Articles selected in May 2003
==== 2003-05-28 ====
==TechRepublic ==
Successors to the Floppy Drive
Peter Parsons discusses several possible successors to the floppy drive.
Find out if any of them meet your specific data management needs, and
learn whether your organization is actually ready to replace the floppy
with a newer technology.
[ Click here.. ]
DUPLICATE A HARD DRIVE WITH A FLOPPY DISK
You don't need imaging software and a CD-RW drive to duplicate a hard
drive. Here's a simple process that requires nothing more than a bootable
floppy disk and the right cables to copy the data.
[ Click here.. ]
DON'T BE TOO QUICK TO DUMP THE FLOPPY
While CD-R/RW drives and USB storage devices are slowly sending the
3.5-inch floppy into extinction, one IT pro thinks the disk's demise is
premature. Find out why he believes the floppy still has no equal.
[ Click here.. ]
WEIGH ALL THE PROS AND CONS BEFORE TAKING AN ILL-FITTING PROMOTION
When one IT manager admits that a possible new promotion won't be as
gratifying as the manager's current role, career expert Molly Joss points
out the many issues to consider before just blindly moving ahead.
[ Click here.. ]
GIVE USERS REMOTE ACCESS TO MAIL AND FILES WITH LOUDPC
If you need a simple solution for users who must have remote access,
LoudPC is a good choice. This client application installs quickly and allows
users to access files and e-mail from a variety of devices.
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-27 ====
== Attache' ==
Sekunjalo to sue Deloitte & Touche
Empowerment firm Sekunjalo Investments Limited announced on Monday it
had instructed its attorneys to institute an action for R200-million
damages against auditing firm Deloitte & Touche relating to its losses
as a result of the liquidation of Leisurenet.
[ Click here.. ]
UK 'fat cats' face inquiry
British parliamentarians plan a public inquiry into executive pay, amid
rising public anger over high awards to bosses who have presided over
failing companies and sliding share prices, according to reports. Europe's
top drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc was left licking its wounds last week,
after being hit by the country's biggest ever shareholder revolt over
executive pay.
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-26 ====
== Mentalhelp.net ==
Suicide Watch
[ Click here.. ]
Four Out Of Five Young People Facing Mental Health-Care
Issues Do Not Seek Help Or Even Talk About Their Problems,
Experts Say. Suicide is the third leading cause of death
among people ages 15 to 24, claiming more than 5,000 young
people each year, according to the National Mental Health
Awareness Campaign.
... Lithium May Have Role In Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease
[ Click here.. ]
Lithium, used for decades to treat manic depression, has
been shown in mice to block the production of proteins that
form deposits in the brains of Alzheimer's patients,
suggesting a potential role for the drug in treating the
disease.
Study Shows Significant Improvement In Functional Impairment
With Paxil CR(TM) In The Treatment Of Social Anxiety Disorder
[ Click here.. ]
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/22/2003 -- Social
anxiety disorder patients treated with Paxil
(paroxetine HCl) Controlled Release showed significant
improvements in the symptoms of the condition and in the
three domains of functional impairment: work, social and
family life, according to a study released today at the
156th annual American Psychiatric Association meeting in
San Francisco, CA.
== iafrica.com TMP ==
World Press Photo
The World Press Photo contest is the premier annual international
competition in the field of photojournalism. On the official site
you can browse through the winning pictures, from the World Press
Photo of the Year to winners in various fields such as sports, the
arts, people in the news and daily life. Fascinating, and often
very moving and thought-provoking stuff that proves the power in
pictures...
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-23 ====
== Computerworld ==
--- Offshore Outsourcing of Development etc. ----
Offshore Coding Work Raises Security Concerns
IT professionals are questioning the wisdom of the U.S. software
industry's practice of outsourcing development to overseas firms, where
it's impossible to know exactly who's working on it.
[ Click here.. ]
Group Touts Vermont As Outsourcing Alternative
The state is seeking to attract IT work by offering low-cost labor. But
competing against Canada, with its favorable currency exchange rate,
will be difficult.
[ Click here.. ]
Harvard Event Showcases Russia As Outsourcing Site
Representatives from Russian IT outsourcing firms say their country
should be considered a low-cost destination for high-quality software
development.
[ Click here.. ]
---- ----
Looking for a new IT Career?
ITCareers.com jobs database is now powered by CareerJournal.com, the
Internet's premier, free career site for IT professionals, executives
and managers. IT Professionals can post their profiles on ITCareers.com
because it offers the web's most confidential resume/profile database.
