Episode 32 – The State of the IT Industry Part 4

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This week we are going to talk with The VAR Guy and ask him where he thinks the industry is headed. Part 4 of a 4 part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:18
Billboard :39

News and Comment segment 4:42
Apple released Safari 4 beta to the public February 24. Safari 4 beta can be downloaded from http://www.apple.com/safari/download/.

The winner of the Technibble contest is Michael Murray of Bartow Onsite Computer Solutions. Congratulations, Michael! The prize is The Computer Business Kit from Technibble. If you would like a copy of The Computer Business Kit, it is $49 and it can be purchased directly at www.technibble.com.

Sponsor: Try GotoAssist Express free for 30 days! For this special offer, visit www.GotoAssist.com/techpodcast.

Microsoft released Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Release Candidate to the public March 4.

Commercial Break 1:00
Get Great Web Hosting at GoDaddy.com and save 10%! Listen for the discount code in the show. GoDaddy.com 1:00

Intro to Interview 1:48
In episode 29 we talked with Pat Palmer, heard how his business is doing well in spite of the economy and how he expects this trend to continue in the months and years to come. In episode 30 we talked with Kris Crispell and he told us the same thing. In episode 31 we talked with Crisantos Hajibrahim of Virus Woman. He told us why he entered a new and growing area of the IT market to keep his business profitable, heard how he did it and found out how he is riding out the economic storm – in the cloud. This week we will talk with The VAR Guy and find out where he thinks the industry is headed. Part 4 of a four part series.

TheVARGuy Interview 13:02

Wrap up and Close :46

Comments, questions or suggestions? Send them in to comments@theforcefield.net. Feedback on this topic will be read by the host and included in future episodes of the show.

©2009 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

 

http://media.techpodcasts.com/theforcefield/media.libsyn.com/media/theforcefield/The_Force_Field_32.mp3 

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Lack of End User Training is a Large and Growing Threat to IT Security, CompTIA Study Finds

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Washington, D.C., March 10, 2009 While information security remains a top priority for eight in ten IT professionals surveyed, many companies seem to be underestimating one of the most significant IT security threats – end user error. According to CompTIA's 7th Annual Trends in Information Security survey, human error is the primary cause of the most severe security breaches, yet significantly fewer organizations (45%) provided security training for their non-IT staff in 2008 compared to 53% in 2007.  The results of study will be released and presented at the FOSE tradeshow in Washington D.C.

"Fueled in part by the rapid adoption of portable hardware like laptops, flash drives and smart phones, and by distributed information technologies like crowd sourcing, social networks, virtualization and cloud storage, end users are exposed to new IT security threats every day," said Tim Herbert, vice president of research at CompTIA. "Security threats grow along with the expanding reach of IT so non-IT employees need to be continually trained on the latest IT security threats."

Terry Erdle, senior vice president of skills certification for CompTIA will present the detailed results of the study including the top five security issues across the IT landscape, how costly security breaches can be to a whole organization not just IT, and insights on how to lower your risk on Tuesday, March 10 at 2:20 p.m. in Theater 1 of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. as part of FOSE, a major federal IT tradeshow.

"Unintentional security breaches by non-IT staff cost companies thousands of dollars in lost productivity and business downtime," said Erdle. "This demonstrates a need for more employee trainings and deeper knowledge of technology functions."  

In addition to comprehensive industry research, CompTIA offers many other programs related to IT security including a new Security Trustmark accreditation that establishes security best practices for IT solution providers.

CompTIA's 7th Annual Trends in Information Security: an Analysis of IT Security and the Workforce was fielded to a sample of 553 US IT professional via the Internet during January 2009. The international portion of the study was fielded to a sample IT professionals in key markets around the world. The complete study is available free to CompTIA member companies at www.comptia.org/research .

For more information on the study, on CompTIA's certifications, or CompTIA's other work on behalf of the global IT industry, visit CompTIA booth 2209A on the FOSE show floor or navigate to CompTIA.org.

About CompTIA

CompTIA is the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, please visit www.comptia.org .

