Joe John

EMC is extending its Avamar backup software to all parts of an enterprise's infrastructure with clients for PC and Mac desktops and laptops. Avamar 5.0, available immediately, lets enterprises add the same backup capability to individual client systems and does not require a per-client license. The software for automated backup and recovery, which EMC acquired by buying Avamar in 2006, already backs up the contents of corporate servers and uses deduplication to more efficiently store it.

Individual users will have an easy-to-use interface for restoring lost data, said Rob Emsley, senior director of EMC's storage division. Avamar agents for servers already can be installed on PCs, but the new software provides an easy-to-use interface for the individual user to manage backup processes and recover data when needed. The extension of Avamar to end systems allows administrators to use the same platform for all backups in an enterprise and bring client backups under central control, he said. With the new version, employees can initiate and schedule their own backups and recover data on their own. EMC also has integrated Avamar 5.0 with vSphere 4, the latest core virtualization platform from VMware, which is partly owned by EMC. As a result, administrators can use Avamar software to manage all the backup options available in vSphere 4. Avamar 5.0 can also export deduplicated data to tape for long-term storage.

IT administrators can assign policies to users to govern their use of the software. The Avamar software is available by itself or in a backup appliance, the Avamar Data Store. The software is available for Windows XP and Vista, as well as OSX Leopard and Snow Leopard, in nine languages. Along with Avamar 5.0, EMC is introducing Avamar Data Store Gen3, a hardware platform with 60 percent more backup capacity in the same data-center footprint. EMC charges for Avamar based on storage capacity allocated for it, Emsley said. The Avamar Data Store, a dedicated backup device, starts at $27,450 with 1TB of capacity.

Pricing starts at US$14,450 for software alone, to support 1TB of storage capacity.

Americans don't trust cloud storage for their confidential data, with identity theft ranking as their top security concern, according to a twice-yearly survey by network security consulting firm Unisys.   FAQ: Cloud computing, demystified Asked what they felt about personal data being stored on third-parties' remote computers, 64% say they don't want their data kept by a third party, according to the latest installment of "Unisys Security Index: United States." Misuse of personal information has 65% of respondents very or extremely concerned, the survey says, followed closely by fear of someone stealing credit card information (cited by 64%). That's on a par with respondents' concerns about national security and fighting terrorism, which also found 64% very or extremely concerned. On a scale of 1 to 300 with 300 being extremely concerned, national security was the biggest worry with a Security Index number of 162, followed by financial security at 156, personal security at 143 and Internet security at 129. Since the study was first done in the fall of 2007, national security has been the top concern for five survey periods, dipping to number 2 just once in the first quarter of this year. With a broader set of questions, the survey measures how Americans feel about four areas of security, and in general Americans aren't in a fever about any of them.

Financial security has risen from number 3 to either number 1 or 2 over the past three surveys. Similarly, 30% of Americans have no worries about the security of online shopping and banking, and they may be the people who don't shop or bank online. A quarter of Americans have no concerns at all about Internet security, which is roughly the same as the percentage of those who don't use the Internet at all, the Unisys survey says. A quarter of Americans have no concerns about computer viruses and spam, but 42% are very or extremely concerned about them, the survey says. But 47% are very or extremely concerned about a widespread health epidemic such as swine flu. Most Americans (67%) have little fear about their personal safety, and 35% have no fear about it, the survey finds.

That's a jump of 6% since the start of this year, a significant leap, the survey says. At least 72% said they were very or extremely concerned about each these areas. In general, black respondents were more worried about all areas measured by the survey - epidemic, meeting financial obligations, misuse of personal information, personal safety and bank card fraud. For whites and Hispanics, the highest such level of concern was 63%. Those who make the most money have the least concern about financial obligations (36%), online transactions (38%) and a health epidemic (37%). College graduates are also less worried. The U.S. Security Index is based on a telephone survey of 1,005 people 18 and older. The percentage of grads who are very or extremely concerned about national security, health epidemic, identity theft, meeting financial obligations and personal safety are lower than those who didn't graduate from college.

