The Web 2.0 Expo featured many innovations emerging for the Internet, but two trends were featured prominently.

 

Corporate social networking and application development were featured regularly around the Expo, showing the direction in which Web 2.0 is taking the Internet.

 

Corporate social networking is emerging as a way to connect people in the same workplace while avoiding the massive, public communities of Myspace and Facebook. It lets companies create their own social network in order to share ideas, documents, and comments about the company for which they work.

 

One of the reasons for the rejection of large social networks is the discomfort it creates in employers who don’t want to share their personal lives with their co-workers. They provide a forum to share all things work related while keeping the private life private.

 

Ideas and suggestions can be immediately read by those who make the decisions. It increases the speed at which suggestions are realized instead of having them traveling through the hierarchy of the corporate ladder until they reach the one in charge.

 

Application development is becoming easier to learn and use, as companies are taking the coding out of the process by keeping it hidden and leaving simple features for users.

 

Applications can be used for a variety of reasons, one of which being advertising. With Facebook open to applications, companies are developing applications to engage users into discovering more about the product or company.

 

With the iPhone’s announcement that it is open to third-party developers, creating applications is emerging as a digital mobile technology, one of the big futures of the Internet.

 

The Web 2.0 Expo displayed many innovations, but corporate social networking and application development were two trends to keep an eye out for.

 

By Danny Scuderi

The Web 2.0 Expo conference describes the way in which consumers have adapted to the applications on Web 2.0, many times without even being aware of it.

 

Web 2.0 has transformed the way users interact with the Internet, with consumers finding more and more applications that provide two-way interaction between themselves and the content they seek.

 

It provides a “conversation” between the user and the product, and many times this conversation is the content the user speaks. For example, Mapquest is a Web 2.0 application whose function is to interact with the consumer in order to find driving directions to and from a particular place.

 

“Conversation” applications are also being accessed in more places than before, as phones are becoming a more common place to use the Internet.

 

Mobile digital content enables consumers to access the content they want from anywhere, which has transformed the consumer market. People can now research and purchase products from mobile phones, which in turn has transformed the way products are distributed.

 

Fragmentation creates multiple distribution possibilities for companies and their products, enabling them to be sold on multiple platforms, from PCs to mobile phones.

 

With fragmentation comes many opportunities to grab the consumer’s attention, but it also provides complexities in tracking whether marketing strategies work. It is difficult to tell whether search engine advertising influences a consumer’s decision outside of the internet, in the supermarket for example.

 

The major innovations to look forward to are in mobile devices, as the technology is still emerging and companies are finding new ways to take advantage of it.

 

These new innovations in Web 2.0 applications could mean another, new kind of interaction with consumers. Maybe a Web 3.0 is right around the corner.

 

By Danny Scuderi

Bloggers, IMers, Blackberry devotees, and Internet users around the world are temporarily turning off their phones, computers and televisions in an effort to get back to simpler living.

Ariel Meadows Stallings is a Seattle author, blogger and part-time marketing manager for Microsoft as reported on MSNBC.com. In January, she resolved to unplug for 52 nights for the year of 2008 after realizing just how addicted she was the technology environment. Blogging about her experience spread the word to unplug while connecting her with a global population of technology users who text while driving or surf the Web while in bed.

“I thought it was just a problem that affected me and my geeky colleagues. But then I started hearing from Italians with similar issues, and Poles and Czechs, and I even got a query from someone in Colombia,” explains Stallings as reported by MSNBC.

“So I realize it’s not just an American problem but an international one.”

Indeed, Canadian computer developers Denis Bystrove and Ashutosh Rajeka are coordinating a global “Shutdown Day” May 2 - an experiment to see how many people can shut down their computers for one day and what (if anything) will happen.

And, even whole towns are supporting the unplugged cause. Just last month, the Needham Youth Commission sponsored a month long Needham Unplugged campaign urging residents to “unplug their electronics” and spend time with each other.

So, are we too connected?

Dr. Dave Greenfield, who operates the Center for Internet Behavior in Connecticut and wrote a book called “Virtual Addiction” believes unrestrained Internet use can be a problem.

