Worldwide IT spend rebounds but European outlook cloudy

Capital spending on PCs, servers, storage, and network equipment has soared in recent quarters as businesses take advantage of the general economic recovery to catch up with overdue spending on critical hardware infrastructure.

Market watcher International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that worldwide IT spending will increase by 3.8 percent this year, to reach $1.47 trillion. Hardware will lead the way, with growth of 6.4 percent, while software and services spending will increase by 3.1 percent and 1.5 percent respectively.

Emerging markets such as China and India are leading the charge, as they invest in new technology to support export-driven growth. And in the US, government stimulus funding has provided a much-needed boost.

“Just as capital spending on hardware is the first thing to fall in a recession, it’s also the first thing to come back up for air when IT budgets are surfacing above water,” said Stephen Minton, vice president of Worldwide IT Markets and Strategies at IDC. “There is undoubted relief that capital spending and general IT budgets are up, but it’s also clear that some weak spots persist.”

One of those weak spots is Western Europe, which is being impacted by the current debt crisis in Greece. IT spending in Western Europe is expected to be flat this year, having plunged 6.5 percent in 2009. According to IDC, any further strains on the confidence of European businesses and consumers could cast a cloud over the outlook for the second half of 2010.

HP wields jobs axe in $1 billion transformation

Hewlett-Packard (HP) expects to eliminate roughly 9,000 positions over a multi-year period by investing $1 billion in automating corporate IT systems.

The company said it will consolidate its Enterprise Services’ commercial data centres, management platforms, networks, tools and applications, to create a more scalable, modernised and automated IT infrastructure. Once complete, the transformation is expected to generate annual net savings after reinvestment of between $500 million and $700 million.

“Over the past 20 months, we focused on integrating EDS and improving profitability,” said Tom Iannotti, senior vice president and general manager, HP Enterprise Services. “Now that the integration is largely complete, we have identified significant opportunities to grow and scale the business.”

New drivers of business transformation

Meanwhile, social media, cloud and mobile computing have been hailed as the new drivers of business transformation. Those companies not serious about exploiting these technologies could be ‘left in the dust’ by competitors, it is claimed.

More than 120 CIOs and IT executives met recently at the CIO Executive Leadership Roundtable in Chicago, US. Hosted by the Chicago Chapter of SIM (Society for Information Management) and produced by HMG Strategy, the roundtable provided a high-level, private venue for sharing crucial knowledge, exploring new strategies, and envisioning new revenue streams via use of IT.

“This roundtable was a clear call to action,” warned Hunter Muller, President and CEO at HMG Strategy. “CIOs really have to take a good hard look at these newer technologies and figure out how to use them as value drivers – before their competitors do…”

Cloud goes Green

Hosting and cloud computing player Rackspace has been announced as the winner of ‘IT Operator of the Year’ in the Green IT Awards.

More than 75 organisations were nominated, with winners selected by readers of Green IT Magazine. Rackspace has adopted several initiatives over the past two years to help reduce its environmental impact, including:

• Deployment of ambient cooling technology at its data centre in Slough
• The planting of a tree for every new hosting customer (via the International Tree Foundation)
• The recycling of materials and use of paper from sustainable sources at Rackspace offices

“We’ve worked hard not only to make our customer offering sustainable, but also introduce internal initiatives such as employee education and recycling,” said Rackspace Managing Director, Brian Thomson. “We plan to continue to introduce even more initiatives over the coming years and work harder than ever to be green.”

One not so green technology sector is that of mobile handset manufacturing, where efforts are being thwarted by consumer usage patterns.

According to Heavy Reading Mobile Networks Insider, characteristics of green handsets include use of recycled materials, reduced use of toxic materials, and availability of more energy-efficient battery chargers, as well as chargers driven by alternative energy sources such as solar cells.

However, user habits remain the biggest obstacle to making mobile handsets more eco-friendly. “Discarding of still-usable handsets and failure to properly dispose of or recycle handsets are potentially significant contributors to environmental problems,” said Aileen Arcilla, author of the report Mobile Handsets: It’s Not Easy Being Green. “With the number of mobile subscriptions expected to exceed 5 billion over the next few years, the biohazards of handset disposal are likely to grow.”

Er, just one more thing…

Would you book a holiday through oldmanshaven.com? Or visit ipwine.com for a bottle of Chardonnay? And would you download music from mp3shits.com?

‘Slurl’ is the term given to a badly-named URL and is the subject of a new book by Andy Geldman, a self-employed computer programmer who originally coined the word.

Having discovered slurls in 2006 as ‘his true calling’, Andy set up a website and devoted all his spare time to hunting down more gems, with the slurls website bringing in over 75,000 visitors in 2009. His book takes the reader on a global journey to look at the special charms of technology and big business.

“There have always been unintentionally funny names, but the Internet takes it to a whole new level,” said Geldman. “It’s all because you can’t have a space in your URL. A business called ‘IT Scrap’ is fine in the real world, but not so great online with itscrap.com!”

Great work Andy.

Mobile phone market recovery continues with almost 22 percent growth in Q1 2010 – fuelled by increased demand for smartphones and the global economic recovery.

According to IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 294.9 million units in the first quarter of 2010 compared to 242.4 million units in the first quarter of 2009.

