Consultants or CON-sultants; and other June polls roundup

Being a blogger at IT News Digest does have its perks. One of them obviously is the the privilege of being able to share the latest technological news and other fun stuffs with readers at TechRepublic.

Another benefit (to me at least) would be the access I have to this little tab nested in the administration back-end called “Polls”. And as the number of votes cast on some of the more interesting topics mount, so does my itch to present them.

Obviously, poll results won’t exactly be something I would base a Gartner report on. But hey, the combined opinion of TechRepublic’s IT professionals must mean something, right? So, I have dug out what I feel are the top 3 most popular and/or interesting polls for the month of June.

Multi-gigabit wireless coming within three years

According to Press Esc, a team of Georgia Tech scientists working at the institutes’s Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) expressed confidence that their research into multi-gigabit wireless technology will be able to yield commercially viable products within three years.

Multi-gigabit wireless technology uses extremely high radio frequencies to achieve very high data transmission rates. The downside is that the necessarily high frequencies results in a wireless range that tends to be relatively short. The transmission is also extremely susceptible to physical barriers. The team currently focuses on RF frequencies around the unlicensed 60 gigahertz (Ghz) range.

Facebook acquires Web platform start-up Parakey

Facebook, the famous social networking site has made its first acquisition. Parakey, a start-up that’s still under development, specializes in Web platform technology. Interestingly, the site is founded by Blake Ross and Joe Hewitt, who were also the co-founders of the Mozilla FireFox Web browser project.

Toshiba’s battery recall and tips on maintaining your laptop’s battery

IDG News service and SlashGear report that Toshiba is initiating another series of battery recalls due to risk of fire.

The models that may be affected are Satellite A100/A105 and Tecra A7 and two accessory/replacement batteries, model numbers PA3451U-1BRS and PA3399U-2BRS.

This link to Toshiba’s support site can help you check if your battery is affected or not. This recent recall follows a major set of recalls made last year.

Europe Firefox usage averages 28%, Internet Explorer under 70%

The XiTi Monitor, a French Web survey institute, has published its browser barometer for July. In it, Internet Explorer continues to lose ground, coming in at under 70%. On the other hand, usage of Firefox now tops 28% average usage in the beginning of July.

According to the Web site:

The ascension of Firefox continues… Nearly 28% average use rate in Europe in the beginning of July 2007, with a progression in the totality of the 32 European countries studied. Firefox doesn’t loose ground in any of the countries

The study was conducted based on data obtained from 95,827 Web sites from Monday, July 2 to Sunday, July 8, 2007.

You can read the full Browsers barometer report.

Which do you use as your main browser?

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  Internet Explorer
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  Mozilla Firefox
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  Netscape Navigator
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  Opera
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  Others

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What do you think the browser landscape will be like another two years down the road?

Dell buys managed services provider SilverBack

Dell has entered into an agreement to acquire SilverBack Technologies, one of a handful of leading managed service platform companies offering IT monitoring and management services through resellers, the company announced today.

Dell has been facing declining market share, as well as rampant reports of poor customer service and support. As a result, it announced two months ago that it would be creating a formal channel program.

Google expands its Print Ads program

It’s what Google does best – helps you find what you seek. In this case it’s the advertisers seeking ad space on traditional print media. Google’s Print Ads program lets users of its Adwords service bid for ad space in about 225 newspapers. The end users make the deal while Google takes a cut for bridging the contact.

Ransomware Trojans lurking on the Web

Reports from Ars Technica and The Register point to the spread of variants of Trojan viruses classified as ransomware. The viruses encrypt user data and threaten to publish them over the Web if the quoted amount is not paid.

Trojans encrypt users’ files so that they can no longer be accessed. The Trojan then plants a readme.txt where users will find it, and inside, demands $300 in order to decrypt the files. The ransom note tells the user in broken English that the files have been encrypted using RSA-4096 and that unless cold, hard cash is forked over within a period of time, the content of the files will be shared with the world and then deleted.

Apart from the fact that virus writers seem to be using varied ways to monetize from security threats, users need to note that the virus apparently spreads over open ports and not as file attachments. If you’re infected by this sort of virus, don’t panic and definitely DON’T pay up! Agencies are working on finding a way to decrypt the files, and the decryption solution will be available soon.

SaaS is passe, all hail to PaaS

Pardon the tongue twister, but if Salesforce.com is to have its way, Software as a Service (SaaS) would soon be overtaken by Platform as a Service (PaaS).

Its Apex Code platform — originally launched at the end of 2006 — has grown quickly and was re-packaged and launched as Summer ‘07 just this week.

Fake domain renewal notices alert

The Security Watch blog at PC Magazine had a new posting just the other day warning of a company named “Domain Renewal” sending out bogus renewal notices to domain owners.

The renewal notice is just a scam because, despite claims to the contrary, they cannot renew your domain on your behalf.

Xandros acquires leading Linux messaging company Scalix

Xandros, a provider of intuitive end-to-end Linux solutions and cross platform management tools, or better known as the creator of the Linux distributor Xandros, has announced the acquisition of privately held Scalix.

Scalix is best known for its award-winning Linux-based e-mail server product. Its e-mail server provides not only the standard IMAP, POP, and SMTP but also native MAPI, Web-mail, as well as push mail capabilities via a third-party connector.

New version of BlackBerry monitoring software released by Zenprise

Zenprise for BlackBerry 3.1, a software module that runs with the core Zenprise Enterprise Management Server, will be released this week. As its name implies, it is catered specially for end-to-end administration of the RIM BlackBerry.

According to Network World:

… The new release includes a user dashboard, which is a set of graphical screens to show the overall health of mobile e-mail services for individual user. Some new diagnostic tools make it easier for administrators to make sure the Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerry device is active and receiving messages.