Brocade caters to cloud customers

Brocade has unveiled an infrastructure procurement model designed for cloud computing, along with additions to its new VDX data centerswitch line.

At the VMworld 2011 conference, Brocade rolled out a subscription-based acquisition option that allows customers to acquire network capacity on demand as required by fluctuating business demands. Brocade Network Subscription is optimized to address cloud-based IT environments, Brocade says.

Brocade Network Subscription is designed to allow customers to scale capacity up and down according to actual network utilization with no capital outlay. Customers pay for their network infrastructure on a monthly basis, and can return equipment to Brocade when capacity demands are not as high.

Network Subscription is not a managed infrastructure-as-a-service offering; essentially, it's an option for customers who need more flexible procurement, lease or rental alternatives to control network capital expenses or who have tight budget constraints.

"It's more like financing or leasing equipment but you can terminate capacity if you don't need it," says Joe Pucciarelli, program director of technology financial and executive strategies at IDC. "It's an open ended rental option."

It maps to cloud IT infrastructures where capacity peaks and valleys are more volatile and load requirement is much less predictable, Pucciarelli says. Customers can subscribe for additional capacity to meet peaks and then step down capacity as those peaks diminish.

Citing IDC data, Brocade says public and private clouds will become a $1.4 billion market this year.

Pucciarelli says other major IT vendors and Brocade competitors, like Cisco, IBM and HP, offer similar procurement options but they may come with strings attached, like unattractive fees if network capacity needs to be reduced or equipment returned. 

Brocade Network Subscription is available now for Brocade's IP/Ethernet networking products, including the new VDX line of switches. Service provider Rackspace Hosting, with more than 140,000 customers worldwide, is already using Network Subscription, Brocade says.

Samsung Unveils 5.3-Inch Phone, Tablet Crossover

Samsung didn't get the memo when Dell axed its 5-inch phone, because it has introduced its own 5.3-inch smartphone-tablet crossover called the Galaxy Note. The slender Android 2.3 device blurs the line between phones and tablets and comes with a bundled stylus for those who don't want to use their fingers.

The Samsung Galaxy Note sports some impressive features: It runs on an unspecified dual-core 1.4GHz processor; has 1GB of RAM; carries an 8-megapixel HD camera on the back and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera; and comes with either 16GB or 32GB of storage.

The most astounding aspect of the Note is its screen. It's a 5.3-inch Super Amoled display with a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels (that's 285 dots per inch--the iPhone 4 has 326 dpi). Despite the size of the display, Samsung managed to keep the Galaxy Note very svelte, stuffing all of the components into a 9.65mm-thin, 0.39-pound-heavy case.

If gadget history is anything to go by, the Note will be another device with a 5-inch screen trying to be a phone and a tablet that won't catch on. Dell tried it with the Streak 5 and failed amid criticism that the device was too big for a phone, yet too small for a tablet. Android phone manufacturers are adding big screens to their phones, too, but usually up to 4.5 inches--still considerably smaller than the Note's 5.3-inch screen.

Like the HTC Flyer tablet, the Galaxy Note comes with a stylus, which Samsung dubs the S Pen. The stylus works with a bunch of built-in apps, including calendar, to-do, and note taking. Third-party developers will be able to add S Pen functionality to their apps.

Pricing will be an important factor in the Note's success. Will it be priced as a smartphone, or as a tablet? The Streak 5 was handicapped by its price, which was $100 more (with a two-year contract) than most smartphones ($199), and some $50 more (unlocked) than the cheapest iPad. Samsung hasn't said when or for how much the Galaxy Note will retail, but it has announced that it's working on two versions of the phone--one with HSPA+ and one with 4G LTE.

Creative Announces New PC and Mac Gaming Headsets

At IFA 2011 in Berlin, Creative has pulled the curtains back on four new Sound Blaster gaming headsets, offering a variety of features for multiple platforms. 

