Fravia+" -- passed away on Sunday, May 3, 2009.

In April, Fravia+ posted a farewell message on his blog, announcing that he had just weeks to live after battling cancer for more than two years.

Jun Auza called attention to the post on his blog, prompting Linux geeks far and wide to pause and reflect.

'Big Respect to a Great Coder'

"Fravia+ ... perhaps one of the most influential individuals I've had the chance to encounter on the internet," wrote Anonymous in the comments on Auza's post.

"His many websites are a gigantic source of wisdom and of useful information. I've studied reverse engineering through him, his tutorials and challenges -- all in the hope of becoming a better programmer and person," Anonymous added. "Thanks Fravia+ for all the information, the time was well spent."

Similarly: "Big respect to a great coder and someone that freed a lot of information," added HexJam.

'His Work Will Continue'

"Perhaps this is a good time to take a collective pause and consider that there may be more to life than just tech stuff," Montreal consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack offered.

On the other hand: "It is sad when someone who contributes so much to openness departs, but his work will continue," blogger Robert Pogson told LinuxInsider by email. "It angers me that M$ and others make such an effort to be closed that we have to spend our lives fighting it."

'Nobody Needs a Unified Format'

Speaking of the battle with Redmond -- and strategies for victory -- an interesting conversation arose when TuxRadar recently asked the question, "Do we need a standard package format?"

A virtual stampede of more than 120 comments greeted the question on TuxRadar before it was picked up on Digg as well.

"No," wrote person-b in the comments following the TuxRadar post. "Nobody needs a unified format. Everybody should just use 'alien' to convert packages to their native format if the owners can't be bothered to package it properly."

'Would It Make Any Difference?'

On the other hand: "Absolutely," shot back geekyBodhi. "Not only will it be simpler for users, it'll also save app developers and packagers loads of time."

Then again: "Would it make any difference?" asked Martin from Sweden. "I think the solution is things like Linux Standard Base and then a user friendly front end to 'alien', as well as using a solution like PackageKit besides the distributions' other packaging tools."

Not long ago, we here at LinuxInsider investigated a similar question regarding the existence of multiple distros. Now, given the divided nature of opinions on this one, we couldn't resist digging a little deeper.

'I Don't Think It Should Be RPM'

"I think we need a standard package format," Mack told LinuxInsider.

"I don't think it should be RPM," he added. "On the other hand, it might just end up that RPM-based distros will become yesterday's news. I had a 'nothing on my desktop but Fedora' coworker make the jump after he got used to apt-get on our servers."

The case for standard package formats is strongest "when one is trying to woo proprietary software developers to a Linux distro," Chris Travers, a Slashdot blogger who works on the LedgerSMB project, told LinuxInsider.

"If you build open source software and your software is valuable, people will package it for whatever distribution they want to use it on," Travers explained. "So, the first question we have to ask is, do we need closed source software on Linux? Do we care enough to make it easy to make such software packages by vendors?"

'Lightweight Work'

A second argument that's sometimes advanced is that "packaging for many distributions consumes developer time needlessly," Travers noted. "The fact, however, is that testing still needs to be done on the target distro, and this is one of the packager's jobs."

Packaging is also "somewhat lightweight work," he added, "but it requires knowledge of how the software should be correctly implemented on a specific distro" and so provides "opportunities for community members of open source projects to get involved," he said.

In short, "I don't think that a common packaging framework would necessarily be particularly helpful to open source projects," Travers concluded.

Lack of Support

At least one blogger saw the question in an entirely different light.

"The problem with Linux is NOT the packages, it is the fact that trying to develop for Linux is like trying to hit a dartboard with a live bumblebee," Slashdot blogger hairyfeet told LinuxInsider via email.

To illustrate: "A friend of mine brought over a scanner the other day," hairyfeet recounted. "It was released nearly 9 years ago, but you know what? It works in XP SP3. That is because the driver for Win2K -- released nearly 9 years ago -- still worked. I run games and programs from the Win98 era. That is 11 years and it still works on XP SP3.

