From the first pocket scientific calculator through '80s organizers to today's tablets, check out 15 ingenious devices that have driven the handheld computing revolution.
From Metro Start to reduced hardware requirements, here is a look at the best new features Windows 8 users will love
There are a ton of high-tech managers and regulators in the federalgovernment who may be changing jobs come November
Steampunk design has taken root in everything from computers to iPhones
There's a lot more to LinkedIn than just connecting with the people you know. Here's a look at 12 features, from a business card digitizer to a resume builder, that enhance your LinkedIn experience.
From low-profile intrusions to statement-making break-ins, here are 10 headline-making system intrusions (and the culprits behind them)
A look at some of the best guesses about Apple’s long-rumored HDTV.
These turnkey development services get your apps up and running quickly, saving you from infrastructure tedium
Apps, schmaps. Who needs to download anything when these mobile sites and services offer fast information and entertainment right in your mobile browser?
In case of emergency, tap these handy tools for network and server admins
Give your old phone a new lease on life by converting it into a brainy TV remote, a GPS navigator, or a numpad companion for your keyboard.
Here are some Facebook apps you should note--for business, for fun, for photography and video and more.
We pinpoint the cloud storage services with the best attributes for accomplishing specific tasks, and offer advice on how to use the cloud most effectively.
Looking to get more out of the world's most popular microblogging service? Here are 11 free apps that deliver the goods.
Hot products at the annual wireless conference include everything from LTE signal boosters to wireless pet trackers
Cool, fun and practical, these Mother's Day gifts have a tech edge
Oracle’s Larry Ellison finally ousted from the top spot on our list of highest paid tech execs
Click through all the products being released at the Interop conference in Las Vegas this week
Take a gander at a dozen delightful concept designs for tomorrow's smartphones, laptops, gaming devices and more.
A sampling of famous and not-so-famous tech execs who ran afoul of the law
In the tech world, acquisitions, mergers, partnerships and product investments seem to happen every day. The latest buzz-worthy partnership is between Microsoft and Barnes & Noble. Here are some other recent, and less recent, tech unions that either struck gold or turned to dung. For some, the jury is still out.
You can’t erase all of the personal info that’s out on the Web, but you hide in plain sight
Who says you need a college degree to be successful? Here's a look at 10 tech titans who dropped out and made it big...really big.
Members of an increasingly mobile workforce can suffer from gadget overload. From smartphones, tablets and notebooks to a wide variety of peripherals for security, battery charging and productivity on the go, deciding which devices to pack can be a daunting challenge. Here are 10 smart gadgets to help you work better while on the go.
Intel's Sandy Bridge processors are still the popular kids on the block, but the new Sandy Bridge Extreme Edition has arrived, taking top honors on our performance PC benchmarks.
Crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter offer entrepreneurs new ways to realize their visions. Here are some proposals for tech gadgets from hopeful developers.
From no-frills servers to free cooling, the Open Compute Project reveals the many secrets behind Facebook's high-efficiency data centers
RIM has unveiled the first smartphone running its next-generation BlackBerry 10 software. The device is meant only for developers, however, and won't ever be released to the public. CIO.com's Al Sacco shares a number of images of the new BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha handheld.
From new space mining venture to causing the end of the world, asteroids are a hot topic
As your iPad gets more and more business use, be sure to have these apps to get the most office productivity possible
Superheroes, vampires, secret agents and more to invade movie theaters this summer
Pining (or not) for Netscape Navigator, Super Nintendo and Tamagotchi
Can you hear me now? Probably not. But these non-functioning or repurposed phone booths offer cool, fun and even practical elements for the public.
NASA’s Hubble telescope is celebrating 22 years as a space discovery icon
A former Intel site is home to a new wholesale data center campus in Santa Clara, Calif.
This year's Green 15 devised innovative ways to slash waste, save energy, and reduce CO2 emissions
The Woz, Steve Jobs’ biographer, IBM chair among those to share words of wisdom with new grads
From Windows Server 8 to Office 15, Microsoft is overhauling its IT portfolio. Here's what to expect
A step-by-step guide to running Apache, MySQL and PHP on any Windows machine
One last hurrah – Shuttle Discovery flies piggy-back to Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center
From Lockheed Martin and HBGary Federal to the US government and Cornell University, no one is immune to humiliating security glitches
While smartphones and tablets have stirred the bring-your-own-device crowd to action lately, employees have been bringing their own tech gadgets to work for years. Here's a look at some of the coolest BYOD tech, past and present.
