Green IT is all about saving the environment, or so we are told. In reality, 'greening' only became popular once companies realised that it provided a benefit they understand well — saving cash. Discover everything you need to know about Green IT in this ZDNet.com.au superguide.
Features and Case Studies
Is green IT a marketing fad?
It seems that green IT has dropped off the radar, with other technology issues moving to the fore. But was green IT ever a real technology movement, or was it just a marketing fad?
Gartner: Green IT falls off the agenda
Green IT has shifted way down the priority list for corporate technologists, according to analyst firm Gartner, which this week released the latest version of its top 10 strategic technology areas list for the coming year.
Time for some bright green ideas
Mobile phone companies have seen the green bandwagon go by and are flinging themselves on it faster than you can say "lazy, greenwash-spewing me-too merchants" but in the pantheon of would-be eco-friendly mobile makers, Nokia is coming up with some of the best and worst ideas on the market.
Green your datacentre or it may go dark
Being green, in terms of IT and datacentres, only very superficially has anything to do with saving the environment. In reality it is about cold, hard cash — and how to spend less of it.
More Features and Case Studies »
Google's ocean datacentre plans a tad fishy?
Google has always enjoyed being secretive about its largely custom-built data centres, so I imagine there are a few furrowed brows following the widespread reports about its application for a patent to build offshore datacentres, which could draw their power from the ocean waves.
Going green for IT
According to research firm Gartner, by 2010 75 percent of organisations will use "full life cycle energy" and CO2 footprint as mandatory PC hardware buying criteria.
Ballmer's green comments make me sick
At the CeBIT exhibition in Germany this week, Steve Ballmer got on stage and told the world that Microsoft takes "green" issues seriously.
When dumping your old PCs sounds a bit fishy
It seems that the IT industry is missing out on an opportunity to 'help' sea creatures by dumping old computers into the ocean and creating an 'artificial reef'.
Photos: Datacentre heat, Google's secret solution
When supercomputers get together, things get hot fast. Our photo gallery reveals how modern datacentres are cooled, and gives an insight into Google's secret solution to the problem.
Linus Torvalds at Linux.conf.au 2008
Linus Torvalds is the star guest at Australia's annual Linux conference. ZDNet.com.au once again took a video crew to Melbourne in January and caught up with the man behind Linux.
Autodesk: Billy Hinners, CIO
Billy Hinners, CIO of Autodesk speaks to ZDNet Editor-in-chief Dan Farber about creating design software for its eight million customers in the construction, media and manufacturing industries. He also talks about the company's green strategy, his 20 years in product development and transitioning to his new role as CIO.
Clearing the air on dodgy carbon emissions claims
Why would a super-efficient Australian datacentre produce more carbon emissions than an equivalent sized, yet hopelessly inefficient and power-hungry datacentre in Germany?
Sun rises on xVM stategy
Sun Microsystems' xVM virtualisation efforts are getting louder and louder.
Examining Second Life myths for business
Can virtual worlds make a meaningful contribution to business -- and if so, how can they be protected from invasions of privacy and flying genitalia? ZDNet Australia gets the lowdown from Chris Collins, technical assistant to the CEO at Second Life developer Linden Lab.
Photos: A trip through Dell's recycling plant
Dell has claimed it is the greenest IT company in the world. ZDNet Australia went on a tour of its recycling partner's plant, MRI Australia, in Blacktown, Sydney.
Ten steps to a more efficient datacentre
A lot of marketing effort has been thrown at the concept of green computing and sustainable IT, but much of the advice is fairly nebulous, fuzzy and ill thought out.
Google's green data plans a hypocrisy?
Google's plans for greener datacentres are being promoted with great fervour, but its calls for greater environmental accountability have some definite limitations.
CIO View: Energy company runs out of juice!
IT has become one of the biggest consumers of energy in the modern society. So much so that at AGL Energy, "we ran out of capacity in the building for electricity", according to former CIO Cesare Tizi.
Throw away the suits and telework!
More and more Australians are choosing to work from home for at least part of the week.
ICT creating a greener footprint
As our nation comes to grips with the implications of global warming, technology has the potential to be a major part of the solution to our CO2 challenges.
Return and reuse: How Japan recycles televisions and other appliances
Australians are slowly jumping aboard the environmental bandwagon, but in Japan, a law mandating the recycling of home appliances is already six years old.
PCs: Keeping IT green
While recycling is all fine and good, before we go to the trouble of ripping an item to bits and making it into something else ââ,¬" there is an intermediate stage: Reuse!
Old IT never dies...
Companies are hanging on to their IT equipment longer to stave off spending what they can't currently afford. But IT systems have to be disposed of eventually; what happens when they do?
Netspace's green box: Caption contest
Netspace regulatory and carrier affairs manager Matthew Phillips has a lovely big green box. But what's inside? Tell us to win a double DVD box set of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films.
Green IT: Notes from Australia's CIO Network
What do Australian CIOs think of Green IT? Read the summary notes from the latest CIO Network peer-to-peer working group on the issue.
Has Conroy got the numbers for reforms?
Getting Senator Stephen Conroy's regulatory reform for the telecommunications industry through the parliament would need support from the Senate. On Twisted Wire we ring around to see which parties are supportive and which are against.
Why Australia's Pirate Party won't get elected
Many would love to see the Pirate Party and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy face off in the Australian Senate, but the unorthodox political party doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the necessary votes.
Sydney Media140: Photo gallery
Sydney's first ever Media140 conference, held at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) studios, drew around 300 academics, journalists and media enthusiasts to discuss the benefits and risks that professionals face in using open social networks, such as Twitter.
Pirates should abandon the federal ship
The Pirate Party of Australia should forget about trying to win a Senate seat in the Federal Government and instead focus its sights on even lower hanging fruit. I speak, of course, of the state governments.
ACS filter report just what Conroy needs
Yesterday's report from the Australian Computer Society's Filtering and E-Security Task Force will be a handy weapon in Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy's battle over internet censorship.
Bankstown print refresh boosts green space
For Bankstown City Council, a 170,000-resident council south-west of Sydney, a desire to regain control of its printing environment -- and to reduce its impact on the environment -- recently led to a complete reconsideration of its printing, scanning and faxing processes.
Windows Phone: Everything you need to know
After months and months of waiting, Microsoft has finally kicked its latest mobile operating system out of the nest to see if it can fend for itself in the big, bad world of smartphone rivalries. Alongside the OS itself, Microsoft also rolled out a bunch of new web-based services as well.
NetApp's Green expands portfolio
Networked storage solutions maker Network Appliance managing director Simon Green is set to assume a broader set of duties beyond Australia and New Zealand.
Not Waving, but clowning?
Microsoft Wave. That's like naming your new car the Ford Prius. Why go head-to-head with Google armed only with a glossy catalogue?
Tasmanian Premier Bartlett talks NBN
In today's Twisted Wire, Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett explains his vision for a broadband enabled Tasmania, that will "leapfrog every other nation on earth".
Straight to the source: Green and Redman
We put Steve Redman, MD of EMC Australia, up against Simon Green, MD of Network Appliance Australia and watch the sparks fly.
Aussie CIOs will weather the storm
A series of inspiring conversations with Australian chief information officers over the past five years has led me to believe the profession and ICT industry as a whole has the attitude, skills and drive to push through the global financial crisis and other challenges to the better world ahead.
Changing of the guard: ANZ Bank
Get an insider's look at the recent history and potential imminent future of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's technology operation in the third of our Changing of the guards series examining generational change in the nation's big four banks.
Green light for e-passports
The United States moves forward with a plan to put RFID chips and biometric data in passports by early next year.
Office 2010 Technical Preview: Screenshots
We give you a sneak peek at a "Technical Preview" build of Microsoft's upcoming Office 2010 suite before the company formally unveils it to the public.
Podcast: VMware co-founder Diane Greene
Matt Tett from RMIT's IT Test Labs caught up with VMware co-founder and president Diane Greene at the recent VM World conference in Las Vegas.
Broadband hearing unplugged (day 1)
Earlier this week (Tuesday 3 March) a number of telecommunications industry heavyweights fronted up to the Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network.
Hullabaloo about OLED
It's been a long time coming, but it seems that OLED displays are finally beginning to creep onto the market.
NewsAlerts.com.au shuts down
Adelaide-based start-up NewsAlerts.com.au will shut down all services on 2 February following the signing of a mysterious deal with Wotif.com-backed wotnews.com.au.
British Airways CIO: the interview
British Airways chief information officer Paul Coby can justifiably claim more than most of his peers to have had a tough time coping with the economic slowdown and cuts in IT budgets.
Farr the reformer talks Defence
A year from taking on perhaps the toughest IT job in the country, Defence chief information officer Greg Farr is staring down the barrel of a massive ICT reform agenda for 2009 that will reveal whether Defence got the "expert CIO" they needed.
The longest last mile
How much should Telstra be charging for unconditioned local loop?
Giant Aussie 2009 predictions round-up
What will 2009 hold for Australia's ICT industry? We asked dozens of local leaders for their predictions; and this is what they came up with.
Telstra's AGM: A day to remember
This morning, Telstra executives are limbering up behind the scenes as they get ready for their big yearly showing to shareholders at the annual general meeting.
The open source guide to the galaxy
Could your business be paying for a proprietary program when an open source alternative exists? Take a look at our guide as we count down the most popular open source products.
HSBC Australia CIO talks bank tech
Most of Australia's major banks are just beginning massive IT projects which will see them refresh their core banking systems. But as HSBC's Australian CIO Brenton Hush tells ZDNet.com.au, the global bank's local operation is already ahead.
Photos: Telstra survival kit
Tell the Truth Telstra (T4), an initiative formed by a group of Telstra's competitors, sent out this media pack to combat what it said was a media barrage by the nation's largest telco.
Photos: Sydney Googleplex Under Construction
ZDNet.com.au takes you on a tour of Google's new Sydney Googleplex, which is currently under construction. Australian Googlers will work in an environmentally friendly building, next to glamorous Sydney Harbour, with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Tower, and the Star City Casino.
RFID round-up: Still in the trough
Despite its clear benefits in stock tracking and the success of early, isolated pilot tests in tracking high-value assets, RFID technology is still spinning its wheels as ongoing high costs and unclear return on investment continue to keep once-enthusiastic customers away in droves.
US shows what OPEL could have been
Sprint's WiMAX roll-out in Baltimore will prove the Australian government's decision to worm its way out of the Opel WiMAX contract was a short-sighted, and ultimately damaging, political stunt that has benefited nobody.
Startup Camp Sydney: The review
Three new Australian technology start-ups, uTag, TrafficHawk.com.au and LinkViz, were conceived and launched over the weekend in a lightning initiative dubbed "Startup Camp Sydney".
How Seven blew the internet Olympics
If there ever was an opportunity for a broadcaster to showcase the potential of internet video, this was it, and Seven has blown it. Perhaps its executives should have rung their mates at NBC in the US and gotten some pointers on online coverage.
Photos: Symantec's Security Response labs
ZDNet.com.au takes a peek behind the scenes at the security specialist's European anti-malware operation in Dublin.
In carriers' high-def future, pants are the real winners
As anybody who works from home knows, one of the great benefits of telecommuting is that pants are optional. Wear your pyjamas to that teleconference, or attend in your birthday suit if you prefer; nobody will be the wiser.
Record breaking warehouses break usefulness rules
And the Guinness World Record for the largest data warehouse goes to...
Exchange students learn the taste of defeat
We've all experienced that irritating feeling upon walking into a nearly empty restaurant, only to see little 'reserved' signs on the empty tables, and to be told by the maître d' that no tables are available even as other people enter and are escorted to their tables.
Department of Defence: Greg Farr, CIO (part one)
Australian Department of Defence CIO Greg Farr spoke to ZDNet.com.au about how the organisation's networks are kept secure and why virtualisation and green issues are high on the agenda.
Will a US recession demolish global IT budgets in 2008?
The US sub-prime mortgage lending crisis could lead to economic losses totaling between US$150bn and US$400bn, according to The Wall Street Journal. While this dwarfs the effect of previous disasters such as the dot com bust, analysts remain optimistic that its effect on IT budgets will be flat, rather than disastrous.
Customs: Murray Harrison, CIO
Australian Customs CIO Murray Harrison dislikes SLAs and runs away if a vendor talks to him about innovation. In this interview, he also explains why getting excited about gadgets can be dangerous and talks about how Customs' outsourcing strategy has evolved.
City of Melbourne gets singular on the desktop
When you're in charge of buying 2,000 desktops should you go for an assortment of vendors, or stick to just one? City of Melbourne's desktop services manager, Ashe Potter, says using a single supplier is cheaper, easier and less hassle to manage.
Rudd awakening: Govt's plans for ICT
Ahead of the election, with promises for nationwide broadband networks and digital revolutions in schools, the ICT industry could hope the government was on their side. But now the glamour of a sparkling new government has worn off, how ICT-friendly is the Rudd government really?
Centrelink: John Wadeson, CIO
Centrelink, Australia's welfare payment organisation, deals with millions of transactions and billions of dollars every week. CIO John Wadeson recently spoke to ZDNet.com.au about the challenges of running one of the country's largest IT infrastructures.
San Francisco International Airport: John Payne, CIO
The CIO of San Francisco International Airport talks to ZDNet about protecting the airport's network and providing new services such as passenger WiFi.
Photos: On the floor at Macworld
Get a glimpse of what's in the air and on the floor at Macworld.
Datacentre 2020: Greener, faster, more flexible
The average datacentre lasts between 15 and 20 years, so when the current generation of datacentres near the end of their working life, will their replacements be at all familiar?
Facebook: The Google of social networks?
Since lifting its university-only restrictions in September 2006, Facebook has become the poster child for social networks and attracted more than 65 million users. But will it survive 'the next big thing'?
The $5 budget challenge
The ever-decreasing cost of storage might look like a useful development for the cash-strapped IT manager, but in fact the falling bucks per gigabyte figure can carry a hidden sting in the tail.
Seagate: Take your recession and stuff it
Investors may be panicking, but Seagate CEO Bill Watkins says business and tech trends paint a different picture than the one on CNBC.
Avaya: Lorie Buckingham, CIO
Lorie Buckingham, CIO of telecom solutions provider Avaya, talks about the promise of unified communications for its more than one million business customers around the world. She also discusses her passion for technology and strategy for integrating innovative communication technologies.
Who guards the guards: Security
Who predicted the death of the password -- and spam? Why is PKI not ubiquitous? Who makes these daft predictions anyway? ZDNet.com.au looks at how the security market was supposed to shape up, according to so-called "experts".
Who's afraid of the $200 Linux PC?
Cheap PCs with a Linux operating system seem to have hit the users' sweet spots, with taking the plunge into the alternate OS not nearly as hard as users had thought.
Avis Budget Group: John Turato, VP of Technology
John Turato, Vice President of Technology for Avis-Budget Group talks about managing technical operations for a rental fleet of more than 400,000 vehicles worldwide. Turato also discusses transformation at the rental car operator, and his other role, Chairman of the OpenTravel Alliance, a group of companies developing web 2.0 standards for the online travel industry.
Travelocity | Barry Vandevier, CTO
Barry Vandevier of Travelocity talks about his company's efforts to deploy Web 2.0 technologies for the next generation of online travel.
The 10 biggest headaches of 2007 for CIOs and IT managers
IT is largely about solving problems and keeping the business running, and the higher up you are in the IT department the bigger the problems you have to solve.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers: Graham Andrews, CIO
Welcome to the CIO Vision Series, where we have with us as our guest Graham Andrews of PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Thank you for joining us today and congratulations on being 'highly commended' by the Australia CIO of the Year judging panel.
Cesare Tizi, ZDNet Australia CIO of the Year 2007
Welcome to the CIO Vision Series and congratulations to Cesare Tizi, who was awarded the ZDNet Australia CIO of the Year award for 2007. Tizi was recognised for the work he did while successfully leading Australia's largest energy supplier, AGL Energy, through a period of intense change.
Managing your move into mobility
With the benefits of mobile data access well and truly taken for granted, the spectre of several false starts is finally far behind the market for smaller smartphone and PDA styled mobile devices.
Apple iPhone vs Nokia N95
Will Apple's iPhone reshape the mobile phone market? Are there better devices actually available already? We put the iPhone head-to-head with its competition to see how it stacks up.
Pot, meet kettle. Kettle, pot.
Will Internode's (sudden) and dramatic price hike for its broadband plans undo the G9's plans for an affordable, high-speed broadband network?
Photos: CeBIT Australia 2007
CeBIT Australia is on again for 2007 with hundreds of IT products and services on display in addition to the conference, keynotes and forums. Join us as we take a photo tour of the exhibition halls.
Coming to you fast and furious from the FITT lunch
The more I think about the issues surrounding the under-representation of women in IT, the further I get from finding a solution. Overanalysis is a real drag. And that's why this year I'm going to be blogging direct from the FITT lunch.
The RBA, ruthlessness and robots
For the Reserve Bank of Australia, every minute of downtime could potentially cost more than AU$40 million. But even with a business case on that scale, it still took three tries before it got an effective systems management strategy in place.
10 mobile trends: Should you care?
silicon.com's Jo Best looks at 10 oft-debated areas in mobile and wireless and asks a simple question: how much should you care over the next 12 months?
10 things to know about IE7 Security
Internet Explorer 7 is designed to make browsing safer. Here's a quick rundown of some of the new security features.
Catenaccio football 1.0 wins 1-0
It's hard to think about anything else today other than Australia's ludicrous 1-0 defeat this morning by Luis Medina Cantalejo, oops I mean Italy.
Gates on launching Zune, spiffing up Office
Microsoft's chairman looks ahead to how the music player might morph and tells why changes in Office 2007 are "such a big deal."
Network Associates awarded antispam patent
Security software company, Network Associates, said this week that it has been granted a patent for methods of filtering spam, or unsolicited e-mail.
Threatening Mac users to be put to sleep?
In response to violent threats made against journalists, police have been called in to investigate.
