The devious art of cell tower camouflage
by Michael CooneyWhen is a tree not really a tree? When it's a wireless tower
When is a tree not really a tree? When it's a wireless tower
A look back at the 5-year-old practice of handing out major hardware at Google I/O
Warp drives, teleporters, helpful holograms -- the new frontier is a lot closer than you might think
Our roundup of intriguing new products from companies such as Sophos and Malwarebytes
Have some business travel planned? Get ready to put on a happy face, chat strangers up and expand your professional circle at the next conference or seminar. Here are some trusty iPhone apps to help you network.
Should we fear the rise of robots? From pharmacists to fast food cooks, here's a look at 10 advancements in technology that could put you out of work.
NASA's first space station was a pacesetter for current International Space Station and a trendsetter for scientific experiments in space
From a repurposed chapel to inflatable modules, data centers don’t fit the same mold
What’s the best way to tell an expert PC user apart from a bumbling amateur? The expert doesn’t waste time.
Here's our list of 14 once-elite tech companies that fell off their pedestals due to unforeseen circumstances, arrogance, ineptitude, or all of the above.
Interop 2013, one of the biggest networking shows each year, is here and the product announcements are plentiful
Our roundup of intriguing new products from companies such as Dell and Samsung
Get your travel agent on speed dial. These small conferences could be just what the career doctor ordered.
Vegas is Sin City, which means there’s plenty to do there other than just attend Interop, tech shows
Treat the moms in your life to custom chocolate photos, propeller earrings, binary pottery and other tech-inspired Mother's Day gifts
The cloud is an increasingly viable (and inexpensive) storage and backup option for small businesses. Here are 10 services worth a look--and, possibility, your data.
These emerging and under-the-radar APIs add sizzle to your website, from geographical data to financial insights to content analysis
Vegas is Sin City, which means there’s plenty to do there other than just attend Interop, tech shows
Creators of digital subscriber line technology, CDMA and the crash-test dummy among those honored
From strange titles of talks to the use of exotic broadcast media, Interop has been drawing attention for more than two decades
Our roundup of intriguing new products from companies such as Sophos and Dell
From punch cards to JavaScript, computing history owes everything to those who've programmed the machines
“Raring Ringtail” features performance and stability upgrades, along with social changes – but the controversial shopping lens remains.
Knocked flat and left for dead -- these 10 technologies and companies turned around their fate with historic flair
Have you been considering adding some new programming skills to your toolbox, but you're not sure where to start? When it comes to what's hot for developers, CIO.com has you covered with which programming languages are in demand and where the development and programming jobs are.
Median pay for tech CEOs in 2012 was $10.7 million, according to Network World’s analysis of CEO compensation in the tech industry.
From improved security and administration to better tablet battery life, there's a lot to like in Windows 8 for healthcare organizations.
Every hero needs a theme song. If you're an IT hero, try one of these one for size
Our roundup of intriguing new products from companies such as Symantec and Radware
Cisco edges F5 in review of SSL VPN remote access appliances
These days everyone is trying to do more with less--and time is no exception. Learn how to squeeze the most out of your busy day using these time management and productivity apps for Apple's iOS devices.
From Web conferencing to to-do lists, a growing legion of business apps built for the mobile workforce are finding favor with iPad devotees
Need help negotiating the corporate landscape? Want to track your network usage? Just looking for a fun little time-waster? These free apps for Windows 8 can help.
As the OpenStack Summit is underway in Portland, Ore., this week, a variety of companies are making product and services news at the show
IT professional Chad Roberts shows how he puts his best faces forward
Software developers are constantly learning new things, and should be updating their LinkedIn profile to reflect new experiences. The following examples of real LinkedIn profiles will help guide you on what to do (and not) when making over your qualifications and skills summary.
Through Facebook and Twitter, people from around the world showed support for the city of Boston and the bombing victims.
Want to improve your Microsoft Office experience? These 30 apps, most of them free, extend the capabilities of your core Office 2013 and Office 365 applications.
