IDG News Service —
1. "iDay Almost Here"
June 28, Computerworld
After months of hype and speculation, Apple entered the mobile phone market Friday when the iPhone went on sale in the United States. The device sports assorted nifty features, such as a touch-screen display, and permits users to listen to voice mails in any order. It also combines the functions of a cell phone, MP3/video player and Internet communications device. Some deterrents include the iPhone's lack of third-generation wireless broadband, inability to support third-party e-mail applications, and hefty price. Businesses are trying determine the phone's impact on IT departments. Some shops will embrace the device, while others aren't keen to support a phone with a raft of entertainment features.
2. "Microsoft Security One of the Worst Jobs in Science"
June 26, CIO.com
Mentioning hazmat divers, whale-feces researchers and Microsoft's Security Response Center in the same sentence may seem like the start of a joke. But Popular Science magazine linked these disparate professions by naming them some of the worst jobs in science. While the MSRC lacks the dangers of diving in toxic waste, the center's thankless and daunting nature earned it a spot on the list, said an editor at the magazine. The MSRC handles repairing all iterations of every software application the company produces. While Redmond sometimes avoids discussions on product security, an MSRC program manager praised the ranking, saying it speaks to the dedication of the group's employees.
3. "Judge Favors Microsoft Search Deal"
June 26, PC World
An agreement between Microsoft and the plaintiffs in a U.S. government antitrust case sufficiently addresses an antitrust complaint Google filed on Windows Vista's desktop search function. A judge decided to defer to the plaintiffs in a 2002 antitrust case because they represent the consumers. In June, Google complained that changing Vista's desktop search program proved too difficult for computer users and that the antitrust settlement fell short of proposing a remedy. According to the search agreement from the government's case, the search program chosen by the user will have a space in Vista's start menu.
4. "Greens Don't Accept Berlin 'Nein' to Open Source"
June 25, LinuxWorld
While Germany's federal government promotes using open-source software in the public sector, Berlin's city government is a different entity. Berlin lacks a coherent IT plan and needs to better collect data before judging open source, said the Green Party. Berlin's city government admits that it needs more information, but is working to gather additional data, including details on open-source software. In May, Berlin's government refused a request by the Greens to migrate all its systems to open source, citing economic, performance and policy reasons. The Greens, however, noted that a study they commissioned determined that the city could halve its yearly IT costs by adopting open source.
