In The News

Viruses, Security Issues Undermine Internet

Ariana Eunjung Cha June 27, 2005
Designed originally by the US Department of Defense as a limited experiment in communications, the internet was not intended to be the global network it is today. Since the system was originally used by only a small community of researchers and friends, the popularized version was not equipped with the security measures necessary to cope with the enormous number of current– largely anonomous –...

The World in the iPod

Andrew Leonard June 8, 2005
The iPod, one of Apple's most successful products is not "made" by Apple at all. Apple designed the product, but the components are assembled in China by two Taiwanese firms. This Salon.com article takes a broad view of PortalPlayer, the company that developed the essential iPod microchip, examining the pattern of globalization and outsourcing in the technology industry. The...

China Goes Undercover to Sway Opinion on the Internet

May 23, 2005
China's communist regime is strengthening its efforts to control public opinion. In addition to filtering political information that reaches the public, city governments in at least three provinces have recruited cyber-agents to promote the government's policies on online message boards or chatrooms when negative comments appear in those forums. While recruited commentators stress the...

Hacker Hunters

Brian Grow May 20, 2005
Computer technology and the interconnectivity of cyberspace have opened multiple avenues for global networking, while producing the underside of this phenomenon: a new wave of organized cybercrime. Criminals the world over are exploiting the ties of the internet to steal identities, forge documents, launder money, and sell stolen goods. As BusinessWeek reports, US and other governmental...

Arab Satellite Television and Democracy in the Arab World

S. Abdallah Schleifer May 13, 2005
The history of televised news in the Middle East is a checkered yet fascinating one, writes S. Abdallah Schleifer of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Early news broadcasts relied upon a simple regurgitation of state activity – presidents giving prepared speeches, inaugurating some new public work, or returning from a trip abroad – providing little analysis or variety. Stock footage paired...

Onshore Outsourcing: Made in America

Paul McDougall May 11, 2005
In the United States, mere mention of the term "outsourcing" will likely ruffle protectionist feathers. For companies who prefer to keep their operations within US borders, there are other options – besides relying on overseas labor – for trimming expenses. More businesses have begun to "insource," or outsource IT work to smaller cities within the 50 states. Though hourly...

Companies Question Benefits of Outsourcing

David Wighton April 19, 2005
A new survey by Deloitte Consulting shows that outsourcing information technology and other services may be more trouble than it's worth in many cases. Three-quarters of the companies surveyed reported that the savings were far less than expected, and the complexity of outsourcing often required more management than was expected. Large companies like Dell Computer and Capital One are now...