Tibco Software is planning to support Silverlight according to an announcement at TUCON, the Tibco User Conference, in San Francisco today. The guts of the announcement mean that Tibco will use Silverlight where customers require audio, video, or other rich user experience elements where Ajax can’t be used. I’m not fully up on what differentiates Tibco from a host of other JavaScript vendors out there but I think this is a very interesting trend. As demand for richer user experience grows are we going to see more Ajax-centric companies align with a RIA framework that enables more functionality? According to Tibco they chose Silverlight because they could leverage existing skills in C# and that Microsoft and Tibco have a lot…

Swedish automaker, Volvo, recalled 65,000 cars due a software problem related to side impact airbags. I spoke with Volvo spokesperson, Maria Bohlin, who told me the problem was discovered by Euro NCAP, a European automotive testing agency, which found the “inflatable curtain deployed milliseconds too late.” She added that Volvo would examine whether their software and testing routines are sufficiently robust. Firehouse.com offers excellent technical information about Volvo inflatable curtain (IC): The IC is a long, flat airbag which deploys down from the roof rail and extends from the A-pillar to the C-pillar, covering the front and rear side window areas from the roof to the top edge of the door. One side-impact crash sensor is mounted low on the…

PC Play has an interview with Cevat Yerli, president of the German studio Crytek, the studio that bought the first person shooter Crysis. In this interview, Yerli states that piracy is a big problem for Crytek, and I think I know why. PC Play: How do you estimate the current state of the PC gaming industry? Some say that it’s only a matter of time when it’s going to finally die-off, the others say that “the big one” is only getting its comeback pace. Considering Crysis is a PC-exclusive title, what do you think of its market reception and its future? Skeptics would say that it’s pretty risky going PC-exclusive with such a high-profile title. Cevat Yerli: It is certainly….

The news that SAP is delaying the roll-out of Business ByDesign – and that its last quarter, while decent, failed to meet analyst estimates – is the perfect preamble to this post: With Leo Apotheker slated to assume to mantle of SAP by the end of the year, his mandate – and challenges – couldn’t be made more clear than the juxtaposition of this news. Here’s what has to happen in order for Leo to go down in the history of SAP as a great CEO, and it entails responding to three major problems that SAP will be facing in the next decade. Problem number one: what to do about the problem of on-demand vs. on-premise computing. While many, myself…

As old TVs, monitors, and gadgets pile up in landfills, Congress is again questioning what new laws are needed to encourage more efficient recycling and reuse.

Updated: SAP on Wednesday confirmed a delay in its Business ByDesign software as a service suite. The company said: Since last September’s announcement of SAP Business ByDesign, the Company has been working closely with early customers and partners to validate and fine-tune the solution. As a result of this process, SAP has elected to modify the rollout strategy for SAP Business ByDesign to ensure a more focused and controlled ramp-up process. That roughly means that Business ByDesign is being delayed. Reports began leaking out about the delay earlier this week. Key points: The SAP Business ByDesign 2008 debut will focus on six countries, where all the current productive early customers are based. Additional country rollouts in 2009. It is expected…

The Windy31 USB Wireless Router is not a router in the traditional sense. This small, USB drive lets you create a wireless network with access to the Internet from any one PC that has an Internet connection. It’s a must-have for travelers who need to share their Internet access with different Wi-Fi devices.

The Windy31 USB Wireless Router is not a router in the traditional sense. This small, USB drive lets you create a wireless network with access to the Internet from any one PC that has an Internet connection. It’s a must-have for travelers who need to share their Internet access with different Wi-Fi devices.

Remember the thermal paste problem with earlier MacBook Pros that was reported back in May 2006? Well, it’s back. Read more about the grease problems in my earlier reports: Thermal grease theory - 01 May 2006 Thermal grease and the MacBook - 21 May 2006 Chief Japanese Mac disassembler Kodawarisan took apart his MacBook Air (of course) and discovered a metric-ass-load of thermal paste (also called “thermal grease”) on the top of the CPU and GPU. Witness: Kodawarisan says (Japanese version, Babelfish English translation) that it’s about twice the amount that’s needed (sound familiar?) and that skimming off about half dropped his temps down. It all started when he noticed that his MacBook Air’s fan was turning on frequently, especially…

The Open Computer, a Mac OS X Leopard desktop not made by Apple, has arrived at the offices of CNET Reviews in New York.