Bone up on IPO candidate Virtual Instruments, which is targeting infrastructure performance management
Our roundup of intriguing new products from companies such as Kroll and ZipWhip
We pick the most intriguing gadgets for gamers, hobbyists, and more from the annual Stanford University showcase
A look at moments in infosec history that left us dumbfounded.
Exciting mobile apps such as Pandora, Yelp and Hailo along with features running on smartphones and tablets have disrupted entire industries. The old ways of serving customers and bridging supply and demand are being upended by the more efficient one-two punch of digital and mobile. Smart companies are joining the movement rather than resisting -- they're disrupting themselves!
Browser-based toolkits, add-ons to old favorites, tools programmers will love -- here are the most promising projects emerging from the open source community today
Headed on a last-minute business trip? These 10 apps will keep you organized, on time and on track.
An Apple co-founder, a powerful tech philanthropist and a gaming visionary among tech business stars delivering commencement addresses this spring
It’s early but it has been a bad year for personal data exposure already
New tools help IT execs cut cloud costs, optimize resources, integrate and manage cloud instances
Our roundup of intriguing new products from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Citrix
Computerworld's survey of more than 4,000 tech professionals shows optimism is running high -- but not everyone is riding the wave. Here's a rundown of how workers are feeling.
Writing a solid cover letter can help you gain a competitive edge in a tough IT job market. Here are some tips that will help move your resume into the 'yes' pile.
A sampling of some of AT&T's top research projects, highlighted at the company's Innovation Showcase in New York
Some ancient technology is still useful -- and some just won't die
The grimmest project, app, and API garrotes from Google’s past eight reapings
From conducting video meetings to coordinating to-do lists, these collaboration apps for iOS, Android and more will have your far-flung team working in sync in no time.
These cool Web-based development tools bring coding to the browser
Don't wait until you decide to leave your current job to update your LinkedIn profile. Start today, and avoid these mistakes.
Big Query's strictly proscribed annual quota of jollity hits.
Our roundup of intriguing new products from companies such as Red Lion and Compuware
From cyberspace to regular expressions, these are the books that that shaped the brains and culture of today's tech pros -- and forecast future directions for the industry
The Goog has a long and storied history of April Fools’ Day jokes and offbeat Easter Eggs. Here's a look at some of our favorites.
A business user’s need to scratch a technical itch can provide great benefit to both company and IT
As Apple WWDC approaches, juices flow among would-be iOS designers
The Web is the epicenter of foolishness these days, but there are also ways to celebrate April 1 offline
Fast food restaurants want to use technology--theirs and yours--to create a highly intimate customer experience. Your personal device and the restaurant's own systems will exchange data, for your convenience and their profit. Fast food becomes not so much a destination, but a service that follows you from mealtime to mealtime.
In the demanding world of IT, it seems as if everyone's workload has increased, making productivity and time management critical workplace skills. Balancing it all can seem unmanageable, but help is at your fingertips--if you know where to look. These 11 Android apps will help you get the most out of your busy day.
The first step is browser-based environments for online meetings
For these unfortunate souls, the potential punishments far outweighed the alleged crimes
The amount of data in the world is increasing exponentially, doubling every 18 months. Here are 10 real-world big data deployments you may not have realized were driven by big data.
From mini storage arrays to IP cameras to print servers, these 10 hardware devices will help you run your small business more efficiently whether you're in the office or hitting the road to close a deal.
Our roundup of intriguing new products from companies such as Scout Analytics and GFI
How to tell if your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn efforts are paying off
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is famous for his colorful quotes and keeping people guessing about what he might say next as he spreads the word about Windows 8, Surface devices and upgrades to a range of Microsoft servers. Given the great number of public speaking engagements he conducts every year, he expresses thoughts on a wide range of other topics, too. Here are some of his words lined up against those of some major historical figures who have opined on similar subjects. On each slide can you figure out which quote fell from Ballmer’s lips? Keep track and check your score at the end.
RELATED: The Windows 8 Quiz
Building on our general Windows 8 Quiz, here's a test of how well you have learned to get around in Microsoft's new operating system. Validate what you already know or use the quiz to learn new tips and tricks that will make climbing the learning curve for the platform less painful. Keep track of your answers and check your score at the end to see how well you did.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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