The tech world has changed out of all recognition since Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system’s release
The tech world is full of seemingly little apps that can make a huge difference in your work life. But how do you find them? To help you get started, we've drawn up a list of 10 indispensable PC applications to help you work smarter.
Fantasy politics, unmasking enhanced images, an electric skateboard and a handful of innovative enterprise products headline DEMO 2012 in Santa Clara.
From tablet-based texting to social media management, these Android tablet apps are at the top of their class when it comes to communication.
The third-generation iPad sports a eye-catching display. These App Store downloads use that improved screen to full effect.
What if you had some spare time to wander around while attending the Interop conference in May?
Our roundup of intriguing new products from Toshiba, SolarWinds, Datamotion among others.
Prepaid smartphones were once both lower-cost and lower-quality, but lately they're becoming a viable alternative for many users.
The iPad, iPhone, and Android revolution is taking place within the data center, as these popular tools attest
Lusting after Google's glasses? Here are 15 augmented reality apps you can get now.
Recalling classic computers upon the passing of Commodore International founder Jack Tramiel
Transportation, healthcare, fashion and more get the MIT treatment
Our roundup of intriguing new products from McAfee, F5, BeyondTrust, among others.
Microsoft, Motorola, Oracle and Google, Facebook and many others are fighting for a piece of righteous intellectual property pie
Mad geniuses across the nation immortalize games, movies, tech product announcements, and iconic sci-fi moments in dioramas built using our favorite Easter candy: Marshmallow Peeps. Take a look at some of the best.
Lots of mobile apps and Web services are available to help people who want all their digital content--not just documents--at their fingertips at any time. We look at 20 that are fun, useful, or both.
The Windows 8 Metro Start Screen is a bold new direction for Microsoft's flagship operating system. Love it or hate it, Windows 8 is definitely generating its share of buzz. In this video slideshow, CIO.com Assistant Managing Editor Shane O'Neill walks through the new Metro Start Screen and the various Windows 8 apps and navigation features.
If you're casting someone to play the late-Steve Jobs, what qualities would you look for? Enigmatic? Ruthless? Sneaky? Clever? Charismatic? All of the above? Among today's leading men, here are 10 who could portray the iconic Apple CEO, for better or worse.
IT products that save time, provide security, and help with compliance efforts are among IT pros’ favorites
Vienna University of Technology says its 3D printer creates images in world record time
Ethernet is almost 40 years old. Here’s a look at some of its product origins
Our roundup of intriguing new products from Eeye, Solarwinds, Aspect, among others.
The unusual security stuff for sale at the recent GovSec Conference in Washington, D.C.
Pulling off laptop-free business travel requires new hardware, a handful of apps and some extra planning. These tools can help
A look at Google's new 7-floor co-working fortress in London
Our roundup of some of 2011's Internet-based April Fools' pranks should get you in the mood for this year's inevitable crop. Get ready to wince.
Cisco: From its Catalyst 6500 Ethernet switch rollout to 2011's 'transformation,' the networking giant has a rich history
Tech startups have long attracted IT professionals to their payrolls, lured by the opportunity to work on cool projects with new technologies. If you're seeking the thrill of startup life (and the prospect of IPO riches), head to one of the following 10 U.S. cities identified by PayScale as a hotspot for finding high-paying IT jobs with tech startups.
Give your home screen a massive power boost with these 11 excellent widgets for Android tablets.
From space to Rio, the Angry Birds game seems to be out to conquer the world
From 1970s minicomputers used for military programs (including nuclear weapons) to an IBM punch-card system still keeping the books at a Texas filter supplier, these are the computers that time forgot.
Lots of inventions are not the iPad, but they are still cool, sort of
Interop Las Vegas 2012 unfurls at Mandalay Bay Convention Center May 6-10 with a lengthy history since it was first held in 1986 as a plug-fest to work out kinks implementing TCP/IP in commercial products. Here are a few interesting questions about the Interop show to test your knowledge of the people and technology around the show. Keep track of your score and see how well you rank at the end.
Follow all the breaking news from the show
10 Las Vegas alternatives to Interop
Few things have been more anticipated than the new iPad announced March 7 and that became available March 16, with speculation running wild about what the upgraded tablet would include among its new features. While plenty is new and innovative, that doesn’t include the name – new iPad – which shows a distinct minimalist bent on the part of Apple marketers. Test yourself on the new iPad essentials here with a brief quiz about the latest must-have tech device. Keep score and rate yourself at the end.