Growing demand for smartphones also saw Research In Motion (RIM) replace Motorola in the top 5 vendor rankings for the first time. The rankings are as follows:

1. Nokia
2. Samsung
3. LG Electronics
4. Research In Motion
5. Sony Ericsson

“The entrance of RIM into the top 5 underscores the sustained smartphone growth trend that is driving the global mobile phone market recovery,” commented Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst, IDC. “This is also the first time a vendor has dropped out of the top 5 since the second quarter of 2005…”

Is it me, or is there one vendor that the media continually fawn over missing from that top 5 ranking?

i’ve been ad

The big A could charge close to $1 million for ads on its mobile devices this year, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Dubbed ‘iAd’, Apple is reportedly looking to charge marketers up to $10 million to be part of an exclusive launch of its mobile-device advertising capability, which comprises a software system to offer ads in the applications available in the App Store. App developers will receive 60% of the revenue; Apple gets the other 40%. Ad executives say they currently pay between $100,000 and $200,000 for similar mobile deals.

Online ads surge

The latest quarterly earnings reports from Yahoo, Microsoft and Google [or ‘GYM’ as they are sometimes referred to] indicate that online and display advertising is surging again, says the Online Publishers Association (OPA).

Yahoo led the pack, with a profit that nearly tripled to $310 million – although gross revenues were fairly flat. Microsoft saw an increase of 19% in its online ad revenues, prompted by a boost in search-related ads on Bing. Google’s profits rose 37% to $1.96 billion, with revenues up 23%, although the company’s stock ‘dropped’ 4.6% - with analysts suggesting that its performance had not quite lived up to expectations.

Shopping for mobile

The mobile marketing and retail sector (comprising mobile advertising, coupons and smart posters) will exceed $8 billion by 2012 globally.

According to market watcher, Juniper Research, location-aware technologies will play a key part, with companies like Google and IBM seeking to exploit knowledge of a user’s location to enable retailers to offer in-store shoppers a rich set of capabilities such as personalised special offers. However, the company also warns that failure to use targeted, location-based advertising, particularly SMS advertising, may cause mobile users to regard such advertising as little better than spam.

Money for nothing

Zong, which lets Facebook users buy virtual goods via their mobile phones, is to receive $15 million in venture funding from Matrix Partners.

Business Week says that Matrix’ general partner Dana Stalder, a former executive at PayPal and eBay, will join Zong's board of directors, whilst Zong will use the cash to market its brand and seek new online markets, such as video and music. Funding terms, including what value investors are placing on the company, were not disclosed.

Eat my shorts

Yahoo! ceo, Carol Bartz, received a $47.2 million compensation package in 2009, her first year on the job.

The Associated Press reports that Bartz’s pay consisted mostly of stock incentives, the ultimate value of which will hinge on how much Yahoo’s market value rises under Bartz’s leadership.

Er, just one more thing…

Grammar police target Twitter – A small but vocal subculture has emerged on Twitter, comprising grammar and taste vigilantes who spend their time policing other people’s tweets.

According to The New York Times, the vigilantes build their own algorithms to sniff out Twitter messages that are distasteful to them – e.g. tweets with typos or flawed grammar, or written in ALLCAPS [yes, I hate that too] – and then send scolding notes to the offenders.

Provoking an irate reaction seems to be largely the point.

When you don't know what you are looking for…

Microsoft unveiled the new version of its search engine at The Wall Street Journal's seventh 'D:All Things Digital' conference held May 26-28 2009 in the US. Branded 'Bing', the software giant believes that consumers are ready to move beyond search and is thus positioning Bing as a 'decision engine'.

Bing is reported to feature a number of enhancements in core search areas - including entity extraction and expansion, query intent recognition and document summarisation, as well as a 'new user experience model that  dynamically adapts to the type of query to provide 'relevant and intuitive decision-making tools'.

While this is an interesting approach, whether Bing will enable Microsoft to boost its share of the search engine market remains to be seen. According to number cruncher comScore, Google Sites led the US core search market in April with 64.2 percent of the searches conducted, followed by Yahoo! Sites (20.4 percent), then Microsoft Sites (8.2 percent).

However, European-based digital marketing agency Bigmouthmedia has hailed the new service as a potentially crucial landmark in the online search sector's development. Citing Microsoft's pan-European approach and collaboration with key agencies in advance of the launch, bigmouthmedia believes that Bing could add a refreshing new dynamic to the industry.

"It has been some time since the search industry had a realistic alternative to Google, and if Microsoft's new engine can provide that then it will be of obvious benefit to both digital marketers and consumers alike," said bigmouthmedia CEO Steve Leach.

Perhaps Bing will appeal more to 'Wilfers' (those that aimlessly wander the Web) than those that search for something in particular. Or perhaps Librans such as myself that have trouble making a decision when there are too many options to weigh up. Then again, it sounds perfect for those that simply want Microsoft's new search algorithms to make the decision for them…

MNOs beware the smartphone surge in data

In other news from the D Conference, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson admitted that the operator needs to do something to boost speeds before the arrival of 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) cellular networks in 2012. "Between now and then is a long time," he is reported to have said.

According to Stephenson, US wireless networks are not prepared for the surge in smart phones use that has already shown signs of choking their networks. Smart phones such as the BlackBerry and the iPhone have significantly ramped up the amount of wireless Internet surfing, and MNOs (mobile network operators) have come under fire for being unprepared.

AT&T has announced plans to upgrade its 3G network with High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), as it paves the way for a roll out of LTE in 2011. Stephenson also said that AT&T's fixed-line business has taken the biggest hit as a result of the global economic downturn.

