More Data Center In Depth

Microsoft server and tool upgrades demand CIOs' attention

CIOs and IT directors tracking the barrage of major upgrades for Windows and Office also need to stay tuned to the refresh cycle for Microsoft's servers and tools, including Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2012, System Center 2012 and Visual Studio 11.

How to make PHP apps scale

The most popular language for Web apps, PHP tends to buckle under heavy loads -- unless you opt for cloud scaling and a NoSQL back end

Diary of an App Maker: What it's like to develop for iOS

In my time at Macworld, I've reviewed and tested numerous iOS apps. I've also reported on the challenges that iOS developers face. But it was only recently that I built my first iOS app, along with developer (and frequent Macworld contributor) Marco Tabini. The experience left me with insights into the iOS development process that I probably would never have otherwise discovered, and a better understanding of what the developers of many of our favorite apps go through on a regular basis.

NFC use growing outside smartphones

A growing number of smartphones have NFC (near-field communication) capabilities to make mobile payments, but accessories and ultrabooks also now increasingly have the same technology. DeviceFidelity is offering a protective case with NFC that allows iPhone users to make contactless payments, and Barclaycard is offering a sticker that attaches to a smartphone for users to make mobile payments. HP is offering an ultrabook with NFC for data exchange with mobile devices.

The Cobol Brain Drain

As baby boomers retire, the business processes they used to create their Cobol programs may walk out the door with them. Here's what IT organizations are doing about it.

HK firm ensures toy safety with PLM tool

Toys are fun to play with, but making them is serious business. Hazardous toys from Greater China make great headline-material for US media, so regional toy manufacturers must make extra efforts to ensure that both their materials and finished products are safe.

10 questions for LogMeIn CFO Jim Kelliher

Name: Jim Kelliher

Microsoft System Center 2012 review: Streamlined cloud service management

With System Center 2012, Microsoft delivers tools to help customers wring more efficiency, uptime and performance out of their existing hardware and software.

Can a New Analyst Firm Take Down Gartner?

For more than 30 years, Gartner has dominated the IT analyst market. CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle sees Ombud, a new analyst firm focusing on social CRM and pulling member profiles from LinkedIn, as a viable challenge to a firm founded before there were even PCs.

Backgammon NJ and FaceMe Backgammon for iPhone and iPad

Backgammon is a board game that is perfectly suited to iOS devices. The shape of the board fits the iPhone and iPad, and the gameplay--rolling dice and moving pieces--is greatly simplified when you tap to perform these tasks. Over the past few months, I've tried out a number of backgammon apps, and two stand out: Backgammon NJ (available for the iPad in a separate version called Backgammon NJ HD), and FaceMe Backgammon.

Enterprise IT Update

Keep up with the latest news, features, opinions and more about technology in the enterprise.

Adventure Bar Story for iPhone

Adventure Bar Story from RideonJapan looks like a classic JRPG, but with a crucial difference. You're not an adventurer who happens to take part in a cooking/crafting mini-game--you're a chef who goes on adventures to support her restaurant business. Wandering the wilderness and killing monsters yields ingredients to toss in the oven once you get back home. Characters don't gain levels through combat, but through eating the food you prepare. Your first nemesis is not an evil sorcerer, but a rival restauranteur.

Complete Coverage: Desktop virtualization

Computerworld's complete coverage of desktop virtualization

Computerworld continuing coverage of Hadoop

Latest news, features and more on Hadoop.

No big shift to the cloud for unified communications and collaboration

The 2012 IDG Enterprise Unified Communications and Collaboration survey highlights the uptick in adoption and investments. Insider (registration required)

Kinectimals for iPhone and iPad

As a kid, I really wanted a cat. My parents, however, were firmly opposed. Would that I had been able to seek refuge in something like Microsoft's Kinectimals for iOS, which provides plenty of the benefits of pet ownership without the need for the manifold downsides--like cleaning out a litter box.

Security Concerns Over a Data Center in the Cloud

When the company data center moves to various cloud configurations, the provisioning of servers will need to be addressed.

Madcoaster for iPhone and iPad

The thrill of riding a roller coaster comes from when the feeling of danger you get from every gravity-defying loop-to-loop. In Chillingo's lovably-addictive platformer, Madcoaster, that danger is very reala| if PG rated.

Monster Wars for iPhone and iPad

When being a do-gooder grows boring, why not switch teams? That's the route Liv Games takes with Monster Wars, an evil-themed sequel to the developer's popular tower defense game Legendary Wars.

Is it So Bad for the CIO to Report to the CFO?

Conventional wisdom says the CIO should report to the CEO. But not everyone agrees that's so important.