Stories by Keir Thomas

Google fights to make HTTPS safe

A number of hack attacks recently have made many question the fundamental security of the Internet -- hack attacks that have brought into question a system that until now was considered be bullet-proof. However, with appropriate good timing, two new security schemes are coming to the rescue.

Will a new Motorola OS rival Android and iOS?

Motorola Mobility is buying up experienced cell phone engineers, says a report from InformationWeek, and there are strong rumors the company is working on an entirely new mobile operating system. Last year Motorola was rumored to have purchased Linux mobile specialists Azingo, too.

HP joins the Cloud, but others are ahead

One of the world's most venerable IT manufacturers is flying into the cloud. The new boss of Hewlett-Packard, Leo Apotheker, has announced that HP intends to compete with Google and Amazon, both of which dominate the nascent cloud services field. According to Apotheker, HP intends to have a cloud offering for every level of customer, from consumer through to enterprise.

Google Docs gets Wave-like chat features

Remember Google Wave, the innovative although sadly unloved e-mail and chat hybrid that was retired last year? Well, it sounds like Google couldn't stand to turn it out into the cold, and several of its features have made their way into Google Docs.

ARM Servers Are Coming, But Won't Be Cheap

Although the x86 architecture is as dominant as ever in the server and desktop space, there's a small number of people rooting for ARM chips to move in on the territory.

IPv6 anytime soon? Don't bet on it

There's maybe never been a better time to be a network engineer--that is, provided you have IPv6 experience. Businesses are crying out for individuals to help create next-generation networking circuits, and the heat has been turned up as World IPv6 Day approaches in June, during which many of the Internet's most popular properties will open IPv6 entrances to give the technology the biggest test it's ever had.

Eight security tips from the HBGary Hack

Thanks to Ars Technica and H-online.com, we now have intimate details of the Anonymous attack against security research company HBGary. There are no surprises in how the attacks where carried out, but we can draw many morals from the story, even if we've heard them time and time before.

Apple should be the savior of Cloud computing

Courtesy of a software developer friend, I had a chance over the weekend to play with the Mac OS X 10.7 preview release. As with previous versions, I felt that Apple is spending a lot of time solving problems people don't have. You can now quickly revert to older versions of files, for example, but how many times have you wanted to do that?

Chrome browser acts more like an OS, but security is unclear

Google has announced that forthcoming releases of its Chrome browser will be able to run apps in the background. Essentially, the feature moves Chrome one step closer to becoming a true application platform -- and with continuing efforts to develop HTML5, in a few years time it's very likely the Chrome browser will have more in common with an operating system than a humble Web browser.

10 cool things virtualization lets you do

Virtualization isn't just for geeks or those who run enormously powerful servers. It offers something for everybody, and if you haven't yet dipped your toe into the virtualization ocean, then you're at serious risk of being left behind.

Did Acer accidentally invent the Cloud workstation?

An intriguing report on German news site Heise.de on Monday unveiled a cheap monitor that includes built-in PC functionality. The Acer DX241H is an otherwise standard 1920x1080 pixel HDMI monitor, but it also features an operating system running on top of an ARM Cortex-A8 chip -- the same processor commonly found in cell phones and tablets. All this comes in at around just $400, although that price would likely be significantly lower if the product reaches the United States.

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