HP to axe 5,700 Europe jobs (read full story)

The latest victim of the downturn is hardware giant HP, which has announced plans to axe up to 5,700 employees, in addition to previously  announced losses.

According to reports, the countries especially affected will be Scotland and Germany, where HP has its EMEA Enterprise, Storage and Servers production facilities. These factories are slated to be closed in 2010 and production moved to the Czech Republic.

What's a social media friend worth? (read full story)

Digital friendships speak volumes about us as consumers and workers, and decoding the data can lead to profitable insights, it is claimed. As social media companies grapple with the increasingly perplexing challenge posed by monetising the success of social networking sites, Business Week reports that companies are working fast to figure out how to make money from the wealth of data they're beginning to have about our online friendships.

Marketers are said to be leading the way and finding that if our friends buy something, there's a better-than-average chance we'll buy it too. It's a simple insight, says Business Week, but one that could lead to targeted messaging in an age of growing media clutter. However, it concedes that, for all its popularity, Facebook has yet to prove itself as an advertising platform, with visitors focusing on their friends and paying scant attention to ads, with few click on them, while advertisers pay pennies for page views. Consequently, Facebook, with its estimated revenue of $300 million this year, is said to bring in scarcely a dime a month per member.

The hope is that if marketers manage to track the 'paths of influence' amongst social Web communities, they might be able to offer more effective and lucrative advertisements and promotions. Corporations are also said to be exploring how social Web relationships might benefit their business processes such as recruitment.

Gamers get fit with 'Gym in a Box'

High street retailer GAME has put EA's latest offering 'Sports Active' to the test to determine whether it is a real alternative to the gym. After a two-week trial, GAME's results are claimed to show that regular high tempo EA Sports Active sessions can have beneficial health and fitness effects, as within a week the weight loss target of the experiment had been met.

Competing against existing popular titles such as Wii Fit, EA Sports Active is said to offer a range of traditional cardio-vascular and targeted exercises allowing users to 'experience the variety and challenge of a gym workout in their own living room'. Corrinne Garstang, Online Content Manger at GAME, who engaged in the experiment intensively for two weeks, lost 3lbs at the half-way mark of her two week challenge.

"I think I represent a large part of the population who want to incorporate exercise into their lives, but simply don't have the time or money to join a gym. With so many fitness titles on the market, EA Sports Active really stood out because it had a more 'grown up' feel compared to other titles on the market. And after months of feeling increasingly unhappy about my burgeoning waistline I was desperate to see if it really worked".

One has to ask why the results of the second week were not included in the press release. Perhaps Corrinne spent too much time playing 'Cooking Mama 2 - Dinner with Friends (DS)'?

Gaming and mobile getting closer

With some predicting that gaming console giants will at some point have a massive impact in the mobile domain, convergence between the two has taken a step closer with Sony Ericsson's new phone, the 'Aino', which includes connectivity to the Sony Playstation.

According to the handset maker (read full release), the Aino allows users to control their PLAYSTATION 3 and access its media content anywhere, anytime, using 'Remote Play with PLAYSTATION®3'. Initially developed for PSP, this application enables users to control and access media content from their phone and can be done via a local network or using the Internet. For TV lovers in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and UK, users can also watch, pause and record live TV from a range of free channels.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has added a touch screen and Web browser to the next-generation of its Zune music player. The new device, called the 'Zune HD', will also carry a high-definition video output allowing users to play files through a docking station on HD televisions.

According to reports, the new features ramp up Microsoft's effort to compete with Apple Inc. products such as the iPod Touch, and highlight the company's push to integrate different platforms, from PCs and mobile phones to the Xbox.

Er, just one more thing…

TREAT YOUR DAD TO A PORSCHE FOR FATHER’S DAY (read full release)

A wireless mouse based on the Porsche 911 has been released by Motormouse. Featuring three sensitivity settings and including the smallest 2.4G wireless receiver in the world, this latest Motormouse comes with its own super-glide mouse mat and soft carrying pouch for easy travelling.

Apparently, this 'must have gadget' is the ideal gift for your dad this Father's Day.

I would be inclined to agree, if I could just get my technophobe father to grips with syncing this wireless wonder to his laptop.

Amid the doom and gloom of a poor summer and the credit crunch, increasing numbers of Britons are choosing to spend their hard earned cash on holidays in less than traditional locations. According to online travel agency Holidays Direct there has been an increase in the number of people booking holidays in destinations more traditionally associated with the luxury end of the market.

This 'summer' has seen higher than average sales for holidays in the Caribbean, Dubai, Thailand and Tunisia, says the company, with British holidaymakers making sure they get a holiday to remember.

“Each year the number of people booking their summer holidays two months or more ahead of the departure date has grown. Following this trend we’ve seen an uptake in bookings for holidays in the Caribbean and Thailand, along with other long haul destinations,” says Holidays Direct spokesperson, Jon Pearce. “This suggests to us that a lot more people are planning ahead and saving up for their holidays somewhere special.”

However, it could be argued that there is another factor at play here - the strength of the Euro against sterling. Anyone that has been on holiday to Europe recently has no doubt been shocked at the subsequent expense of their jaunt. Given that the quality of food, accommodation and customer services has certainly not risen on the Continent, I would argue it is little surprise that Brits are seeking foreign climes further afield. The flights may cost more, but at least we are guaranteed to get more for our hard-earned buck.