Sound Blaster Tactic360 Sigma

Designed for the Xbox 360, the Sound Blaster Tactic360 Sigma comes with an inline stereo amplifier with independent controls for in-game and chat volume, 50mm FullSpectrum speakers, and a detachable noise-cancelling microphone. The USB headset is also compatible with PC and Mac computers.

The Sound Blaster Tactic360 Ion headset is the compact version of the Tactic360 Sigma, featuring the same independent volume controls but sporting 40mm drivers in exchange for a lightweight and durable design. 

Sound Blaster Tactic3D Wrath

Built for the PC and Mac, the Sound Blaster Tactic3D Wrath wireless gaming headset is equipped with 50mm drivers, illuminated ear cups, a steel-core headband, rechargeable lithium battery and detachable microphone. Included software allows sound control customization through the THX TruStudio Pro audio suite.

Lastly, the Sound Blaster Tactic3D Omega wireless gaming headset utilizes FullSpectrum 50mm drivers, THX TruStudio Pro software and a noise-cancelling detachable microphone for use on any platform. The Tactic3D Omega connects wirelessly through USB or Aux-In.

Creative will reveal more information regarding pricing and availability in the coming weeks. 

Lenovo heats up price war with $199 IdeaPad tablet

Lenovo announced a new $199 IdeaPad tablet with a 7-inch screen and Google's Android OS in response to the surge in demand for inexpensive tablets, the company said Thursday.

The IdeaPad A1 tablet weighs around 400 grams (0.88 pounds) and is under 0.5 inches (1.27 centimeters) thick, and will become available in specific starting around the end of September, said Nick Reynolds, executive director of global marketing at Lenovo. The tablet provides seven hours of battery life.

The tablet will be among the cheapest 7-inch Android tablets available from a top device maker. Many competitive products cost more than $250. Acer last month started shipping its 7-inch Iconia Tab A100 tablet for $329, and Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy Tab screen sells for $279 through Amazon.com andFry's Electronics.

Lenovo's new tablet comes as prices for Android tablets drop in an effort to challenge the market dominance of Apple's iPad 2, whose rock-steady $499 starting price has not changed since its launch earlier this year. One of the first Android tablets, Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy Tab, went on sale late last year through Verizon starting at $600 without a contract, and was considered overpriced. But Android tablet prices have fallen. Unbranded tablets sell for as little as $100. Consumers last month scrambled to buy Hewlett-Packard's TouchPad tablet, which was priced starting at $99 in a fire sale after the company announced it would stop selling webOS devices. Buyers' frenzy over the TouchPads was such that HP on Tuesday said it would make a final round of the devices and have them ready for sale in coming weeks.

Android tablet prices are falling because the supplier base is large while the demand is little, said David Daoud, research director at IDC. But at $199, Lenovo may be willing to forgo profits in lieu of building consumer awareness around its tablets, Daoud said. That is a challenge other Android tablet makers have failed at with Apple holding a firm grip on the market.

But Lenovo needs more help beyond a low price to succeed in the tablet market, Daoud said. Apple's iPad success comes from a cohesive set of hardware, software and services, and Lenovo has to provide reasons beyond just hardware for people to buy its tablets, Daoud said. Lenovo earlier this year launched three tablets, including the ThinkPad Tablet, for consumers and enterprises.

Google’s Blogger gets new look and new features

Blogger may only have a mere 2.9 percent share of the content management system market but it’s still looking after its users, by the looks of it.

On Wednesday it announced details of a major overhaul to the Blogger interface, the first big refresh for quite a while. The news came by way of a post on its Blogger Buzz blog, with product manager Chang Kim discussing the new look.

“It’s been a few years since we made major updates to Blogger’s look and feel, and there’s a lot more to these changes than just shiny new graphics,” Kim wrote in the post.

He continued, “We’ve rewritten the entire editing and management experience from scratch so it’s faster and more efficient for you — and easier for us to update and improve over time.”

Among the changes detailed, the post editor has been expanded and simplified, says Kim. This will give users of Google’s Blogger a bigger canvas for drafting and previewing work.

A new Overview section has been added, enabling users to “quickly get a pulse for how people are reacting to your blog with a graph of your most recent traffic numbers, comment activity and follower counts.”