PC-Doctor releases Service Center

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New Professional Computer Troubleshooting Kit Includes Advanced Test Devices,
Support for Newly Introduced Hardware Components, and Faster Diagnostics
RENO, Nev. (Feb. 24, 2009) – Global system health and computer diagnostics leader PC-Doctor Inc. today introduced its PC-Doctor Service Center 7 computer repair kit, a significant advancement of the industry's top PC troubleshooting software used by service organizations, independent PC repair professionals, small manufacturers and others.

The latest kit delivers new and faster diagnostics, more advanced test scripting, a significantly improved POST card for systems that won't boot, a drive-erase tool, and the ability to take detailed snapshots of the system under test to clearly show all changes made. Additionally, companies using Service Center 7 can present a professional image to their customers by providing customized test reports that include the company's logo, contact information, and technician name.

"Technicians who choose PC-Doctor Service Center 7 are able to take advantage of the same up-to-date professional diagnostics that four of the world's top five manufacturers pre-install on their PCs to reduce warranty and service delivery costs," said Doug van Aman, the company's chief marketing officer. "We routinely develop tests for new hardware well before those technologies are released to the general public, and are able to roll those advances into PC-Doctor Service Center, while continuing to support legacy systems."

Service Center 7 comes complete with more than 300 diagnostics, including high-level diagnostics for testing hardware and advanced drivers within the Windows operating system, and bootable diagnostics for low-level, direct testing of hardware, and for use when Windows will not boot. The new Windows tests support the latest components introduced by the world's leading manufacturers, including newly introduced video cards, Bluetooth network devices, CPUs and Blu-ray optical drives. Additionally, the bootable diagnostics include new, faster protected-mode memory tests that are based on PC-Doctor patents and capable of testing up to 64 gigabytes of memory.

Also included is a newly designed POST card for troubleshooting systems that cannot boot. Designed to make troubleshooting easier, the POST card has a new daughterboard on a flexible connector, making it easier to read error codes, bus speeds and system voltages on a remote display. Other highlights of the new PC-Doctor Service Center 7 include:

  • Customizable reports: The computer repair tech has unprecedented control over both the content and the appearance of the reports generated by Service Center 7. These reports can be branded to include the company name, technician name, and the company logo, and can include system information, test information, and comparisons between system snapshots, showing hardware and driver changes that occurred during repair.
  • System snapshots: Techs can take a snapshot of the system before they start repair, run diagnostics and replace hardware or make driver changes, then take another snapshot. All differences in the two sets of system information will be listed, including detailed hardware and driver information. The tech can include this information in the report given to the customer, allowing the customer to clearly see exactly what was done on their system. This establishes credibility and boosts customer confidence.
  • Drive-erase capability: Our new tool wipes a hard drive to U.S. Defense Department specifications.
  • SMART attributes log view: Shows all of the details from the drive SMART function.
  • Support for CD/DVD checksum test: New test media supports this test while maintaining compatibility with older-version media.
  • Test automation: Five predefined, broad-coverage test scripts are available directly from the home screen, as are up to five user-defined scripts.
  • Redesigned user interface: The completely redesigned user interface provides much faster, cleaner access to all Service Center 7 features.
  • Customizable links: A nearly unlimited number of links to user-defined test scripts, favorite Web addresses, and local files can be added to Service Center 7 for quick access when running on multiple systems. The top five links are also available directly from the home screen.
  • Periodic updates: Customers may subscribe to receive updates to the diagnostics.
  • Advanced user guide: Complete test descriptions for both Windows and DOS

Priced at $399, PC-Doctor Service Center 7 is available today directly from the company, either by visiting www.pcdservicecenter.com or by calling (866) 289-7237. It also is available from Amazon.com. The kit includes:

  • a diagnostic CD containing both Windows and offline diagnostics,
  • optical media for testing CD and DVD capabilities,
  • a multipurpose USB device with LED indicators and bootable, low-level diagnostics to test systems without a hard drive, optical drive or display,
  • parallel, serial, USB and Ethernet loopback adaptors,
  • the newly designed PCI POST card,
  • a power supply tester,
  • documentation for both basic and advanced options, and
  • a professional canvas case for carrying the kit onsite.