Undaunted by European Union concerns over Oracle's proposed ownership of the open source MySQL database, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison insisted Monday that he would not spin off MySQL to get EU approval of Oracle's planned acquisition of Sun Microsystems and that Oracle's database does not compete with MySQL. Ellison, in an interview before a gathering of industry dignitaries in San Jose, Calif., also laid out his vision of Oracle following in the footsteps of one-time IBM President Thomas Watson Jr.'s IBM and serving as a complete systems company. [ In addition to the EU, some user are nervous about Oracle owning MySQL. | Relive Sun's storied history in InfoWorld's slideshow "The rise and fall of Sun Microsystems." | Learn why attendees at the JavaOne conference were skeptical of Oracle's buyout of Sun. ] Appearing at a Churchill Club event and interviewed by former Motorola and Sun executive Ed Zander, Ellison emphasized that Oracle competes with databases such as Microsoft SQL Server and IBM DB2 but not MySQL. "We never compete against MySQL. [Oracle and MySQL] are both called databases; they address different markets," Ellison said. "No, we're not going to spin it off," even if asked to by the EU, Ellison said. U.S. regulators have found the merger to be pro-competition and already approved it, Ellison said. "I think once [EU regulators] do their job, they're going to come to the same conclusion," he said. The EU is concerned about Oracle simultaneously owning MySQL, the leading open source database, and its own Oracle enterprise commercial database. Ellison expressed the urgent need to complete the $7.4 billion merger, which was announced in April. "Sun is losing $100 million a month," Ellison said. "We'd like to get this done." He stressed that Oracle wants "to save as many jobs as we can" via the merger.

Watson Jr. was elected president of IBM in 1952, later became chairman, and stepped down as chairman and CEO in 1971. "That's when IBM was really the dominant software company," Ellison said. With the Sun acquisition, which marks Oracle's major foray into computer hardware, Oracle hopes to mimic the dominance of Thomas Watson Jr.'s IBM, Ellison said. Oracle, he said, does not wish to compete with the likes of Dell. "We have a deep interest in the systems business," delivering hardware and software combinations that can be the backbone of most enterprises in America and the world, Ellison said. "We're very interested in running airline reservation systems and we're very interested in running banking systems and telecommunications systems and that require both hardware and software," said Ellison.  IBM is the company Oracle wants to compete with, he said. Ellison also lauded Java and the Solaris Unix OS. "The Java [platform] already is the lingua franca of network computers," Ellison said. "Sun has been a national treasure for the last couple of decades," he said. "Solaris is way better than [IBM's] AIX," Ellison said. He pledged to keep the multitude of Sun technologies that Oracle would acquire, including x86 technology, Sparc processors, tape, and storage. He added that Sun machines "will outrun the IBM machines running the Oracle database." Oracle also remains "a big supporter of Linux," but Solaris is the more mature OS, said Ellison.

Asked about the concept of cloud computing, Ellison dismissed the notion that the cloud computing is a new concept. "It's a computer attached to a network," he said. "Cloud computing is not only the future of computing, it's the present, and the entire past of computing is all cloud," he said. Ellison covered several other topics in the interview, including cloud computing, Microsoft, and the economy. The cloud still requires components such as databases, operating systems, and memory, said Ellison. Ellison also described Microsoft as a "very consumer-centric company" that focuses on the Xbox game platform, Zune music-playing technology, and on Google. "I see them and all of their energies going into being successful in the consumer space," even if Microsoft also is in the business space, Ellison said. He pointed out the seeming absurdity in which cloud computing previously was called the Internet, software as a service, and on-demand computing. Ellison also stressed there is a bright future for flash storage, saying it allows for a vast acceleration in database performance.

Tariffs on imported goods will be needed if cap-and-trade is approved, Ellison said. Commenting on politics and the economy, Ellison said he voted for President Barack Obama but added that all of the president's spending programs, including universal health care and cap-and-trade, would be very expensive. He expressed surprise at the high level of spending and added he believed there would be no rapid economic recovery. Ellison also dismissed any suggestion that Oracle was a company driven by sales and marketing. "Ninety-eight percent of our sales or more are to existing Oracle customers. He also objected to plans for government to regulate who pays what in regards to the Internet as part of "net neutrality" rules. "In general, I  believe in free markets and I think this is a case where government regulation is not necessary," said Ellison.

If we don't have the right product, people don't buy more," he said. "The company is all about engineering. It's the only thing that works," said Ellison. "The one part of the company that's always reported to me is engineering," he added.

