Week in review: iPhone answers business calls
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Mar 7, 2008 11:00:00 AM After months of strict control, Apple welcomed software developers to build applications for the iPhone and also challenged BlackBerry for the hearts of corporate America.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled enterprise-friendly features and a roadmap for third-party developers to create applications for Apple's iPhone.
Apple has licensed the Microsoft ActiveSync protocol, which will make it much easier to do push e-mail and contacts with Exchange servers. Until now, iPhone users who wanted to get e-mail on their iPhones had to jump through a series of technical hoops. And as a result, a lot of business users, who would have otherwise bought the iPhone right away, have stood on the sidelines with their BlackBerrys or Windows Mobile phones drooling at the iPhone.
The announcement is a huge deal for Apple, because it eliminates one of the barriers the company faced in addressing the business market. It also made the iPhone more appealing to a group known as prosumers, people who buy their own cell phones for personal use, but also access some business applications, such as corporate e-mail, on their phones.
Other new features include Cisco Systems' IPSec virtual private network technology (IPSec is an encryption standard), "remote wipe" technology that can erase sensitive data if an iPhone is lost or stolen, and better wireless security with 802.1x support. (For complete information on all the new features, read News.com's roundup.)
Developers will get access to the iPhone for $99 a year, as part of Apple's iPhone Developer Program. The program, however, will only be available to U.S. developers at first, and only "a limited number" of developers at that. Apple declined to elaborate on the exact definition of "limited." A separate $299 "enterprise" developer program will be available for corporations creating in-house applications.
CNET News.com readers debated the value of Apple's move; at least one reader wanted to revisit issues on the minds of many iPhone users.
"It's fairly certain that whatever Apple's plan is, it isn't going to be enough to satisfy the thousands of homebrew iPhone application users," wrote one News.com reader
Touch. The $100 million will fund several new companies that develop software or services on the Apple platform.
In search of search dominance
Yahoo's resolve in fending off Microsoft's unsolicited buyout bid may to be softening. Early Monday, Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell told attendees at Morgan Stanley's Technology Conference that Yahoo had not formally responded to its buyout bid and the software giant was keeping an eye out for other acquisitions.
That same day, Yahoo's board of directors voted to extend the deadline to nominate opposition candidates to its board of directors, a move that will likely delay a hostile proxy fight with Microsoft. The deadline had previously been set for March 14, but now will be extended to a new deadline of 10 days after Yahoo announces the date for its shareholders meeting.
"As the company has not yet announced the date of this year's annual meeting, the amendment will give stockholders who want to nominate one or more directors, including Microsoft Corporation, more time to do so. The amendment does not preclude any party from nominating one or more directors at any time prior to the new deadline," the company said in a statement.
The take-away from this action, says News.com's Dawn Kawamoto, is that Yahoo still wants to keep Microsoft close, and friendly. Yahoo finds it wise to give Microsoft more time before it has to present its hostile slate of directors. The move also gives the Internet search pioneer more time to consider its options and other suitors, without putting undue pressure on Microsoft to go hostile.
Yahoo has rejected Microsoft's acquisition bid, saying it undervalues the company. The $31-a-share price at the time of the bid is now worth $28.62 because of a drop in Microsoft's share price.
Yahoo also may be talking to Time Warner on a deal designed to thwart Microsoft's bid. Under a possible deal, Yahoo would acquire Time Warner's AOL in exchange for the media conglomerate taking a large minority stake in the combined company, unidentified sources told The Wall Street Journal. Yahoo and News Corp. continue to talk as well, discussing a deal under which News Corp. would sell its MySpace.com social network to Yahoo in exchange for a stake in the company, the report said.
However, Microsoft may be considering changing the way the deal is valued to 100 percent cash. Under its current offer, Microsoft is valuing the deal using a formula based on 50 percent cash and 50 percent Microsoft stock. As a result, the value of Microsoft's offer rises and falls based on the performance of its own stock price.
Meanwhile, Ask.com is cutting 40 jobs--8 percent of its workforce--as part of a restructuring to refocus the search company toward providing answers to women searching on entertainment, health, and reference topics.
