Archive for February, 2011

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Software glitch delays flights across Alberta

February 28th, 2011
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Flights were delayed at Alberta airports because of a software glitch.

Some flights were delayed more than two hours on Saturday morning when traffic control officials had to begin manually inputting some flight path data.

The problem was fixed and flight times returned to normal by Saturday afternoon.

Ron Singer, spokesman with Nav Canada, said an investigation is ongoing.

“The problem did occur (this morning) while we were installing a software upgrade to our automatic flight data management system,” he said.

“We have reverted to our backup system.”

However, Singer said the technical problems, while inconvenient, did not affect passenger safety.

Source:http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Software+glitch+delays+flights+across+Alberta/4354320/story.html

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Mamata’s nod to IIT-K software for keeping track of trains

February 28th, 2011
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The IIT-K has welcomed the move of railway minister of getting SIMRAN (Satellite Imaging for Rail Navigation) technology implemented for Real Time Train Information System applications in the Indian Railways.

Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur has developed a comprehensive Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based system, SIMRAN, which provides bi-directional data communication link between running train and a central server. Using this platform, IIT-K has demonstrated that several applications like accurate information about train movement at the railway stations, warning to workers engaged on the track from oncoming trains, accidental parting of a train and display of train location inside the coaches of a train could be made available to parties concerned.

The technology was developed by a team of engineers of IIT-K with the coordination of director, IIT-K, Prof S G Dhande; HoD, mechanical engineering, Prof N S Vyas; and B M Shukla.

Prof N S Vyas, while talking to TOI, said that these and several other applications are likely to usher in the latest technology for improving the efficiency of the rail system and providing better services for passengers. A cost of Rs 3 crore was incurred in developing SIMRAN which is based on the geopositioning system (GPS). “The SIMRAN has to be installed in over 10,000 trains, with an expenditure of Rs 110 crore with the biggest achievement being that the technology has been developed indigenously,” said Vyas.

He went on to add that work on developing SIMRAN technology began in 2005 and after consistent efforts the technology could be developed in 2009. Since then, the authorities of RDSO have been experimenting the technology in various trains across India.

“At present, SIMRAN is being installed in Gomti Express by the railway authorities. The experiments are on and hopefully, it would be installed in all the important trains plying across the country,” said Vyas.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Mamatas-nod-to-IIT-K-software-for-keeping-track-of-trains/articleshow/7575495.cms

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How to be a savvy Mac software shopper

February 28th, 2011
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Apple’s launch of the Mac App Store offers another place for Mac users to buy software. But savvy Mac shoppers should know that the App Store isn’t always the best option when it’s time to exchange your hard-earned scratch for a sweet new app. Sometimes, it may be better to go straight to the developer’s Website to buy—if, of course, the software isn’t strictly exclusive to the App Store.

When should you buy software from the Mac App Store, and when should you buy directly from the developer? Here is a list of what needs to be considered when you’re buying new Mac software.
Price

Developers can make the decision very easy for you. Apps like Pixelmator and CoverSutra, for example, are now available exclusively in the Mac App Store; if you want to buy them, it’s your only option. In other cases, app pricing may differ ever so slightly between the Mac App Store and directly from the developer’s site, since Apple requires that all prices end in .99: TextExpander costs US$34.99 in the Mac App Store, but US$34.35 on the Smile Website; BusyCal costs US$49.99 in the Mac App Store, and US$49 directly from BusyMac.

On other occasions, though, the price differences between a developer’s Website and the Mac App Store can be significant. Apple’s own Aperture 3 costs US$199 in the Apple Store directly from the company, but just US$79 in the Mac App Store—a US $120 difference. (The US$199 version from the Apple Store is a DVD copy with paper documentation sent to you. The US$79 version is a download, with only in-app and online help. Is it worth the extra $120 to have the installation DVD of Aperture 3, especially given that you can re-download the app as needed from the Mac App Store if you buy it there? That’s for you to decide.)

The savings increase dramatically if you use more than one Mac. According to Apple’s Mac App Store FAQ, “Apps from the Mac App Store may be used on any Macs that you own or control for your personal use.” Legally, you need to purchase the US$79 iLife ’11 Family Pack to use the software on more than a single machine. With the Mac App Store, however, you can purchase iMovie ’11, GarageBand ’11, and iPhoto ’11 for US$15 each—and then use them on any Mac linked to your personal iTunes account.

Ultimately, there’s just one way to ensure you’re getting the best price: research. Check the Mac App Store and the developer’s Website; the Mac App Store’s product pages usually has links to the developer’s Website.
The nod from Apple

Beyond the financial benefit, Mac App Store apps have also been pre-screened by Apple. While there are certainly downsides to Apple’s strict rules for inclusion in the store, one key positive for consumers is the extra peace of mind that Apple’s review process affords. You’ll absolutely continue to encounter crashes and bugs in Mac App Store software, but you can buy with increased confidence that the app you’re downloading isn’t a total lemon—since Apple’s reviewers have already signed off on it.
Software licenses
The Mac App Store tracks all your purchases. It can also see when an app is missing and can be reinstalled, or has an update available.

