Archive for October, 2009
Windows 7 Advertising Misses The Point; Features, Not Security, Microsoft’s Focus
In Microsoft’s recent advertisements promoting Windows 7, the company focuses on the various user-initiated features the new operating system includes. As far as I’ve seen, however, the company has not addressed the dual concerns of virus and spyware vulnerabilities. Similarly, the October 26 issue of Fortune Magazine, which declares “Microsoft Is Cool Again,” highlights various improvements Microsoft made to Windows 7 in response to the myriad problems that plagued Vista, but author Jeffrey O’Brien completely overlooked the securities vulnerabilities that malicious software poses. While I have no doubt that Windows 7 is a substantial improvement over Vista (my former employer upgraded to Vista, much to its chagrin), the risks arising from viruses and malware emphasize why, for security and other reasons, Mac OS X is my choice of operating system. As it turns out, though, Microsoft may not be showcasing its efforts to address these security risks because only certain editions of Windows 7 include a feature to deal with these problems.
My Southern Excursion, Part 1
Last month, I had the opportunity to visit my brother in Georgia, where he is stationed at Fort Benning in Columbus. Departing New Hampshire on a Wednesday, I planned on arriving in Georgia the following day. As such, I had no plans to stop at any attractions as I headed south, instead saving those sightseeing opportunities for my return trip. As the Army is wont to do, however, my brother was placed on a last-minute detail, giving me an extra, unplanned day of travel. Being that I was already in Georgia, and that I’d never seen or swum in the Gulf of Mexico, I set out on Thursday to extend my journey southward. In a manner similar to that which began my obsession with federally-protected areas, as I headed south on US-431 through Alabama, I stumbled upon Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge.
OS 5 Brings Speed, Minor Improvements To BlackBerry Storm
I woke up yesterday morning to a pleasant surprise from Verizon Wireless: a software update for my first-generation BlackBerry Storm. As has been widely reported, Research In Motion’s (RIM) first attempt at a touchscreen device has not been without its share of problems, so every software update is met with excitement from Storm users. This latest update, which moves the OS from version 4.7 to 5.0 and greatly improves the device’s performance, is no exception.
WSJ.com – Real-Estate Slump Hits Howard Hughes’s Heirs
From The Wall Street Journal: “Real-Estate Slump Hits Howard Hughes’s Heirs,” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125616518728700047.html.
WSJ.com – Presumption of Guilt – How One Street Vendor, Wrongly Convicted of Murder, Won His Freedom
From The Wall Street Journal: “Presumption of Guilt – In Mexico’s dysfunctional legal system, an arrest most often leads to a conviction. How one street vendor, wrongly convicted of murder, won his freedom,” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704322004574475492261338318.html.
One Step Closer To Net Neutrality
On Thursday, the FCC approved its net neutrality rules, giving way to 60 days of comments from the public, after which the Commission will release final regulations. Given the intense opposition from companies such as AT&T, the rules will likely face legal challenges before taking effect, and Congress could intervene as well. Progress is progress though.
AT&T Details Network Improvements But No Further Expansion Plans
Following AT&T’s recent decision to allow VoIP applications on the iPhone, I questioned whether or not the carrier’s network could handle the increased traffic. Yesterday, AT&T addressed some of the issues I raised as it announced third-quarter earnings. The carrier reported that dropped calls are down 12%, while instances of calls failing to connect are down 30%. Absent from the announcement, however, were any new plans to expand its data network, though the carrier did concede that it has seen an “explosion” in customers’ data usage.
For The Wall Street Journal’s coverage of the announcement, see “AT&T on iPhone Exclusivity, Dropped Calls and Net Neutrality.”
Separating CEO From Board of Directors’ Chairmanship Shouldn’t Be Mandatory
In the world of corporate governance, American companies espouse certain managerial practices found almost nowhere else in developed economies. A prime example of this disparity lies with the dual roles of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) often being bestowed upon a single individual. As The Economist magazine recently reported, a Norwegian pension fund operator is encouraging certain US companies to separate the roles, but doing so does not necessarily enhance an organization’s corporate governance. The Economist’s article, which appeared in its Schumpeter column, notes that some 30 academic studies produced over the last 20 years have failed to show that either combining or separating the roles has any meaningful impact on an organization’s management. Instead, the decision should be made on an individual basis, selecting the most-appropriate option for a particular company’s circumstances. Nonetheless, some members of Congress would rather see the roles separated at all US companies, and a “Shareholder’s Bill of Rights” introduced by New York Senator Charles Schumer would do just that. Opponents of the measure fear that forcing all corporations to separate the roles may place an undue burden on smaller entities and could lead to internal disagreements and managerial gridlock if the individuals appointed to the two roles cannot work together. Rather than requiring all companies to split the duties of CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Congress should require that corporations justify their decisions to either combine or separate the positions.
The Shareholder’s Bill of Rights Act of 2009, Senate Bill 1074, was introduced on May 19, 2009 and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where no further action has been taken.
FCC Asks Broadcasters for Spectrum Back, But Only After Encouraging Digital Transition
Yesterday’s report that the FCC recently asked broadcasters to return a portion of their spectrum is curious because of its timing. Coming just four months after broadcasters switched to exclusively transmitting a digital signal, the request begs the question, “Why did the FCC wait until after broadcasters had invested in the digital transition?” As TVNewsCheck reported, in exchange for returning two-thirds of the present television broadcast spectrum, current licensees would receive a portion of the auction proceeds collected when the FCC re-licensed the spectrum. If, however, the FCC were truly serious about repurposing the current television spectrum, the Commission’s offer would have come before broadcasters committed to digital broadcasting.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel – Social media the new crime-fighter
From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “Social media the new crime-fighter,” http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-slcol-crime-cyber-outlook-10sboct18,0,4585315.column.