According to Dr. Greenfield, various studies conclude that between 1 and 10 percent of Americans use technology in a way that can negatively affect their lives, relationships, health or jobs.

Not sure how addicted you are? Try unplugging for one day or even a whole weekend and see what happens.

By Katlheen Clark

The Internet is a growing hub of national security threats to the U.S., as hackers are finding more ways to infiltrate heavily protected computers to access sensitive information.

According to an investigation by BusinessWeek, hackers are breaching networks through emails that look like legitimate correspondences between the U.S. government and defense contracting companies.

The attacks target specific individuals who are known defense contractors with access to extremely sensitive data such as international weapons sales. They obtain the personal information, such as job title and responsibilities, through public information on company websites or through infected computers.

With that knowledge, they send an email posing as a legitimate partner with the victim—the U.S. military, for example—and trick him/her into opening an email. Once opened, the email unleashes a new kind of malware known as RAT (remote administration tool).

RAT enables the attacker to control the host computer in a variety of ways, including taking screen shots and browsing files, and then relaying that information back to the attacker.

U.S. officials say that many of these attacks are government-sponsored, citing a Web site linked with several recent security breaches. The website is registered in China, and though the Chinese government denies the allegations, U.S. officials say the government’s strict control of the internet makes that unlikely.

“The new breed of threat that has evolved is nation-state-sponsored stuff,” says Amit Yoran, a former director of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Division.

Sophistication makes detecting the viruses more and more difficult. Of 34 anti-virus software programs, only 11 detected a recent attack titled Poison Ivy when a test on behalf of BusinessWeek was conducted.

Cyber security threats are rising (up 55% in military networks compared to last year), and without proper protection identity theft might be a small worry when it comes to lost data.

By Danny Scuderi

 

ForeSee Results and Forbes.com partnered for the fourth time since 2003 to conduct the 2008 Online Financial Services Study. The study measures how well banks, credit card companies and investment services firms are using the Web to build loyalty, increase share of wallet, and take advantage of a cost-efficient way to do business with customers.

 

Released on Tuesday, April 15, the study indicates that online banking customer satisfaction has soared over the past five years. Banks are successfully using the Web to provide customers the convenience of retrieving secure banking information with ease.

 

ForeSee’s analysis uses the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The study recorded a score of 82 out of 100 for online banking, a 12 percent increase from a score of 73 in 2003. A score of 82 is just below the approval score of 83 for e-Retail, the top scoring category measured by the ACSI.

 

During the first quarter of 2008, ForeSee and Forbes polled 1,600 respondents through an online survey.

 

Key Findings from the 2008 Online Financial Services Study include:

 

Banks have not been popular with customers since making it harder to get a mortgage loan, cutting savings interest rates, and curtailing home-equity and credit-card lines. However, they are meeting the demands of online customer needs and ensuring customers will return and purchase more services. Ultimately, the aforementioned data suggests banks should aim to make customer satisfaction an organizational priority.

 

By Kathleen Clark

Diligent, a Massachusettes-based company, is known for its de-duplication technologies that help companies save money on physical storage for data centers by eliminating redundant data in a company’s system.

Diligent’s primary product ProtecTIER uses in-line de-duplication technology to stop redundant data from entering a system as it comes in rather than after it has already entered, a process that saves time and money according to the company.

“Diligent’s data de-duplication software is a critical technology that will be integrated into the IBM Storage portfolio to further extend our information infrastructure strategy, allowing our clients to eliminate redundant data and streamline the infrastructure required to support their business — which can result in dramatic improvements in data center efficiency,” said Andy Monshaw, general manager, IBM System Storage.

Many company data centers are becoming crowded with already-existing files, compounded with the constant need to make room for new data. IBM’s acquisition makes it a leading vendor in technology to help such companies improve business.

Diligent will be integrated into the IBM System Storage business unit of the IBM Systems and Technology Group, and it is the company’s newest storage acquisition since the beginning of the year. In January, IBM acquired Israel-based XIV and recently announced a move to purchase FilesX.