ABOUT PC-DOCTOR
Founded in 1993, PC-Doctor Inc. develops diagnostics and other system health tools that help PC makers, service centers, and IT organizations reduce costs, improve quality and enhance customer satisfaction. With more than 180 million units shipped worldwide, PC-Doctor's diagnostics are pre-installed on systems from four of the world's top five PC manufacturers. In addition to Windows products, the company also develops diagnostics for Linux and other operating systems that run on leading Intel and AMD microprocessors. For more information about PC-Doctor and its products, visit www.pc-doctor.com or call (866) 289-7237. International customers should call (775) 336-4000.

Barrister to bill service providers $100 for tardiness – techs are ticked

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Barrister is frustrating service providers again and this time they are really ticked.

Barrister Global Service Network, which claims to be “the oldest and largest woman-owned computer service company in the United States”, is a national contractor based in Louisiana. The company was founded 1972 and advertises a network of 15,000 techs on the roster who are independent contractors. The company is well established and is well known among field service technicians and IT consultants as a source of contract work.

Barrister had a good reputation with field service technicians at one time, however within the last few years many service providers have complained about poor communication and slow or non-payment for services rendered.

The payment issues were initially blamed on Hurricane Katrina, which wreaked havoc on the entire state in which Barrister is based and all but put the company out of business. However, three years later the company is back in business and seems to be a different company with a different attitude, according to some service providers.

A few weeks ago Barrister surprised 15,000 techs on their network when they sent an e-mail outlining an new Quality Initiative Program.

The following is the content of the e-mail:

“Dear Technician,

Effective Monday, February 16, 2009, we are going to be launching our Quality Initiative Program.  This initiative will reward those technicians that show up on time for their ETA, perform quality work, provide updates and closing information from onsite, etc by sending them more work. 

With the Quality Initiative program we will begin to penalize those technicians that do not show up on time for their ETA, do not perform quality work, do not provide updates and closing information from onsite, or who turn back calls after accepting them.

Effective Monday, February 16, 2009 any technician who is late for an ETA without notifying Barrister, or who doesn’t show up for an ETA will be charged a $100.00 penalty.

As you may know, our competitors offer 100% money back guarantee to their customers in regard to the quality of the technician and the work performed. With today’s economy, we have to be more customer focused and more quality driven then ever before.  

This initiative will ensure our field technician’s representing us are focused on quality as well, and the technician’s that have poor performance will have financial ramifications. “

Some techs are fed up. Many have stopped accepting calls from the company altogether.

The response to the e-mail in tech forums was overwhelmingly negative. Although a few posted positive or neutral comments about their relationship with Barrister, most of them considered the new initiative an attempt by Barrister to circumvent or avoid payment for contract work altogether. This was understandable, since some of them were still waiting for payment for jobs performed months earlier and at least one had been stiffed completely.

I received an e-mail from tbird635 that summed it all up. 

He said: “I got that email too. What really stuck out in my mind were the words ‘This initiative will reward those technicians that show up on time for their ETA, perform quality work, provide updates and closing information from onsite, etc by sending them more work.’ And just where will this additional work come from? I see maybe one a week now.”

He then pointed out another line in the Barrister e-mail that he found ironic.

“And this gem….
‘This initiative will ensure our field technician’s representing us are focused on quality as well, and the technician’s that have poor performance will have financial ramifications.’  Focused on quality??? More like focused on their watches.”

“If I were running late, and knew I was going to get nailed for that $100, I’d turn around and go home and return the favor by giving them an unfinished (and unbillable) job. as well as a P-o’ed customer (who may then seek an alternative to them). 
I think I’ve done my last Barrister job.”

Barrister is listed in The Force Field National Contractor directory under Barrister Global Services Network, Inc..  Members of The Force Field who have performed work for Barrister can rate the company and leave comments in the listing.

I called Barrister today to get their side of the story. After explaining to the operator who I was and what I was calling about, I was placed on hold for 10 minutes until someone audibly hung up the phone.

