News

The Evolution of the Desktop GUI

From the first graphical user interface developed by Xerox in 1981 to the tablet-like, touch-screen interfaces of Mac OS X Lion and Windows 8, the tools to navigate a computer desktop have gone through drastic changes over the years. Let's take

By Shane O'Neill

Sep 29, 2011 9 mins

Apple Small and Medium Business Technology Industry

Nestle Nabs CFO From Wal-Mart Ranks

Wan Ling Martello trades Arkansas for Switzerland to succeed Jim Singh at the food giant.

By Roy Harris

Sep 28, 2011 5 mins

IT Leadership

Will Amazon Kindle Fire Burn Up the Enterprise?

With the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, another Android device enters the mass market and will inevitably make its way to the enterprise.

By Tom Kaneshige

Sep 28, 2011 4 mins

Consumer Electronics Mobile Security Tablets

Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango”: Top New Business Features

Microsoft's Windows Phone senior product manager details the top eight new enterprise features and enhancements found within the company's recently released Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango" mobile OS.

By Al Sacco

Sep 28, 2011 6 mins

Carriers Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Telecom Bill Cramming Impacts IT’s Bottom Line

Unauthorized charges on enterprise telecom bills are getting more sophisticated and harder to detect.

By Stephanie Overby

Sep 28, 2011 4 mins

Carriers Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Google’s 5 Biggest Hits (and Misses)

The phrase "to Google" has come to mean a great many things as Google has become a large and ubiquitous company. Here are five of its biggest failures, followed by five things Google got right.

By Dan Tynan, ITworld

Sep 28, 2011 3 mins

Internet

Remote Workers: Avoiding Double Trouble That Comes with Them

Meeting both security and productivity challenges – as firms sharply increase use of flexible employee basing – is essential.

By Roy Harris

Sep 27, 2011 5 mins

IT Leadership Mobile Small and Medium Business

Windows Phone 7.5 (WP7.5) “Mango”: 10 Things You Need to Know

CIO.com's Al Sacco sat down with Microsoft Windows Phone Senior Director of Product Management, Paul Bryan, to discuss the company's brand new mobile OS, WP7.5. Here are ten things current Windows Phone users and anyone else considering a W

By Al Sacco

Sep 27, 2011 4 mins

Carriers Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Our Love/Hate Relationship with Excel

Spreadsheet use is familiar, easier than mining ERP. But some think about when they'll drive a car, rather than ride a horse

By Sandra Gittlen

Sep 26, 2011 3 mins

Microsoft Office Office Suites

Life After Google Labs: 5 Cool Google Experimental Apps

The death of Google Labs doesn't mean the end of Google experimentation. Here are five fun and useful Google experimental apps that are still around to play with.

By Bill Snyder

Sep 26, 2011 5 mins

Internet SaaS Social Networking Apps

Facebook Tip: How to Restore Your Email Notification Settings

If you noticed you're no longer receiving emails when people friend you or post to your wall, you're not alone. Here's what Facebook changed, and to bring back your original settings.

By Kristin Burnham

Sep 26, 2011 2 mins

Consumer Electronics Facebook Social Networking Apps

BoxTone Adds Automated Security, Compliance to Mobile Device Mgmt Software

BoxTone has added new automated IT policy and compliance features to its enterprise mobility management (EMM) software, and the company claims the new functionality is a first of its kind in the mobile industry.

By Al Sacco

Sep 26, 2011 3 mins

Small and Medium Business Smartphones iPhone

Six Crucial Tech Companies You’ve Never Heard Of

Behind the headlines, these firms help form the foundation of the IT industry. They aren't consumer focused; they aren't flashy or led by charismatic visionaries; they sell to people who sell to people who sell to you; and the modern world

By Josh Fruhlinger, ITworld

Sep 23, 2011 6 mins

IT Strategy Outsourcing

Managing Mobile Devices: 10 Lessons Learned, via Forrester

Forrester Research offers up 10 lessons learned from early adopters of MDM (mobile device management) products, including advice on how to set mobile usage guidelines, managing employee-owned devices, using app virtualization and more.

