Online Extras

May 9, 2011

Some IT shops have formal enterprise deployment strategies that address everything from security to app delivery and support.

Got data? These 22 useful tools can turn it into informative, engaging graphics.

An in-depth look at what you need to know.

Application delivery controllers are a great way to speed things up. Be careful of overbuying, though, and consider which approach to take. INSIDER (Registration required)

February 7, 2011

One rogue IT employee can do more damage than an army of hackers. Here's how three companies could have better protected themselves.

Apple's Mac App Store is only the latest effort to make finding and installing software on your computer as easy as it is on your smartphone.

VPNs-for-hire can secure your laptop at public hot spots.

Keep up with the latest news about the turmoil in Egypt from a tech perspective.

May 10, 2010

The business version of Google's Gmail is drawing the attention of enterprise Exchange customers. Citing simplicity and savings, a few have already jumped ship. But some have held back -- and at least one switched back. Here's why.

Workers are leaving themselves, and their corporate data, open for the taking every time they use a hot spot. Here's how some shops are approaching the issue.

Writer Mitch Wagner tries to use Apple's iPad as his only computer during a five-day business trip. Is the iPad up to the job?.

The new version of Apple's tablet delivers 3G connectivity, but there are trade-offs.

These useful iPad apps will let you watch streaming movies, manage passwords and more.

April 19, 2010

Get details about the iPad's speedy processor, wide viewing angle, long battery life and more.

Less is more when it comes to bang-up business presentations. Here are five tips for better tech talks.

Virtual worlds are finding a niche in the workplace for such as training, simulation and prototyping.

These add-on programs will help you work smarter without leaving your browser.

Keeping up with the latest on virtualization, green IT, SOA and other important IT subjects can be a challenge. These books will help.

Don't make the common mistake of believing multitenancy is the same as multiuser. Heres what you need to know, and why.

April 5, 2010

Gadget-enabled multitasking is so addictive, it might actually be damaging the economy.

These nine steps can help you get a handle on matching technology infrastructure with demand.

Opinion: Behind HTML 5's hype is a half-baked standard with the most important questions it was meant to address left unanswered.

An opinionated look back at the good, the bad and the ugly of Microsoft's 35-year history.

CrossOver Linux 9 expands the number of Windows applications you can run on Linux, and makes it easier than ever.

A smartphone is only as good as its apps. Here are 10 free ones to supercharge your shiny new Palm phone.

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March 22, 2010

Conflicted feelings are common when big tech projects go awry. Group hug, anyone?

After taking a pass on Vista, organizations are ready to commit to Microsoft's new OS. Major rollouts are planned for this year.

Opinion: Perhaps instead we need to start doing things differently, so that every computer user isn't required to be a security expert.

Sure, savings are possible, but you have to think about efficiently migrating data to the cloud, meeting compliance demands and avoiding software licensing snafus, among many other issues.

Think your PC is completely protected? Not necessarily. There are some hidden dangers out there you may not have thought of.

The first devices using USB 3.0's SuperSpeed spec are now hitting the market. We try out a few to see how fast they really are.

It's inexpensive and easy to set up and use.

The IT world is abuzz about the Apple iPad, launching April 3. But Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols prefers to wait for the cheaper, open-source alternatives on the horizon.

Steve Ballmer is heavily promoting Microsoft's support of cloud computing. But Microsoft doesn't truly embrace cloud computing, as evidenced in its upcoming release of Office 2010, observes Preston Gralla.

The Mac Mini is Apple's most affordable desktop Macintosh. Seth Weintraub thinks it could maintain that reputation while offering even more punch.

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March 8, 2010

On paper, IT salaries are frozen. In real life, there are still ways to get a raise. Here's how.

Your people can help resolve problems in creative ways. Just ask Pfizer; the giant pharmaceutical firm has saved $20 million with new processes and products brainstormed by employees.

Options include public clouds and external private clouds. Here's how to choose wisely.

The success of open-source software raises a tantalizing question: Could the same design philosophy work for tech gadgets?

From tech celebs to hidden gems, our Mac expert names 10 sources whose Apple-related tweets he couldn't do without.

Opinion: Despite promising new technologies and federal stimulus money, the rural U.S. remains the land that telecom forgot.

February 22, 2010

The downturn has some large enterprises rethinking how they pay for new data center space. The big winner: data center facility operators.

Using a computer is well within reach of the blind and the physically disabled with the help of these new and updated accessibility tools.

Opinion: An app store for PCs makes sense because we can't expect every PC user to be a security expert.

Yes, solid-state storage is still expensive, but for speed-hungry applications, the performance boost can be too great to ignore.