The new interface is being rolled out gradually to Blogger users, though it won’t suddenly appear next time you log in – users will be asked whether or not they wish to enable the new UI. “Over the next few days, keep an eye out for a pop-up announcement on your dashboard with instructions on how to get started,” Kim said in the post.

According to Kim, Wednesday’s updates are the first in a series of big changes to be rolled out over the next few months.

Toshiba unveils the Portege Z830, its first Ultrabook

The MacBook Air is about to get a lot of competition. Just the other day, Asus announced half a dozen of its own super-thin “Ultrabook” laptops, based on specifications set by Intel. Now Toshiba wants in. Today, the company unveiled the 13-inch Portege Z830, its thinnest and lightest laptop yet. Weighing in at a scant 2.5 pounds and measuring just 0.63 inches thick (closed), the Z830 is 20 percent thinner and 40 percent lighter than Toshiba’s R830 series, which debuted back in April. 

As with all Ultrabooks, this machine has flash internal storage instead of a hard drive (that means it’s fast), runs Windows 7, and is based on Intel’s second-generation Core processors (i3, i5, and i7). Toshiba has also included its own sleep/hibernate charging mode, which lets you charge a phone or other USB device while the computer is in stasis. 

We spoke with Kelcey Kinjo, product manager at Toshiba, who told us about a number of enhancements that Toshiba included to try and blur the line between business and consumer laptops. Unlike most consumer laptops, this will have a backlit keyboard that is also spill resistant and also includes some different drop protection technologies. The new Portege will include air pockets in the design, has a more rigid honeycomb-like frame out of magnesium alloy, and achieves better airflow by pulling key components together. Also, to maximize battery life, the Intel battery in the Z830 is not removable. Disappointing, yes, but the design decision allowed Toshiba to include an 8-cell battery, 20 percent larger than what it could have included with a removable design. Users should expect about 8 hours of life, which is great for a Windows laptop.

The 128GB Portege Z830 will be available this November. We weren’t able to nail down a price, but it will be “less than $1000,” said Kinjo. 

IBM to buy risk analysis company Algorithmics

IBM plans to acquire risk analytics company Algorithmics for $387 million, a deal that will bolster its risk management offerings in light of increasing regulation in the financial markets, IBM said Thursday.

Algorithmics, founded in 1989, is owned by the Paris-based holding company Fimalac and is a member of the Fitch Group. It provides analytics software and advisory services to 25 of the top 30 banks, including HSBC, Societe Generale and Nedbank, as well as insurance and investment companies, according to a news release. It has more than 350 clients.

The company's software is used to analyze credit and capital risks as well as risk in markets. IBM said there is demand for risk analysis following regulations imposed after the global financial crisis.

IBM said once the acquisition clears regulatory approval and closes, 900 employees from Algorithmics will become part of its Software Group. Risk advisers from Algorithmics will work with IBM's Business Analytics and Optimization practice, a team of 8,000 consultants. Algorithmics' operations are located in Toronto.

IBM said it has spent more than $14 billion in acquisitions for that practice, which has a network of analytics centers.

The acquisition is the second one announced by IBM in the last two days. On Wednesday, IBM said it was in the process of buying i2, a maker of security analytics software used by the military and law enforcement. Terms of that deal were not announced.

Bitdefender beefs up security protection for VMware virtualised systems

Bitdefender has unveiled a security tool that integrates with VMware's vShield Endpoint to protect VMware virtualised systems.

Bitdefender Security for Virtualised Environments functions as a virtual appliance dedicated to monitoring other systems on a VMware deployment.

First unveiled in 2010, VMware vShield Endpoint allows for a single virtual appliance to provide monitoring and anti-malware functions for all virtual machines, eliminating the need for each instance to have its own locally installed security software.

Eliminating locally installed security means that administrators can solve performance bottlenecks which can arise when multiple virtual machines simultaneously attempt to perform automated scans and updates.

The software can also help mitigate the security risks that can arise if a virtual machine is powered off during its scheduled scan or update.