By Al Sacco

Sep 22, 2011 6 mins

Laptops Small and Medium Business iPhone

Windows XP to Windows 8: Don’t Go There

Both Microsoft and industry analysts discourage businesses using Windows XP from skipping Windows 7. The key reason: XP support is likely to expire before Windows 8 is ready for deployment. Research firm Gartner provides guidance for XP holdouts.

By Shane O'Neill

Sep 21, 2011 4 mins

Data and Information Security Encryption Small and Medium Business

New on the iPad: The Story of Business Intelligence

Mobile business intelligence app developer Roambi wants to marry the excitement of a magazine narrative with the dryness of business intelligence data on the iPad. The goal is to tell the story behind the numbers.

By Tom Kaneshige

Sep 21, 2011 3 mins

Business Intelligence Consumer Electronics Tablets

Facebook’s Redesigned News Feed: 4 Things You Need to Know

In its third major update in a week, Facebook launched a new News Feed interface that predicts stories you'll find interesting and includes a ticker that updates in real-time. Here's what the changes mean for you.

By Kristin Burnham

Sep 21, 2011 5 mins

Facebook Privacy Social Networking Apps

15 Best iPhone Apps for Busy CEOs

For executive road warriors and super-busy CEOs, the iPhone has become indispensable. Here are 15 must-have free and paid business apps that tap into the great mobile experience and keep executives productive all day long.

By Tom Kaneshige

Sep 20, 2011 6 mins

Small and Medium Business Smartphones iPhone

Facebook Subscriptions: 5 Warnings

Curious about Facebook's new Subscribe button? Beware these five pitfalls before jumping in.

By Kristin Burnham

Sep 20, 2011 5 mins

Facebook Privacy Social Networking Apps

Google Flight Search: Not Quite Ready for Prime Time

CIO.com's Bill Snyder can't recommend Google's new Flight Search service yet because its results offer limited flight options and airlines compared to competitors like Kayak. But expect Google, a Web search master, to improve on the se

By Bill Snyder

Sep 19, 2011 5 mins

Browsers Internet Social Networking Apps

Google Wallet Mobile Payments Coming Very Soon: What It Means for You

Google is expected to make its NFC-based Google Wallet mobile payments service available today, and it is sure to change the way consumers pay for goods and services in the future. Unfortunately, only one specific smartphone will be supported at laun

By Al Sacco

Sep 19, 2011 3 mins

Small and Medium Business Smartphones iPhone

‘Consumerization of IT’ Taking Its Toll on IT Managers

The use of iPads and Android smartphones for work tasks has obvious benefits to workers, but it's killing IT. Here's a breakdown of some revealing survey numbers about how IT managers feel about supporting various personal devices and opera

By Shane O'Neill

Sep 15, 2011 4 mins

Laptops Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Mobile Startups: Tip of the Iceberg, Say Venture Capitalists

At this week's DEMO Fall 2011, mobile startups trying to bridge the physical and digital worlds often didn't aim high enough and received mixed reviews from venture capitalists and former entrepreneurs.

By Tom Kaneshige

Sep 15, 2011 3 mins

Innovation Retail Industry Smartphones

M&a: Second Wave, Or No Wave Ahead?

With companies sitting on record cash amounts, and equity values down, many finance experts expect an acquisition boom looms.

By Ed Zwirn

Sep 14, 2011 5 mins

IT Leadership Mergers and Acquisitions

Social media startups spin their offerings at DEMO Fall 2011. Can they convince people to sign up?

