Can Dell's Web Gadget Beat the iPhone?
By Rob Enderle | Features Article Published July 2, 2009
Dell has a serious chance, but given the history of failed attempts on Apple’s crown, the odds favor Apple.

Why Software Piracy Pays
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published July 2, 2009
When you shell out $200 for your discounted upgrade of Windows 7 Professional, you're actually helping pay for a copy for someone in China.

Do You Trust Microsoft to Secure Windows?
By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | Features Article Published June 29, 2009
The free service Microsoft Security Essentials, codenamed Morro, could change the PC security business – if Microsoft can surmount a major perception problem.

7 Cloud Computing Acquisition Targets
By James Maguire | Features Article Published June 30, 2009
Today’s savvy new cloud companies will likely get gobbled up by the giants that will rule cloud computing in the years ahead.

Too Old To Write Software? Or Just the 'Wrong Era'?
By Eric Spiegel | Features Article Published June 29, 2009
Rightly or wrongly, age is considered when hiring developers, yet a more important indicator is what micro-era in software history a programmer belongs to.

KDE's Kontact vs. GNOME's Evolution: Best Personal Info Manager?
By Bruce Byfield | Features Article Published June 29, 2009
An expert Linux user compares two open source personal contact managers and decides on his personal favorite.

Six Perfect Tech Products Everyone Should Use
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published June 25, 2009
So good they can actually enhance your career and your relationships -- and your life.

Simplifying the Term 'Cloud Computing'
By Jeffrey Kaplan | Features Article Published June 25, 2009
The definition of cloud computing is in the eye of the beholder, yet one industry observer offers a clear (if flexible) explanation.

Expert: IT Hiring has 'Stabilized'
By David Needle | Features Article Published June 24, 2009
Nearly 35,000 IT jobs were shed, yet the darkest period appears to have passed.

Google Phone Hits Shelves in August
By Reuters | Features Article Published June 23, 2009
The Google mobile unit will compete against the Pre and the iPhone.

Tech Comics: "Your Facebook URL"
By Oliver Widder | Features Article Published June 26, 2009
If you have a rare chance to get your own name as a personalized Facebook URL, you should take it.

Will Cloud Computing Kill the Data Center?
By Jeff Vance | Features Article Published June 22, 2009
Industry experts talk about whether the migration to cloud computing is as inevitable as the hype suggests.

iPhone 3.0 Software Review: Apple Catches Up (Mostly)
By Troy Dreier | Features Article Published June 22, 2009
The free iPhone software update moves the handheld forward, but could have gone further.

Free Download: 100 Open Source Apps for Windows
By Cynthia Harvey | Features Article Published June 23, 2009
Games, office productivity, blogging, money management, and more: While many Windows users don't want to switch to an open source OS, a few free apps won’t hurt. Many apps also work on Mac and (of course) Linux.

IBM's Revenge on Sun and Microsoft's Brush with Reality
By Rob Enderle | Features Article Published June 18, 2009
Could IBM be the biggest beneficiary of Oracle’s acquisition of Sun? Plus: a poor review for Microsoft’s Web-based reality TV show.

IT Salaries: Security Staff
By James Maguire | Features Article Published June 17, 2009
The need for IT security staff never seems to lessen, creating healthy salary levels for these sought after professionals.

Why Apple Should Dump AT&T
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published June 17, 2009
Thanks to AT&T's slow execution on support for new iPhone features, its horrible customer service, and its high and confusing prices, yet another iPhone launch has been compromised.

Tech Comics: "Facebook Kids"
By Oliver Widder | Features Article Published June 19, 2009
The question, 'wanna play?' has new meaning to today's tech savvy kids.

Can Apple Survive its Move Toward Mass Market?
By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | Features Article Published June 17, 2009
With the iPhone available for $99 and the Snow Leopard upgrade selling for a mere $29, Apple is on a slippery slope toward commodity status.

Fixes for Wi-Fi Hotspot Annoyances
By Eric Geier | Features Article Published June 17, 2009
A guide to securing your connection, accessing remote files, sharing connections and more.

Interview with Pirate Party Leader: "These are Crucial Freedoms"
By Bruce Byfield | Features Article Published June 16, 2009
A political party that advocates for the free and open source software community has become the third largest Swedish party.

Tech Industry vs. Free: Who Survives?
By Alex Goldman | Features Article Published June 16, 2009
Competing with an ever expanding array of free offerings, tech companies face big challenges.

Is a College Degree Needed to be a Great Software Developer?
By Eric Spiegel | Features Article Published June 15, 2009
The question is complicated by today's tough job market, in which non-degreed applicants don't even land an interview.

How to Be a Cloud Computing Vendor
By Abraham Sultan | Features Article Published June 11, 2009
An executive at a Software-as-a-Service vendor talks about the issues involved with selling software over the Internet.

