Jim Rapoza

I missed out on the big tech stock bubble, probably because Im not allowed to own tech stocks, which kept me from potential riches but also saved me when the bubble burst. But Im ready now to take advantage of the next big easy-money proposition. I am, of course, talking about broad, obvious patents that […]

The first useful application of American Express smart-chip-enabled Blue card may also be the first truly useful implementation of personal data and ID management. American Express ID Keeper is a Windows-based application that lets users securely store personal data, credit card information, and Web site log-ins and passwords. Users can quickly use this data to […]

Im lucky enough to live in Boston, where several great college radio stations make it possible for me to listen to a wide variety of eclectic music that will never be on a Clear Channel playlist. But I have lived in other places where my choices were the commercial “alternative” rock station, playing the same […]

Whether Opera is now the best browser available is mainly a matter of personal preference. When it comes to features and capability, the new Opera 7 clearly deserves to stand at the top, right next to Mozilla. Opera Software ASA has long been an innovator when it comes to Web browsers, introducing features such as […]

Sun Microsystems Inc.s Sun ONE Identity Server 6.0 is the first commercial product to include support for the new Liberty Alliance specification for ID management, meaning that the server may have a leg up on the competition when it comes to integrating Web services and partner authentication with a companys internal access control and ID […]

Movie Maker 2, the free video creation software now included with Windows XP, is a big step up from the original version. Movie Maker 2 made it easy for us to take video, still images and audio and create professional-looking (or in my case, semiprofessional-looking) video clips. Home users are the main target for Movie […]

That Sun Open Net Environment, or Sun ONE, identity server supports the Liberty Alliance specification for unique ID handling probably doesnt do much good if one doesnt know how to use the Liberty Alliance. Fortunately, there is a simple way for developers to learn how to build applications that use the Liberty Alliance specification. The […]

Whether Opera is now the best browser available is mainly a matter of personal preference. When it comes to features and capability, the new Opera 7 clearly deserves to stand at the top, right next to Mozilla. Opera Software ASA has long been an innovator when it comes to Web browsers, introducing features such as […]

Lately, court decisions havent been filling me with a whole lot of joy. From the Supreme Court saying that if Congress decides to extend copyright 100 years its still just for a limited time, to the recent federal decision that basically said ISPs must give record companies customer information for the flimsiest of reasons, there […]

In terms of maturity, Microsoft Corp.s Windows Media 9 is similar to Internet Explorer 4.0, the version of the browser that beat competitors feature by feature. However, although Windows Media 9 edges competitors in most areas, it falls short of being the best, and most users should keep versions of Apple Computer Inc.s QuickTime and […]

Secure IE is a small Windows utility that attempts to make using Microsofts Internet Explorer browser easier and more secure—and some would say that IE could use a lot more security. The $29.95 Secure IE 3.1, from Winferno Software, is not a browser plug-in but, instead, is a complete shell replacement, changing and taking over […]

A couple of years ago, during their peak hype, application service providers claimed that they could make it possible for companies to outsource even the most vital enterprise applications. But as ASPs began to fall, many companies questioned the wisdom of placing key applications outside of their own control. So why are service offerings for […]