April 3rd, 2010

Wyyq Digg stops redirecting some URLs, links to se

Digg’s solution, which came just two weeks after the DiggBar launch, was to make the whole DiggBar experience something users had to opt-in to see. This meant that registered users of the site would only see shortened Digg URLs, and the DiggBar by choice. Stray visitors of Digg wouldn’t see either.

The easiest option is interstitial ads–the kind users need to wait through, or click a certain link to bypass on their way to the source content. Digg has effectively done that by forcing users to come through Digg on their way to the content. The big difference in Digg’s case is that users who might have gone to Digg for shortening can simply go elsewhere that does not put advertising on the page, or require an extra click from users.

Making big money on small URLs

Digg’s departure from providing parts of its shortening service could be a good signal of where the URL-shortening service is headed. Turning big URLs into small ones is not difficult, however maintaining these services indefinitely, and at no cost, is a challenge.

Based on a long history of changing things its users do not like, it’s possible the company will revert to the old way of handling shortened links. However, Digg has made no mention of the change on either its public-facing blogs or on the company’s Twitter account. While this could just be a slow start after a big weekend of activity, it could also signal some internal debate on what’s best for the longevity of the service. I just hope Digg takes a step back and looks at what it offered to begin with, since the current service is such a shadow of its former self.

Josh Lowensohn writes for Webware.com, CNET’s blog about Web applications and services. E-mail Josh, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Josh. 


Digg stops redirecting some URLs, links to self instead

Over the weekend, social news site Digg changed how its links work in a way that gives the site an increase in the number of users who visit.

The problem

This may seem like a small change, but it’s a big knock on Digg’s shortening service, and for Digg’s credibility at maintaining features.

In effect this left the DiggBar as something power users could take advantage of, but that casual users would never see–reducing the entire DiggBar feature down to URL shortening.

So is Digg’s shortening service now just a way to shorten links to Digg.com pages? Digg founder Kevin Rose went on to say as much in a Sunday night appearance on Leo Laporte’s This Week in Tech, citing that the company was having to internally juggle certain shortened-URLs that had become popular from outside sources. Particularly, ones from Twitter where the source site would be on the receiving end of an increasing amount of traffic, but because of the lack of a Digg frame bar on the top of the page, it wasn’t easy for users to Digg the story without having to make their way back to Digg.com.

This clearly wasn’t good enough for Digg, since this move nets the site more ad impressions and unique user tracks than it would by acting as a redirection service alone. Back when it was originally introduced, the company was able to get by since the DiggBar displayed ads when people were using certain features such as viewing related content, Digg user comments, and other stories from that site’s particular source. But, without the DiggBar on top, and without any kind of recognition–other than in name, Digg was getting none of these benefits.

Update: A Digg representative has told me that we should be getting an update on the new link behavior sometime Tuesday.

So could this mean Digg is working on a paid variant on its shortening service that gives either users or content owners the option to pay to get that direct-level of service? Possibly. It could also mean Digg simply realized it was footing the bill for a service that was bypassing the very pages that were keeping it afloat.



Users of the site’s URL-shortening service noticed that if the Web address they had shortened had been submitted to Digg, the shortened URL would then take its visitors to the story’s page on Digg instead of the page it linked to. At least it was this way for users who were not logged into Digg; registered users who had turned off the DiggBar (and who had a recent log-in cookie from Digg) would not see the change in behavior.

A feature that was once quite controversial, the DiggBar is now a rarity, unless users are registered with Digg and have opted-in to see it on Digg story links.

(Credit:CNET)

The bigger problem, it seems, is that Digg listens too closely to its users and critics instead of staying on course. Digg URLs should have always come with a frame bar on top. It may have been annoying to some, but that was the price of admission. If users wanted a straight-up URL-shortener, there were hundreds available at the time when Digg unveiled its own. The one killer feature was the fact that it took the Digg community along for the ride, which is so clearly far removed from people using it that Digg has chosen to go this route instead.

