Remind me again why Steve Ballmer is CEO of Microsoft? He's got no vision, no charisma, no engineering cred and no outside experience running a company. Ballmer himself admits to not being good at negotiating. And now his deal-making and decision-making skills are being questioned. Datamation
Sharpcast's SugarSync software and service automatically syncs across PCs, Macs and phones. Computerworld
Social bookmarking sites actual endorse candidates without actually trying to do so. By searching the sites, and sorting those searches by votes or popularity, you can get a sense of who members prefer. Interestingly, all the major social bookmarking and social networking sites agree on the same candidate. The very definition of a Web 2.0 site is one that derives its value from the actions of users. Users are voters, and if these user-voters choose a candidate, shouldn't that candidate win the election? Datamation
If you accept the inevitability of the next-generation interface — the UI with advanced versions of iPhone's multitouch, gestures, physics, 3-D and diminished role of symbolic representation (icons) — then all the rest follows. Giant screens you touch will have to be pivoted at an angle because vertical or horizontal use will be awkward. Mice will vanish because you'll touch on-screen objects directly. The screen will provide an incentive to get rid of the keyboard. The end result will look and work like a giant iPhone or iPod Touch. Computerworld
Don't look now, but business is global. Media is global. Communication is global. So why are we still torturing ourselves with local time? In the United States, why are we double-torturing ourselves with local time aggravated by daylight saving time? Enough! Why don't we all get behind a switch to GMT everywhere? Datamation
It seems these days that every Tom, Dick and Harry — or more accurately, every Dell, Acer and Apple — wants to get into the cell phone/handset business. The handset market is already crowded with far too many phones. If the PC makers are really serious about entering the cell phone market with distinctive products people might actually want, why not improve the cell phone awareness OF PCs, and vice versa? Computerworld
Most spy gadgets should be and could be used for legal and ethical purposes (but you know they probably won't be). Datamation
The biggest problem isn't that the company's newest products are unusable, but that Microsoft may have actually lost the ability to make good operating systems. Computerworld
Personal computers are getting faker. The percentage of counterfeit components is growing steadily, if unevenly. Fake components make PCs cheaper. The downside is declining reliability, safety and performance. Is it even possible to keep it real? Datamation
Everybody's freaking out about Apple's iPhone sales, but look closely enough and you'll find good news. Computerworld
Who in the hell is Asustek, and why does Microsoft hate them more than any other company in the industry? Why does Apple, Dell and Palm Computing hate them? And why does Intel love them? Datamation
As privacy advocates argue, vote and campaign for keeping private business private, let's also make sure we claim and win the right to use our own ubiquitous camera phones, recording devices and other technologies to keep public business public. Computerworld.com
Apple's got it, but you can't do much with it. Microsoft's got it, but you can't afford it. And Dell's got it, but you can't have it yet. Everyone's talking about multi-touch. But what is it, exactly, and why should you care? Datamation
Don't tell Amazon, but its new Kindle e-book reader does e-mail, RSS feeds and calendaring. Here's how to do it. Computerworld
I've been using a Kindle now for a few days, and reading my subscription to The New York Times. Reading a Kindle-based newspaper is superior -- far superior, actually -- to reading a paper newspaper. So even if you don't care about saving the newspaper industry -- even if you hate the environment -- buy a Kindle anyway for purely selfish reasons. Datamation
Video games have occasionally served as a convenient scapegoat for whatever ails youth. But just this week, the normal trickle of blame has become a torrent, with loud proclamations from many quarters that computer games are making kids violent, stupid and sick. Here's why they're wrong. Computerworld
As we wind down another year in technology, it's a good time to check in on the tech cults -- Apple, Microsoft, Linux, Google, Amazon, Palm and BlackBerry -- and see how they’re doing. Datamation
National Public Radio's Day to Day program was kind enough to have me on the program, talking about Black Friday and how technology affects customer service. NPR
Here's how to use Google Calendar to make your own local "city guide"; never forget birthdays and anniversaries (with a neat trick); build a just-in-time information system; nag yourself; and provide information at your fingertips no matter where you are. Here's how you can improve your life with Google Calendar. Datamation
Last April, I wrote a column titled, "Why e-books are bound to fail." Amazon's new Kindle e-book has proved me wrong. The Kindle is a game-changing revolution in buying, reading, managing and using electronic books and other content. It's also the hottest holiday gift you can buy this year for anyone who loves to read. In this column, I tell why it's such a great product, and also list some very surprising facts about Amazon's Kindle. Computerworld
What if I told you about a dangerous virus spreading through high schools and middle schools, a virus that now infects between a quarter and a third of the teen population. The virus is teen technology culture, and it's causing serious harm to a whole generation of kids. Computerworld
H1-B visas are controversial. Proponents argue that by enabling businesses to hire skilled workers from abroad, U.S. companies are better able to compete in the global marketplace. Opponents charge that H-1B visa holders displace Americans because they're paid less, and they lower American wages for skilled work. Here's my proposal to solve the problem. Datamation
I just launched a new blog about "radical mobility" at Computerworld.com. The blog is called The World Is My Office, and is all about mobile computing all the time from anywhere (instead of just some of the time from the usual locations). The World Is My Office
"Force feedback" game controller technology is shaking up the cell phone market. If you live in the United States, and want a haptic phone this year, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that there are seven haptic phones available. The bad news is that five of them aren’t available in the United States -- only in Europe and Asia. You can, however, buy an unlocked phone abroad or online, and use it in America. Here are the seven haptic phones available in time for the holidays. Computerworld
They don't call the day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday" for nothing. It's all about launching the megastores "into the black" – into profitability. They profit not by offering goods at a loss, but by using ultra-low prices to lure you into their stores, where they can employ dirty tricks to make money. But with my secrets, and some smart planning, you can make "Black Friday" profitable for yourself, not the store. Here are the 10 things retailers don't want you to know. Datamation
Everyone is talking about two big Google projects: The long-awaited Google Phone, and the new OpenSocial initiative. Each is cool, but combined, well, they're going to change everything. Computerworld.com.
Or maybe it was evolution. Either way, newspapers have served us well for 400 years, but have finally outlived their usefulness. I'm not predicting that newspapers will disappear -- only that they should. Cancel your subscription already. It's over. Datamation
I've tried dozens of software products and services for handling my Getting Things Done tasks and projects -- even the dedicated Getting Things Done Outlook plug-in sold by David Allen’s organization. I've discovered that Gubb is by far the best system for managing these things -- especially for people having trouble making Getting Things Done stick. Datamation
We cell-phone users should demand fully unlocked cell phones and reward carriers who provide unlocked phones with our business. And carriers need to prepare for the future. Nonphone SIM card devices, widespread use of multiple-SIM phones and multiple phone SIMS are all coming. And customers will demand freedom and choice. Computerworld
Why would anyone want to be able to predict the future? Doing so can help you invest your money better, choose a better career path, and be a more enlightened voter. People make decisions all the time based on predictions, often badly. Here's how to predict the future -- and do it right. Datamation