2009 marks the 13th anniversary for a slew of seminal tech industry events, so here on Friday the 13th, is a brief look back at developments both lucky and unlucky. (For our annual Geekiest 25th Anniversaries, click here) 1. Motorola introduces the StarTAC Wearable Cellular Telephone, the smallest and lightest mobile phone at the time at 3.1 ounces.  2. IBM's Deep Blue chess computer beats world champ Garry Kasparov for the first time, though Kasparov came back to win the best of the 6-game match. 3. Telecommunications Act of 1996  – the first overhaul of telecom law in 62 years - threatened to introduce competition in the local loop, improving upon the original breakup of AT&T. Things didn't quite work out though, as a slew of venture backed competitive local exchange carriers largely took a beating by the established Bells, who mostly wound up merging with each other. Juniper was reborn this year, introducing the concept of "The New Network," which involves the further opening up of the JUNOS operating system, among other things. 6. The first version of the Java programming language debuts, introducing the concept of write-once, run anywhere. 7. On May 18, 1996, under the Arch in St. Louis, the creation of the first X Prize (now called the Ansari X Prize) competition was announced.  The $10 million-plus prize competition focuses on such innovations as private space flight.  8. Nintendo 64 game system is released, with Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64 the first two games released outside Japan.  9. Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, is born in Scotland. Of course, years later technologies such as VoIP and wireless took the market in an entirely different direction. 4. Speaking of the Bells, SBC Communications and Pacific Telesis Group merged in a $16.7 billion cash/stock deal back in 1996, one in a string of deals that essentially led to most of the Bells being reunited in one way or another. 5. Juniper Networks is born, resulting in a routing and switching company that has proven to be a thorn in Cisco's side.

Less impressive: She dies at the tender age of six-and-a-half, about half that of many sheep.   10. The Freedom of Information Act was signed into law in 1966 by President Lyndon Johnson. NeXT never was very commercially successful, but its software has been influential, even working itself into Mac OS X.  12. A slew of network infrastructure companies got their start in 1996. Some, like Extreme Networks, are having a rough time of it, while others, like F5 Networks, are sailing along. Thirty years later, President Bill Clinton signed off on the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments, bringing the FOIA into the electronic age.  11. Apple buys Steve Jobs' other company, NeXT Software, for $400 million-plus, bringing Jobs back into the fold, where he's done OK for himself. Others, such as Foundry Networks, have been bought out.  13. Dot-coms started to emerge, including Sabre Holdings subsidiary Travelocity, which has outlasted so many others. Follow Bob Brown on Twitter

By the year 2020, you won't need a keyboard and mouse to control your computer, say Intel Corp. researchers. Scientists at Intel's research lab in Pittsburgh are working to find ways to read and harness human brain waves so they can be used to operate computers, television sets and cell phones. Instead, users will open documents and surf the Web using nothing more than their brain waves. The brain waves would be harnessed with Intel-developed sensors implanted in people's brains.

Researchers expect that consumers will want the freedom they will gain by using the implant. "I think human beings are remarkable adaptive," said Andrew Chien, vice president of research and director of future technologies research at Intel Labs. "If you told people 20 years ago that they would be carrying computers all the time, they would have said, 'I don't want that. The scientists say the plan is not a scene from a sci-fi movie - Big Brother won't be planting chips in your brain against your will. I don't need that.' Now you can't get them to stop [carrying devices]. There are a lot of things that have to be done first but I think [implanting chips into human brains] is well within the scope of possibility." Intel research scientist Dean Pomerleau told Computerworld that users will soon tire of depending on a computer interface, and having to fish a device out of their pocket or bag to access it. Instead, they'll simply manipulate their various devices with their brains. "We're trying to prove you can do interesting things with brain waves," said Pomerleau. "Eventually people may be willing to be more committed ... to brain implants. He also predicted that users will tire of having to manipulate an interface with their fingers.

Imagine being able to surf the Web with the power of your thoughts." To get to that point Pomerleau and his research teammates from Intel, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, are currently working on decoding human brain activity. People tend to show the same brain patterns for similar thoughts, he added. Pomerleau said the team has used Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) machines to determine that blood flow changes in specific areas of the brain based on what word or image someone is thinking of. For instance, if two people think of the image of a bear or hear the word bear or even hear a bear growl, a neuroimage would show similar brain activity. Pomerleau said researchers are close to gaining the ability to build brain sensing technology into a head set that culd be used to manipulate a computer. Basically, there are standard patterns that show up in the brain for different words or images.

The next step is development of a tiny, far less cumbersome sensor that could be implanted inside the brain. Almost two years ago, scientists in the U.S. and Japan announced that a monkey's brain was used to to control a humanoid robot. Such brain research isn't limited to Intel and its university partners. Miguel Nicolelis, a professor of neurobiology at Duke University and lead researcher on the project, said that researchers were hoping its work would help paralyzed people walk again. Charles Higgins, an associate professor at the university, predicted that in 10 to 15 years people will be using "hybrid" computers running a combination of technology and living organic tissue.