In the Mix '08
Yahoo is certainly on Microsoft's mind. Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie opened his speech at Mix '08, the company's Web-focused confab
Las Vegas, with a talk about all of the things Microsoft has done in the online arena over the past year.
"And then there's Yahoo," Ozzie said, adding that there isn't much he can say about Microsoft's pending bid. "I can say it's already added some interesting twists to what promises to be a really, really exciting year."
He also justified spending Yahoo-size dollars by talking about the potential of the online advertising market.
Ozzie said he hoped in his speech to connect some of the dots between Microsoft's online services, which he acknowledged can seem from the outside to be somewhat haphazard.
The stars of the confab were a new version of Internet Explorer 8 and the Silverlight Web technology.
Although anyone can now download the IE 8 browser, Microsoft is gearing this release for Web developers. However, a second beta, slated to arrive this summer, is aimed at a wider audience, Microsoft's top browser executive told CNET News.com.
"It's public," general manager Dean Hachamovitch said of the Beta 1 released Wednesday. "It's out on Microsoft.com somewhere. Anyone can download it."
One of the new features, WebSlices, allows users to break a Web site into parts and only get updates from the part they want.
"In IE 8 users can subscribe to parts of a Web page," Hachamovitch said. He showed an example in IE 8 where users can use Web slices to subscribe to a single eBay auction.
Want to know how well IE 8 works? CNET's Robert Vamosi poked and prodded at the test version of the Microsoft browser, and found it's still very much a work in progress. Read his review here
Microsoft also said it is making available a beta version of Silverlight 2, which will move the technology further beyond delivering video and into creating rich Internet applications. Among the features of Silverlight 2 is what Microsoft calls adaptive streaming: the ability of the client PC to decide how large a streaming file it can handle at any given moment based on its CPU and network resources.
Microsoft is looking to position its Silverlight Web technology as the coolest kid in school--one that is both popular and gets along with everyone.
Also of note
Facebook announced that it has hired veteran Google employee Sheryl Sandberg to be its new chief operating officer, replacing the outgoing Owen Van Natta...Hewlett-Packard unveiled a new plan for its research arm, HP Labs, saying it will sharpen its focus into fewer specific projects and promising a greater emphasis on exploratory research...Travelers using Denver International Airport's free Wi-Fi service may be shocked to learn that officials have blocked access to content they deem provocative on the airport's free Wi-Fi service...The U.S. Air Force accidentally sent e-mails that were meant to go to its base in Mildenhall, England, to a tourism Web site with a similar address.
2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. CNET
Microcomputer World 2003 21 cover
Kangxiaoning
According to PC World the United States , from 1999, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Association to pass legislation to enable enterprises to their employees RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury, repeatability of the injury) is responsible for the enterprise will be responsible for training employees correctly posture, use of improved equipment and furniture; If there RSI employees, the right to ask their employers to replace furniture equipment, and even the replacement properties.
These words may put together a bit shocking, or give the impression that an alarmist.
However, this is the recent large number of correspondents of the true computer users interviews.
Devotion to the people to experience the high efficiency of the computer and happy life, it ignores health crisis has been hidden in the side of each computer.
Operate a computer long hindered the health, electromagnetic radiation , visual fatigue, and the problem seems to have everyone familiar with common sense. And PC-related injury is not as simple as that.
In an interview with correspondents found in the investigation, there are many health damage is not the cause of the computer itself, such as the work of bad posture and gesture inappropriate for the office furniture, poor design of the keyboard and mouse unhygienic use of computers habits. No matter what the sounds are widespread in our interview dozens of computer users, and has endangered or damage their health.
(This article will focus on computer operation may cause physical injury to the body, do not involve electromagnetic radiation, environmental pollution, such as fatigue may endanger the health of other factors.)
In fact, many of the problems are not because the computer itself, as long as people were aware of, it is easy to avoid. Therefore, we would like to bawl shouted: PC health concern.
The first story
Wei Dong Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Computing Center is a staff member, 40-year-old engaged in the development and testing of software systems work. However, with Dong as saying that the computer has been used for more than 10 years has. Two years ago, but Dong found her left thumb and index finger Ma Tei, regardless of work or eat sleep and has been a Ma.