Dell: Malaysia to support Australia, others
Enterprise technology users may still be getting used to Indian accents for many of their support queries, but PC giant Dell believes many of its customers would be better served by Malaysia.
Siemens and the hand of God
During the 64 matches to be played in the 2006 World Cup, an estimated 3.2 million spectators will pass through the 12 stadiums to witness the action first-hand. From arrival to departure, the entire experience will be monitored, streamlined and enhanced by multiple systems from Siemens.
Deploying technology in harsh environments
When you put technology assets into an unfriendly environment, the lifecycle of your equipment may be cut in half. Fortunately, you can take steps to help preserve it, along with simplifying maintenance, operations, and support.
Photo gallery: iPod anatomy
Get an inside look at the hardware that powers the iPod family of products.
Microsoft: Slow going in biz software push
"Project Green" effort to bring disparate business applications under a single code base will happen -- eventually.
Sun tools aimed at Microsoft coders
Sun Microsystems will describe on Wednesday new software designed to make its Java programming tools more popular with smaller businesses.
Intel demonstrates quad-core PC, server
Intel demonstrated two quad-core processors Tuesday in the United States, "Clovertown" for servers and "Kentsfield" for PCs, directing attention toward the future during a more troubled present.
Can Yahoo do content?
The Web portal's plan to become a major Internet content player is treading water, despite its Hollywood credentials.
Antenna to boost wireless security
An optical antenna that uses a geometrically shaped lens promises to bring greater security to wireless networks for businesses, according to British scientists.
Microsoft unit key to new strategy
It used to be a money-losing afterthought. Now the business software unit is playing a key role in Redmond's plans.
The server virtualisation vendor landscape
We look at the virtual machine software market's three principal players: Microsoft, VMware and Xen.
Photo gallery: Installing Windows Vista
The long, long road to installing Windows Vista ... from 3GB DVD.
VMWare's virtual future
VMware's leader discusses the hows and whys of the industry's move toward virtualisation.
Stampede for patches disrupts Microsoft update site
The crush of millions of Windows users trying to patch their computers overwhelmed Microsoft's update service for several hours after new security fixes were made available, the software giant acknowledged on Wednesday.
Vital signs go wireless
Soon, something that looks like a Band-Aid could e-mail your blood pressure and more to your doctor.
An open-source rival to Google's book project
When it comes to digitising books, two stories appear to be unfolding: One is about open source, and the other, Google.
Offshoring: A view from both shores
Wipro CEO Vivek Paul ponders the implications of a US that graduates more sports therapists than engineers.
How CRM saved Hunter Holden
What a customer wants and eventually gets can be two different things. To get more in tune with customer preferences, Hunter Holden reinvented itself with a customer relationship management system.
Oracle takes on SAP's NetWeaver
Project Fusion will provide a common basis for all Oracle applications and compete head-to-head with the German rival's NetWeaver middleware.
VoIP handsets reviewed
Voice over Internet Protocol, in some way, shape, or form, is a standard inclusion now with most business telephony systems. We review the latest offerings.
Take aim at taming these 10 types of techies
There are certain personality types you're bound to encounter among tech staff. Here are 10 types and suggestions for effectively dealing with them.
Customers report Microsoft CRM problems
Microsoft's CRM software features an email identifier that some customers could cause legitimate communications to be seen as spam, but the company says it has not received many complaints.
Weak demand behind Google price cut
Investors balk at a deal seen as benefiting company and insiders over buyers.
IBM retools Global Services
Big Blue seeks higher, more profitable ground in the market for business computing services.
Is Ballmer's $100 PC possible?
Microsoft's chief executive may well think that a $100 PC will solve the problem of software piracy - but it's a question of who is willing to bear the cost.
Kill 'spies' with Spybot
Here's how you can use Spybot to put an end to spyware and adware on clients' desktops.
Untangling the wireless future
Faced with an increasing number of wireless technologies and standards, planning a long-term networking strategy is a daunting prospect.
Microsoft revamps CRM software
The company's second version of its customer relationship management package promises expanded language coverage and tighter links to its latest Office and server software.
Can Microsoft deliver on CRM?
Microsoft will have an impact on the customer relationship management (CRM) market. But how important will its role be?
Y2K legacy creates PC-disposal headache
Fears of the Millennium Bug drove a generation of companies to upgrade their PCs, but four years on, those systems need to be replaced and such a mammoth task has serious environmental implications.
Google this: Disaster
Fund manager Tom Taulli says the comedy of errors leading up to the IPO is as much about management hubris as it is bad fortune.
Global lessons in e-voting
India reports success, while Venezuela fears fraud. What can the world learn?
Outsourcing: The trouble with mega deals
As mega outsoucing deals begin to lose their shine, is it time for selective sourcing to take centre stage?
Tech tools: IT audits and security ratings system
This simple, cost-effective ratings system can help improve security across your organisation.
Monochrome magic: Six printers tested
Who needs colour? Sometimes all you need is a black-and-white printer that can churn out the pages fast. We look at your options.
Secure funding for disaster recovery projects
Getting money to fund a disaster recovery plan has never been harder. With these tips, however, you can send the message to those holding the purse strings that disaster recovery is vital.
Standards: equal access
Just as building codes have changed to make access easier for everyone, so are standards changing in hardware and software design.
Recent worms punish bad passwords
A spike in Internet traffic caused by a worm over the weekend can be largely blamed on bad passwords and poor security practices, security experts said on Monday.
Should storage be outsourced?
As storage volumes escalate, companies are weighing up the risks and benefits of outsourcing storage. Additional reading: Seven deadly sins of data warehouse development
Two Davids, no Goliath
David Thomas, ManageSoft's Asia Pacific director and David Lenz, sales and marketing director at Novell Asia-Pacific, go head to head on their respective offerings.
Hiring tips for IT managers
Here are some key steps in planning out your hiring process so that you avoid the bad hires that usually accompany a hiring rush.
Profiting from disaster
Can disaster recovery be anything more than an insurance policy?
Five reasons IT consultancies fail
IT consulting firms continue to tread water in a challenging organisation environment, and many are reacting by taking a "back to basics" approach to their businesses. Take advice from two consultants who have done just that.
People power: Three HR packages tested
Does your company's human resource management functions need to be automated? ZDNet Australia looks at what you need to consider, and three packages to help you do it.
Time to ignore SCO?
Linux users are safe even if the courts rule in favour of the SCO Group, says one technology law expert. Is it time for the IT industry to move on?
Is the desktop battle really over?
It's clear Microsoft has won the desktop battle with Windows, but a few trends may knock the victor off the throne.
KVM switches reviewed
The new generation of keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) switches allows admins to tinker with their systems remotely over an IP connection. We look at six options.
The real future of Linux
For Linux to grow, a more traditional model of capitalism must be implemented. Red Hat is attempting this move with recent changes to its licensing and support policies. Find out how this might affect future distributions.
Java camp takes cue from Microsoft
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Microsoft's fiercest foes--Java software providers--are showing growing admiration for their powerful rival.
On the outsourcing hot seat
Infosys Technologies CEO Nandan Nilekani says outsourcing is a win-win proposition.
New Year's resolutions from Melbourne
In a groggy haze on New Year's Eve, I promised someone (or was it myself?) that I would be good this year -- I said I would draw up my New Year's resolutions and I'm sticking to it...hopefully, writes one tech pro from Melbourne.
Is your monitor glow revealing your data?
Now there's a way law enforcement agents can read data displayed on a user's computer monitor, even when they can't see the screen. All they need is a special light detector and lab hardware. Are your secrets being unveiled?
How to "manage" clients' employees
Your conduct at a client site can help you avoid resentment and fear among the employees. These tips will help you be more productive and get along with your temporary co-workers.
Putting the brains into your network
Networks don't just ferry packets around your office anymore. ZDNet Australia looks at some of the latest developments that allow your network to manage itself more intelligently.
A glimpse into the life of a Russian virus researcher
CA's Dr Eugene Dozortsev talks about the motivations and satisfactions that spur him through 70-hour working weeks that offer very little limelight.
VPNs via Windows Server 2003
feature Although Windows NT and 2000 both boast remote access services, including VPN, Windows Server 2003 offers the next level of these services, providing a secure communications mechanism for your users and infrastructure.
ROI on IT projects: Project manager's friend or foe?
Whether you are engaging a client on a solution proposal or simply kicking off your project exploration phase, clients are today deeply interested in ROI. Here's how to make that pay off for project managers.
Big Brother monitors Linux servers
Although there are numerous programs designed for monitoring and notification, many can be quite expensive. For Linux, Big Brother can definitely get the job done.
Commentary: That was the decade that was
10 years is a long time in technology circles, and plenty has changed since 1992. Then again, maybe it hasn't.
How to justify more bandwidth
You may think your company is suffering from a bandwidth crunch, but you need some data to back up your claims. With a free tool called PRTG, you can quantify bandwidth data.
Think 'thin' to lower bandwidth requirements
Budget concerns, complicated infrastructure, and user frustration are all reasons to move away from a fat-client networking strategy. Here's a compelling argument for using thin clients.
Oracle plan exposes Java rift
Competing players are trying to integrate Java development tools, in the face of well-organised competition from Microsoft.
The FUD war against Linux
Open-source activist Bruce Perens uncovers the SCO-Microsoft connection behind a campaign to convince users that trade secrets of Unix have been copied into Linux.
HR tips: Gaining approval for IT hires
Hiring in the tech industry has new challenges, often including involvement of the CEO and CFO. But CIOs can successfully work through the process by considering some viable new approaches.
The keys to resource allocation
To successfully manage your projects, it's vital to get to the botton of resource overallocation. Learn how to manage competing priorities.
Best IT solutions for a small business upgrade
IT pros who manage small business networks have to come up with unique solutions, such as deciding whether Linux is a viable solution and which collaboration software is better.
Tips for successful IT negotiations
Tech leaders spend much of the week negotiating--with vendors, staffers, and business units. Columnist Bob Weinstein offers insight on how to sharpen your negotiating skills.
XP implementation considerations
You've been given the green light to move to XP; you've even mapped out a deployment method. Plan to review these implementation issues before deploying the new system.
The Year Ahead: Top ten technologies to watch
Robots, cars, power and light. Just some of the sectors that'll see action next year.
Stuck in high-tech hell? There's a way out!
Alan Cohen didn't merely write a book for cube dwellers with career angst. He charted a "road map out of hell" for everyone who has "come to accept soul starvation as a way of life."
Final score: MS/consumers 2--competitors 1
While there will likely be more litigation from competitors seeking to sanction Microsoft in some way, columnist Tim Landgrave explains why the recent US federal ruling bodes well for both Microsoft, and more importantly, the public consumer sector.
Keys to averting staff burnout
Workloads rarely diminish when staffs get smaller, and that leads to burnout. Avoid this scenario with stronger communication and making sure employees aren't overwhelmed. The effort will also avert future hire costs and can improve productivity.
Red hot laptops
If you're going to have to lug it around, you might as well get a laptop that will make business colleagues green with envy.
Keeping apps to speed
Are you paying employees to sit around watching an hourglass? Losing customers because that order page on your Web site takes forever to generate and download? Then it's time to focus on application management.
Internet VPNs: the WAN and the light?
They promise low-cost connectivity that could make conventional, expensive WANs a thing of the past. But can roll-your-own Internet VPNs really deliver?
Firewalls: Keeping the outside out
Firewalls protect your network from outside attacks, but what can you do when those pesky users keep taking their computers outside your network? ZDNet Australia investigates.
Who's plotting to keep Sun in the Web services shadows?
IBM and Microsoft extended a belated and belittling WS-I invitation to Sun. Are they trying to marginalise the Java creator's Web services stature?
Maximising infrastructure: Do more with less
Buying the latest and the greatest sounds like a good idea, but who can afford it? We look at ways you can get better performance and a better bottom line with your existing infrastructure.
Biometrics special: Who are you?
Forgotten your password again? Read on to find out how you'll be logging on, checking in, and signing off in the very near future.
Higher intelligence
Business Intelligence software gives managers the tools to draw from many data sources and take a snapshot view of their company's performance. Why are BI vendors defying the industry trend and continuing their stellar growth?
Web services: Messiah or mirage?
Software vendors keep telling us that Web services are the answer. But what is the question? ZDNet Australia explores the state of Web services today.
ROI: You can teach a New Economy old tricks
In these tough times, customers will no longer trust you on the basis of VC referrals or your phone manner. It's time to prove that your customers need your services. ROI-based sales pitches of the past make a resurgence in the dot-com downturn of the present.
Data mining for e-commerce gold
Data mining has been hailed as one of the emerging technologies that will "change the world". What is it and what can it do for your e-business?
Related News
Software glitch stymies green loans
A software problem in a government assessment tool has resulted in the delay of loan approvals being issued to families to make their homes more green.
Virtualisation: The key to a green datacentre?
Virtualisation is the key technology for creating less power-hungry datacentres, according to numerous speakers at the Energy Logic symposium in Sydney.
Australia's giant e-waste recycling centre: Photos
The largest e-waste recycling centre in the southern hemisphere was opened this week in Sydney's Villawood amid controversy over the Federal Government's refusal to commit to a mandatory e-waste recycling policy.
Green tech is a goldmine, not a burden
The IT industry should view the buzz around green technology as an opportunity rather than a compliance burden, says industry analyst Bruce McCabe.
Green costs: $20 extra per PC, $30 per server
The Intel-backed Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) program is now active in Australia, but participating vendors concede the hardest work still lies ahead as the green-focused consortium pursues the program's goal of slashing Australia's IT-related greenhouse emissions by 50 per cent in the next two years.
Intel, IBM take green plunge with solar tech
Intel entered the burgeoning clean-tech sector on Monday by creating SpectraWatt, a spinoff company that will manufacture solar cells, following IBM's latest foray into solar technology
Microsoft hands out green cash as Sun gets thin
Microsoft has this week handed out US$500,000 to four universities doing research into efficient computing, while rival Sun has stepped up its green IT marketing efforts.
Businesses bite on green IT claims
Vendors' green initiatives are increasingly swaying buyers' decisions, according to the latest IDC survey.
Prince Charles backs 'green' thin computing
Prince Charles has discovered thin clients and finds the notion they can help cut energy costs "mind boggling".
CeBIT's green gambit falls on empty halls
Europe's biggest information technology fair went green this year -- the problem was that there weren't many people around to notice.
Ballmer claims Microsoft is thinking green
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has claimed that more efficient use of IT is one of the company's main priorities for the future despite the fact Microsoft has been widely criticised for producing resource-hungry software.
IT firms turn nose up at US$595bn green bonanza
Tech vendors are missing out on billions of dollars by only focusing on improving 'energy efficiency' instead of carrying out detailed green accounting.
Green tech to outpace Internet spending in 2008
The results of a KPMG survey project continued investment in the green-tech sector this year and a wave of acquisitions.
Green IT can cut costs by 20 percent
Administrators can give their company an advantage over the competition by adopting green policies.
Micron unveils server-grade SSDs
Micron Technology has announced two new lines of solid-state drives, one of which could offer huge performance and power-management benefits in servers, according to the company.
Linux is ready to go green: Linus Torvalds
The infrastructure and tools required to make Linux a green operating system are now in place, according to Linus Torvalds, who was in Melbourne this week attending Australia's largest Linux conference.
Companies must disclose their gases: Govt
Companies belching greenhouse gases will have to keep track of their footprint as of today so they can report their levels to the government.
2007: How was it for green IT?
It's official, 2007 was the year in which green IT became important to the IT industry, with corporate giants like Google, Intel, HP, Dell, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems all willing to get their hands dirty.
IBM, Nokia and Sony want to share 'green' patents
IBM is set to announce the creation of an Eco-Patents Commons -- shared innovations geared at environmental sustainability -- with the participation of Sony, Nokia and Pitney Bowes.
Nokia Siemens: Green is the new black
Nokia Siemens Networks has unveiled a range of equipment and software which it claims will help mobile operators to go green.
Red Hat: Enterprise Linux is energy efficient
Linux vendor Red Hat has updated its enterprise Linux version with features for big servers and some green improvements. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2 includes virtualisation support for bigger systems and more memory architectures.
Inside the Top500 supercomputers
Roadrunner has topped the Top500 supercomputers list to be released Wednesday at the International Supercomputing Conference in Dresden, Germany.
Dell to cut PC energy use by 25 percent
Dell on Wednesday announced energy efficiency targets for its laptops and desktop PCs: a 25 percent reduction by 2010 based on the efficiency rating of today's models.
Think green ... and protect your data
Sending old equipment off for recycling not only helps the environment, it also ensures that "forgotten" data stored in old storage devices does not find itself in the public domain.
Green issues define banks' tech investments
Banks are using technology, carbon trading and green contract clauses to minimise the impact of their operations on the environment.
For Australia's IT industry, the future is green
While IT has made steps to becoming more green-friendly in recent years, it looks set to overshadow every major hardware purchase decision in the future.
Green IT is number one priority: Gartner
The intense power requirements needed to run and cool datacentres now account for almost a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions from ICT, according to analyst firm Gartner.
Samsung aims printers at the enterprise, kills OEM
Samsung launched its first range of business printers on Friday and said it will phase out its OEM deals in the long term.
Switching off PCs to save UK govt 10 million pounds
The UK Office of Government Commerce has urged public-sector workers to turn off their PCs overnight to help cut carbon emissions and costs.
WA utility takes remote control of customers' aircon
Western Australian energy company Western Power has reduced peak power energy use by 27 percent, or 3.5kW per home, by remotely switching off the compressors in trial customers' air conditioning units for a few minutes.
Citi scratches head over rising IT power needs
Banking group Citi is on the verge of completing a major sustainable-datacentre project, but has admitted that the power requirements of its IT equipment are continuing to rise by 12.5 percent per year.
The green datacentre -- an oxymoron?
The datacentre is the first and most obvious place the IT industry has looked at in addressing its overzealous consumption of power. But is the industry's hungriest power user capable of "going green"?
Google goes green, attacks coal power
Search giant Google on Tuesday pledged to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to make renewable energy cheaper than coal.
