InformationWeek: The Business Value of Technology

CES Top 10 Videos: The Great, the Strange, The Comical and the Cool
Looking at the several dozen videos David Berlind, Fritz Nelson and I shot of products and edgy tech at CES, it strikes me that there's no time. No time for most of you out there to sift through all that for the coolest, strangest and oddest or funniest stuff. Which is the point anyway, right? So I spent the afternoon watching all our videos--throwing me back into that insane maelstrom of our running around like madmen/woman shooting videos--and chose what I thought were the best 10 videos based on coolness, greatness and just plain bizarre and funny. So, if you look at no other short videos from our gigantor CES coverage, here are the 10 I recommend, beginning with the most mild and leading to my No. 1 pick. I don't want to ruin it, but let me tell you. It's the MONEY shot. At least watch that one. Trust me. The Condom People will thank you. Ask Fritz why.
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NRF Big Show 2011: Breakthrough Technologies For Retailing
The National Retail Federation's "Big Show" in New York highlighted scores of cutting-edge retail technologies, from mobile devices and digital signage to point-of-sale systems and store-management applications. Tablet computers were everywhere, of course, though more often featured as a raffle prize designed to draw booth visitors and gather business card leads. Several exhibitors demonstrated iPad-native "clienteling" apps designed to help salespeople demonstrate and explain complicated (or out-of-stock) products. There were plenty of conventional point-of-sale terminals on display, but with smart phones quickly gaining broad use, many retailers and retail technology suppliers are developing apps and peripherals designed to work with iPhones, Android devices, and other mobile platforms.
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Top 10 SMB Predictions For 2011
We dusted off an old piece of tech -- the crystal ball -- to see what the New Year has in store for small and midsize business. 2011 will without a doubt be the year when "trend" becomes "normal" in a variety of business areas, from mobility to virtualization to social marketing. And while certain industry lingo might simply become part of the everyday vocabulary, the term "SMB" itself is likely to be thrown around even more loosely than it was in 2010, by vendors, politicians, and a host of other interested parties. Here's 10 calls about what SMBs should expect to see in the coming year, with some thoughts on how these trends may impact them.
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Slideshow: CES: What Gina Wants For Her Birthday
I love the Showstoppers event my old friend Steve Leon puts on every year. All the hot tech products show up, it's never too crowded and it's an amazing way to catch up with old contacts and colleagues you missed on the show floor. My intrepid CES team -- photog Nevin Berger and ace videographer Matt Conner were with me all week long -- did a lot more than schmooze. We checked out a boatload of tech. Some of them announced right at Showstoppers, such as RealNetworks' Unifi cloud management technology and Monsoon's $99 TV Shifting device, the Vulkano Flow. On the show floor, we grabbed some shots of some stuff I'd want for my birthday. I'm starting the list early. Topping my list: the new BMW Z4 Hot dog, do I want that car, especially with its new QNX technology. Don't buy it for me, though. Journalists can't receive gifts from vendors. Bummer!
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Slideshow: CES 2011: Aliens, Prime Rib And A Digital Experience
I was greeted by an alien at the Digital Experience event here in Las Vegas. And things only got better from there. This event, not aligned with CES but nestled nearby in Caesar's Palace, is for journalists. And the organizers spared no expense on the eats and fancy multicolored martinis. As way too many reporters and bloggers imho wasted their time guzzling vodka and pounding prime rib, my team and I checked out some impressive gear and software. The video for these products will be on YouTube's Techweb channel and site, but check out this slideshow for a quick lowdown on what my little team (video guy Matt Conner and photographer Nevin Berger and me) thought was intriguing, important or just plain cool to look at.
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Slideshow: CES TechWeb Suite Sneak Peek
We spent all day Wednesday getting a sneak peek at some hardware in the Techweb suite. Amtel's technology was standout. The team showed audio technology that dramatically improved speaker sound -- even from cheap, tinny speakers. Also from Amtel -- the Free Motion Remote Control, a free range control device for Internet TVs. The Modlet, from ThinkEco, is the first improvement to wall sockets in 83 years. Plug your appliances into it, and you can monitor where your power problems lie. Check out the videos soon to come of other products we saw today. Well worth watching! For now, here's a quick slideshow.
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Slideshow: CES Unveiled, Cool New Products
The TechWeb/InformationWeek team of editors and producers hit Vegas two days before CES 2011 started. We headed straight for the annual CES Unveiled event, where we got a sneak peek at some gear and gadgets. The lines were long but the results well worth it. Check out this slideshow for an early look at some of the products we liked best. Also inside, find images of this year's innovation and design award winners. We saw the gamut of hardware -- everything from rapid scanning all-in-one printers, next gen ear buds and augmented reality head gear to gesture-controlled phone systems and more.
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15 Green Tech Innovations
Cost-savings and energy efficiencies go hand-in-hand. The poor economy and a collective awareness of the finite resources available to the world are encouraging businesses to invest in green technologies. In fact, 60% of companies now have green criteria for their technology purchases, a Forrester Research study found. Cutting costs is the primary motivator, while real or anticipated regulatory issues and pressure from buyers also ranked high, the report said. Only 30% were driven by their desire for environmental stewardship, Forrester said. Economic realities and environmental commitments have spurred businesses to invest in green technologies and practices to boost the bottom line and appeal to increasingly eco-conscious customers. These 15 leading green technologies that have big potential or are already making an impact.
