Articles by Jay Lyman

The perceived impact of the Linux licensing claims by Unix software maker SCO on enterprise use of the open-source OS, much like the recommended response to SCO, is split, according to industry analysts The legal posturing in the dispute, which began when SCO filed suit in March against IBM, claiming Unix source code from SCO was unlawfully incorpo...

Enhancements to the OpenGL graphics application programming interface (API) will mean faster rendering and more realistic graphics in conjunction with the latest graphics hardware, according to SGI, which unveiled the OpenGL 1.5 specification Monday SGI and the OpenGL Architecture Review Board (ARB) said the update includes the new OpenGL Shading L...

Nine days after Microsoft warned of a widespread Windows flaw, a program to exploit it has been published online by a group based in China, representing one of the shortest times between warning and worm. The exploit code, published by a group known as Xfocus, is not technically a worm itself, but it could be used to create a malicious program tha...

Despite SCO's claims that IBM is using SCO source code in its Linux products, Big Blue is offering Linux for free to customers who are using its pSeries servers The giveaway of a free license for SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8, limited to one per customer, might just be a marketing ploy, but it might also represent a show of confidence in the face ...

Sprint (NYSE: PCS) has unveiled a Windows Mobile-based PCS phone -- developed by Hitachi -- that touts the familiarity of the Microsoft Windows computing environment and the ability to communicate and connect to the Internet in a single, converged device The Hitachi G1000 combines the Pocket PC Phone Edition operating system with Sprint's nationwid...

Despite skepticism from several Linux supporters, Unix software maker SCO has reiterated its claims that the Linux kernel -- versions 2.4.x and later -- incorporates the company's own proprietary source code. SCO has called on Linux users to purchase licenses to avoid copyright infringement Lindon, Utah-based SCO has been in a legal battle with IBM...

A new legal music download service for PCs has been unveiled, boasting the largest legitimate online catalog of songs to date, but BuyMusic.com still might be hampered because it lacks the freedom offered by free file-sharing networks, experts said. Aliso Viejo, California-based BuyMusic.com will sell tracks from its growing list of 300,000 songs ...

Responding to recent judicial and legislative efforts to sue and prosecute users of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks, opponents of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) are calling for protests The RIAA recently moved forward on its threat to sue individual users of popular P2P networks by issuing subpoenas to Internet servic...

Korean electronics giant Samsung has announced a new mobile processor with a clock speed of 533 MHz. The company called the new processor the "world's fastest mobile CPU" and promised it will offer new functions and services for mobile phones and PDAs Samsung said the new mobile processor, designed for improved handheld performance and power effici...

Transmeta has announced it is on track to release its newest processor, the TM8000, this fall. The company is aiming the new processor, codenamed "Astro," at mainstream notebook computers and a wide range of portable power- and heat-sensitive form factors. The new chip represents a dramatic change in architecture for the Santa Clara, California-ba...

A software flaw in routers discovered by networking giant Cisco has forced Internet carriers and others to apply fixes quickly before attackers cause network outages by exploiting the vulnerability. Exploit code that takes advantage of the flaw was released early Friday morning, and networks using the Cisco routers and switches were being attacked...

Legislation introduced into the U.S. Congress this week would make uploading a file to a peer-to-peer (P2P) network a felony with penalties of up to US$250,000 in fines and five years in prison The bill, sponsored by Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Michigan) and Rep. Howard Berman (D-California), is aimed at closing loopholes in current copyright legisla...

Microsoft has warned of critical flaws in nearly all versions of its Windows operating systems. According to the company, the flaws could leave millions of computers vulnerable to attack While computers would still be protected by firewalls and blocked ports, security experts expressed concern that the widely used Microsoft software is likely to be...

Several computer and Internet security experts warned this week that while threats are on the rise and the lag time between vulnerability and attack is shrinking, government and the private sector have failed to team effectively on Internet security, leaving infrastructure and systems susceptible Internet Security Systems reported in its quarterly ...

IBM and Cisco are continuing their collaboration on storage area networks (SANs), touting long-distance connectivity and cost savings through the new Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP) protocol The two companies claim the Cisco MDS 9000 IP Storage Services Module, which will be resold by IBM, will provide long-distance SAN connectivity across existing in...

Complementing its recent wireless push -- spearheaded by the company's new Centrino mobile chips -- Intel has announced it is developing fixed wireless silicon products designed to extend the reach of mobile networking. The Santa Clara, California-based chip giant said that the wireless broadband equipment, to be based on the new 802.16a standard,...

IT pay has been hammered by the reversal of stock option fortunes, increased overseas outsourcing and the dismal economy in general, but experts say technology workers can still command a decent salary in some fields without becoming CIO Analysts pointed to new technologies and programming -- among them Java, XML, Web services, software on demand a...

Wall Street has battered tech stocks for more than a year, so one might think the Nasdaq would be littered with bargains. But recent gains in the tech sector have wiped away many of the best opportunities, and few stocks are still undervalued, according to analysts, who suggested that even over the long term, tech is unlikely to pay dividends "Tech...

In some ways, it is easier than ever to build an e-commerce site. As technology has matured, its price has fallen. However, the growing need to integrate a site's business operations -- such as ordering, sales and call center functions -- has raised the bar, even as the number of e-commerce technology providers has dwindled On balance, what awaits ...

Pop-up ads can interrupt, slow or even ruin a Web search or news headline scan, but these annoying products of the online ad slump can be eliminated using a number of methods -- including free, third-party software that deflects unwanted browser windows While experts say there has not been a pronounced surge in downloads of pop-up killing (PUK) sof...