Splashtop Extends Its Reach in the PC Market with a New 3G Netbook from LG

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The Splashtop instant-on platform with new support for 3.5G broadband wireless connectivity launches on the LG-X120 netbook

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) February 23, 2009 — DeviceVM, the maker of the award-winning Splashtop™ instant-on platform, announced that Splashtop will ship on the LG-X120 netbook, a new 3.5G HSPA connected PC.    

With Splashtop, users of the LG-X120 can surf the Web, check email, and chat online seconds after turning on their netbooks, all without starting a traditional operating system. Splashtop is branded as LG "Smart-On" on the X120. The netbook is based on the Intel® Atom™ processor.

The LG-X120 netbook features a 3.5G High Speed Packet Access ("HSPA") connection. The combination of the broadband internet over a wireless wide area network ("WWAN") with the Splashtop "Smart-On" software means that users of the X120 can enjoy immediate access to rich Web content, including online video, maps, and email, regardless of where they are. Splashtop also supports WiFi and wired LAN connections.

"Netbook users crave instant and ubiquitous access to Internet content," says Mark Lee, co-founder and CEO of DeviceVM. "We are excited about working with LG and carriers around the world to bring Splashtop and wireless broadband connectivity to netbooks."

Splashtop ships on millions of motherboards, notebooks, desktops, nettops and netbooks from some of the world's largest computer manufacturers including HP, ASUS, Lenovo and now LG.

About DeviceVM
DeviceVM, Inc. is a privately held software company, selected by Dow Jones as one of the top 50 companies to watch. With its 'instant-on' Splashtop product, DeviceVM is improving the every-day experience of computer users. Founded in 2006, DeviceVM is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Taiwan and China.

About Splashtop
Splashtop is an award-winning 'instant-on' platform that improves the personal computing experience. Splashtop enables users to read e-mail, chat with friends, share photos, or surf the Web seconds after turning on their PC. Numerous Splashtop-enabled motherboards, desktops, and notebooks are available from the world's major computer manufacturers.

Useful Links:
More about Splashtop: http://www.splashtop.com/
LG release: http://www.lge.com/about/press_release/detail/21099_1.jhtml
Splashtop blog: http://www.splashtop.com/blog/
Splashtop-enabled products: http://splashtop.com/get_splashtop

CompTIA Educational Foundation Receives Grant to Help Train Disabled Veterans

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MLB and McCormicks Welcome Back Veterans Program Extends to IT Career Support

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., February 17, 2009, The CompTIA Educational Foundation received a $210,000 grant from Major League Baseball and the McCormick Foundation to expand its Creating Futures' outreach to disabled veterans.

 

The Foundation's Creating Futures program provides free training and certification opportunities to populations who have historically been under-represented in the information technology (IT) workforce, including U.S. veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, minorities, at-risk youth and dislocated workers. Creating Futures works directly with employers to identify their hiring needs, then tailors its training to help individuals obtain the skills employers require.

 

The grant is part of Major League Baseball and the McCormick Foundation's Welcome Back Veterans program, a national public awareness and fundraising initiative that addresses the mental health and employment needs of America's returning war veterans and their families.  Created by New York Mets Chairman and CEO Fred Wilpon and private citizens, Welcome Back Veterans is supported by Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Advanced Media and the McCormick Foundation.

 

"With this generous grant, Creating Futures can help more disabled veterans become employed in the IT industry," said John Venator, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA Educational Foundation. "Our Armed Forces help prepare these brave men and women to handle any situation. Now with IT training and certification provided by Creating Futures, veterans can become incredibly valuable employees for the government and private technology sectors."

 

Veterans can apply for training online at www.comptiaeduationalfoundation.org. All candidate applications are screened before selected for the program. Training, mentoring, courseware, practice exams, and certification vouchers are provided at no cost. Program participants train toward CompTIA certifications which are known throughout the IT industry as reliable predictors of employee success and are therefore the best way to break into the IT field and build a solid career.

Creating Futures participants communicate directly with Foundation staff to determine which of the four IT certification training courses, CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, and Security+, are right for them.  Participants have the option to take one or all four of the training courses. 

