The Montreal Tribune International Canada National Business
Internet & Computers
The Market
New, used, repaired, refurbished or as-is product Obsolete, discontinued or hard to find equipment Backordered, constrained or allocated product Out of stock or remanufactured equipment.- e-mail e-market@montrealtribune.com for suppliers and buyers which comes in on a daily basis.
There are risks facing computer users today, particularly broadband users. A good defense plan can help address these threats: Computer Viruses: Viruses are programs designed to spread to unsuspecting users, often as e-mail attachments. Some are also designed to cause damage to your computer. This resource area will help explain how your use of antivirus software can help to identify and eliminate threats from viruses, worms and Trojan horse programs. Read more Intrusions and Attacks: When connected to the Internet, hackers can attempt to gain access to your computer. Learn how to protect your computer system from unauthorized intrusions and attacks with a simple firewall defense. Read more Unsolicited Email (spam): Spam is defined as the mass distribution of many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Most spam is commercial advertising, often for dubious products and get-rich-quick schemes. Read more |
Hackings,
viruses and unwanted intrusions into your PC are illegal, right? Well, yes--and
no.
A
last-minute addition to a proposal for a Department of Homeland Security would punish
malicious hackers with life in prison. The U.S. House of Representatives
approved the bill, which would reshape large portions of the federal bureaucracy
into a new department. Inserted into the Homeland Security bill, the 16-page
Cyber Security Enhancement Act (CSEA) expands the ability of police to conduct
Internet or telephone eavesdropping without first obtaining a court order, and
offers Internet providers more latitude to disclose information to police.
Citing
privacy concerns, civil liberties groups objected to portions of CSEA.
"There are a lot of different things to be concerned about, but preserving
Fourth Amendment and wiretap standards continues to be a critical test of
Congress' commitment of civil liberties," said Marc Rotenberg, director of
the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Speaking
of the Fourth Amendment, a federal judge has ruled that law enforcement
officials went
too far when they tried to use evidence gathered by a known hacker to
convict someone of possessing child pornography. The decision is believed to be
the first to say that hacking into an Internet-connected home PC without a
warrant violates the amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and
seizures.
The
decision came out of a case in which a hacker uploaded a file to a child porn
newsgroup that made it possible to track who downloaded files from the service.
The uploaded file contained the SubSeven virus, which the hacker used to
remotely search people's computers for porn.
On
the other side of the spectrum is an electronic greeting card that has all the
hallmarks of a mass-mailing computer virus. The FriendGreetings e-mail misleads
a victim into downloading an application--ostensibly to view a Web card--and
then sends itself to every e-mail address in the victim's Outlook contacts file.
A few systems administrators already blame the mass-mailing e-card for swamping
their network.
Yet
it will be hard to prosecute the company that created the card: The viral card
is protected by a license agreement that tricks unsuspecting users into clicking
"Yes" and consenting to have the program send itself to all their
e-mail contacts. Without the license agreement, the program would be considered
a virus, but with the code wrapped in what could be a prosecution-proof vest.
Capellas
leaves HP
After
helping along the $20 billion merger between Compaq Computer, where he was chief
executive, with Hewlett-Packard, HP President Michael Capellas jumped
ship to the capsized WorldCom to take over as CEO. Capellas said he is
leaving in part because the merger integration is ahead of schedule, and he
tried to reassure his colleagues of that in an e-mail
sent to all HP employees.
HP
Chief Executive Carly Fiorina said that Capellas had "reached a natural transition
point" with the company, which he joined when HP swallowed Compaq
earlier this year. Fiorina said that her company won't hire another president.
Register
today for the CNET Networks 'Building a Web Services Foundation' conference,
held December 10-11 in San Francisco. This unique new conference is a practical,
actionable program designed to help you start or accelerate your web services
activity. Register
here.
Valley
companies without a clear No. 2 executive. Beyond the question of succession,
some analysts wondered Monday whether Fiorina might be taking on too
much responsibility by not replacing Capellas. But Fiorina said she can
handle the dual roles as chief strategist and day-to-day operations chief.
"The
position of president will not be replicated, period," Fiorina said during
an interview alongside Capellas. As for who her likely successor would be,
Fiorina said it's "way too early" to start thinking about such plans.
"I've only been here three years and I'm not yet 50." But, she added,
"We have a very deep bench here."
Oracle
flexes muscle
As
Oracle kicked off its annual OracleWorld conference this week in San Francisco,
there were still plenty of IT managers fuming
over an impending ultimatum over a key software upgrade. This summer, Oracle
plans to discontinue support for version 10.7 of its business applications,
giving customers the choice of paying for a costly upgrade to version 11i--or
losing technical support for the older software.
After
the "de-support" date, clients using version 10.7 will not be able to
call Oracle for help when they encounter problems with their systems. Nor will
they have access to electronic documentation and software patches. "We're
doing the upgrade, but we're not happy about it," said one IT executive.
"It's expensive, and we expect very little return on investment."
