All Things Gibbs

All Things Gibbs This newsletter is sponsored by Symantec Stay ahead of stealth security threats Reduce the propagation of malicious code, lower your risk profile, provide greater network availability and much more with Symantec Network Access Control. Network World's All Things Gibbs Newsletter, 10/16/07 All Things Gibbs By Mark Gibbs Gearhead: Managing multiple monitors You may remember that last week I considered the possibility that Microsoft was trying to drive me insane because my PC had suddenly and for no accountable reason shown an unusually high processor load (about 40%) from deferred procedure calls (DPC) which, a week later, just as mysteriously dropped back to the expected level (about 2%). To read this week's Gearhead, click here. Improve App Performance with Web Acceleration Find out how to improve the delivery of Web applications to geographically dispersed users with Web acceleration tools. Learn, in this webcast, how to shop for these products and the best and worst applications to accelerate. View this Webcast now. Backspin: Why Skype and Vonage must die Skype and Vonage illustrate what is wrong with user communications: They are “closed” and not standards based. These strategies support business models that are not in line with 21st century wants and needs. They have to go! To read this week's Backspin, click here. Gibbsblog: The past 7 days Two New Linux Distros Linspire and Mandriva have released new versions of their Linux distros to the world. You can download each from their web site. Linspire wants you to pony up $50 for their full version, or get their stripped down roll-your-own Freespire version. Mandriva has released Mandriva Linux One 2008 -- formerly Mandrake -- providing a full Linux OS on a single CD. They offer a PowerPack version for $50 that includes SQL and web development tools as well as a more complete set of proprietary drivers. In my quest for The Perfect Linux Desktop I'm drawn to Mandriva. Computer insecurity and marketing The first great marketing lie was "Go and eat the apple; it'll be okay". The second was: "Computers are easy and will make your life easier". But the fact is, it will not ever be easy to setup a computer system or network due to its inherent complex nature. For example, you want to make a simple change to your system and research it. Your Google search returns a paper that tells you how to do it. You begin to read it and it starts talking about registries and DLLs, and the killer: "For God's sake don't mess with the registry because if you do, it will be the end of civilization" sentence. New Spybot S&D Fails for Me I've used Spybot since version 1.2 and was pleased to see 1.5 come out 9/3/07. I grabbed a copy last week, removed version 1.4 and installed 1.5 on my Windows 2000 box. That's when the fun began.

MOST-READ STORIES: 1. Top 10 strategic technologies for 2008 2. Security companies to watch 3. Salary survey: IT pay falls short 4. Funniest Microsoft videos on YouTube 5. 'Networkiest' horror films 6. Google GPhones or GPhonies? 7. Quantum cryptography to secure ballots 8. Is Apple more controlling than Microsoft? 9. Oracle's 10 acquisitions in 2007 10. Would BEA disappear under Oracle? MOST E-MAILED STORY: Top 10 strategic technologies for 2008

Contact the author: Mark Gibbs is a consultant, author, journalist, and columnist and now blogger: Check out Gibbsblog. Gibbs not only pens (well, keyboards) this newsletter he also writes the weekly Backspin and Gearhead columns in Network World. We’ll spare you the rest of the bio but if you want to know more, go here This newsletter is sponsored by Symantec Stay ahead of stealth security threats Reduce the propagation of malicious code, lower your risk profile, provide greater network availability and much more with Symantec Network Access Control. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007