25 biggest tech flops; Microsoft roars back; RFID passports; HDTV lies [ZDNET WEEK IN REVIEW]

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Must-Read News Stories Photo Gallery: The decade's 25 biggest tech flops After nearly 10 years of working at CNET, executive editor David Carnoy looks back at the most hyped tech products that didn't pan out as planned--or just flat out bombed. READ FULL STORY Sponsored PCI DSS Compliance in the UNIX/Linux Datacenter This paper discusses how creating a secure access control infrastructure in heterogeneous UNIX/Linux environments supports Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance. (Symark Software) A buy side response to the enterprise buyer's Bill of Rights (and a partial solution) Dennis Howlett: Our own Michael Krigsman asserts that the bill of rights protects the customer, which is the stated aim, but only covers half the territory needed to produce successful projects. I disagree. READ FULL STORY Michael Krigsman: Evaluating the enterprise software buyer's 'Bill of Rights' Expect better: IT Partner Bill of Rights This Week's Highlights Microsoft gets its edge back Larry Dignan: Microsoft has gotten under Apple's skin - at least its lawyers - got Google's attention with Bing and is even doing the Web app thing. And it's obvious the company is having fun. They're a lot more interesting to watch these days. READ FULL STORY Another company signs Linux patent-protection deal with Microsoft Microsoft's fiscal 2010 battle cry: Growing our share Microsoft: Apple lawyers tried to stop ads Jobs: Catch the App Store if you can Microsoft to open retail stores near Apple's this fall My Bing experiment: Can it be the default search engine? Sponsored PCI DSS Compliance in the UNIX/Linux Datacenter This paper discusses how creating a secure access control infrastructure in heterogeneous UNIX/Linux environments supports Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance. (Symark Software) Dell, HP even in second quarter U.S. PC shipment race; Apple market share slips as Acer surges Larry Dignan: Dell's second quarter U.S. market share tumbled 19 percent from a year ago to 26.3 percent as HP pulled even for the top spot, according to IDC. Meanwhile, Acer and Toshiba's market share improved as Apple's slipped to 7.6 percent, down 12.4 percent from a year ago. READ FULL STORY Ballmer: "I'm a PC" ads effective against Apple PC sales to see biggest drop since 2001 tech bust; IT spending responsible Dell aims to diversify away from PCs, but how? Microsoft announces Azure cloud computing pricing Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft reconfirmed today that its cloud computing platform will be commercially available this November and unveiled pricing for its Azure components -- base OS, hosted database and messaging service. READ FULL STORY Microsoft Azure evangelist tackles cloud doubts Microsoft to flesh out private cloud plans ZDNet Webcast: All About Azure Microsoft sheds light on apps store Office 2010 makes a splashy public debut End of an era for Office 2000 The grand Google plan against the whole Microsoft stack Dana Blankenhorn: With its release of a NeatX server, however buggy and primitive it may be, Google has signaled its effort to go after the entire Microsoft software stack. Critics may call this more of a Grand Guignol plan meant only to immunize both Google and Microsoft from antitrust scrutiny, but this looks as serious as a heart attack. READ FULL STORY With the Chrome OS, Google's software stack is revealed; Shrapnel everywhere Why the first Chrome netbooks may not be so revolutionary Chrome OS: 3 reasons it matters, 4 reasons it's irrelevant RFID passports: a tragedy waiting to happen Robin Harris: You're strolling in the south of France when a van stops, men burst out and, in seconds, hustle you into the van. "American scum!" they hiss as they hood you. But wearing a Sorbonne t-shirt and no fanny pack, how did they know? Thank your government -- and a bad storage choice. READ FULL STORY Apple patents point to haptics, fingerprints, RFID Conflicts of interest may be at the heart of healthcare reform RFID could be in all cell phones by 2010 White Paper: Vulnerabilities in First-Generation RFID-Enabled Credit Cards White Paper: Human Activity Tracking Using RFID Tags SmartPlanet: Payback can be quick for social media Joe McKendrick: There's been a perception that social media is a low-cost medium for companies, with many tools and services attainable at rock-bottom prices (or even free). But some say immersing your organization into an effective, robust social network can run up sizable charges in management and staff time. It might be well worth the price, new research shows. READ FULL STORY Social media lessons: United Airlines breaks guitars Social media tips for business: 