"Now compare that to Linux," hairyfeet added. "Does anyone honestly think they can use a driver from even 3 years ago in Linux? Or that getting a program from even 5 years ago working wouldn't be an exercise in frustration?"

That is why Linux "isn't getting market share," hairyfeet explained. "It isn't the packages, it isn't the lack of exposure, it is simply the fact that hardware manufacturers by and large refuse to support it."

'Linux Simply Isn't Stable'

There's also good reason for that refusal, he asserted. "It is because Linux simply isn't stable as a platform, and if it keeps going like this it never will be.

"If I am a hardware manufacturer, competing with all the other manufacturers, I have two choices: I can write three drivers -- Win98/ME, Win2K/XP and WinVista/7 -- and have every single Windows OS covered from 1998 to 2011 at least," he said. "If I write for Linux, exactly WHICH Linux? Red Hat or Debian based? Stable, testing, long term support? How long will my customers be able to use the driver I release today before it no longer functions?"

In short, "If Linux is going to get the crucial hardware manufacturers to support it, then like Windows they need to be able to release a driver today and have it work years and years into the future without maintenance," he concluded. "To truly succeed, Linux needs to have a truly stable long term underlying framework that the manufacturers can target."

Phishers Cast Lures Into Facebook's Social Stream

Have you received some odd messages from your friends on Facebook lately? Are they suddenly attempting to sell you pharmaceuticals? Or perhaps you've received a cryptic "Check this out!" followed by a link to a page that looks something like Facebook, only it asks you for your log-in information again? It's a common phishing tactic, and scammers have recently been blanketing Facebook with it.
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A new wave of phishing and spamming attacks is hitting Facebook users as scammers attempt to get hold of their passwords, the social networking site acknowledged in a statement.

Similar phishing and spamming scams -- in which messages supposedly from their friends lure victims to a malicious Web site -- have been occurring with greater intensity since the end of April.

The sites typically display a fake, though convincing-looking, Facebook page where users are prompted to input their login information. In addition, spam messages -- supposedly from Facebook friends -- display links to online pharmacies, according to Graham Cluley, senior technical consultant for Sophos.

Facebook is currently attempting to block the links to phishing sites. Site managers are also making efforts to scrub the links from users' Wall posts and reset the passwords of affected individuals.

The attacks are thought to be related to the fbaction.net/fbstarter.com phishing campaign that struck the site a few weeks ago, Facebook said.

"We are generally seeing more and more spamming taking place on social networks -- more than ever before," Sophos' Cluley told TechNewsWorld, "so it's becoming a more common problem."

Why Is Your Friend Acting So Strange?

Sophos has been tracking attacks on online social networks and found that one-third of users reported being spammed through social networks. One in five said they had received phishing attempts on social networks, and about one-third said they had been sent malware on a social networking site, according to Cluley.

To protect themselves from being duped by one or more of these scams, Facebook users need to be on guard. One thing they can do is look closely at messages they receive from apparent friends on Facebook to determine whether they're the normal kinds of messagse their friends would send. For instance, suggested Cluley, is a particular friend in the habit of sending a link in a message simply reading, "Check this out"?

Social network users should be suspicious of unusual links and examine where they go. For example, if a link should claim to be for a YouTube video, be sure to look at the URL the link displays to make sure of the location, he said.

"Whenever users enter information on their Facebook page, they should make sure they are really on that page. It can look like Facebook but really be a lookalike site to grab your personal information," Cluley warned.

Stay Secure

Deploying the latest security patches on one's computer is also essential. In the event a user falls victim to a phishing message, having the latest security patches can guard against malware on a malicious Web site. Otherwise, the result can be nasty downloads installing malicious software for ID theft or other purposes, said Cluley.

"The Facebook staff is actively trying to block these phishing and spam attempts when they see them. They are removing the messages and issuing warnings to people that they are going to a third-party site," he said.

Another thing users can do is run antiphishing software on their computers. Some of these tools are built into Web browsers, and they may be able to warn users about fake sites built to install malware that would allow hackers to take over the computer.

Passwords Matter

About one-third of all computer users use the same password for all of their various log-ins, and a phisher who tricks a user into logging on to a phony Web site, will have that universal user password -- and possibly an email address as well. It's like losing your wallet, according to Cluley.