With Mac App Store purchases you don’t have to worry about license codes (since your license for the software is handled by the store behind-the-scenes), or potentially sketchy payment processors (since all your purchases go directly through Apple).

As with iOS apps, desktop apps may be re-downloaded at any time; that essentially means that Apple’s backing up all your store purchases for you. Run the Mac App Store app on any Mac linked to your iTunes account and click the Purchased tab, and you can quickly re-download any app you already own.
Pre-exisiting software

One key element of current Mac App Store confusion centres on what insurance companies might call pre-existing conditions. If you purchase an app directly from the developer, can you upgrade it from the Mac App Store, and enjoy its other benefits (like the right to freely re-use that software on all your Macs)? In a word: no.

Some developers are offering customers free ways to “cross-grade” from standalone downloads to Mac App Store versions. If that’s something that interests you, your best bet is to contact developers directly for information on their policies.
The middle man

Despite all the benefits of the Mac App Store, you should consider some potential downsides before making your purchase—particularly when the software is also available outside the store. Panic Software, the company behind file-transfer client Transmit, sells that app (and others) both directly and via the Mac App Store. While Panic offers automatic updates for direct software purchasers (via the Sparkle framework), such in-app updating isn’t permitted for apps in the Mac App Store.

Because of that, when Panic completed work on version 4.1.5 of Transmit, the company didn’t make the release available to direct purchasers right away. Rather, it waited for the update’s approval by the Mac App Store review team to ensure that the new version was available to all customers simultaneously. Unfortunately, the update sat in Apple’s review queue for three weeks, at which point Panic gave up on keeping in sync and made the direct download version available.

Red Sweater Software (maker of MarsEdit, BlackInk, and other apps) is aiming to take a different approach. In a lengthy blog post, founder Daniel Jalkut outlined a technical approach through which he could make direct-download updates of his company’s software available to valid Mac App Store buyers. That method entails its own challenges, which Jalkut highlights—most notably, the need for customers to manage multiple copies of their software separately.

If you prefer getting your hands on the latest and greatest (and bug fixiest) versions of your software as quickly as possible, you may want to avoid the Mac App Store when you can, until more developers embrace Jalkut’s model.
Shop smartly

What’s a prudent, economical Mac software shopper to do? The Mac App Store makes shopping for software easier, but can generate a bit more work for customers who want to ensure that they’re making the best choice. In general, if the Mac App Store version of the software you want is more affordable, the benefits of buying there are numerous: free and legal use across multiple Macs, easy repeat downloading, no license codes to keep track of, and so on.

Still, I’m making my own purchasing decision on an app by app basis; if it’s a regularly-updated app from a reputable developer (such as Transmit from Panic), I’m happier buying directly, so that I never have to wait on Mac App Store reviewers to approve it.

The good news is, the Direct versus Mac App Store debate isn’t Sophie’s Choice: you really can’t go wrong either way, as long as you end up with great new software on your Mac.

Source:http://www.macworld.com.au/help/how-to-be-a-savvy-mac-software-shopper-25327/

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I-lign takes ‘cloud’ software to the world

February 28th, 2011
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A New Zealand firm gearing up to launch software it believes could improve public sector efficiency may partner computer giant IBM in a global sales push.

Chief executive Tony Crewdson says i-lign’s core software helps organisations share information and collaborate on projects and track their progress, while its next-generation “Uber i-lign” software provides a single platform for viewing and managing projects across multiple agencies and business divisions.

The company has used a grant from the Science and Innovation Ministry to help develop a prototype of Uber i-lign which could be used to facilitate collaboration across public sector initiatives and keep them on track and within budget, Mr Crewdson says.

Uber i-lign could be used by the National Health Board to oversee the initiatives of the 20 district health boards, “or [Prime Minister] John Key could have view of major public sector initiatives at once”.

Project information is typically stored across a variety of software products, making it difficult for lead agencies and head offices to easily get a view of “the big picture”, he says.

The 15-person company is working with NZTE and IBM to sell its “cloud” software – delivered over the internet – globally.

“We’re exploring a range of options with IBM that include working together to integrate our software, and to take i-lign out on `the cloud’.

“We’re also starting to talk through IBM with public sector agencies in the US and we’ve talked with [NZTE equivalent] UK Trade and Investment about opportunities for exposure. The idea is for IBM to be our international go-to-market partner.”

