An explosion of data and the availability of storage systems that can help businesses tackle data protection and business continuity issues drove a record year of growth for the disk storage systems in 2005, according to IDC.

IDC's 2005 Worldwide External Disk report stated that storage system sales worldwide jumped nearly 18% to $4.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2005 from the year-ago quarter, and for the year grew 12% to $16 billion from the prior year.

"We've seen kind of blasé growth since the bottom fell out in 2001; it's nice to see that throughout 2005 we were accelerating," said Brad Nisbet, program manager, IDC Storage Systems, in Framingham, Mass.

Sales of midrange systems, which IDC defines as priced between $50,000 and $149,999, were especially strong, said Nisbet.

"The sweet spot continues to be midrange products," he said. "A lot of the features and functionality once only in the high end has migrated its way down to lower segments of market. That, combined with the fact that many midrange products offer multiple tiers of storage, is driving the growth."

Multiple-tiered storage is helping users to address such challenges as data protection and business continuity, Nisbet said.

EMC Corp. held the lead in the external storage systems market in the fourth quarter, taking about 21% of the market. Behind EMC was Hewlett-Packard Co., with 18%, and IBM, with 16%, which both showed marked improvement from the prior year, Nisbet said.

"For some time, we had seen companies like EMC and Dell and NetApp that were the ones that stood out, while everyone else was lackluster and flattish year over year," Nisbet said. "It's nice to see HP and IBM in particular with good growth. IBM really turned themselves around and are executing well now, and the same can be said for HP."

The network disk storage market, which includes NAS (network-attached storage) and Open and iSCSI SANs (storage-area networks), grew 24% to about $3 billion in the fourth quarter from the prior year-ago quarter. EMC led in that market, with about 27% share, followed by HP, with 20%, and IBM, with 14%.

Turning to the NAS market, revenue grew 23% in the quarter from the same year-ago period. EMC led that market as well with 40% share, followed by NetApp with 32% share.

The iSCSI SAN market soared 130% from the prior year's quarter to $94 million. NetApp led the market, with 26% share, followed by EMC with 21% share.

All told, the overall disk storage systems market grew about 11% to $23.7 billion in 2005. HP led the overall market with 23% share, followed by IBM with 20%, and EMC with 14%.

IDC is owned by International Data Group, the IDG News Service's parent company.

Source : Computer World

Web search leader Google Inc. aims to become a $100 billion company and said today that it plans to put systems in place to help it reach that scale this year.

"I'll leave it to you to judge whether that is $100 billion in market capitalization or revenue," said Google CEO Eric Schmidt when discussing priorities for 2006.

As of yesterday, Google's market capitalization was already at $111.5 billion. For all of 2005, Google had revenue of $6.14 billion, up 92.5% from 2004's $3.19 billion.

Goals for 2006 also include improving the quality of Google's core Web search and advertising businesses, boosting the size of its Internet audience and expanding the number of products, services and business partnerships, Schmidt said.

He was speaking to financial analysts at the opening of the company's annual Google analyst day meeting at its Mountain View, Calif. headquarters. His remarks were webcast.

Schmidt underscored that the company is focused on long-term growth and has no plans to alter its policy of refusing to set short-term financial targets.

"We are running the company under the philosophy and principles that are written in that initial founder's letter. We're going to continue running the company under those principals," Schmidt said.

Executives at the meeting sought to answer some of the dozens of questions analysts have posed in recent research reports as they seek to value the company.

UBS Analyst Ben Schachter yesterday published a list of 23 questions he hoped Google would answer, ranging from how to model its future financial performance to revenue prospects for new mobile, video, classified advertising and other services.

"It looks to us like international growth is very strong and likely to remain so for a very long time," Schmidt said.

He denied that advertising pricing for popular keyword searches in Google's industry-leading pay-per-click system had weakened in recent months, as some analysts have speculated.

Google derives more than 97% of its revenue from search-related advertising.

"It does not look like any specific segment has topped out," Schmidt said, adding that he sees significant capacity to boost the prices its advertising customers pay.

Source : Computer World

Deutsche Telekom AG isn't talking numbers -- yet -- but intends to acquire additional spectrum to strengthen the position of its U.S. mobile phone unit, the company's CEO said Thursday.