RELATED: 10 terrific apps for the new iPad
Tiles, touchscreens, Metro style – lots of buzzwords surround the Windows 8 operating system. With its promise to expand Microsoft’s influence on tablets and a user interface that mimics that of the well reviewed Windows Phone 7, the latest Windows version should draw a lot of consumer attention. Here is a brief quiz to test your knowledge about the new operating system. Keep track of your answers and at the end check how well you did.
RELATED: Windows 8: A visual tour of what we now know
The top hidden features of Windows 8
Windows 8: What you need to know
As the world waits breathlessly for Apple’s March (?) release of iPad 3, here is a brief quiz about all things iPad from its design, to its features to its accessories. This device is definitely remarkable, dominating a tablet market that nevertheless remains flush with new competitors. Keep track of your score and find out at the end how you stack up in iPad knowledge.
Other quizzes:
Our round-up of intriguing new products from Total Defense, Infoblox, Sophos among others.
Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.
Crowd loses control
Apple says it is suspending all iPhone 4S sales at its five retail stores in China after huge crowds waiting to enter one of them were determined to pose a safety risk to personnel. The abrupt cancellation prompted howls of protest, a melee and arrests, with one of those protesting producing a bag of eggs that were hurled against the store’s glass doors.
This year saw the rise of political hacktivism by the likes of Anonymous and LulzSec, the hacking of millions of emails, a shortage of hard drives and a big role for the Internet in uprisings across the world. Here’s a brief quiz of some of the events that shaped tech news in 2011. Keep track of your score and see how well you did at the end.
Related:
25 top tech news stories of 2011
The year in security mischief making
30 events that shaped in Cisco in 2011
You can have your tacky Christmas sweaters. But here at Network World we’re all about celebrating things geeky and techie. Without further ado, a collection of some of the more fabulous ones found around the Web.
Laptop Alternatives
Compared with the first laptop I owned, which was new back in 2000, my Motorola Atrix 4G has twice the processor speed, twice the amount of RAM, and more storage space.
At the rate that advances in mobile devices are moving, maybe it's time to replace your aging laptop with something that isn't a laptop at all. Smartphones with laptop docks, and tablets with keyboard docks, provide much of the same functionality with less weight, more battery life, and more flexibility than many laptops offer. And although most of these devices don't run full-featured desktop office productivity suites, you have plenty of lightweight options for managing word processing documents, spreadsheets, and more--and even ways to control your work computer via VNC. Many of these devices aren’t meant to replace your PC completely, but they can replace a laptop when you’re traveling. Check out these laptop alternatives to see if you could work on the go with one.
Our round-up of intriguing new products from Thales, vKernel, Tenable among others.
Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.
1. Love
Ubuntu 11.10's Unity interface now works on more hardware. We'd love it even more if Canonical came out with a comprehensive list of devices that Ubuntu is compatible with.
'Tis the Season to Give a Phone
This holiday season, all of the big phone makers are pushing hot new handsets, from the iPhone 4S with Siri to the first crop of solid Windows Phone "Mango" devices to the first generation of Ice Cream Sandwich-ready Android phones. Read on to learn more.
Windows dressing
The guys at MajorGeeks have gotten into the holiday spirit by offering a collection of Windows 7 themes for download, explaining: “As you might be aware, MajorGeeks rarely posts themes because many third-party themes can be more trouble than they are worth. Not so with Microsoft themes. Downloading these official themes from Microsoft is just as safe and stable as the default themes included with Windows 7. So why not try one or two and let your PC spread some holiday cheer?”
This slideshow will let you breeze through the screen shots to see if anything rings your sleigh bells.
You might think Charlie Sheen is the most dangerous celebrity around, but no, McAfee says it’s actually a supermodel turned TV show star (based on the amount of malware that pops up when you search her name). But plenty of other celebrities also proved to be dangerous when technology was put at their disposal. Others, meanwhile, integrated technology with their creative sides to deliver new products and funny bits. Here’s a look back at the Best & Worst from 2011 (look even further back at 2010’s slideshow.)
This year was certainly one of the weirdest and wackiest in recent memory. We have everything from burning iPhones and secret spacecraft to orbiting space hotels and self-driving cars. The year is over but you can relive the best parts here!
And don't forget we put together a list of the weirdest, wackiest and coolest sci/tech stories from the first part of the year. Read here.
Gifts for the Commute
Whether someone special in your life travels to work by train, bike, or automobile, here are 12 great gadget gifts that will help make their commute a little more enjoyable.
Even if you have an enterprise-level Wi-Fi spectrum analyzer, like Wi-Spy or AirMagnet, free Wi-Fi tools can also come in handy. You might use them during the planning or installation stages of your wireless LAN, while troubleshooting, or when performing maintenance. They could even serve as your primarily tools in smaller and less-complex environments.
