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Volume 10, Issue 2      In This Issue:   Top free troubleshooting tools for Windows   Tech apocalypse: Five doomsday scenarios for IT   What to expect from HTML5   10 geeky items you're embarrassed to admit you want   Hackers aren't as sneaky as you think   Why the new normal could kill IT   12 types of cell phone users drive us nuts   Three new options emerge for managing smartphones in the enterprise   ZeuS botnet code keeps getting better   Cisco, Microsoft certifications increase high-tech salaries   2010 tech industry graveyard   When IT projects founder, emotions run high   Cloud vs. in-house: Where to run that app?   Systems engineer deemed best job in America   Why no one cares about privacy anymore   Cool speakers for your computer If you enjoy this newsletter, read more in our Archive and Explore more Topics and Events or Share this Newsletter: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Top free troubleshooting tools for Windows Tools IT should not be without. These seven handy tools help you diagnose and cure a wide range of Windows ills, and they're all free for the downloading. No computer runs perfectly forever. Somewhere along the line, something will go wrong. While each successive version of Windows has been that much more reliable and self-healing, that's never been an argument to forgo a good collection of software tools. Over the years I've accumulated a slew of third-party troubleshooting apps that have proven their value again and again, so much so that they're among the very first programs installed in any system I use. If something goes wrong --Â a Blue Screen of Death, a slow-booting system, a recent program install that's made everything slower than molasses going uphill in January -- I turn to these tools to set things right. All of them are free for personal use, some are open source, and each of them deserves a place in the toolbox of the savvy Windows user... Read the article     Back to top                   Tech apocalypse: Five doomsday scenarios for IT In the end, "Be Prepared" is the best motto to defend your data and equipment from destruction. Power grid hacks, massive DNS rerouting, solar flares -- end-times for IT may be more likely than you think. Technology drives just about everything we do, and not just at our jobs. From banks to hospitals to the systems that keep the juice flowing to our homes, we are almost entirely dependent on tech. More and more of these systems are interconnected, and many of them are vulnerable. We see it almost every day. But what if instead of simply a denial-of-service attack against select Websites, the entire Internet suddenly stopped working -- or for that matter, Google could not be reached. What if instead of a mere data breach, our financial institutions were attacked by a weapon that could instantly neutralize all electronic transactions? Or if hackers wormed their way into the systems that control the power grid? Heck, what if God decided she'd had enough of us and decided to send a solar storm our way? If you think these things can't happen, think again. Some already have occurred on a smaller scale. But we thought it might be fun to turn up the volume and see what might happen -- how likely a "tech doomsday" scenario might be, how long it would take us to recover, and how we might prevent it from coming to be. What could possibly go wrong? Try these scenarios for starters... Read the article     Back to top                   What to expect from HTML5 Is the new HTML5 standard going to replace the current HTML standard any time soon? Read and find out! Support for the next generation of HTML is already appearing in today's browsers and Web pages. Are you ready to take advantage? Among Web developers, anticipation is mounting for HTML5, the overhaul of the Web markup language currently under way at the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C). For many, the revamping is long overdue. HTML hasn't had a proper upgrade in more than a decade. In fact, the last markup language to win W3C Recommendation status -- the final stage of the Web standards process -- was XHTML 1.1 in 2001. In the intervening years, Web developers have grown increasingly restless. Many claim the HTML and XHTML standards have become outdated, and that their document-centric focus does not adequately address the needs of modern Web applications. HTML5 aims to change all that. When it is finalized, the new standard will include... Read the article     Back to top                   10 geeky items you're embarrassed to admit you want Gadgets that are just for fun! Only a fool would pre-order an iPad Apple is taking pre-orders for its iPad tablet. Are you ordering today? A celebration of the gadget geek in us all. Some gadgets have geek appeal Most of us love gadgets. But there is a certain eye popping reaction when we find a gadget that speaks to our technological selves. Maybe it requires a combination of computer know-how and humor. Maybe it offers a clever intersection of science and fantasy. Maybe it uses our favorite portable device in an interesting \way. Owning such devices would surely be the subject of teasing from those who deny their inner geek, but it would also be the cause of more than a little envy... Read the article     Back to top                   Hackers aren't as sneaky as you think Simple steps to preventing a hacker from getting their way in your systems... Basic security measures can protect your company from even the most elite malicious hackers. Two weeks ago, I essentially claimed that nearly every company I know is hacked -- and in many cases, thoroughly hacked. Although there's a bit of hyperbole in that statement, it isn't that far from reality. That statement, however, has led some readers to believe detecting hackers and preventing attacks is impossible. Nothing could be further from the truth. Discovering malicious hackers