Desktop Apps Topic Center

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Facebook widens Graph Search to include posts, status updates

Facebook has started to include more types of content in Graph Search, a tool for searching what others have been posting about on the social network
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BMC puts Hadoop on the company timesheet

Now that many organizations see the utility in big data, BMC Software has provided a way to incorporate jobs from the Hadoop data processing platform into larger enterprise workflows.

What kind of ads would you 'like'? Facebook wants to know

Facebook wants to make its ads less annoying to users by only showing them what they want to see, even if it means a dip in ad exposure for some marketers.

Microsoft wants to scan your JavaScript libraries

Microsoft wants to help Web application framework developers tackle one of their thorniest problems, that of testing their libraries to ensure they work correctly across today's dizzying combination of available browsers and operating systems (OSes).

Sudan comes back online after 24-hour Internet blackout

Sudan has regained access to the Internet after a nearly 24-hour blackout that may have been a government-directed response to violent rioting in the country over lifted fuel subsidies.

Image-insertion bug locks people out of Gmail

Beware Gmail users: Inserting images into the body of an email message can get you temporarily banned from your account.

'Viceroi' algorithm eases detection of click fraud

A group of researchers have devised an algorithm they say could help advertising networks better detect fraudulent clicks.

Two startups, cleaning up email and JavaScript

Skimbox sorts out your inbox, and Qbaka helps developers spot problems and fix website front-ends and mobile HTML5 apps.

Microsoft sharpens Office 365 BI tool to slice and dice data

Microsoft has added features to Power BI for Office 365, a data analysis tool to complement Excel that the company hasn't yet released in final form.

Twitter partners with FEMA, Red Cross for emergency alerts feature

Twitter wants to bolster its position as a go-to source of information during emergencies and other crises with a new notifications feature.

IT Recruiters Mine Social Media for Hidden Tech Talent

Dice.com's Open Web tool, currently in beta, lets recruiters harness the power of the social Web to target candidates, even if they're not actively looking for a job.

Where do SDNs Fit in the Data Center?

As CIOs try to make sense of the hype surrounding software-defined networks (SDNs) and their potential in data centers, some experts and vendors say IT leaders are looking for answers in all the wrong places.

Lessons on the Future of IT From 'Future Shock' and 'The Singularity Is Near'

Alvin Toffler introduced to the term 'information overload,' while Ray Kurzweil told us we'll be overload with more information each decade than in the previous century. There's a lesson for the IT departments of today (and tomorrow): Ignore emerging technology, despite its flaws, at your own risk.

Oracle to put on its innovation game face at OpenWorld

Oracle's annual OpenWorld conference is less than a week away, and as usual the vendor is expected to make a slew of new product and strategy announcements.

How Developer Evangelists Build Community, Engagement for Software Firms

If youre looking for a career that combines your passion for software development with your communications skills, becoming a developer advocate may be the job for you. And if youre a software development manager, you may want to consider adding an evangelist to your team to spread the word about your tools and services.

Getting around Google+: 25 tips and tricks for power users

The last of JR Raphael's three-part how-to series includes advanced tips and tricks to help you take your Google+ experience to the next level.

4 Client-Side Web Storage Options That Replace Cookies

Several standards exist for storing large amounts of data in a user's Web browser. Each has its benefits, tradeoffs, W3C standardization status and level of browser support. All are better than cookies.

Salesforce.com's Benioff lays out future strategies

Salesforce.com's second-quarter earnings conference call featured the usual dose of chest-thumping by CEO Marc Benioff as the company posted US$957 million in revenue and raised its full fiscal year forecast to at least $4 billion.

Microsoft CEO Ballmer to retire in 12 months

Steve Ballmer will retire as Microsoft CEO at some point in the next 12 months, the company said on Friday, a shocking announcement that comes weeks after he drafted a major business reorganization that's being implemented now.

False Lenovo Security Report Only Strengthens World's Top PC Maker

A report that Western nations deemed Lenovo PCs to be insecure was quickly kiboshed this week. CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle smells a rat and suspects it's only a matter of time before the source is outed (and unemployed). Meanwhile, Lenovo can relax and tout its security and stability.