Powerline EthernetInspired by the TechBuilder recipe on ethernet-over-powerline networking, I finally got around to networking my nascent basement-office and wireless-less Mac iBook. Quoting myself from the TechBuilder forums: "I picked up two SMC Networks EZ Connect Powerline to Ethernet Adapters ($50 apiece). In a matter of an hour, I was able to quickly get online with my older non-wireless Mac iBook. Response feels just about as quick as the ethernet-direct-cabled pc's in my house, and I been able to plug in and get signal on any outlet I've tried yet. The most time consuming part was figuring out that I didn't have to install any software on the iBook at all. (The second most time consuming part was finding a live port on my switch, but that's another story.) " Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:41 AM, April 28, 2006 Can CA Clean Up?In the wake of former CA CEO Sanjay Kumar's guilty plea to accounting fraud charges, Lawrence Walsh is blogging about his own Kumar mistake over on Tidal Waves: "One of the biggest blunders I've ever made was putting Kumar on the cover of my last magazine... for a while, it looked as though he was driving CA in the right direction. Little did we know that he was a part of a $2.2 billion accounting fraud scheme." It's been clear for years, though, that something was wrong at CA (then Computer Associates). Continue reading "Can CA Clean Up?" Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:03 PM, April 26, 2006 FAQ: What's a VAR?The question comes in with some regularity - and not just from folks visiting our sites for the first time. One e-mailer sent in this comment last month: "Nowhere on your site(s) can I find the definition of VAR. Maybe everyone else already knows and I'm just a bonehead - but I would think that it might make sense to define what VAR means somewhere on your site." Continue reading "FAQ: What's a VAR?" Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:20 PM, April 25, 2006 Green DayEarth Day has past, but you can still keep up with Heather Clancy's enviro-blogging over on The Buzz. Lately she's looked at Apple's latest recycling effort, the possibilities of Green Printers, and 100 Percent Day, along with her usual insight into the solution provider world overall. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:24 AM, April 24, 2006 Slipstream Your XP InstallsCreating a consistent, secure system installation practice is key for system builders and IT departments alike. The newest TechBuilder recipe chows how to burn a single CD with XP, Service Pack 2 and the required security updates that'll save time and effort in every build: "Creating a slipstream disc may take a bit of time initially, but it can be a huge time-saver in the long run. Once you've created the initial CD, you can use it over and over again to set up a fresh, secure install for your customers' machines. Once done, all you'll need to do is enter the valid serial numbers." Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:32 AM, April 24, 2006 Hurd On HP's FutureA year into his job as CEO of one of the channel's biggest vendors, HP's Mark Hurd sits down with our Robert Faletra to talk about where the company is going, and how solution providers will be affected: "We have too few people out in the marketplace with a Hewlett-Packard badge creating demand for HP products. And we're going to go fix that." Don't miss it. Posted by Joe Caponi at 09:46 AM, April 21, 2006 Three New Tech BooksThree new books in the mail: "Querying XML", "JavaScript, The Complete Reference" and "Python: Essential Reference". Continue reading "Three New Tech Books" Posted by Joe Caponi at 05:38 PM, April 20, 2006 The Certification MessRobert Faletra on how, as certifications have multiplied, their value (particularly to the channel) has decreased. "The channel also has to realize that certifications are not going away, and generic test replacements are not really an option... Solution providers need to raise the pressure on vendors to address the certification situation over the long term by migrating toward those vendors that get it right and away from those that don’t." Over on The Chart, Ed Moltzen weighs in with some comments from HP's vice president of global certification, and discusses ways vendors can improve the channel value of their programs. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:08 AM, April 20, 2006 Going MobileHeather Clancy tries out Mobileplay to pull the web to her cell phone, plugs in some of her favorite blogs, and asks what you're looking for in mobile content from us. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:43 AM, April 19, 2006 Registration Simplified!We've just updated the registration process on ChannelWeb and TechBuilder and made the forms shorter and more consistent. Registration is required to post on our Forums, and continues to be a 'double opt-in' process--you'll need to provide a real e-mail address where you can receive and click-through on a confirmation e-mail. But we think we've made a real improvement in terms of simplifying the process. Continue reading "Registration Simplified!" Posted by Joe Caponi at 05:10 PM, April 18, 2006 A Linux For Oracle?Build? Buy? Barbara Darrow runs down the possibilites for Larry Ellison: "Writing a check for an entire operating system is one way to fill out a software stack. But Ellison's right: It would also make the company competitive with Microsoft not only in databases and tools, (and ERP apps) but in OPERATING SYSTEMS." Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:22 AM, April 18, 2006 Interactive Election MapAs a fan of both good web applications and politics, I liked this Washington Post map of important November races for a couple reasons. Posted by Joe Caponi at 08:21 AM, April 18, 2006 Channel ChampsThere's plenty to sink your teeth into today, so let's start at the top: CRN's Channel Champions is live, spelling out which vendors have garnered the respect of solution providers this year. The survey looks at 26 product categories to find the best in partner satisfaction. Over at GovernmentVAR, the 2006 State of the Government Market is live. In this exclusive research, solution providers serving the public sector talk about what their business and technology plans are for the upcoming year. TechBuilder posts an important new recipe on building affordable PC systems for blind and visually-impaired users, including braille solutions, text readers, and screen and keyboard solutions for users with mobility disabilities. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:34 AM, April 17, 2006 Acronym of the Day: BRICThat would refer to the big, emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Haven't heard of it? HP has. Posted by Joe Caponi at 01:32 PM, April 14, 2006 Digital Integrators Speak Up!Over on Digital Connect, Jeff O'Heir says its' the perfect time for SOHO integrators to get in front of the big manufacturers with their business needs. "Integrators have to be proactive in seeking out manufacturers and distributors selling the products that fit their solution sets and customers' needs. They also have to let their existing vendor partners know about the new markets they're entering, the new solutions they're creating and the new customers they're serving. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:10 AM, April 14, 2006 Google's CalendarIs available now, in beta, to gmail users. Barbara Darrow has been anticipating it for awhle now: "To be fair, since Google never acknowledged it was working on this thing, it's unfair to say it's late." Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:34 PM, April 13, 2006 France: Good In Theory...Welcome to our newest Channel blogger - VARBusiness' editor Lawrence Walsh. His Tidal Waves is a daily look at issues in the channel and the world at large. Today he demonstrates how VARs get something French student protestors don't: "Those snotty French students crowding the streets of Paris with their fists in the air have no idea what they're missing. They have no idea of the rewards risk-taking has for themselves and their country." We'll have an RSS feed set up for him shortly. In the meantime, enjoy! Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:04 AM, April 13, 2006 SOHO Ethernet Over PowerlinesTechBuilder's newest recipe provides steps to 'wire the unwireable': old buildings and homes where running Cat5 cable or going all-wireless aren't attractive options: "While using standard power lines to carry Ethernet signaling throughout a structure might sound like something from science fiction, the reality is that those power lines located behind the walls offer a wonderful conduit for transmitting data." Posted by Joe Caponi at 09:46 AM, April 10, 2006 Microsoft's Army of DavidsInstapundit links to Ed Moltzen's blog entry on how Microsoft has benefitted from opening up it's development process. "Microsoft has turned to the public – engineers, developers, anyone else who is interested – to help them do in weeks what could have easily taken months or years otherwise." Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:20 PM, April 7, 2006 Dean Kamen On Technology LeadershipEETimes spoke with engineering legend and Segway inventor Dean Kamen about innovation and the need for leadership among technologists. "Engineers need to give leadership and guidance, frankly, to a lot of people who are well-meaning but don't have the technical background and advantages of scientists or engineers in assessing some of the big issues facing the public." Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:05 PM, April 7, 2006 Web-Based Videoconferencing; PC Rescues On TechBuilderOver on TechBuilder, our latest two recipes should appeal to system builders and savvy civilians alike: Web-Based Videoconferencing on the Cheap, and Stare Down the Blue Screen of Death -- how to repair and restore crashed operating systems. Posted by Joe Caponi at 08:14 PM, April 6, 2006 More Boot CampThe full story: Apple Offers Tool To Let Intel Macs Run Windows XP; some solution provider reaction: VARs Mull Windows On Mac Attack; a CRN Test Center look at a tool, Parallels, that Runs Windows, Solaris, Linux On Mactel Platform; and over on Macintouch.com, First-Hand Boot Camp reports. Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:10 AM, April 6, 2006 Top Channel ExecutivesVARBusiness' Top 100 Channel Executives is online now. For each executive (plus sixty-four more to watch), you'll find what brought them to the channel, and where they're planning to take their company's programs in the coming year. Posted by Joe Caponi at 08:10 AM, April 6, 2006 Boot CampSpeaking of Apple, the company has released beta software enabling Windows XP and XP applications to run on the new Intel-based Macs. Much more later. Posted by Joe Caponi at 09:55 AM, April 5, 2006 |
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