For this reason, Facebook recommends that anyone affected by this phishing attack reset their passwords -- not only for their Facebook profiles, but also for other online accounts such as email services.

In addition, users should be especially vigilant about the names of links they click on. It is not always easy to spot a phony landing page -- the scammers choose different names each time.

"Over the last few days we've seen a URL with "www" and then a number dot M. There are lots of different disguises the hackers can use," said Cluley.

Kids, Summer Camp and Tech Separation Anxiety

Teens that spend nearly every waking moment interfacing with a computer, a cell phone or an MP3 player often suffer a culture shock of sorts when it comes to summer camp. Most camps limit or forbid the presence of electronic gadgets, and a day without a Facebook hit can begin to feel like complete social invisibility. However, the act of going unplugged for a week or two has its benefits.
Tim Chai keeps in touch with friends through Facebook , listens to music on his iPod and never goes anywhere without his BlackBerry.

So when the 17-year-old was looking for a summer camp, he ruled out a church camp with a no cell phone, no computer policy.

"I just thought it was too much for me to handle," said Tim, of Carmel, Ind. "I love my Internet. I love my phone. I'm not ashamed to say it."

For a generation used to texting, Facebook and YouTube , going away to sleepaway camp can be a bit unnerving. Many outdoor camps don't allow cell phones, laptops or iPods, and there is no computer lab for them to update their pages.

Many campers are "a little panicked" to part with their cell phones, said Tony Sparber, founder of New Image Camps, with locations in Florida and Pennsylvania. Some try to smuggle them in or bring more than one phone in case one is confiscated, he said.

Access Denied

Even parents who are used to having constant access to their kids can experience anxiety.

Kimberley Fink, 40, of Weston, Mass., is a little nervous about her 14-year-old daughter who is going away to camp for the first time. The camp lasts for two weeks and her daughter won't be able to call.

"It makes me slightly uneasy," said Fink. "I will probably be one of the mothers who calls the camp office after a couple of days to check in. Sometimes you just need that reassurance."

Dave Steinberg, owner and director of Canteen Roads Teen Travel Camp out of Huntington, N.Y., said most parents ask about the no-cell-phone policy out of concern for their children's safety.

To reassure them, he gives them his cell phone number and campers a prepaid calling card. He also uploads photos to a password protected site that the parents can access.

Pull the Plug

Experts agree that unplugging is a great idea. However, it will be a "shock to the system" for those who are digitally dependent, says Anastasia Goodstein, author of "Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online."

Some like Chai may be reluctant to go to a camp for that reason, said Gary Rudman of GTR Consulting, author of the upcoming 2009 gTrend Report, which focuses on teens and technology.

Sean Hakim, 16, struggled to give up his gadgets for two weeks when he went to Antiochian Village Camp in Pennsylvania. The camp does not allow cells or iPods and campers have no computer access.

"At first, it was scary," admits Sean, of River Vale, N.J. But he said, "once you get there, you realize you don't really need it. You are always with people, doing something."

A Week of Invisibility

Plugged in teens are under tremendous pressure to maintain "Brand Me" on Facebook and other social networking sites, said Rudman. Without a cell phone or online access, it's like they are invisible.

While teens will inevitably make friends at camp, 10 friends in your bunk is not the same as hundreds on Facebook, he said.

"The dilemma for camps is that if they do allow technology, the kids will likely plug in and tune out," said Rudman, adding that being off the grid may be the best thing for chill-challenged teens. "That would defeat the purpose of camp."

When camp starts, plugged-in children may feel a little disoriented, like a part of them is missing, said Dr. Michael Assel, associate professor of pediatric psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Those feelings should subside as children get involved in camp activities, he said.

Campers say that's what usually happens. They forget about their lost social connections much like they forget about television.

"They keep you so busy, you are having so much fun, I forget about the computer. I forget about Facebook," said Max Truen, 15, of Dix Hills, N.Y., who goes to New Image Camp's Camp Pocono Trails each summer.

