HP builds collaboration tool into workstations

Hewlett-Packard is building collaboration software with video, application-sharing and 3-D graphics support into several of its workstation models, giving the high-definition conferencing market an option well below the cost and scale of telepresence. It needs only an Internet connection of 400Kb per second, plus a VPN (virtual private network) to connect to systems outside an enterprise firewall. The HP SkyRoom software, which was set to be announced on Tuesday, works on systems with a fairly modest set of requirements, starting with a 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent processor.

With the software, users can click on the name of a contact to start up a SkyRoom session with them. Multiple users can join in to these sessions and see the host presenter's desktop as if they were using their own machines. With another click, they can share rich media or what's happening on their desktops. The software supports display of any type of application on a Windows XP or Vista PC, including streaming video, according to HP. HP says SkyRoom is based on video and image compression algorithms it developed over the course of three years. SkyRoom saves work by updating only changes in screen appearance, not the whole screen, HP said.

It can deliver a high level of performance on relatively modest systems and networks by compressing and encrypting data before it's sent to participants. The company named digital content teams, animation production houses and global financial teams running live economic models as possible users of the software. It's another thing to describe it over video," Germanow said. The software should be an ideal tool for teams that design physical things, because it will let one designer show others what's wrong with the item, such as a corner that's too sharp, said IDC analyst Abner Germanow. "It's one thing to describe a design problem over e-mail. Telepresence, which typically involves dedicated rooms or purpose-built systems, would be overkill for these kinds of sessions, he said.

SkyRoom is available worldwide as a free, preinstalled feature of HP Z800, Z600, Z400 and xw4600 workstations. SkyRoom is strictly software, with lower network requirements and no special service fees, and engineers may use it for all-day sessions, he said. Some premium business PCs and laptops coming from HP in the next few months will offer the software on a 90-day trial basis. In addition to the Core 2 Duo or equivalent processor, those systems will need at least 2GB of RAM, a webcam and XP or Vista. The software is also available for purchase for an estimated U.S. street price of US$149 and can be used on workstations and PCs from Dell, Lenovo and Sun, HP said.

HP is also offering the HP SkyRoom Accessory Kit, which includes a high-resolution webcam and headphones or speakers, for $119.

iTunes gains Automatically Add to iTunes feature

One of the often requested features for iTunes has been the ability to set a folder for it to watch, automatically adding any items you drop in that folder to its library. In typical Apple fashion, it's not exactly what people were asking for, but Apple's interpretation of what they want. In iTunes 9, Apple has quietly added this feature, although I wouldn't blame you for not having noticed its existence. When you install iTunes 9, it automatically creates an Automatically Add to iTunes folder in your ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music folder (or under ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media if you created a new library after installing iTunes 9). When you put an iTunes-compatible media file in this folder, it will, as the name suggests, be added to iTunes automatically.

Whenever you drop any file into that folder, it's instantly added to iTunes if the application is running. In my limited testing, I've found that it pretty much works as advertised. If not, it gets added the next time iTunes is launched. And if you ever delete or rename the Automatically Add to iTunes folder, iTunes simply creates a new one for you the next time it is launched. It even looks for files in subfolders you create and adds them to the library as well.

However, it does have a lot of caveats. You can be pretty assured that if the video was downloaded from the Internet, it will not be supported by iTunes. For one thing, iTunes's list of supported formats, especially in the video department, is comically short. In such a case, iTunes will move it to a Not Added subfolder within the Automatically Add to iTunes folder. Still, there are other problems.

But that's to be expected because iTunes has never exactly supported a host of media formats. When users asked for an option to direct iTunes to a folder, they really wanted an option to direct iTunes to any folder. So if you have a huge collection of media in your Movies folder or on an external hard disk drive containing files that you'd like to automatically add to iTunes, you'll still have to move them to that particular folder. What Apple has done, on the other hand, is created a pre-designated folder for the task and not given an option to change it to any other location. What's the point, then?

Well, you say, we can just use the Automatically Add to iTunes folder as our primary movies folder, then-maybe even move it to a location of our choosing, and leave behind an alias to take its place. You can just drag and drop them onto the iTunes icon in the Dock and be done with it. Wouldn't that work? Not only does iTunes not accept anything added to that folder if you move it, but the presence of the alias prevents iTunes from creating a new version of the folder either. Not so much.