Data de-duplication is a growing industry. The 451 Group predicts that de-duplication technology will grow to be a $1 billion business by next year.

With Sun-Microsystems also announcing a de-duplication capability earlier this month, de-duplication technology is steadily rising in importance, showing the need to make room for the vast amounts of information companies exchange regularly.

By Danny Scuderi

PayPal will soon block people using old Web browsers from using their site in order to curb phishing scams.

 

The eBay company says that too many people are still using Web browsers over a decade old, and that such browsers do not come with filters that prevent users from accessing phishing Web sites.

 

These sites act as legitimate Web sites, most commonly as online banks and other sites that require personal information, in order to trick the user into entering, then stealing, such information.

 

Though the usual method of “recruiting” unsuspecting users is via email, recently hackers have targeted Google searches and placed popular Web sites in their results, directing unsuspecting users to fraudulent sites.

 

Users of Internet Explorer (IE) 3 and IE 4, released in 1996 and 1997, respectively, cannot be protected from Web sites that aim to collect personal information.

 

In a paper released by PayPal at the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco earlier this month, they said "In our view, letting users view the PayPal site on one of these browsers is equal to a car manufacturer allowing drivers to buy one of their vehicles without seatbelts."

 

Apple’s default Web browser Safari is also vulnerable to phishing sites, as it does not have a filter to block them either.

 

PayPal will be warning users of their old Web browser when they visit the site, hopefully prodding them to update it. Eventually they will be blocked from using the Web site all together.

 

PayPal is a popular target for phishing scams because it allows users to transfer money directly to and from their bank accounts. Because of its use of sensitive information, the company is looking to fortify itself and its users from data theft.

 

Though no site can completely prevent one from being scammed, PayPal is taking measures to reduce the risk.

 

By Danny Scuderi

Palo Alto-based Netcipia, a company that specializes in “participative web technologies and content monetization,” has improved their monetization program to allow users to charge for the valuable online content they are providing to Internet users worldwide.

The OEMP platform features innovative wiki-type functionalities that, according to Netcipia, rank the company amongst the 10 top wiki platforms worldwide. The improved monetization feature enables Place owners to charge users for the valuable online content they providewithin their Place (or mini-site) by offering visitors:

In return, Netcipia collects a minimal fee based on a percentage of each transaction.

In the past, advertisement was the only way that Place owners could earn extra income from their content. Now, the new system enables users to harness the power of Web 2.0 to not only build, expand and manage their participative communities but also charge for their know-how.

Overall, Netcipia is presenting customers an option to create a platform and build their community, and offer their content on a global level. Once a place has established visitors, extra income can be generated with the new platform.

The free version of Netcipia includes the following features: an unlimited number of places, users and pages, 2GB of storage, WYSIWYG editing, 10MB attachments, pictures, search, admin rights, wiki syntax and email support. $149 a month will ensure a dedicated server, 150GB of storage, 100MB attachments, a domain name, and SSL (for an extra charge), among other things.

Netcipia was founded in 2006 by Bruno de Beauregard and Miguel Membrado (formerly of Mayetic) and is a free wiki and blog platform. It offers free public and private participative places to create communities and monetize online expert content to Internet users worldwide.

Kathleen Clark

Since January 2008, InfoWorld has been collecting signatures for a petition to save Windows XP, the operating system that preceded Vista and that Microsoft will stop selling after June 30, 2008. As of April 15, the petition has garnered 142,226 signatures.

When Vista arrived in 2007, it received mixed reviews. Though it looked better (read: resembled Apple’s OS X) and the search function was considered superior to the XP operating system, the annoyances of using the system outweighed the benefits.

So, what’s the big fuss about? For one, Vista is more sluggish because it demands more computer memory and space on your hard drive. Third-party drivers for some printers and other devices are still unavailable from the companies that make those devices. What is more, the User Account Control (UAC) pesters users with constant security pop-ups – a feature deliberately intended to “annoy users” in hopes of pressuring intermediary software makers to make their applications more secure. Created with good intentions but annoying, nonetheless.