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Obama's Tech Tools
As a candidate, Barack Obama benefited greatly from the power of the Internet, tapping Web tools to reach, motivate, and collect funds from millions of people across the country. As president, Obama has cemented his role as the nation's most connected president to-date, incorporating technology as a cornerstone of key initiatives from healthcare reform to education. Taking a page from corporate America, Obama hired a chief technology officer to oversee the nation's IT direction. And, though he has publicly claimed ignorance about iPads, iPods, and popular gaming systems, Obama has long been known for his reliance on a BlackBerry, an addiction that required approval from the Secret Service for security reasons.
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Top 15 Data Visualization Tips
"Excellence in statistical graphics consists of complex ideas communicated with clarity, precision and efficiency," writes information visualization guru and author Edward R. Tufte. Preaching simplicity and offering practical advice, expert Stephen Few decries distorted 3D pie charts and graphics that are too hard to read. This image gallery offers best-practice examples, advice, free resources and insight from experts on the best of data and information visualization. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then clear and effective data visualizations are worth more than a stack of spreadsheets or reams of reports. Learn from the New York Times, Gapminder, Zillow, Many Eyes, Google, Wordle and other successful practitioners of advanced data visualization.
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Top 10 Mobile Stories Of 2010
As the workforce became increasingly mobile, developers hustled to ensure their phones, tablets, and notebooks were the products of choice for these increasingly dispersed employees. The smartphone wars heated up, as Apple, Google, Research In Motion, Nokia, and Microsoft battled for dominance. In addition to facing-off over hardware features and capabilities, many phone operating system developers competed over retail outlets and handset manufacturers. They also lured developers to build applications -- both commercial and free -- for their platforms, resulting in tens of thousands of apps addressing everything from business to entertainment to the absurd. The world of mobile computing was on a roll this past year, as vendors vied for unfettered consumers and workers through a slew of increasingly sophisticated devices. Here's are 10 of the biggest mobile stories of the past year.
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Top 10 Healthcare Stories Of 2010
Changes to the healthcare insurance status quo won and lost elections, revised and created business plans, and kept harried CIOs and their overworked staffs up at night. But it also generated opportunities for IT professionals in the healthcare industry to save their organizations time and money, reshape burdensome workflows, and improve patient care. When he was elected, President Barack Obama pledged to change healthcare insurance -- and this year marked months of debate and political hijinks that ultimately resulted in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; soon after, it was renamed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. In addition, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), which strongly encourages medical providers large and small to use technology. In a carrot-stick approach, the federal government first rewards those who invest in solutions such as electronic health records and then penalizes those that do not do so.
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Top 10 Apple Stories Of 2010
Apple makes news every year, and ever since Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997, the news has mostly been good. But any big company will make a few missteps, and Apple is no exception. No company can escape the occasional misstep, but with Apple, the stumbles get the same kind of "generous" coverage that the successes do. Apple is hardly a shy, retiring company that prefers to hide from the spotlight -- even people who've never owned an Apple product can probably name several, whether because of the clever ads, the generous news coverage, or just word of mouth. Here's the 10 Apple moments that made big news this year.
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Top 10 SMB Stories Of 2010
Many small and midsize businesses are champing at the bit to ring in 2011, with expectations of improving economic conditions and smoother sailing ahead. But before we count down the clock just yet, it's often prudent to take a quick look back at where we've been. Therein lie the lessons learned -- and hopefully a few causes for celebration, too -- that can build the foundation for future success. Although we may have to wait until next year -- or 2014, even -- to see how all of that political activity shakes out for SMBs. So before you pop the cork for 2011, take a few minutes to ponder 2010.
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Top 10 Software Stories Of 2010
In any year, there are winners and losers, those that successfully rode--or shaped--the tide, and those smashed by the waves of change. As virtual battles raged on Xboxes, Kinects, and other platforms, software developers waged war over market share and steadily loosening budget dollars. Eagerly awaited new products and beta versions made their debuts, jockeying for position and sales. The past year was, of course, no exception. In the rapid-paced world of social media, granddaddy MySpace all-but conceded defeat, rolling over into a partnership with longtime rival Facebook. Software developers of all ilk incorporated social media capabilities into their solutions, looking to partner or integrate with Facebook, Twitter, and location-based sites. Here are 10 of the top software stories of 2010.
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Top 10 Cloud Stories Of 2010
Everybody's head was in the cloud, or so it seemed in 2010. Both well established and startup vendors developed solutions and strategies designed to extend their reach or provide entry into this booming market. After all, IDC estimated the cloud market will be worth $55 billion by 2014; Gartner predicted the cloud world could be valued at $148 billion at that time, in part because Gartner included Google AdWords advertising revenue in its figures, said Gregor Petri, adviser, lean IT and cloud computing, at CA Technologies. Whether cloud computing reaches $55 billion, $148 billion, or a completely different figure, all research firms appear to agree that public and private sector organizations increasingly are adopting the technology. With each proven test site, cloud implementations also are expanding in scope and complexity, as businesses depend on the technology to support their multi-national operations.
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Top 10 Security Stories Of 2010
As smartphones and tablets complement and battle with notebooks and PCs as routes to the connected world, as corporate users and consumers turn to both traditional Web sites and newer social networking sites to communicate, share ideas, trade business concepts, and shop, corporate IT professionals and the government organizations overseeing the nation's cybersecurity are all-too aware they must do more. And they must do it fast. Recognizing this, the federal government hopes to create a new wave of cybersecurity educational and certification programs in order to form the next, much-needed workforce. And law enforcement agencies around the world are becoming more adept at working cooperatively to combat the growing number, complexity, and sophistication of cyber criminals that pursue money and power through their creation of malware and network destruction. This teamwork already has brought down some botnet gangs in different nations.
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