As Published In January/February 2012

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Animal Apps

Be a better pet guardian or animal enthusiast with these apps.

Scotts Bird ID
Identify wild birds by both pictures and birdcalls, then share which birds you spot on an interactive Facebook map. Developed with the National Wildlife Federation. Free (Android, iPhone).

Pet Dossier
Track your pet’s health records, medications, diet and feeding schedules, vet and groomer appointments, and more; e-mail information to a pet sitter. Do good, too: 25 percent of the sale price goes to the ASPCA. US$1.99.

iKibble
If you can’t resist feeding your dog from the table, this app tells you if what you’re offering is healthy. Choose from hundreds of meats, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, and grains. US$0.99, or free if you’re willing to look at ads.

PawTrotter
Carry this directory of more than 130,000 pet-friendly businesses, hotels, and parks. Find a pet sitter or vet, and view user ratings. This app also helps pets in need: a percentage of revenues goes to the American Humane Association. US$2.99. 

1 TB SSD Drive

OCZ’s new Octane series is the first solid-state drive (SSD) to squeeze 1 full terabyte of storage into a 2.5-inch drive. The drive has read speeds of up to 560 MB/sec and write speeds of 400 MB/sec. Octane SSDs also come equipped with proprietary NDurance technology from Indilinx—a NAND flash controller maker acquired by OCZ—which increases the lifespan of the NAND flash memory, ensuring the most consistent and reliable performance and minimizing degradation even when the drive’s storage capacity is highly utilized. Octane’s 1 TB capacity could be just what it takes for SSDs to move from supplemental drive status to actually replacing traditional plate drives. US$1.30/GB. ocz.com 

In the Pocket

“Button-down” is rarely synonymous with “cool,” but the SeV Button Down Shirt from Scottevest turns a conservative garment into a must-have tech accessory by adding a handful of secret pockets and extra features. The standard chest pocket is bolstered with pen- and passport-sized inner pockets and a hidden magnetic clasp to hold stuff in when you bend over. An extra pocket at the bottom of the placket is handy for stashing cash or credit cards—if you wear the shirt untucked. And two invisible underwing zippered pockets can hold sunglasses, a smartphone, or other items you’d rather not share with pickpockets. The shirt also sports a “personal area network” (loops and holes through which you can thread earbuds) and is sewn of wrinkle-free cotton in six colors and patterns. US$80. bit.ly/omagshirt  

Data Breaches Hurt for a Year

On average, it takes one year to restore an organization’s reputation after a data breach.

Source: The Ponemon Institute and Experian Data Breach Resolution, ponemon.org, experian.com

Data Center Executives Were Asked

“Just 18 minutes a day can save you hours of inefficiency. The trick is to choose your focus deliberately and wisely, and then consistently remind yourself of that focus throughout the day.” — Peter Bregman, author of 18 Minutes (Business Plus, 2011)

What’s driving you to cloud and virtualization in your data center design? 

74% said Business needs drive IT decisions. Business needs will ultimately drive the adoption of cloud and virtualization.

13% said Operational variables. Manageability and agility help contain staff, power, cooling, and other expenses.

13% said Capital expenses. It’s about optimizing and managing return on investment and total cost of ownership.

Source: CABLExpress Data Center Survey

Your Turn

What’s driving your cloud and virtualization decisions?
Take our Facebook poll at bitly.com/orclmagfb.