I wrote not long ago about the various disciplines that data center operations teams will need to work through to address those cloud-computing values you often hear hyped by people like me.

In that post, I noted that many organizations had gained an understanding of how server virtualization could be used to abstract software concepts, thus managing them distinctly from the underlying hardware. I also noted, however, that few organizations had made the decision to systematically automate that management.

Channel-V tonight pointed me to an interview by Virtualization Review's Keith Ward of Bogomil Balkansky, VMware's senior director of product marketing. In the interview, Balkansky discusses the upcoming VDC-OS product release, and what it means to the next

Remember this quote?

"You can take iPod and beat us over the head with it, but it's only one product. And we have a thousand products. Apple has two or three."

Oh boy. I'm sure Stringer winces whenever that quote gets trotted out. Now Stringer, who has been CEO since 2005, is reportedly mulling what the UK's Times of London suggests will include "job cuts and sweeping changes to management and manufacturing processes."

The Times' sources say the changes likely will get announced after the Consumer Electronics Show and will "abolish or fundamentally alter many of Sony's long-established busines

Here are the statements issued earlier today by Apple on Steve Jobs' health. We'll be following this breaking story throughout the day.

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- It is widely recognized both inside and outside of Apple that Steve Jobs is one of the most talented and effective CEOs in the world.

As we have said before, if there ever comes a day when Steve wants to retire or for other reasons cannot continue to fulfill his duties as Apple's CEO, you will know it.

Apple is very lucky to have Steve as its leader and CEO, and he deserves our complete and unwavering support during his recuperation. He most certainly has that from Apple and its Board.

Here is a separate letter from Steve Jobs.

Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade,

Will accessing surveillance data ever be as easy as it is portrayed in the movies?

Action spy dramas increasingly feature a computer geek character who accesses everything from satellite imagery to floor plans to convenience store security cameras, then feeds the data to his team, saving the day. This type of work, it turns out, is easier said than done.

Two agencies are trying to make it easier to access and blend Web-based snoop-scoop. The U.S. Joint Forces Command and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency are sponsoring an annual demonstration called Empire Challenge, which "seeks to improve interoperability of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities" among end users.

One of last year's Challen

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs is being treated for a "hormone imbalance" but is staying on as the firms CEO.

In a statement, Jobs said he had been suffering from ill health for a number of months.

"I have been losing weight throughout 2008...doctors think they have found the cause: a hormone imbalance that has been robbing me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy," said Jobs.

Apple's board said they were giving Jobs "complete and unwavering support."