February 20, 2012
by sjvn01
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The CIO and Patent Lawsuits

The recent Bilski Supreme Court decision has made it far, far too likely that your company may face a patent lawsuit at some point.

You may think that the last thing on earth that could happen to your company would be that your business might be sued because it used a particular software program. You’d be wrong.

In the aftermath of the Bilski Supreme Court decision, the Supreme Court did nothing to stop software or business method patents. As a result, not only software development companies but all businesses are now in more danger from patent lawsuits than ever before.

That’s because as Keith Bergelt CEO of the Open Invention Network (OIN), a non-profit, patent-protection consortium, observed, “Patent lawsuits have been doubling for the last three to five years, and I expect this trend to contribute.”

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February 17, 2012
by sjvn01
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Porn, Death, and the Internet in Iran

What is it with Iran? Do they want to alienate the entire world? As Violet Blue reports, Iran is getting ready to execute Web developer Saeed Malekpour for allegedly building and maintaining porn websites. What he really did was help write a script that’s part of generic Web photo uploader. At the same time, Iran boasts of further nuclear enrichment advances; seems to be attempting terrorist attacks; and is saber rattling in Persian Gulf. What do Iranian citizens think about this? It’s hard to say. Iran is continuing to censor the Internet.

For more than a week now, Iran has locked down almost all Internet services that use the HTTPS protocol for security. Google has confirmed that Iran started blocking such services as Gmail and YouTube starting on February 10th. This may have been to stop protests on the anniversary of the arrest of Green movement leaders Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi on February 14th for contesting the results of the disputed 2009 presidential vote. In addition, Iran will be holding parliamentary elections on March 2nd.

Iran makes no pretense about trying to censor the Internet. Government officials say, for example, that Google offers Iranians “online criminal content.” Amin Sabeti, a British Iranian IT blogger, said the Iranian government wanted to create its own version of the Internet because it viewed the Internet as an enemy. According to the New York Times, Mr. Sabeti said, “One of the members of Iran’s Internet filtering council said Google is using SSL and we cannot monitor it, therefore we’ve blocked Gmail and Google’s services.”

Porn, Death, and the Internet in Iran” More >

February 15, 2012
by sjvn01
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Windows 8’s five biggest enemies

We’re finding out more and more about Windows 8 as its beta release approaches. And, you know what? The more I find out, the more I feel secure about saying Windows 8 will be a flop.

I’ve already explained in general terms I think Windows 8 will follow in Vista’s footprints as a strategic failure. Here’s specifically, from least important to most important, are the operating systems and platforms that will ensure Windows 8 be a non-starter.

Windows 8’s five biggest enemies: More >

February 14, 2012
by sjvn01
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Linux: It’s where the jobs are

The job market is still only slowing shifting back into gear, but the IT job market is still doing better than the general market. And, guess which technology is doing especially well for would-be IT employees? If you said, “Linux,” you’d be right.

According to a survey by The Linux Foundation and Dice, the top technology job site of more than 2,000 hiring managers at corporations, small and medium Businesses (SMBs), government organizations, and staffing agencies from across the globe” slightly more than eighty percent of companies that use Linux are making hiring Linux professionals a priority.

The 2012 Linux Jobs Report(PDF link) found:

Demand for Linux talent is on the rise, but finding those professionals is difficult.

Eight in 10 (81%) survey respondents say that hiring Linux talent is a priority in 2012. This pressing matter is particularly evident when Linux demand is compared to hiring in other skill sets: 63 percent of hiring managers are increasing Linux hires relative to jobs created in other skill areas. The issue? A full 85 percent say finding Linux talent is somewhat to very difficult, making Linux professionals some of the most sought talent in 2012.

Linux: It’s where the jobs are: More >

February 13, 2012
by sjvn01
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Apple’s Android nightmare: Google’s Motorola purchase gets EU OK

There are two major kinds of patent lawsuits. On the one side, there are the patent trolls, like Eolas making fundamental Web technology claims . Here, the idea is to use flimsy patents to collect hundreds of millions from the businesses that actually use ideas to make a product or service. Then, there’s what Apple has been trying to do to Samsung and other Android vendors: Sue them out of the marketplace. Apple’s not been successful at this, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying. Indeed, Apple is trying to block Samsung from selling the first Android Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) phone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, in the U.S. Apple’s lawsuit happy ways may soon come to an end though. The European Union (EU) has cleared Google’s proposed purchase of Motorola Mobility.

Why would this make a difference? Because Google won’t have the patents it needed to fight Apple until its purchase of Motorola goes through. Getting permission from the EU was the deal’s biggest stumbling block. Now, it’s almost a sure thing. And, in this second class of patent lawsuits, where software patents are merely ammunition for business wars. Google needed the Motorola’s patent ammo to fight off Apple’s patent claims.

Apple’s Android nightmare: Google’s Motorola purchase gets EU OK: More >

February 10, 2012
by sjvn01
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Iran cuts off access to popular Web sites

CNET’s Charles Cooper is reporting that Iran is cutting its citizens off from many major Web services and sites. You’d think authoritative governments would learn from the lessons of the Arab Spring. Egypt, Libya, and Syria all turned off the Internet. Egypt and Libya now have new governments and Syria is fighting a civil war. Cutting off the people off from the Internet is clearing such a smart move.

Unlike Egypt, Libya, and Syria, though Iran hasn’t simply turned off external Internet access. Instead, the Iranian government appears to be blocking access to popular, external e-mails services such as Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo. In addition access to at least one major social network, Facebook, seems to have been cut.

Iran cuts off access to popular Web sites More >

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