And when iTunes does add media files from the Automatically Add to iTunes folder, it moves them into its media folder and organizes them as it normally would, even if you have the option to do so disabled under iTunes's advanced preferences. The only possible use I can see if for you to set it as the default download location for media files you purchase/download off the Internet, so that they can automatically be added to iTunes without your having to do so (and even there, Apple has recommended you don't use it for incomplete files). I hope Apple rethinks this and gives users the freedom to use any folder they want and makes iTunes stop moving the media files around if the user doesn't want it to. It also deletes any subfolders you create within that folder (although that's a logical conclusion, given that they're useless if the media files you put in them never stay there). In short, I don't think the feature is very useful in the form Apple chose to implement it. It's still a (very small) step in the right direction though.

Microsoft rallies businesses to start Win 7 migrations now

In a last promotional run-up to the Windows 7 release next month, Microsoft is urging business customers to start their upgrades now with examples of customers already using the software, and another acknowledgement that the company learned lessons from how it handled Vista's release three years ago. Additionally, many customers, as has been typical with a major Windows release, opted to wait for the release of the first service pack for Vista to even consider upgrading, and then many others did not move to the OS at all. Microsoft has devoted an unprecedented level of time and attention to making sure business customers will have a smooth migration and reap financial benefits from the new OS, said Microsoft Senior Director of Product Management Gavriella Schuster, in what is likely to be the last of a series of interviews with reporters as the company prepares to release Windows 7 worldwide on Oct. 23. "The real difference that I think people are seeing with Windows 7 is a different level of quality," Schuster said. "We've never reached this level of quality before in terms of performance, reliability, ease of deployment, the tools around it." As she has in previous interviews, Schuster reiterated Microsoft's mea culpa about how the company handled preparing its business customers, ISVs (independent software vendors) and other partners for the release of Vista, which was made available to them in November 2006. At the time, drivers for key hardware and peripherals were not available, and major applications were not compatible.

Schuster assured customers that moving to Windows 7 will be a far smoother process and will set a precedent for how the company will handle desktop OS releases in the future. We have put a lot of effort in really resolving the customer friction point before we come to them [with the OS]. We are being much more proactive and we're saying to customers, 'You don't have to wait.'" Microsoft introduced case studies Monday showing that some customers have taken this advice - among them, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the city of Miami and Dutch IT services firm Getronics - and are reporting cost-saving benefits because of this decision, Schuster said. In fact, with a release-to-manufacturing version of Windows 7 already in the hands of many business customers, they can begin to move to the OS now. "In the past customers have had to wait for ISV support, they've needed to wait for a service pack release [to deploy Windows]," she said. "Shame on us, we've learned our lesson. Microsoft has a lot riding on Windows 7 after the overall disappointment of Windows Vista and is hoping the OS will jump-start business spending on desktop software. But analysts have said that many companies still using Windows XP don't really have a choice when it comes to migrating to Windows 7 - the question is more of when they will move than if they will. Many companies put a freeze on IT spending in general in the past year during the recession, and while conditions have improved, companies remain cautious about where they put their money.

Overall, customers who have moved already are saving on the time of IT labor devoted to PC management in the range of US$89-$160 per year because of new features in Windows 7, according to the findings of case studies Microsoft released Monday. The OS allows administrators to set policies across multiple desktops for updating software and other features through back-end connections to Microsoft server software that manage these processes, Schuster said. In particular, the city of Miami said it would save $54 per PC per year on power management because of new features in Windows 7 for setting group policies. Microsoft also has changed its plans for a software package that helps customers deploy Windows across multiple desktops, she said. Originally, Microsoft had planned to release a beta of MED-V 2 sometime in the first quarter of 2010, but decided to add Windows 7 support earlier due to customer demand for it, she said.

Microsoft plans to release Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2009 R2 in late October 2009, adding Windows 7 support for all components of the suite except for Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V). That support will come in the first quarter of 2010 with MED-V 1.1 Service Pack 1, Schuster said.

iTunes gains Automatically Add to iTunes feature

One of the often requested features for iTunes has been the ability to set a folder for it to watch, automatically adding any items you drop in that folder to its library. In typical Apple fashion, it's not exactly what people were asking for, but Apple's interpretation of what they want. In iTunes 9, Apple has quietly added this feature, although I wouldn't blame you for not having noticed its existence.