Does the Mac-Windows-Linux Race Ever Change?
By Emery Fletcher | Features Article Published June 10, 2009
Looking back at a 1999 essay by sci-fi author Neal Stephenson suggests that humans change far slower than technology.

Tech Comics: "Retweeting 'I Love You'"
By Oliver Widder | Features Article Published June 12, 2009
Mixing Twitter and love can be an odd combination.

Who Killed Twitter?
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published June 11, 2009
Statistics about Twitter usage show a far different picture than the media hype suggests. Why did Twitter jump the shark?

Cut Costs (And Save Your Job) Using Business Intelligence
By Larry Marion | Features Article Published June 10, 2009
Business Intelligence software can cut the bloat from five key corporate cost centers – and ensure the job of that smart individual who understands its potential.

The Best Mac Security Software
By Ryan Faas | Features Article Published June 9, 2009
The Mac may be comparatively safer, yet Mac users can still benefit from software to guard against security threats from malware, spam and network attacks.

Stop the Drivel: The 'Really Perfect' Tech Exec
By Steve Andriole | Features Article Published June 8, 2009
Forget the fawning coverage, the truly perfect IT exec masters office politics better than tech.

How to Be Safer on Twitter
By Kenneth van Wyk | Features Article Published June 8, 2009
The use of encoded URL services like TinyURL is one of several security challenges facing Twitter users.

The Agony of FOSS Branding
By Bruce Byfield | Features Article Published June 9, 2009
The Free and open source software community disdains marketing, which is a great help to competing OSes.

Is Tech Hiring a 'Fixed' Game?
By Andy Patrizio | Features Article Published June 4, 2009
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether big tech firms have a de facto agreement to keep salaries down.

Microsoft vs. the EU: When Antitrust is Anti-Competitive
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published June 4, 2009
Microsoft is being unfairly harassed by European Union regulators, argues a tech industry observer.

Apple Mum On Rumor Of New iPhone
By Reuters | Features Article Published June 5, 2009
Speculation is rampant that an updated iPhone will be announced at worldwide developers' conference on Monday.

Tech Follies: Laptop Batteries, Netbooks, and Investor Funny Money
By Rob Enderle | Features Article Published June 4, 2009
A veteran industry analyst points out some of the follies in today's tech world.

Cloud Middleware Moves Into Enterprise
By Alex Goldman | Features Article Published June 3, 2009
New sector emerges to help enterprises connect old software to SaaS and cloud services they've just added.

Porn Search at Work? Not If Bing Can Help It
By Stuart J. Johnston | Features Article Published June 5, 2009
Microsoft offers workaround in response to complaints that corporate Bing users easily could find and access porn.

Assessing The Social Networking Tsunami
By Reuters | Features Article Published June 3, 2009
The number of minutes spent on social networks in the United States nearly doubled in the past year, according to Nielsen Online.

Breached VPN Reveals Corporate Insecurity
By Alex Goldman | Features Article Published June 2, 2009
The VPN is clearly not as safe as it should be, based on recent reports.

Asus Eee and the 'It's Better with Windows' Campaign
By Bruce Byfield | Features Article Published June 2, 2009
Once a Linux Netbook pioneer, Asus now promotes the joys of Windows – but its campaign is decidedly strange.

Next iPhone Details Leaked (Unofficially)
By Michelle Megna | Features Article Published June 2, 2009
A brief sighting of the next generation iPhone reveals a tantalizing array of upgrades, including video capability.

Microsoft Lifts Limits on Windows 7 Starter
By Stuart J. Johnston | Features Article Published June 1, 2009
Responding to complaints, Microsoft will no longer place a three-app limit on Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Obama's Cybersecurity Moves Win Applause -- So Far
By Kenneth Corbin | Features Article Published June 1, 2009
The Obama administration's efforts to boost governmental cybersecurity have won positive reviews, yet the job is far from finished.

For Novell, Linux Still A Money Loser
By Sean Michael Kerner | Features Article Published May 29, 2009
Company stands by investment, plans break-even for its Linux business within 12 to 18 months.

The Next 'Wave' In Communication?
By David Needle | Features Article Published May 29, 2009
Google's browser-based online communications environment combines features of e-mail, IM and collaboration software. But it's still in beta.

Why the Palm Pre Will Fail
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published May 28, 2009
Pre is not ready for business, can't top the iPhone for consumers and is entering the market at the worst possible time.

Netbook Wars: Linux, Android, Windows 7
By Matt Hartley | Features Article Published May 28, 2009
The perceived "failure of Linux on netbooks" has nothing to do with desktop Linux. It's a matter how desktop Linux and Android are presented to the end user.