"As organisations increase consolidation ratios, security products designed specifically to address the challenges encountered in virtual environments are playing a critical role," said Bitdefender chief technology officer Bogdan Dumitru.

"The architecture of Security for Virtualised Environments allows organisations to maximise the return on investment in their datacentre."

Collaborating with third parties has been a key theme for VMware at its 2011 VMworld conference. Vendors such as Citrix, Riverbed Technologyand HP have unveiled products to better integrate their respective platforms with VMware.

Trend Micro updates Deep Security for server protection

Trend Micro has unveiled Deep Security 8, promising new protection and management options for systems ranging from on-premise servers to virtualised machines and cloud computing platforms.

The update is designed to provide a complete security package that bundles anti-malware protection with server-specific tools such as integrity monitoring to create a platform designed specifically for server systems.

Harish Agastya, Trend Micro director of product marketing, told V3 that servers need specialised protection.

"The way threats spread for servers is different from those for end users. The operating systems are different and the driving trends are different," he said.

Deep Security 8 provides anti-malware capabilities for physical servers on Trend Micro's on-premise server platform for the first time.

For virtualised servers, the company is looking to build on an announcement made at last year's VMworld conference by adding a component to its virtual anti-malware appliance to check for server integrity.

Agastya explained that, in addition to scanning for malware on multiple virtual machines with a single appliance, Deep Security 8 can check the integrity of virtual machines and detect critical files which may have been altered.

"All of these technologies are now available in agent-less form with one virtual appliance. As a result you are able to improve the level of security you offer a virtual machine without any of the performance costs," he said.

Trend Micro has also tied Deep Security 8 into its SecureCloud2 data encryption service. The update allows Deep Security systems to notify SecureCloud when a policy has been violated so that administrators can lock or revoke encyption keys to prevent unauthorised activity.

The company plans to ship the update in the US and UK later this year at a cost of $1,000 per server.

Samsung reveals Android-based notepad, updates tablet

Samsung is expanding its Galaxy family of Android-based devices with the Note, which allows users write directly on the device's screen with a digital pen. The company also introduced the Galaxy Tab 7.7, which comes with a Super AMOLED Plus display, at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin on Thursday.

The South Korean company has made a habit of making big product announcements at the largest trade shows, and this year was no different.

The Galaxy Note has a 5.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, and can be used a smartphone or a "smart notepad," according to Samsung. The company said it did a survey that showed consumers want to write directly on the screen.

With the digital S pen, users can also underline text in documents or electronic books. Samsung sees users editing image and videos, making quick notes and updating their calendars with the pen and not the keyboard. Broadening the appeal of the pen, Samsung plans to release an SDK (Software Development Kit) allowing developers to create new applications and services incorporating the pen functionality.

The product will be available with LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and HSPA+ (High-Speed Packet Access) for fast network access. Support for NFC (Near Field Communications) is available as an option.

The company isn't the first to equip an Android-based device with this feature. HTC's Flyer also comes with a digital pen.

At last year's IFA, Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab, which will now be replaced with the Galaxy Tab 7.7. The new version is the first tablet to come with Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus display technology. And just like the name signals, it measures 7.7-inches.

The tablet's thickness is 7.89 millimeters and it weighs 335 grams, compared to 12 millimeters and 385 grams for its predecessor. The 5,100 mAh battery provides up to 10 hours of video playback time, according to Samsung. Also, the tablet can still be used as a phone, it said.

The Note and the Galaxy Tab 7.7 are both powered by a dual-core 1.4GHz processor. The Note uses Android 2.3, while the new tablet uses Android 3.2.

The Galaxy Note will start shipping in November, and cost about 5,200 Swedish kronor (US$820) without taxes and subsidies, according to Samsung in Sweden. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 will start shipping around the end of the year and cost approximately 4,800 Swedish kronor without taxes and subsidies.

At IFA, Samsung is also showing three new smartphones based on its own operating system Bada and well as new LTE-versions of the Galaxy S II and the Galaxy Tab 8.9.