Learn the latest techniques for designing modern Web sites -- and making sure visitors can find them.

Opinion: IT needs to pay attention to Apple's latest gadget.

February 8, 2010

From mighty six-core desktop chips to minuscule smartbook processors, here's a look at what's in the CPU cards this year.

From mighty six-core desktop chips to minuscule smartbook processors, here's a look at what's in the CPU cards this year.

Help desk pros are taking on more responsibilities with less assistance than ever. Will the skills they gain help them in the future? Here's hoping.

You're ready to advance, but your manager is asleep at the switch. Here's how to get ahead without a boost from your boss.

Why the era of packing more servers into the same space may have to end.

Be prepared to fork over at least $100,000 for that in-the-same-room feeling.

January 18, 2010

The notorious Y2K bug put IT on the map -- and nearly wiped out its credibility. Ten years later, we remember the upsides, the downsides and how techies rang in the new millennium.

Opinion: We've always been terrible in IT about learning from our mistakes. This year, let's do better so we don't keep repeating them, urges Kenneth van Wyk.

Broadening adoption of service-oriented architecture requires more planning, better management tools and more effective measurement of what's working -- and not.

Review: Firefox 3.6 is almost here, and if the release candidate is any indication, it's looking mighty good.

Still pondering social media marketing? Time to get smart with these 5 essential books.

Security Manager's Journal: Without a comprehensive patching program in place, it's hard to keep PCs free of malware.

January 4, 2010

Keep up with the latest news, opinions and forecasts on how this year is likely to unfold -- plus, browse a collection of stories highlighting top trends of the year gone by.

IT retirement is a newly distant dream for fifty- and sixty-something techies grappling with tanking 401Ks, rising health care costs and a hypercompetitive job market.

When Tasty Baking Co. moved its data center, everything went very smoothly, and a low-tech tool proved a surprise hit.

When business units circumvent governance in order to fast-track projects, the result is almost always a major slowdown.

Apple has made it work for the iPhone, but can that model be expanded to cover the world of desktop PCs?

These all-in-one PCs save not only space and money, but electricity too. You could save up to $60 a year over a regular desktop computer.

December 21, 2009

QL2 Software conducted a one-day swine-flu test-run to make sure all its headquarters employees could work from home, and it found a few problems.

Opinion: We'll see mobile services and fewer platforms, but Microsoft's will be among those that stick around.

Opinion: When e-mail gets in the way of getting things done, it's time to reconsider how we handle it.

Opinion: And punishing individual employees is the wrong response.

Here's the back-story of one of the longest ever technology-standard wars.

Some will bite, but widespread desktop virtualization adoption is still years off.

December 7, 2009

We asked what you wanted for the holidays, and you answered. Here are the best HDTVs, e-readers, smartphones and some surprise goodies to wrap up for yourself or anyone on your list.

Opinion: Organizations that do IT better than you don't have more money or talent. They have a definition of what IT is that is understood throughout the enterprise.

Netbooks are coming, and companies need to figure out how to handle security and what to do about the consumer operating systems many of the devices come with.

Despite its fans, the overall market for open-source virtualization remains tiny, though it's growing.

Ryan Faas digs in to explain the new networking, performance and collaboration options in Apple's Snow Leopard Server.

Our manager has been battered by the economy, but he's landed on his feet again and is ready to make a difference in a new job.

Opinion: The smart grid opens the door to mischief and terrorism disrupting the power grid, says Ira Winkler.

November 16, 2009

The ROI can be compelling, as can the ability to tweak the code.

You can't fix the Internet, but you can tap these techniques to improve uptime for your company's Web site.

Sure, it's cheaper to run applications off the cloud -- when our Internet connection is working. When we have network problems, though, it's another story entirely.

Opinion: The collaboration tool has been a rare bright spot for Microsoft lately, but that might not last.

Opinion: Android 2.0 and the first device to use it, Droid, have a certain coolness factor, but that's not what corporate IT is looking for.

Abundant spectrum resources, loose rules and an engaged research community are drawing wireless experimenters back into a hobby that many had given up for dead.

November 2, 2009

Early adopters that are now focused on building and managing private clouds are planning for a hybrid future that includes the public cloud.

Many companies that eschewed Vista will go straight from XP to Windows 7.

If you think it's difficult to restore a stolen identity now, wait until your identity is tied to your fingerprints or other biometric data.

Corporate e-mail was supposed to save us time and increase productivity, but instead it's suffocating us. Here is one CEO's solution to the problem.

The reward for arrogance is to know you're right as you go down in flames.

Didn't think hardware this tiny could be tweaked? We explore five ways to turn netbooks up to 11.

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