Even the recently released service pack (SP1) didn’t resolve issues. One reviewer remarked that “SP1 doesn’t resolve some of the most annoying flaws in Vista…these problems will either never be fixed fully or (we’ll) have to wait for SP2.”

On the other hand, not everyone admonishes the Vista system. Indeed, many find the UAC an improvement to the weaker security measures of Windows XP. One PC user commends the Vista Aero interface for giving the OS a cleaner, more modern feel. Other features include a better start menu; more intuitive file explorer that leaves a bread crumb trail for improved navigation; and an advanced windows firewall (better than XP). But are these features worth the cost of upgrading from XP? Apparently not.

Many businesses continue to use Windows XP because the cost of retraining outweighs any advantage to switching to Vista from XP. In fact, many people still use Windows XP because they like it better than Vista – it’s faster and simpler to use. As of March 2008, XP still has 73.59% of the operating system market and Vista only has 14.02% according to Net Applications, which measures operating system market share as reported by MSNBC.com.

Microsoft will, however, continue to provide XP users regular tech support until April 2009, and “extended” tech support for patches and security updates will continue through April 2014.

So, what are the options for XP users reluctant to switch to Vista?

For one, swapping your PC for a Mac will provide the option to use Leopard OS X, an operating system considered more secure than Windows because there are fewer viruses made for the Mac OS. For their May 2008 issue, Popular Mechanics reviewed both Vista and Leopard operating systems and found that “Leopard OS trounced Vista in all-important tasks such as boot-up, shutdown and program-launch times.” Actually, if you want to use Vista, it will run faster on a Mac using Apple’s platform switching Boot Camp software than on a PC.

Another option is, Ubuntu, a free community developed, Linux-based operating system that is ideal for laptops, desktops and servers and includes a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software (OpenOffice), and an instant messaging application. Though Linux-based systems have been preferred by the more technologically advanced, Ubuntu was created for general public use. The platform is easy to download and use and secure. Furthermore, Dell offers affordable computers with Ubuntu pre-installed.

And, if you want to remain with Windows, the good news is that Bill Gates recently revealed that a new Windows operating system, known as Windows 7, will be released “sometime in the next year or so.”

Kathleen Clark

According to researchers at the University of Washington, more than 10% of the internet is affected by these strange occurrences, whereby information is lost in transit from one computer to the other.

Whether it’s an email or a Web page request, the information is diverted to the wrong location, and it is lost forever.

Ethan Katz-Bassett, a graduate student at the university, along with his advisor Arvind Krishnamurthy have designed a program to track these black holes with funding from the National Science Foundation. They call the program Hubble, after the space telescope, because of their abilities to recognize black holes in the Internet and the universe, respectively.

They launched the program in September hoping to collect information that would improve the functionality of the Internet, a good plan considering the growing amount of sensitive data that travels across Internet connections.

Though they expected to find black holes, they did not expect to find as many as they did.

“We were astounded when we did an initial four-month study and we saw how many problems there were,” Katz-Bassett told Msnbc.com. “It seemed infeasible that this could be happening so often. They’re definitely more common than we thought,” he said.

According to the official website, Hubble has identified 904,678 black holes since September 17, 2007.

During a 15 minute run of the system conducted today, April 16, 2008, Hubble detected 2,873 areas of the internet that were unreachable from all locations and 1,030 areas that were only accessible from certain points but not all.

The massive amount of black holes discovered by Hubble shows that the internet is “orders of magnitude less reliable than the telephone network right now,” according to Katz-Basset.

Hubble tracks these problems and makes a real-time map of where they occur.

By charting the areas where the black holes exist, the researchers hope to help internet service providers (ISPs) improve the service to their customers.

“Network administers are definitely interested in it,” Katz-Bassett said.

Because most of the lost information happens en route to its destination, they are looking at routing problems as a primary cause of internet black holes.

Routing problems can range from new routers not functioning properly to “multi-homing” techniques that enable a Web site to have several different names/addresses for the same destination.

The information Hubble gathers will be presented at the Usenix Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation next week in San Francisco.

Hopefully their findings will strengthen the internet and make it more reliable, as personal data security is a growing concern among internet users.

By Danny Scuderi