LG launches 13 Netbooks in India

Consumer durables major LG Electronics made a re-entry into the laptop segment by launching 13 netbooks in India at a price ranging from Rs 26,000 to Rs 66,780. 

The new range of stylish notebooks are priced from Rs 26,000 to Rs 66,780 and are available at leading retail outlets, LG Electronics said at a launch event here. 

"The notebook business is a key part of our portfolio globally... Going forward, the notebook business will be one of the growth engines for LG India. We expect this category to contribute 12 to 14 per cent in the IT business by 2010," LG Electronics India President South West Asia Region & MD Soon Kwon said. 

The company also introduced a 3D laptop, the LG A530. "The new range of notebooks boast higher battery life, light weight, scratch resistance and an impeccable external finish," LG India Product Group Marketing Head Sanjoy Bhattacharya said. 

The company had exited the laptop segment around two-and-a-half years ago. The decision to make a re-entry was prompted by the fact that the market is more mature now, Bhattacharya added. 

LG Electronics plans to launch the tablet in the Indian market by the second quarter of 2012, the company said. LG Electronics' IT division is eyeing a 15 per cent growth in revenue terms and has targeted a 1,000 crore revenue by 2012.

Sony unveils wearable "virtual cinema"

Sony has gone back to the future with the release of a wearable headset display for watching 2D and 3D content, which looks like a throwback to the early days of virtual reality.

According to the company, the £480 “Personal 3D Viewer” is based on OLED technology and features separate feeds for each eye that should produce a smoother 3D effect.

The real advantage, claims Sony, is the high-resolution display, which gives the user a similar experience to sitting in front of a 750in screen.

“Slip the device onto your head to experience the movie theatre-like virtual screen expand before your eyes,” the company said at the launch in Japan.

The headset is equipped with dual 0.7in high definition OLED panels at a resolution of 1,280 x 720, and Sony claims the pairing reduces the disorientating "cross talk" that can spoil 3D. Surround sounds has also been built into the headset.

“Combined with the high-resolution 3D picture quality, viewers will be able to fully enjoy powerful acoustics equivalent to a maximum of 5.1 through the left and right headphones alone,” the company said.

The company said the headset would be available in Japan from 11 November, but could be sold in Europe in time for Christmas.

Mozilla reveals updates for Firefox on Android Honeycomb tablets

Mozilla has unveiled some forthcoming changes to Firefox designed to make the browser's user interface run better on Android tablets.

Ian Barlow, a designer on the Mozilla Mobile Team, outlined three key updates in a blog post involving theming, the 'Awesomebar' and tabs.

He explained that the team had designed the updates to match Android Honeycomb's "minimalist design language", but with the inclusion of important Firefox elements such as the large back button and "distinctive tab shape".

Second up is the Awesomebar, which has been providing an easy-to-view way of accessing bookmarks, history and synchronised desktop activity since Firefox 3.

Barlow revealed that the tabs have been moved to the left, making them easier to reach and increasing the number that can be displayed above the keyboard.

Finally, Barlow explained that the larger screen size for tablets has given the design team more room to bring in additional elements such as tabs.

"In landscape mode, tabs exist in a persistent left bar, allowing for quicker browsing. You can switch through tabs with your left thumb, and scroll through web content with your right," he said.

"In portrait mode, this tab bar gets rolled up into a menu item at the top of the screen to free up browsing space below. So, whether you like keeping lots of tabs open and quickly switching back and forth between them, or if you prefer to just open a page and see nothing else on the screen, Firefox has you covered."

Motorola has added a second business-focused smartphone to its Android line-up in the shape of the Pro+, a BlackBerry-like model sporting a Qwerty keypad.

Based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the Pro+ is styled by Motorola as "your own personal assistant", ideal for messaging and editing important documents on the go, and with encryption capabilities for sensitive corporate information.

However, no guide price or UK availability date have been given for the Pro+, which is coming to "selected European markets" from October, a Motorola spokesperson told V3.

