Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Philadelphia SecureWorld Expo Discount for BDPA Members

BDPA Members are offered a $50 discount off the $195 two day conference pass which includes access to the Conference Sessions, Keynotes, Lunch, Exhibits, Open Sessions and 12 CPE Certificate of Attendance.

BDPA Members receive a special $200 discount off the $695 SecureWorld+ pass which includes 4+ additional hours of intense training worth 16 CPE credits.

SecureWorld+ Topics Include:
  • Rapid Rollout of Risk Assessment Requirements
  • Information Risk Leadership Strategy: Putting All the Pieces Together
  • Forensics as an Investigative Tool
  • Auditing and Securing Data Access
  • Creating Profit in Business Continuity Planning
  • The Three P's of Security Awareness: People, PC's and Paychecks

BDPA Members also receive complimentary admission to Expert Panels, Vendors Sessions and the Exhibit Floor. BDPA members may send an email to president@bdpaphilly.org to obtain the discount code.

We hope you plan on attending the SecureWorld event.

To register, go to - www.secureworldexpo.com/

Municipal WiFi: Not dead yet (Network World)

As large-scale, for-profit projects falter, innovative new models emerge including municipally owned networks deployed for specific purposes such as public safety, viral nets put up by non-government entities, and imaginative efforts that combine wireline and wireless technologies.

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Monday, April 21, 2008

PA primary will be unauditable; GOP blocks e-voting reform (Ars Technica)

Over 85% of voters in tomorrow's Pennsylvania presidential primary will cast ballots on paperless touchscreen machines that are insecure and impossible to audit. The White House and the GOP have just blocked a federal effort to fix this problem before November.

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Tech Results: So Far So Good, Not Out of Woods Yet (Baseline)

Technology-company earnings have, so far, been holding their own or outperforming. What's to come?

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From Win32 to Cocoa: a Windows user's conversion to Mac OS X (Ars Technica)

A hardcore PC user finally jumps ship and discusses how Windows lost its "wow" and Apple gained a customer.

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Friday, April 18, 2008

IBM Launches Pilot Program for Migrating to Macs (RoughlyDrafted Magazine)

As further evidence of the growing interest in Macs among enterprise customers, IBM’s Research Information Services launched an internal pilot program designed to study the possibility of moving significant numbers of employees to the Mac platform. The study has already found an enthusiastic response from participants and is helping to drive Mac support for IBM’s business applications.


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Monday, April 14, 2008

Building a 5-ton mechanical calculator... from 19th-century plans (Network World)

Starting in May, many will have the opportunity to see for themselves how they did computing the old-fashioned way: with lots of gears, a big crank and some muscle.

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Office Open XML out of Microsoft's hands—officially (Ars Technica)

With Office Open XML approved as an official ISO standard, the format for Microsoft Office is no longer under the software giant's exclusive control. It's going to be a test of Microsoft's newfound commitment to open standards and interoperability.

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Apple's OS Edge Is a Threat to Microsoft (BusinessWeek)

A recent upgrade to the Mac operating system moves Apple closer to challenging Microsoft for overall computing dominance, even in the corporate market.

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Friday, April 11, 2008

PDAs to track Olympic VIPs in Beijing (ZDNet)

Foreign dignitaries, guests of major sponsors, and Olympic officials alike will be given a modified PDA at this year's Beijing Olympics, which will allow organizers to track their movements and make it easier to arrange a cab.

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Voices of Africa honoured by Webby Awards (AfricaNews)

The mobile project Voices of Africa is recognized as an Official Honoree by the Webby Awards 2008, the leading international honor for the Web. Voices of Africa gives African reporters the opportunity to report with mobile phones about events in their country.

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Muni Wireless Is Dead. Here Comes a New Way to Connect (Wired)

U.S. cities that once trumpeted their free public WiFi plans are muting their fanfare, as project after project stumbles. Now nonprofits have a plan to succeed where city governments have failed.

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Symantec: Malware Tops 1 Million (Digital Trends)

In its bi-annual Internet Security Threat Report, Symantec says the number of malicious programs it knows about now tops 1.1 million...and almost two third of them appeared in 2007.