Employers see only the profile information for each candidate and the
candidate decides whether to respond to an employer. If you are an
employer and have a variety of job openings, consider becoming a
corporate member and post an unlimited number of jobs on
[ Click here.. ]
IT Workforce Demand Lowest In Four Years
But the study, by the Information Technology Association of America,
indicates that companies have downsized about as much as they can.
[ Click here.. ]
IT SALARIES AND SKILLS
What skills do you need to be a network manager? A wireless
developer?
What would you be paid? Check out this roundup of IT positions from
our monthly Knowledge Center special reports.
[ Click here.. ]
A Survival Plan For The Unemployed Job Hunter
Computerworld editor Brian Sullivan's personal rules for surviving a
layoff.
[ Click here.. ]
== iafrica.com : Cooltech ==
Scientists to sequence canine genome
[ Click here.. ]
With the decoding of bee and monkey genomes now nearing completion, US
researchers next month plan to begin sequencing the genome of a dog on
the long road to understanding the maze of human genetics.
A world first for remote surgery
Australia's top kidney specialist helped doctors in New Zealand carry
out a delicate operation on Monday without leaving his office, in what
is believed to be the first remote surgical procedure of its kind
carried out across international borders.
Napster on verge of comeback?
[ Click here.. ]
Bankrupt internet song-swapping service Napster, skewered by the courts
for encouraging piracy, may be on the verge of a comeback through a
marriage with Pressplay, The New York Times reported on Monday.
Cloning: a three-day cloning conference in Berlin this week...
[ Click here.. ]
Movie: Matrix Reloaded
..check out our image gallery
or download the
Matrix Reloaded 3D Screensaver
== ITWeb ==
SA wireless hotspots lack business case
With wireless, technical problems are the most easily resolved, and regulatory
relaxation is a matter of time. It is the revenue-sharing model that is most
difficult to overcome, says Siemens, commenting on worldwide wireless growth figures.
[ Click here.. ]
== Computerworld ==
IBM Launches Mobile Application 'Jumpstart' Kit
IBM is hoping companies to test drive its mobile middleware with a
starter version of its Web Everyplace Access and hardware from Palm.
[ Click here.. ]
== ITWeb ==
Spammers love 'Microsoft support' worm
In today's technology roundup: Spammers love the "Microsoft support" worm;
US broadband still strong; and FCC gets too cosy with regulated industries.
[ Click here.. ]
Microsoft grows database sales
Microsoft was the only company to show significant growth in database software
sales in 2002, even as the overall market declined, says Gartner.
[ Click here.. ]
Sun initiates Project Orion
Sun Microsystems has begun the Project Orion initiative to approach the
design, development and delivery of software in a different way.
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-21 ====
== Computerworld ==
The Virtual Me, The Next Step In Wireless Development
Mark Straton, a senior vice president at Siemens, says we are entering
an era of "The Virtual Me." It is an era that could have as great an
impact as the Industrial Revolution, he says.
[ Click here.. ]
Verizon Unwires New York With Wi-Fi Access Points
In a bid to attract subscribers to its Verizon Online Internet access
service, Verizon today turned on 150 Wi-Fi access points located in its
pay-phone kiosks around New York City.
[ Click here.. ]
Nokia, MasterCard Test Wireless Payment
The two companies plan to begin a market trial of the mobile-commerce
technology in Texas later this month.
[ Click here.. ]
Poll: Americans Like Computers For Home Entertainment
Apple's 'digital hub' idea, unveiled in 2001, seems to be taking hold
among consumers.
[ Click here.. ]
== BBC ==
Ghosts 'all in the mind'
People's ghostly perceptions can be put down to the way they react to their surroundings, a study suggests.
[ Click here.. ]
Consultants consider industrial action
Senior hospital doctors are to discuss taking industrial action over their proposed new contract.
[ Click here.. ]
Tea 'may fight tooth decay'
Drinking tea may ward off tooth decay and bad breath, according to researchers.
[ Click here.. ]
Warning over food supplement
The supplement beta-carotene may increase the risk of bowel cancer, researchers warn.
[ Click here.. ]
School tests overhaul to ease stress
Primary school tests are to be reformed amid concerns from parents and teachers that they cause too much stress.
