Opinion

Android Security Woes: Google Wallet Threat Bad News for NFC Payments

New Google Wallet for Android security threats raise questions about the viability and public-willingness to adopt NFC mobile payments services, even though such services actually have the potential to improve payment security, says CIO.com’s Al Sacc

Privacy: A CIO’s Next Competitive Weapon

Google says that in-context privacy tools should supplement traditional privacy policies to give users more insight and control

Google Wants to Buy Your Privacy for $5

What’s your online privacy worth? Google looks for volunteers to relinquish their online privacy in exchange for a gift card. Were users outraged or did they take the fin? You may be surprised by the reaction.

Taking the Side of Sarbanes-Oxley

CFO and other complaints are everywhere, but one reporter not-so-fondly remembers the pre-SOX world.

Windows 8: Assessing IT Risks of a Consumer-Driven Wave

Microsoft is betting big on Windows 8. But will the immense promotional efforts the software giant is putting behind the latest Windows OS pay off? CIO.com’s Rob Enderle handicaps the high-stakes game Redmond is playing.n

Opera Mini: Better Browsing on Your iPhone

Tired of Safari? The Opera Mini browser is fast, easy to use, and elegant. There are small drawbacks, but it’s definitely worth a try.

Emails Give Real Transcript of FBI Negotiation with Symantec Hackers

Exchange offers lessons — and reads like something out of a movie

What’s A Facebook “Like” Worth?

It seems everyone’s obsessed with Facebook’s IPO right now. And while CMOs are beginning to understand the possibilities of Facebook, and other social technologies, to connect and engage with customers, many CIOs remain unclear on the value

Want Your Employees To Do More? Give Them Less

Corporate leaders say they want employees who take on extra initiative for improving the company, but they do little to foster a culture that empowers and rewards employees for doing so.

Scribble for iPhone, iPad Annotates Piles of File Types

A new iPad and iPhone app lets you markup a variety of documents. But you’ll need a stylus and you can’t type annotations or add highlighting (yet).

Windows Phone 8: Next Step to a Seamless Windows Experience?

Windows Phone 8, an update reportedly due when the Windows 8 launches, will bring with it the Windows 8 look and feel and app compatibility. Here’s a look at some anticipated mobile features in Windows Phone 8 including NFC and SkyDrive integration.

When Apple iOS Apps Go Bad

Apple cherry-picks features and integrates them into native iPhone apps, but many are mediocre and pale in comparison to third-party apps. Is Apple sending the wrong message?

Facebook Mobile Ads Not Likely to Be a Distraction

Facebook mobile ads are inevitable–and are reported to hit devices next month. And while this will likely reignite the fire in users who are peeved by Facebook changes, rest assured that this one is hardly worth complaining about.

Eastwood Didn’t Like Auto Bailouts …

The debate continues — as celebrity debates tend to go on and on these days — about whether Clint Eastwood’s Super Bowl halftime ad for Chrysler was designed in part as a plug for President Obama and his 2012 economic strategy.

What You Can Learn from Motorola’s Recent Refurbed Tablet Security Scare

Motorola recently shipped about 100 refurbished XOOM Wi-Fi-only tablets that is says may contain sensitive information belonging to the original tablet owners. But the news would be a non-issue if those owners had simply performed a good ol’ security

Clint Eastwood Super Bowl Ad: It’s Halftime, America

Is the U.S. economy in the midst of its own existential halftime, as Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad suggests? If so, can American compete in its second half?

VIPorbit Puts New Spin on CRM iPhone Apps

VIPorbit is among the most full-featured customer relationship management (CRM) apps you can get for the iPhone. The interface is well organized, you can record unlimited notes for each contact, and the app lets you organize contacts into Orbits, am

Law Would Put Homeland Security in Charge of Business IT Security

Bringing the intelligence and efficiency of the TSA to your company. Yikes.

Android: Not So Insecure After All

Symantec recants its scary Android malware warning, as Google’s new app security system, called Bouncer, makes the Android Marketplace more secure. Do security companies hype their warnings?

Apple to Facebook: Lessons from an IPO on Staying Inspired

Facebook, listen up. Apple’s IPO more than 30 years ago had a profound effect on employees and their relationships. Keeping them inspired will be critical to Facebook’s post-IPO success.

VeriSign Admits Repeated Security Breaches — Weekly IT Security News Roundup

Google starts checking apps for malware; new trojan diverts calls from banks to criminals

FBI Flunks Security Check as Anonymous Hacks Phone Call

Call with Scotland Yard discusses several Anonymous and LulzSec related cases

IT Professionals’ Confidence in Job Market, Economy Growing

As news of increased IT hiring, increases in IT pay and increased IT spending mounts, so too has IT professionals’ confidence in the economy and job market, according to Technisource. Do you think the market for IT jobs is improving? Take CIO.com’s p

How Users are Changing IT Architecture (and How You Can Stay Ahead of the Curve)

Be Brave: Startups May Be Your Ticket to Real Innovation

CIOs who take calculated risks by using unconventional technology can unlock competitive advantage

BMC and VCE Partnership Shows Consortium Is Gaining Power

Is there strength in numbers? The deal VCE recently struck with BMC suggests that a consortium of companies layering in best-in-class technology might be a more effective approach to win large-scale government and enterprise customers in the private

Free Microsoft Office Apps on Your iPad

OnLive Desktop for iPad offers full Windows versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents in the cloud at no charge—with a few caveats.

Windows 8 on Tablets: Consistency Is the Key

In his recent post, CIO.com blogger Shane O’Neill received a surprisingly passionate response from readers in defense of Windows 8 tablets. Or maybe they all just hate the iPad. Either way, O’Neill reconsiders his position, sorta.

Firefox 10: Better Business Support and a New Version for Android

Mozilla has cranked out a new version of Firefox. It works well, but most of us have no particularly need to upgrade right now. Businesses, however, may want to give Firefox 10 a look.

SaaS, APTs and Asymmetric Risk Take Spotlight at Security Threats 2012

What’s your stance on SaaS? Is your perimeter as secure as you think? How can the insurance calculus on asymmetric risk illuminate your company’s security exposure? CIO.com’s Bernard Golden recaps the provocative discussions entertained at the Securi