Communication with Foundation staff is on-going to ensure that individuals complete the training within the required 90 days.  After the 90 days, practice exams are provided, and individuals take their certification exams within two to three weeks.

 

"Programs like Creating Futures give our veterans a way to open the door to a long-term career in a vibrant industry," said Brig. Gen. (Ret.) David L. Grange, president and chief executive officer of the McCormick Foundation. "Welcome Back Veterans is driven by the profound need to provide returning veterans the quality medical treatment and long-term employment assistance they deserve to restart their lives and care for their families."

The McCormick Foundation continues to accept and encourages donations to Welcome Back Veterans. Major League Baseball and the McCormick Foundation are paying all expenses associated with this initiative, so 100 percent of the funds raised, plus the matching dollars, will go to programs and services for veterans. Contributions are accepted online at www.WelcomeBackVeterans.org.

 

About the CompTIA Educational Foundation The CompTIA Educational Foundation provides career opportunities for populations who historically have been under-represented in the IT workforce. With the support of individuals, industry leaders, companies and the government, the Foundation creates programs aimed at helping veterans transitioning out of the military, at-risk youth, women, minorities, dislocated workers, and individuals with disabilities to obtain the technical and business skills employers require. Since its creation in 1998, the Foundation has helped more than 1,000 individuals enter the IT workforce, helping the industry alleviate its shortage of skilled workers. For more information or to make a donation to the CompTIA Educational Foundation, visit http://www.creatingfutures.us/.

 

About CompTIA The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org.

 

About the McCormick Foundation The McCormick Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening our free, democratic society by investing in children, communities and country. Through its five grantmaking programs, Cantigny Park and Golf, and three world-class museums, the Foundation helps build a more active and engaged citizenry. It was established as a charitable trust in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The McCormick Foundation is one of the nation's largest charities, with more than $1 billion in assets. For more information, visit www.McCormickFoundation.org.

About Major League Baseball Charities Major League Baseball Charities is a not-for-profit corporation that provides support to local, national and international tax- exempt organizations to directly conduct or sponsor activities for the promotion of good health, physical education, public safety, medical research, literacy, educational or charitable purposes. In addition to supporting Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), the Official Charity of Major League Baseball, MLB Charities provides support to a number of other national charitable initiatives, including Little League Baseball, the National Urban League and the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball pays all administrative expenses for MLB Charities.

Vista downgrade to XP lawsuit draws ire – from both sides

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Today I read an article on Computerworld about a woman  who filed a lawsuit against Microsoft after she was charged $59.95 to downgrade her brand new laptop from Windows Vista to Windows XP. She alleges that by billing her for exercising her downgrade rights, Microsoft is engaging in monopolistic and anti-competitive practices.

Many readers sided with the user. A few sided with Microsoft. Both sides had interesting arguments but there was one response that got my dander up. One anonymous user said this:

“Microsoft charging to downgrade? A sensible solution considering Microsoft probably should have stopped selling XP entirely a year or two ago. They’re giving people the option to downgrade.”

“Giving” them an option to upgrade? They were at one time. Microsoft isn’t “giving” an option now. They are selling it to them.

The anonymous user continued. “What if this same lady went to ‘downgrade’ and instead of being told ‘Give me 60 bucks’ she was told ‘No.’ ? What then?”

What then? Good question. The answer – then she is stuck. She would either be forced to use Vista – or nothing – if she wanted to use Windows. That’s how you treat a customer? Force them into an upgrade they don’t want or go elsewhere? If so, that’s a company that would never keep my business.

Forced upgrades from a vendor is an unfair and potentially monopolistic practice. How would you take it if the only telephone company was Bell and every time they upgraded their service you had to purchase a new $200 phone from Bell Telephone or you couldn’t use the service? You have a phone that you are perfectly happy with but you can no longer use it. You couldn’t use any other phone service. It was Bell Telephone or nothing.

What, you say? who is Bell Telephone? Why, that was the monopoly that was broken up a few decades ago for just that sort of thing.