"T-Mobile USA is a continuing success story," Deutsche Telekom CEO Kai-Uwe Ricke said during a webcast news conference. "This is precisely why we are preparing to participate in the auction for addition spectrum in the U.S."

T-Mobile USA needs the additional frequencies to build a more advanced mobile phone network, Ricke said. He refused to speculate about how much the investment would cost.

The network is needed to handle the increased traffic being generated from the continuing substitution of fixed-line telephones by mobile phones, and rising data traffic from new mobile Internet services.

In Europe, Deutsche Telekom spent billions of euros acquiring spectrum for new third-generation (3G) licenses, plunging the operator into debt.

Against that background, Ricke said investors and customers can rest assured that the German operator will take a "very disciplined, rational approach" to the auction.

At the end of 2005, T-Mobile USA accounted for more than 40% of all revenue in Deutsche Telekom's mobile communications division, up from 9% in 2003. Net revenue from mobile phone communications for the full year was $34 billion, up 12.1% over the previous year. Of that, the U.S. unit accounted for $17.7 billion, an increase of 27.8% over the previous year.

For the full year, the number of T-Mobile USA customers increased 4.4 million to 21.7 million, up 25% over the previous year.

When Ricke took over the helm of Deutsche Telekom in 2002, numerous financial analysts and investors had urged him to divest the U.S. operations to help pay off the group's debt. Ricke, who had previously been in charge of mobile communications as a Deutsche Telekom board member, declined the advice.

Source : Computer World

AMD is spreading the scope of its anti-trust battle with Intel, and is involving the voice over IP specialist Skype.

As part of the antitrust complaint AMD has served Skype with a subpoena requesting certain documents from the company. Specifically, documents related to the recent introduction of its 10-way voice conference calling feature. This has been done under the auspices of the US District Court for Central California.

The bone of contention is that this was an Intel-only feature. AMD asserts that Skype disabled it - at Intel's request - for users of computers which don't use Intel chips. AMD declares that this is an artificial limitation and that there is absolutely no technological basis for this exclusive arrangement.

According to AMD it is further evidence of Intel using its market power to maintain its monopoly at all costs.

'We're trying to answer a simple question,' said an AMD spokesperson. 'Is this another instance in which Intel has abused its monopoly position to "leap ahead" of the law?'

The company declares that Skype's move hurts consumers by punishing those who've chosen AMD technology.

For Skype's part, a spokesperson commented: 'Skype has become aware of the document and our lawyers are reviewing it. We do not comment on any ongoing legal issues.'

Following a 'raid' on offices in Tokyo in 2004, Intel KK was found in March 2005 to be in violation of anti-trust legislation by Japan's Fair Trade Commission (JFTC). This set the legal ball rolling, and AMD followed up by filing a lawsuit against Intel.

The most recent twist to the case is the decision of a Tokyo district court to allow the disclosure of the evidence gathered by the JFTC, enabling AMD to proceed with its suit and bring the details of the case out into public record.

Source: PC Pro

In an effort to protect users of its Google.cn Web site, Google is moving search records out of China and into the United States, a company executive said this week.

Google.cn is a version of the company's search engine that is hosted in China and adheres to Chinese censorship laws. It was launched in January.

The Mountain View, California, company has decided to store search records from the site outside that country, however, in order to prevent China's government from accessing the data without Google's consent, said Peter Norvig, Google's director of research, speaking at a panel discussion at Santa Clara University earlier this week. "We didn't want to be in the position of having to hand over these kinds of records to the government," he said.

Source : PC World

A security association is reporting what it says is the first virus that can pass from a PC to a mobile device and then erase files.

The proof-of concept virus is not yet threatening users. It was sent to the Mobile Antivirus Researchers Association (MARA), which posted its findings on its Web site Monday.

MARA said the virus came with a text file that read, in part: "This is proof-of-concept code for educational purposes only. This virus closes the gap between handhelds and desktops, now it's one big world open to all."

The virus can be a nuisance in a couple of ways. On a PC, it will copy itself into the registry repeatedly as the machine is rebooted, according to the text file sent with the virus. As the virus replicates it can eventually hamper the machine's performance, it said.