Striking the Right Gnote
By Bruce Byfield | Features Article Published May 27, 2009
Because the open source Gnote is coded in Mono, some see it as controversial. It this much ado about nothing?

The Cell Phone as Wi-Fi Hotspot
By Michelle Megna | Features Article Published May 26, 2009
A forward-looking vendor is seeking to turn the lowly cell phone into a wireless hotspot.

Interop: IT and the Dark Economy
By Sean Michael Kerner | Features Article Published May 21, 2009
Research firm IDC predicts growth in IT staff will be flat over the next three years, yet customer interaction will grow significantly.

The Trouble with Real-Time Search
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published May 21, 2009
You can expect Google to embrace real-time search. But don't expect that search to be anywhere near as useful as good old-fashioned regular Google searches.

Windows 7 Review: Why I Like Windows 7
By Andy Rathbone | Features Article Published May 18, 2009
The pros and cons of Windows 7, from the author of the popular Windows for Dummies guidebooks.

Developer Salary Levels, 2004-2009
By James Maguire | Features Article Published May 19, 2009
For developer salaries, the last five years have brought good news and not so good news.

Tech Comics: "Real Life in Real-Time"
By Oliver Widder | Features Article Published May 22, 2009
The Internet offers the promise of real-time activity -- sort of.

Being an IT Manager: Joys and Headaches
By Scott Alan Miller | Features Article Published May 18, 2009
The IT field rewards those who keep pace with change but punishes those who fall behind. Still, being in IT has its pleasures.

Finding The Coding Zone: Your Perfect Trifecta?
By Eric Spiegel | Features Article Published May 17, 2009
What perfect list of conditions enables you to write your best possible software code?

Does Google's 'Recent Results' Feature Beat Twitter?
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published May 13, 2009
Twitter Search offers more timely results while Google’s “Recent results” are better filtered. The best option is to combine them. C’mon, Google: Acquire Twitter already!

iPhone App Developers Talk about Success Strategies
By James Maguire | Features Article Published May 13, 2009
The London-based developers of iSteam talk about trends in the iPhone app market.

Oracle's Purchase of Virtual Iron: Oracle VM
By Alex Goldman | Features Article Published May 14, 2009
Oracle's purchase of Virtual Iron demonstrates that efficient provisioning and energy use are driving the adoption of virtualization by corporate customers.

What Wi-Fi Eavesdroppers See on Unsecured Networks
By Eric Geier | Features Article Published May 12, 2009
Understanding how Wi-Fi eavesdroppers work helps you protect your own wireless communications.

Intel Slammed with $1.45 Billion Antitrust Fine
By Reuters | Features Article Published May 13, 2009
The European Commission fined Intel Corp a record 1.06 billion euros ($1.45 billion), ordering it to halt illegal rebates and other practices used to squeeze out rival AMD.

Will Desktop Virtualization and the Rise of Netbooks Kill the PC?
By Jeff Vance | Features Article Published May 13, 2009
Not in the short term, but longer range factors like Microsoft’s strategy and ever cheaper netbook chips complicate the issue.

Tips for Landing an IT Job in the Recession
By Dave Willmer | Features Article Published May 11, 2009
You may need to throw out your old resume and redo it for today’s climate. Plus: networking is great, but don’t overdo it.

A Developer and her Netbook: Cheap .NET Coding
By Sara Chipps | Features Article Published May 11, 2009
A .NET developer, armed a few bucks a whole bunch of research, builds an inexpensive mobile coding studio.

Which Distros Would You Use If Ubuntu Vanished?
By Matt Hartley | Features Article Published May 11, 2009
Options for newbies and experienced users alike, along with a good reason to look beyond the beloved Ubuntu.

Steve Jobs Gets Pwned
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published May 7, 2009
Apple fumbled hugely by allowing the Kindle to dominate the rapidly growing eBook device market.

IT Salary Levels, 2004-2009
By James Maguire | Features Article Published May 6, 2009
IT salary levels have fluctuated considerably in the last five years, yet the industry remains lucrative for qualified professionals.

Tech Comics: "Etiquette on Facebook-Twitter"
By Oliver Widder | Features Article Published May 8, 2009
The odd social mores of Facebook and Twitter create some unusual social interaction.

Does Apple Have PC Envy? (or Netbook Envy?)
By Rob Enderle | Features Article Published May 5, 2009
Apple's excess focus on Microsoft is causing the company to lose ground even as Google is ramping up to undermine Apple on the way to its ultimate goal of displacing Microsoft.

How to Make Your iPhone Secure
By Kenneth van Wyk | Features Article Published May 6, 2009
Protect your iPhone from the many Wi-fi thieves who are targeting its sensitive data.