So what happens when camp is over? Do teens give up texting? Or Faceboo

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Newcastle claim key win over Boro

Newcastle 3-1 Middlesbrough

Alan Shearer proved to have the Midas touch with substitutions as Newcastle United got the victory that could preserve their Premier League status and condemn Middlesbrough to life in the Championship.

Manager Shearer gambled when he replaced Michael Owen with Obafemi Martins 20 minutes from time with the scoreline locked at 1-1 - an outcome unsuitable to either side as they went in search of the victory required to keep their survival hopes alive.

It was a ploy that paid off in spectacular style as Martins scored within seconds, turning on a loose ball inside the area to shoot low past Middlesbrough keeper Brad Jones and send St James' Park into ecstasy.

Middlesbrough's spirit was broken after a brave fight, and their fate in this match - and in all likelihood this season - was sealed when another Shearer substitute, Peter Lovenkrands, slammed home Newcastle's third from close range with four minutes remaining.

It marked a dramatic change in fortune for Shearer, who had failed to record a victory since taking temporary charge at St James' Park in a bid to rescue Newcastle from relegation.

Newcastle now also have the psychological advantage of moving out of the bottom three and plunging Phil Brown's Hull City into the relegation places as the season reaches its climax.

It all started so promisingly for Middlesbrough as they took the lead inside three minutes courtesy of Habib Beye's own goal, but Newcastle were not to be denied and were swiftly on terms when Steven Taylor headed home powerfully from Danny Guthrie's corner.

Middlesbrough had chances, notably when Marvin Emnes shot wide in the first half but ultimately Newcastle, driven on by a partisan and passionate home crowd, had the final say thanks to greater firepower up front.

Shearer's impassive mask was broken by the importance of this occasion as he celebrated those two crucial goals in trademark fashion, then joined his players on the pitch to celebrate at the final whistle.

He will be grimly aware that victory here does not guarantee survival, but it does give Newcastle a huge push towards safety and a much-needed injection of confidence with a home game against in-form Fulham and a visit to Aston Villa rounding off a troubled campaign.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate looked suitably dejected as he consoled his devastated players at the end, and he will once again regret a performance that carried plenty of promise but not enough punch.

The tension inside St James' Park was tangible - and Middlesbrough turned up the pressure by taking the lead in bizarre circumstances.

Afonso Alves played in Tuncay inside the area, and even though his effort was blocked by Newcastle keeper Steve Harper, Beye unwittingly trundled the rebound agonisingly over the line.

It presented a huge test of resolve for a Newcastle side low on confidence after their recent struggles, but the strength of their response did them huge credit.

Mark Viduka, playing against his old club, volleyed against the outside of the post before Taylor drew Newcastle level with a thumping header as he met Guthrie's corner on the run.

Viduka's Newcastle career has been seriously interrupted by injuries, but he looked in the mood here and he provided an inviting cross for strike partner Owen, whose header was turned over the top by Middlesbrough keeper Jones.

Middlesbrough were creating chances of their own when they were able to bring some composure and order to their play, and the lively Emnes should have restored their advantage after 28 minutes.

Newcastle keeper Harper could not hold his initial effort, but Emnes could only steer the rebound off target when he looked certain to score.

Middlesbrough suffered a blow four minutes later when Alves appeared to land awkwardly, and he was stretchered off to be replaced by Marlon King.

Emnes had another chance as the interval approached following good work from Stewart Downing, but again he was unable to find the target.

Newcastle continued to press after the break and Viduka almost put them ahead within seconds of the rebound, back-heeling a cross from Beye just off target.

It was clear from the approach of both sides that they were aware of the futility of a draw, and Newcastle keeper Harper was pressed into action again after 56 minutes to save superbly when Gary O'Neil drove in powerfully from the edge of the area.

And that need for a victory was emphasised again as both managers made more changes with 21 minutes left, Newcastle sending on Martins for the subdued Owen and Middlesbrough introducing Jeremie Aliadiere for Mohamed Shawky.

It was Newcastle's switch that had a stunning impact, Martins scoring a poacher's goal within two minutes of his arrival to spark wild celebrations inside St James' Park.