Outsourcers warned 'go green or get dumped'
Outsourcing vendors are running the risk of being dumped by customers if they don't have any green policies or are perceived as environmentally unfriendly.
Apple: New York logo will confuse shoppers
There are many ways to slice — or draw — an apple, but the Cupertino computer maker is once again claiming right to its own methodology.
Intel plans for green tracking device
Worried about the impact your technology use is having on the environment? A development project underway at Intel might help salve your conscience whilst also giving you another gadget to add to your arsenal.
New way to save energy: Disappearing ink
Xerox has paper you can use again and again, which could cut down on energy and the cost of recycling.
Phone recycling doubles as CDMA killed off
The number of phones being handed in for recycling has sky-rocketed in NSW and Victoria in the lead up to Telstra's shutdown of its CDMA network.
Sun co-founder prefers green tech to Web
Sun Microsystems co-founder and notable Internet technologist Bill Joy has decided that green tech is a far more worthy investment than Internet companies.
Photos: Datacentre heat, Google's secret solution
When supercomputers get together, things get hot fast. Our photo gallery reveals how modern datacentres are cooled, and gives an insight into Google's secret solution to the problem.
Green IT will hit Australian govt 'like a ton of bricks'
Australia's federal government is lagging behind when it comes to green IT initiatives and needs to be more critical of vendor "recycling" claims, says analysts.
Linux should use less power and go green
At a summit in Canada next week, Linux developers will meet to discuss ways of improving Linux's power management capabilities.
Council uses RFID to go through residents' garbage
A Sydney local council has begun utilise RFID technology to measure the effectiveness of its waste management program, but without telling its residents their bins — and their contents — are being tracked
Apple, Dell leap on Victoria green IT plan
Victorians will now be able to ditch their unwanted, end-of-life technology equipment in a green fashion following the launch of a state IT take-back program -- with support from big name vendors including Apple, Dell and HP.
Green issues become more important when choosing suppliers
Environmental concerns are rising up the corporate IT agenda with one-third of European organisations and a quarter of US firms now taking "green" factors into account when evaluating and selecting IT suppliers.
Thin computing: Low-fat but is it green?
Desktop virtualisation can address IT budgetary and environmental pressures but datacentre experts warn that the technologies can simply create similar problems elsewhere.
Sun goes on green offensive
Sun is set to offer practical energy-efficient solutions to customers after tackling its own datacentre power concerns.
IBM barred from US government contracts
IBM has been indefinitely barred from entering into new contracts with the US federal government.
Green issues drive change at Sun
Sun Microsystems is merging its storage and server units into one team, the company's chief executive Jonathan Schwartz has announced.
Industry, Apple haggles for hardware recycling help
The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and a group of industry partners including Apple and IBM met with representatives from both state and federal governments on Wednesday to propose a national computer recycling scheme.
Find out how much energy your datacentre uses
Datacentres are computational workhorses which can greedily gobble up to 100 times more power per square foot than your average office, according to Accenture.
Microsoft hunts developers in eco-tech push
Microsoft has launched an effort to become a major player in the rapidly growing energy-efficiency market. The company is recruiting developers and is eyeing opportunities to produce software for building control systems, traffic management systems and water quality management companies.
Greenpeace chastises 'toxic' IT industry
Greenpeace has slammed IT manufacturers -- specifically Lenovo, Panasonic, Samsung and RIM -- for not doing enough to make components easy to recycle and re-use.
Air IT system cuts plane safety distance
The plane outside the cabin window could get a lot closer, with the development of new air traffic management systems under the European Clean Sky project.
IBM predicts five biggest tech trends
IBM has released a series of predictions that they see as the five big new trends in tech for the next five years. These include programmable electricity meters, smart car sensors, smart shopping displays, phones as wallets and better nanotechnology techniques.
Nuclear fusion becomes economic reality?
Nuclear Fusion mimics the reactions that occur in the sun to create safe, clean nuclear energy. Sound like hot air? Not according to a leading US venture capitalist who believe it will become economically viable within several years.
Linus Torvalds at Linux.conf.au 2008
Linus Torvalds is the star guest at Australia's annual Linux conference. ZDNet.com.au once again took a video crew to Melbourne in January and caught up with the man behind Linux.
Dell, CEOs put energy into efficency lobby
Michael Dell and other high-profile technology company CEOs descended on Washington this week with a message for the US government: do more to encourage energy-efficient practices, but don't spell out specific standards for the products that companies like theirs build.
DC power slams AC in datacentres
From next January, data centres can use up to 40 percent less power by using a new direct current (DC) power supplies being released by DC systems company Validus instead of drawing AC power from outlets.
Nation of hoarders: 30 million PCs rot in Australia
What does last night's dinner have in common with your old PC? They get thrown out when their value flatlines. ZDNet Australia asks why Australians hoard old PCs.
Linux coders join green revolution
Programmers have begun serious work to cut consumption, extend PC Linux battery life and ease server costs.
2007: How was it for Google?
ZDNet Australia searches through the year that was for Google.
Standards set for voluntary carbon offsets
Despite being a market projected to grow to US$4 billion over the next five years, the carbon offset market has only just settled on one standard to measure its currency.
WWF urges IT industry to reduce emissions
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is urging the tech industry to become greener to save the planet -- and also to boost business.
Apple iPhone headphones endanger family jewels?
Researchers at Greenpeace have reprimanded Apple for releasing products made with chemicals which can reportedly have adverse effects on the development of male reproductive organs.
Schools and sick children get Web money boost
Funding for an online network for chronically ill children and for Internet access in rural Victorian schools has been announced by Minister for Communications Helen Coonan.
'Green' ANZ CIO wages war on servers
ANZ CIO Peter Dalton is on a mission to remove as many as 400 servers from the bank's infrastructure by the year's end as part of its ambitious environmental targets.
Broadband paves way to greener Australia
Broadband can help Australians save money and cut their carbon footprint, according to new research.
Microsoft goes on green Vista offensive
Microsoft has commissioned a report which claims the new power-management features in Vista can help companies "massively" reduce carbon emissions resulting from the use of desktop PCs.
Gartner Symposium 2007: Complete coverage
News and video from Gartner's Symposium event, which is being held in Sydney this week.
IBM keeps an eye on mainframe power
IBM has announced a new software solution that will allow its customers to track the energy consumption of its z9 mainframes.
Microsoft to profit from recycling
Under a new program announced by Microsoft, large companies that sell refurbished PCs can get a new copy of Windows XP to put on the machine, as long as they pay Microsoft again for that copy.
Google extending renewable energy plans
Google can brag about having the biggest corporate installation of solar power. But for them, it's just the beginning of their renewable energy plans.
CSIRO: Kilowatts for cash close to a reality
According to the CSIRO, an Australian energy distributor could soon trial technology that would allow energy consumers to slash their power usage in return for cash, and help cut the likelihood of power brownouts in Australia.
Australia to dump e-waste on developing nations?
If Australia does not develop a national approach to recycling its IT, we will soon be dumping our toxic e-waste on developing countries, according to operators of Byteback, a government-backed free PC recycling service.
Virtualisation set to save businesses millions
Virtualisation can reduce energy consumption and cut operating costs for companies adopting the technology, according to Butler Group's Infrastructure Virtualisation report.
Second lives consume more energy than first lives: IBM
According to one IBM exec, an avatar in Second Life now consumes more energy than a person in Brazil.
Energy Star rating system proposed for ICT
Australia's ICT sector generates as much carbon dioxide as the civil aviation or steel industries, according to an ICT carbon emissions audit commissioned by the Australian Computer Society (ACS).
Google to go carbon neutral by 2008
The search giant has committed to becoming more environmentally friendly and has enlisted the help of a green group to meet its target.
IBM unveils energy efficiency plan
Let the colour jokes begin: With its new energy efficiency initiatives, Big Blue wants to go green.
HP claims storage will cost 50 percent less to run
HP is releasing a new line of "green" storage products that, according to the company, will require half the power and cooling of its current systems.
Green generator to pilot -work environment technologies"
New Zealand -green" power generator and retailer Meridian Energy is to pilot new workplace technologies, including a unified IP communications platform, to be fully deployed after the company moves to a new Wellington waterfront headquarters next September.
Hostworks take NineMSN down virtual path
Adelaide-based Web hosting company Hostworks is ramping up its investment in server virtualisation after re-signing its biggest customer, NineMSN, for a further three to six years.
CA's virus zoo reaches melting point
Software vendor CA plans to move its Melbourne-based antivirus labs to a new facility after exhausting the space and energy resources at its current location -- by consuming as much power as an average metal-welding factory.
Jobs pledges 'a greener Apple'
After years of being tight-lipped about the company's environmental efforts, Apple CEO Steve Jobs posted an 1,880 word open letter online Wednesday about the computer maker's work to be green.
Go green or face financial doom: Gartner
CIOs must respond to rising energy costs, said Gartner.
Half the electricity in a PC is wasted: Intel, Google
An awful lot of juice meant to power PCs never gets used so tech companies -- including Google and Intel -- have teamed up to try and make PCs and servers run more efficiently.
IT titans to put datacentres on energy diet?
The Green Grid, a nonprofit organisation designed to improve energy efficiency for datacentres and corporate computing, announced on Monday its first board of directors.
Recycle a phone, plant a tree
A new initiative dubbed "Old Phones, New Trees" will see a new native tree planted for every mobile recycled until the end of June.
Greenpeace trashes Apple again
Greenpeace has again targeted Apple in its latest Guide to Greener Electronics, a report which ranks major electronics manufacturers on their environmental policies and practices. But is Apple really putting its technology ahead of the environment?
Lenovo greener but Apple remains rotten
Chinese manufacturer Lenovo has gone from being the least environmentally friendly technology company to top of the list in Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics, but Apple still has a long way to go.
IBM power-friendly servers to hit Australia
Big Blue will soon offer more energy-efficient dual-processor servers using new AMD and Intel chips in Australia.
Green guidelines for govt IT suppliers
Australian government agencies are set to raise the bar on environmental requirements for technology suppliers, with a number of new guidelines to be introduced.
Datacentre energy crisis looms
Datacentres are consuming power at a rate that can no longer be sustained, a new report warns.
Greenpeace clashes with Lenovo, Apple over toxic waste
The environmental track records of Apple Computer and Lenovo Group have been singled out for criticism by environmental group Greenpeace in a report on toxic chemicals used by the technology industry.
iGreen broadband finds buyer
DSL provider iGreen will be absorbed into pre-paid phone-card specialist Telecorp which today acquired the broadband provider's parent company Green Communications.
Flowcom catches iGreen on the rebound
Telecorp has sold its interest in DSL service provider iGreen to FlowCom, just 24-hours after acquiring the broadband business.
Companies urged to switch PCs off
Companies should encourage employees to switch off PCs at night or continue wasting money and energy, according to research by Fujitsu Siemens.
Tech firms swoop on Aust as money laundering legislation looms
Revisions to Australia's anti-money-laundering rules aren't due for release until later this year, but companies are already looking to persuade local banks to spend up big on technology to comply with the new legislation.
Lenovo to offer recycling rebates in Canada
Lenovo will begin offering discounts to Canadian customers who recycle their old PCs.
Return of the green Luddites
Being an activist means always having to find something new to complain about.
PCs: Keeping IT green
While recycling is all fine and good, before we go to the trouble of ripping an item to bits and making it into something else ââ,¬" there is an intermediate stage: Reuse!
Sporting legend memorabilia goes under the virtual hammer
The baggy green cap of Australian cricket legend Don Bradman will go under the hammer online this month, as Sydney auctioneering company Lawson Menzies holds its Historic Sporting Memorabilia auction over the internet.
Net monitor claims crystal ball on elections
The results of the Tasmanian election were foreshadowed by the online behaviour of constituents, according to Internet traffic monitoring company, Hitwise.
NBN legislation concerns Greens
The Australian Greens yesterday said they would not hand the Federal Government a blank cheque to get the National Broadband Network legislation through the Senate.
Netspace's green box: Caption contest
Netspace regulatory and carrier affairs manager Matthew Phillips has a lovely big green box. But what's inside? Tell us to win a double DVD box set of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films.
Netspace's green box: Contest winner
It's been a highly entertaining week for ZDNet.com.au and Builder AU staff as we sifted through quite a few hilarious reader captions.
Greens renew call for Tassie ICT minister
Tasmanian Greens leader Nick McKim claimed last week that the state was being disadvantaged by not having an information and communications technology minister.
ACT Greens MP demands Firefox
Canberra's shared services organisation InTACT came under fire at the state's budget estimates for not allowing members of the Legislative Assembly to use Mozilla's popular browser Firefox.
IBM's goes modular for 'green' datacentre design
IBM claims its latest modular datacentre design can help cut energy bills by 50 per cent.
Qld government goes pineapples for green IT
The Queensland government has announced plans to embark on a new green procurement strategy, after a procedural review led to the establishment of a green whole-of-government computing arrangement.
Sun's new MD to focus on green IT and open source
Sun Microsystems has appointed Duncan Bennet as its new Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. Bennet told ZDNet.com.au that open source, and green datacentres were the future for Sun.
Oracle-BEA merger gets the green light
Oracle on Wednesday received a green light from regulators to move forward on its merger plans with BEA Systems.
Toshiba green boycott backflip
The authors of a survey that severely criticised the computer recycling practices of some of the world's largest companies have retracted the document and their calls for a consumer boycott of Toshiba products after complaints from the vendor.
Green group slams computer giants
Six of Australia's biggest computer brands have failed to meet high standards of environmental responsibility, with Apple and Toshiba ranking the worst, a report has found.
COAG hits green light for Labor school laptop plan
The Federal Labor government's digital education revolution received its final rubber stamp at yesterday's Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting, but one industry observer has advised education administrators to take their money and put it elsewhere.
IBM sees green in environmental tech
IBM, a company that makes big money tackling big problems, is turning its attention to the planet's environmental woes.
Tassie goes virtually green with $1.2m VMware deal
The Tasmanian government has settled on VMware Infrastructure 3 as its official virtualisation suite, committing to a three-year, AU$1.2 million contract in the hopes of going green and keeping cash in its pockets.
Atlassian: $10 products for charity
Atlassian, a Sydney-based software company best known for its bug-tracking JIRA product, is currently selling $10 licences for six of its products, with all of the money from sales going to charity.
The greening of Linux
For Martin Fink, life is good these days.
BHP chair: Telstra break-up is punitive
The head of one of Australia's biggest companies has expressed his dismay at the federal government's plan to break up Telstra.
Nats to vote for deferral of Telstra vote
The federal government will have to rely on the support of the entire Senate crossbench if it wants parliament to approve its plan to restructure Telstra before the end of the year.
Qld govt sets lean, green PC shopping policy
The Queensland Government has announced a new "green" IT procurement plan covering all government agency purchases of PCs, laptops and servers over the next three years.
Outsourcing guides see green offshore
The U.S. economy remains in a slump, and that's exactly why Atul Vashistha is smiling.
Conroy wins battle for Telco Bill debate
Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy has won the support of the Greens, independent Nick Xenophon and Family First's Steven Fielding to have the government's telecommunications reform legislation debated before the end of the year.
With GreenBorder, Google gets deeper into Net security
Google's purchase of GreenBorder Technologies -- a browser virtualisation software company -- follows on the heels of the search giant announcing a blog from its antimalware team.
Minchin to lodge NBN FOI
The Federal Opposition has revealed it will file a freedom of information request Monday to attempt to retrieve the National Broadband Network expert panel and ACCC reports, as cross-bench senators consider whether they will support the Coalition's bid to stall NBN legislation.
NSW, Vic move on datacentres
The NSW Government yesterday went to market with its plan to move its dozens of datacentres from over 30 agencies into two new efficient facilities by 2011, while Victoria said it would soon release a tender for whole-of-government needs.
Independents split over telco reform delay
The Coalition's attempt to delay the government's telecommunications reform package hangs in the balance as independents Steven Fielding and Nick Xenophon wait to meet with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
IE7 marks secure sites with green light
Microsoft has quietly flipped the switch on a new feature in its Internet Explorer 7 Web browser meant to combat phishing (fraudulent Web site) scams.
Has Conroy's dept received filter report?
Uncertainty reigns about whether Stephen Conroy's Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has received Enex Testlabs' report into the feasibility of ISP-level content filtering.
$24k NBN FOI sparks calls for reform
The Greens have described the government's proposed $24,000 or more fee for processing Shadow Communications Minister Nick Minchin's broadband Freedom of Information (FOI) request as ridiculous.
NetApp's Green expands portfolio
Networked storage solutions maker Network Appliance managing director Simon Green is set to assume a broader set of duties beyond Australia and New Zealand.
ACMA, DEWHA get new IT suppliers
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) have both recently signed on new vendors to take over their formerly Commander-led managed services contracts.
Regulator, govt give Telstra ADSL2+ green light
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chairman Graeme Samuel today called on Telstra to "throw the switch" in more exchanges to its faster new-generation ADSL2+ service.
Minchin expected NBN delays
Shadow Communications Minister Nick Minchin today said that he was not surprised with the lack of progress shown thus far in the roll-out of the first leg of the National Broadband Network in Tasmania.
Sun to demo 'green' thin clients to the G8
Sun will showcase its thin client technology at the G8 conference this week in an attempt to highlight the environmental benefits of using more efficient PCs and utility computing strategies.
All-in rumble for $80m NT Govt tender
Virtually every large technology goods and services provider in Australia has thrown their hat in the ring as the Northern Territory Government prepares to overhaul its ICT contracts in an $80 million whole of government purchasing initiative.
Rio Tinto halts driverless train project
Mining giant Rio Tinto has released a statement saying it intended to "postpone" its $371 million automated train project in WA in response to an economic slowdown.
Minchin tries members' bill for NBN scrutiny
Shadow Communications Minister Nick Minchin has introduced a private members' bill to subject the Government's $43 billion National Broadband Network to a cost/benefit analysis by Infrastructure Australia.