By Tom Kaneshige

Sep 14, 2011 3 mins

Consumer Electronics Social Networking Apps

Fed. Government Pays IT Contractors Nearly Twice As Much As Its Own IT Workers

The federal government pays IT outsourcing companies nearly twice as much for computer engineering services as it pays its own computer engineers and 1.5 times more for IT management work, according to non-profit watchdog group the Project on Governm

By Stephanie Overby

Sep 14, 2011 4 mins

Government Government IT Outsourcing

How to Organize Your Office and Boost Your Productivity

The average executive wastes six weeks every year searching for paper, according to certified professional organizer Ellen Delap. Maintaining an organized office where you can find items quickly and easily saves time and makes you more efficient, eff

By Meridith Levinson

Sep 14, 2011 6 mins

Careers IT Strategy Personal Software

Facebook Privacy: Uncovering 5 Important Settings

Three weeks after Facebook launched new privacy controls, these supposedly simpler settings have some users stumped. Here's where you can find five important settings that you need to revisit today.

By Kristin Burnham

Sep 13, 2011 7 mins

Facebook Security Social Networking Apps

Enterprise Startups: A Long Road Ahead

This year's crop of DEMO startups targeting the enterprise space face big challenges.

By Tom Kaneshige

Sep 13, 2011 3 mins

Business Intelligence Personal Software Retail Industry

iPad Goes to Hollywood

iPads are fast-becoming a familiar sight on the sets of "Mad Men," "How I Met Your Mother," "The Mentalist," "CSI" and others. Thank the Apple geeks for bringing some excitement to the awkward Silicon Valley-Ho

By Tom Kaneshige

Sep 12, 2011 3 mins

Personal Software Project Management Tools Tablets

Cloud Computing for Consumers: The Downsides

Cloud computing services make your digital life easier, but there are shortcomings such as outages, data leaks and vendor lock-in. Here are some ways to get by without the cloud and a few tips on when the cloud makes sense.

By Bill Snyder

Sep 12, 2011 5 mins

Data Breach Data and Information Security Internet

Android How To: Wipe Device Clean, Restore Factory Settings

In several situations, Google Android users will want to erase all the data on their smartphones and tablets and restore them to default settings. The following four-step process walks you through wiping your Android good and clean.

By Al Sacco

Sep 12, 2011 3 mins

Privacy Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Tech Titans We Will Miss and Ones Better Off Dismissed

In the wake of Carol Bartz's firing from Yahoo, let's take a look at how tech CEOs' personalities and business tactics defined or are defining their companies, for good or ill. Here are 10 dynamic current and former tech CEOs, some we

By Tom Kaneshige

Sep 12, 2011 5 mins

IT Leadership

What Jobs Crisis? CFOs Seek Finance Hires

Despite overall worries about how to reduce joblessness — which President Obama will put on display tonight — the fourth quarter looks like a strong one for finance hiring, CFOs say.

By Roy Harris

Sep 9, 2011 2 mins

Careers IT Jobs IT Leadership

9/11: Stranded on a Ship with 100 CIOs

CIO Executive Council VP Rick Pastore recalls his experience on Sept. 11, 2001 spent with New York-area CIOs trapped and powerless aboard a ship with little communication and no way to return to port.

By Richard Pastore

Sep 9, 2011 7 mins

Data and Information Security Disaster Recovery Physical Security

10 Best Android Tablet Apps for News Junkies

CIO.com's gadget guru Al Sacco spotlights 10 great applications for your Android tablet that will keep you up to date on news, sports, entertainment, stocks and much more. These apps look great and perform even better–and most are free.

By Al Sacco

Sep 9, 2011 6 mins

Internet Small and Medium Business Tablets

Behind the Replacement of Yahoo’s Carol Bartz

Yahoo chief financial officer Tim Morse — a veteran of the power General Electric finance-development powerhouse — has been chosen on an interim basis to replace the fired Carol Bartz.

By Nancy Gohring, Roy Harris

Sep 7, 2011 6 mins

IT Leadership Internet

Cases of Ex-CFOs in Legal Trouble Wrapped Up

It has been a relief-filled week so far for ex-CFOs facing difficult legal circumstances — one from New York drugstore chain Duane Reade, and the other a former finance chief at AOL.

