There a rumor running around that IBM may be buying Israeli grid startup, XIV for $300 - $350 million. If so this would represent a whopping coo for XIV who’s seen just $3 million in investment to date, reports Globes As Globes notes, traditionally the most critical information must be stored on amazingly expensive Tier 1 storage. The XIV system allows the same “instantaneous availability and reliability of information using grid technology on significantly less expensive hardware.” What they didn’t tell you was just how much less expensive. When I first met with XIV in 2006, Ofir Zohar, the CEO, was claiming to cut the prices of Tier 1 storage by 57% without sacrificing on advanced replication and recovery features….

Panasonic will announce the industry’s first slim-line Blu-ray DVD writer at CES on January 6. The 9.5 mm drive fits into the same space used by current DVD burners. Panasonic supplies most of Apple’s notebook DVD burners. Given the availability of the new drive I expect to see Apple announce it for the MacBook Pro family very soon - possibly at Macworld the following week. While it writes Blu-ray at only 2x, the new drive will be the only way to get HD video out of an mobile Mac without a cable. Part of a major Pro update? The MacBook Pros haven’t had a significant update in over 6 months. In the meantime Intel has been sampling the Penryn processors…

Vonage has settled another patent dispute this time with Nortel, Reuters is reporting. The case involved a counter-claim filed by Nortel against Digital Packet Licensing, a company Vonage acquired two years later in 2006. The dispute centered on patents behind emergency and information call numbers in addition to click-to-call technology. The settlement closes the final a piece of major litigation against Vonage following suits brought by AT&T, Verizon Communications and Sprint Nextel earlier in the year. According to Reuters the settlement will involve a limited cross license to three Nortel and three Vonage patents and will not call for any monetary payments by any party. Claims over past damages will be dismissed without prejudice, Reuters reports Vonage as saying. Vonage…

In a perfect world, I would be posting my absolutely brilliant Top Something-Or-Other Predictions for Green Tech list today. Because I know every human being LOVES lists. But, I woke up this morning in Cape May, New Jersey, and it’s beautiful outside and I haven’t finished writing up that post yet. Plus, the last thing you want to do on the last day of the year is have me getting all heavy on you. So, I’m defaulting to a pointer to some customer-created home videos about compact fluorescent light bulbs that Southern California Edison is using in some of its local television commercials. Click on the “Winners’ List” link that’s on the left-hand navigation pane and you get a YouTube-link…

Given the ubiquity of failed IT projects, let’s close 2007 with my list of five tips that guarantee successful projects in 2008: 1. Build a business case The business case must rigorously state why the project is necessary, how it supports organizational goals, and describe the resources required to achieve those goals. If your business case can’t stand up to careful scrutiny and evaluation, then it’s highly likely the project will experience significant downstream problems. We hear a lot these days about “aligning” IT with the business. A solid business case accomplishes this goal, establishing a solid foundation for success from the start. 2. Engage stakeholders early and often Enterprise IT projects usually involve three groups : the IT department,…

Chief financial officer of China’s leading search engine dies over holiday.

It’s New Year’s eve and soon the beginning of another year in technology. At this point, I’m somewhat dislocated from the river of blogs and news. I’ve spent some of the holiday time observing eagles as they float above the river and feast on spawning salmon. But my attention is gradually turning to the tech world, with the massive CES in Las Vegas on the horizon. While CES is known as the consumer electronics show, it increasingly has application in the business world as personal and professional lives are fused with technology. Following are the some of the final ZDNet headlines for 2007. Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft offers a Vista two-for deal Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Just what’s so special about Apple…

Don Reisinger thinks a digg rebellion may be in the works. But as he points out, a subset of individuals aren’t enough to bring the site down.

It’s the end of the year, and it is a good idea to look at the 10 most popular posts of the year according to traffic. Before, let me wish you an excellent year 2008. Let’s first look at my ZDNet blog. Exclusive images of Endeavour’s damaged tiles (August 14, 2007) The impact of nuclear attacks on U.S. cities (March 24, 2007) Storing wind power in cold stores (February 10, 2007) A five-gear space rocket engine (February 23, 2007) Stackable smart robotic cars (December 29, 2005) New molecules for a faster Internet (January 4, 2007) Nanotechnology boosts solar cells performance (August 21, 2007) Turning cars into wireless network nodes (June 3, 2007) Ready for a virtual beer? (August 4, 2007)…

As 2007 rolls to a close, Microsoft isn’t letting up on its efforts to push Windows Vista. The latest promotion is aimed at subscribers Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) or TechNet who provided Microsoft with Vista testing feedback. “As we approach the one year anniversary of launching Windows Vista we want to remember you as one of the many people who downloaded and tested one of the Windows Vista Beta or Release Candidates through TechNet or MSDN. YOU were a significant contributor to the development of Windows Vista. Your participation was extremely valuable to Microsoft, and we would like to say, ‘Thank You!’” according to an e-mail message I received about the promotion at the end of December. Under terms of…