What is wrong with American engineering and how to fix it

What happened to American engineering over the last 20 years?  It used to be such a great profession.  It used to be a secure profession where an engineer could spend his or her entire career at one company.  They were valued as the brain trust of the company where all the inside knowledge resides. 

What is wrong with American engineering and how to fix it

What happened to American engineering over the last 20 years?  It used to be such a great profession.  It used to be a secure profession where an engineer could spend his or her entire career at one company.  They were valued as the brain trust of the company where all the inside knowledge resides. 

What is wrong with American engineering and how to fix it

What happened to American engineering over the last 20 years?  It used to be such a great profession.  It used to be a secure profession where an engineer could spend his or her entire career at one company.  They were valued as the brain trust of the company where all the inside knowledge resides. 

Shark Tank: Faster, redefined

This IT pilot fish gets a vehicle registration renewal form in the mail. Skimming the paperwork, he sees that he can renew by mail the way he always has. But fortunately, there's a faster way -- now he can do it online. "The DMV Web site home page has a link for renewals, so I click on it," fish reports. "Only it says the server is down from 6 p.m. on Sunday to 8 a.m. on Monday. It's only 9:30 a.m. on Monday, so I think I'll just try back later."

Shark Tank: Faster, redefined

This IT pilot fish gets a vehicle registration renewal form in the mail. Skimming the paperwork, he sees that he can renew by mail the way he always has. But fortunately, there's a faster way -- now he can do it online. "The DMV Web site home page has a link for renewals, so I click on it," fish reports. "Only it says the server is down from 6 p.m. on Sunday to 8 a.m. on Monday. It's only 9:30 a.m. on Monday, so I think I'll just try back later."

Shark Tank: Faster, redefined

This IT pilot fish gets a vehicle registration renewal form in the mail. Skimming the paperwork, he sees that he can renew by mail the way he always has. But fortunately, there's a faster way -- now he can do it online. "The DMV Web site home page has a link for renewals, so I click on it," fish reports. "Only it says the server is down from 6 p.m. on Sunday to 8 a.m. on Monday. It's only 9:30 a.m. on Monday, so I think I'll just try back later."

Microsoft extends Dynamics support, promises roadmaps

Microsoft announced a major support upgrade, clearer road maps for its Dynamics range of business applications and new financing.

Oracle ships Windows version of 11g database

Oracle releases the Windows version of its flagship 11g database.

Oracle buys operations planning vendor Interlace

Oracle agreed to buy Interlace Systems Inc., which makes operations planning software, for an undisclosed price.

Microsoft and open-source backers: BFF (best 'frenemies' forever)?

Microsoft and the open-source community continue to have a wary, friend-or-foe relationship, marked both by the company's efforts to ingratiate itself with open-source advocates and by its continued patent infringement claims.

Rejected by BEA, Oracle sets bid deadline

Oracle has set a deadline for Sunday on its bid to buy BEA, which has officially rejected its $6.7 billion offer.

Switch maker introduces a 'Data Center Fabric' architecture

At its annual end-user conference in Las Vegas, Brocade announced its Data Center Fabric product roadmap, a plan to rollout multiprotocol switches and management software that will help more closely connect applications, clustered and virtualized servers to storage.

BEA to Oracle: We're not opposed to a reasonable offer

BEA has told Oracle that it would, in fact, entertain an acquisition offer -- just not the one Oracle has proposed.

BEA to Oracle: We're not opposed to a reasonable offer

BEA has told Oracle that it would, in fact, entertain an acquisition offer -- just not the one Oracle has proposed.

Switch maker introduces a 'Data Center Fabric' architecture

At its annual end-user conference in Las Vegas, Brocade announced its Data Center Fabric product road map, a plan to rollout multiprotocol switches and management software that will help more closely connect applications and clustered and virtualized servers to storage.

Update: Rejected by BEA, Oracle sets bid deadline

Oracle has set a deadline for Sunday on its bid to buy BEA, which has officially rejected its $6.7 billion offer.

Frankly Speaking: 12 tools I want

Here's what we know: Consumer-level gadgets and add-ons will continue to play an ever bigger role in how our users do their jobs. We know this, too: With only a few exceptions, gadget makers couldn't innovate to save their skins. They happily clone whatever happens to be selling at the moment. So if we want those gizmos to meet real needs for either IT or our users, we'll have to start coming up with ideas ourselves. That's not as easy as it sounds. We're in the same kind of rut as those copycat gadget makers. Our mind-set is formed by decades of IT experience. We know what we've always done, and we figure the future will look a lot like the past - just smaller, faster and shinier.

Frankly Speaking: 12 tools I want

Here's what we know: Consumer-level gadgets and add-ons will continue to play an ever bigger role in how our users do their jobs. We know this, too: With only a few exceptions, gadget makers couldn't innovate to save their skins. They happily clone whatever happens to be selling at the moment. So if we want those gizmos to meet real needs for either IT or our users, we'll have to start coming up with ideas ourselves. That's not as easy as it sounds. We're in the same kind of rut as those copycat gadget makers. Our mind-set is formed by decades of IT experience. We know what we've always done, and we figure the future will look a lot like the past - just smaller, faster and shinier.

Frankly Speaking: 12 tools I want

Here's what we know: Consumer-level gadgets and add-ons will continue to play an ever bigger role in how our users do their jobs. We know this, too: With only a few exceptions, gadget makers couldn't innovate to save their skins. They happily clone whatever happens to be selling at the moment. So if we want those gizmos to meet real needs for either IT or our users, we'll have to start coming up with ideas ourselves. That's not as easy as it sounds. We're in the same kind of rut as those copycat gadget makers. Our mind-set is formed by decades of IT experience. We know what we've always done, and we figure the future will look a lot like the past - just smaller, faster and shinier.

12 Tools I Want

Frank Hayes wants 12 as-yet-unavailable IT tools so he can work better. Where are they?