Windows may belong to Microsoft, but your computer belongs to you. So does your data. If you must use Microsoft products to access your data, then you should have unfettered access to it. To force a user to upgrade in order to access what is rightfully theirs or they are locked out of it is nothing short of ransomware.
Windows and Office may not be ransomware per se, but what Microsoft is doing is questionable. Forced upgrades may or may not be unethical, but charging users for downgrades is sleazy.

CompTIA Preparing Best-in-Class Index for Managed Technology Services Providers

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Survey underway to identify critical factors for successful managed services practices

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., February 11, 2009 The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the leading trade association for the world's information technology (IT) industry, announced today it is developing a new "best in class" index aimed at helping providers of managed technology services become more efficient and profitable.

 

The CompTIA Managed Services Best-in-Class Index, developed in cooperation with Service Leadership, Inc., a leading industry benchmarking firm, will identify and provide comprehensive analysis on more than 45 critical factors and ratios that affect success or failure in the managed services market. The report will include analysis, commentary and recommendations for managed services providers looking to attain best-in-class performance.

 

Data for the index is being collected from managed services providers through an online survey, available at www.comptia.org.

 

"We're reaching out to all corners of our industry to identify the best practices that separate successful managed services providers from those that struggle," said Richard Rysiewicz, vice president, industry relations, CompTIA. "Our intent is to help raise performance levels across the industry. That will allow more providers to succeed, and more of their customers to be satisfied with the services they're receiving."

 

The index will address areas such as network operations center headcount; managed services contract types; service issue resolution method and success rates; use of partnering; and account growth and attrition. Data will be analyzed and segmented in several ways, such as by customer size, service provider size and profitability levels.

 

The CompTIA Managed Services Best-in-Class Index is being developed through CompTIA University, the association's vendor-neutral portfolio of business management education. CompTIA University provides an array of resources to assist technology solution providers with their business management needs. Offerings are designed to help business owners optimize their operations and create an environment for long-term sustainability and growth. For more information, visit http://www.comptia.org/trainingandeducation/cu_business_education.aspx#ondemand

 

About CompTIA

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, please visit www.comptia.org.

 

 

Contact:

Steven Ostrowski

Director, Corporate Communications

CompTIA

630-678-8468

sostrowski@comptia.org

OpenDNS and Kaspersky Lab Team to Fight Massive Windows Conficker Worm

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OpenDNS joins forces with leading antivirus company to combat most widely-spread Windows worm; Leverages global DNS infrastructure to fight malware.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 9, 2009 — OpenDNS, provider of the award-winning service that makes the Internet safer, faster, smarter and more reliable, today announced it has teamed with leading antivirus company Kaspersky Lab to fight the wide-spread Conficker virus. The effort to fight Conficker uses the newly introduced OpenDNS Botnet Protection feature, which provides network administrators visibility into the networks they operate and sends notification if the Conficker Windows worm has successfully penetrated their network. This insight then gives network administrators the knowledge necessary to disable the worm and prevent it from causing damage. The Conficker virus, also known as Kido and Downadup, surfaced in late 2008 and targets the Microsoft Windows operating system, exploiting a known vulnerability in the Windows Server service used by most versions of Windows.

"For a virus as widespread as Conficker, the ability to quickly and easily see if the virus has penetrated your network is hugely significant when considering as many as 10 million PCs are infected so far, and the damage the virus could potentially do. For the first time, OpenDNS is leveraging its globally distributed DNS network to combat malware," said OpenDNS Founder and CTO David Ulevitch. "The joining of Kaspersky Lab, a world-class antivirus company, and OpenDNS, the leading provider of DNS infrastructure and security services, gives network administrators a significant advantage in the fight against malware and botnets."

"Despite not introducing any technological innovation, the Conflicker/Kido worm is regarded to be one of the most dangerous IT threats at the moment," said Vitaly Kamluk, Head of Antibotnet Research, Kaspersky Lab. "The worm was supposedly propagated via an existing botnet — this shows how dangerous the integration of two different malicious technologies might be. Speed of reaction in such cases is very important. We are open to all the communities and services that may help here. OpenDNS is one of the leading free and secure online services and we are happy that in this joint effort we can protect OpenDNS users as well."