10 smart ones for Twitter Top U.S. CEOs Social Media No-Shows Photo Gallery Google Street View visits Stonehenge Google and VisitBritain have revealed the seven landmarks and attractions that will get a visit from the search giant's Street View trike this summer. VIEW THE GALLERY Tony Hawk shows us how to Ride--photos Road trip with the iPhone 3GS photos More ZDNet Photo Galleries Analyst: Forget the Feds, Apple is 'doing just fine at wrecking the wireless business' Larry Dignan: The Feds have been examining exclusive wireless c arrier deals with handset makers, but the effort is a bit of a farce. One analyst says it's laughable that the wireless industry is anticompetitive and the Feds don't have to worry about wrecking the wireless industry. Apple already has. READ FULL STORY AmazonWireless: shopping the phone instead of the plan In an economic downturn, prepaid mobile is big business WSJ: Justice Dept. "reviewing" large telecoms Carrier strength drives smartphone selections FCC reacts, starts looking into carrier-exclusive deal To the Moon: Rocketdyne, Keeper of the Flame Jason Perlow: The historic Apollo 11 mission in July of 1969 culminated in the first manned moon landing. The Rocketdyne F-1 rocket engine, producing 1.5 million pounds of takeoff thrust and fueled with Liquid Kerosene (RP-1) and Liquid Oxygen, was the core component of the S-IC boost stage that propelled the Apollo astronauts to the Moon. READ FULL STORY To the Moon: The Integrators To the Moon: Boeing, the Rocket Foundry To the Moon: How we built the technologies Featured TalkBack PCs need a brand (and why Microsoft stores could revolutionize how a consumer buys one) Andrew Nusca: Microsoft plans to open retail stores this fall to combat Apple head-on. Here's why it's a good idea and a step toward addressing the need for a cohesive "PC" identity. READ FULL BLOG What do you think? Post Your Thoughts in TalkBack Reader TalkBacks Can Office 14 live up to the trailer? "That was hilarious. I won't buy it, but that was pretty funny." -- mojorison67 Windows 7: Why, and why risk it? "I don't believe Microsoft will EVER get the OS right." -- lvincent45 Chrome OS: 3 reasons it matters, 4 reasons it's irrelevant Jason Hiner: Google's idea is to essentially create a thin client operating system for consumers. This is not going to have a big impact on IT departments and businesses, many of which are experimenting with Windows-based thin client solutions such as VDI. But IT pros should understand Chrome OS because workers will try to bring it into the business. Here are reasons why it matters and why it doesn't. READ FULL STORY When you see Chrome OS think business model Google on offense: Chrome OS is a wager on the future of computing Taking the 'PC' out of the Chrome OS equation Google's Chrome OS: A threat to Intel and the rise of ARM chips Complete ZDNet coverage: Google Chrome ZDNet Reviews Dell Vostro all-in-one desktop PC for business; $629 Andrew Nusca: Dell on Thursday announced its Vostro all-in-one PC, the company's first all-in-one "designed exclusively for small business." According to a Dell poll of small businesses, "cramped spaces and overcrowded desks are a headache for business owners." READ THE REVIEW Brother MFC-5890CN printer HP Pavilion Slimline s5120y More ZDNet Reviews Sign up for ZDNet's Product Watch Newsletter for the latest product reviews, news, and expert analysis SmartPlanet: Will your genetic source be open or closed? Dana Blankenhorn: Is a patent a hurdle to innovation? Genomes are being studied under both patented "closed source" and "open source" methods. Can the power to cure be found in the proprietary, or the public? READ FULL STORY The smart push for health exchange standards Conflicts of interest may be at the heart of healthcare reform The real Tylenol scare A1N1 Swine Flu proving limits of health technology Study: LCD viewing angles are too narrow, many TV features are marketing fluff Sean Portnoy: According to a new study, LCDs have a much, much narrower viewing angle than plasmas, something that's been known for some time but apparently still hasn't been solved by TV manufacturers. The other finding? All those "features" are a bunch of hooey. READ FULL STORY Netflix's streaming-video service comes to Sony's networked Bravia HDTVs Sharp unveils new LED-backlit Aquos LCD HDTVs Amazon.com knocks $500 off $7k Mitsubishi LaserVue HDTV. Will anyone buy it now?	