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Storing data in three dimensions with racetrack memory (Ars Technica)

New work from IBM's Almaden Research Lab published in this week's edition of Science discusses the creation of a single nanowire that functions as a racetrack memory device. The result is memory that extends physical storage into the third dimension.

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Blu-ray players to connect with iPod, iPhone (TG Daily)

Interactive media company Netblender has reportedly created a new program for the iPhone and iPod Touch that allows users to connect to their Blu-ray players via an Internet link.

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Wednesday, April 9, 2008

First look: Mozilla Fennec takes browser fight to handhelds (Ars Technica)

Mozilla has released a pre-alpha prototype build of its new mobile browser, codenamed Fennec. Ars Technica tests the prototype and interviews Mozilla Mobile director Jay Sullivan.

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Yahoo buddies up with Google in effort to boost value, thwart Microsoft (Network World)

Facing a hostile takeover by Microsoft, Yahoo Wednesday said it will begin a limited test of Google AdSense for Search service in a bid to maximize stockholder value.

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How new technology keeps the flame burning (Reuters)

The tradition of the Olympic flame is rooted in Greek sporting heritage dating back thousands of years but new technology keeps the fire burning whatever the elements -- or modern-day protester -- can throw at it.

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How to Survive Dinner with a Wine-Snob Boss (BNET)

So, you invited your boss over for a big holiday dinner of prime rib. The problem? Your boss is a total oenophile, a cork dork, a wine geek. And everything you know about wine could fit inside a thimble. In summer, you could probably get away with beers and brats, but this is holiday (read: bonus) time and the stakes are high.

First, attend the BDPA Philadelphia Wine Tasting Event. Then...

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Sunday, April 6, 2008

April 16th Program Meeting

Topic: Financial Management 101-6 Steps to Financial Success
Presenter: Camari Ellis

Camari Ellis is a Senior Associate with the First Genesis Financial Group, an affiliate of Creative Financial Group. Formed in 2005, First Genesis is an African American owned wealth management firm that specializes in building financial freedom for business owners and individuals through a comprehensive suite of financial services expertise, strategies and concepts.

Date: April 16
Time: 6:00
Location: CIGNA, 2 Liberty Place - 16th and Chestnut Streets, Phila. PA 19101
RSVP Now: Click here to register for the April 16 Program Meeting

Web, PHP, MySQL Instructors Needed for SITES Program

We are always looking to increase the number of SITES instructors in our program. This program works hard to expose and inform youth about current computer technology. The program is designed to promote team building, problem solving, self-esteem, leadership, and self-development through structured group activities.

HTML &PHP
  • Understand PHP commands and program structure
  • Use PHP to process HTML forms
  • Read and write files with PHP
  • Build database driven applications
  • Web Design & Development
  • Design simple HTML forms with simple clientside validation
  • Recognize the components of an HTML file and create such a file
  • Evaluate Web page design and consider design issues that affect web pages
MySQL

  • Understand relational databases
  • Understand the role of MySQL
  • Understand data structure and entities
  • Use the MySQL command line
  • Understand concepts of data processing
  • Know how to initiate and terminate a database connection

To volunteer, contact Hayward West at hscc@bdpaphilly.org.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Book Raffle

This month we'll be raffling off The Motley Fool Personal Finance Workbook.
Whatever your income, lifestyle, or financial concerns may be, The Motley Fool Personal Finance Workbook will help you put more power into every dollar. Like a financial global positioning system, The Motley Fool Personal Finance Workbook will show you exactly where you stand right now and the most direct path to where you want to be.

Everyone who comes to the April 16th meeting will get a raffle ticket for free. You must be present to win! The winner gets to review the book for the
chapter. See you at the meeting, and good luck!

Date: April 16
Time: 6:00
Location: CIGNA, 2 Liberty Place - 16th and Chestnut Streets, Phila. PA 19101
RSVP Now: Click here to register for the April 16 Program Meeting

Wine Tasting, April 19

Many companies recognize soft skills like etiquette and protocol knowledge as a form of business intelligence. They are looking for performers who can "outclass the competition" by handling any business situation, from a business meeting to a cocktail party.

You can discuss the merits of Java and .Net with anyone who asks. But do you know what goes better with grilled salmon, a merlot or a pinot noir?