Aliadiere almost made a similar introduction as they went in search of an equaliser, only to head wide when unmarked seconds later.

And Emnes, lively but unable to round off all his encouraging approach play, was then inches away from getting on the end of a dangerous cross from Tuncay as tension mounted in the closing stages.

The air of desperation and anxiety was lifted after 86 minutes when Lovenkrands, on for Jonas Gutierrez, scored emphatically from Kevin Nolan's cross to seal Newcastle's win.

Newcastle's supporters celebrated as if safety had been assured - but Shearer will know that while this is a major victory, the ultimate objective is still some way from being achieved.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newcastle: Harper, Beye, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Duff, Guthrie, Butt, Nolan, Gutierrez (Lovenkrands 65), Owen (Martins 70), Viduka (Carroll 87).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, LuaLua.

Booked: Butt, Duff, Nolan.

Goals: Steven Taylor 9, Martins 71, Lovenkrands 86.

Middlesbrough: Jones, Hoyte, Bates, Huth, Taylor (Adam Johnson 76), Downing, O'Neil, Shawky (Aliadiere 69), Sanli, Emnes, Alves (King 36).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Arca, McMahon, Grounds.

Booked: Bates.

Goals: Beye 3 og.

Att: 51,252

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Intel software tool aims to cut power consumption

Intel has launched a software tool kit that it claims will reduce the power drawn by servers in data centres by tapping into hardware resources. The company has launched a software development tool kit that allows companies to build software to manage or cap power consumption by individual servers or a group of servers, which could reduce energy costs in data centres.
The Data Center Manager (DCM) middleware built from the tool kit could dynamically adapt power consumption by servers based on changing workloads and power needs, said Jon Khazam, vice president and general manager at Intel's manageability and middleware division. DCM can be attached to existing system management software as an console or as a web service, Khazam said.
Power consumption is provisioned by DCM through communication with Intel's Intelligent Power Node Manager software tool installed on the chipset of each server. The middleware instructs Node Manager to set power limits for servers based on the level of activity. For example, DCM can cap power consumption on inactive servers while raising the power bar on active servers.
The tool is designed for use on servers running Intel's Xeon 5500 chips, which include motherboards with the Node Manager software. The software tool kit won't work effectively with servers based on old Intel chips as they don't have the necessary thermal management capabilities built in, Khazam said. Nor will the software tool kit work with proprietary power management tools from companies like IBM and Hewlett-Packard.
Though HP offers Xeon 5500 chips in many of its servers, it has included its own power management technology to manage and cap power consumption. HP has included 32 sensors in some servers that can track and dynamically reduce server power consumption. Sensors measure thermal activity of components like fans, and algorithms use the data to adjust operation of the components to cool systems more efficiently.
To use the DCM middleware, users many need to get rid of the old power management tools, Khazam said. Software built using the DCM tool kit can manage up to 1,000 servers, but the number will be expanded in the future.
Intel didn't reveal pricing for the tool kit, saying it depended on customers and server installations.
Company officials in February said that power consumption and cooling accounts for up to 23 percent of server deployments, and is one of the biggest areas for companies to cut costs. Intel is taking steps on the software and hardware front to help cut energy costs.
It has introduced new motherboards with voltage regulations that reduce power drawn to 85 watts in idle when running cloud computing applications, compared to 115 watts for standard Nehalem-based boards.

Windows 7 could be out as early as October

Forget talk about next year. there are indications that Windows 7 may be available as soon as October.
Speaking at an Acer press launch, a company representative was quoted as saying that a new Windows 7 PC called the Z5600 wouldl be one of the company's key products in the run up to the Christmas holiday period, and would be on store shelves on 23 October.
Microsoft has so far refused to commit to an exact release date for Windows 7, but speculation has suggested that the company would release it later this year, rather than early 2010 as some executives have been predicting. The operating system was made available as a beta in January and a release candidate (RC) is now with developers.
The Windows RC will be available to the public next week, and those who download it will be able to use it for free for a year.
The distribution of the RC is one of the last steps before the Windows 7 code is locked down and sent off to manufacturers ahead of its commercial release.