Going Mobile

The virus waits for a connection through ActiveSync, the Microsoft program that synchronizes data on a PC with a mobile device. It copies itself to the device, and if the device is running the Windows CE or Mobile OS, all files are erased in the My Documents directory, the note said. The virus was written using C# code with Visual Studio .NET 2003.

MARA said it will make the code available to antivirus companies and security experts. As of Tuesday morning, security vendors had not yet seen a sample of the code to comment on it, and Microsoft officials were not immediately available for comment.

Security experts have forecasted that mobile devices will increasingly be targeted by virus writers.

Source : http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,...,RSS,RSS,00.asp

This week SBC announced their new service IPTV to be added into their "Project Lightspeed" developments.

For those unaware, IPTV is essentially Digital Television streamed over broadband connections, this technology previously was unable to be sustained on the current broadband connections but as higher throughput options (such as ADSL2+, fiber optic connections etc...) IPTV may make it's way to every household leaving conventional digital television in the dust.

Some key benefits of IPTV are Searchable Listings, Content on Demand (Videos and normal Television Programs), key integration of your television with your Media Center, household computer and other digital devices.

Project Lightspeed is a venture in which to bring fiber optic connections to the average household in the united states. This will include about 40,000 extra miles of fiber piped throughout the united states, allowing access to some 18 million americans.

You can view SBC preview of this up and coming technology here: http://www.sbc.com/gen/press-room?pid=5838

BEIJING -- Western media was abuzz Wednesday with reports, citing an English-language story on the Web site of the official People's Daily newspaper, that China plans to create a set of Chinese-language domain names as part of a bid to split China off from the Internet. There was just one problem: the story wasn't true.

The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) has had a system of three Chinese-character domain names in place since 2002. The domain names, which appear to be top-level domain names, actually operate under the .cn top-level domain name, which is also administered by CNNIC and is part of the domain-name system (DNS) managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

A CNNIC spokeswoman Wednesday confirmed that there are no new additions to the available Chinese-character domain names and said no major changes are planned for how China administers the Internet. "We have no intention to create a new root server or split off from the Internet," she said.

Simple Misunderstanding?

Tina Dam, ICANN's chief generic top-level domain registry liaison, also sought to set the record straight Wednesday, saying the People's Daily report may have resulted from a misunderstanding of work already in progress that involves second-level domains, such as the Chinese-character domain names already in use in China.

The People's Daily report covered a brief announcement posted online by China's Ministry of Information Industry (MII) on February 24. That announcement, entitled "MII announcement regarding adjustments to the Chinese domain name system," heralded the creation of a .mil second-level domain under .cn.

The MII announcement was accompanied by the revised regulations outlining the Chinese domain name system, including details of the three previously announced Chinese-character domain names. The revised regulations took effect on March 1.

Although the People's Daily report mentioned these details, it mistakenly described the existing Chinese-character domain names as being outside the Internet domain-name system managed by ICANN.

Source : http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,...,RSS,RSS,00.asp

Google is hosting a four-hour meeting Thursday with analysts at its Mountain View, Calif. headquarters. The event, its second annual Analyst Day, is likely to produce some extra fireworks following comments made by the company's CFO earlier this week that resulted in a sharp decline in Google shares.

What follows is a running commentary of the presentation, based on a Webcast, that will be updated continually throughout the day. Google executives on hand include CEO Eric Schmidt and CFO George Reyes. Also present: Jonathan Rosenberg, senior vice president of product anagement; Alan Eustace, responsible for engineering efforts; Kai-Fu Lee, heading up efforts in China; Marissa Mayer, product management; Jeff Huber, in ads and commerce; and Omid Kordestani, vice president of sales.

Other panelists include Nikesh Arora, vice president of European Operations; Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, vice president of Asia-Pacific and Latin America Operations; David Fischer, director of online sales and operations; Joan Braddi, vice president of search services; David Eun, vice president of content partnerships.

Source / Rest of Article : http://news.com.com/Live+Google+faces+off+...html?tag=st.num

Glendale (CA) - Antivirus specialist Panda Software says it has discovered a "complex malware creation system" that allows individuals to purchase "made-to-measure" trojan horses for a flat fee of $990. The money buys not only the malware, but also a service that monitors the infection rate and provides code modifications, if the trojan is detected by antivirus software.

