Online Extras

November 17, 2008

In his hands-on review of the Windows 7 pre-beta, Preston Gralla decides that Microsoft's upcoming OS shows great promise.

There are many useful changes in this incremental upgrade, Jonathan Hassell says, but the kernel-level enhancements make testing time even more critical.

Opinion: Smart phones are miniature PCs that are being connected to your network. Shouldn't you start to exercise some real control over them? (And no, that doesn't mean banning them.)

Much more than a way to tell friends what you're doing, Twitter can be a valuable business tool -- if you know what you're doing. Here's how to juice it for all it's worth.

In our tests, aftermarket notebook cells match the originals' specs and run just as long while costing significantly less. But if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

November 10, 2008

Review: Considering a smart phone? Will it do what you want it to? We tested four major platforms to see which is best for specific tasks.

Even Mac veterans say Apple doesn't always act like other technology partners and that doing what it takes to mix Apple into the environment takes time and research.

Are you keeping up with what your peers are making? Search by title and region.

Prediction: The era when subnotebooks are subsidized like cell phones is here -- almost.

Review: The software introduces a wide scope of virtual platform support, performance and resource optimization -- for both Microsoft and VMware infrastructures.

For the Federal Election Commission, enforcing campaign finance laws and making financing data publicly accessible requires a vast server farm, multiple levels of databases and a variety of security tools.

Blogs

Forget e-voting, data security and a mess of other technological worries. We need to implement the basic step of verifying voter identity, blogs Computerworld editorial director Don Tennant.

For users Microsoft Vista has failed to woo, Linux has proven a viable alternative. But Microsoft's next operating system, Windows 7, may put a nail in Linux's coffin, predicts Preston Gralla.

Shark Bait

A college instructor offers himself as a personal reference to students beginning their careers. But it comes with strings attached.

Do you spend more time with computers than with people -- especially those of the opposite sex? If so, this snarky video may be just the advice you need.

November 3, 2008

Follow the latest voting-tech news on Election Day, including:

• State-by-state map outlines which election systems are being used and tracks major voting-tech incidents

• E-voting writer Todd Weiss' blog reports on election-tech issues

• Continuing coverage page rounds up our latest news, features and opinions

New troubleshooting, security and federated search functions promise to make Windows life easier for both IT staffers and end users alike, says Jonathan Hassell.

Despite Silicon Valley's infatuation with youth, a few savvy CEOs have stayed in the game into their 60s -- to the great benefit of the companies they lead. They could teach the rest of us a thing or two.

More

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