NSW Corrective Services flags $45m revamp
In this year's budget the NSW Department of Corrective Services was given the green light to do some serious tinkering under the hood of its IT infrastructure.
CIO Steward defends 'light ICT' budget
Australian Government chief information officer Ann Steward defended last night's Federal Budget in a speech at the CeBIT conference this morning, saying that despite some complaints that it was light on tech spend, there had been ICT initiatives.
Telecom NZ's acquisition of PowerTel gets green light
Telecom New Zealand's acquisition of PowerTel is one step closer after PowerTel's shareholders today voted in favour of the deal.
Case against Napster backers gets green light
A federal court has allowed record labels to continue a lawsuit against Bertelsmann and Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, both onetime backers of the defunct Napster file-swapping network.
Microsoft lays out 'Project Green' revamp
Microsoft is linking the release of major new versions of its business management applications to the debut of the next generation of its Windows operating system.
iGreen to continue operating
iGreen Broadband will continue to operate their broadband services whilst under voluntary administration.
Green Communications enters voluntary administration
Telecommunications company Green Communications has entered into voluntary administration, but is carrying on business as usual pending the results of a creditors meeting on Thursday.
Straight to the source: Green and Redman
We put Steve Redman, MD of EMC Australia, up against Simon Green, MD of Network Appliance Australia and watch the sparks fly.
Dean's greening the Internet
Say all you want about politicians being dumb, but they're definitely not stupid.
Classification.gov.au gets hacked
The Australia's Classification Board website, which determines Australia's film, literature and media classifications, appears to have been hacked by protesters against its regime.
New wireless standard gets green light
The next generation of digital entertainment products will run off a new wireless networking standard completed this week
iAwards winners announced
The Commonwealth Bank has taken out the award for best Financial Industry Application at the Australian Information Industry Association iAwards held in Melbourne last night.
Virgin Mobile goes green to stay in Australia
Virgin Mobile will continue to operate in Australia, despite the failure of its enterprise in Singapore.
High-speed broadband gets green light
Australia's peak communications industry body has cleared the way for the launch of broadband services several times quicker than existing ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) offerings.
Google map tracks deadly bushfires in Victoria
Engineers create a Flash map to keep track of the fires and help reduce the traffic burden to official sites coordinating emergency services.
Governments green-light Linux
Australian governments are delivering a simple message to the Linux and open source community.
ACCC green lights Telstra on data speeds
The Competition watchdog has said Telstra is under no obligation to guarantee data connection speeds, despite receiving AU$50 million of taxpayer money to provide minimum Internet service levels.
Ex-Microsoft executive becomes VMware CEO
VMware on Tuesday announced the abrupt departure of founder and CEO Diane Greene, replacing her with former Microsoft executive Paul Maritz.
'Green light' to mobile phone cancer study
The New South Wales Cancer Council has been allocated just over one million dollars to investigate links between cancer and mobile phone use in the two major capitals. Researchers admit they still know very little about the dangers, if any.
Video: Conroy defends internet filter
In this video, Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam asks Communications Minister Stephen Conroy to justify his comments that other coutries have internet filtering systems similar to the one proposed for Australia.
The greening of the IT work force
With IT workers so scarce, employers are growing their own. Turning inexperienced interns into full-time professionals is a smart business move.
Another green Christmas online?
Holiday spending online could near US$13 billion in 1999, according to a ZDNet poll.
Whitehall IT to be carbon neutral by 2020
The UK government has announced plans to make its computer systems wholly carbon-neutral by 2020 by adopting various green IT strategies, including automatically powering down PCs, configuring virtual servers and selective deployments of thin client technology.
Sun to shed up to 6,000 jobs
Sun Microsystems late last week announced plans to shed between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs.
Australian govt green-lights open source
The federal government has green-lit its agencies to continue trialling and implementing open-source solutions, as long as they meet "fit-for-purpose and value-for-money" criteria.
Virus downs London hospitals
Three London hospitals have had to shut down most of their computer systems after being struck by a virus.
RMIT considers thin for 4,500+ PCs
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) this week said that the first half of 2009 would see the university evaluate whether to commit to a thin client solution for thousands of university workstations.
TechOne makes performance buy
TechnologyOne today said it had acquired the rights to the Web-enabled strategic planning and performance management software of fellow Queensland-based corporate software vendor OutcomeManager.
Aussie IT jobs market still buoyant
There is still plenty of local work for skilled IT staff despite a global financial crisis, according to one of Australia's largest technology staff recruiters, but not much room to move in terms of higher salaries.
Sun: US recession would help open source
Sun executives claim that open source will benefit as US consumer spending grinds to a halt, and that its revenues are not negatively impacted by its development of "free" software.
Sun: JavaFX can take on Flash
This week at Sun's JavaOne conference,the company introduced JavaFX, a rich Internet application environment set to compete with Adobe Systems' AIR and Microsoft's Silverlight.
AOL, Time Warner merger gets green light
US authorities have approved the merger of America Online and Time Warner, effectively giving the companies a green light to complete their historic union.
Liberals backflip over communications fund
The government's bill to tap into the $2.4 billion Communications Fund to help pay for the national broadband network was passed this morning after a divided opposition backed down from its blocking stance.
SingTel's Optus bid gets green light from US
Singapore Telecom's takeover for C&W Optus has one less hurdle to contend with, as the US, which exports its satellite technology to Optus, has given the deal its blessing.
Green light for Telstra/Keycorp
The alliance between industry heavyweight Telstra and smartcard company Keycorp is almost in the bag after the Australian competition watchdog gave the green light to the plan.
Microsoft gets touchy over Windows 7
Microsoft plans to add multitouch interface to Windows 7, ZDNet.com.au's sister site, CNET News.com has learned.
Australia's biggest datacentre comes to Brisbane
Engineering giant Emerson and datacentre company Digital Sense have signed a deal to build what they claim is Australia's largest high-density datacentre, totalling 10,000 square metres and drawing a maximum of 196 megawatts of power.
Austin Health saves ancient apps
Melbourne healthcare provider Austin Health has moved key applications from a legacy Reality-X platform, which developers had not touched in 10 years, to a modern system by software company Intersystems.
Giant Aussie 2009 predictions round-up
What will 2009 hold for Australia's ICT industry? We asked dozens of local leaders for their predictions; and this is what they came up with.
Telstra's AGM: A day to remember
This morning, Telstra executives are limbering up behind the scenes as they get ready for their big yearly showing to shareholders at the annual general meeting.
Peru orders 260,000 Negroponte laptops
One month after the One Laptop Per Child charity went into mass production with its US$188 laptop, the Peruvian government has signed a contract to purchase 260,000 units.
Basslink resolution close: CitySpring
Basslink cable owner CitySpring this week said negotiations to switch on the undersea fibre-optic cable to Tasmania were close to concluding, bringing hopes of increased broadband capacity to the island state.
Government wants e-mail spying to last for longer
Amendments to the Federal Telecommunications Interception Act will be put before the House of Representatives today, as the government seeks to extend the limit of a sunset clause which allows authorities to monitor internal and government communications without a specific warrant.
CeBIT 2008: What you missed
See what you missed at CeBIT 2008 in our round-up featuring NICTA, the CSIRO, Google, the OLPC XO, Netgear and a whole lot of technology.
EU disconnection about 'consumers' rights'?
A set of telecommunications laws was given the green light by a European parliamentary committee yesterday, which includes amendments that some argue could lead to file-sharers being disconnected by their internet service providers. However the authors of the Act claim it will protect consumers.
Skype caves in to GPL requirements
Skype has abandoned its efforts to avoid complying with an open-source licence that requires it to provide source code with Linux-based VoIP phones.
Reserve Bank denies eBay review
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) today said it had not initiated a formal review into auction giant eBay's move to force sellers to offer PayPal as a payment method, despite complaints from a group which claims to be composed of disgruntled sellers.
Photos: A brief history of drives
Hard drives weren't always so compact or so capacious, as a quick pictorial tour through the museum of hard drives at the HDS SAN Technology Centre in Odawara, Japan, reveals.
Bosses can snoop on staff e-mails 'to fight terror'
The Greens and privacy advocates have hit back against proposed laws to allow companies to snoop on their workers' e-mails, but Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said the laws are needed to protect vital electronic infrastructure from terrorist attacks.
Bringing sexy back: New look storage to seduce users
The Storage Network Industry Association (SNIA) of Australia and New Zealand has set about adapting its relations with end users and the wider ICT community as part of its plan to "make storage sexy".
New Singaporean IT force
SingTel will strengthen its foothold in Singapore's IT services market with a controlling stake in Singapore Computer Systems (SCS), but it remains to be seen if SCS can lend weight to the telco's regional expansion plans.
Virtualisation can't slow social network server boom
Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace are pushing server sales to new heights, despite the growing adoption of virtualisation technology.
Liberals: We will block Labor's FTTN funding
Opposition Communications spokesperson Bruce Billson has said the Coalition will attempt to block the Federal government's proposed use of the AU$2 billion Communications Fund to build its national FTTN network in the Senate.
GreenGrocer.com rejigs delivery mechanism
Australian online store greengrocer.com.au hopes to slash its three-hour delivery time to just one hour, via a B2B e-commerce fulfilment solution from US-based Descartes Systems Group.
Photos: IE 8 gets better with beta 2
Microsoft is still playing catch-up with Opera, Safari, and Firefox, but IE 8 beta 2 brings it one step closer to the competition.
Northern Territory, Tasmania slam Telstra's prices
The Northern Territory government has bitterly complained about a lack of competition in the telecommunications market that it claims has led to it paying Telstra three to five times more for some communications services than the rest of the nation.
Vodafone to halve CO2 emissions by 2020
Vodafone has said it will halve its carbon dioxide emissions by 2020, largely by making its networks more energy efficient.
Online banking: What's security got to do with it?
It is more important for online banking to make customers feel secure than make those customers actually secure, according to the head of technology at Commonwealth Bank's New Zealand subsidiary, Auckland Savings Bank (ASB).
P3P: A green light for privacy on the Web?
Technology aimed at informing users of how much information each site requests is in the works for launching later this year. Will the technology mean 'go' for better privacy on the Web?
3G iPhone gets Gartner approval
Apple's iPhone 3G smartphone is fit for business use, according to analyst house Gartner.
101 software tips, tweaks and tricks
Our insider secrets will help you master your PC and its most important applications
Brisbane flight IT system saves fuel, bores pilots
Brisbane airport has finished trialling a flight system that helps planes keep precisely to a preordained flight path, which reduces aircraft carbon emissions by 650 tonnes, saves time, saves fuel, and reduces noise.
Services market leans back after year of mega-deals
Despite fears the US recession will adversely affect Australian IT, the outlook for the services market is rosy, according to new figures.
Schwartz: Java FX can take on Flash
Java FX -- which is geared to make it easier to build flashy Web sites and Java desktop applications -- is ready to take on Adobe Systems' Flash and Microsoft's Silverlight software, according to Sun Microsystem's chief executive.
Pillow talking bots latest Russian malware threat
Those entering online dating forums risk having more than their hearts stolen, especially if they're chatting to a malicious Russian bot.
Vista stumbles through first birthday
One year after Microsoft officially launched its Vista operating system for business, it's fair to say that it hasn't been a smooth ride for the software giant.
Sun considers GPL for Solaris
Sun Microsystems is considering releasing its Solaris operating system under the General Public License, executives said on Monday in the US, raising the possibility of cross-pollination with Linux.
Sun says IT must use less energy
Too few tech professionals have a handle on their company's energy usage, and this must change if any progress is to be made in improving the efficiency of IT systems, according to Sun.
Don't trust Microsoft's OOXML patent pledge
Prominent legal counsel the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) said that the legal terms covering Microsoft's Open XML document formats pose patent risk to free and open-source software developers.
HP improves memory through circuit history
Thirty-seven years ago, Leon Chua, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, theorised that symmetry demands that there should be a fourth fundamental circuit element, the "memristor" or memory resistor. Now HP thinks its memristor will improve memory and circuit design.
Scots supercomputer becomes UK's fastest machine
The largest and most advanced supercomputer in the UK has been unveiled in Edinburgh.
iFund to invest US$100m in 'iPhone entrepreneurs'
John Doerr, the venture capitalist known for his investment in Google, is now showing his love for Apple with a $100 million fund for iPhone application developers.
Telstra 'needlessly denied consumers on ADSL2+'
Liberal communications spokesperson Bruce Billson has accused the Rudd government of having an inconsistent stance on its dealings with Telstra and its activation of the ADSL2+ network -- but one analyst claims it could all just be semantics.
European skills snatch plan alarms US tech firms
The European Union's new proposal to fast-track the immigration process for "highly skilled" workers is making some U.S. technology heavyweights nervous.
Will a US recession demolish global IT budgets in 2008?
The US sub-prime mortgage lending crisis could lead to economic losses totaling between US$150bn and US$400bn, according to The Wall Street Journal. While this dwarfs the effect of previous disasters such as the dot com bust, analysts remain optimistic that its effect on IT budgets will be flat, rather than disastrous.
Telstra 'loses game of chicken' on ADSL2+ rollout
Telstra has officially switched on over 900 ADSL2+ exchanges, amid allegations of spin by the telco over its decision to back down on the issue of regulation.
Border patrol for Internet Explorer
A security start-up is borrowing a technique from the research labs to try to give Internet Explorer PCs relief from Web-based attacks.
Open specification promise is true: Microsoft
Microsoft has struck out at the Software Freedom Law Centre's (SFLC) claims that its Open Specification Promise is not as open as it should be.
Sun tries again with consumer-flavoured Java
The server and software company comes full circle with Java, releasing a scripting language to ease desktop and device Java development.
Sun picks GPL for Java code
After years of requests and debates, Sun is set to release Java source code under a Linux-friendly licence.
Open-source Java coming in '07
Sun Microsystems intends to commence open-sourcing Java by the end of this year and complete the process in 2007, according to the company's executive vice president of software, Rich Green.
Sun: MySQL buy 'most important in software history'
The company says its acquisition of open-source database provider MySQL will enable it to dominate in open-source server software.
XO laptops enter mass production
Following a number of delays, the One Laptop per Child Foundation's much-awaited XO laptop for needy kids has finally gone into mass production.
Q&A: NASA Ames Research Centre director
Simon Worden, director of the NASA Ames Research Centre, talks on climate change, astrobiology, Google, elections and peace.
CIOs under pressure to meet revenue targets
Chief information officers are increasingly being assessed on their ability to drive IT to achieve revenue targets, according to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management.
Google calls for users to report malicious sites
Google is hoping users of its search engine will report "bad sites" to help the company fight criminals exploiting the company's infrastructure to distribute malware.
Labor lips sealed on Access Card future
Despite having taken a non-committal stance on the Access Card during the election campaign, privacy advocates are hopeful that Labor will scrap the project now that it has entered government.
Open-source Java — except for the exceptions
Sun Microsystems' Java is now officially an open-source project — mostly.
Telstra ditches 97 suppliers to save AU$140 million
Telstra has announced a cull in its access network supplier contracts, trimming 100 contracts and 100 vendors to three -- Service Stream, Silcar and Visionstream -- with a view to saving AU$140 million over two years.
Ex-Sun exec returns to run software group
Sun Microsystems plans to announce its new software chief on Tuesday in the US.
Facebook users fall foul of fake frog ID thief?
A fake user -- masquerading as a frog -- has duped Facebook users into revealing personal information such as date of birth, phone number and e-mail address, according to a Sophos study.
Movers and shakers 2007: Who left and why
2007 saw more key executives leaving their posts than those joining companies. We take a look at who left their hot seats last year and why.
Vista still struggling as Linux finds its feet
Almost a year on from the release of Microsoft's Windows Vista, only 13 percent of companies say they expect to move all desktops to the operating system, according to a survey released this week. Furthermore, adoption of Linux continues to gather pace, with a particular emphasis on the desktop emerging.
ASX Friday Market Wrap: Investors get green light overseas
Local investors have been holding back this week, but an optimistic outlook for the US economy rallied investor support -- the inspiration behind the Australian market's rise today.
HP goes iMac green, and purple and...
Corporate computing giant Hewlett-Packard is taking a leaf off the Apple tree in its latest push for the consumer and SOHO market.
Google millionaires: From Mountain View to the wine bar
Sometimes, it's not easy to leave the Googleplex. Even for the many millionaires among the search giant's pre-IPO employees, there's great appeal to a workplace that prizes creativity and rewards its employees -- of course, there's also the cachet of working at one of the hottest tech companies in the world, a virtual Shangri-La for the geek set.
Coalition ranked worst for privacy in election run-up
The Coalition has been rated bottom among the major parties on commitment to privacy issues, according to a report released by the Australian Privacy Foundation.
Apple, Greenpeace fight over standards
The environmental watchdog has criticised Apple's "green" claims, saying the Mac-maker is disingenuous in saying it has a strong environmental track record.
Online Photoshop beta due this year
Adobe Systems has announced that it will ship a beta version of its Photoshop Express online editing tool by the end of this year, with the full product to be complete sometime in 2008.
Symantec recognises church software as spyware
The Church of England's publishing arm has advised clergy to ignore Symantec security warnings, after its Norton Antivirus product wrongly identified church software as spyware.
Climate change: Australian IT's starting point
After spending years researching technology's role in climate change, a Sydney IT director has created a wiki to share ideas, tips and techniques on going green.
Sun bids adieu to mobile-specific Java
Despite making headway in mobile phones, Sun is already working to replace the mobile-specific version Java.
Microsoft to offer standalone hypervisor
Backing off earlier plans, company says customers will be able to buy the virtualisation technology without committing to Windows Server.
Microsoft hopes scRGB will improve photo colours
For a computer, dealing with colour is just another maths problem. And Microsoft wants to change the way your PC counts.
Tassie fibre broadband back on track
A project testing fibre to the home (FTTH) broadband technology in Tasmania is finally close to connecting trial customers, after suffering delays in the last 21 months since it was first announced.
Sun promises to open-source Java
Sun Microsystems will open-source Java, it just has to figure out how to do it, company executives said on Tuesday.