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-20 ====
== ITWeb ==
Microsoft to license SCO operating system
Microsoft said yesterday it will license the rights to a rival Unix
computer operating system from SCO Group, sending SCO's shares
soaring 40%. [Tuesday, 20 May 2003]
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-19 ====
== ITWeb ==
Mugg & Bean adds wireless to menu
Mugg & Bean restaurants are adding wireless Internet access to their
menu, following a deal with M-Web. [Friday, 16 May 2003]
[ Click here.. ]
Shell GeoStar upgraded
The Shell GeoStar online map and route planning service has been
upgraded to offer users more functionality. [Friday, 16 May 2003]
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-16 ====
== CoolTech from iafrica.com ==
HEALTH
Rice developed as diabetes treatment
[ Click here.. ]
Japanese laboratories have developed rice plants that could free serious
diabetes patients from regular insulin injections by promoting their own
bodies' production of the key hormone. It's believed to be the first
time that a foodstuff has been developed as an effective treatment for diabetes.
== ITWeb Lite ==
Health LITE
Studies have found that three-quarters of young people who regularly go
clubbing experience signs of hearing damage after a night out.
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-15 ====
== TechRepublic ==
DEALING WITH MORALE DILEMMAS AND TOUGH STAFFING DECISIONS
CIO Republic's HR expert Peter Woolford explains why you should support
a team member's quest to move into another department, as well why you
need to cut dead weight even if new replacements aren't on the agenda.
Don't miss this article's recent discussion posts.
[ Click here.. ]
See also articles in the Drake Business Review
[ Click here.. ]
THE CTO ROLE IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE
The glory days of CTOs seem to be a thing of the past, with few CTO job
openings and lower salaries becoming par for this career course.
Nonetheless, for those who dream of being a CTO, there are a few paths that could
still lead to the top.
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-14 ====
== Computerworld ==
Make 'The CIO's Guide to Wireless' your roadmap to wireless success.
Get smart with chapters on wireless devices, architectures, networks,
terms and more.
For a free copy, click below:
[ Click here.. ]
Wi-Fi: Why And Why Not
Wi-Fi will have a great year in 2003. But you need to think about the
size of your company before you join the rush to deploy it.
[ Click here.. ]
WLAN Security Still Vexes IT
One of the big topics of discussion at Computerworld's Mobile
& Wireless World conference was the proliferation of unauthorized
WLAN access points and other security threats -- and what IT managers
can do to fight them.
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-09 ====
== iafrica.com Cooltech Newsletter ==
South Africa's first cloned animal steps out
Well, it's finally happened. South Africa has joined the cloning race
by producing Africa's first cloned animal a black and white Holstein
calf named Futhi. The successful cloning has been hailed by wildlife
conservationists, who say it opens new prospects for the preservation
of endangered species on the continent.
... two-and-a-half-week-old heifer, made her media debut on four sturdy
black-and-white spotted legs on Wednesday.
[ Click here.. ]
See also:
[ Click here.. ]
Microsoft goes to the toilet
US software titan, Microsoft, has announced that its renowned technology
has finally gone into the toilet. The high-tech firm plans to replace the
newspaper as the favourite choice for toilet reading matter, with
state-of-the art wireless internet access...
[ Click here.. ]
Phones too irie for Oz fair
Mobile phone covers impregnated with "high quality marijuana smoke" were
removed from an Australian trade fair in Sydney on Tuesday after a politician
raised his objection to them during his opening speech.
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-08 ====
== Meta Group ==
Offshore Outsourcing Subtleties. As offshore outsourcing gathers immense
market awareness and media coverage, IT organizations are becoming more
aware of the subtle challenges that lie beneath the surface of
cost-of-labor advantages. Offshore outsourcing offers many advantages
for firms but also carries risks and requires changes to both the IT
organization and business operations to realize potential savings.
[ Click here.. ]
== ITWeb 24 Apr. ==
OUTSOURCED
Packaging group Nampak has awarded Comparex Africa a three-year outsourcing
contract worth R70 million. Iain Scott reports.
[ Click here.. ]
== KidsHealth ==
What Is a Gene?
Why does one kid has green eyes and another kid's eyes are brown? It's all in
the genes! This article for kids has all you need to know about how genes
work, what happens when there are problems with genes, and more.
[ Click here.. ]
What to Do If You Can't Sleep
Everyone - from infants to older adults - needs a certain amount of sleep to
be alert and get through the day. Without that sleep, symptoms like
irritability, inability to concentrate, and even depression are common.
[ Click here.. ]
==== 2003-05-01 ====
== CNN : Space ==
BRITS SEEK MISSING WIMPS OF UNIVERSE
British scientists equipped with state-of-the-art detectors
deep underground in northern England have begun a search for
one of the most tantalizing secrets of the universe -- Dark Matter.
