SMB IT | Curtis Franklin » July 2007

July 31, 2007 | Comments: (0)

SMB Tech News Today; 7/31

TAGS: SMB Tech News Today

Mortgage is due tomorrow.

* SAP buffs up BusinessOne. That's SAP's SMB package. Supposed to cover everything from accounting through inventory and HR. The new version is supposed to be easier and has new Web components. (Source: InfoWorld)

* Cisco not going to kill off Linksys brand. It goes like this: Chambers hints that Cisco might fold the Linksys brand into Cisco. The world freaks out. Cisco rushes to tell all us pundits that he was just joshin' and the Linksys brand is safe. So we can all breathe easy now. Whew. Geez. (Source: PC Mag)

* Adobe gets heat over Fedex/Kinko deal. Seems Adobe's added a button in its Acrobat software that lets users print docs directly to Fedex/Kinko locations. Cool. But smaller competitors are saying they should take it out because it makes it less easy for them to compete. Personally, I think they ought to suck it up. (Source: BetaNews)

* Gateway goes to Europe. The company is expanding into the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia with support coming from a European call center. Just good to know in case you SMB expands to these countries and needs value desktops. (Source: InformationWeek)

Posted by Oliver Rist on July 31, 2007 06:45 AM

July 24, 2007 | Comments: (0)

SMB Tech News Today; 7/24

TAGS: SMB Tech News Today

* The Dos and Donts of data breaches. This one was written for the enterprise set, but most of these tips work for businesses of any size--and we know that SMBs are as likely to be breached as anyone else. (Source: InfoWorld)

* Microsoft leaks Gatineau details. Seems Redmond is looking to release a new Web analytics tool later this summer. It's aimed at competing with Google's counterpart, and will allow you to analyze traffic by usage and user data. (Source: PC World)

* Cycle out old cells with Second Rotation. This newcomer will take your old consumer electronics gadgets off your hands and then resell them over eBay. Basically a gadget broker. (Source: CNET)

* Black Hat is next week. iPhone's the target. The annual Black Hat Vegas crack fest next week will show all kinds of new vulnerabilities, but you can bet the iPhone will be one of the bigger targets on display. (Source: BetaNews)

Posted by Oliver Rist on July 24, 2007 06:51 AM

July 20, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Windows Error Haikus

TAGS: Freaky Friday

Got these off of Dave Farber's Interesting People list. Sent in by Shannon McElyea (thank you), these aren't new, but they're too funny not to share.

Supposedly, these haiku poems have replaced the usual error messages on some Japanese Windows computers. (Most likely a digi-urban legend, but still funny.) If you feel like counting, it's 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second line, and 5 in the third for a total of 17.

Oh, a file that big?
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.

The Web site you seek
Cannot be located but
Countless more exist.

Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.

Aborted effort:
Close all that you have worked on.
You ask far too much.

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.

Yesterday it worked.
Today it is not working.
Windows is like that.

First snow, then silence.
This thousand dollar screen dies
So beautifully.

With searching comes loss
And the presence of absence:
Your novel? not found.

The Tao that is seen
Is not the true Tao until
You bring fresh toner.

Stay the patient course.
Of little worth is your ire.
The network is down.

A crash reduces
Your expensive computer
To a simple stone.

Three things are certain:
Death, taxes, and lost data.
Guess which has occurred.

You step in the stream,
But the water has moved on.
This page is not here.

Out of memory.
We wish to hold the whole sky,
But we never will.

Having been erased,
The document you're seeking
Must now be retyped.

Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.

Posted by Oliver Rist on July 20, 2007 02:44 PM

July 20, 2007 | Comments: (0)

SMB Tech News Today; 7/20

TAGS: SMB Tech News Today

* SMB backup dilemma. Some grains of salt on the never-ending array of ddomsday SMB backup stats from our resident storage guru, Mario Apicella. (Source: InfoWorld)

* Xandros acquires Scalix. I was supposed to review the latest version of Xandros' SMB server package but...I didn't. Meanwhile, they've refined it and purchased one of our favorite Exchange competitors, Scalix, into the bargain. Could be a compelling new all-in-one package for small business. (Source: InformationWeek)

* Duke's iPhone problems solved. Neither Apple nor Duke are commenting on why, but I'm thinking it might have something to do with turning a bunch of iPhones off. HA! I had to go there. On a serious note, I'm not so sure it's an iPhone thing since this is the only documented case of iPhone WLAN flooding I've heard of. Guess we'll see when it slips out on someone's blog. (Source: NetworkWorld)

* Sprint rolling out WiMax? According to Business 2.0, Sprint-Nextel says it's ready to start rolling out a full WiMax network later this year. Man, forget about a phone-gadget-frenzy, as far as I'm concerned it's all about fast-data-network-frenzy. Soon as that comes out, Verizon's in my rear-view mirror! (Source: Business 2.0)

Posted by Oliver Rist on July 20, 2007 01:49 PM

July 19, 2007 | Comments: (0)

SMB Tech News Today; 7/19

TAGS: SMB Tech News Today

Is it a coincidence that 'summer malaise' and 'too much mayonnaise' kinda rhyme?

* Google opens fee-based SMB custom search. Purty cool from the Googlers. Sign up for their new Custom Search Business Edition and you can build a customized search engine for your Web site. Microsoft should have thought of this for Office Live. (Source: PC World)

* So *this* is what Accenture's been doing. The $17 billion consulting company just released a digital Personal Performance Coach. Thing loads on a Windows Mobile smartphone and uses Bluetooth to talk you through everything from being a good conversationalist to exercising right. Just what we need--a giant corporation whispering its idea of good behavior into thousands of ears. Geez. (Source: Business 2.0)

* SMB wireless players form alliance. A group of smaller wireless players have formed the Alliance for Fair Roaming Access. This to keep the big players in line so everyone gets a fair shake with nationwide roaming. (Source: Network Computing)

* SunRocket takes a dive. Looks like VoIP service vendor, SunRocket, has shut its doors. Yet another telecomm vendor looking to survive solely on IP services--not a small one, either, ranked 4th behind guys like Vonage, Verizon & AT&T. SunRocket was the outfit that charged annually rather than monthly. Their site is still there, but they're not taking any new customers. Bad for us, good for the evil empire(s). (Source: NetworkWorld)

Posted by Oliver Rist on July 19, 2007 12:22 PM

July 09, 2007 | Comments: (0)

SMB Tech News Today; 7/09

TAGS: SMB Tech News Today

* Google buys Postini. Deal is worth $625 million and is most likely in response to Microsoft's offering the same kind of thing through ForeFront. Strange how the anti-Microsoft is behaving...just like Microsoft. (Source: Bloomberg)

* Don't pick your nose in NYC. In an effort to fight terrorism, the city is spending $90 million to beef up its street surveillance camera system. Anyone see Enemy of the State? (Source: CNET)

* Users getting cranky with MS Software Assurance program. Not an SB issue but certainly an MB issue, SA was supposed to save business customers money. But research firms are finding that Microsoft's unsteady release schedule may actually be making SA more expensive than a straight CAL option. (Source: InfoWorld)

* IceMail does hosted Exchange Email for iPhone. In case some of your execs walked into the office last week with that glazed I-just-bought-a-new-Apple-gizmo look in their eyes, here's a way to give them their Exchange email without any headache whatsoever. (Source: PC World)

Posted by Oliver Rist on July 9, 2007 11:32 AM