EMC improves security, energy efficiency
In line with popular green sentiments, EMC has announced the release of a new version of its flagship product, Symmetrix, with major improvements to energy efficiency.
Sun aims for ultra-cheap mobile phones
Sun Microsystems hopes to sell a version of Java to phone companies that will bring network access to the world's computers, executives said at the JavaOne trade show in the US this week.
VMWare aims higher with new bundle
VMWare is expected to introduce a new product bundle this week that it hopes will extend its lead in the virtualisation software market.
Acer gives mixed message on Linux line-up
Acer won't commit to pre-installing Linux on its line-up in Australia, despite hinting that it would do so in the UK.
Symantec atones for church spyware mistake
The antivirus vendor has seen the light, after it caused disruption by tagging a sermon-writing application as spyware.
EMC's VMware to be public company
EMC said Wednesday in the US it plans to sell 10 percent of VMware stock this winter in an initial public offering (IPO), but added it has no plans to spin off the virtualisation company.
VMware dangles next-gen virtualisation goodies
VMware has some new ideas for tackling an age-old problem for system administrators: how do you keep a computing service available when the server it's running on fails?
McAfee diversifies into data loss prevention
McAfee on Monday in the US announced its foray into the increasingly crowded market for products to stop data loss in businesses.
Qantas pilots in-flight SMS
National carrier Qantas has been given the green light to start testing in-flight mobile phone services. Over the next three months, passengers on one Boeing 767 plying domestic capital cities will be able to send and receive SMS and e-mails. International roaming costs will apply.
Intel to offer open source developers for OLPC
Intel has partnered with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project and will initially provide its army of Linux and open source developers to help improve the OLPC software.
Google: Foreign workers are key to our success
A Google executive on Wednesday credited the company's phenomenal success to the United States' openness to immigrants and called on Congress to let in more foreign workers.
Google buys RSS company FeedBurner
Google has acquired another medium for its advertising engine by purchasing FeedBurner, a company that distributes syndicated content for blogs and other media Web sites, the companies said on Friday.
Microsoft's JPEG rival to become a standard?
Microsoft's HD Photo format could soon become a standard, boosting sales of its Windows Vista operating system which includes built-in support for the JPEG alternative.
Global police database for fingerprints, airline data?
Global police organisation Interpol wants the names of all airline passengers and the fingerprints of criminals to be stores on a database, which would be shared amongst its membership of 186 countries.
Safari, Firefox charge towards a more colourful Web
Apple's Safari browser is able to display richer, more deeper colours than either Internet Explorer or Opera -- but Firefox is expected to catch up in the next month.
Microsoft aims to make Dilberts more 'Dynamic'
Although Microsoft would like to get more companies to adopt its Dynamics software, its latest strategy is aimed at getting more people within each business to use its products.
ATO monitors service performance from the outside
They say too many cooks spoil the broth, but the customer service problem recently facing the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) was proving even harder to swallow.
Google the next Microsoft in antitrust firing line?
Google's planned acquisiton of DoubleClick has led to US government antitrust committees and liberal consumer groups watching the search giant's moves, just like they did Microsoft's not too long ago.
Linux firms rubbish Microsoft's customer win
Microsoft is delighted that the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is swapping Linux for Windows - but the open source community insist it doesn't prove that Windows is superior to Linux.
Can IE 7 kill off phishing?
Phishing could soon be a thing of the past and the credit may have to go to Microsoft. That's according to a leading Web security expert who says functionality built into Internet Explorer 7 could shutter fraudulent Web sites within 18 months.
Munich Linux migration delayed by 'PR stunt'
Software patent campaigner Florian Mueller revealed this week that the City of Munich's decision to stall its Linux migration, was the result of a PR stunt by anti-patent campaigners.
Did Microsoft get lucky in Europe?
The European Commission has refused to sanction Microsoft's release of Vista in Europe, but several members of the European Parliament are relieved that the product apparently wasn't blocked completely.
Desktop Linux: Novell making slow progress
Networking and Linux specialist Novell's company-wide rollout of Linux on the desktop is falling behind schedule.
Commission silent on details of Vista probe
The EC is keeping quiet about its ongoing discussions with Microsoft, amid claims that some of Vista's features are anti-competitive.
Vista's European battleground
Windows Vista hasn't shipped yet, but Microsoft and the European Union are already caught up in a tussle over the antitrust impact of security technology in the operating system.
Fedora embraces Mono
The next version of Fedora, Red Hat's community distribution, will include the cross-platform .Net implementation Mono for the first time.
Aust Web sites see traffic rise after Jakarta bombing
Various Australian Web sites are seeing a significant increase in traffic as a result of yesterday's bombing in front of the Australian embassy in Jakarta.
Novell promises long-term NetWare support
NetWare and GroupWise will continue to be supported until 2010 and beyond 'unless market conditions determine otherwise'.
Aust breakthrough brings computers into new light
Australian researchers have developed a technique to convert electrical signals on silicon into light, which some suggest could spark the next revolution in computing.
Details trickle out about EC Vista probe
A senior Microsoft executive has revealed details of the European Commission's anticompetition probe into the upcoming Windows Vista operating system.
CBA employs virtualisation to aid consolidation
The Commonwealth Bank will rationalise its data processing centres, mainframes and servers over the next few years as the bank improves efficiency and cut costs.
Greenpeace goes open source in collaboration push
Greenpeace is developing an online collaboration platform to mobilise climate change, based entirely on open-source technologies.
Microsoft to keynote Unix conference
Microsoft will use a national gathering of Unix, Linux and open source professionals in Sydney next week to demonstrate interoperability between Unix and Windows systems.
Kylie fans swamp Ticketek's Web site
Kylie Minogue fans swamped Ticketek's Web site on Monday as tickets for the pint-sized pop princess's concert went on sale - but some people decided not to trust the technology and wait in a queue instead.
New Xbox security cracked by Linux fans
Mod-chip makers and Linux programmers have managed to break through a revamped security system in Microsoft's gaming console, allowing it to run their own software
McData sees plastic data centre future
Data centres filled with weighty metal products may become a thing of the past if storage networking specialist McData gets its way.
Service promises secure 'googling'
A Web-filtering specialist has joined the ranks of companies aiming to take the risk of spyware and adware downloads out of online searches.
Microsoft picks up business analytics tool
Seeking to bolster its business analytics modules, Microsoft has acquired technology from business partner Professional Advantage, the software giant said on Monday.
Aust political party Web sites still not good enough: Hiser
Major Australian political parties Web sites are still not demonstrating enough leadership to attract swinging voters to their cause, according to interface designing company Hiser Group.
Virtualisation companies vie for advantage
Three companies selling software to let servers run software more efficiently will try to advance their respective fortunes in the US on Monday with new software, a new partnership and a new promotion.
Virtualisation to cure software setup pains?
Most talk about virtualisation these days centres on using server hardware more efficiently. But the technology also has the potential to ease another headache: software installation woes.
Democrats -gazumped" over Net censorship Bill
The NSW Democrats claim they were -gazumped" by the State Government when the NSW Internet Censorship Bill was -passed by default" in Parliament this week.
Australian open source community set to lose champion
Australia's open source software community appears set to lose one of its most powerful and outspoken champions in the wake of the federal election.
Convict prison, naval dockyard ... now ICT hub?
Cockatoo Island has variously been a convict prison, reformatory, -industrial school" for wayward girls, shipbuilding centre and music festival venue. Now, if the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust has its way, the island -- the largest in Sydney Harbour -- will be reinvented as a -centre of innovation" for the information and communications technology industry.
Legal Aid WA polishes off content management
Legal Aid Western Australia will shortly finish implementing a new Web-based content management system based on Hummingbird's Red Dot software, with the assistance of services group Alphawest.
Telstra fibre decision a ways off: Optus
Optus today said Telstra would not get the green light to build its new fibre network before the full sale (known as "T3") of the giant telco -- scheduled for the last quarter of this year -- goes ahead.
Defence RFID deployment hits snag
Australian Defence Force plans to use radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to monitor cargo used to deliver consignments to troops in Iraq have been delayed for about six months due to difficulties with the project software.
Microsoft: Bitlocker key to safe disk disposal
Microsoft claims that businesses planning to use Vista together with its Bitlocker hard drive encryption technology will have an easy and safe way to dispose of their hard disks.
EU approves Oracle-Siebel merger
European Commission officials gave their blessing on Thursday to Oracle's US$5.8 billion merger with Siebel Systems, removing the last major antitrust hurdle for the enterprise software companies.
IT costs king as Kong roars at WETA
Keeping costs down was a high priority for New Zealand-based digital effects specialist WETA Digital in bringing Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson's US$207 million King Kong remake to life.
Australian Stock Exchange glitch halts trading
A software glitch took down the Australian Stock Exchange's automated trading system for more than three hours today, officials said.
Microsoft plans 'Live' CRM service
Microsoft plans to launch a new hosted CRM service next year under its expanding Live brand.
Google unveils new applications
Google announced on Wednesday an update to its Google Desktop product, as well as several new products designed to enhance information gathering on the Web.
Dutch MPs fight Microsoft deal
A row has broken out in the Netherlands over a government proposal to install Microsoft software on 245,000 desktop computers.
Net paedophile jailed
A paedophile who used the Internet to stalk his victims has been sentenced to five years jail for the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl he met on the Web.
Salesforce.com hits back at critics
Salesforce.com has responded to some of the criticism it has suffered after service outages left users without their CRM services for as long as an hour and a half.
Coffee Trading Goes Online
Coffee trading is an age-old industry deeply rooted in tradition and family-owned businesses that parents pass on to their children generation after generation. But that doesn't rule out a new e-business blend.
Network Associates awarded antispam patent
Security software company, Network Associates, said this week that it has been granted a patent for methods of filtering spam, or unsolicited e-mail.
Office 12 makeover takes on 'feature creep'
For years, Microsoft has been trying to add features to Office without them getting in the way of people who already know their way around the software.
Survival hopes for FlowCom
Troubled ISP FlowCom, which entered receivership after defaulting on debts last month, may be saved from the torch.
Larry a big Linux fan, says Oracle exec
A senior Oracle executive has backed the reasoning behind the software vendor's mooted move into the operating system sphere and illustrated the depth of chief executive Larry Ellison's allegiance to Linux.
Dell: Malaysia to support Australia, others
Enterprise technology users may still be getting used to Indian accents for many of their support queries, but PC giant Dell believes many of its customers would be better served by Malaysia.
Antenna to boost wireless security
A new antenna that uses a geometrically shaped lens promises to bring greater security to wireless networks for businesses, according to British scientists.
Microsoft releases key Vista developer technologies
Microsoft on Wednesday gave developers access to a key piece of Windows Vista, months ahead of the operating system's release.
Microsoft aims to topple Lotus' Domino
Aiming to woo users of Lotus Notes, Microsoft is releasing software designed to help companies switch to its own line of collaboration tools.
OSIA questions coalition's stand on patent law
Open Source Industry Australia (OSIA) has expressed its disappointment over the coalition's refusal to accept that patent law or the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could be improved.
News Corp cleared to purchase Intermix
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has been given the green light by US antitrust authorities to go ahead with its acquisition of Intermix Media.
ICANN approves .eu Net domain
Addresses withing the new top-level domain for the European Union will be available from the end of this year
Trojan horse found responsible for child porn
A man has been cleared of child porn charges, after investigators found that an Internet attacker was responsible for the presence of illicit images on his PC.
Apple hints at colorful computer plans
Apple Computer is again trying to light up the computer market, according to a patent filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Government IT's biggest challenge still ahead
High-profile IT project failures may have given government departments a certain degree of notoriety, but a recent review of around 150 major projects has shown that they're actually being managed quite effectively overall, a government advisor told a project management conference in Canberra this week.
Aviation industry steps forward on information exchange
A report by independent consultants will play a crucial role in determining whether a planned secure information exchange for air traffic stakeholders gets a green light.
Microsoft unit key to new strategy
In recent years, Microsoft's Convergence conference has served as the stage for unveiling the latest shift in the company's business software strategy. But at this year's show, Microsoft had a surprise: No big shift.
Sun tools aimed at Microsoft coders
Sun Microsystems will describe on Wednesday new software designed to make its Java programming tools more popular with smaller businesses.
Dutch government's Microsoft talks collapse
Negotiations between Microsoft and the Dutch government over a potential deal worth 147m euro to upgrade 245,000 computers have fallen through.
Intel demonstrates quad-core PC, server
Intel demonstrated two quad-core processors Tuesday in the United States, "Clovertown" for servers and "Kentsfield" for PCs, directing attention toward the future during a more troubled present.
.XXX: New home for porn approved
The Internet's red-light district has been given the green light by ICANN, paving the way for the new domains to come into play before the end of the year.
Novell's Linux strategy causes customers concern
Novell's ambitious strategy for Linux has led some customers to worry that the networking company may withdraw support for some of its legacy applications.
Open source: The newest competitive tool
A few years ago, releasing once-secret source code to the public would have been a highly unusual first move for a company with a newly acquired software product line.
AOL wins 'hostile code' ruling
The ISP is not responsible for hostile code being sent by its subscribers, finds a US court.
Web video: 180-degree Olympic box seat
It's a new era of Web-based video. Technology that provides 180-degree video sequences will showcase the events of the Sydney Olympic Games -- giving online spectators a truly unique view of their favourite sports.
E-Clean Up Australia Day: For volunteers only
Computer users will get a chance to recycle their old machines for free on March 6, but only if they register as a volunteer with the Clean Up Australia Day organisation.
Go backs down on logo battle
The Disney-backed GO portal site has changed its logo, eliminating the stoplight-esque green circle. The company has been engaged in a court battle with GoTo.com Inc. over the logo, which GoTo claims too closely resembles its own logo.
SEC gives thumbs-up to Google
Google can set its share price and begin selling shares to the public in the next 15 days, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Wednesday in the US.
BigPond tunes into indie music
Telstra's music download Web site, BigPondMusic.com has signed a deal with an Australian based music distributor, giving the company access to over 3,000 independent labels globally.
Biggest ever Windows-to-Linux migration halted in Munich
The biggest ever Windows-to-Linux migration - the city of Munich's 14,000 desktop switch - has been put on ice while legal issues are settled.
Java in phones picking up steam in Asia
Sun's telecom partners in Asia are planning deeper use of Java software in mobile phones. The phones' appeal may still be narrow, though, because of a limited number of applications.
EU vote 'widens loopholes' in software patent directive
European authorities have failed to close loopholes in legislation that will allow pure software to be patented. A key vote on the directive on the software patent directive has not only left loopholes in the legislation intact but may have even widened them, say campaigners
Sun plots push for open-source tools
Sun Microsystems laid out a plan on Thursday to bolster its Java tools and make them easier to link to other software.
Start-up enters open-source database melee
Start-up EnterpriseDB is entering the business database market head-on, using open-source PostgreSQL as its starting point--and lower cost as its selling point.
Europe weighs Echelon threat
Seven French deputies are on a fact-finding mission about Echelon, the secret evesdropping agreement reportedly involving the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the UK.
Browsers to get sturdier padlocks
The yellow security padlock in Web browsers, weakened by lax standards and loose supervision, will get reinforced next year with tougher requirements and browser updates.
Linux seller gunning for search
Linux seller Linspire has embedded search capabilities into its newly upgraded operating system in an effort to make looking for news or products as easy as highlighting a word on a Web page or e-mail.
Vodafone eyes 3G deal as Hutch admits Telstra talks
Vodafone has confirmed that it's weeks away from signing a contract with a telecommunications equipment vendor, reportedly Nokia, to kick off its third-generation mobile phone network upgrade in Australia and New Zealand.
Eyes on Australia after EU clears Oracle's PeopleSoft bid
Decisions by a United States court and European Union officials to effectively clear regulatory hurdles from the path of Oracle's proposed US$7.7 billion acquisition of PeopleSoft are poised to persuade Australian competition regulators to green-light the transaction.
Council of Europe ratifies cybercrime treaty
An 'anti-cybercrime treaty' designed to impose penalties on those breaking the law via the internet, originally adopted in November 2001, is finally getting the green light.
Sun tool targets Microsoft
Sun Microsystems will show off a new, simplified Java development tool next month intended to steal programmers from rival Microsoft's camp.
Telstra bites back over broadband pricing cuts
Telstra has refuted claims that its new budget price broadband offers are unfair to competing wholesale buyers, saying they are confident their wholesale prices do allow market competition.
Hidden fraud risk in Sarbanes-Oxley?
The complex and copious amounts of data stored on corporate networks after the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may be creating greater opportunities for fraud, analysts said.
Mobile phone towers in the spotlight
Amendments to the Deployment of Radiocommunications Infrastructure code are not the answer to mobile telecommunications tower siting issues raised by communities, according to a lobby group.
Stampede for patches disrupts Microsoft update site
The crush of millions of Windows users trying to patch their computers overwhelmed Microsoft's update service for several hours after new security fixes were made available, the software giant acknowledged on Wednesday.
Australians head overseas for politics Web sites
Australians looking for political Web sites in the leadup to the war on Iraq headed overseas, with a British and a United States site filling the top two positions on the "most-visited" ladder.
iMesh almost ready to become paid file-swap network
For more than six months, Israel's iMesh has been the strangest of beasts in the file-swapping world: a fully functioning peer-to-peer network operating with the blessing, albeit temporary, of the recording industry.
EMC completes VMWare acquisition
Storage technology specialist EMC has completed its acquisition of server software maker VMware, announcing Friday the final purchase price of US$625 million in cash.
Political Web sites not pulling in voters
Political party Web sites have failed to comply with usability guidelines, according to research from the interactive system design company The Hiser Group, who said that the six major political party sites are failing to attract the swinging voter.
Music industry gains discovery win in Aussie MP3 site case
The music industry's piracy investigations unit has been given the green light by the Federal Court to continue its search of Internet service provider Comcen's computers and servers after the ISP refused to let forensic investigators have access to its facilities yesterday afternoon.
