Changes afoot for mobile computing's Achilles' heel
The more things change in mobile computing, it seems, the more batteries have stayed the same.With rapid gains in microprocessor technology, the variety of mobile devices offered in the past 15 years has expanded dramatically, to everything from cell phones that take pictures to personal digital assistants that rival last year's notebook PCs.
In a mesh network, adding nodes multiplies its strength
Wireless mesh networking holds the possibility of letting communities extend broadband access on the fly and on the cheap to public safety officials, municipal employees and citizens.
Mobile IP could liberate network-bound computers
An emerging networking standard called Mobile IP could add a lot of range to mobile computing.Just as cell phone users can roam from one provider's region to another without adjusting their phones, Mobile IP would let users of mobile computing devices move from network to network without reconfiguration.
WiMax aims to expand the reach of wireless networks
It's a gorgeous spring day and you feel like doing a little work outside the office. So you grab your notebook PC, head down to the park or wander across the plaza to the caf', log on via WiMax and continue to work on that big PowerPoint presentation for your agency's next executive meeting.
Modernization begins to gain ground at IRS
IRS' ambitious systems overhaul may finally be gaining a foothold.Lead contractor Computer Sciences Corp. is nearly finished reworking the code and retesting the first release of IRS' Integrated Financial System, and company officials expect to meet the scheduled October release date. And a report from the IRS Oversight Board is expected to be positive.
9/11 panel's report prompts a fresh look at IT reforms
Homeland security agencies and systems chiefs face a shakeup in the wake of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations for the overhaul of counterterrorist systems.
IRS cracks down on PDA use
The IRS has more than 2,000 unapproved personal digital assistants that can connect to its network, the Treasury inspector general for tax administration said.
Dell overhauls its venerable server line
Dell Inc.'s PowerEdge server line, born in 1996, has entered its eighth generation and within a few months will be able to store a maximum 1.4T per unit on forthcoming 300G drives.
Army recruits IT blues to green
The Defense Department approved the Army's plan to recruit IT experts and intelligence and imagery analysts from fellow military services.
GSA's FTS will merge several of its offices
The General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service will combine its service development and service delivery offices into a single entity called the Office of Global Network Solutions in two to three months, said John Johnson, assistant commissioner for service delivery at FTS.
CIO Council and OMB define a project manager
Agencies must now have a plan to make sure every project manager meets the qualifications set forth last month by the CIO Council.In a July 21 memo to CIOs, Karen Evans, Office of Management and Budget administrator for e-government and IT, said plans should outline agencies' approach, milestones and schedule for complying with the council's guidance.
Ag awards EDS $93m contract for e-travel
The Agriculture Department has selected EDS Corp. to provide employee travel services under the General Services Administration's e-Travel Service indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract vehicle.
HP handheld joins up with more networks
The Hewlett-Packard iPaq 6315 coming out this month will be HP's first handheld to incorporate wireless voice connectivity as well as e-mail, text and instant messaging, and data communications through T-Mobile USA Inc. of Bellevue, Wash.
Conferees OK Defense Dept. appropriations
House and Senate conferees approved a $416.2 billion fiscal 2005 Defense appropriations bill late last month and sent it to President Bush to sign.The proposal is $1.6 billion lower than the $417.8 billion Bush requested and $25.4 billion more than in fiscal 2004.
NIST wants to phase out DES for encryption
The 56-bit Data Encryption Standard has outlived its usefulness, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology has proposed withdrawing it from government use.
Hill moves reflect e-gov's lower profile
Recent congressional moves leave little doubt about who lawmakers want to control funding for e-government projects: themselves.
What's next for wireless nets
Will wires someday become obsolete? Greg Hanson, CIO for the Senate Sergeant at Arms, thinks it's possible. So it's not surprising that Hanson and his IT team are going full bore on wireless technologies, such as the current project to outfit the Senate's Capitol Hill buildings with a robust wireless infrastructure.
Desktops blaze new trails
A brand-new, high-performance computer suddenly died in the GCN Lab this summer and messed up our reviews schedule.We'd planned to bring you our annual desktop PC review in June, featuring the new Intel 915 G/P and 925X Express chip sets formerly code-named Grantsdale and Alderwood.
The lowdown on 10-Gigabit Ethernet switches and routers
<b>What are they?</b> 10-Gigabit Ethernet switches and routers direct packets through one or more ports at 10 Gbps. They work in almost any network configuration.
Up to speed
Last year, I predicted that this would be a good year for 10-Gigabit Ethernet switch and router manufacturers because of the growing demand for high-bandwidth connections in enterprise networks.
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