And hard-earned bucks they are too if the latest survey from hospitality recruitment website Caterer.com is anything to go by.

Nearly 70% of people are miserable at work

According to Caterer.com, nearly 70% of people are completely miserable at work and one in two think about quitting their jobs on a daily basis. Indeed, 43% of people go as far as saying they dread waking up in the morning. Surprisingly, hospitality workers, despite the long hours and stressful reputation, are the happiest and most passionate about their work.

The survey reveals that 49% of hospitality workers thoroughly enjoy their job, with only 23% admitting to the occasional thought of changing sectors and 19% claiming to not feel any job satisfaction. The complete results show the various job sectors and the percentage of people who are not only happy with their career, but feel genuinely dedicated and enthusiastic about their job:

1)  Hospitality – 49.16% of hospitality workers are happy with their job
2)  Health Sector – 48.89%
3)  Charity – 34.06%
4)  Education – 30.88%
5)  Care/Social work – 29.92%
5)  Forces/Police – 28.57%
6)  Skilled (designer/electrician) – 20.43%
7)  Sales (phone/door2door) – 16.98%
8)  Labour – 11.00%
9)  Office-based – 10.01%
10) Retail – 7.17%

“Hospitality employee’s work extremely hard, especially at this time of year and it’s fair to say the industry is rarely associated with passion or fun," comments Ian Burke of Caterer.com. "For us, these results just confirm what we see every day; that hospitality workers really do love their jobs.”

I wonder whether the ability for instant revenge on a disagreeable customer is anything to do with it? "Is this potato mash now creamy enough for you Sir?"…

In mash-ups of another kind, the Met Police has launched a test version of a clickable crime map for London showing how levels of burglary, robbery and vehicle theft vary across the capital.

Met police in web 2.0 crime map mash up (read full story)

The beta map mashes up Google Maps with crime statistics for each borough, using coloured overlays to indicate varying levels of criminal activity - from patches of dark blue (for low crime) to red (high).

Apparently, Southwark comes out as the most crime-ridden borough, with Hackney, Newham, Waltham Forest and Westminster all above average, while outlying suburban areas Bexley, Harrow, Merton, Kingston, Richmond and Sutton all have below average crime levels.

The site has been developed as part of a Home Office initiative to get more people involved with their local police and enable the public to hold local police forces to account. The Met said further features are likely to be added in the near future.

The Six Degree of Separation Has Shrunk to Just Three (read full story)

The impact of social networking and developments in technology has meant that the six degrees of separation has fallen to just three according to research commissioned by UK mobile operator, O2.

The research included over 50 hours of in-depth interviews with adults across three different age groups, (18-25, 35-45, 55+) and found that the conventional notion of six degrees of separation is out of date.

The term was made famous by US psychologist Stanley Milgram following a 1967 experiment. The six degrees theory was upheld in a 2006 Microsoft study of instant messenger conversations. However, the O2 study reveals that within a shared 'interest' network (i.e. hobbies, sport, music, religion, sexuality etc), the average person is connected by just three degrees.

Email and mobile phones were the technologies that had the most significant impact, with texting seen as a universally important technology, whilst social networking sites such as Facebook were highly rated by the youngest age bracket (although usage declined drastically amongst older participants in the research).

Congratulations ShoZu!

ShoZu Wins Gold in the Future Mobile Awards for their Contribution to Mobile Web 2.0 (read full release)

Mobile Web 2.0 innovators, ShoZu, have been selected by Juniper Research as the top award winner in the Future Mobile Awards - mobile web 2.0 category. The Future Mobile Awards are given to companies that have made a significant contribution to their sector and are poised to make considerable market impact in the future.  The gold award recognises ShoZu as being a leading light in the development of the sector.

“Supporting one-click transfer of digital content between mobile phones and 50+ social web destinations, geo-tagging, mobile-to-web messaging, and behavioural targeted advertising, ShoZu offers mobile network operators an established, all-round Mobile Web 2.0 on/off-deck turnkey platform. The average user is said to generate 20 network ‘events’ (i.e. content uploads/downloads) per month, with heavy users generating in excess of 100 events per month. This success demonstrates what can be achieved if users have the right tools available," says Ian Chard, panel judge and Analyst at Juniper Research. "ShoZu has partnered with Telecom Italia, Singapore’s StarHub and 3 (Austria and UK) under revenue-share agreements, while shipping as an embedded application on Motorola and Samsung handsets. By providing the mobile web equivalent of a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) and catering to the needs of the prosumer, ShoZu is a deserving Gold winner this year.”

In the news

The iPhone Kill-Switch Kerfuffle

Privacy advocates' concern over what Apple will do with iPhone user data may be overblown, industry experts say (read full story)

Bold, Thunder, Flip: BlackBerry Maker Begins Key Rollouts (read full story)

Is it a bird, is it a plane - no, its a trio of handsets from BlackBerry.

Research In Motion has begun what analysts call its most important BlackBerry rollout season ever, with its first touch-screen model and first flip phone on tap.

Disney Dialing Up Kids Again (read full story)

Disney is hoping that Tinker Bell - along with a collection of pirates and other Disney characters - can help breath life back into its mobile phone services for kids. [Why don't they just give it up?]

On the wire

ARCHOS 5 and ARCHOS 7 deliver the entire internet and multimedia world in a handheld tablet (read full release)

A new line of small portable devices is announced: ARCHOS 5, ARCHOS 5g and ARCHOS 7 deliver a new way for customers to enjoy continuous and instant access to the Internet, Media and TV.

