Stories by Juha Saarinen

NZ narrow bands hamper WiMAX future

WiMAX, the fixed-wireless data technology of choice, may not be able to deliver the promised high speeds in New Zealand as the frequency bands in the licensed spectrum it operates in are too narrrow.

Telecom NZ scores CBA contract renewal

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has renewed its existing agreement with Telecom New Zealand Ltd.'s Australian operation to provide voice and contact center services.

InternetNZ criticizes Telecom NZ web block

Telecom New Zealand blocked access on its network to a U.S.-based website that contained material posted by the 027 voice mail hacker this month -- a move that InternetNZ calls "draconian".

Corporate PABXs remain a hacker's playground

Many of New Zealand's corporate switchboards still remain open to hackers, who can easily divert calls and listen to messages in people's mailboxes.

Telecom NZ keeping a wary eye on Skype

Telecom New Zealand says it sees peer-to-peer telephony Skype as a "competitive threat" and is monitoring and investigating it at all levels.

Lycos antispam screensaver site hacked

The Lycos website that offers visitors a downloadable screensaver to use as a get-even tool against spammers was hacked on Wednesday.

Top supercomputer for NZ uni

Massey University took delivery last week of its new Double Helix cluster computer and says it packs anywhere between five to ten times the computational power of the university's existing supercomputer, the 64-node Helix 1.

Windows dressing

The Windows graphical user interface (GUI) isn't quite as customisable as the open source desktops are. Microsoft makes Windows dressing less than straightforward by using a plethora of binary files, Registry entries and INI configuration files to determine the look and functionality of the XP GUI. But don't let that stop you: there are many ways to swap out that drab Redmond-designed interface for something more to your liking.

Microsoft: We have lost a lot of trust

Microsoft's new focus on security is paying off, but the company still has a long way to regain its customers' trust, according to the company's security program manager, Jesper Johansson.

'We have lost a lot of trust' – Microsoft

Redmond’s new focus on security is paying off, but the company still has a long way to regain its customers' trust, says Microsoft security programme manager Jesper Johansson.

Microsoft alpha-testing antivirus product

Microsoft is currently alpha-testing its upcoming antivirus product, according to industry sources Computerworld has spoken to.

IBM to honour support for Red Hat installations

Users of Red Hat's Linux distribution can take some solace in Big Blue promising to keep existing support contracts going.

Red Hat clamps down on trademark use

New Zealand vendors of Linux distributions have received requests from Red Hat to remove from their websites all trademarks, including names and meta tags, referring to the US company.

OSS vents spleen at SCO

New Zealand open source advocates have attacked legal action in the US which has thrown the Linux market into confusion.

Microsoft beta's Office - all 13 disks of it

Once there was the word processor, the spreadsheet and the desktop database. In 2003 there is the Office productivity suite, or in Microsoft's case, the Office System.