Knowing which wine to order at a corporate dinner is one skill that can help distinguish you as a top performer and you from social embarrassment. If you're asked to smell the cork, can you do that without looking like a geek? As IT professionals we are not just computer people anymore. We are dealing with other executives and clients. The ability to speak knowledgably about wine demonstrates ones ability to conduct business in a social situation.

To the rescue comes is our April 19 wine tasting event. The course, teaches how to pronounce wine names (try saying vino nobile di montepulciano three times fast), wine and food pairings, and wine etiquette (such as how to send a bottle back if the wine has cork in it). Join us at the Philadelphia Wine School and be a part of this small group of top performers who see rising incomes, rapid promotions and the path to a seat of power.

You should order pinot noir with your grilled salmon. Now if you can figure out which glass is yours, you'll have your social graces mastered.

Time: 6:30 pm
Location:
The Wine School of Philadelphia
2006-2008 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
BDPA Phone: (215) 844-3235
Cost: $35.00

Tickets may be purchased at:
The April meeting
http://tinyurl.com/3ane5g (BDPA Membership Database registration required)
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/101174616 (Processing fees apply)
By check (send checks to: BDPA P.O. Box 42611, Phila. PA 19101)

Friday, April 4, 2008

Youth Fundraiser

Our young members in the SITES program are raising funds to attend the Regional HSCC Competition on May 31. They are selling Kidstuff Discount Coupon books, from April 1 through May 15.

The cost of the book is only $25 and the kids earn a 50% profit on each book sold! Also, your may earn one FREE book worth $25 for every 5 books you purchase!

Use just a few coupons and save more than the cost of the entire book. You will enjoy great savings on clothing, shoes, toys, sporting goods, electronics, activities, food, and more!

Share the benefits of the KidStuff Coupon Books with family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. They will appreciate the opportunity to buy a book and save money! KidStuff Coupon Books make great gifts too!

You may order books at the April and May program meetings or contact Hayward West at hscc@bdpaphilly.org or (215) 844-3235.

Thank you in advance for your support!

To the 700MHz victors go the spoils: AT&T, Verizon dish plans (Ars Technica)

To the victors go the spectrum. Verizon, AT&T, Google, and Qualcomm talk about their plans for the spectrum they won in the FCC's 700MHz auction.

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Cellphones carving deep into landline business (TG Daily)

Harris Interactive today published comprehensive survey results on the use of cellphones. For the very first time, more people are using cellphones than landline phones.

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Windows XP Gets Another Stay of Execution (Digital Trends)

Windows XP Home will live until June 30, 2010, thanks to consumer demand generated by the popularity of ultra-low-cost PCs.

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Thursday, April 3, 2008

Researchers squeeze 20-second clarinet solo into 1KB file (Ars Technica)

A team at the University of Rochester is teaching computers to swing, swing, swing using acoustic analysis and physical modeling.

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Amazon Texts Impulse Buyers (RedHerring)

Online retailer invites consumers to pay for products using their mobile phones, but is America still skittish about payment via mobile phones?

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Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Intel rolls out Atom chips (Reuters)

Intel Corp is rolling out five new Atom microprocessors and a collection of chips designed for portable gadgets that access the Internet and for other uses, as the world's largest chipmaker uses its marketing muscle to help create a new market.

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Adobe Releases Web-Based Photoshop Express (Campus Technology)

Photoshop Express joins Google's Picasa as a notable Web-based image editor.

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AT&T Adopts Microsoft Surface for Retail (Digital Trends)

The much-crooned-over multitouch wonder is ready to move out of the lab and into a handful of AT&T's major retail stores.

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Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Microsoft Launches New Mobility Tools (eWeek.com)

New features in the mobile OS and mobile management tools try to keep up with burgeoning demand for mobile devices and applications in the workplace.

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Google Docs pulls head out of the cloud, goes offline (Ars Technica)

Although Google Docs has been steadily gaining features since its launch, one major limitation is that it can't be accessed offline. Actually, make that "couldn't."

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Microsoft wins document format standards battle (Reuters)

Microsoft Corp has won a battle to have a key document format adopted as a global standard, improving its chances of winning government contracts and dealing a blow to supporters of a rival format.

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