While highly innovative in many dimensions, the mobile phone business in the US in at least one respect represents a curious throwback to a previous era. In 1968, the FCC issued a landmark decision, deciding that any communication device could be connected to the wire-line phone network as long as it did not damage the network. However, no such ruling applies to US wireless networks. 22 Jan 2008
The way forward for Business Process Management (BPM) involves better alignment between what the technology vendors think is required, and what the end users are actually looking to do with their solutions. 22 Jan 2008
Last year alone, software giants - Adobe, Oracle, Microsoft, SAP and many others - made hundreds of changes to their licensing rules and regulations. Keeping up to date with enterprise software licenses is not only a challenging task but also the most important step to remaining in compliance and protecting your IT budget. 21 Jan 2008
Standard lithium-ion batteries use graphite anodes that are capable of holding only a limited amount of charged lithium particles. The graphite anodes' limited capacity is chiefly responsible for the relatively brief charge life of lithium-ion batteries. Replacing the graphite anodes with silicon nanowires would increase the battery's charge storage capacity, Stanford researchers found. 21 Jan 2008
A record 17 satellites are to be launched in 2008 in the largest-ever concerted global effort to monitor the impact of climate change over the next few decades, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which is leading the initiative. 18 Jan 2008
Psitek has launched Kazang - a solution that takes electronic prepaid services to previously under-serviced communities in South Africa. 18 Jan 2008
At Macworld Tuesday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced a new movie rental model, iTunes Movie Rentals, that's designed to work with iTunes, Apple TV, iPhones and iPods. While it's not yet fully operational, the basics are available now. 18 Jan 2008
The announcement of the Centres of Expertise (CoE) Pilot Program at The Innovation Hub, Africa's first internationally accredited Science Park, includes a Call for Proposals from prospective consortiums to promote collaboration between industry, research, academic institutions and government in projects from the Aerospace, Information Communications Technology (ICT), and Biotechnology sectors. 16 Jan 2008
The most overlooked open source security vulnerabilities, according to Palamida researchers, occur in Apache Geronimo, JBoss Application Server, Libtiff, Net-SNMP and ZLIB. "The most popular projects appear in every test. This always surprises companies. There is from three to 10 times the use of open source code [in software enterprise uses] than companies realize," said Theresa Bui-Friday, cofounder of Palamida. 16 Jan 2008
Being able to see a readout of power consumption can lead to consumers using significantly less electricity, according to results from a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory experiment in the United States. In a similar PNNL study, home appliances equipped with technology to briefly shut them down automatically at peak moments of consumption also played a part in noticeably cutting participants' electricity bills. 15 Jan 2008
Touch-screens have been around for years, but gadget-makers have begun putting them into more and more devices. The iPhone played a big part in the trend by incorporating its multi-touch technology in a smartphone. It's not just handsets that are getting into the act, however. Cameras, gaming units and tablet PCs are only a few of the categories in which touch is growing in presence. 15 Jan 2008
There is a need for the IT manager to look beyond the ‘Green' marketing hype of the vendors and get to grips with the environmental challenges being faced by the organisation and the IT industry. 15 Jan 2008
Windows Vista users who have been chomping at the bit to join the beta test of its first service pack (SP1) can now download the software thanks to an apparent reversal late last week by Microsoft. 15 Jan 2008
Sahara Computers, local suppliers of digital lifestyle technology, has released its Extreme Gaming PC, built with the latest in high-end graphic, sound and processor technology. 15 Jan 2008
Sony said Thursday that it will stop selling the two original PlayStation 3 (PS3) models in Japan and focus on the new slimmed down version amid fierce competition from rival Nintendo. 14 Jan 2008
An announcement by Dutch game developer Engine Software that its first WiiWare game, "Project Bang", had the gaming blogosphere buzzing Wednesday about a March 2008 launch date for Nintendo's WiiWare, a game development and download portal, in Europe and possibly the US. 14 Jan 2008
Econet simcards have become the latest commodity not readily available in Zimbabwe but to flood markets in neighbouring countries. 11 Jan 2008
For a customer intent on renting rather than owning movies, visiting a store full of empty shelves and scratched DVDs is an exercise in frustration. Downloading movies on a rental basis could potentially solve the problem, if a service could do it right. iTunes has already mastered the art of selling music. If reports of a rental service pan out, does it have the power to kick the whole field into gear? 11 Jan 2008
‘Digital lifestyle' is a term to which many people can relate. Its prevalence in society as a way to describe the mass appeal and acquisition of next generation multi-media, multi-functional equipment reinforces the ubiquitous quality of the technology itself. 11 Jan 2008
"People are inherently selfish - they want to read about what directly affects them, such as local or community news," said Steve Boriss, associate director at Washington University's Center for the Application of Information Technology. He envisions a future news community consisting of millions of local sites that use technologies similar to RSS feeds to deliver content. 10 Jan 2008