[ Click here.. ]
== CNN ==
VIRGINIA THREATENS SPAMMERS WITH JAIL
Internet mavens who clog computers with massive volumes of unsolicited
e-mail pitches now risk landing in prison and losing their riches under
a tough Virginia law signed Tuesday.
[ Click here.. ]
== Computerworld ==
Can Spam Be Stopped?
Panelists at a three-day Federal Trade Commission forum suggested
better technology, new Internet plumbing and antispam laws.
[ Click here.. ]
E-business So Far
Two Wharton School authors talk about the ups and downs of e-business.
[ Click here.. ]
IBM Expands 'On-demand' Product Portfolio
The products announced today include storage virtualization technology
and "pay-as-you-grow" offerings for storage and blade server systems.
[ Click here.. ]
== iafrica.com ==
Melancholy tops Brit music poll
[ Click here.. ]
Ruling keeps web music-swapping alive
[ Click here.. ]
== Mail & Guardian ==
Search continues for bus disaster victims
Police divers began searching for more bodies in the
Saulspoort Dam outside Bethlehem at 8am on Friday after
Thursday's horror bus accident. Bethlehem emergency services
confirmed that 51 bodies had been recovered so far.
[ Click here.. ]
Children trapped in Turkish quake
Turkish rescue workers battled last night to find 84 children
buried under the rubble of a school boarding house that collapsed
during an earthquake which killed more than 100 people.
[ Click here.. ]
Pot and porn account for 10% of US economy
Marijuana, pornography and illegal labour have created a hidden
market in the United States which now accounts for as much as
10% of the American economy, according to a study.
[ Click here.. ]
US coughs up $15bn for world fight against Aids
The US House of Representatives has passed a $15-billion bill that
would more than double US contributions to the worldwide fight against Aids.
[ Click here.. ]
== BBC ==
Sars gene code confirmed
Scientists confirm they have identified the genes that
make up the deadly Sars virus.
[ Click here.. ]
China fears 'many more' Sars cases
New cases of the deadly virus are likely to continue at about 100
per day, a Beijing health official warns.
[ Click here.. ]
Use of shock therapy restricted
Electric shock therapy should only be used on patients
as a last resort, rules an NHS watchdog.
[ Click here.. ]
Fibre slashes cancer risk
Doubling fibre intake almost halves the risk of developing
bowel cancer, research suggests.
[ Click here.. ]
Poor reading damaging DIY efforts
DIY enthusiasts are making miscalculations and errors worth millions of pounds, a survey finds.
[ Click here.. ]
== mylife@bluebean daily newsletter ==
ON THESE DAYS
A few facts for trivia buffs for the weekend ....
Today 9 years ago, the ANC claimed victory in SA's first fully democratic elections;
Berlin fell to the Allies in 1945; and
Leonardo da Vinci passed away in 1519 (a true Renaissance Man ..... though still dead
as far as we know); and
birthday greetings for Bianca Jagger (first wife of Rolling Stone Mick),
the late Dr Spock (the big-minded paediatrician, not the big-eared Star Trek character),
the even later Manfred von Richthofen (the WW1 flying ace known as the Red Baron), and
for singer Lesley Gore (don't expect an invitation to the party however:
she's still a bit cut up about what happened at the last one).
Tomorrow 24 years ago saw Margaret Thatcher become Britain's first prime minister to wear
a dress (in public at least); and
Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind" apparently won a Pulitzer Prize in 1937.
And it will be birthday time for the great (and original) Soul Man James Brown (69),
crooner Engelbert Humperdinck is 66, and 51 years for Christopher Cross (real name?
Can any parent REALLY call their son Chris Cross and expect him to survive school?)
And extraordinarily well-paid footballer David Beckham is 28.
May 3rd was also the birthday of late boxing legend Sugar Ray Robinson (1921 - 1989), and
of former Israeli PM Golda Meir (1898 - 1978). Legend has it that Nixon once offered her
any two of his top generals in return for her legendary Defence Minister,
General Moshe Dayan. "Sure, " she said sagely;
"I'll take General Motors and General Electric!"
And anniversaries on Sunday: the real estate boom started when the Dutch discovered
Manhattan in 1626; Al Capone went to prison in 1932 (for tax evasion); more regional
surrenders of German forces in 1945; and in 1994 the historic Palestinian autonomy
accord was signed between PLO leader Yasser Arafat and ill-fated Israeli PM
Yitshak Rabin.
And May 4th birthdays: Egyptian Prezz Hosni Mubarak will be 74.
Late actress Audrey Hepburn would have been 74. And
Bartolomeo Cristofori, credited with inventing the piano, was born in 1655.