I went to Zhongshan Hospital orthopedic read, cervical spondylosis, the doctor said that I have two because of the intervertebral space narrowing, nerve compression, hand numbness appeared on Speaking of its own problems, but the voices in Dong slightly bitter, I am now a common carotid neck traction care, but also eat expansion of vascular medicine, but the hand has been anesthesia
Why would a cervical disease? Wei Dong examine their own lives. All along, her desktop units on a 80 cm high desks, computer tables because it is not exclusive, there is no keyboard drawer can be withdrawing her on the keyboard on your desk. I work eight hours sitting on the table operate a computer, before overtime, sometimes 10 hours a day, a fundamental busy to stand up and recall activities. In recent years the time, she Naoguo neck pain, back and shoulders acid acid, severe nausea and dizziness also when the first rotation have pain. But these issues can be alleviated after the break, until two years ago, there has not rest good hands Ma Tei. Dong Wei told reporters that the annual medical units, the potential medical problems cervical not come out. A few months ago, the replacement unit unification of the standard 75 cm high computer tables.
As for the table, as customary position, Dong Wei computer operation posture is a quasi-Yangzhe neck to stare at a computer screen at every turn. This posture is characterized by: the body leaning forward, Yang neck, this is the most commonly used most people sitting, and computer textbooks that enlightenment on the correct posture of Body Zuozhi, eyes-as or slightly below the monitor screen, but In real life relatively rare.
Reporter computer posture problems interviewed Beijing Beiyisanyuan week seeking rehabilitation of hope. He told reporters that foreign someone calculated that the rise when normal chest and neck support the head weight, and if the first forward detectors, and every one in. Exploration neck support to a head more weight. Long-term weight-bearing muscle strain in the neck, and finally because of fatigue gradually lost, leading to vertebral compression deformation, and ultimately to the oppression of the vertebral nerve.
Computer users in the neck problem is very common. Two colleagues reporters recently to go to the hospital because of neck problems attendance, from the X-ray to see their side of the neck of physiological bending almost disappeared, the neck has become a straight line, one of the cervical spine and even reverse bending.
Reporters from Beiyisanyuan rehabilitation have also learned that opened here back pain schools (Back School). Such health adviser s office in the more common abroad, Professor people a correct sitting position and the associated health gymnastics. The reporters interviewed here in the treatment of Gongping President, and Ms. Takamatsu Mr. Geng.
Gongping in circuit design work, Takamatsu is a software engineer, they all come here because of neck and shoulder pain treatment. Takamatsu told reporters that she went to school back pain, just to sit in a chair, the doctor pointed out that the sitting wrong: the collapse of the lumbar and neck before exploration.
Geng with lumbar disc herniation, in the film and television industry, he recently because several tasks in time every day to sit in front of a computer 12 hours, the results of years ago waist injury attack, the purpose here is to learn from the waist muscles can be strengthened of the gymnastics.
Beiyisanyuan low back pain Zhouzhulin schools that do computer work, it should not wait until the doctor is sick, sick patients should not professional rehabilitation agencies to assess cervical and lumbar, training, the symptoms may go it would be too late. However, at present, China set up rehabilitation hospitals rarely open back of the school even less.
Speech, Zhouzhulin on people s health awareness of the lack of expressed some frustration. Earlier in the developed countries universal computer, the computer work of the damage caused by repetitive has caused widespread concern.
Programmers pain
An interview with the need for long-term use of some of the work of the Fuan computer users, this reporter visited a number of software companies. Those who sat before the desktop is used in the work of body leaning forward, Yang neck of a very high position. Software programmers are also all sorts of labor-saving invention of the uncomfortable postures, to the consequences of the caudal site pain.
When he told reporters Nanxiaowang of work because the computer sacral pain when I eat shocked the computer usually cause neck, back or waist discomfort or pain caused caudal first heard. He explained to me his sitting: LEANING body in the back of a chair. Yang, long oppressed the end of the spine. Nanxiaowang of that company s programmers are such a lot of sitting.
Nanxiaowang of a colleague told me, probably because most of this effort sitting bar, as they prepared this process work, often in front of a computer for work, in order to handle, Yang will rely on the computer chair percussion. So long, they have varying degrees of pain in the caudal, including one in the film X-ray revealed that the caudal end of oppression has been tilted to the side.
