Technology

Cleantech market watcher Pike Research has released an analysis of which companies matter in cybersecurity technologies for the smart grid.

A handful of the names from the information technology security world won’t surprise you and they already have a big name in the enterprise, such as Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, McAfee, RSA and Symantec. Sophos and Sourcefire probably also could be put into this category, too. But I need to brush up on the other seven listed companies. I’m listing them in alphabetical order:

One afternoon this month, a hacker took a tour of a dozen conference rooms around the globe via equipment that most every company has in those rooms; videoconferencing equipment.

If the future is heading toward "cloud computing," where most of your data lives on someone else's server, can you trust the cloud to keep a secret? Researchers say they've found a way to guarantee that your information will be secure in the cloud, using quantum entanglement.

Amazon helped start the “NoSQL” movement. And now it’s giving the cause another shot in the arm.

NoSQL is a widespread effort to build a new kind of database for “unstructured” information — the sort of information that comes spilling off the internet with each passing second. Five years ago, Amazon introduced a NoSQL database service called SimpleDB, and now, it’s offering what you might think of as Amazon NoSQL Mark II. It’s called DynamoDB.

Although predictions for the coming year are a staple of the season, I will do more than offer an educated guess. I am going on the record with a guarantee: in 2012 we will see an increase in network intrusions from disparate parties trying to create IT infrastructure chaos for a variety of reasons primarily political, financial and economic.

As a business traveler, you typically can't do your job without functional smartphones, laptops, power adapters and charging accessories. Add to this the stress of getting materials ready for meetings and deadlines and you can find yourself disconnected, offline, and frustrated. If you have to travel for work this holiday season, you can relate to these following issues with tech and travel.

1. Potential loss of your laptop or mobile device

2. Not having the right bag for the checkpoint

As so many look back at where we’ve been in 2011, IBM is looking forward at where we’ll likely be in the not-so-distant future.

Today, the company releases the sixth annual “IBM 5 in 5” list of the five innovations “that have the potential to change the way people work, live, and interact during the next five years.”

ReD announced an upgrade to its IP Geolocation detection technology which enables ReD to track fraud threats using IP identification and geolocation information.

This is an important development for retailers because the use of IP geolocation technology as part of a risk strategy means that the genuine origin location of an online order can be quickly and accurately checked. Merchants are then able to decline suspicious transactions.

Voice recognition is no longer in infancy, especially since Siri just launched on the iPhone (although it’s been on Android for years).  This project shows you how to use it to automate your home without spending big bucks.

Police departments around the country are moving to shield their radio communications from the public as cheap, user-friendly technology has made it easy for anyone to use handheld devices to keep tabs on officers responding to crimes.