OLYMPIC INTERNET TRAFFIC TO GROW AS BRITAIN TAKES TWELVE GOLD MEDALS (read full release)

ScanSafe, a provider of SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) Web Security, urges companies to address bandwidth concerns as the interest in the Olympic Games grows due to the success of the British team.

Top 10 Broadband Awards 2008: O2 top the winner's table for comparison website inaugural awards (read full release)

Top 10 Broadband the UK’s broadband comparison site and guide has announced the results of its inaugural annual broadband awards. Winners included O2 as the fastest broadband provider, BT as the winner in the wireless broadband category and ‘3' won the award for best mobile broadband provider.

Er, just one more thing…

As the social networking revolution continues unabated, it seems that even the last bastions of good old fashioned fun are not safe.

ALMOST FULL HOUSE AS BINGO COMMUNITY GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH (read full release)

The All Bingo Club, the online community-based Bingo destination launched recently, reports that Bingo goers have been ditching the halls in favour of playing online. All Bingo Club combines online Bingo play with community interaction, and 1000s of bingo players are said to have joined as the word spreads about its ease-of-play and fun features. “It would appear that our investment in game play and ease- of-use combined with a focus on community, is paying dividends as we have seen a massive surge in sign-ups over the past few weeks," says Mikki G. (brother to Ali?], All Bingo Club’s Manager. "Our ‘Recommend-a-friend’ feature is proving very popular.”

I guess you just have to accept it when your number's up.

Times are tough no doubt. But just in case you've no 'Plan B' as the global downturn continues and your current job/business ceases to exist, help is at hand. 'How to Get a Job You'll Love - a practical guide to unlocking your talents and finding your ideal career' (ISBN 9780077121808, £12.99) by top career transition coach and author John Lees, promises to answer the plethora of classic career conundrums we face every day.

For example, what are the smartest strategies for impressing your boss? How can you effectively market yourself within an organisation? Why do you need to? What is 'career management'? How can you find new fields of work and completely change careers? How can you avoid 'Monday Blues' and love what you do every day of the week? [Please, please, please - I need answers!]

Says Lees: "No job is entirely recession proof. Right now job security is the top issue for people and there are many things you can do to improve the chances you'll still be in your job in 12 months time. Here are some strategies to set you on your way…"

Ten-Point checklist for taking control of your career in difficult times:

1. Look at what's working, rather than what isn't. Which parts of your job are still effective even in difficult times?
2. Find leverage. Concentrate your efforts on projects which are seen to be fireproof, or ways of protecting your income stream.
3. Find a fast-track mentor - an informal arrangement with someone more senior than you who can help you decode your organisation while it's going through tough times.
4. Don't ask for a pay rise just because everyone else is reacting to rising costs. Demonstrate your value - not your cost.5. Go way, way beyond your job description in value-adding ways. Career progression, ultimately, is not a question of what you do, but how far you are seen to be doing the things that matter.
6. At the same time, work smarter not harder on tasks which your organisation recognises as things that make a difference.7. Stay on winning teams. This is the time to negotiate a move away from a dead-end role, or a part of the organisation which is seen as under-performing or peripheral.
8. Stay in touch with changes in your sector, and don't stop networking - both for industry knowledge and for insider tips on the hidden job market.
9. Don't adopt cynicism of the marketplace. Not all organisations and markets are in decline - don't miss opportunities by seeing your glass as constantly half-empty - adopt a glass half-full mentality.
10. Stock your lifeboat before jumping ship: understand what you are really looking for rather than passively reacting to advertised or headhunted opportunities. Well-informed job seekers find great jobs in tough times.And if none of these work for you, then perhaps there is another way - sharpen something else and eliminate the competition…

New 'Knives on the Net' Threat

It is becoming increasingly easy to purchase deadly weapons online at a fraction of the retail price, often with no regulations controlling who is purchasing them and why.

Research by MarkMonitor (a provider of enterprise brand protection), is said to demonstrate the ease with which a variety of knives - from pocket knives to machetes - can be purchased over the Internet from high-street retail brands, e-commerce, online auction and exchange sites with little to no restrictions. Over a three-day period in July 2008, MarkMonitor found that almost 9,021 knives (worth approximately £65,000) were available for sale via online auction sites. 55% were available to purchase instantly with no warnings or restrictions.

The top five types of knife being sold online over the three day period include:

• Hunting knife - 1333
• Lock knife - 1259
• Army knife - 786
• Pocket knife - 707
• Pen knife - 498

MarkMonitor has also checked the websites of the UK's top department stores and retailers and out of a list of six top retailers, four were selling knives with no warnings, age limits or restrictions and may therefore be infringing legislation. Nice to know that we're taking knife crime seriously…

And if you are looking to trim some weight this year [and you really are as vain as a Z-list celebrity] then why not get your holiday snaps re-touched, courtesy of PicWash Slim?

Look Slim in Summer Bikini Photos

With paparazzi photos highlighting the latest in celebrity cellulite, taking pictures in bathing suits has become an almost definite no-no. Enter PicWash Slim. This new photo re-touching service promises to make you and your friends look fabulous in your bathing suit photos and have beautiful summer pictures you can share with the world.