The existing Motorola Pro is also not officially available in the UK yet, despite being launched at Mobile World Congress at the start of this year.

Business features of the Pro+ include Quickoffice Connect for creating and editing documents, direct dial conferencing options, and compatibility with Exchange and Gmail for business email systems, with 25 Exchange ActiveSync security policies supported.

The 113g handset is based on a 1GHz processor with 512MB memory and 4GB internal storage expandable to 32GB. It has a 3.1in 640x480 touch-screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass in addition to a Qwerty keypad.

Like most high-end handsets, the Pro+ supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, and is an HSPA device supporting download speeds up to 14.4Mbit/s on compatible networks.

Google adds offline access to Gmail in Chrome

Chrome browser users will be able to access Gmail when they're not connected to the Internet starting Wednesday and will gain similar offline capabilities for Docs and Calendar in the coming week, the company announced on Wednesday.

Users will need to install individual offline-access applications from the Chrome Web Store to add these capabilities to their browser. The Gmail application is called Gmail Offline and is based on the Gmail application for tablets, which works both with and without Internet access. Docs and Calendar will each have its own offline-access application on the Chrome Web Store.

The offline capabilities will become available both for individuals who use Gmail, Docs and Calendar, as well as for organizations who use them as part of the Google Apps collaboration and communication suite in workplaces and educational institutions.

Once installed, these offline applications will create an icon in the Chrome browser interface for launching them when users aren't online. The Gmail application will have its own user interface separate from the Gmail web interface, while the Docs and Calendar applications will trigger their Web application's interface and work in the background.

In all three cases, users will get access to a subset of the Web applications' features. For example, in Docs it will be possible to view documents and spreadsheets, but not yet edit those documents. In Calendar, users will be able to view events and RSVP to appointments.

Previously, Google provided offline access to these applications via its Gears browser plug-in, but the company stopped developing it last year. It has been possible to use Gmail and Calendar offline through Gears in Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 3.6, but not Docs.

Google's focus is on HTML5 for providing offline access for its Web applications. The company plans to provide offline support to more of its applications beyond Gmail, Docs and Calendar, as well as make offline capabilities available in other browsers.

"While Google tells us that the number of commercial Gmail users impacted by the removal of offline capabilities for Chrome was very small, we certainly know of large Gmail customers that were dismayed by the move," said Gartner analyst Matt Cain via e-mail.

"Restoration of offline capabilities for Chrome will certainly be welcomed by businesses relying on Gmail. Restoration of offline capabilities for all browsers would be even more welcome," he added.

Apache patches Web server DoS vulnerability

he Apache open-source project patched its Web server software Tuesday to quash a bug that a denial-of-service (DoS) tool has been exploiting.

Apache 2.2.20, released Tuesday, plugs the hole used by "Apache Killer," an attack tool that hackers have been using for more than a week to cripple Web servers.

On Aug. 24, project developers had promised a fix within 48 hours, then revised the timetable two days later to 24 hours. The security advisory did not explain the delay.

Earlier, the project had offered Web server administrators ways to protect their systems until a patch was available.

Although the DoS vulnerability also exists in the older Apache 1.3, the project no longer supports that edition.

According to an update to the original advisory that Apache published last week, the fix reduces the amount of memory used by HTTP requests, and "weeds out or simplifies requests deemed too unwieldy."

Although the update patched the bug that Apache Killer exploited, Apache acknowledged that part of the problem lies in the HTTP protocol itself. As it noted the problem's history -- Michal Zalewski, a Google security engineer, first mentioned it in 2007 -- Apache said it was "an issue for (probably all) webservers and currently subject of an IETF discussion to change the protocol." The International Engineering Task Force (IETF) is one of several Internet standard-setting groups.

"The Apache team should be applauded for testing and releasing an important security fix so quickly," said Chet Wisniewski, a security researcher with U.K.-based Sophos, in a blog post early today.

Others, however, have pointed out that because Apple bundles Apache with Mac OS X and maintains the software via its operating system updates, users running a Mac-based server will have to wait for Apple to deliver a fix.