Nanxiaowang of their own invention Batui also built on the chassis of the postures, comfortable comfortable, but like the end of oppression is the spine. Nanxiaowang of that, because we generally are very young, patient and recovery capabilities relatively well, and there is no computer is the pain caused by dismissing infants. They work fatigue, rest in the form of play computer games or on the online news. Anyone know that this rest is not conducive to good health. But the one programmer said: Apart from the foot Futeng, where all love.
Sedentary inevitable fatigue in front of the computer, people in various positions of the effort to sit. Interviewed Nanxiaowang of injury case, I deeply realize that an ergonomics experts say the phrase: books recommended by the correct posture if there is no support for the design of appropriate tables and chairs, will be a laborious posture, and Because of the wrong posture, and easy to maintain effort, people will naturally formed a de facto position on the machine.
Most companies in the computer tables and chairs are not very satisfactory, and employees regardless of gender or tall, fully equipped as standard tables and chairs, for the future of PC injury has buried hint.
In an interview with reporters programmers, most did not bring their own chairs for a back cushion, so that they are not supporting the waist, and the passage of time, they may strain the psoas.
Beiyisanyuan back pain schools Dr Chan told reporters that when they accept foreign training of experts, experts believe that the current chair of the waist, a general lack of reasonable support, and pointed out that: Do not suspected of trouble in all of your chair all Cushion, one
Yaoshang, so unless the chair is for you specially designed, or back cushion support is essential, and Cushion have a certain hardness, not too soft. Dr Chan also pointed out that people sitting posture adopted Pantang half the time, the first time back on to the neck also need a small Cushion, otherwise normal physiological neck bending will not be supported.
Dr Chan s advice is also available in: When fatigue persist in using computers more easily injured muscles. If we really feel that tired, then in addition to find ways to replace furniture, but also will be laborious correct posture and the wrong posture effort used in turn to adhere to the correct posture for the more the better. sometimes the right thing is wrong, and sometimes the wrong is correct, a lot of things are not so absolute.
Hutchison old suffering
A year ago, Liu Huan journalists do find themselves click of the mouse to the right index finger joints to a dozen Waner pain, and click the mouse to switch to the middle finger, the middle finger can also hurt recently even up. To finger joint pain, she had to read the surgeon, the doctor gave her to help him open a forest, after the Tu no little effect.
Liu Huan remember a friend, warned that in the keyboard, mouse, these tens of millions of other peripherals to save money, it is related to your health. So she went to the Beijing Zhongguancun computer market, buying a new Logitech mouse. Occasionally, she also found a colorful technology companies produced a vertical mouse. Ting fresh mouse, the mouse can take a natural state in the arm of the lateral posture, Liu Huan also bought a way. Now, there are two different Liu Huan-to use the mouse, plus all right when the kneading their fingers, and the pain is alleviated the situation.
Liu Huan Su Yi and colleagues single Xiaofan, more recently,
But they both make trouble. Wrist is sore. Su Yi right wrist thumb side of the little ganglion cyst, and the back of the hand facing up to a certain point of view Yangqi pain began. Single Xiaofan is a right hand turn on the wrist pain.
Beiyisanyuan rehabilitation Zhouzhulin said that the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is over the upper and lower finger and wrist movements (such as typing on the keyboard and the click of a mouse) will stimulate carpal tunnel congestive swelling and swelling after the nerve to the oppressed caused numbness, tingling SARS. Hospitals now to the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome surgery in some cases it is necessary to avoid oppression cause permanent nerve damage.
Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Tunxiaoyong teacher ergonomics studies have been conducted. He held that since the keyboard and mouse designed congenital problems, so that the wrist at work in non-natural posture, carpal tunnel syndrome is caused an important factor. On the plane in the arm when the pressure from the following three aspects: the distortion of the forearm (palm downward, vertical mouse on the mouse to solve this problem), the wrist Ulnar (fingering in order to meet requirements of the wrist forearm to the inward deflection, lateral organizations compression, tension medial organizations), the wrist dorsiflexion (due to the keyboard and mouse have a certain thickness, wrist keyboard, Yang Qi, resulting in dorsiflexion). Ergonomic keyboard use around the central uplift and bond angle was about 20 degrees to improve the forearm, wrist and twisted the Ulnar, research shows that in the vertical direction wrist posture is more important issues - dorsiflexion issue is the main improvement Methods increase in the slope of the keyboard wrist pad or rigid plus a box of soft wrist pad.