When you install iTunes 9, it automatically creates an Automatically Add to iTunes folder in your ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music folder (or under ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media if you created a new library after installing iTunes 9). When you put an iTunes-compatible media file in this folder, it will, as the name suggests, be added to iTunes automatically. Whenever you drop any file into that folder, it's instantly added to iTunes if the application is running. In my limited testing, I've found that it pretty much works as advertised. If not, it gets added the next time iTunes is launched. And if you ever delete or rename the Automatically Add to iTunes folder, iTunes simply creates a new one for you the next time it is launched. It even looks for files in subfolders you create and adds them to the library as well.

However, it does have a lot of caveats. You can be pretty assured that if the video was downloaded from the Internet, it will not be supported by iTunes. For one thing, iTunes's list of supported formats, especially in the video department, is comically short. In such a case, iTunes will move it to a Not Added subfolder within the Automatically Add to iTunes folder. Still, there are other problems. But that's to be expected because iTunes has never exactly supported a host of media formats.

When users asked for an option to direct iTunes to a folder, they really wanted an option to direct iTunes to any folder. So if you have a huge collection of media in your Movies folder or on an external hard disk drive containing files that you'd like to automatically add to iTunes, you'll still have to move them to that particular folder. What Apple has done, on the other hand, is created a pre-designated folder for the task and not given an option to change it to any other location. What's the point, then? Well, you say, we can just use the Automatically Add to iTunes folder as our primary movies folder, then-maybe even move it to a location of our choosing, and leave behind an alias to take its place.

You can just drag and drop them onto the iTunes icon in the Dock and be done with it. Wouldn't that work? Not only does iTunes not accept anything added to that folder if you move it, but the presence of the alias prevents iTunes from creating a new version of the folder either. Not so much. And when iTunes does add media files from the Automatically Add to iTunes folder, it moves them into its media folder and organizes them as it normally would, even if you have the option to do so disabled under iTunes's advanced preferences.

The only possible use I can see if for you to set it as the default download location for media files you purchase/download off the Internet, so that they can automatically be added to iTunes without your having to do so (and even there, Apple has recommended you don't use it for incomplete files). I hope Apple rethinks this and gives users the freedom to use any folder they want and makes iTunes stop moving the media files around if the user doesn't want it to. It also deletes any subfolders you create within that folder (although that's a logical conclusion, given that they're useless if the media files you put in them never stay there). In short, I don't think the feature is very useful in the form Apple chose to implement it. It's still a (very small) step in the right direction though.

Apple investigating malfunctioning iPhone reports

Apple is investigating reports that some of its popular iPhones may have malfunctioned following a query from a European Commission directorate that oversees consumer safety issues.

Apple told the Commission on Tuesday that "these are isolated incidents and that there is not a general problem," according to a statement issued by Directorate-General for Health and Consumers.

"For the cases which have been reported in the media, Apple [is] trying to get more information on the details of the incidents and will do tests as necessary to investigate the possible cause," the statement said.

An 18-year-old French teenager complained his eye was injured last week when his girlfriend's iPhone began making a hissing noise and the device's glass touchscreen shattered, according to a report in AFP. It wasn't clear which model of iPhone was affected.

In the U.K., a 47-year-old man from Liverpool told The Times earlier this month that his daughter's iPod Touch made a hissing noise and exploded after he dropped it.

In an incident in the Netherlands, an iPhone 3G was reportedly sitting in a car when the owner returned to find it was destroyed, burning a huge hole in the vehicle's seat.

Apple's U.K. office said: "We are aware of these media reports, and we are waiting to receive the iPhones from the customers. Until we have the full details, we don't have anything further to add."

The Commission also asked Apple about reports of malfunctioning iPods. A Seattle TV station, KIRO-TV, reported last month that after many months of trying it obtained more than 800 pages of documents from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that detailed 15 incidents of faulty iPods, causing fires or burning their owners.

Faulty lithium ion batteries are often the cause of overheating problems with consumer electronics. In June, the South Korean government asked Apple to recall its first-generation iPod Nano following four incidents since December 2008 where batteries overheated or exploded.

U.S. Paper Chase May Slow H-1B, Green Card Use

Federal regulators, particularly the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services bureau, may be slowing the process of obtaining H-1B visas and green cards by adding to the mounds of paperwork required by applicants, according to immigration attorneys.

Several attorneys said in interviews that various regulatory agencies have increased the scope of their so-called requests for evidence from those who apply for new H-1B visas or permanent residency cards, or try to renew existing ones.

In recent months, the USCIS has compelled some applicants to provide corporate payroll records, zoning maps and even building fire-safety plans, they added.

The new requests are "on the border of harassment," said Crystal Williams, co-director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association in Washington. The USCIS is "attempting to build a barrier, to make it as difficult as it possibly can be to get a visa," she added.