In The Blogs Top 5 reasons healthcare in America is broken -- Alex Rivlin Smartphone UI vs features: Can any device excel in both? -- Matthew Miller "Cooling trend" and global warming -- Harry Fuller Google's Belgium data center: Hold the chillers -- Larry Dignan Oracle cranks up some prices 40% -- Dennis Howlett CIT unraveling could be headache for Dell, Avaya, resellers -- Larry Dignan Major antivirus engines failing to detect malware -- Vivian Yeo MontaVista boasts one-second boot-up -- Victoria Ho Jobs: Catch the App Store if you can -- Larry Dignan Sitting "Shiva" For My Dead Laptop -- Jason Perlow IronKey unveils enterprise USB flash drive with self-destruct security -- Andrew Nusca AMD adds five new processors to six-core Opteron lineup -- Adrian Kingsley-Hughes SmartPlanet: A bad economy is the best time for new ideas-- Heather Clancy SmartPlanet: Why the U.S. is in danger of losing the innovation crown-- Heather Clancy SmartPlanet: Management by walking around vs. walking away-- Joe McKendrick Now Introducing... Financial news, insight & guidance. It's where you go from here. MoneyWatch is the premier destination for smart, practical personal finance advice about your retirement, investing, savings, career and real estate. Visit MoneyWatch.com today! Most Rated Posts Windows 7: Where's the beef? How much?!!? Why, and why risk it? The history and future of Chrome OS Windows 7 Family Pack, Anytime Upgrade prices leak Snake oil at its slickest: A social media spam story Business licensees to get final Windows 7 release in July   New Technologies Sponsored White papers PCI DSS Compliance in the UNIX/Linux Datacenter This paper discusses how creating a secure access control infrastructure in heterogeneous UNIX/Linux environments supports Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance. (Symark Software) Top Five Strategies For Combating Modern Malware Threats Examine innovative approaches to network security that let you take a proactive stance against today?s fast-moving, zero-day malware. Preventing data corruption in the event of an extended power outage Read this paper to learn why Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) hardware is only part of a total power outage solution for servers and PCs. (APC) Free Trial Software Download: Quest MessageStats Suite Simplify the task of gathering and analyzing data from Microsoft Exchange and other messaging systems, putting critical metrics within easy reach. Free Tech Guide: Moving Your Business to the Cloud Learn about proven best practices for migrating your mission-critical applications to Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite. More white papers: Most popular papers Recently added papers Most popular papers by industry More Popular Resources 10+ things you should know about troubleshooting a slow PC Don't let Windows XP startup problems leave you dead in the water 10 ways techs can make extra cash 10 dumb things users do that can mess up their computers Maximize the Performance of Windows XP Videos and Podcasts Dell: Selling a new backbone for SMBs ZDNet Senior Editor Sam Diaz talks about the company's effort to sell its products to the SMB market. He says Dell executives are hoping to gain ground on the competition by retooling offerings to be more customizable. PLAY VIDEO Is AT&T slowly dethroning the almighty iPhone? ZDNet Senior Editor Sam Diaz shares his views on the release of Apple's new iPhone 3G S. Diaz says there is a dark shadow being cast over the new device because of its exclusive relationship with carrier AT&T, while users complain about two-year contracts and lack of support for MMS messaging. PLAY VIDEO Capital flowing into green At Greentech Media's Green Building Summit in Menlo Park, Calif., Cascadia Capital CEO Michael Butler discusses three subsectors of the green-building industry that recently began receiving the most capital from the stimulus plan and private sectors. PLAY VIDEO Who will manage the smart grid? At Greentech Media's Green Building Summit at SRI International in Menlo Park, Calif., tech executives discuss the future management of smart-grid technology and whether the balance of power will go toward utility companies, government regulatory agencies or building owners. PLAY VIDEO Speeding up construction on 'green' homes At Greentech Media's Green Building Summit at SRI International in Menlo Park, Calif., Serious Material Chairman Marc Porat discusses the challenges associated with building green residential homes. He believes it's important for the green industry to persuade governments to mandate environmentally sustainable buildings in order to speed up construction. PLAY VIDEO Play more video and audio Hot Sponsored Downloads ZC Video to iPod Converter Hotspot Shield - Freeware Registry Booster AVS Audio Editor Opera - Freeware Most Popular Downloads  Ultimate Windows Tweaker Ultimate Windows Tweaker is a free tool for tweaking all of the hidden Windows settings you normally can't access. License: Free OS: Windows  DateLine Free application DateLine is an attractive linear calendar that lives on your desktop, offering iCal integration and simple but useful customizations. 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