Videos

When it’s time to spend a big chunk of your IT budget on a new purchase, you need to systematically map out the requirements of your project or upgrade so that you make the best vendor selection.

In Episode #4 of Sanity Savers for IT Executives, TechRepublic’s Jason Hiner outlines a simple process to help you do your due diligence and improve IT vendor selection.

Once you’ve watched the video, you can read the original article that it was based on and get links to some of TechRepublic’s vendor selection checklists in the companion blog post.

Making the move from a technical job to managing an IT department requires a variety of new skills. This episode of Sanity Savers for IT executives provides five tips for IT executives to help their techies make the transition to becoming managers.

Once you’ve watched the video, you can read the original TechRepublic article, download a PDF version of the article, and read what your peers have to say about this topic in the companion blog post.

Unless you’re working in a geographic region with a high rate of counterfeit software, it’s unlikely the Windows XP machines you support will have invalid licenses. However even in the best-run IT shops, unauthorized software can find its way onto the desktop. An end-user may have installed a pirated copy of XP but now wants to go legal. An organization may have installed 100 pirated copies of XP but now has a legitimate volume-licensing key.

When you come across an invalid product key problem, changing Windows XP’s product key is often the most practical solution. In this IT Dojo video, Bill Detwiler, TechRepublic’s Head Technology Editor, demonstrates a quick and easy registry hack that replaces an invalid Windows XP key with a legitimate one.

Once you’ve watched this IT Dojo video, you can read the original TechRepublic article, print the tip, find out where to get a WMI script that automates the process, and learn more ways to resolve Windows product key problems in our IT Dojo Blog.

Hollywood would have IT pros believe that the biggest threat to network security comes from international super hackers or high school kids trying to download games like global thermonuclear war. In reality, we face a more mundane threat–our end users, particularly those wielding USB storage devices.

These pocket-sized devices can store a large amount of data. But even if your users aren’t planning to cart off sensitive company files, USB storage devices (external hard drives, camera, memory stick, MP3 players, etc.) can be a headache in other ways. Employees may use your networks to download music to their USB-based MP3 players. New USB flash drives, such as SanDisk’s U3 smart drives, can even run software directly from the device–a perfect tool for the end-user who wants to run unauthorized software on your network.

If your concerned about USB storage devices on your network and don’t feel a written policy alone will protect your data, disabling the devices is your next step.

In this IT Dojo video, Bill Detwiler, TechRepublic’s Head Technology Editor, shows you how to disable USB storage devices on both Apple OS X and Windows. The United States National Security Agency (NSA) described the process in a March 2008 document from the agency’s Information Assurance Directorate.

Once you’ve watched this IT Dojo video, you can read the original TechRepublic article, download PDF version of this tip, and learn more about mitigating the risks poses by USB storage devices from our IT Dojo blog.

For many IT professionals, the ultimate job in technology is Chief Information Officer (CIO), but do you really know what a CIO does? This episode of Sanity Savers for IT Executives looks at what the CIO job involves and provides five warning signs that you may not be cut out to be a CIO.

Once you’ve watched the video, you can read the original TechRepublic article, download a PDF version of the article, and read what your peers have to say about this topic in the companion blog post.

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project’s XO Laptop may cost a bit more than the originally planned price of $100, but it still offers a very, kid-friendly computing experience. TechRepublic’s Jason Hiner saw the XO Laptop in action at CES 2008.

Imagine driving a car that can drive itself. That day is not too far off, according to GM engineers. GM CEO Rick Wagoner discussed the idea of vehicle-to-vehicle communications and displayed a futuristic concept Cadillac with solar paneling in the roof during his CES keynote speech. News.com’s Kara Tsuboi has the story.

The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet lets you browse the Web, access your web-based e-mail account, or make Skype video calls through a Wi-Fi Internet connection or a compatible Bluetooth device. TechRepublic’s Shawn Morton has been testing Nokia’s existing N800 and got to the see the updated N810 at CES 2008.

Controlling a PC connected to your television usually means keeping a full-size keyboard on your coffee table. Logitech hopes to change that with the diNovo Mini–a new wireless, hand-held keyboard and remote. Announced at CES 2008, this palm-sized device provide a thumb-type QWERTY keyboard, multifunction click pad, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. TechRepublic’s Bill Detwiler talked with a Logitech representative about the diNovo Mini and the CES 2008 Digital Experience event.

If you’ve got the budget and the desk space, Alienware’s new Curved Display will make you the envy of gamers everywhere. TechRepublic’s Bill Detwiler saw it in action as CES 2008. This widescreen monitor provides a 90-degree horizontal field of view at 2880×900 resolution with .02ms response time. The Curved Display uses DLP technology from Texas Instruments to generate the image and OSRAM LEDs for back lighting. Alienware said this widescreen monster is scheduled for release in the second half of 2008. How much will it cost? “It’s going to be less than a KIA, but more than a 17-inch LCD desktop display,” the Alienware representative said.

Sling Media’s new SlingCatcher lets you watch video from a Slingbox, from a computer, or from almost any Internet video site on your television. TechRepublic’s gadget guru, Shawn Morton got a first-hand demonstration of the SlingCatcher at CES 2008.

NETGEAR’s new dual-band Next Gen Wireless N router offers a very unique Push-to-Connect feature. During CES 2008, Jason Hiner talked with NETGEAR’s David Henry about the latest RangeMax wireless router.

When companies come to CES, many draw a crowd with movie stars, professional athletes, and even a band or two. Indy car driver Danica Patrick was at GoDaddy.com’s tent, where TechRepublic’s Jason Hiner caught up with her. Danica explained the technology used by her Indy car racing team, her CES experience, and her personal choice of cell phone and computer operating system.

During the CES Unveiled event, Bill Detwiler got a sneak peak at some of the devices and technology vendors will showcase during CES 2008. Bill looked at Samsung’s Ubicell femtocell base station, several products from Logitech and Netgear, and AMD’s new Spider platform.

TechRepublic’s Bill Detwiler, Jason Hiner, and Shawn Morton jumpstart TechRepublic’s CES 2008 coverage with a late-night, pre-show rap session. They explain their strategy for covering the more than 2,700 vendors, discuss the impact Warner Bros. decision to end support for HD DVD will have on CES events, examine the conspicuous absence of several wireless telecom carriers, and share their insights on the gadgets and devices they can’t wait to try.

TechRepublic member Wally Bahny shares with us the tragic death of a Maxtor hard drive. In the video you can clearly hear the tell-tale sound often called the click-of-death. I don’t think this hard drive is coming back from the dead.

TechRepublic’s friendly neighborhood Trivia Geek (AKA Jay Garmon, the guy in the Superman t-shirt) makes his world video debut with a quick rundown of all the nerd-worthy activities to keep you occupied over the upcoming Geekend. Hey, it beats working for the next three minutes.