Introduced in early April, the DiggBar was originally intended as a service that did three things: one was to shorten links and act as a redirection tool. The second was to bring Digg features along for the ride with a framed bar that would appear on the top of the page and provide a simple way to view user comments, related stories, as well as other Dugg items from that same site. The third was to provide a simpler way for users to publish content, either to Digg itself, or places like Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail. This included giving users the capability to shorten a URL by dropping a Digg.com/ in front of the site’s address.

The solution, was to change the link to kick users to the Digg.com story page, as if they had found their way there naturally. However, this caused confusion for users since that page would only show up when clicking from Twitter, and not when clicking that link from another domain. Digg’s fix to that problem? Homogenization. All shortened Digg links simply go to Digg pages, as long as the story’s been submitted. Otherwise, the URLs send users to the source site, which prompts the question if it’s worth submitting a story to Digg, since it can rot a link that thousands of people may be using.

Despite the bevvy of features compared to some competing URL-shortening services, both users and publishers alike found fault in the DiggBar. Users had problems with the service since it drastically hid information about the site they were on, including the URL in their browser’s address bar, and any bookmarks they saved, which would retain the DiggBar. For publishers, there was the worry that users would choose to comment back on Digg instead of on their own pages, as well as SEO damage from search engines not properly indexing and attributing traffic since Digg.com was the redirector.


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April 3rd, 2010

Ejwq Different Directions- Online mapping services

Can’t you just save it yourself?

Getting directions is quick and easy.

Instead, Yahoo Maps offers a well-designed page that I found simpler than its competitors in one respect: it didn’t require me to click an extra button to get directions. In its place, the site features two search boxes, which make it quick and easy to find directions and go about my day.

Live Search Maps
Although Microsoft has struggled to keep up with Google in the search space, I was impressed with Live Search Maps. It might not offer the kind of functionality Google Maps provides, but it’s certainly a viable alternative.

Google Maps
Google Maps is simple and fast, elegant and useful. It’s the best mapping solution on the Web. Period.

But now that I’ve completed my research of the four major services–Google Maps, Live Search Maps, MapQuest, and Yahoo Maps–I’ve come to a staggering conclusion: I’d only consider using one of those apps.

(Credit:Microsoft)

Yahoo Maps also performed well when I searched for directions around town. In fact, it returned all the same routes as Google Maps, which provided the best directions of any service in this roundup.

But the beauty of Google Maps goes beyond directions. Its satellite imagery is outstanding and the most up-to-date, based on my testing, and the service’s live traffic feature, which offers real-time traffic data throughout the day, is a welcome addition that provided generally accurate information. But my favorite feature is Street View. As I look for a new home, it’s an ideal tool to help me determine if I want to live in a particular neighborhood without going there myself.

In almost every respect, Yahoo Maps, as a Web application, is equal to Google Maps. But with over 70 percent market share, Google Search is a top destination on the Web. And while people are busy inputting queries into the search engine, a Maps link is always waiting at the top of the page. If those users are looking for a business or directions to someone’s home, it’s much easier to click that link and use Google’s tool than surf to a competing service.

Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.

Much like Google Maps, Live Search Maps is simple to use and elegantly designed. I especially liked the menu to the left of the map, which provided me with options to find a specific place on a map, get directions, or share those with others.

Yahoo Maps
Yahoo Maps was my favorite mapping solution years ago before I discovered Google Maps. And in that time, it hasn’t changed substantially. But based on my testing, it doesn’t need to.

(Credit:MapQuest.com)

Worse for competitors, the Google Maps API is being used by thousands across the globe who find unique ways to fit Google Maps into their businesses or personal lives. Sure, competitors like Yahoo offer an API too, but they’re not nearly as popular or widely used as Google’s.

Google Maps is easily distinguished in the market by its design. Once you surf to the company’s Maps page, you’re immediately presented with a search box to input an address. If you want to get directions from one place to another, it’s as simple as clicking the “Get Directions” button and inputting another address.

Different Directions: Online mapping services are changing

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been using online mapping services more often to figure out which is best for me in a pinch.

Live Search Maps has a useful menu feature.

To evaluate its accuracy, I queried Google Maps to find the best route between two addresses I’m familiar with. The service performed beautifully and delivered perfect directions. I then mapped a route from my home to West Palm Beach, Fla.–a trip I’ve made on a few occasions–to see if it could determine ideal directions over a long ride. Once again, it cut down on wasteful driving and delivered the most direct route.

