41955673
submission
snydeq writes:
The InfoWorld Test Center has announced its Technology of the Year Award winners, chosen from hands-on testing of technologies aimed at end-users, developers, IT pros, and the businesses they serve. Pure open source projects and commercial products rooted in open source proved their mettle, accounting for nearly a third of the winners in categories ranging from mobile devices to cloud services. As for Windows 8? Not a winner.
41872419
submission
snydeq writes:
From punch cards to JavaScript, computing history owes everything to the generations of develoeprs and engineers who have programmed the machines. 'Each developer generation has a distinctive flavor, often defined by a programming language or technology. They burst out with newborn fervor before settling into a comfortable middle age. They may not be on the top of the pop charts after a few years, but they're often still kicking because software never really dies. These new technologies often group programmers by generation. When programmers enter the job market and learn a language, they often stick with the same syntax for life — or at least as long as they can before having to make a switch. It's not that it's hard to learn a new language; they're all pretty similar underneath. It's just that you can often make more money with the expertise you have, so the generations live on. Here is our guide to some of the more dominant tech generations in computer history, as embodied by the programmers who gave them life.'
41377647
submission
snydeq writes:
Andrew C. Oliver warns that rolling your own code can often be a waste of time and money. 'Many developers like to create software from scratch, even when there's perfectly good reusable code from other projects, open source, or even commercial products available to do the job. ... Whatever the reason, rolling your own code can be a waste of time and effort, as well as an opportunity for bugs to creep in — after all, new code is more likely to have bugs than existing code that's been reviewed and tested,' Oliver writes, offering a look at nine types of software projects that really shouldn't be roll-your-own efforts.
41252905
submission
snydeq writes:
BIOS firmware replacements, DHCP troubleshooting, DOS commands, Linux forbears, cylons — find out how much you know where it really counts by taking InfoWorld's 2012 Geek IQ Test.
41116461
submission
snydeq writes:
A federal jury in Delaware has found Apple's iPhone infringes on three patents held by MobileMedia, a patent-holding company formed by Sony, Nokia and MPEG LA, InfoWorld reports. The jury found that the iPhone directly infringed U.S. patent 6,070,068, which was issued to Sony and covers a method for controlling the connecting state of a call, U.S. patent 6,253,075, which covers call rejection, and U.S. patent 6,427,078, which covers a data processing device. MobileMedia has garnered the unflattering descriptor "patent troll" from some observers. The company, which was formed in 2010, holds some 300 patents in all.
41075921
submission
snydeq writes:
InfoWorld's Serdar Yegalulp provides a roundup of nine Windows Start menu alternatives for Windows 8. 'Search as you might, you won't find a single bigger source of ire in Windows 8 than the new Modern UI (aka "Metro") Start menu. ... Windows 8's Start menu has thrown many people — seasoned veterans, early adopters, and new users alike — for a curve. And Microsoft has been adamant that the old Start menu is gone for good. But where Microsoft doesn't go with Windows, others almost always do. Even before Windows 8 was released to manufacturing, various third parties were marketing add-ons that promised to restore a little (or a lot) of the classic Start menu goodness to Windows 8.'
41017491
submission
snydeq writes:
Managing talented techies can be tricky business. Unfortunately, too many managers resort to time-worn stereotypes: Techies eat nothing but pizza, care about nothing but technology, live by night, are barely able to communicate with other bipeds, and are the antithesis of creative. 'The trouble is in separating the myths from the wisdom when it comes to getting the most from highly trained technology professionals. Here are eight commonly held misperceptions about managing the techie set. If you're among the (mis)managed, perhaps you can persuade your boss to read this.'
40735841
submission
snydeq writes:
InfoWorld reports on a growing trend facing business executives traveling to China: government or industry spooks stealing data from their laptops and installing spyware. 'While you were out to dinner that first night, someone entered your room (often a nominal hotel staffer), carefully examined the contents of your laptop, and installed spyware on the computer — without your having a clue. The result? Exposure of information, including customer data, product development documentation, countless emails, and other proprietary information of value to competitors and foreign governments. Perhaps even, thanks to the spyware, there's an ongoing infection in your corporate network that continually phones home key secrets for months or years afterward.'
39765039
submission
snydeq writes:
'If Windows 8 and the Surface tablet flop, you'll see a shareholder revolt that will send Steve Ballmer packing by this time next year,' writes InfoWorld's Bill Snyder. 'InfoWorld and I have been dumping on Windows 8 so much I'm not going to repeat the arguments. Maybe we're wrong, and buyers will decide that the new OS and the Microsoft's first serious venture into hardware are what they want. It would be a huge boost for the industry if it happens, but I'm not optimistic. ... There's been a string of bad quarters, and the stock has been frozen for nine years. At some point — I think we're getting really close — investors are going to demand a shakeup. When they do, it's going to be good-bye, Ballmer.'
39242065
submission