It has been speculated for some time that virus authors are shifting their activities from using malware for their own purposes to creating a service-based business. For example, large spamming operations are believed to be in close contact with virus authors. Panda Software now has found further evidence for a trend towards a malware service business: The company was able to track down information bits included in a currently spreading virus - and found a network that offers individuals or organizations customized trojan horses for purchase.


Source: http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/02/24/trojan_h...horing_service/

The AIST, Keio University and Burton Inc., in cooperation, have succeeded in a spatial display of "real 3D images" consisting of dot arrays using a device which is made by additionally incorporating a linear motor system and a high-quality and -brightness infrared pulse laser into the 2D display device mentioned above.

For Images, Explanation Full Breakdown See : http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/latest_resear...0/20060210.html

A Berlin court Thursday rejected a lawsuit filed by the parents of a dead hacker who sought to keep a German Web site from linking to material in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia that contained the full name of their son.

The parents of the German hacker known as "Tron" had argued that the disclosure of their son's full name was a violation of their privacy. The court rejected the argument, however, without immediately giving its reasons.

It was not immediately clear whether the family would appeal the ruling.

Rest of Article / Source : http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=1598555

AT&T possesses several patents related to video compression, which the company says are an essential component of the MPEG-4 video technology. In a bid to drive its global licensing program, AT&T has targeted Apple Computer, Inc., CyberLink Corp., DivX, Inc., InterVideo, Inc., and Sonic Solutions as unlicensed companies whose products and software utilize the MPEG-4 technology.

AT&T has also contacted national retailers that distribute products from the companies listed above, to let them know that they may be held liable for infringement.

"Each of these companies has been advised that they are offering infringing products, that AT&T can provide proof of infringement, and that AT&T is offering a license under reasonable on non-discriminatory terms," Michael J. Robinson, licensing director of AT&T Intellectual Property Management, wrote in a letter sent in December 2005, and obtained by PC Magazine.

"If your company obtains MPEG-4 products or software from any of these companies, or any other unlicensed company, you are responsible for obtaining a license directly from AT&T or run the risk of distributing infringing products," Robinson wrote. "Damages resulting from the distribution of infringing products can include AT&T's lost profits, royalties and, in the case of willful infringement, treble damages and attorneys fees and costs."

Rest of Article / Source : http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1923218,00.asp

THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION'S efforts against adware have so far focused on the supply side by filing lawsuits against companies that unlawfully install ad-serving software. Now, one agency commissioner says it might be time to target demand, by naming the big brands that use adware to market their products.

"A little shaming here might go a long way," said the FTC's Jonathan Leibowitz, speaking Thursday to an audience of about 300 at a conference organized by the Anti-Spyware Coalition and Center for Democracy and Technology.

While Leibowitz didn't actually name any companies at the conference, he said that the FTC is considering doing so in the future, if adware companies continue to vex consumers by installing ad-serving programs on their computers without first obtaining consent.

Throughout the day-long conference, government representatives, executives from software removal vendors, and consumer advocates vented their frustration with adware purveyors for everything from installation methods to distribution systems to burying information about pop-up ads in a lengthy end-user license agreement.

Rest of Article / Source : http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cf...e&art_aid=39678

But Sony's silence - deafening ever since the legendary unveiling at Sony Pictures Studios last May - is raising more questions every day. We haven't much of a clue when the next concrete news on PlayStation 3 will turn up - we know it has to be soon, but analysts and gamers alike are seriously beginning to question the machine's ballsy 'Spring' launch date - not to mention its potential, ever since it transpired that the better proportion of its E3 trailers were not the performance indicator we wanted to believe. And that's putting it politely.

Now, we are thrilled to provide at least some form of update for anxious gamers - a behind-the-scenes look at PlayStation 3 with a controller in our hands, leaving no doubt as to the realtime authenticity of what we see on the screen. Last month Sony shipped final development PS3 hardware to many developers - albeit a month behind the latest schedule - and Kikizo has been able to sneak in some time at not just one, but three PS3 developers in multiple territories - one very prominent, and boasting some of the strongest experience working on PlayStation 3 in the world to date.

Rest of Article (Includes Pictures) : http://games.kikizo.com/news/200602/065_p1.asp