OpenDNS Botnet Protection, as well as its use to fight the Conficker virus, represents a key innovation in the use of the Domain Name System. Conficker, also known as Downadup, uses a set of seemingly random domain names as a meeting place for the virus to exchange data with its author, such as how many new machines each host has brought into the botnet, or details on any code upgrades or attacks the owner wants to take place. These domain names are generated using an algorithm so they change every day, making traditional methods like revoking domain registrations used by botnet authors ineffective.

Kaspersky Lab has taken steps to preemptively predict the domains that will be used in coming days by the virus, and is collaborating with OpenDNS by sharing the predicted domains. OpenDNS Botnet Protection then blocks the domains from resolving inside the OpenDNS service, for all OpenDNS users. Consequently, OpenDNS Botnet Protection prevents the virus from taking part in any further actions at the instruction of the virus author, and effectively prevents the virus from causing additional damage and alerts networking administrators of malware living on their network.

About OpenDNS
OpenDNS is the leading provider of free security and infrastructure services that make the Internet safer through integrated Web content filtering, anti-phishing and DNS. OpenDNS services enable consumers and network administrators to secure their networks from online threats, reduce costs and enforce Internet-use policies. OpenDNS is used today by millions of users and organizations around the world. For more information about OpenDNS, please visit www.opendns.com.

About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab delivers the world's most immediate protection against IT security threats, including viruses, spyware, crimeware, hackers, phishing and spam. Kaspersky Lab products provide superior detection rates and the industry's fastest outbreak response time for large enterprises, SMBs, home users and the mobile computing environment. Kaspersky® technology is also used worldwide inside the products and services of more than 100 of the industry's leading IT security solution providers. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com. For the latest on antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and other IT security issues and trends, visit www.viruslist.com.

Digital Projection Reveals Full Lineup of 14 Active 3D Capable Displays

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New Digital Projection 3D projectors provide precise and immersive imaging for scientific, commercial, military and entertainment applications.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) February 5, 2009 — As a follow-up to their introduction of the TITAN 1080p-3D at ISE Europe, Digital Projection International, an Emmy® Award-winning manufacturer of high-performance projection systems, announced the addition of a complete range of products with active 3D capability to its TITAN, LIGHTNING and iVision product families.

DPI is offering two active 3D projectors in its single-chip projector lineup – the iVision sx+ 3D that is equipped with a standard zoom lens, and the iVision sx+W-3D, which is equipped with a short throw ratio fixed lens. Both products are compact and lightweight, feature a durable Magnesium cabinet and weigh in at roughly 7 lbs with lens. The iVision 3D's size, weight, SXGA+ native resolution and Brilliant ColorTM imaging make them great solutions for portable 3D applications and for permanent 3D installations with smaller screens.

The new TITAN 3D product range is comprised of eight distinct projectors. All eight units feature Texas Instruments' three-chip DLP technology with fast transit pixels for smooth grayscale and improved contrast. In the 3D configuration, the award winning TITAN chassis houses DPI's wide bandwidth active 3D electronics, which support sources running up to 120 Hz vertical refresh rate. The TITAN 3D models are available with either SXGA+ (1400 x 1050) or 1080p (1920 x 1080) native resolution. Both the native SXGA+ and 1080p platforms are offered as either dual or single lamp models, and each of the two lamp configurations can be further ordered as a High-Brightness or Ultra-Contrast configuration. When all 8 models are considered in total, the TITAN 3D product line presents a comprehensive array of active 3D display options, with brightness up to 9,000 ANSI lumens and a contrast ratio up to a spectacular 5000:1.

For ACTIVE 3D applications demanding the highest lumen performance, DPI's new LIGHTNING 3D offers the same source compatibility and imaging capabilities as the TITANs, while producing up to 21,000 ANSI lumens and 4000:1 contrast. Both High-Brightness and Ultra-Contrast versions of the LIGHTNING 40iSX+ 3D and LIGHTNING 1080p-3D are available, yielding a total of four powerful LIGHTNING 3D models from which to choose.