Where IT is Going (Thin is In)
By Steve Andriole | Features Article Published May 4, 2009
We’ll move into the cloud, reorganize ourselves, and finally use thin clients. It’s time to stop talking.

Does Windows 'XP Mode' Suggest Future Trend?
By Paul Rubens | Features Article Published May 5, 2009
Windows 7 ability to run 'XP Mode' may allow Microsoft to shed some its problems, change and move on without abandoning the long-term relationship with its customer base.

Windows 7 RC Review: Good Speed, Bad Taskbar
By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | Features Article Published May 4, 2009
Windows 7 looks to be major step past Vista, with a few quibbles. Plus: a fix for the taskbar problem.

Top Netbooks: the Eight Best Netbooks Compared
By James Maguire | Features Article Published April 21, 2009
The top netbooks all offer a similar feature set. So which small portable is the very best?

Oracle to Make SaaS Push
By Reuters | Features Article Published May 1, 2009
Oracle will increases its software-as-a-service offerings, a source close to the company says.

Is Windows 7 Really Mojave? (Part II)
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published April 29, 2009
Is Windows 7 really "Mojave" — Vista warmed over and sold with a shiny new package? The answer is: sort of.

Tech Comics: "Facebook Friends"
By Oliver Widder | Features Article Published May 1, 2009
One's popularity as a friend on Facebook can change quickly.

Ubuntu Jaunty Tries to Set the Usability Agenda
By Bruce Byfield | Features Article Published April 27, 2009
With the supposedly improved notifications system in the recently-released Jaunty Jackalope, Ubuntu unintentionally raises a new issue in usability: should a distribution set the usability agenda by itself?

IBM Allies with Brocade, Challenging Cisco
By Reuters | Features Article Published April 28, 2009
Network vendor Brocade is increasing its alliance with IBM, suggesting that Cisco may face greater challenges.

How Oracle-Sun Could Use Google to Become New IBM
By Rob Enderle | Features Article Published April 27, 2009
Google would own the user, Oracle would own IT, and both would embrace a heavily subsidized hardware model that would be nearly impossible for Microsoft to counter.

The Five P's of SaaS Platforms
By Jeffrey Kaplan | Features Article Published April 22, 2009
To succeed in the platform-as-a-service market, a vendor needs to offer a reliable and secure development environment.

Is Microsoft Better Without Bill Gates?
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published April 22, 2009
Since the late 1990s it seemed that Microsoft consistently failed to capitalize on the biggest opportunities. Since Gates left last summer, the company seems to be doing everything right.

Tech Comics: "Did Apple Design the Cyclops?"
By Oliver Widder | Features Article Published April 24, 2009
The unique one-eyed design of the mythic creature suggests that Steve Jobs is older than he admits.

VMware's Earnings Reflect Larger Struggles
By Alex Goldman | Features Article Published April 23, 2009
Even the new vSphere solution isn't expected to help in the near term, as the virtualization vendors earnings suggest larger problems.

Where's Your Coding Happy Place?
By Eric Spiegel | Features Article Published April 20, 2009
Developing software code is an activity best done in an optimal environment. Then again, is it more a question of external location, or internal mood?

Do We Need an FDA to Protect Our Data?
By Joshua Greenbaum | Features Article Published April 20, 2009
It’s time we take data protection out of the realm of futility and treat our vital data like a food or a drug that needs serious oversight and safeguards.

Ubuntu inside Windows: the Good, Bad and the Ugly
By Matt Hartley | Features Article Published April 20, 2009
Running Ubuntu inside Windows has its place, but it’s far from an ideal solution.

Studying for Tech Certifications on a Budget
By Eric Geier | Features Article Published April 14, 2009
IT certifications can boost your career, yet preparing for them can be costly. Here are resources to help you get ready without spending a fortune.

Is Citrix's $500 Million Purchase of XenSource Paying Off?
By Jeff Vance | Features Article Published April 13, 2009
Some might wonder if the fortune spent on the open source vendor was a wise move, but look at the burgeoning virtual desktop infrastructure market and you’ll see the point.

Inside Google's 'Facebook Killer'
By Mike Elgan | Features Article Published April 15, 2009
The Facebook user interface is cumbersome and counter-intuitive. Google (with possible help from Twitter) has a solution.

Tech Comics: "Cherish Your Non-Internet Time"
By Oliver Widder | Features Article Published April 17, 2009
Sometimes your Internet connection dies. Those are moments to enjoy.

You Know You're an Apple Fan Boy When…
By Ryan Faas | Features Article Published April 13, 2009
Tips to help you determine if you’re merely a fan or if you’ve gone over the deep end.

How to Use Facebook Safely
By Kenneth van Wyk | Features Article Published April 13, 2009
Tips on protecting yourself and your PC as you use Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.