Google Maps traffic data is outstanding.

(Credit:Yahoo Maps)

And in recent years, that has become a major issue for Google Maps competitors. How can they stymie Google’s growth if users are already using other Google services and find it quicker to use Google Maps instead of their tools? I don’t have the answer. And I’m not sure Google’s competitors do either.

(Credit:Google Maps)

Microsoft’s “Bird’s Eye” feature is outstanding, and Live Search Maps responded quickly to requests to zoom in on certain locations. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s 3D mapping feature, which allows users to see locations in 3D, only works with Internet Explorer, so as aFirefox user, I wasn’t able to test that out. That’s annoying.

MapQuest’s response time is much slower than Google Maps and much like its homepage, the maps show too much information, turning them into a mess. It’s also unfortunate that the site requires users to click a “save” button for it to remember a search. Its competitors do that automatically.



When I input directions to locations I know the best routes for, I was generally pleased. That said, there were a few occasions when the directions sent me to a different highway exit or to wrong streets before getting me to my destination.

The first thing that struck me about Yahoo Maps is how simple it is compared to the rest of Yahoo. I’ve often taken issue with Yahoo’s cluttered homepage, but Yahoo Maps doesn’t suffer from that problem.

But not everything MapQuest offers is sub-par. Its driving directions are generally on point, and when I searched for directions around town or to Florida, they provided ideal routes. I also like that the site now features an extremely large map. It’s a simple thing, but it really does add to the site’s overall usability. Unfortunately, almost everything else on MapQuest detracts from that usability.

MapQuest’s new homepage aims at making the once-cluttered site more usable. In some respects, it works. It is much easier to input directions, and finding locations is as simple as inputting a company’s name into the search box. But unlike Google Maps or even Live Search Maps, which offer simple page designs, MapQuest’s homepage is inundated with distracting ads, links to local events, and other features that I don’t care about.

MapQuest
MapQuest has undergone a series of changes over the past few months in an attempt to improve its standing in the market. And although I applaud the company for trying, I’m simply unsatisfied with what it offers.



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April 3rd, 2010

utnl DHS names chief privacy officer_4395



Stephanie Condon is a staff writer for CNET News focused on the intersection of technology and politics. She is based in Washington, D.C. E-mail Stephanie.


The new privacy officer has also helped consumer-health Web sites develop standards for self-regulation and, as co-chair of the Online Privacy Alliance, has helped the network advertising industry develop its own self-regulations–something the Federal Trade Commission is closely watching. She has represented numerous companies before the FTC and the Justice Department on antitrust issues and possible violations of the FTC Act.

Callahan also serves as vice-chair of the American Bar Association’s Privacy and Information Security Committee of the Antitrust Division.

Callahan currently serves as a partner at the law firm Hogan & Hartson, where she counsels online companies, trade associations, and other corporations on antitrust, e-commerce, and privacy-related issues. She has helped companies draft their Web site privacy policies and terms of use and counsels corporations on developing legally compliant e-mail marketing campaigns.

In January, Callahan co-published an article (PDF) in the “Privacy & Data Security Law Journal” about how theInternet Explorer 8 InPrivate feature “could substantially impact both the business models and the current practices of third-party ad servers, behavioral marketers, web traffic analytics services, and content providers.” Callahan wrote the article with her Hogan & Hartson colleagues Mark Paulding and Christine Varney, who was recently nominated to be the Obama administration’s antitrust chief.

DHS names chief privacy officer

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced on Thursday she is appointing attorney Mary Ellen Callahan as the department’s chief privacy officer.

“Homeland security and privacy are not mutually exclusive, and having a seasoned professional like Mary Ellen on the team further ensures that privacy is built in to everything we do,” Napolitano said. “Our Privacy Office is viewed as a leader in the federal government in public outreach and as model for Privacy Impact Assessments. I look forward to the skill and experience Mary Ellen will bring to this robust and important office.”


