Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Google Wave to be released to 100,000 testers Wednesday (CNN.com)

Google Wave, a product that promises to revolutionize online communication, will go out to about 100,000 beta testers Wednesday. The Web application from Google Inc. combines elements of e-mail, chat, Wiki documents, blogs and photo-sharing sites to create a form of Internet communication called a "hosted conversation," or a "wave."

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US 'to loosen' grip on internet (BBC)

The US government is expected to relax control over how the internet is run when it signs an accord with net regulator Icann on Wednesday.

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Monday, September 28, 2009

Not an obscene racist after all: 4 flagged for Facebook fake (Ars Technica)

Four teenagers are the targets of a lawsuit alleging that they created a fake Facebook profile to aggressively target another teen. The profile contained obscene, racist, and otherwise questionable remarks, but was apparently authentic enough to convince numerous friends and even college recruiters that this kid was not one to get involved with.

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Opinion: The coming tablet wars (CrunchGear)

Think back to 2001. A young man got up on stage one afternoon in November to announce something new and amazing: an operating system dedicated to tablet computing. That young man was Microsoft’s Bill Gates and that operating system was Windows XP Tablet PC edition.

Chances are that is the first and last time you saw a working tablet computer.

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Friday, September 25, 2009

Call for Speakers - BDPA Philadelphia Professional Development Program Series

The Call for Speakers is open for the 2010 BDPA Philadelphia Professional Development Program Series.

BDPA Philadelphia is seeking presenters willing to share their knowledge and expertise with our membership at our monthly professional development programs.

BDPA Philadelphia members are IT professionals at all levels, from college students and entry level technologists to senior managers and corporate executives. seeking to build IT skills, define career directions, and climb the IT corporate ladder. The monthly programs provide our members an opportunity for challenging learning experiences in Leadership, Professional Development, Project Management, Business Analysis, Technical Development, Networking, Hardware, Software, Leadership, and IT Entrepreneurship.

Speakers are asked to provide a 45-minute presentation with an additional ten minutes of Q&A. Presentations should provide attendees with educational value and refrain from promoting a specific business, product, or service.

If you are interested in participating as a webinar speaker, please submit the following:
  • The title of your presentation
  • A paragraph describing your topic and your experience in the area of your topic
  • Two or three specific points that attendees will get from the presentation that are applicable to their professional development
  • A photo (optional)
  • Contact information, including an email address, phone number, and mailing address.

Your proposal will be acknowledged upon receipt and evaluated along with others that are submitted. You will be notified of available meeting dates. Once your presentation is accepted you will receive a letter of confirmation and any information necessary for preparation. We will also publicize your presentation to our membership.

This is an opportunity to expose your professional expertise or research to co-workers, potential clients, or potential employers. It also lets you hone your presentation skills and articulate the work you do. Seasoned speakers as well as first-time public speakers are encouraged to present. You will receive a BDPA appreciation certificate at your presentation and have the opportunity for continued dialog with attendees.

To submit your proposal or for additional information please email Byron C. Mayes, Vice President of Professional Development at vpprofdev@bdpaphilly.org.

"WhiteFi" could be worth $15bn a year—and fix climate change (Ars Technica)

Running WiFi protocols in the TV white spaces could generate up to $15 billion in value in the US alone, says a consultancy. But who knew it could also cut water use on farms?

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Thursday, September 24, 2009

Horrifically bad software demo becomes performance art (Ars Technica)

Live software demos often go awry, but what happens when the mayhem is intentional? The software demo becomes a bit of performance art foisted on an unsuspecting college classroom as students watch a man and his software both implode before them.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

New Google Plug-in Embeds Chrome Inside Internet Explorer (Webmonkey)

Want to start using all the websites that take advantage of the latest technologies in HTML5, but can’t move away from Internet Explorer? Google has your back.

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Friday, September 18, 2009

Opinion: The unspoken truth about managing geeks (Computerworld)

"I can sum up every article, book and column written by notable management experts about managing IT in two sentences: 'Geeks are smart and creative, but they are also egocentric, antisocial, managerially and business-challenged, victim-prone, bullheaded and credit-whoring. To overcome these intractable behavioral deficits you must do X, Y and Z.'"

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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Palm Announces the Pixi (PC World)

It's been the subject of rumors for months-including ones that said it was on hold-and now it's official: The second WebOS phone from Palm is on its way.

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