And a month before that, a scientist at the University of Arizona reported that he had successfully built a robot that is guided by the brain and eyes of a moth. Today, Intel's Pomerleau said various research facilities are developing technologies to sense activity from inside the skull. "If we can get to the point where we can accurately detect specific words, you could mentally type," he added. "You could compose characters or words by thinking about letters flashing on the screen or typing whole words rather than their individual characters." Pomerleau also noted that the more scientists figure out about the brain, it will help them design better microprocessors. He said, "If we can see how the brain does it, then we could build smarter computers."

There were 111, now there are 43. That's the number of qualified teams looking to build mass-production-capable cars that can get at least 100 MPG and qualify for the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize. Performance testing will begin in spring 2010 and winners will be announced in September 2010. NetworkWorld Extra: Seven future car technologies your tax dollars are paying for There are now a total of 43 teams with 53 vehicles representing 18 states, 10 countries and 6 fuel types moving forward in the competition with 28 represented in the Mainstream Class and 25 represented in what's known as the Alternative Class, X Prize stated. According to the X Prize folks, teams that have passed this most recent phase of judging have proven to the competition's automotive and technical experts that their vehicles will be available in time for formal vehicle challenges next spring, will be production capable, and can plausibly meet or exceed the competition requirements. An example of an alternative class entry comes from the West Philly Hybrid X Team whose two-seater, biodiesel hybrid sports car will run on a Volkswagen TDI 1.9 liter engine and an Azure Dynamics electric motor driving the rear-wheels of the vehicle.

From the competition's Web site some of the chief goals of the program are:• Safety, Emissions: Vehicles must be designed so that a production vehicle would likely be able to meet U.S. safety standards and U.S. emissions standards• Manufacturability, Cost: Vehicles must be capable of being manufactured in quantities of 10,000 per year, with vehicle production costs within levels consistent with historical examples of comparable vehicles• Features: Vehicles must be desirable, addressing the most important features and factors consumers consider when purchasing an automobile• Business Plan: There must be a credible plan to manufacture, sell, and service 10,000 vehicles (or conversions) per year by 2014. The plan must show that the national fuel infrastructure will support the vehicles, especially if any non-standard fuels or fueling-methods are to be used. The electric motor will be the primary drive motor for cruising around town under 50 mph. The automotive challenge is but one of the wild X Prize challenges going on. The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge is a two-level, two million dollar competition requiring a vehicle to simulate trips between the moon's surface and lunar orbit. The Google Lunar X Prize is a $30 million competition for the first privately funded team to send a robot to the moon, travel 500 meters and transmit video, images and data back to the Earth.

In 2004 the Ansari X Prize was won by Burt Rutan and Scaled Composites. In that competition a $10 million prize was awarded to build a privately funded craft that reaches a sub-orbit of 100 km twice in two weeks.

An explosion of HD movies rocked the iTunes Store this morning without much apparent fanfare from Apple. Headlining iTunes Store's newly-stocked HD shelves are Wall-E, a pre-order for Star Trek (which was only available in SD until now), Hero, The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Knowing, Bolt, and many more. There are now hundreds of new and classic films available to rent or purchase in HD from iTunes Store. Plenty of classics have arrived in HD as well, including both Kill Bill movies, Short Circuit, Zoolander, No Country for Old Men, and what is probably my favorite B-budget sci-fi film: Cube.

Unfortunately, most HD films-old and new-are listed at the premium $20 price point. Most of the new HD films are available for purchase, though some are bizarrely limited to rental only. Terminator 2 is one of the few exceptions, as it's been available in HD  for $13, at least since iTunes Extras arrived. It first arrived as a handful of rentals for Apple TV in January 2008, then expanded a couple months later to a few HD movies for sale in March 2008. Now I count over 280 HD movies for purchase or rent in the iTunes Store's Featured HD Movies section (which I think is all of them). This may get panned by some as an underwhelming release, but considering that movie studios have struggled to get on board with the digital-distribution age, this is a major step forward for completing the iTunes Store's trifecta of mainstream content. Top Gun is $18, but almost all the other new HD arrivals, no matter how old they actually are or whether they have iTunes Extras (most do not), are $20. It's been almost two years since HD video came to the iTunes Store.