The lawyers group is now gathering evidence to make a case that the USCIS and other government regulatory agencies are overstepping their authority.

Sam Shihab, an immigration attorney at law firm Shihab & Associates Co. in Washington, said requests by regulators like the USCIS for additional documents are "out of control." H-1B employers are now "guilty until proven innocent," he added.

Shihab claimed that IT firms that mainly hire Indian nationals, in particular, are being targeted by the government.

He said he recently photographed a four-inch-high stack of supporting documents required by regulators. Shihab posted details about some of the documents regulators require on his firm's blog.

Suhi Koizumi, a special counsel at Buchalter Nemer LLP in San Francisco, said she has encountered increased, burdensome government demands for what she called irrelevant documents from companies looking to hire workers who hold permanent residency cards, or green cards.

U.S. regulators "are going to request r?sum?s that the companies have received, to make sure that they have considered all minimally qualified workers," Koizumi said. "Jobs are hard to find, and the government wants to encourage companies to hire U.S. workers."

A Legal Imperative

The USCIS has acknowledged that it has increased its scrutiny of applications for H-1B visas and green cards. But the agency contends that the actions are required as part of the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which set new H-1B restrictions on firms that received bailout funds.

The agency noted that in March, it moved to cut back on the number of documents sought from companies.

In an e-mail to Computerworld, a USCIS spokesman said that the agency is "requesting end-user documentation in those situations where the beneficiary is not working on-site for the petitioner. This will help us ensure that a job offer does indeed exist, and that the worksite is covered by the 'labor condition application' in the file and that a position is a specialty occupation."

There are a number of reasons why the U.S. would step up enforcement of the H-1B and green card programs.

A study released last fall by the USCIS found various problems, including fraud, in nearly one in five H-1B applications. And in February, 11 people in six states were arrested on H-1B fraud charges alleging that companies were displacing qualified American workers.

It's hard to tell whether the increased paperwork is discouraging foreign workers from applying for H-1Bs, though the pace of new applicants has fallen as U.S. unemployment numbers have grown.

Approximately 65,000 H-1B visa applications have been received so far for the 2010 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. A total of 85,000 H-1B visas are available for the year.

The Obama administration has yet to formally spell out its plan for H-1B visas and employment-based green cards, though observers expect it to support expanding their use.

Obama's choice to head the USCIS, Alejandro Mayorkas, is still awaiting Senate confirmation.

This version of this story originally appeared in Computerworld 's print edition.

Forrester expands 'software bill of rights'

Rampant vendor consolidation, the rise of SaaS (software as a service) and other factors have prompted Forrester Research to add 11 entries to its "Enterprise Software Licensee's Bill of Rights," a list of privileges the analyst firm believes customers should be entitled to throughout the software selection, implementation and production lifecycle.

One of the new rights focuses on SaaS, which has become an increasingly popular deployment option among enterprises.

For one, SaaS vendors should be providing customers with adequate escrow protections, wherein a third party retains a copy of the application's source code, user data and related information, according to Forrester.

"This whole issue of SaaS escrows is going to get more and more important, especially as SaaS companies get taken over or go bankrupt," said the report's author, Forrester analyst Ray Wang, in an interview. The warning is underscored by developments like SaaS BI (business intelligence) vendor LucidEra's recent announcement it would be closing its doors.

Vendors should also get more specific about which product features will work out of the box, according to the report. Features "should be classified as 'no modifications required,' 'minor configuration' and 'major configuration,'" Wang wrote. "Custom capabilities not included in a standard deployment should be called out."

Other added rights cover contract negotiations and the day-to-day relationship between vendors and customers.

For example, vendors should add up and report how much money they are receiving overall from customers for licenses, maintenance and other expenses. This "total account value" should "play a role in determining discount levels and preferential treatment," Wang wrote.

In addition, the report stresses that customers should be allowed the option of procuring maintenance services from third-party companies, and insists that vendors provide customers with a single, executive-level point of contact who is responsible for ensuring the implementation is successful.

Overall, Forrester's recommendations would clearly tip the scales in favor of users. But the economic recession has already prompted a series of conciliatory gestures from vendors, ranging from price cuts to flexible maintenance and upgrade options.

Indeed, now is the time for customers to make the case for and lock in such measures, given the fact that vendors are struggling to make new license sales but also continuing to enjoy highly profitable maintenance revenue streams, Wang said.