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April 3rd, 2010

Nute Device made popular in iPhone catching on_135

“When you turn your iPhone to the side and the screen automatically adjusts from portrait to landscape view, there’s an accelerometer at work. And when you swing your (Nintendo)Wii controller and bowl a virtual strike, there’s an accelerometer at work there too,” iSuppli noted in a report released Thursday. The market for these devices is expected to grow to $1.7 billion in 2013, up from $947.7 million in 2007, according to the market research firm.



Apple uses an accelerometer to reorient the iPhone's screen

It’s called an accelerometer–and the iPhone brought these devices into the mainstream.

Device made popular in iPhone catching on

When youriPhone’s screen automatically reorients itself, it’s using a nascent silicon technology expected to become a $1.7 billion market by 2013.

STMicroelectronics’ global accelerometer revenue rose to $220 million in 2008, up from $29 million in 2007, while the company’s accelerometer market share rose to 20 percent in 2008, up from 4 percent in 2006, iSuppli said.

Accelerometers in recent years have emerged as a popular input device for some of the world’s hottest electronic products, causing shipments to boom, according to iSuppli. “Due to this rapid sales growth, accelerometers by 2013 will displace the current leading MEMS products–inkjet heads and Digital Light Processing (DLP) chips–to become the dominant type of MEMS device sold worldwide in 2013,” said Jérémie Bouchaud, iSuppli principal analyst for MEMS, in a statement.

Accelerometers are based on another burgeoning silicon field, Microelectromechanical Systems, or MEMS–also referred to as micromachines. MEMS are made up of components typically no larger than 100 micrometers in size and usually integrate a microprocessor and other components, such as the microsensor found in the iPhone’s accelerometer.

Brooke Crothers has served as an editor at large at CNET News, an editor at Dow Jones’ Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly, and a senior editor at InfoWorld. His CNET blog covers chip technology and computer systems, and how they define the computing experience. He also contributes to The New York Times’ Bits and Technology sections. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Follow Brooke on Twitter @mbrookec.


A major catalyst for the rise in accelerometer sales is pricing, according to Bouchaud. Accelerometers broke the “magic” $1 barrier in 2008, making them attractive in a larger number of products, he said.

(Credit:Apple)

“Consumers’ desire for motion-sensing in smart phones and video game systems will boost demand for accelerometers,” Bouchaud added.

And who are the players? By the end of 2008, STMicroelectronics had taken the lead in accelerometers based on its success in supplying the consumer and wireless communications markets. The other major suppliers are Freescale, Analog Devices, Bosch, VTI, and Denso.

In 2009, revenue from consumer and mobile applications for accelerometers is expected to exceed that of automotive applications, iSuppli said. Until now, automotive has been the biggest application by far for accelerometers. Automotive applications accounted for 40 percent of global accelerometer revenue in 2008, down from 78 percent in 2006. In contrast, consumer electronics and wireless accelerometer revenue rose from 22 percent to 58 percent during the same period, iSuppli said.


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April 3rd, 2010

lnej DHS needs fresh ideas on cybersecurity, exper

DHS needs fresh ideas on cybersecurity, experts say

The Department of Homeland Security is too reactionary to cybersecurity threats, policy experts said Wednesday, and needs to develop stronger incentives for the private sector to take preventative measures against cyberthreats.

“The key point to understand is when we’re looking at government surveillance, we need to know the reason for it,” Rotenberg said. “If it’s purely for security purposes, we would say that’s OK, but it has to be solely for that purpose with a means of accountability.”

Regardless of how the government encourages network managers to protect their systems, it will be critical for the private and public sector to work together, panelists said.

Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center



The country also needs to take a more forward-looking approach to cybersecurity, the panelists said. Privacy implications should be considered from the very start of the development of security technologies, said Carol DiBattiste, senior vice president of privacy, security, compliance and government affairs for LexisNexis Group. Then, the government can develop policies around the technologies.

Those incentives could be legislative, he said, such as encryption requirements for electronic health records.

A more forward-looking approach should also include some creative thinking, Rotenberg said, such as devising ways to verify a person’s identity without revealing their personal information.

If the private sector and private citizens are expected to cooperate with the government’s cybersecurity efforts, it needs to trust them, panelists added. That requires more accountability and clearer missions for programs like “Einstein 2,” the department’s new intrusion detection system.

