Applications

Applications Topic Center

In-depth analysis, news, trends and more about enterprise and desktop applications

Google abandons big, black drop-down menu

Google has begun replacing the chunky, black drop-down menu of services it launched in November as part of an effort to integrate Google+ across its whole platform.
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Most social net users are kind, Pew survey finds

A majority of U.S. social networking users say their fellow users mostly kind, and that the sites make them feel good about themselves.

Motorola Mobility fails to make patent case against Apple in German court

A German court has thrown out a Motorola Mobility patent lawsuit against Apple, breaking a recent run of courtroom successes for the company.

Web app lets enterprise set security, sharing for Google Apps users

A new security tool lets enterprise IT groups set access and share policies for employees, including mobile users, who are working with the online Google Apps suite.

Java compiler would enable high-quality code, efficient memory use

Advocates of Graal project, including Oracle reps, seek dynamic compiler to be used with multiple JVMs

Cray courts the big-data market

Supercomputer company Cray has created a new division that will sell big-data systems, the company has announced. The division will market its offerings to large enterprises, which will be a new kind of client for the company.

Google, Microsoft and Apple letters aim to keep regulators at bay

As patent infringement lawsuits continue to pile up in the mobile industry, Google, Apple and Microsoft appear to be trying individually to reassure regulators and standards bodies that they won't use their patents to build a monopoly, experts said.

Buyers lining up for Raspberry Pi's $25 PC

Raspberry Pi Foundation's $25 PC will become available by the end of this month, and buyers hope it could fill in as a low-power desktop, while being an alternative to the more expensive open-source hardware.

Oracle buying Taleo for $1.9B in direct hit at SAP

Oracle is buying cloud-based talent management and employee recruitment software vendor Taleo for roughly $1.9 billion, the company announced Thursday. The move comes shortly after SAP's move to acquire SuccessFactors, a close competitor of Taleo, for $3.4 billion in a deal that has yet to close.

EPIC sues FTC over Google privacy plan

The Electronic Privacy Information Center has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission to force the agency to take action against Google over planned changes in collecting personal data.

Hands on: HP's Enterprise Database Consolidation Appliance

This new appliance from Microsoft and HP can bring in all database instances from around the network and host them in a fault-tolerant device with lots of features -- and a hefty pricetag. Insider (registration required)

Flexing NoSQL: MongoDB in review

MongoDB shines with broad programming language support, SQL-like queries, and out-of-the-box scaling

Want to Build an App? Consider These 7 Points First

Smartphones and tablets are dominating technology, and apps are among the top selling points for each mobile OS. With Apple's and Google's app stores each having over 500,000 apps and tens of billions of downloads, the desire to be a part of this growing market is strong. Apps can be useful for internal use by your company, or as a way to collaborate with clients, vendors, customers, and the public. Before deciding to develop an app for your business, though, take these considerations into account.

Predator secures your PC with a USB drive...and some difficulty

Predator may not be as magical as BioTrust, which lets you unlock your computer using a webcam and your face, but it's still a nice idea.

Which Web Host Do You Need? Six Small-Business Plans Compared

Websites don't build themselves. They require a considerable investment of energy, expertise, and design know-how to construct and launch. But building a site is only half the story: Websites also have to be hosted on servers, ready for--you hope--the thousands of people who are dying to read your content, hire your firm, or pay for your services.

The rise of Node.js: JavaScript graduates to the server

Microsoft and others have already adopted this technology to extend JavaScript beyond the browser -- but it has limits developers must beware

OnLive's train wreck: Office on the iPad

The OnLive Desktop service shows just how wrong desktop virtualization can be

Make good spreadsheets for cheap with GS-Calc

GS-Calc 9.2 is an inexpensive spreadsheet program that isn't a simple Excel clone. It offers has a number of interesting features, including a large work area , pivot tables, fairly robust charting, and a nice interface for dealing with multiple worksheets in a single project.

Komodo Edit: Feature-packed free programmers' editor

If you're not perfectly content with the editor you're currently using, you might want to consider Komodo Edit (free). Komodo offers some compelling features at a price that can't be beat.

Image gallery: 5 online backup services keep your data safe

Backing up can be easier if you send your data to the cloud. We look at 5 of the most well-known online backup services to see how they compare.