Panasonic to release Blu-Ray recorder
Panasonic's parent company is set to release a DVD recorder based on the Blu-ray Disc format, as a standards battle over next-generation DVD technology heats up.
Australian call centre agents hampered by poor software
Call centres could make significant improvements to customer satisfaction and agent productivity by paying more attention to their systems' user interfaces, a usability specialist told a human factors conference in Melbourne this week.
EU report takes Microsoft to task
A record fine imposed on Microsoft in Europe last month arose from the longstanding nature of the software company's anticompetitive practices, according to a massive report from European regulators.
Telstra optimistic ACCC will not block 3G deal
Telstra executives are optimistic Australia's competition watchdog will soon informally clear its 3G network alliance with Hutchison 3G Australia as the partners signed binding agreements to proceed with the deal.
Excite pulls adult ads from kid-safe site
Excite has fixed what it called an "oversight" that allowed ads for pornographic Web sites to be displayed alongside "kid-safe" search results.
Local e-tailer bags employee hacker
Disgruntled employees have always posed dangers for businesses, but in the information age, that hazard has become far more sinister. One leading Australian e-tailer learned this the hard way after its systems were violated by a trusted worker.
Microsoft previews next-generation CRM
Microsoft released details of the long-awaited update to its customer relationship management software on Tuesday, adding a slew of new tools and making the system available via the on-demand applications delivery model.
IBM snaps up another partner
IBM announced early today it would acquire long-time partner Candle to further build its roster of management tools.
Apple sets back global launch of iPod Mini
Apple Computer has pushed back the international debut of its iPod Mini from April to July, citing stronger than expected demand in the United States and a limited supply of hard drives.
Gadgets get real-time embedded Linux
MontaVista Software has begun work to endow Linux with a feature currently possessed only by proprietary rivals: a guaranteed fast response time, which is useful in everything from automotive control computers to video players
Alcatel invests $4 million in FTTP centre
Alcatel has launched its AU$4 million new Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) Centre of Excellence in Sydney, called Innovation Central.
Life sentence for Net murderer
In Britain, another Internet-related criminal has been sentenced to life inprisonment.
Oracle case bounces to Europe
European antitrust regulators on Friday began combing through a federal court ruling in the controversial antitrust case against Oracle, comparing notes as they decide whether to issue their own challenge to the deal.
UK teen avoids jail for nuclear hacking
A University of Exeter student who hacked into U.S. Department of Energy computers dedicated to U.S. energy supplies and nuclear weapons has been sentenced to 200 hours community service at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Open source push reflects need for FTA action: Lundy
Even modest adoption of open source software could trim 2.5 percent from the government's IT spend, Labor senator and shadow minister for IT Kate Lundy told approximately 150 gathered attendees in a broad keynote speech that kicked off the AUUG'2004 conference in Melbourne yesterday.
AIIA wants small business breaks from new government
Following yesterday's submission by the Australian Computer Society, the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has revealed its wish list of the new federal government.
Hold-ups for new SMS e-mail service in Australia
A deal between Mobileway and MSN to deliver Hotmail and Messenger Service via SMS in the Asia region is having trouble getting a green light in Australia.
MYOB tips AU$12m in savings from Sol 6 deal
After receiving the green light from the Federal Court on Monday to merge with Solution 6, MYOB is anticipating eventual annual cost savings of AU$10 million to AU$12 million from the deal.
Election-prediction addiction
With just hours left before voting is scheduled to end in one of the most-anticipated presidential elections in US history, political pundits ranging from the amateur to the academic are scrambling to update their Web sites with final forecasts.
'Bluejacking' seen as marketing opportunity
The popularity of Bluejacking is leading companies to investigate Bluetooth as a marketing tool - but could also mean location-based spam.
Take aim at taming these 10 types of techies
There are certain personality types you're bound to encounter among tech staff. Here are 10 types and suggestions for effectively dealing with them.
AU testing centre embraces offshoring
Australian based testing centre, Access Testing, has today announced a new strategic partnership with Indian outsourcing company Satyam in a move it claims is going to create more Australian jobs.
Father of Java joins Sun tools group
Sun Microsystems said Thursday that James Gosling, considered the father of the Java programming language, will join Sun's Developer Platforms Group as chief technology officer.
Fancy a recycled Dell PC?
Come June, Dell Computer will start its PC recycling programme in Australia and New Zealand. Apart from the environmental upside, will this lead to cheaper PCs?
iPIX arms itself with new imaging data
iPIX Australia will showcase imaging technology to the armed forces next month and is currently in talks with state and federal police about the technology's potential as an Australian defence service intelligence tool.
Wireless Web cam gives a birds-eye view
Australian-developed wireless Web cams will be mounted on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in time for the summer Olympic Games, streaming views direct to the official Games site via radio frequency.
3G still to win hearts and minds?
Saturation of the Australian marketplace with mobile devices early next year is, analysts claim, unlikely to slow the pace of innovation and competition in the wireless sector.
Customers report Microsoft CRM problems
Microsoft's CRM software features an email identifier that some customers could cause legitimate communications to be seen as spam, but the company says it has not received many complaints.
The Great (online) Debate
The offices of the Liberal party's Richard Alston, the ALP's Carmen Lawrence, the Democrats' Brian Greig, the Green's Kerry Nettle, and One Nation's Pauline Hanson have all agreed to participate in an online forum on IT policies and promises in the run up to the 2001 Federal Election.
Sun: Free Java for Windows XP
Sun Microsystems announced plans to make its new Java Virtual Machine for Microsoft's Windows XP available as a free download.
Protests derail software patents vote
The European Parliament delays voting on a controversial software-patents directive, following protests and criticism by computer scientists and economists.
Google shares rise in debut
Shares in Google ended their first day of public trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange as they began, up about 18 percent.
Group seeks to invalidate Microsoft patent
A little-known public interest group last week asked the US government to revoke a Microsoft patent that covers the company's Windows file system.
'Click' go the polls
While most agree that Internet-based voting remains, at best, a distant possibility, the promise of online voting is one step closer to reality with news that a legislative election in the Australian Capital Territory is offering electronic voting facilities.
Napster nears the end of the road
The defunct file-swapping network's assets are expected to be bought by Bertelsmann in a bankruptcy court auction, and its future remains uncertain
This is serious mum: Games mean business
Games mean business, in no uncertain terms, and staying in the games business, means taking the business of games very seriously.
Office 11 gains developer tools
Microsoft is expected to unveil a tool for customizing Office 11 applications based on its Visual Studio programming environment.
Net gambling a "dog's breakfast"
The Australian Casino Association has described the government's 11th-hour legislation on Internet gambling, passed late last night, as a -dog's breakfast".
Yahoo crawls deep into the Web
Yahoo on Tuesday in the U.S. will begin a systematic effort to draw more content into its searchable database of Web documents, its latest bid to win Web surfers from search rival Google.
SingTel stake in Optus reaches 22 percent
Singapore Telecoms, which is in the process of taking over Cable & Wireless Optus, has now acquired 22.19 percent of Australia's second largest telco.
Ebroking bigwigs take sparkle out of eStar
Australian online share trading company eStar claims to have been pushed out of the market by players at the big end of town.
'Mod' squad hacks away at Xbox
Got a mod chip and a Net connection? You too might be able to hack Microsoft's popular game console. But the company is looking to crack down on the practice.
Crushing the Web's dark forces
Keeping clandestine forces at bay is no mean feat. In this special report, ZDNet Australia features five leading security experts -- from eBay to Ukraine's Computer Crime Research Center -- who pursue cyber criminals for a living.
Oracle: DoJ decision by early March
Oracle expects to receive final word by early March on whether the U.S. Department of Justice will challenge its hostile bid for PeopleSoft, according to a recent California court filing.
Is Ballmer's $100 PC possible?
Microsoft's chief executive may well think that a $100 PC will solve the problem of software piracy - but it's a question of who is willing to bear the cost.
Worm paves way for crippling DDoS attack
A new worm that leaves behind two Trojan horse programs has begun spreading over the Internet, and may be paving the way for a crippling distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.
Microsoft revamps CRM software
The company's second version of its customer relationship management package promises expanded language coverage and tighter links to its latest Office and server software.
Study: What drives us to distraction?
Why do some drivers crash while dialling their mobile phone, and others manoeuvre smoothly while applying lipstick, sending e-mail or fiddling with the radio in stop-and-go traffic?
Senate blocks Net gaming
The Senate has passed a bill which places a moratorium on the granting of new online gambling licences in Australia but some say it will do nothing to deter Internet gambling.
Police chief slams Yahoo! chatroom silence
British police have joined thegrowing list of critics urgin Yahoo! to act against paedophiles using its chatrooms. The company's stonewalling tactics are inappropriate and 'appalling'.
ARM backs Linux for consumer devices
The chip designer is joining with major consumer electronics manufacturers to tailor open-source software for running non-PC devices.
Pop star threatens to sue porn sites
Teen singer Christina Aguilera may know what a girl wants, but she also knows what she doesn't want: her image being used to promote porn.
Australian ISP, Telstra fix saturated peer link
Connect Internet Solutions and Telstra BigPond have reached an agreement to upgrade the link between their networks, ending months during Net traffic on the link was regularly congested and speculation bubbled that a billing dispute delayed the work.
Telstra puts broadband rollout in public's hands
Telstra has launched an ADSL Demand Register to determine where there is enough demand to economically upgrade an exchange to be ADSL enabled.
Big tech on campus
College students are getting a crash course in the "digital lifestyle," as schools expand and introduce high-tech perks such as campuswide wireless Internet access, subsidized legal music download services and even free iPods.
Vic politicians tackle PC obsolescence, broadband for election
Both major political parties are pitching IT policies as Saturday's Victorian state election approaches.
MS Palladium: A must or a menace?
Microsoft's upcoming Palladium architecture for 'Trusted Computing' may secure PCs, but it also threatens to turn people's computers into spies.
Fur flies as Internet censorship debate continues
Federal IT minister senator Richard Alston has charged opposition senator Brian Greig of promoting pornography after he accused the government of fear-mongering to promote its Internet regulation policy.
Bugbear runs rampant in Australian Parliament
The bugbear virus is causing havoc for the second time in a month at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, interrupting the government's operations and highlighting dangerous security flaws.
Putting fun back into hacking
At Defcon, the annual capture-the-flag tournament captivates players and spectators with a new back story, snazzy graphics and a tougher scoring system.
Making Linux more gadget-friendly
TimeSys, a seller of Linux designed to be embedded into various computing devices, has joined the Consumer Electronics Linux Forum, and its competitor, MontaVista Software, plans to announce a similar move next week.
ACCC to take controlling hand off Telstra
The Australian Competition and Australian telcos will no longer be able to turn to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in some pricing disputes with the country's largest carrier, if a Telstra proposal is given the green light.
Does the Net need a 'red-light district'?
A red zone for porn and a green one for kids were among the ideas tossed about at a Child Online Protection Act hearing. Does the rest of the Net get an flashing amber light or a 'don't walk' sign?
More bad news for Jeff Papows
In an unusual sex-discrimination complaint against Lotus Development Corp., a former executive has said she and other female managers were singled out for ill treatment by the company's president and his longtime executive assistant.
SingTel, Optus deal raises defence concerns
The Australian Federal Government has moved to ease fears that SingTel's US$9 billion for local telco Cable & Wireless Optus could compromise the country's military satellite communications.
C&W Optus prepares for name change
Australia's second largest telco Cable & Wireless Optus has said it had started preparing for a change in branding ahead of a AU$17 billion takeover by Singapore Telecommunications.
Democrats' assurance over Telstra sale
Democract Senator Lyn Allison has given assurance that Telstra won't be sold in the coming months, despite indications given by Senator Alston that the Government is seeking to accelerate processes to pass the sale.
Tech tools: IT audits and security ratings system
This simple, cost-effective ratings system can help improve security across your organisation.
The start of something big?
Pria Diagnostics could be the first high-tech company spawned by late-night TV.
Xbox crack "fabulous news" for developers: AU aficionado
An anonymous hacker has succeeded in running Linux on an unmodified Xbox, apparently satisfying a US$100,000 challenge funded by Lindows founder Michael Robertson.
Standards: equal access
Just as building codes have changed to make access easier for everyone, so are standards changing in hardware and software design.
Recent worms punish bad passwords
A spike in Internet traffic caused by a worm over the weekend can be largely blamed on bad passwords and poor security practices, security experts said on Monday.
Gwyneth, the Grateful Dead and Google
Commentary: Who would have thought that Gwyneth Paltrow had a thing for tech support jockeys?
Virtual servers: vendors square off
The three main competitors in the Intel server virtualisation space--VMware, Connectix, and SWsoft--offer unique approaches. To help you decide which solution best suits your company's needs, read interviews with these three vendors.
Let's see some ID
Commentary: Radio frequency ID tags may have privacy worries, but the biggest problem is the RFID industry itself.
Microsoft takes wraps off CRM software
Microsoft released the first version of its customer relationship management software on Tuesday.
Time to get real
There's nothing we can do... we're living in an environment of uncertainty--or are we?
Hiring tips for IT managers
Here are some key steps in planning out your hiring process so that you avoid the bad hires that usually accompany a hiring rush.
Java spat to percolate in court
Microsoft's legal worries continue on Tuesday, when it will square off against Sun Microsystems in an antitrust suit filed by its bitter rival.
Head to head: Govt IT policies
The election is over. But does that mean we are stuck with the same IT policies we've experienced over the past three years?
Hackers become terrorists under UK law
Computer hacking has come under government scrutiny in Britain, with the passage of a new terrorism act which is now in force.
IBM bakes new 3D circuit design
Researchers at Big Blue have devised a new 3D circuit design that uses two or more layers of transistors, stacked in the same way a baker would create a multilayered cake.
ALP shies away from IT policy debate
While John Howard may have been left camera shy after the first and only televised debate, this time it's the Labor Party's turn, declining to take part in a public forum on IT policies, despite initially agreeing enthusiastically to participate in ZDNet Australia's online IT debate.
Red Cross solicitation is a Trojan horse
Before you entrust your credit card information to a malicious user, find out what the American Red Cross has to say about the Septer Trojan horse.
Yahoo unveils jazzed-up messenger
Yahoo has begun testing an upgrade to its instant messenger, adding character to otherwise bland chats and opening the door for a new form of marketing on the popular service.
Tech firms respond to Asia disease scare
Hewlett-Packard shuts down a Hong Kong office amid fears of the SARS outbreak. But other tech companies say they've not yet been affected.
Profiting from disaster
Can disaster recovery be anything more than an insurance policy?
Five reasons IT consultancies fail
IT consulting firms continue to tread water in a challenging organisation environment, and many are reacting by taking a "back to basics" approach to their businesses. Take advice from two consultants who have done just that.
What will become of Apple?
Every year at this time I make my pilgrimage to Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
Time to ignore SCO?
Linux users are safe even if the courts rule in favour of the SCO Group, says one technology law expert. Is it time for the IT industry to move on?
Australians dialling and disposing for the environment
Australia's love affair with mobile phones looks set to pay environmental dividends following today's launch of a mobile phone recycling scheme.
Going in for the CA kill
US billionaire and investor Sam Wyly has set his sights on the software company with a goal to replace current management with a new board.
Is the desktop battle really over?
It's clear Microsoft has won the desktop battle with Windows, but a few trends may knock the victor off the throne.
Happy spamiversary
On April 12, 1994, a pair of attorneys in Arizona launched a homemade marketing software program that forever changed the Internet.
Yahoo! cracks down on paedophiles
Yahoo! UK Managing Director vows to lead the crusade against paedophiles in chat rooms.
Alcohol gives new life to thirsty portables
NEC and Sony are developing fuel cells that turn alcohol into electricity, potentially giving a new breath of life to mobile devices.
Child agencies lambast Yahoo! over chatroom apathy
Children's charities severely criticise Yahoo!'s policy on Internet chatrooms and call on the industry to be more responsible
'Virtual Machine' maker VMware gains backing
VMware, an innovative but little known supplier of virtual machine technology, announced US$20 million round of funding Wednesday, led by Dell Computer.
Australian animator eyes listing
Australian computer animation company Pineapplehead is proceeding with its ASX flotation on the strength of its established Lako Vision desktop video editing and multimedia distribution business plus a range of sports visualisation software aimed at broadcasters.
Goverment gambling on an SMS future
If you need further proof of the Howard Government's hypocritical and fundamentally flawed approach to online gambling in Australia, take a look at the recent story "Telstra playing the SMS money game".
Dot-biz domain draws two million applicants
US-based Neulevel, the registry for .biz, has received 2 million applications for the top-level domain (TLD).
Australia to cash in on year end IT spend
A surge in computer technology purchases in the fourth quarter will help push information technology spending in 2002 beyond 2001 levels, predicts one market research firm.
Getting ready to hire? Make sure you do your prep work
If your company seems primed to lift its hiring freeze, now is the perfect time to polish your hiring plans. Here are some key steps in planning out your hiring process so that you avoid the bad hires that usually accompany a hiring rush.
Last-minute jabs by each side
Hewlett-Packard and Walter Hewlett tout their backers as shareholders prepare to cast their votes
The real future of Linux
For Linux to grow, a more traditional model of capitalism must be implemented. Red Hat is attempting this move with recent changes to its licensing and support policies. Find out how this might affect future distributions.
Java camp takes cue from Microsoft
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Microsoft's fiercest foes--Java software providers--are showing growing admiration for their powerful rival.
On the outsourcing hot seat
Infosys Technologies CEO Nandan Nilekani says outsourcing is a win-win proposition.
Is your monitor glow revealing your data?
Now there's a way law enforcement agents can read data displayed on a user's computer monitor, even when they can't see the screen. All they need is a special light detector and lab hardware. Are your secrets being unveiled?
Yahoo: Tougher on piracy than child porn?
The risk of Internet piracy has lead Yahoo to take immediate action, while paedophile groups appear to be given free reign to remain online
Kmart online: Check out cheapie?
The Internet presence of established retailer Kmart has copped a public flogging from an independent etail industry research group. What should the company be doing to improve its online performance?