By Roy Harris

Sep 7, 2011 3 mins

IT Leadership Legal

Survey: Value of the Cloud, Telecommuting Overstated

In a recent survey of mid-market IT decision-makers, cloud computing adoption and support for telecommuting had surprisingly low scores. Both are still seen as an option and not an answer.

By Shane O'Neill

Sep 7, 2011 4 mins

Data and Information Security Privacy Small and Medium Business

IT Outsourcing: What HP’s Latest Strategy Change Means for Customers

Will HP deliver on its promise of bold transformation and innovation in IT services? Its outsourcing customers shouldn't wait to find out, IT analysts say.

By Stephanie Overby

Sep 7, 2011 5 mins

Outsourcing

Job Search: Why You Should Include Volunteer Work on Your Resume

Bucking conventional career wisdom, LinkedIn says volunteer work is an important — yet often overlooked — component of resumes. To help members showcase their volunteer work, the professional networking site has announced a new profile section wher

By Kristin Burnham

Sep 7, 2011 3 mins

IT Jobs LinkedIn Social Networking Apps

Mac Desktop Security: The Landscape Is Changing

Macs are climbing up the malware threat ladder as Mac OS X gains more users and business adoption. Yet there is a high level of cluelessness about Mac OS X security and it's making all Mac users vulnerable.

By Kevin Fogarty

Sep 6, 2011 4 mins

Intrusion Detection Software Small and Medium Business Viruses

When it comes to location-based social-sharing services, sometimes not sharing is caring, according to CIO.com's Al Sacco. Here's why.

By Al Sacco

Sep 6, 2011 4 mins

Mobile Small and Medium Business Smartphones

If You Use It, Mobile Malware Will Come

No matter what mobile platform you choose, be it Android, iOS or BlackBerry, you run the risk of infection and data theft.

By Kevin Fogarty

Sep 6, 2011 6 mins

Data Breach Small and Medium Business Viruses

Mozilla’s Rapid Firefox Releases Are Killing Me

Mozilla's insistence on releasing new versions of the Firefox browser and Thunderbird e-mail client every six weeks is more than just extremely annoying. It kills compatibility and poses a security threat to businesses and consumers, rants CIO.c

By Bill Snyder

Sep 6, 2011 6 mins

Malware Microsoft Office Patch Management Software

Oracle Likely to Appeal Rejection of $1.3B SAP Verdict

Oracle Corp. and SAP AG are standing by their legal positions in the wake of a federal judge's stunning rejection of the $1.3-billion copyright-infringement verdict that a jury gave Oracle against SAP last November. Oracle indicated that it will

By Roy Harris

Sep 2, 2011 4 mins

Intellectual Property Legal

Judge Tosses Oracle’s $1.3B SAP Award

German-based business software company SAP AG won a stunning reversal of the $1.3 billion jury verdict that Oracle had received in a November 2010 copyright-infringement trial.

By Roy Harris

Sep 1, 2011 2 mins

Enterprise Applications Legal

The Magical World of Tablets and Touchscreens

For disabled computer technician Kevin Berg, touchscreen tablet technology has untangled him from the constraints of the trackball and desktop computer screen.

By Tom Kaneshige

Sep 1, 2011 4 mins

Consumer Electronics Personal Software Tablets

CIO Alert: Five Cures for What Ails IT

IT groups often struggle to stay efficient as a business grows and evolves. Here are five tips for CIOs needing to improve budgeting and vendor relationships and align IT and business priorities. First step: Go to lunch.

By Shane O'Neill

Sep 1, 2011 5 mins

Budgeting CIO Small and Medium Business

LinkedIn Deciphers the Entrepreneur

What sets entrepreneurs apart and where do they come from? LinkedIn scoured more than 120 million profiles to paint the picture of today's entrepreneur. Here's what they found.

By Kristin Burnham

Sep 1, 2011 3 mins

IT Strategy