(Credit:Electronic Privacy Information Center)

“There ought to be more thinking of a strategic vision not just for the (Homeland Security Department) as a whole, but for each of its initiatives,” Cate said. “What are the 10 top cybersecurity threats? Let’s deal with those. The impetus to do something should not be stronger than the impetus to do something intelligent or thought through.”

“We’re going to need encouragement so that there are incentives in place to invest the money necessary to make sure your machines are up to date, patched, and firewalled,” said Fred Cate, director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University. “Increasingly we need to worry about security as something we can convince others to engage in.”

“I personally don’t believe you can designate some person and say, ‘You’re responsible for securing the nation’s computers,’” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “At the ground level, we’re going to have the right system of incentives.”

Stephanie Condon is a staff writer for CNET News focused on the intersection of technology and politics. She is based in Washington, D.C. E-mail Stephanie.


The DHS cybersecurity initiative has come under heavy criticism, and some have suggested responsibility for cybersecurity be shifted to the White House. Panelists at a roundtable discussion Wednesday hosted by the House of Representative’s Homeland Security Committee agreed there could be stronger leadership, but they emphasized that there are potentially more effective means of improving the nation’s response to cyberthreats.


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April 3rd, 2010

Tzrd Deadly ’subcompacts’ on hold_3022

Deadly 'subcompacts' on hold

(Credit:Knight's Armament Company)

While searching for a possible alternative to the M4 carbine, the Army had also been looking at a new “personal defense weapon” to give drivers and crews a little more punch than the currently issued Beretta M9 9mm pistol. But that plan has followed the economy, and the military budget, down the drain, according to the industry press.

There’s been no shortage of candidates; the market has been flooded with new grease gun wannabes. The challenge has been to come up with something both more powerful than the pistol ammunition now used by many PDWs, yet lighter than the 5.56mm round used in assault rifles.

There are plenty of other contenders on the shelf, including the LWRC International PSD, which sports an 8-inch barrel and comes in both 5.56mm and a punchy 6.8mm, and the Adams Arms at 7.5 inches.



The Army’s position: don’t rush us. “The subcompact has to serve a lot of different people…it’s much too early to say this is what we are looking for,” Jim Stone, the head of the Soldier Requirement’s Division at Fort Benning, Ga., told Military.com.

“I see this as an uphill battle,” C. Reed Knight Jr., owner of Knight’s Armament Company told Military.Com in an interview. “I think it will probably die a slow death.”

Mark Rutherford is a West Coast-based freelance writer. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. Email him at markr@milapp.com. Disclosure.


Crews hoping for more personal fire power when scrambling from a tank hatch or other confined conveyance will be disappointed to learn that the U.S. Army is putting the search for a “subcompact” carbine on hold, according to industry reports.

Knight’s Armament submitted a 6×35mm PDW–a streamlined, 4.5 pound weapon that can fire 700 rounds per minute. But there’s less than “a 50-50 chance” of anything getting adopted, Knight said. “The government still doesn’t know what it wants.”


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April 3rd, 2010

texs David Cone testified today in support of ;Sot

Source- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20090716/pl_ynews/ynews_pl805


The baby-faced righty was part of a small group that met with President Bill Clinton and was a key player throughout the negotiations, representing major leaguers at the bargaining table. At one point, players and owners even agreed to shift talks from Washington to New York to accommodate his wedding.

Cone testified today in support of Sotomayor, who ended the baseball strike in 1995.

“A lot of people both inside and outside baseball tried to settle the dispute,” Cone said. Her key ruling forced owners and players back to the bargaining table and ultimately brought Major League Baseball back to the nation.

“With one decision Judge Sotomayor changed the entire dispute,” he said. “I believe all of us who love the game — players, owners and fans — are in her debt.”

Cone lost about $570,000 of his $2 million salary because of the walkout. It may have cost him a little more, too — two weeks after the strike was settled, his hometown Kansas City Royals saved money by trading him away.