Oracle
launched another
assault as it urged thousands of IT managers to ditch Microsoft and IBM
e-mail systems in favor of Oracle's Collaboration Suite. A new version of the
collaboration program--a set of e-mail, calendar, Web conferencing and
voice-mail tools--is set for arrival in June. Oracle plans to add instant
messaging, online whiteboard and other online teamwork applications to the new
release.
In
launching this product, Oracle is gearing up to give Microsoft a run for its
money. Introducing special prices here, Oracle sought to persuade customers of
Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5 to switch to Oracle Collaboration Suite
rather than upgrade to Exchange Server 2000, the latest version of Microsoft's
e-mail server.
Oracle
CEO Larry Ellison used his keynote speech at the convention to chide
the information technology industry for making life difficult for corporate IT
managers. An industrywide lack of software interoperability, reliability and
quality, as well as overly complex products have resulted in "a scarcity of
information at the dawn of the information age," Ellison said in an address
beamed via satellite from Auckland, New Zealand, where he's competing in the
America's Cup sailing race.
Ellison
said information fragmentation, brought about by businesses installing
ever-greater numbers of incompatible computer systems, is among the biggest
problems facing companies today. He urged companies, as Oracle itself has done,
to consolidate their IT operations onto fewer databases and to quit customizing
packaged business application software.
Gadget
goings-on
The
price may be right for Gateway's $3,000 plasma television, but the company is
having trouble filling
orders, prompting some grumbles from early customers. The company said that
it is seeing "minor delays" in shipping the 42-inch screen Plasma TV
that was introduced earlier this month as part of a broader push into digital
electronics.
Analysts
noted at the time that the $3,000 price was seen as groundbreaking for the
plasma screens, which often fetch thousands more. But shipping delays caused by
the recent port strike have been compounded by higher-than-expected demand,
Gateway said.
Sony
will attempt to break some ground of its own when this spring with RoomLink,
which allows
networking of PCs, TVs and stereo receivers with relative ease. RoomLink,
which is already available in Japan and which will hit U.S. shelves next spring,
is essentially a networking hub for swapping data between disparate devices.
With
it, music or digital photos stored on a PC hard drive can be played on a stereo
or TV. Likewise, the hard drive can function as a personal video recorder.
Connections can be made with cables or wirelessly through Wi-Fi. It will sell
for around $199, Sony said. Eventually, these
networks
will likely expand beyond the home so customers can download music from home to
a cell phone or MP3 player.
HP
plans to introduce
on Monday two iPaqs: One is the smallest, most affordable iPaq yet, and the
other, a deluxe model with fingerprint recognition and two forms of wireless
connectivity. The iPaqs offer a new high end and a new low end to HP's lineup.
The low-end model is far slimmer and lighter than previous iPaqs.
The
iPaq Pocket PC h1910 will sell for $299, in line with a new handheld from
ViewSonic. However, it is still considerably more expensive than a low-end Dell
Computer device that will debut next week for $199 after rebate. A slightly more
powerful Dell model will sell for $299.
Also
of note
Microsoft
unveiled
a new instant messaging service aimed at corporate customers, jump-starting
belated efforts by the software giant to tap the fast-growing new market for the
hugely popular technology...The software giant also confirmed that is has scratched
plans for a major overhaul to an upcoming version of its Windows operating
system for servers...Actor Kevin Spacey unveiled an online
initiative to help aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters get their foot in
the door...Internet wine sellers won a courtroom
victory when a federal judge struck down a New York state law banning wine
shipments from out-of-state wineries to New York state residents...Microsoft
raised its stakes in the gaming market with an elaborate new
online service for its Xbox video game console...Intel hopes that its recently
released 3GHz Pentium 4 will give computer buyers something they haven't had
in a while: a reason to buy a new computer.
IBM
supercomputer looms large
Bringing
new meaning to the term "big iron," IBM has begun selling a new
supercomputer that weighs nearly two tons in a full-fledged configuration. Each
p655 Unix server is a four- or eight-processor module measuring seven inches
high, 12 inches wide and 40 inches deep. When 16 of these modules are packed
into a six-foot-tall rack designed for the servers, the collection weighs 3,600
pounds, said Jim McGaughan, director of IBM eServer product marketing.
November
15, 2002, 10:56 AM PT |
Read
Full Story
Tomorrow's
tech: Crunch the numbers
What
will be the technology of tomorrow? Imagine a network made of special materials
that could transfer data at speeds up to 145GHz. Also: A supercomputer that can
crunch trillions of mathematical calculations per second.
November
15, 2002, 4:00 AM PT |
Read
Full Story
Register
today for the CNET Networks 'Building a Web Services Foundation' conference,
held December 10-11 in San Francisco. This unique new conference is a practical,
actionable program designed to help you start or accelerate your web services
activity. Register
here.
Intel
delves into life sciences
Intel
has created an internal group devoted to developing technology for the life
sciences market, one of the remaining hot areas in the computer world. The Santa
Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker said this week that it is working with
universities, software developers and server manufacturers to come up with
supercomputer-class systems, built around Intel technology, for pharmaceutical
engineering, genetic research and other biotech projects, said Rick Herrmann,
Intel's manager for worldwide high-performance computing.