The accidental home hack
Someone, somewhere close by, could be hacking into your wireless LAN, but it might not be malicious. In fact, the perpetrator may be totally unaware he or she has invaded your system. ZDNet Australia looks at this increasingly common problem.
Napster fans up in arms about record sales
The release of industry figures show that 2000 was the best year in the music industry's history. Free-music lovers are using these results as evidence of Napster's mistreatment.
How to "manage" clients' employees
Your conduct at a client site can help you avoid resentment and fear among the employees. These tips will help you be more productive and get along with your temporary co-workers.
Why telecoms back the pirate cause
Telecommunications lobbyists are lining up to oppose Hollywood's demands for new copyright laws. Verizon lawyer Sarah Deutsch explains what's behind this confrontation.
Mapping out NOS directions
Internet integration, enterprise deployment at heart of next generation
Developers slam Sun over Java
Java developers complained to a panel of Sun Microsystems executives that Sun should spend less time adding new features to Java and more time fixing bugs and updating old source code.
Yahoo finds itself in search spotlight
Yahoo's US$1.63 billion buyout of Overture Services signals a dramatic shake-up of the Web search market that could wake a sleeping giant: Microsoft.
Market loses sight of optical gear makers
Just as investors lost interest in B2C companies earlier this year, they are shunning startup manufacturers of optical networking gear; especially DWDM products aimed at metropolitan markets.
Teenagers surfing less: Report
The Internet's novelty is wearing thin amongst Aussies teenagers, with many considering it a mere extension of the high-school curriculum and therefore a duty rather than a source of entertainment to indulge in.
Teenagers surfing less; Report
The Internet's novelty is wearing thin amongst Aussies teenagers, with many considering it a mere extension of the high-school curriculum and therefore a duty rather than a source of entertainment to indulge in.
The beginning of the end of Java as we know it?
Though the two companies appear to be cooperating more, especially in the area of Web services, the desires of IBM and Microsoft to vanquish one another should not be underestimated.
Oracle plan exposes Java rift
In a move that has exposed a growing schism in the Java community, an Oracle proposal to bridge Java development tools moved ahead this week with approval from competing Java companies.
Sales tales from the darkside
His site is called SalesAutopsy.com, and Dan Seidman calls himself "The War Correspondent of Selling."
Web services group focuses on security
A group working to ensure the compatibility of Web services software is preparing to tackle its biggest challenge yet: security.
'MostHateD' pleads to hacking crime
Patrick Gregory was caught during nationwide antihacker raids last year by the FBI. He faces up to five years in prison and a US$250,000 fine.
Apple foresees Mac-cell phone links
Apple product managers have told British monthly Macworld UK that Mac users can expect mobile-phone links with their portable systems, iBook-like design elements for the PowerBook, third-party Bluetooth add-ons and a WAP-compatible FileMaker plug-in.
Senate committee continues to hear evidence on censorship bill
At the end of a week of Senate hearings into the Federal Government's controversial proposed Internet content regulations, the bill has received little in the way of support from a sceptical industry.
Will automatic patching control worms?
Is it time for an independent software organisation to establish standards and serve as a repository for software patches? ZDNet investigates the pros and cons of this innovation.
A glimpse into the life of a Russian virus researcher
CA's Dr Eugene Dozortsev talks about the motivations and satisfactions that spur him through 70-hour working weeks that offer very little limelight.
Spam's not on US Fed's menu
If legislation against spam is to be effective in any way, it needs to be implemented on a global level -- particularly in the United States. Declan McCullagh doesn't give much hope of that.
Ariba, IBM, Microsoft: New B2B standard
Thirty-six technology companies, led by Ariba, IBM and Microsoft, have unveiled plans to create a universal Internet standard designed to accelerate e-commerce.
Proprietary vs open source
COMMENTARY: Linux and other open source software do not represent breakthrough technologies -- or do they?
Singapore students sample wireless weight watchers
A Singapore team has developed a handheld-based solution that puts a nutritionist, personal trainer and therapist into the chubby hands of Singapore students.
Gettin' Gig-E with IT
Gigabit Ethernet is the latest buzz to rumble through the networked economy, but the new technology is a bit elitist, addressing the bandwidth needs of only the tiny fraction of urban businesses that are already wired to expensive fibre-optic networks.
Frequent fliers: The biometric guinea pigs
Before he starts work every day, Oscar Carranza places his hand in a biometric scanner that traces the contours of his palm and compares them to digital records in the airport's central database.
HP declares merger victory
Hewlett-Packard has declared victory in its hotly contested battle to merge with Compaq Computer.
Behold the power of Ethernet
We've had nonstop power for our telephones for ages.Thanks to the IEEE 802.3af draft standard, that same functionality is finally working its way into networking gear.
Lies, Corruption and the Internet
The big computer technology names listed on the Nasdaq have so far steered clear of the fraud and corruption investigations threatening to take down some of their formerly high-flying brethren on the New York Stock Exchange.
Division of labour
The world's most powerful computer is sitting on your desktop and works only while you're asleep. Welcome to the world of distributed computing.
Love me tender
Tendering is an expensive, complex, and lengthy process. Here's how to make it easier.
The FUD war against Linux
Open-source activist Bruce Perens uncovers the SCO-Microsoft connection behind a campaign to convince users that trade secrets of Unix have been copied into Linux.
Walter Hewlett files anti-merger proxy
Walter Hewlett has filed his formal proxy notice to shareholders of Hewlett-Packard stock--making an official call to vote against the mega-merger between HP and Compaq Computer.
IBM works to make mainframes mainstream
IBM's new z990 is the most significant machine so far in Big Blue's effort to marry the largely unique capabilities of the mainframe computer to prevailing computing trends.
HR tips: Gaining approval for IT hires
Hiring in the tech industry has new challenges, often including involvement of the CEO and CFO. But CIOs can successfully work through the process by considering some viable new approaches.
Tech's top-ten hype-notic spells
Industry watcher Jon Oltsik offers his nominations for technology categories in which the elevation of hype has become an art form.
Video wall displays fantastic 3D voyage
Researchers use an IBM supercomputer to create giant, 3D images that let them stroll around a human heart or surf solar winds. Did we mention the high-tech red-and-blue-lensed glasses?
A feasibility study: Can you manage it?
A feasibility study differs from typical project management in that it's primarily designed to minimise risk instead of maximising resources.
P3P stalls as backers regroup
Six months after its recommendation as an Internet standard, a major privacy initiative is entering an awkward adolescence as software heavyweights adopt it and individual Web sites leave it to languish.
"Lion" worm stalks Linux machines
A dangerous worm that can steal passwords from Linux servers is rapidly spreading across the Internet and infecting other machines, according to researchers.
Play it safe by blocking porno
Believe it or not, your company is liable for material downloaded onto its computers, pornographic, even racist content found on your company property makes you legally accountable.
Vendor wars; IBM gets back to business
IBM has already run a few moderately successful IT campaigns against the entrenched forces of Sun and the green troops of Dell, but it would appear they are arming for a major stouche.
Mac fans go 'gee-whiz' over G4
People took a shine to the new graphite G4 PowerMacs from Apple, as they checked them out on the floor of Seybold Seminars San Francisco.
Tips for successful IT negotiations
Tech leaders spend much of the week negotiating--with vendors, staffers, and business units. Columnist Bob Weinstein offers insight on how to sharpen your negotiating skills.
Web services take open road
Web services can provide easy access to applications, and can simplify collaboration and improve interoperability by using open standards.
The Internet: Saviour of the planet?
The revolution in communications, sparked by the Internet, might be experiencing growing pains but its one-to-one commerce points to a greener future.
MSPs join hands to survive
Management service providers are forming partnerships to complement one another's offerings as a way to try to gain acceptance in the market.
Orwellion future just five years away
In just five years we could be tracked in our cars by insurance companies, while employers increase computer security spending by 55 percent.
Payback time! How to catch a hacker
A new service from McAfee will soon let you discover whether anyone is hacking into your system, and if so, let you submit that information to the malicious user's ISP or local law enforcement officials.
Embedded Linux alive and kicking
The dot-com hype is history, but Linux companies are betting on success in everything from set-top boxes to robots.
Industry bickering could stunt Java growth
Java is drawing a rising number of businesses and software developers but still must overcome major obstacles before its long-term success is assured--including roadblocks from the very people who support the programming language.
First spammer tackles the meaty issue
In 1994, Laurence Cantor's 'Green Card Lottery' generated unprecedented success by saturating Usenet newsgroups. Is he happy with the monster he created?
The Year Ahead: Top ten technologies to watch
Robots, cars, power and light. Just some of the sectors that'll see action next year.
Email draws customers to your site
Before the Internet, communicating with potential and existing customers was a little hit and miss, but now it's easier than ever to target individuals and companies that are more likely to turn into buyers. So how do you find new customers, quickly?
Nintendo, Sega go for gold
Do you have Olympic fever? Show your true colours with the new limited edition Game Boy Colour. It comes in transparent green and gold and has the words 'Go Aussie Go' printed at the top of the screen. Oi, oi, oi!
Charity begins at... an e-tailer
An Australian online mall is hoping to lure shoppers with charity -- 50 of them, in fact. Launched today, Free2give.com.au allows customers to support a good cause with every purchase.
In a panic? Get Mother's Day wrapped up on the Net
Is that the same box of chocolates your mother got last year? Avoid the Mother's Day stampede at the shops this weekend. Check out some of these sites and suggestions and get it all wrapped up - we've found places and products for beauty, health, gadgets... although some are, er, a little different.
Unisys beefs up OZ network
Global services giant Unisys is to plough up to AU$2 million into its Australian network, establishing what will be only its second such centre in the world, according to a company source.
Long queue for Internet banking
The queue for the teller may be long, but that's nothing compared to the line that major banks, building societies and credit unions have joined in order to provide Internet banking services.
Spam bill passes
The U.S.'s California Assembly late last Thursday night approved a bill that would make it illegal to send e-mail using a forged domain name, and would allow Internet service providers to take spammers to court.
Supercomputing: Virtually fighting disease
A free Internet service provider hopes its Virtual Supercomputer Project will help reverse its cash flow and keep email free, while helping scientists search the human genome for disease-fighting proteins.
Stuck in high-tech hell? There's a way out!
Alan Cohen didn't merely write a book for cube dwellers with career angst. He charted a "road map out of hell" for everyone who has "come to accept soul starvation as a way of life."
Final score: MS/consumers 2--competitors 1
While there will likely be more litigation from competitors seeking to sanction Microsoft in some way, columnist Tim Landgrave explains why the recent US federal ruling bodes well for both Microsoft, and more importantly, the public consumer sector.
Keys to averting staff burnout
Workloads rarely diminish when staffs get smaller, and that leads to burnout. Avoid this scenario with stronger communication and making sure employees aren't overwhelmed. The effort will also avert future hire costs and can improve productivity.
Breakaway states nix Microsoft pact
Several states have refused to accept an agreement between the Justice Department and Microsoft, choosing instead to press further antitrust litigation against the software company.
Maximising IIS logging
Multiple options for logging user access activity are available when you manage Microsoft IIS Web servers. Here are several logging options.
Red hot laptops
If you're going to have to lug it around, you might as well get a laptop that will make business colleagues green with envy.
Q&A: Why Xbox creator left Microsoft
GameSpot.com spoke with the co-creator of the Xbox to get the reasons for his recently announced resignation, some of the current issues revolving around the Xbox, and his plans for the future.
Online music: Which services are worth paying for?
RealNetworks and others are hoping you'll pony up for access to "exclusive" online content. But if the available for-pay offerings--including Real's SuperPass Gold--are any indication, you've got to be careful what you sign up for.
Breakthrough cuts network power demands
As West Coast utilities struggle to keep up with fast-growing demand for electricity, a start-up claims that a transceiver chip technology breakthrough may cut the power needed to run high-speed network equipment by two-thirds.
Tracking sales: Software options
The benefits of keeping information centralised and up to date are obvious. ZDNet Australia looks at software packages designed to help your sales force stay on track.
Hackers flexing political muscles
What will be the next hacktivism target? Inspired by the Seattle protests, hackers and activists make plans at H2K after a political awakening, of sorts
So, You Wanna Deliver Content?
The trick? Use cash to get cache and other goodies.
So, You Wanna Deliver Content?
The trick? Use cash to get cache and other goodies.
Internet VPNs: the WAN and the light?
They promise low-cost connectivity that could make conventional, expensive WANs a thing of the past. But can roll-your-own Internet VPNs really deliver?
Sshhh--Your network is talking to you
When was the last time you sat in your computer room and just looked around? Have you ever found yourself staring at all the pretty blinking green and yellow lights?
Behind the scenes: Olympic tech lifeline
Fort Knox? No, it's the Sydney 2000 Olympic Technology Command Centre -- an anonymous city location with a security force so hefty that gaining entry involves bag searches, metal detectors and an escort through various security doors.
New 'Stages' worm hits Australian corporates
A new computer worm, rated in the same danger category as the 'Love letter' bug, has infested at least five Australian corporations, including a law firm.
E3: Parody games pushing the limit?
The game "Panty Raider" sounds more like a bad fraternity prank than a sane attempt to market a game for computers, but publisher Simon & Schuster Interactive is very serious when it comes to the offering's low humor.
MontaVista Offers Fix For One Linux Shortcoming
MontaVista Software, supplier of Hard Hat Linux, said it has the answer for one of the shortcomings of Linux as an embedded system: a real-time scheduler for the Linux kernel.
Microsoft aims at Jukebox market
Microsoft, upping the ante in the digital-music wars, has unveiled revamped software for playing audio and video over the Internet.
MS promises clear view
Microsoft will soon announce plans to ship long-awaited software it says can dramatically improve the readability of text on computer screens.
Melissa creator may be uncovered
Two software engineers have extracted information from the Melissa virus that appears to lead to an account on America Online and a Web site that, if matched with a person, could lead law enforcement officials to the author of the prolific virus.
Intel on fire in '99
PC chip giant Intel is preparing to open up the throttle on product releases for 1999, said Craig Barrett, Intel's president and CEO.
Linux takes Hollywood by storm
Linux has replaced software from the likes of Microsoft and Silicon Graphics as the main technology for creating special effects in Hollywood films.
Are notebooks set to bury desktops?
It is just about time for desk tops to call it a day, a moment's slience for the passing of the desktop.
IT Managers: Speaking the language of business
If you really want to communicate effectively, you must present information in the style most amenable to your audience. Here's how.
Will the World Cup score with online convergence?
The job of providing tens of millions of users with live editorial coverage of 64 World Cup soccer matches in seven languages has kept organisers on the ball for months. ZDNet Australia investigates the pre-tournament lead-up for one of the world's largest sporting events.
Microsoft, Feds reach a deal
The software maker and the Justice Department settle their longstanding antitrust battle, in an agreement with far-reaching implications.
Feds, Microsoft edge toward settlement
Microsoft and the Justice Department apparently have made headway toward settling the landmark antitrust case before a court-imposed deadline.
Bermeister's way: Altnet's plans for P2P technology
As of May 20 Kazaa users gained access to secured content through an Altnet index, thanks to Digital Rights Management. Kevin Bermeister explains how.
Retuning Net radio
Small online music ventures go off the air as media giants AOL, Yahoo and MSN pump up the volume.
Firewalls: Keeping the outside out
Firewalls protect your network from outside attacks, but what can you do when those pesky users keep taking their computers outside your network? ZDNet Australia investigates.
Top 15 Australian E-commerce Web Sites
Are you finding it difficult to buy anything online here in Australia? It seems US sites have got a finger on the pulse of what customers want, but locally that attention to detail is somewhat lacking. Or is it? We identify the top Australian e-commerce sites in this comprehensive examination of online buying.
Who's behind Australia's greatest gadgets?
ZDNet talks to Australian innovators who have managed to battle a cultural cringe against IT innovation, and sought novel ways to commercialise their product lines.
Batten down the hatches
In some quarters it is almost regarded as a basic human right that staff should have flexible PCs and unlimited Net access. But there are big advantages to PC configuration lock-down.
Enterprise scorecards: Ranking your strategy
How is it that many great companies leverage information to perfect their operating processes, improve relations with both customers and employees, differentiate themselves from competitors, rapidly implement new strategies, and shift stubborn paradigms? One way is by putting "scorecards" into action.
EAI: Integrate, mate
Is it better to consolidate all your data into one platform, or to integrate disparate systems to work together? Here's what you have in store if you choose the integration path.
Machiavelli, schizophrenia and Microsoft's never-ending story
Unless one side or another decides to appeal, Friday's decision could mark the final chapter in a case once said to be a definitive one for antitrust law in the 21st century.
Disaster recovery: Tools of the trade
No matter how little or how much data you need to protect, you can find a product to suit your needs. What are the tools available today and how do they differ?
Sun sharpens its Java sword
Continuing its rhetoric against Microsoft's ambitious Internet plans, Sun Microsystems has said the needs of a global e-commerce system cannot be met by one company and touted Java as the solution.
Officials probe IPO of VA Linux
Regulators in the US are examining why two investment funds obtained relatively large chunks of VA Linux's initial public stock offering.
Can mobile phones really kill you?
I am no Chicken Little when it comes to technology danger. The jaded part of me chalks up a consumer health scares as marketing. And yet, I stick a mobile phone next to my brain a lot. A girl gets to wondering...
The End of the LCD Screen -- At Last!
Don't adjust your spell checker: The new term someday soon for your laptop display will be LEP, not LCD. In fact, we're about to see a whole new range of display devices, including the possible replacement of the morning newspaper.
HTML 4: What's In It For You?
Getting tired of being jerked in multiple Web language directions? Sick of promises that some new authoring tool will be supported in the next generation of browsers, and then watching companies invent proprietary variations of accepted Web technologies: ActiveX, Dynamic HTML, and Microsoft's lawsuit-bait Java.
Echelon: The French Fight Back
French companies and individuals take their grievances to court, as Americans try to justify covert surveillance activities as a necessary protective measure against European commercial bribery habits
Java Junkies Revisited
Barring a sudden cold shoulder from IBM, a gaffe by Sun Microsystems, or some other unlikely event, Java is on track to become one of the primary programming languages of e-commerce.