Cone retired in 2003, leaving with credentials that got him on the Hall of Fame ballot last year. He won 194 games, was a five-time All- Star and played on five World Series champions. He pitched one of only
15 perfect games in modern baseball history, and once tied the then- National League record of 19 strikeouts in a game.

Now 46, Cone remains popular with fans as a broadcaster for the New York Yankees.

David Cone testified today in support of ;Sotomayor - Halos Heaven

Fresh off winning the Cy Young Award as the American League’s top ace in 1994, David Cone found himself at the White House a few months later making another pitch: Trying to help end the players’ strike that had wiped out the World Series.




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April 3rd, 2010

nyus David Kralik- Why feds should embrace the clo

It’s all too common for people to criticize government inefficiency, but rare to hear suggestions that the solution is for government to get its head into the clouds.

A final benefit is ease of use. If you use applications developed byAmazon, Google, or Salesforce.com you are already using applicationsdelivered over the cloud. These applications are easy and intuitive andhold a lot promise for streamlining government if its services operatedon similar efficiency. If the government of the District of Columbia canfind a way to incorporate things like Google Apps into their operations,shouldn’t the federal government be able to do the same?

The second benefit is speed. Again, because cloud applications aredelivered via the Internet, deployment can be done instantly andsimultaneously to thousands of users in different locations around theworld. Cloud applications are also regularly updated, which canalleviate the constant challenge that government institutions face inbeing behind on the latest security or upgrade.

Let’s move the feds into the cloud

By David Kralik

I’m talking about cloud computing, a transformational technology being embraced by the private sector because of its promise for enormous productivity gains and reduced costs.

As the single largest purchaser of information technology, governmentcould benefit from this if only it would get its head out of thesand and into the clouds.

Cloud computing has three basic characteristics: capabilities areaccessed over the Internet, housed in an off-site datacenter, and paid for on a subscription basis. This new model deliverscomputing applications as a utility, similar to electricity or telephoneservice. Many applications including e-mail, office documentproductivity, data storage, and customer databases are moving in thisdirection because of the opportunity to eliminate the need to buy,maintain, or upgrade information technology systems. But sadly, outdatedbureaucratic rules and regulations prevent the federal government fromfully being able to embrace and reap the benefits of this technology.

But cloud computing allows for safeguards so thatonly authorized users can access remotely stored data. This could haveprevented the serious breach of privacy such as in October of 2008 whenthe U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported that personal data onover 26 million veterans was compromised from a stolen laptop.

With enormous benefits like these, one has to wonder: why isn’t thegovernment fully embracing cloud computing now? Two key reasons can besuggested.

David Kralik is director of Internet strategy for American Solutions forWinning the Future, an advocacy organization founded by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

David Kralik, director of Internet strategy for Newt Gingrich's American Solutions for Winning the Future.

The second concern is security. The theory here is that becauseone cannot physically see where data are stored remotely and thefact that the applications are accessed over the Internet, they must beinsecure. But economies of scale are allowing for more sophisticated,state-of-the-art security, disaster recovery, and service reliabilityfeatures than any individual institution can deploy on its own.Specifically on disaster recovery, there is significant risk in theevent of natural disaster of data being housed in one location.



Declan McCullagh, CNET News’ chief political correspondent, chronicles the intersection of politics and technology. He has covered politics, technology, and Washington, D.C., for more than a decade, which has turned him into an iconoclast and a skeptic of anyone who says, “We oughta have a new federal law against this.” E-mail Declan.


Congress spends millions to support a proprietaryin-house data infrastructure system at the Ford House Office Building.They do this on the theory that so long as the data is physically housedat a certain location, it can be protected from search and seizure. Thesame theory holds for data protection from congressional subpoenas whenan administration evokes executive privilege. But if Congress canupdate age-old rules like the 1775 Franking Privilege for a specifictechnology (YouTube, as they did in October of 2008) why can’t it passa law to allow for greater business efficiency while ensuring thatgovernment data remains protected?

The lack of those three benefits is what often resultsin many classic failed government IT projects like the FBI’s 2003decision to terminate its Virtual Case File (VCF) management system.After spending $170 million–a number itself way over budget–the FBIstill doesn’t have a system to track criminal activity that couldprevent terrorist attacks at home, although a replacement is expectedthis year at a cost of over $425 million.