November
15, 2002, 11:40 AM PT
| Read
Full Story
Qwest sells online pharmaceutical unit
Qwest
Communications International announced Friday that it has sold its online
pharmaceutical marketing business. The sale is part of the troubled telecom
company's effort to rid itself of nonessential operations--and shows just how
far it had strayed beyond the telecommunications industry.
November
15, 2002, 12:27 PM PT |
Read
Full Story
Comdex
2002 to spotlight wireless, handhelds
Comdex
Fall 2002 is around the corner! Bill Gates will kick off festivities in Las
Vegas Sunday night with his vision of the digital home. The show floor is sure
to be chock-full of the latest gadgets. Can't go? Don't worry--we'll cover the
latest from the show.
November
14, 2002, 4:00 a.m. PT |
Read
Full Story
Deal
rescues fee break for Webcasters
A
last-minute political deal has salvaged portions of a legislative bid to ease
the effects of new online music fees on small and nonprofit Webcasters. In a
late-night congressional vote Thursday, legislators approved a compromise bill
that will allow small Webcasters and nonprofits such as college radio stations
to pay substantially lower royalty rates for online music than will large
companies such as America Online or Microsoft.
November
15, 2002, 9:51 AM PT |
Read
Full Story
Technology
after the bubble
IT
will rise again, but only if the providers learn how to help their customers
make money.
The
McKinsey Quarterly--free registration required |
Read
Full Story
_________________________ What is the Internet, Web-page and Desktop Publishing? In 1994 the Internet emerged with an array of browsers and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (known as http://) and other standards used. Now, it is the year 2001 and in the computing world there are many forms of programming languages. It is just common sense that the standardization of software application comes as a natural progression. The core languages used to date are HTML, JavaScript, Java, XML and C++. The are other languages emerging and perhaps get recognition in the future, but for now the preferred language is one that interface with the internet and desktop applications (software). PC Hobbyist are looking for that ultimate in CPU's, applications and devices. It can only get easier as we turn to a user friendly - plug and play format. The introduction of technology is rapid and depreciation of these devices are high. So do your research before getting your feet wet and there is nothing like having a computer in front of you to learn. Many schools locally are providing training but not really getting the desired results. The Internet and world of computing is vast and talent is scarce. The market at the moment is attractive to the ones looking to expand themselves in this trade. Especially south of the border where you can earn in excess of $75K US dollars. So what is this so called Internet, which we refer to as "CYBERSPACE". It is simply the inter-connection of many computers in a global scale. The connection of these computers enables communication back and forth rapidly. We are able to access information from bigger computers known as servers, which has one specific function. The connection of computers are referred to as a "NETWORK". You can access all sorts of enormous amount of information. The sources of these information can vary from an individual, groups and organizations. The topics cover literally from "A to Z", and it is a good learning tool with many applications both good and bad. Now, what is a webpage? To use a metaphor it is like a page in a magazine. If you are familiar with the Internet the moment you open your Browser, something appears in the screen and that is a web-page. A basic web-page consist of text information, graphics, sounds and/or a combination of the above. The basic languages used are HTML and Javascript, which works well with Netscape and Microsoft Internet Browser. There are many degrees of sophistication with web-pages, so be prepared to be dazzled. And Desktop Publishing, is simply creating your work with the use of a publishing tool/application ( ie, MS Word, Word Perfect, Front Page and etc.) installed in your desktop computer. There are many forms of media for example Print (newspapers, books and magazines), Radio, Television, Motion Pictures and the Internet. Many homes in North America are not equipped with computers and we are about 300 million in population. Just think of the numbers and the opportunities. Are you interested in this trade? Do you fit in? Perhaps the best way is to find out is to do your research. Related Links:
|
|
_____________________________________________ FOR COMMENTS ON TODAY'S NEWS PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK TO editor@montrealtribune.com IF YOU ARE IN THE TEXTILE AND GARMENT BUSINESS AND LOOKING FOR BUYERS IN CANADA Order your copy NOW of the NEW 2012 up-dated version or current listing of the Canadian Garment and Textile Buyers Guide and Industry Textile Book (fabric identification in dictionary form) are available at US$50 per copy. Important Notice To The Tribune Viewers! We Delete Thousands of Mails Everyday! If you were to send us e-mails, please make sure your identity is properly shown including the subject you are relaying.. It’s our policy not to open attachments which also applies applies to all our correspondents and contributors. "Check Our Advertising Rate Card" It
is very important to note that following the simple payment instruction
at the bottom of the rate card will facilitate posting your ad in The
Montreal Tribune. In cooperative Link Service with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Headline News All Montreal Tribune Correspondents including those from Overseas are issued Press IDs, and could only be used on assignments, for verification purposes please contact the editor Copyright © 1990 - 2012 All Rights Reserved. The Montreal Tribune ISSN 1186-2165 ® This is the front section of the on-line pages of Informative, Innovative & Truthful. This organization is non-profit, non-political, non-sectarian, and non-racial news organization. Staff Business Letters Feedback Links Investment Inq Signed articles are the responsibility of the writers and not those of the publisher and editors of this publication. Any communication concerning this site should be addressed to the webmaster. |