Crackpot technologies that could shake up IT
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It doesn't take a genius to catch on to the fact that in IT, innovation is a mandate. Push the envelope of what's possible, or find yourself relegated to wayside. But, to borrow a favored David St. Hubbins Spinal Tap aphorism, there's a fine line between clever and crackpot when it comes to making good on technological breakthroughs in the enterprise.                                                      It is in that spirit that we revisit last year's level-headed look at crackpot technologies that could transform the enterprise, putting the screws to a new rack of could-be enterprise contenders. But before you write off nanotech or direct brain interfaces as the next big enterprise thing, consider this:  [ For an in-depth look at last year's crackpot tech assessments, see: 12 crackpot tech ideas that could transform the enterprise ]  Of the dozen technologies we examined last year, several made significant enterprise-minded strides since we first assessed their IT prospects. Desktop Web apps, for one, lent credence to the conjecture that fat productivity suites might just have a shorter future than previously thought; solid-state drives popped up everywhere, from ultramobile laptops to the datacenter; and Sun's datacenter-in-a-box proved compelling enough for Google to move first to patent it. Even quantum cryptography received a vote of confidence, with Switzerland tapping the technology to protect parliamentary election transmissions.   Sure, some of this year's out-there technologies may prove fruit for future high-profile tech flops lists, but without forward-thinking, there would be no worthwhile enterprise advancement. So raise your eyebrows or your suspicions as you deem fit, and join us in assessing the potential each of the following technologies has to earn IT's respect or derision.  ? Nanotechnology ? Optical computing ? Pervasive computing ? Wireless power ? The $100 laptop ? Direct brain interfaces ? Enterprise supercomputing ? Virtual worlds
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The never-ending drive to increase productivity has produced new -- and sometimes nuanced -- ways to get more out of the technology you already have.
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There is no sure test to tell a promising idea from a crackpot scheme. But nothing focuses the mind better than the prospect of losing one's shirt if mistakes aren't quickly detected and fixed.
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Consider new ways to make more money.
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By Chandra Devi  HOAX and scams are getting bolder these days leveraging on high speed technology to get faster and more results.
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Networked multifunction devices share PC vulnerabilities to worms, hackers.
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Mobile computers could provide customized information or perform specialized functions based on their changing locations.
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The software company has undergone an extreme makeover.
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Powerful computer processor will be modified for mobile devices.
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New technology could mean superfast data transfer inside the computer.
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Americans are facing a brave new world of post-September 11 technology marvels that could soon find their way into billions of dollars of projected homeland security spending.
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Plus: More DRM standards, and a self-encrypting hard drive.
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Literally putting a face on technology could improve our interaction with hi-tech gadgets.
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An 11-month supercomputer project suggests even tough encryption can be cracked.
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New virtual-machine technology can be used to test software patches and migrate aging Windows NT applications. By John Foley, Paula Rooney, CRN.
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Networking giant looks to find the old magic by boosting the software smarts of its gear.
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Hackers could bypass security warnings and download malicious content.