management

At first blush, private clouds can look a lot like virtualization. But first looks can be deceiving. While it's certainly true that we see virtualization management products extended--for example, with self-service portals--in ways that make them look superficially like clouds, we're really talking about different categories of software.

There are two ways to think about these differences. The first is in terms of different mindsets and approaches to IT operations. The other is to consider specific features and capabilities.

Consider the "big picture" aspect first. Mary Johnston Turner, research vice president of enterprise system management software, … Read more

Separating Jerry Yang from Yahoo is the easy part.

Yang co-founded the Internet pioneer 17 years ago along with David Filo, following the well-trodden path from Stanford student to tech stardom. But yesterday Yahoo announced Yang is leaving, stepping down from his "chief Yahoo" post and the company's board.

Yang has overseen, sometimes directly, years and years of weak performance as Yahoo squandered its early lead on the Web. That includes the 2008 drama in which Yang and Yahoo's board rebuffed Microsoft's $44.6 billion takeover offer, which in hindsight looks astoundingly generous.

So it'… Read more

If you're not satisfied with the power or flexibility of the Mac's built-in Spotlight search, you should check out HoudahSpot. This app isn't a Spotlight replacement, but rather a more versatile front-end for Spotlight--as it actually uses the technology behind Spotlight to help you find files on your computer. HoudahSpot works in much the same way as Spotlight, and you can pull it up with a key combo or a menubar icon. Once you do, though, HoudahSpot offers many more search options--and it waits until you've finished forming a query rather than immediately returning results as … Read more

Makesoft's USB Manager is a great idea, a utility that prevents various devices from connecting to your computer via USB ports. It doesn't disable the ports but their drivers. Attached devices show up in Devices & Printers but show trouble icons. USB Manager can disable storage devices like thumbdrives and removable disk drives as well as printers, scanners, and audio devices. The program offers optional password protection, a Hide mode, and configurable hot keys. If you have to leave your PC running at home or at work and want to prevent unauthorized access to your printer, scanner, or (… Read more

As an avid producer, I deal with a lot of files that I need to organize on a frequent basis. I'm constantly opening dozens of windows and having to resize and layer them in ways that would make the average user's head explode. Today, modern browsers support tabbed views to help users be more efficient in navigating the Internet. Isn't it about time we get a similar solution for navigating our own file systems?

Enter XYplorer, an intuitive solution to navigating and managing your files on the PC.

When you first install and open XYplorer, you'll … Read more

Companies take liberties.

The liberty some seem to enjoy most is yours. As recessions hit and profit pressures become the sole reason for existence, bosses seem to believe that they own workers--until they discard them for younger, fresher models.

Now a curiously human law has reared its head in Brazil. According to the Associated Press, this law says that if a company e-mails you after your allotted working hours, then this is the same as if one's supervisor is giving one an instruction to perform a certain work task.

Ergo, argue Brazilian labor lawyers, if a worker receives such … Read more

It's likely that your hard drives are all formatted with one large partition.

The major advantage to splitting up individual disks into multiple partitions is to soften the blow when you need to reinstall your OS. This is achieved by putting your OS and applications on one partition and your media on a separate one.

For Windows users, there are several third-party programs that you can download/purchase that will assist you with this process. In reality, none of these are really necessary because Windows comes with a built-in (and well-hidden) disk-management system. Let's get started.

Default Folder X is a system preference pane that can save you a lot of time finding and flipping through folders, especially when opening and saving files.

The primary interface pops up with every open and save dialog, across all your applications, giving you faster access to multiple folders and commands. You can jump to favorite and recently used folders (even by clicking on open windows), enter Spotlight metatags, and manage files and folders right from the dialog--so you don't need to go to the Finder for simple tasks like renaming and deleting.

Default Folder X also lets you &… Read more

Sony veteran Kazuo Hirai will be the company's next president, Japan's Nikkei business daily reported.

Current CEO Howard Stringer will remain the chairman and CEO of the company, the report says. The executive shuffle, which CNET has not yet confirmed with Sony, is said to be finalized sometime this month, with Hirai taking the post in April.

Hirai became the chairman of Sony's Computer Entertainment group in June of last year, taking over the spot previously held by Andrew House. Prior to that--in March--he was named as president of Sony's entire consumer business.

Hirai has been … Read more