Mac utilities vendors grapple with OS X
Apple Computer's forthcoming Mac OS X may change the way Mac users interact with their favorite computer, but it will have an even bigger effect on the companies that develop Mac OS utilities.
CA World: Visual tools plough insurance data
New Orleans -- An e-business portal currently being developed by Computer Associates for an insurance company will help reps tell if you are married, have life insurance or car insurance -- even when family members gain their drivers' licenses. All this with just a glance of an image.
IBM claims breakthrough in processor technology
IBM Microelectronics researchers on Wednesday touted a new technology that they say could eventually enable chip makers to place tens of billions of transistors on a single chip.
New MSN Logo Subject to Ridicule
Exactly what was Microsoft thinking when it came out with its silly new logo for the yet-again redesigned MSN? Out of the blue, the company has created a multicolored logo of a butterfly that I think trivializes the service. The logo can also be interpreted as a political statement, which could cause the company grief.
AOL-Time Warner: It's just the beginning
If you had told me a year ago that an online service would buy one of the largest media conglomerates in the world, I would have put that one in the same category as finding the Brooklyn Bridge up for auction on eBay.
Legal eagles: Settlement talks unlikely
Even though U.S. Federal Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruling backed the U.S. government's case in almost every way, trial watchers said it's still unlikely the document will put much pressure on the company to settle.
Stop the online perverts
The September 16 arrest of Infoseek executive Patrick Naughton on charges of attempting to solicit sex online from an FBI agent posing as a 13-year-old girl has set off another round of discussion and speculation centered around that dramatic question: "Will the Internet steal my children?"
Paul Zucker: More Drambuie for my Cornflakes please ...Or When Epson was the Co-pilot
Watching a movie in a plane imbues it with meaning and subtlety and character that no terrestrial viewer ever perceives. For me, at least, movies watched while flying over the ocean seem to have a magical quality. Cynics might say it's the abnormal amount of alcohol in the system, or the fact that one headphone earpiece doesn't work and the other one crackles in time with the flexing of the wings, or the fact that your plane doesn't have individual screens so you have to either look at the screen 40 metres in front of you or the one just slightly behind and above you, or the fact that you don't normally watch movies at 4:30am while eating brunch, or the fact that the soundtrack has been interrupted 18 times to announce really important things like the imminent passage of the duty-free trolley.
Analysis: Is MS defense undermined?
University of Pennsylvania professor David Farber railed against Microsoft's integration of its Internet Explorer browser and Windows operating system.
Look out Apache and IIS; here comes Xitami
Apache HTTP server and Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS) for Windows NT/2000 will likely dominate the Web server market for years to come. However, some new players are making their mark.
Who's plotting to keep Sun in the Web services shadows?
IBM and Microsoft extended a belated and belittling WS-I invitation to Sun. Are they trying to marginalise the Java creator's Web services stature?
Maximising infrastructure: Do more with less
Buying the latest and the greatest sounds like a good idea, but who can afford it? We look at ways you can get better performance and a better bottom line with your existing infrastructure.
The Great Online Debate
In this Australian exclusive, ZDNet asked the country's major political parties to outline their IT strategies in the lead-up to the 2001 Federal Election, answering the questions of readers on a myriad of technology-related issues.
Keeping hackers from the 'dark side'
FBI security consultant Laura Chappell talks to ZDNet Australia about cyber threats for 2002, how script kiddies and junior hackers can bring down your network, why there is safety in grey hair, and how to train hackers without losing them to the 'dark side'.
Hailstorm risks anti-trust case
For all of its size and influence, Microsoft has been built to react rapidly to changing competition, user demands, computing models and, yes, legal pressure.
EU plans to avert tech eco-disaster
The information technology boom and bust of the 1990s is leaving a lot more than worthless shares and frustrated investors in its wake; it is producing a mountain of electronic waste as technological advancements make computers and other devices containing toxic products obsolete at an increasing pace.
Biometrics special: Who are you?
Forgotten your password again? Read on to find out how you'll be logging on, checking in, and signing off in the very near future.
Higher intelligence
Business Intelligence software gives managers the tools to draw from many data sources and take a snapshot view of their company's performance. Why are BI vendors defying the industry trend and continuing their stellar growth?
Net bloodhounds: Online people finders
We've all gotten the e-mail: "Find anyone, anywhere on the Web!" But how much truth is there in the promises? We track down the Web sites, the software, and the scams related to online background checking.
Governments push open source
More and more governments around the world are requiring their agencies to use free or open source software and use proprietary software only as a last resort. Microsoft is working overtime to quell the revolution.
Straight to the source: Intel's David Bolt
Hot on the heels of Intel's latest 2GHz Pentium 4 release, we put these burning questions to David Bolt, general manager of Intel Australia.
Stemming the brain-drain
Are we really losing our best and brightest to well paid jobs in flashy locations overseas? ZDNet Australia looks into some of the issues surrounding the country's famed IT brain drain, and uncovers some of the quiet achievers bucking the trend.
Inside the dot
Forget floating to achieve dotcom success. Gloating can be a far more rewarding fund-raising activity. Witness a commentary on life as a dotcom survivor.
Lords of the Rings
It's not enough to say the Internet is changing the Olympics experience. The Web is creating an entirely new state of mind for the century-old gathering. But can it one-up television?
Hey, get a whiff of that software
Welcome to the era of click and sniff. The nose may know what the computer can only guess at, but virtual aromas may soon be wafting to a keyboard near you.
Compaq, Dell shy off Crusoe chip
Performance issues keep Compaq and Dell from embracing Transmeta's microprocessor -- for now. Compaq exec says the current Crusoe will 'disappoint' consumers.
George Bush talks tech with ZDNet
When it comes to technology, US Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush is like a lot of people. He owns a PC, e-mails his family and friends, and lists privacy violations among his top concerns.
Upstarts Shake Up Networking Industry
Network equipment start-ups are exerting increasing influence on the balance of power in the networking industry
Developers dig in to fill OS 9 holes
In the wake of Mac OS 9's official coming-out party at Apple iCEO Steve Jobs' Tuesday morning press event, developers are speaking freely about the compatibility issues that remain between their products and Apple's new OS -- and their resolution.
Rocket scientists make games a blast
Devising computer games may not be rocket science, but rocket scientists are helping to solve some of the stickiest problems in the game industry.
MS digs itself a hole, McGeady fills it
Holley should have learned early on that his cross-examination of McGeady had to be precise to the final decimal point.
Leap of faith: Why B2B went bust
Costs and cultural complexities scared off many marketplace potentials and doomed the industry.
Web services: Messiah or mirage?
Software vendors keep telling us that Web services are the answer. But what is the question? ZDNet Australia explores the state of Web services today.
How far will Windows open?
A year after the guilty verdict and with dot-Net and HailStorm in the pipeline, opinion is divided over how deeply Microsoft is committed to open standards and interoperability.
Riding the third wave: 3G mobile technology
The imminent arrival of 3G telephony into Australia has many confused. ZDNet takes a look at the state of play of the local mobile telephony market in the lead-up to the promised 3G revolution.
The small-guy squeeze
Looking to create a bit of breathing room during these tough economic times, managers are relying on big companies, not small players, for safe products.
Power struggle
According to George W. Bush, "today the equipment needed to power the Internet consumes 8 percent of all the electricity produced in the United States." Is this, in fact, an accurate representation of reality present and future?
Why your CIO could be your secret weapon
Your CIO can do more than just formulate an IT strategy. When it's time to pitch your expertise to CEOs, CFOs and other C-level customers, sending in a CIO can achieve real results.
Coming clean: Who pays for PC recycling?
First, there was the cardboard box in the kitchenette for old cans and bottles. Then, the plastic bin under everyone's desk for old print jobs and newspapers. Will the next trend in office recycling be a Dumpster for old computers?
ROI: You can teach a New Economy old tricks
In these tough times, customers will no longer trust you on the basis of VC referrals or your phone manner. It's time to prove that your customers need your services. ROI-based sales pitches of the past make a resurgence in the dot-com downturn of the present.
Flash: Easy target for gaudy graphics
Web designers have long hassled sites that offer bells and whistles to no purpose, but lately they've begun to target the technology behind those perceived atrocities as well: Flash.
Finders Keepers
Finding and keeping customers is a basic business challenge.
Deflating Bandwidth Glut Predictions
That giant sucking sound you hear is the collective gasps of enterprises and service providers that were expecting the massive build-out of the public network to produce bandwidth in quantities as plentiful as the air they breath.
PCs don't have to be ugly
They don't have to be ugly ... but they usually are. PCs and PC accessories, I mean. Relentlessly and needlessly. And I'm tired of it. Period.
Data mining for e-commerce gold
Data mining has been hailed as one of the emerging technologies that will "change the world". What is it and what can it do for your e-business?
Info War: Targeting your business
There are no front lines in an information war, no fiery explosions. The enemy's camp is a cube on the other side of the globe. Their target? Your business.
Net revolution poised to pounce on TV
The Internet revolution is moving to television, forcing companies to adopt interactive strategies for a medium that for the first time merges advertising, entertainment and electronic commerce into a single platform.
Idea to reality: Get to market faster
It's scary but true: Half of all new products are destined to fail. Don't let yours be one of them. A new generation of digital tools improves your odds of success.
The Last Pixel Show
How Digital Entertainment Network soared on the passion of its young true believers and fell into the squalor of sexual abuse charges, bankruptcy, and an FBI investigation. A tale in Internet time. The first in a two-part series.
The last pixel show
How Digital Entertainment Network soared on the passion of its young true believers and fell into the squalor of sexual abuse charges, bankruptcy, and an FBI investigation. A tale in Internet time
Dialogue with an online brain
Technology supergenius Mark Lucente wants to give your Web site a brain so it can have a nice, profitable conversation with customers. Any questions?
Hollywired: Movies on the Net
Hollywired takes a look at where the online film industry is now and where it's headed. Check out our interview with Angelina Jolie, the confessions of a would-be movie pirate, a look at online animation and our guide to film download sites.
Whitepapers
Go for the Green
Green business isn't just talk anymore. Many organizations are focused on the triple bottom line of economic, social, and environmental success, eager to apply green initiatives internally that support sustainable business. The Earth demands it. Customers expect it. Business needs...
The Greening of IT
Green IT, by most accounts, is not a frontline initiative by corporate IT departments, but rather a positive side effect of what IT departments are already being tasked to do given current economic conditions. In fact, the slowdown in the...
Green IT
Going green has become an imperative, not an option, for companies facing the new reality of balancing business objectives with dwindling environmental resources. Limited energy supply and skyrocketing costs are compelling organisations to take radical measures to reduce their carbon...
Greening Your IT Infrastructure
IT executives at enterprises across myriad industries are learning - and sharing with peers - the ROI, efficiency improvements and other benefits of a dynamic infrastructure supporting environmentally sustainable operations. With Microsoft infrastructure optimization, including Windows Vista Enterprise and Microsoft...
Green IT Impact Calculator
Quantify the Impact of Green IT Virtualization Investments. Welcome to the Green IT Impact Calculator. This worksheet enables you to estimate the impact of virtualization investments to drive Green IT benefits within your organization. Simply check off areas of...
Green IT and Virtualization
Organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and business benefits of adopting a Green IT environment. This webcast highlights how virtualization facilitates a Green IT environment. It describes the Hyper-V server role and the System Center Virtual Machine Manager...
Designing Green Datacenters
Until the knock of environment friendly concepts and public concerns, traditional datacenters had fixed their eye on maximum uptime. Times have changed and datacenters are concentrating on conserving energy. This paper provides some tips that can contribute towards building eco-friendly...
Green Design
Energy and environmental concerns have refocused U.S. corporations and the design communities on sustainability issues in construction, renovation and existing buildings. A program, backed by more than 1,400 organizations, has formed to provide a standard for adoption of green design...
Turning Green
The Children's Medical Center of Central Texas is a case study in environmentally friendly hospital construction-from the ground up. In December 2003, Boulder (Colo.) Community Foothills Hospital became the first healthcare facility in the nation to earn a U.S. Green...
Going Green on Your Own
Small renewable power systems typically use wind, water or the sun as the primary power sources. For the foreseeable future the bulk of electricity generation will continue to be produced from large generating stations. Advancing technology in the electricity business...
Realising the benefits of going green
Cross over to greener communications with improved data accuracy. Many organisations have processes in place to improve the quality of their contact data to address business drivers, such as cost reduction and revenue generation. But often, the environmental benefits that come...
Green IT Is Essential to Green Government
Environmentally conscious, or "Green" IT encompasses everything from examining the use of pollutants in the manufacture of technology, to Projections to the Test. The Leadership Group is one of many organizations focusing attention on the growing challenges of improving energy...
The Greening of SaaS
Are your energy costs going up? Are unbudgeted software and hardware costs hurting your bottom line? Consider switching to Software as a Service (SaaS), and replace unexpected outlays with fixed, predictable expenses. SaaS reduces or eliminates costs related to installing,...
The Opposite of Green Is Purple?
The conventional understanding of opponent colors has red and green as one axis and yellow and blue on a second axis. This perceptual opponency is a result of the trichromatic nature of human color vision in combination with subsequent processing...
Going Green to Make Green: Increase Revenue While Saving the Planet
In this tough economy, there has never been a better time to go with a low-cost telecommunications package to not only stay competitive but helps the company go "Green." The attendee of this webcast will learn how telecommuting, VoIP, web...
Green Networking in the Data Center
Today, advanced technology ecosystems are what fuel business. This surge of technology is one that presents new capabilities but greater challenges as companies look to meet their business needs. However, this comes with an increasing impact on the environment in...
How Green Is My Vendor?
Environmental issues are becoming a big concern for those involved in managing IT and communications. One can tell this because just about every other supplier is touting their green credentials. Often they have only reduced their power consumption by a...
The why behind going green. Midsize companies speak.
This white paper presents the results of a study conducted by Info-Tech Research Group and sponsored by IBM. More than 1,000 IT professionals in midsize businesses, from 12 countries and eight industries, were consulted through surveys and interviews to understand...
Beyond Power Consumption: What It Really Means to Go Green
"Going Green" has become one of the most pervasive slogans in today's commercial marketplace. Growing awareness among policymakers, who are introducing more stringent environmental regulation and guidelines, and consumers, who are adapting buying habits and lifestyles toward more sustainable choices,...
ALM Software Solutions for Green IT
Being a responsible corporate citizen today means more than reducing smokestack emissions and toxic waste. There must be a concerted effort to further reduce damaging carbon emissions throughout the enterprise. As such, visionary organizations are building a business case for...
Video Case Study - University of Plymouth Goes Green
The University of Plymouth recently upgraded it's 4,800 PC desktop estate to ones with Intel's vPro technology. In this video Greg Regan, principal computing officer at the university explains how the technology's management capabilities will improve power efficiency, slash electricity...
When Green Equals Green: Best Practices for Communications Provider Billing in an Environmentally-Conscious, Multi-channel World
With an increased focus on environmental stewardship, it's not surprising that many communications firms are looking for ways to promote "green" activities within their companies - including customer billing. Invoicing in more eco-friendly ways is important, but in today's economy,...
The Role of IT Management Software in the Greening of IT
Going green represents a company's mission to support environmental sustainability. Whether it's socially inspired or economically driven - it simply makes good business sense. In most cases the initial driver of a Green IT strategy is the cost savings that...
Emerging Green Intelligence: Business Analytics and Corporate Sustainability
This white paper, Emerging Green Intelligence: Business Analytics and Corporate Sustainability, reviews a portion of the research and provides analysis and insights on the topic of business analytics. It is part of a series of white papers for C-level executives...
10 Steps to Green IT
Green computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently. Many business executives recognize the need to act on carbon footprint reduction and green IT. However, a myriad of information exists - some of it contradictory - and...
Achieving Green IT With Symantec
Green IT helps address the growing data center heating and cooling challenges, the growing power bill and the growing energy crisis. The attendee of this webcast will learn how the Symantec software-based approach to Green IT enables to optimally manage...
Virtualization and the Green Data Center
Server virtualization can help to reduce energy costs by up to 50 percent. Data Center, Infrastructure Management, Server Consolidation, Storage Management, Virtualization ...
The Economics of Green IT: Start Saving Money
CIOs pay millions of dollars a year to power and cool data centers. Many enterprises, some for the first time this year, have shifted the energy bill from facilities to IT, with the hope - and expectation - that IT...
Green on the Grand Office Building
Green on the Grand demonstrates that offices can be attractively lit through the use of daylighting, energy-efficient light fixtures and task lighting. Electricity use for lighting is 50% lower than that typically used in offices. Green on the Grand is...
Green IT Survey: Executive Summary
In government, being environmentally conscious has moved from being a "Good" thing to do to having policymaker imperative behind pursuing green technologies. The U.S. Conference of Mayors reports that now more than 850 mayors have signed onto the organization's Climate...
Go Green With Oracle Content Management
Organizations are constantly looking for ways to cut costs, but don't realize that those cost cutting measures may also have positive environmental effects that can increase goodwill and shareholder value. Oracle Fusion Middleware solutions provide tremendous return on investment, but...
Managed Print Services and Beyond: How You Can Cut Costs and Go Green While Increasing Employee Productivity
Did you know that print costs typically consume 3% of total revenue for businesses today? For many organizations, this is nearly equivalent to the amount spent on research and development each year. According to the Photizo Group, a recognized thought...
Go Green With Dell
Dell's focus on efficiencies and customer satisfaction are seen in the products and services it supplies to the businesses it works with. That same focus helps drive Dell's environmental stewardship program to conserve product energy consumption, reduce or eliminate materials...
Examining the Value and Drivers Behind Green IT
With research indicating that the non-renewable resources cannot support the energy consumption trends, governments and businesses are recognizing the need for Greener IT practices. The adoption of environmentally sustainable, energy-saving technology practices has become increasingly important to IT departments in...