Since August 2007, the site has been retouching user photographs for use on social networks and photo album sharing sites around the world. This week it launches its third service, PicWash Slim, to help alleviate the summer picture jitters. Costing $15 per photo, PicWash's team of designers, based in Miami, Florida, will use advanced techniques to slim the most requested areas of the body. These may include: upper arms, waist, stomach, thighs, cellulite, and general bulges. The results will be subtle and natural looking. [But remember, it is just the photos they do this for…]

The benefits of looking good in your photos are widely recognized. "Today an abundance of scientific research reveals that the physical attractiveness of a pictured person substantially affects interest to meet and to associate beyond first meeting," says Gordon Patzer, Ph.D, author of 'LOOKS: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined.' Perhaps there is a market for this sort of thing, given the continuing success of social networking sites such as Facebook…

Social Networking Explodes Worldwide as Sites Increase Their Focus on Cultural Relevance

Web measurement company comScore, Inc. has released a study of worldwide usage of social networking sites, indicating that while the growth in new users in North America is beginning to level off, it is burgeoning in other regions around the world. During the past year, the total North American audience of social networkers has grown 9 percent compared to a much larger 25 percent growth for the world at large. The Middle East-Africa region (up 66 percent), Europe (up 35 percent), and Latin America (up 33 percent) have each grown at well-above average rates.

"While the social networking trend first took off in North America, it is beginning to reach a point of maturity in the region," said Jack Flanagan, comScore executive vice president. "However, the phenomenon is still growing rapidly in other regions around the world - especially as the established American brands turn their focus to developing markets."

And comScore believes that a focus on tailoring a site's relevance to local markets is playing a big part in the continuing success of monoliths such as Facebook. "Facebook has done an exceptional job of leveraging its brand internationally during the past year," added Flanagan. "By increasing the site's relevance to local markets through local language interface translation, the site is now competing strongly or even capturing the lead in several markets where it had a relatively minor presence just a year ago."

comScore Enhances Reporting of Ad Networks' Audiences

comScore, Inc. also announced this week that it will provide enhanced measurement of the audiences for online advertising networks. The new reporting structure will provide two sets of measures-the "potential reach" for each network and an "actual reach" reading.

The 'potential reach' measure will be a calculation of the unduplicated visitors to all sites with which each ad network has contracted to deliver advertising. The definitions will be based on written documentation and confirmation provided by the networks. This measure represents the largest potential reach a network could deliver if all parts of the network are used to deliver ads.

he 'actual reach' measure will represent the reach of the ads that are actually served by the network during a given reporting period. In order to report 'actual reach', networks must participate by providing comScore with the appropriate identification protocols for rendered ads. Consequently, only participating networks will be included in the 'actual reach' report.

We believe these two toolsets provide the information that ad agencies need when they are deciding on which advertising networks to consider for ad buys. And, the ad networks will have the high quality, third-party information needed to compete for advertising dollars," commented Magid Abraham, President and ceo, comScore, Inc.

In the news

Gov't battles EU to use passenger data (read full story)

The UK Government is battling European Union (EU) proposals to restrict the way it uses air passenger data to monitor immigration. The Home Office claims that the names and travel plans it collects are crucial to control cross-border movements.

Sad day for the industry as Siemens exits telecoms sector after 160 years (read full story)
Its been a long and glorious history. The German company Siemens was one of the very first companies ever to lay telephone cables and make telephony switches, but this week it is exiting the industry after more than a century and a half.

On the wire

Ten Million Zombies Distributing Spam and Malware Every Day, According to PandaLabs and CommTouch (read full report)

IT security solutions provider Panda Security says that its laboratory for detecting and analysing malware - known as 'PandaLabs' - has just announced the findings from a joint report with CommTouch on the current state of spam. The report found that on average during the second quarter of this year, more than 10 million zombie computers (systems infected by
'bots' and controlled remotely by cyber criminals) were sending spam and emails with malware every day.

Entrepreneur.com's Social Networking Site Opens New Doors for 8.3 Million Businesses

A business-to-business marketplace designed specifically for entrepreneurs has been launched by Entrepreneur.com via US carrier Sprint. While other social networking sites feature an atmosphere of play, Entrepreneur Connect was created by the online authority in entrepreneurial business to facilitate company growth. The network is presented by Sprint to allow businesses to exchange ideas and network with small business owners across the country, providing them with more tools to help them get work done and build their companies.

Let LS Simple help you get the Government to pay 30% of your costs! (read full release)

The Simple Intelligent Power Management (Simple IPM) solution from LS has become the first comprehensive structured cabling system in the world to be eligible for enhanced tax relief under the UK Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme (ECA). Enhanced Capital Allowances enable a business to claim 100% first-year capital allowances on their spending on qualifying plant and machinery.

eCrypt announces launch of BeCrypt Media Client, its CD/USB media/file encryption solution (read full release)

BeCrypt is able to provide approved data security and data handling solutions to meet requirements for transformational Government BeCrypt’s newly developed CD/USB media/file ‘zero footprint’ encryption solution, BeCrypt Media Client will be available from 1 September. It is currently going through CAPS approval, with FIPS 140-2 approval expected later in the year.

The early availability of BeCrypt Media Client gives government departments and other public sector bodies that need to adhere to Data Handling requirements an easy upgrade path to a CAPS approved solution.

In the bloggosphere

Cable is Cornering the Broadband Market

In the harsh glare of second quarter seasonality, the telcos’ wired businesses suddenly look not only like they are weakening… they look like they are positively collapsing.