Despite what the movies show, hackers are never good enough to go unnoticed. Even the professionals hackers who are making millions of dollars really... Read the article     Back to top                   Why the new normal could kill IT With the 2009 financial shakeup; IT has found that it needs an overhaul in how it operates, both physically and mentally. Cloud and The Death of the Sysadmin Are system administrators becoming more like car mechanics? IT has survived seismic shifts before, but the global economic slowdown and resulting business demands have rocked the CIO's kingdom on a new scale. You've spent years trying to be too big to fail the business: Are you now too big to succeed? Plenty of seismic shifts have rocked and reshaped IT in the past. Some big rumblings' epicenters had origins in an unstoppable technology shift; other fissures had nothing to do with PCs and servers. Consider the recent shocks: the Internet revolution and dotcom bust; Y2K and 9/11; the consumerization of IT; and the unstoppable broadband and mobile explosion. However, the latest shock-the global financial meltdown-is like the recent 8.8 earthquake that shook Chile and knocked the earth off its axis. And for IT leaders today, it's important to realize that the aftershocks are still coming. First off, here's what happened:... Read the article     Back to top                   12 types of cell phone users drive us nuts How many of these cell phone intrusions can you spot in your day? Maybe you've seen Bluetooth Johnson, the bathroom texter or Han Solo, a.k.a, the holster master, in action. But hopefully, you don't see any of these 12 annoying cell phone characters when you look in the mirror. Mobile phones have become unquestionably valuable tools, yet our devices can literally transform us into some pretty darn strange characters-often without our knowledge. You've seen the type: Average Joes who seem unable to remove their Bluetooth headsets; gaggles of giggly high-school girls who only communicate via text, even if they're standing right next to each other; businessmen who appear to have eyes on the tops of their heads, as they effortlessly glide throve droves of people without ever looking up from a BlackBerry; the list goes on&just check out the slides below. Then take a good look in the mirror. Do you fall into one of these categories? Remember, admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. (Note: You may notice that my cell phone stereotypes are mostly male. All I can say: Good for you, ladies.)... Read the article     Back to top                   Three new options emerge for managing smartphones in the enterprise Great options for keeping your cell phone/mini-computer safe... 7 keys to the ultimate smartphone Slide Show: A fantasy daydream of the perfect cell phone. Hosted solutions make big promises but remain unproven. The surge of iPhones and other smartphones in the enterprise is a major headache for IT departments. Now, there are three new medicines that may help to ease that pain. All three are hosted solutions for managing and securing smartphones, essentially mobile computers accessing corporate networks and data. The solutions include a joint effort from Enterprise Mobile and Mobile Iron; a new mobile... Read the article     Back to top                   ZeuS botnet code keeps getting better Be aware of these malware assisted botnets that can ruin your business and are cheap for thieves to get a hold of... America's 10 most wanted botnets The top 10 most damaging botnets you need to know about in the USA. $10,000 will buy a ZeuS module that takes complete control of a compromised PC. New capabilities are strengthening the ZeuS botnet, which criminals use to steal financial credentials and execute unauthorized transactions in online banking, automated clearing house (ACH) networks and payroll systems. The latest version of this cybercrime toolkit, which starts at about $3,000, offers a $10,000 module that can let attackers completely take control of a compromised PC. Zeus v.1.3.4.x (code changes are always underway by the author and owner, who is believed to be one individual in Eastern Europe) has integrated a powerful remote-control function into the botnet so that the attacker can now... Read the article     Back to top                   Cisco, Microsoft certifications increase high-tech salaries Don't just get certified, get the right IT certification. Five ways to get affordable IT certification skills Not just IT certification, but affordable ways of getting it! IT professionals looking to boost their income could consider getting one or more of the top 10 IT certifications commanding higher salaries. For high-tech workers, it pays to be certified, according to research conducted by Dice Learning that shows 10 IT certifications stand out for delivering higher salaries. "Not all certifications are created equal in terms of paycheck impact. While nearly half of all technology professionals have at least one certification, a minority attributed pay increases to certification," said Evan Lesser, director of Dice Learning, which offers technical training and information about certifications and career advancement, in a statement. "When you combine in-demand skill sets and proven salary impact, specific certifications become valuable to individual technology professionals." Dice Learning used responses from some 17,000 high-tech professionals to determine which technical skills and IT certifications deliver more compensation and helped workers command higher salaries. For instance,... Read the article     Back to top                   2010 tech industry graveyard Slide Show: The 2010 tech hardware and software losers who have died or are being retired. Our ongoing list of IT companies, technologies and ideas killed off or headed for the end of life (with maybe an occasional one that comes back to life). Here we pay respects to a slew of companies, technologies (including from Google and Microsoft) and ideas that mainly held lots of promise but met or will soon meet their demise for any number of reasons: being ahead of their time; getting whacked by the economy; being surpassed by something new. A few of the bodies are still warm, and there's even the occasional life-after-death experience... Read the article     Back to top                   When IT projects founder, emotions run high Depression and general personality types in IT, combined with outside business pressures can make it hard for employees to get over doomed projects. [Techies'] strength is thinking. We're great problem-solvers; we tend to forget feelings." Conflicted feelings are common when big tech projects go awry. Group hug, anyone? Dana B. Harris still remembers the loss he felt when his project was canned, and it's been 20 years now. Harris was working on sonar acoustics software for the Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyers. It was highly advanced, mathematically challenging software, and Harris "was really into it, really excited about it." But 1990 was a bad year for the defense industry. The Cold War was ending, and a diminishing threat meant diminishing budgets -- and, ultimately, a diminished project. Abruptly, Harris's part of it was shelved. "That was pretty depressing," says Harris, now at Computer Sciences Corp., where he is manager of United Technology Corp.'s global program management office. "Not having the excitement of developing that kind of software, it was like I'd lost something. I remember that feeling very, very clearly." It particularly pained... Read the article     Back to top                   Cloud vs. in-house: Where to run that app? A detailed description of each variety of virtualization and cloud computing, and when each one is most useful... Options include public clouds and external private clouds. Here's how to choose wisely. One of the biggest decisions IT managers have to make is how and where to run data center applications. Fortunately, there are multiple choices that lower costs and increase business agility, including server virtualization, internal clouds, public clouds and external private clouds. Many IT organizations are taking advantage of these options. Server virtualization is currently being used by more than 70% of enterprises to reduce costs, and cloud computing is being used or planned for use by more than 10% of corporations, according to Antonio Piraino, research director at Tier1 Research. It can be confusing and difficult to determine which cloud environment to use (see sidebar below for descriptions of the most popular types of clouds). There are few, if any, guidelines, and each company will almost certainly have a unique discussion about its choices because each will have varying requirements and different views of what cloud computing means. To take advantage of the new opportunities afforded by cloud computing, IT organizations have to learn... Read the article     Back to top                   Systems engineer deemed best job in America Better than the best place to live in America, being a systems engineer means you have the best Job! If you're a systems engineer who wonders whether you've chosen the right profession, I bring you good news. Please take a deep breath, stand up, and be prepared to leap so high, you will touch the sky. Then you will, perhaps, want to touch the Skyy. For a survey has declared that systems engineer is the best job in America. Focus.com, perhaps spurred on by the grumbling that can be heard from so many places of work in the world, performed this most important of tasks. The site first looked at more than 7,000 jobs. It then poured its eyes over... Read the article     Back to top                   Why no one cares about privacy anymore Everyone has a different acceptance of privacy levels, and in this world of instant communication with various media, the average acceptance level is changing. Google co-founder Sergey Brin adores the company's social network called Google Buzz. We know this because an engineer working five feet from Brin used Google Buzz to say so. "I just finished eating dinner with Sergey and four other Buzz engineers in one of Google's cafes," engineer John Costigan wrote a day after the Twitter-and-Facebook-esque service was announced. "He was particularly impressed with the smooth launch and the great media response it generated." You might call Brin's enthusiasm premature, especially since privacy criticisms prompted Google to make a series of quick changes a few days later. Activists have asked the Federal Trade Commission to "compel" Google to reprogram Buzz a third time to adhere to the no doubt well-informed specifications of Beltway lawyers. A class action lawsuit filed on behalf of an aggrieved second-year law student is underway. But a funny thing happened on the way to the courthouse: relatively few Google Buzz users seem to mind. Within four days of its launch,... Read the article     Back to top                   Cool speakers for your computer Slide Show: Fun new speakers to enhance your movies, videos and other computer media Computer speakers, stereo sound. Thanks to iTunes, Web radio, and sites like Pandora, more computers are doing double duty as stereos. Can these speakers do your music justice?... Read the article     Back to top                   Forward to a Friend: Do you have a friend that would like to receive TechWatchsm? Perhaps you know a peer within your organization, or associate at a partner company that would benefit from applying to receive this publication. Inviting a friend to experience the benefits of joining the BusinessWatch Network is easy! Just FW: this newsletter to the person you know who may have an interest and ask them to click here http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com Your friend will be glad you did! 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