News
IT Weekly Roundup, Jan. 6
From the business wires: a Group Policy security extension, a load testing tool for Web apps, USB flash drives with LCD displays, and Windows Media Player 11.
DesktopStandard Corp. announced the release of
PolicyMaker Application
Security (PMAS) 2.0, the latest version of the company’s Group Policy
software extension for implementing security based on the principle of “least
privilege” on Windows desktops. With this add-on to the Group Policy Management
Console (GPMC), administrators can adjust application privilege levels to the
lowest possible point to limit damages stemming from network attacks or user
error. The ability to control security at such a granular level also helps organizations
comply with regulatory mandates such as the Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA and Gramm-Leach-Bliley
acts. Pricing starts at $27 per seat for enterprises with less than 1,000 computers.
PMAS supports Windows 2000, XP and 2003 Server, Terminal Server, MetaFrame and
all versions of Outlook, Office and Internet Explorer.
http://www.desktopstandard.com
Magnum Technologies’ Advantage Software integrates with
Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM), helping to decipher the business impact
the IT events logged by MOM. Advantage provides a custom view into both Operational
Level Agreements (OLA) for an organization’s IT operations and Service
Level Agreements (SLA) for key business functions via Magnum’s Web portal.
http://www.magnum-tech.com
SoftLogica LLC announced the release of WAPT 4.0, a tool for
testing the load, stress and performance of Web sites, servers and applications.
WAPT is able to generate up to 2,000 simultaneously acting virtual users for
an "average" test scenario using standard hardware configuration (Pentium
4 2GHz, 512MB RAM, Gigabit Ethernet). The diagnostic tool stores test scenarios
in XML format, which can be modified by third-party software, and supports different
language encodings. WAPT is designed for Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP. http://www.loadtestingtool.com
 |
| See what files you're carrying with
the Royal EZVue Vista USB flash drive. |
Royal Consumer Information Products launched a lineup of USB 2.0 flash
drives that feature a built-in, scrolling two-line display for users to see
the names of stored files. The Royal EZVue Vista Drives are available
in memory sizes of 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB and come with the Allway Sync
Pro file and folder synchronization software. The flash drives are USB 1.1/2.0-compatible
and work on both Windows and Macintosh platforms. Priced from $49.99 to $149.99.
http://www.royal.com
Aten Technology released the CL-1200 Slideaway, a compact LCD
KVM console, which includes an integrated 15-inch or 17-inch high-resolution
LCD monitor, full keyboard, touchpad and 1U, rack-mountable housing. The unit
enables simultaneous server control from a second PS/2 console and is IP-upgradeable
with the addition of an Aten KVM remote access device. The CL-1200LA (15-inch
LCD) is priced at $1699.95 and the CL-1200MA (17-inch LCD) is $1999.95. http://www.aten-usa.com
 |
| WD Raptor X's 10,000 RPM and 4.6
ms seek time will appeal to those with need for speed. |
For voyeuristic technophiles who get turned on by observing their computers
operate at the machine level, Western Digital Corp. released a clear-top
hard drive, the WD Raptor X at this year’s Consumer Electronics
Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The serial ATA (SATA) hard drive boasts 10,000 RPM,
150GB, 16MB cache, 4.6 ms average seek time as well as Native Command Queuing
(NCQ) and Rotary Accelerometer Feed Forward (RAFF) technologies. However, as
the hard drive is internal, customers will need a clear computer case to take
advantage of the Raptor X’s unhindered view. Priced at $349.99. http://www.wdraptorx.com
Microsoft announced the 11th version of its Windows Media Player at
CES. Windows Media Player 11 sports a new, streamlined design, enhanced
media navigation and management controls, and better device support. Key to
the new version is a wordwheel search engine for finding music in the user’s
catalog. Windows Media Player 11 will be available in the upcoming Windows Vista,
and for Windows XP in the first half of 2006. http://www.microsoft.com