IT Management » The UK Riots, RIM and the Price of Privacy

As rioters in the UK use devices like BlackBerry phones to exchange messages, Research In Motion says it will help police in monitoring its communication systems. Though its decision has drawn some support, critics question whether assisting police to peek in on personal messages is an invasion of privacy. London's burning, and it may lead to a clampdown on social media 6 Ways to Use Social Media for Business. Free Guide. in the UK. UK Prime...

IT Management » New CRM Chat Tools Give Instant Gratification

LiveChat adoption has been growing exponentially as customer support services look for more efficiency in their call center environments, SAID CEO Mariusz Cieply. "First of all, one agent can talk to up to five customers at a time, and users love having a way to chat via instant messaging." Facebook Connect promises to increase that efficiency even more. Recent announcements in the CRM space have been all about crossing bridges to streamline...

IT Management » A Standard Is Born

Open Automated Compliance Expert Markup Language is built to automate security and save costs. "If you think about PCI DSS, it defines pretty tightly what your cardholder data environment consists of," said The Open Group's Jim Hietala. "In terms of O-ACEML, it could be networking devices, servers, storage equipment, or any sort of IT device." The Open Automated Compliance Expert Markup Language (O-ACEML) is a new standard that helps enterprises...

IT Management » Why Video Conferencing Sucks

Understanding human interaction isn't easy. We tend to be complex and very different. The reason we aren't doing video conferencing calls regularly is partially because these systems don't interoperate, but it is mostly because these systems don't embrace the way we actually like to communicate. I've been covering video conferencing (now often called "telepresence") products since the late 80s and saw my first offering in the mid-60s as a child...

IT Management » FCC to Scrutinize BART's Cellphone Block

The Bay Area Rapid Transit system, or BART, will reportedly come under the FCC's microscope following the block that the public transportation system put on mobile devices inside its stations. BART says it instituted the block to keep a public protest from growing out of hand. That decision spawned further protests and may have violated the law. The U.S. Federal Communications Communication (FCC) reportedly intends to investigate the Bay Area...

Internet » The Google+ Gaming Gold Rush

"Developers seem to think that [Google+] is not going to go the way of Buzz or Orkut, and that Google+ does have a future, so ultimately what they're trying to do is be there before the flood of competition arrives and ... it'll be hard to shake them loose. They'll have loyal fans, and that way when it's time to launch titles 2, 3, 4 and 5 -- when there are 100 million users -- they'll be in a much better position." Technology analyst Scott Steinberg...

Internet » Kindle Cloud Reader Takes Web Apps to New Heights

Amazon has released a Web version of its popular Kindle e-reader app that's optimized for the iPad. Of course, Amazon also has a native Kindle app in Apple's App Store. But in releasing a Web-based version, Amazon isn't held to certain Apple rules regarding how it sells Kindle books. And the Web version of Kindle is so similar to the native app that it's definitely worth a look. It's been a really long time since I've used a Web app on iOS. Before...

Internet » Feds Stumble on Social Media Security, Privacy

"We want to continue to encourage the federal government to embrace technology, including social media, to better serve the public and save taxpayer dollars," said Sen. Tom Carper. "But as we encourage this utilization of technology, we also have to strive to maintain the security of information." U.S. government agencies are moving quickly to incorporate social media 6 Ways to Use Social Media for Business. Free Guide. into their IT programs....

Computing » Google's Motorola Marriage to Come With Big Patent Dowry

Google wants to pony up $12.5 billion to acquire Android handset maker Motorola Mobility. Buying Motorola would give Google thousands of patents that could provide it with a great deal of protection; it would also give it the ability to produce its own mobile hardware. Other Android phone makers have expressed support for the deal, though privately they may be very nervous. Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) announced Monday it intends to purchase Motorola...

Computing » Google-Motorola Deal Rattles the Competition

There's little doubt that Google's acquisition of Motorola will have a dramatic effect on the mobile device competition, but there's precious little consensus as to how that drama will unfold. It could be good news for Nokia. "If the other hardware companies move to Microsoft because of the Motorola deal, they will be behind Nokia," noted 451 Group analyst Chris Hazelton. The deal Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) announced Monday -- to acquire Motorola...