Wu Xiaoyong design of a computer keyboard embedded tables, with a view to better address the problem of dorsiflexion. In addition, he also designed a pallet arm, it is because when the arm and elbow can support force, will be able to alleviate neck and lumbar pressure.
However, in the wrist rest on this issue experts are still controversial: American experts Emir Moshikeleili writings said that he hoped the wrist pad called the wrist I. because its function should be guided wrists Straight, in the computer operation, where she could not handle anything, it increased the risk of a sprained wrist. you must handle hanging in the wrist pad, when the stop operating when you can rely on the wrist to wrist pad .
Toshiba (China) Company Li Guohua said that the right of the keyboard-although pallet can be placed on the mouse, but he does not like to always straighten his right arm enough mouse, the mouse on his table. Indeed, when we Qiaojianpan physical needs of the B button, and because the keyboard is small because of the right arm needs to be able to elongation of the mouse. This design has recently been unreasonable, such as Button, some manufacturers noted that the introduction of the digital keyboard on the left of the new design.
In addition, no one questioned us on the keyboard alphabetical order? Currently common QWERTY keyboard was designed from the beginning for the typewriter design, Zimu not be impeded, now abroad have emerged DVORAK keyboard, QWERTY keyboard compared to minimize the number of fingers moving, it is at least made to improve the step. Computer group may wish to actively seek this type of new and improved design to prevent computer bodily harm.
Although computer-related manufacturers can improve the design of the complete elimination of duplicate keystrokes time the threat of action, but at least we can more or less provide for the health of little help.
Laptop wrong
Armpits how will the pain? In a foreign enterprise in addition to the work of the recent past Mei-neck and shoulder back, and even axillary lateral muscles are beginning to pain. The doctor said she had tendinitis in the shoulder, asked her about her work desktop is not too high.
Sun Mei remind doctors to panic aware he has been using a laptop computer approach - her laptop on the desk, directly above Qiaojianpan, and the high degree of input under the table than on the keyboard withdrawing Taiwan on the external keyboard to more than 10 cm! In total she has been using laptops more than two years, the old typing-mounted arm, shoulder Caiguai do not see the problem. Sun Mei s desk height is designed for writing Fuan, if the laptop directly on to the use of the above, unless the increase in the chair, the height of the arms it is appropriate, as it also requested more leaning forward, and under the neck prone to see laptop displays. In the company taking a trip, found each Sun Mei and her colleagues all the same - on the notebook PC Fuan disease book !
Now, Mei-notebook computers to access the external keyboard, the keyboard on your desktop and use of withdrawing the stage, while her laptop in a thick dictionary, not so hard in the neck before exploration.
In fact, experts already warned: the structural characteristics of notebook computers - display and keyboard together - from the terms of ergonomics is a congenital problem, the screen height and distance appropriate, inappropriate on the keyboard, and vice versa. At present, some special desk for the use of laptop designs more than 75 centimeters of the lower surface, in this platform at laptops, even if not withdrawing Keyboard Arm, hand position seems to be appropriate, may be neck leaning forward more powerful, and lose more than they gain.
Our advice is: If you need in the office prolonged use of a laptop, must be an external keyboard on withdrawing the platform, and notebook computers boosted their eyes parallel with the screen.
The advantages of notebook computers is not the same as using the desktop monitor, keyboard, mouse, fixed in the table, can be used for position, but all positions are never too long. Dell recently introduced a notebook computer can stand up the price of the station, is to take a long time using a laptop computer in the office of the design. We can draw from, or even DIY a similar stent.
Computer without occupational diseases?
China has published a translation of the Americans write specialized stresses repeatability of the injury (RSI) book. Book, In 1990, as a result of RSI ratio of the number of the disabled has reached epidemic transmission ratio
Related: Week in review: iPhone answers business calls
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