Jim Louderback

Todays networking and collaboration tools present IT with the same challenges as the personal computer did in the 80s. And predictably, IT is reacting in the same ways. I had a fascinating conversation with a CIO the other day. He was complaining about how users at his company were running roughshod over corporate systems and […]

Its the latest technology craze. Turn your phones digital, and use the Internet to bypass pricey long-distance providers. Individuals and businesses can slash phone costs by 50 percent or more, with little or no loss of quality. But theres a very dark lining inside this silver cloud. VOIP (voice over IP) is just as vulnerable […]

In times of economic distress, technology organizations in businesses tend to hunker down. The recession of the last three years, coming on the heels of the dot-com boom, caused an extremely sharp correction inside most businesses, just as it did in the market. Just as financiers eschewed speculative investments on new technology, IT departments went […]

I see Robs fallen for the latest pretty girl to walk down the street. In his column about the UPC, a new class of tiny yet powerful Windows-based portable computers, he waxes enthusiastic. According to Rob, these tiny and cramped devices are poised to steal market share, and ultimate market leadership, away from notebooks and […]

This show rocks! I knew it was going to be a good show when I arrived at the Santa Clara convention center and the parking lot was full! I ended up in a lot across Great America Parkway—in one of the many abandoned dot-com office parks. But if the VOIP market has anything to do […]

Now, heres a brilliant solution for those folks who have thrown out their land lines for cellular. Thats more people than you might think: The CTIA estimated last year that about 10 percent of wireless phone users have replaced their land lines and that 30 million to 40 million additional lines will be shut off […]

ATLANTA—In our first installment, we explored trends and new handsets from the “S” vendors—Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Siemens. In Part Two, we analyze the newest phones from middle-of-the-alphabet vendors and look at a few other interesting devices being shown this week at the CTIA Wireless trade show here. Its not the sexiest phone in the […]

ATLANTA—At the CTIA Wireless trade show here this week, its all about the phones. Both the usual suspects and unusual newcomers rolled out new models for the world to see. As I looked over all of the handsets coming out, a few trends emerged. First, a move toward clamshell designs echoes users demand for them. […]

You heard it here first: Windows Longhorn, the follow-on to Windows XP, wont be on store shelves until 2008—some three years later than the 2005 date Microsoft announced last May. While even the most pessimistic of developer sources now predicts a 2007 launch, I will put my stake in for yet another year. This is […]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—A star-studded cast of bloggers on Monday kicked off the annual DEMO emerging technology show here, introducing five new blogging and RSS tools that are designed to make blogging more ubiquitous, easier to manage and even more corporate. The DEMO 2004 keynote panel included Microsofts Robert Scoble, John Patrick from Attitude LLC and Mena […]

Remember the Cue:Cat? A handheld scanner designed to read squished-up bar codes in magazines, truckloads of them were given away by Radio Shack back in the late nineties. The idea was that youd connect the Cue:Cat to your PC, and then use it to scan a barcode while reading a magazine or newspaper. That scan […]

SAN JOSE, Calif.—More than 700 Palm developers gathered here for the annual PalmSource Developer Conference 2004. The company on Tuesday showcased its new versions of the Palm operating system, now called Garnet and Cobalt, as well as other products and licensing deals. PalmSource is the company responsible for developing and enhancing the popular Palm OS, […]