Articles by Jack M. Germain

Web developers have many options for the servlet containers they use to host Java apps. Included in these choices are both classic proprietary and a host of open source containers. For the typical Java application developer, the container that holds one or more Java applications together is fairly transparent From a non-techy's perspective, servlet...

Putting Iolo Technologies' System Mechanic 8.0 throughits paces was a long-overdue reunion with an old friend of sorts. Ihad used a much earlier version when it was a different label yearsago. I had forgotten how adept the program's design was even back thenat rooting out the hundreds of glitches and clutter that fall into thedeep recesses of the Windows operating system...

University of Delaware's Dr. Ian Appelbaum is looking to "spin" hisresearch on the magnetic properties of electrons to get moreelectronic enhancements from semiconductors Appelbaum's research is now funded in part with a nearly half-million dollar grantfrom the U.S. Department of Defense Experimental Program to StimulateCompetitive Research (DEPSCo...

"SOA transition" is buzz term growing in popularity among IT managers, especially when they meet with corporate boardroom residents. Businesses are transitioning into service-oriented architecture by tapping into the increasing number of SOA products software makers are creating to meet this new interest However, for the uninitiated, SOA can be jus...

Caution: Just because your company has a payment card industry (PCI)compliance certificate, don't assume your data is perfectly safe and secure. Youcan still suffer a breach That's the lesson recently learned by retail clothing company Forever21. Company officials posted a notice onthe company's Web site last month telling customers of a data breac...

Getting reliable and reasonably priced tech support for an ailing computer is time-consuming and frustrating. PC users at home, school and work face malfunctions caused by human error, software failure and hardware configuration glitches On top of these problems are the increasing daily threats posed by malware and virus infections. The typical hom...

Engine Yard, a software developer of clouddeployment and open source tools for Ruby on Rails applications, lastweek released an open source framework for building fast, high-performance Ruby applications. Called "Merb," the programming tool issimilar to Ruby on Rails Merb is an MVC (model view controller) framework. It features amodular -- rather t...

Open source software is often an unsung hero in the online gaming universe. Game engines are complex applications with core functionalities provided by numerous modules. These include arendering engine for 2-D or 3-D graphics and a physics engine or collision detection and response calculator. In addition, game developers have to provide for sound, scripting, animation, artificial intelligence, networking, streaming, memory management, threading and a scene graph...

Cisco Systems announced on Tuesday the extension of its Application Extension Platform (AXP) as well as a contest for developers to provide new applications The Cisco AXP is an open, Linux-based hardware module for the Cisco Integrated Services Router. Its Linux-based integration environment comes with a downloadable software development kit (SDK)....

AppDeploy, an online community for both systemsmanagement professionals and application and computer administrators has released a free software tool called "AppDeployRepackager." The tool is the industry's first free applicationdedicated to the complex task of Windows Installer repackaging, according to the company Software developers use a repack...

RealNetworks released its controversial RealDVD movie ripping application last week but within days removed the program from its Web site due to a legal feud with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) RealNetworks provided TechNewsWorld with a final prelease version of the RealDVD software last week in consideration of a new product revi...

Google and Yahoo are so well established in my daily Internet search routine that I wasn't expecting to find anything new with a beta engine from a start-up search company. But ubExact had more than one pleasant surprise in how it lets users search ubExact launched its beta on Sept. 2 after spending much of its first year designing the search platf...

The age of mobile computing is upon us. Small form-factor laptops,even smaller netbooks and smartphones keep us continuouslyconnected with colleagues, family, friends and our bosses around theclock These mobile gadgets make it possible to take all of our data with uswherever we go. Mobile technology also lets us bring our favoriteentertainment outl...

OK. You've heard of Linux. It's another operating system for acomputer. But why use it when you can choose between Windows and Macs?Unless you run business-class servers, Linux isn't really somethingconsumers really need to hear about, right? Well, if that's what you think Linux is, you couldn't be further from the truth. Look around you. Linux is ...

To a lot of computer users, the concept of biometric authentication is limited to thumb drive reader devices, eye scanners and voice pattern recognition. Such technologies still face stiff competition in most enterprise circles, where passwords and user tokens seemingly work well enough and are quicker and cheaper to deploy Existing security strate...

Internet security firm IronPort Systems announced on Monday an enhanced layer of protection for its Web Security appliance S-Series with the addition of Exploit Filtering technology The company made its announcement on the heels of the March launch of its URL Outbreak Detection and Botsite Defense. That security layer protects users against malware...

When you buy a PC, chances are darn good that the service package will be neither very convenient nor inexpensive. Most in-home or in-office service plans amount to little more than a local repair shop guy traipsing through your front door on afirst-available basis. Even carting the computer to an in-store service center does not guarantee fast or efficient service. So when PlumChoice Online PC Services offered me an opportunity to try our their remote repair program, I sheepishly accepted...

The computer attacks Russia allegedly orchestrated against Georgia in Augusthave raised the cyber warfare bar to a new threat level. The cyber assaultthat accompanied Russia's armed maneuver into its former territory of Georgia escalated to an international event The concept of hurting a nation's technological infrastructure as part of a wider conf...

GlassHouse Technologies announced on Monday the releaseof Managed Services for Virtual Environments, a first-of-its-kindsuite of managed services. The company broke the news atthe VMworld 2008 Solution Exchange in Las Vegas GlassHouse, an independent IT infrastructure consulting and servicesfirm, launched its advanced management interface in conjun...

The USB 2.0 DVR four-channel Guardian Monitoring and Surveillance System lets you view and record cameras on your desktop or notebook computer from almost anywhere in the world. It is ideal for home or office, and can be a good alternative to more expensive commercial VCR systems -- but only if you have the computer system that runs the software Th...