Google's GMail Outage: Another Blow for 'The Cloud'

When will 'Cloud Computing' be as reliable as your ATM? Questions are asked about Google’s ability to manage, protect, and make available your data better than you can. Based on recent history, bloggers are not convinced…

Er, just one more thing…

Samsong, Samsung or Samstrung?

A 'phenomenal competition' has just launched on borders.co.uk, offering visitors the chance to win a cutting-edge laptop. In association with Currys, Borders is offering customers the chance to win a brand new Toshiba laptop, in return for answering the extremely difficult question above.

No doubt, Borders will be looking to collect a phenomenal amount of personal data in return for entering this fantastic and brain-taxing competition.

Olympic Spirit Goes Mobile

At last, the wait for Olympian enthusiasts is over as China raises the curtain on what is sure to be a spectacular (smog-permitting) global event. Whilst there have been several political javelins hurled back and forth in recent weeks, one has to admire the tenacity of the Chinese in their meticulous preparation for the Games and construction of the world's biggest birds' nest (only Amy Winehouse's mop-top comes close).

Of course, the Olympics isn't just about sports, it's about supporting team and country every four years when Olympic fervour and patriotism take over - as Annabel Youens, community director of voeveo.com, reminds us. The marketplace for mobile content has come out with a range of national anthem ringtones and flag wallpapers so that any mobile phone owner can "carry the Olympic spirit in their pocket". [Just as long as it's not the Olympic torch…]

"There's something special about hearing your national anthem when your phone rings," says Annabel. "It's an easy way to feel part of the Olympics and you don't have to fly all the way to Beijing." Apparently, Voeveo has team members from China, New Zealand, Germany and Canada - which promises a 'battle of the national anthem ringtones' at the company's offices. Do you get the feeling that these guys should get out more?

China Opens Up the Internet to Journalists

Certainly, if there is one thing that can bring nations together (and of course, divide them at the same time), it is sport. It is encouraging to see that China is reportedly lifting its ban on certain websites following the row over access for journalists covering the Olympic Games.

In China, the Internet is tightly controlled, with access to many foreign sites restricted. Even the Chinese Google portal filters results to exclude politically sensitive material. However, it seems that many formerly restricted sites are now available - although for how long remains to be seen.

For those that don't want to chance it, the Global Internet Freedom Consortium (GIFC) has made anti-censorship software tools available for download at its site to help journalists and tourists circumvent China's Internet blockade. All Internet traffic through the tools is encrypted and can successfully bypass the Internet blockades in repressive nations around the world, it is claimed.

ShanghaiExpat Expands Its 'Guanxi'

Said to be one of the most active websites for expats' living in China, ShanghaiExpat is now working with 'Guanxi', the first and only English mobile city guide in China. Guanxi, a service of mInfo Inc., allows users to SMS keywords in English, Mandarin, or Pin Yin to search locations in cities across China. Subscribers to ShanghaiExpat can now send their keywords or venue names to Guanxi to find out the address and telephone number.

I wonder whether the service will include the 'Olympic Reporter's Guide to Labour Camps' - launched this week by The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG)?

No More Doubts: Tech Spending Slows Significantly

Adding to the doom & gloom pervading the global economy at present is the latest market research from US-based market research firm, Techtel Corporation. The results of its 2Q08 'IT Spending Plans' Survey, conducted among 552 IT buyers/influencers in the US, show that expectations of overall IT spending have fallen dramatically over the past 4 quarters.  In 2Q08, only 3.9% more companies forecast an increase in spending rather than a decrease over the next 6 months; that is down from 18.5% in 2Q07.

Confirming this trend, actual IT spending was less than expected for the first 6 months of 2008, the first time this measure has been in negative territory since it was first tracked in 2Q04, says the company.

"Tech's hesitation about future demand is well-founded. U.S. IT spending is slowing and expected to continue doing so. It appears we may enter a period of declining IT spending during the second half of 2008," said Techtel' CEO, Michael F Kelly. The slowdown trend is said to be most pronounced in non-service related industries, and in companies with less than 250 employees. Three times as many companies cited the economy as a reason for decreased spending in 2Q08 (77%) as did in 2Q07 (26%).

In the news

LiMo wheels out new handsets (read full story)

Mobile Linux collective, the LiMo Foundation, announced a raft of new handsets to ship with the operating system on Monday.

On the wire

BOG OFF! I'm on the phone! (read full release)

iGizmo uncovers shocking stats on the UK's gadget usage. 35% of Brits admit to using their phone while on the loo [so how can you tell when people are actually talking sh*t?]…

FinePrint 6 paper saving printer utility launched (read full release)

An intelligent printer driver which typically reduces paper consumption by making more effective use of paper, reducing scrapped pages and removing the need for preprinted stationery, is announced by Software Partners.

Fibre, network, sewer, London (read full release)

Geo, a provider of bespoke fibre networks, today announced a 'refresh' [sic] of its Geo.Metro product portfolio, which includes the launch of Geo.ONE PLUS (1Gbit/s plus), Geo.TEN(10Gbit/s) and Geo.TEN PLUS (2 x 10Gbit/s), all scalable Managed Network Service solutions for businesses in London. The company is the only network provider to have deployed optical fibre via the Thames Water sewer system.

Er, just one more thing…

Meet the Fokkers - AT&T's Wireless Service Checks in at Gaylord International

AT&T says that it is the first wireless carrier to provide service at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Centre - the largest combined hotel and convention centre on the East Coast of the US.