Here are several free programs you can use to do Wi-Fi stumbling and surveying on all the popular platforms—Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. You’ll be able see all the nearby wireless access points (APs) and their details, including channels, signal levels, and MAC address.
The release of the iPhone 4S brought the debut of Siri, a personal assistant tool which has quickly attained a pop-culture following. Programs that control the functions of a computer and can look up things for you on the Internet through voice commands have been around for a while. Apple pitches Siri as letting you do this in a more conversational way, and the program talks back to you at times with clever responses, especially to absurd questions.
But Android device owners already have had a number of voice-controlled personal assistants to choose from, and most are free. In fact, some of them were originally published prior to the iPhone 4S, while the others are obviously cashing in on the current popularity of Siri. Here are seven Android personal assistants that you can chat up to do your bidding.
Our round-up of intriguing new products from HBGary, SonicWall, Solarwinds among others.
Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.
Design Mistakes From Around the Web
With Geocities gone and Adobe Flash dying, what will we make fun of in Web design now? Never fear: Many companies continue to employ Flash in annoying ways (restaurant menus, I'm looking at you); and though animated GIFs still terrorize some dark corners of the Web, visitor counters are being replaced at the top of the annoyance scale by ham-handed overuse of social widgets. Elsewhere, side-scrolling websites, text that matches the background color far too closely, and blog updates that consist of apologies for not updating remain prevalent. Put your speakers on mute -- because yes, some websites still automatically blare music -- break out the eye bleach and learn from the mistakes of others.
Merry Geekmas
We at PCWorld's GeekTech blog cover lots of unique and clever gadgetry and geekery over the course of a year, and some of the items we see would make great gifts. Browse through this slideshow to get some unique gift ideas for the geeks you love--and maybe to add some entries to your own wish list.
Tech in 2012
We're nearing the end of the year, so it's time to ask what wonders 2012 will bring. No, I'm not talking about the possible end of the world. I'm talking about tech wonders--products that many of us wish were here right now, such as Apple's (alleged) iPad 3 and iPhone 5, and Microsoft's tablet-friendly Windows 8 operating system.
What are you anticipating in the new year? Here's what I'm looking forward to.
The mobile technologies that came to the end of their road this year
This was the year that Apple would be taken down -- or so many pundits said a year ago as they anticipated a resurgent webOS backed by Hewlett-Packard, Research in Motion's plans for a BlackBerry tablet, Microsoft's plans for a revised Windows Phone OS, and of course Google's Android steamroller. It didn't quite work out that way. Apple's iOS 5 and iCloud gained fast adoption, as did its iPhone 4S, despite the widespread disappointment when the fiction of an iPhone 5 promulgated by some bloggers and analysts didn't come to pass. The iPad 2, in fact, showed there is no tablet market but simply an iPad market.
Still, although Android tablets largely failed to get traction, Android smartphones took off, surpassing iPhone sales by a wide margin. Meanwhile, Microsoft made a second attempt on Windows Phone smartphone OS that has garnered respect, and the company showed off its Windows 8 tablet OS that might give the iPad a real competitor in 2012. And Amazon.com's Kindle Fire, although limited in its capabilities, showed there could be a non-iPad market of some sort.
Of course, such hopes may or may not play out. We certainly saw in 2011 that many supposedly surefire winners flame out spectacularly on the race course or simply run out of gas. Join me for a tour of the road warrior roadkill. (And revisit last year's mobile roadkill in our slideshow.)
Here are 2011's Biggest Tech Winners
Looking back on this year's most anticipated tech products, disappointment is a common theme. Android tablets were sales duds. HP, the world's biggest PC maker, temporarily had the bad idea to stop making PCs. The Nintendo 3DS was such a failure at launch that Nintendo had to slash prices. And for months, we've heard talk of a bubble in Silicon Valley, fueled by well-funded failures such as Color. But among the flops, some companies managed to find success this year.
2011 could be described as “The Year of…” many things. The tablet market heated up beyond the Apple iPad. 4G wireless took off with the emergence of big-time LTE networks. Governments and hackers screamed for attention by taking down networks, while IPv6 generated interest for giving the Internet a way to carry on. The shift to cloud computing sped up. despite hiccups. Data centers took on new looks with the emergence of fabric switching architectures and a revamped Cisco. And the shape and faces of the industry changed as IBM, HP, Google and Apple all announced new leaders, and Microsoft, AT&T and Google made blockbuster acquisition bids. Here’s a look back at 25 stories that marked huge industry change in 2011.
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