I-lign’s customers include ACC, the Reserve Bank, Snapper, Auckland District Health Board, TVNZ and, in the United States, First Bank of Delaware.

I-lign chairman Kerry McDonald, who is also president of the Institute of Directors, says business projects are too often siloed in individual departments and managed out of the context of the whole business. “If you don’t see the bigger picture you can’t engage stakeholders, you can’t engage your managers and you can’t engage your board.”

Source:http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/4710871/I-lign-takes-cloud-software-to-the-world

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Body in bag identified as software professional

February 28th, 2011
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The body in the bag dumped near New Delhi station earlier this month may have finally been identified but the mystery over the murder is far from over.

Two weeks after the body was found inside a black bag around 6.20am by a constable,an ailing man from Uttam Nagar has claimed it to be that of his estranged 29-year-old daughter.

Though the cops are questioning him on why he turned up only after the body had been cremated,they seem convinced about the claim.

The crime branch of Delhi Police has now taken over investigations. Sources said the man had told them that his daughter had been staying in Matiala village in Uttam Nagar before she completed her LLB from DU.She is then said to have completed a computer course from a leading institute.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Body-in-bag-identified-as-software-professional/articleshow/7584576.cms

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BCC Software to Attend MAILCOM 2011

February 28th, 2011
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BCC Software, a BÖWE BELL + HOWELL company and a leading developer of postal and data quality technology solutions that optimize client communications, will be on hand at booth 422 at MAILCOM 2011 February 28 – March 3 at the Washington Hilton to talk to attendees about industry news, BCC’s latest offerings, and current and future trends in the mailing industry.

BCC representatives will discuss the rapidly changing postal environment, the upcoming postage rate increases and other challenges that printers and mailers are now facing. They will share the steps that BCC is taking to ensure that companies that partner with BCC can turn those industry challenges into opportunities for themselves and their clients. Additionally, BCC Director of Product Management Paula Stoskopf will be presenting OneCode Confirm in Practice, outlining how to best leverage USPS OneCode Confirm to identify weak links in the delivery chain and predict mailstream patterns for future mailings, at 3:15 on Tuesday, March 1.

Key BCC topics to be highlighted at the show will include:

Postal Innovations: Although the USPS has delayed implementation of the Intelligent Mail barcode, BCC has long promoted the significant benefits that leveraging this technology can offer. BCC provides customers with access to an array of Intelligent Mail-related operational advantages including advanced Mail.dat updating, co-mail and co-palletization capabilities and Full Service IM barcode support.

Address Quality: An essential ingredient in any growth-oriented print-to-mail operation, Address Quality is fulfilled for BCC customers through BCC’s NCOALink Full Service Provider licensing plus proprietary offerings including DPV-enhancing Address Resolution Service and Track N Trace, which provides OneCode Confirm mailpiece tracking via the Intelligent Mail barcode. For real-time, point-of-entry address quality, BCC’s multi-platform Accurant AQ is available.

The BCC Advantage: For more than 30 years mailers have enjoyed exclusive access to unlimited live technical support; widespread industry leadership and advocacy in influential postal organizations; and a commitment to partnering with clients to ensure optimal product integration and customer satisfaction.

“This is a time of great change in the mailing industry,” says BCC President Chris Lien, “and at times like this we are particularly excited to attend events like MAILCOM and talk to the people who deal with these changes on a day-to-day basis. So many new opportunities are becoming available to printers and mailers, and we’re looking forward to discussing them with attendees.”

Source:http://whattheythink.com/news/49411-bcc-software-attend-mailcom-2011/

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Is carbon management software your new ERP challenge?

February 25th, 2011
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A couple of weeks ago, I referenced a Groom Energy report suggesting a boom for carbon and energy management software. Now, another U.S.-specific forecast suggests that oil and gas companies, telecommunications firms, and utilities will help lead the way in spending.

The data from Verdantix suggest that the overall market for carbon and energy management software will reach $558 million by 2014. That projection is specific to companies with more than $1 billion in revenue, which doesn’t capture all the activity among midsize or small businesses that might be managing this information for competitive means.

What’s interesting about these numbers from an IT perspective is that the people driving these purchases will primarily be energy and facilities managers, sustainability executives and managers, and those worried about environmental, health and safety concerns. Which suggests to me that many of these applications might be procured as a service, in order to get around IT processes that get in the way of rapid adoption. But, since these applications need to be integrated with traditional enterprise software in order to be truly useful, IT managers better bone up on what’s out there.

I’ll leave you with this observation to ponder, which comes from the Verdantix analyst that wrote this report, Peter Charville-Mort “Energy and carbon software is following the same customer adoption trajectory as prior enterprise software markets such as CRM and ERP.”

Source:http://www.zdnet.com/blog/green/is-carbon-management-software-your-new-erp-challenge/16494

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