TITANs and LIGHTNINGs are all robustly built and extremely quiet, making them the perfect imaging solution for a variety of vital immersive applications, including: military simulation, scientific visualization, motion-based entertainment, commercial cinema and theme park attractions. In addition to the active 3D capability, the TITAN 3D and LIGHTNING 3D models also include DP's new FastFrame™ technology, a revolutionary combination of hardware and firmware that vastly reduces the artifacts and image blur typically associated with rapidly moving displayed content. The benefits of FastFrame™ are especially important for simulation environments such as commercial and military flight training, and other applications where the maintaining the visual integrity of high-speed imagery is vital.

For challenging 3D applications that require extreme mechanical rigging or precise mechanical alignment, the TITAN 3D products can be ordered with DP's RapidRig™ flying and stacking frame (standard on LIGHTNING 3D models). The RapidRig frames provide integrated pitch, roll and yaw adjustments, simplifying installation and alignment accuracy. The TITAN and LIGHTNING 3D products utilize the same state of the art lenses employed across the rest of DPI's TITAN and LIGHTNING Product range, so optical accuracy is always ensured.

Key features of the TITAN and LIGHTNING 3D product line include:

  • High Bandwidth input >120Hz active stereoscopic DVI with no need for frame doubling. This capability extends the dynamic range up to 16 bit for improved contrast and color gamut.
  • Double-Flash Matrix ProcessingTM (DFMP) – Supports users wishing to distribute 3D content via more traditional, 60 Hz formats with the option to frame-double their sources within the projector, via DFMP. When this option is selected, the input signal, having been processed and if necessary re-sized to map to the native resolution of the projector, will also be frame-doubled to 120 Hz, and the doubled frames interleaved. This produces imagery with the low flicker characteristics of a native 120 Hz source, but without the infrastructure costs associated with distributing and switching ultra-high bandwidth signals.
  • Projector electronics provide an interface to drive an infrared transmitter to synchronize switching glasses with active displayed frames. The user can elect either to pass through an external synch pulse, or to use the reference generated internally by the projector. Adjustments are provided to accommodate the phase and dead time characteristics of different switching glasses.
  • FastFrame™ technology, a revolutionary combination of hardware and firmware that provides user adjustments to vastly reduce the artifacts and image blur typically associated with rapidly moving display content. DP's NextGen™ electronics, featuring class leading de-interlacing with SD and HD sources processed using auto 3:2 and 2:2 extraction.
  • Minimal video delay from input to screen – as low as 1 frame.
  • Sealed optics to protect the DMD's and other focal plane components from airborne contaminants. Eight user-selectable inputs, including HDCP-compliant DVI plus SD/HD-SDI as standard.
  • Super high bandwidth direct DVI inputs offer Single, Twin, Dual and Dual Twin DVI format connectivity.
  • Up to 16 Bit color for breathtaking image reproduction.
  • DPI's ColorMax™ calibration capabilities including enhanced seven-point color correction for broader color space and precise color alignment.
  • User selectable Xenon-color mode processing (TITAN), which enables the projector to closely replicate the spectral performance of a Xenon lamp.
  • High efficiency, dual high intensity discharge lamps (TITAN), which can be run individually or simultaneously, with a typical life of up to 6000 hours.
  • Long life Xenon illumination system (LIGHTNING) provides maximum lumens, broad color gamut and native D65 white point.
  • A range of precision optics with extended lens shift, compatible with all TITAN and LIGHTNING sx+ and 1080p models.
  • DPI's CoolTek™ engineering, which delivers the highest lumen performance with the lowest power consumption, thermal (BTU) and noise level (dBA) output.

TITAN 1080p-3D and other DP projectors are currently on display at Integrated Systems Europe in Amsterdam until February 5th, booth 11F90. Digital Projection's 3D production line is already running and the company's first active 3D products are shipping to lead customers during February 2009.

To download hi-resolution photos of the new 3D product line, please visit: http://www.digitalprojection.com/ news/zips/DP_3Dproducts09.zip