==== 2003-05-29 ====
== Mail & Guardian ==
Eyeball to eyeball, African to African
Chris Staals, South Africa's last white central bank governor and
Graca Machel, were among six people picked on Wednesday for
Africa's first peer-review body, charged with pressing the continent's
leaders to end wars and corruption.
[ Click here.. ]
The street children who live and die like vermin
Selvyn says he is 14 but he looks about eight. His feet are bare,
his clothes torn and his eyes heavy with the effects of sniffing
a powerful glue. His home is nearby, beneath the stars and beside
a municipal rubbish dump.
[ Click here.. ]
Now Stutterheim family claim Happy Sindane
An East London daily newspaper says it has tracked down what
appears to be the real family of the teenager in the centre of
a saga that has caught the imagination of the entire country.
[ Click here.. ]
Smoking ban could close cannabis cafés
For the Netherlands' famous network of cannabis-peddling coffee
shops the high times could be about to be stubbed out -- for good.
[ Click here.. ]
== CNET ==
Munich breaks with Windows for Linux
The German city decides to switch a significant proportion of
its computers from Windows to the open-source operating
system, despite an aggressive pitch from Microsoft.
[ Click here.. ]
Special Report: Digital remix
A generation from now, 2003 may be seen as a year that
redefined pop music. This three-day series examines elements
of the music universe that were unthinkable only a few years
ago.
[ Click here.. ]
Growth seen for storage software market
[ Click here.. ]
Online retail sales up 26 percent
[ Click here.. ]
Philips, Visa team on wireless pay-card
[ Click here.. ]
MEDIA - State of the art: A medium reborn
[ Click here.. ]
Memory makers pick up xD media format
[ Click here.. ]
Report: Web services to alter consulting
Growth in Web services will force computer-services companies
to dramatically scale back some business areas and focus on
other tasks, a researcher reports.
[ Click here.. ]
== ITWeb ==
PLANNING AHEAD: a 10-year roadmap for Web services
The Meta Group's Metamorphosis conference at Caesars Gauteng today
focused on a 10-year roadmap for Web services. Carel Alberts reports.
[ Click here.. ]
OUT WITH THE OLD
People managing technology should have a strategy to retire applications
instead of buying and implementing new applications, and then spending
too much time on trying to integrate them, says Jean-Louis Previdi,
research director of Meta Group EMEA. Ranka Jovanovic reports.
[ Click here.. ]
== TechRepublic ==
WIN OVER OLDER STAFF MEMBERS BY TAKING ON THE FACILITATOR ROLE
Managing a staff of seasoned pros gets a little tricky when you're the
youngest one on your team. Here's how to keep this situation from becoming
a career landmine.
[ Click here.. ]
OPTIONS FOR A CIO DEALING WITH EMPLOYEE'S BAD ATTITUDE
Modifying the unproductive, toxic behavior of one of your staff members
can be accomplished if you choose the right method of working with the
employee one on one.
[ Click here.. ]
== CNN Computing ==
PROPOSED LAW: $500 PER UNWANTED SPAM
The California State Senate approved a bill that would make it
illegal to send unsolicited e-mail advertising and allows
people to sue so-called spammers for $500 per unwanted message.
[ Click here.. ]
Lawmakers, tech industry push spam law
[ Click here.. ]
Anti-spam plea to 'dump the junk'
[ Click here.. ]
MOST DOWNLOADED PROGRAM ON WEB?
Sharman Networks said its Kazaa file-sharing software was on
track to set a record as the most-popular free program on the
Internet, with over 230 million downloads and counting.
[ Click here.. ]
SONY UNVEILS NEW GAME MACHINE
Sony unveiled a game machine that puts a TV tuner, DVD recorder
and game player in a single box. But the company didn't say
when it might unveil a whole new generation of devices.
[ Click here.. ]
Surprise! PlayStation 2.5
[ Click here.. ]
VIDEO GAME 'MYST' MAKES A COMEBACK
A decade ago, the adventure game "Myst" redefined what was
possible on a home computer. Now Myst is entering the
burgeoning world of multiplayer online games.
[ Click here.. ]
== iafrica.com Cooltech ==
Video games can be good for you
Video games, say detractors, are prone to turn young adults into socially
dysfunctional geeks or angry misfits. But a pair of brain scientists have
leapt to the defence of Lara Croft, Spider-Man, the Matrix and Zombie
Revenge, saying they have found some video games give a remarkable boost
to visual skills.
[ Click here.. ]