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The lighter side of IT

Extreme BYOD: When consumer tech goes to unexpected places

Posted May 21, 2012 - 10:35 am

iPhones and personal laptops aren't just sneaking into office settings; they're going high (into space), low (underwater), and everywhere in between.
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Computing fossils: Old tech holding on for dear life

Posted May 8, 2012 - 7:27 am

Some ancient technology is still useful -- and some just won't die.
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Stupid tech support tricks: IT calls of shame

Posted April 9, 2012 - 6:04 am

Pronoun problems, IT ghosts, the runaway mouse -- when it comes to computers, the customer isn't always right
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Can storage be sexy?

Posted February 15, 2012 - 5:59 am

The most quotidian of tech products might still have some design flair.
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Smartphones in a sub-zero environment: Can your phone stand the cold?

Posted February 1, 2012 - 1:14 pm

Some smart phone manufacturers don't allow their devices to be used in cold weather while others guarantee smooth functioning even in -20 degrees Celsius (-3⁰ Fahrenheit).
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10 most-watched video ads of 2011

Posted December 21, 2011 - 12:03 pm

You probably try to ignore the ads when they come on TV, but on the internet they're entertainment gold. Here are the top 10 most-watched video ads of 2011, according to YouTube.
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Best and worst celebrity technology moments of 2011

Posted December 16, 2011 - 2:52 pm

Scarlett Johansson, Justin Bieber, Charlie Sheen, Lady Gaga and Alec Baldwin all make tech news, voluntarily or not
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Seven zombie technologies that just won't die

Posted October 27, 2011 - 10:00 am

From beepers to COBOL, some tech keeps lurching forward, despite the smell of rot.
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6 true and tested IT superstitions

Posted October 21, 2011 - 7:50 am

People who work in IT have a certain reputation for being logical, rational, and unswayed by the mysterious or supernatural. Here's a look at the superstitions and irrational beliefs that lurk beneath.
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2011 Ig Nobel Prizes honor offbeat research

Posted September 30, 2011 - 11:09 am

Winners investigated yawning turtles, procrastination and the end of the world.
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6 premature predictions of tech failure

Posted May 3, 2011 - 2:22 pm

Sometimes really smart people say really stupid things. Here are six instances when tech execs made bold predictions -- and ended up eating their words.
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Keeping up with the Windsors: 10 geeky ways to follow the royal wedding

Posted April 22, 2011 - 4:38 pm

If you have even the slightest interest in the royal wedding, there are ways to follow the event and keep your geek pride intact.
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8 strange places to find USB ports

Posted April 6, 2011 - 10:32 am

In the bad old days, device connectivity involved hassling with PS/2 ports, serial ports, parallel ports, IDE ports, and other primitive technologies. Now there are USB ports everywhere, and here are eight of the strangest places we have seen them.
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6 outrageous office pranks

Posted March 31, 2011 - 8:26 pm

Nothing livens up the work day or gets HR’s attention better than a good old office prank. Here’s a collection of some of the best, or worst, depending on your perspective.
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Tech's youngest billionaires

Posted March 28, 2011 - 11:50 am

The nine youngest billionaires in technology all made their money on the internet? Think you know them all?
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Tech we took from science fiction

Posted March 17, 2011 - 3:19 pm

Even though we’re still waiting for flying cars, we’re already living in the future predicted by science fiction. Here are a few tech prophecies from sci-fi films, books, and TV shows that became reality.
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10 great error messages

Posted March 17, 2011 - 11:47 am

A good computing day is an error-free day. Unfortunately, those are rarer than we would like. Have you seen any of these funny and original error messages lately?
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The 20 strangest celebrity tech endorsements

Posted March 14, 2011 - 8:40 pm

Celebrities and technology don't always go hand in hand. Just look to these 20 odd endorsements for the proof.
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The creepy and amazing world of computer implants

Posted March 4, 2011 - 8:30 am

The cybernetic organism, or cyborg, has been a staple of science fiction for decades. Recent advancements in computer implants, however, are making the man-machine merger a reality--often with results both fascinating and frightening. In the near future, miniature electronic implants may help blind people see and paraplegics walk.
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10 things you can track in real time with Google Maps

Posted March 3, 2011 - 5:20 pm

These Google Maps mashups present interesting information in (almost) real-time.
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The all-time geekiest Oscar triumphs

Posted February 25, 2011 - 11:05 pm

The geekiest Oscar triumphs of the past 35 years, from "Star Wars" all the way to "The Social Network."
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Pay no attention to that widget recording your every move

Posted February 24, 2011 - 2:43 pm

Ever wonder how much of a time suck Bejeweled is? Or how often your legitimate work-related research on the Web deteriorates into recreational browsing? Now there is software that will tell not only you, but also your boss and your coworkers.
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Retro browser war: IE6 vs. Netscape in 2011

Posted February 24, 2011 - 9:53 am

What if you took the raw, pre-patched, 10-year-old versions of Internet Explorer 6 and Netscape 6.1 and tried to surf the modern Web? What would happen?
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A decade of Internet superstars: Where are they now?

Posted February 22, 2011 - 3:08 pm

Whatever happened to the Evolution of Dance guy or that kid who loved Britney Spears so much he cried for her under his sheet? We'll fill you in on what happened to them and other Web celebrities when their 15 minutes of fame ended.
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2011's 25 geekiest 25th anniversaries

Posted February 18, 2011 - 11:11 am

Our fifth annual collection of the year's "geekiest anniversaries" kicks off with The Mentor's "Hacker's Manifesto" and includes such memorable characters as Captain Midnight and Ferris Bueller, institutions the likes of the IETF and Spy magazine, inventions like the Super Soaker and disposable camera, as well as the Challenger and Chernobyl disasters.
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