3G in-building systems have been deployed to provide wireless coverage extending over all 470,000 square feet of flexible convention, meeting, exhibition and pre-function space, as well as the lobby, restaurants and shopping at the hotel.

According to Rob Forsyth, AT&T vice president and general manager of wireless operations in Washington, D.C., northern Virginia and Maryland: "Investing in in-building systems allow us to deliver on that promise [of seamless connectivity], even in the nooks and crannies of some of Washington's largest hotel and meeting spaces."

Hmm, wireless users with nooks and crannies beware of Mr Forsyth and where he plans to extend his wireless coverage…

An apology

Firstly, apologies to those of you that have subscribed to this blog and not received notification by email of new posts. We are still getting to grips with the WordPress system and there appears to be a bug with IE so hopefully, thanks to Firefox, you have received notification this morning…

Thank Crunchy

As the so-called 'credit-crunch' continues to bite, it seems that not a day goes by without more doom and gloom on the global economy front. However, there have been some bright spots. It is reported that the IMF has lifted growth forecasts modestly for the world - including the United States but said the global economy is in a "tough spot" due to rising inflation amid a slowdown.

Global output is expected to climb 4.1 percent in 2008, up from its April projection of 3.7 percent, the International Monetary Fund said in an update of its April World Economic Outlook. That said, it also boosted the inflation outlook, forecasting 3.4 percent inflation for advanced economies - up from an earlier estimate of 2.6 percent - and warning that there is still a chance of a global recession.

Tough times are ahead no doubt, but in the tech sector, there are those bucking the  trend…

Wii will defy the credit crunch (read full release)

According to research from online voucher code portal (www.laughingdeals.com) sales of Nintendo Wii and its accessories have so far defied the credit crunch with 45 percent of all searches being for the iconic console and its associated games. The site claims it has been inundated with requests for voucher codes related to the Wii. Also…

Low-cost broadband defies credit crunch (read full release)

Broadband is the only household utility bill to buck the trend of rising household bills in the wake of the credit crunch, according to broadband comparison site Top 10 Broadband.

"Broadband bills have plummeted by over 60% in the past 18 months while gas and electricity have risen by 15% and are set to rise further by the end of the year" says Jessica McArdle, a spokesperson for Top 10 Broadband.

Of course, without electricity, it would be pretty tricky to access your broadband connection but hey, it's a start.

Meanwhile, ManageSoft is warning company directors:

"Don’t let the credit crunch send you to jail…" (read full release)

The results of a FAST (Federation Against Software Theft) survey has recently hit the wires – news that 79 percent of company directors would be happy to avoid buying legitimate software licences to save them money during the downturn is a shocking figure. With a penalty of 10 years in jail and an unlimited fine, that’s some risk to take, states the company, which just happens to provide enterprise software management solutions.

According to ManageSoft: "With software audits likely to be on the rise during a difficult period, businesses need to accept that keeping a control of their software licenses will be a necessity and definitely won’t be an area to cut costs. In fact by implementing a software asset management solution it will allow organisations to leverage existing IT systems, improve efficiency and reduce costs."

Given the shortage of prison space at this current time, one wonders just how FAST you would end up in jail…

On the wire

GSA Confirms Over 200 HSDPA Networks Worldwide Are Launched

More than 200 HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) systems worldwide have launched commercial mobile broadband services, according to the latest research published by GSA, the Global mobile Suppliers Association.

Shock revelation - IT sector carbon emissions set to soar above Aviation (read full release)

In a shocking revelation, the EU commission has stated that CO2 emissions from the Information Technology (IT) sector are comparable to that of the vilified Aviation sector and, it is reportedly considering potentially fierce legislation if the industry fails to take action. The Aviation and IT sectors each generate 2% of Global CO2 emissions and the threatened new legislation will deliver businesses even more gloom in a worsening economic climate.

Don't worry though, IT is fighting back…

Echelon’s Technology Lights up the Beijing Olympic Village (read full release)

Echelon Corporation says that the Olympic Village in Beijing is using Echelon’s LonWorks technology to create an energy efficiency lighting control system. The smart LonWorks based control system integrates all lighting subsystems to optimise energy usage while maintaining a safe and 'aesthetically pleasing' environment for the athletes – contributing to the government’s pledge to stage a "green Olympics."

In the bloggosphere

There are mixed opinions on the 'iPhone threat' to other handset makers:

Needham Cuts RIM Rating on iPhone Threat

UBS Analyst: Survey Shows 3G iPhone Poses Little Threat to BlackBerry

Motorola, Nokia, Palm, RIM Suffering iPhone Headache

Er, just one more thing… 

Poor Service From Call Centres Threatens UK Business - No sh*t Sherlock…

UK businesses that operate a call centre could be sitting on a demographic time bomb that threatens their future. New research shows that nearly half of 25-44 year old consumers have changed suppliers because of a negative call centre experience, significantly higher than the national average of 35%. And what makes things worse is that seven out of ten UK consumers say they would probably or definitely tell someone about a poor call centre experience.

The new research, carried out by leading market researcher GfK NOP Consumer, coincides with the launch of the UK's biggest ever industry-wide mystery shopping study to find the country's Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service. This independent initiative, led by Call Centre Focus magazine, aims to recognise good practice and raise customer service standards across the industry.

Top 50 UK-based call centres? All I can say is 'good luck'…