The move from mainframe computing to microprocessor was a majortransformational change in information technology, as was the transitionfrom punch cards to software and the invention of the Internet. A fourthmajor transformational shift is occurring right now as software isreplaced with “software as a service,” which can significantly improvegovernment operations, lower cost, and move government into the 21stcentury. As we begin a new session of Congress and new presidentialadministration, it’s time to give this technology serious consideration.

The first benefit is cost. Three separate independent studies conductedin 2004 (Gartner Group, the Yankee Group, and Morgan Stanley Research),all suggested that the cost of cloud computing over three to five yearsis almost half the cost of similar non-cloud solutions. The federalgovernment spent $64.4 billion on information technology in FY 2008,much of which could be reduced had it adopted a model that replacessignificant capital expenses for hardware and upfront license fees fora system of renewable per-user subscriptions. This also brings morepredictability and stability in future cost outlays and allows forscaling on demand.

David Kralik: Why feds should embrace the cloud
Occasionally, CNET News publishes outside opinion articles, such as one on spam co-authored by Sen. Ron Wyden, one on Net neutrality written by Diana DeGette, and a criticism of Internet gambling regulations by Dick Armey. This is the most recent in that series. –Declan McCullagh

The VCF failure was more than just a failure of contractors; it was afailure of the type of technology (proprietary, software-based systems)that is now past its prime. In addition to helping solve homelandsecurity challenges, cloud computing could also improve congressionalconstituent management systems and help reduce voter registration fraud.


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April 2nd, 2010

Apdj Conservation groups say eBay should ban troph



Raincoast Conservation and Big Wildlife urged eBay in February to stop posting guided hunts of large predators on the auction site, arguing that trophy hunting of carnivores puts species at risk. Under guided hunts, hunters typically seek thousands of dollars up front to pay for a hunting trip and then get the remainder of the fee after an animal has been killed.

Conservation groups want eBay to ban auctions where people pay thousands of dollars to trophy hunters to kill leopards, lions, bears, and other predators.

Conservation groups praised eBay for banning the sale of ivory products in December, but on Friday they criticized the online auction site for allowing the sale of trophy hunts of lions, leopards, bears, wolves, and other animals.

On Friday, the groups said they received word from Tod Cohen, eBay vice president and deputy general counsel, that the company would not halt trophy hunt sales because such hunting is legal.

(Credit:eBay)

“Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it is ethical,” Chris Genovali, executive director of the British Columbia-based Raincoast Conservation.

Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press. E-mail Elinor. 


Conservation groups say eBay should ban trophy hunt sales


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April 2nd, 2010

whfb Considering our obvious ;needs… – Halos Hea



the guy is hitting .310/.422/.710 with 28 homers, 59 RBIs and an OPS of 1.132 in AAA this year. Obviously, he can tear up the minor leagues, but with a season like this, is there any real concern that he couldn’t do it in the majors? The guy is entering his prime (he’s 27), he’s cheap and he’s a fantastic power hitter. we need all of those things.

if we did go after an obtain McPherson, we could see some fun changes in Anaheim. Dallas could take over third and we could do a few things from there… Izturis or Aybar can become trade bait if Figgins moves to SS. We could sit our OF Black Hole of Matthews/Anderson a heckuva lot more if Figgins moved into the LF/RF role. We could even move Howie out to left and let Figgz take over 2B, which actually may be the best idea.

Opinions?


Take a minute and really think about this.

i believe that we’ve been one bat short of a serious playoff run for the last 6 years (since the ‘02 run). we were all told that McPherson was the guy to fill that void. with the constant injuries, i can understand why the Halos cut him…. but he was obviously fixed by the surgery. was there any harm in bringing him back for >$1 million?

Considering our obvious ;needs... - Halos Heaven

what are you’re opinions on trying to trade for Dallas McPherson? I’m not looking for sarcastic comments; I’m genuinely interested. Why? Because I think it would be a very smart move.

i do believe that he would come cheap. it would take maybe willits and another minor leaguer, or even 2 mid-level prospects. we have the guys to spare, we need a bat like his and his presence could push us past the first round.


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