Small Business Computing Staff

PCWorld: Free Open Source Desktop Productivity Apps These free open source apps range from word processors and desktop publishing programs to task tracking and mind mapping. “Most everyone who’s had some experience with free open source software has learned about the OpenOffice.org suite of productivity programs: a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, database, and drawing tool […]

Engadget: A Bluetooth Headset For VoIP Phones And Mobiles It’s something phone heads, even the small business type, definitely want – a wireless headset that works both on their desk phone and mobile – but are they willing to pay $500 or so for one of the compatible Cisco phones? Got a workplace fancy enough […]

PCWorld: Online Mapping Showdown – Which Is Best? The three mapping services run neck and neck on basic criteria, with Google slightly ahead, but it pulls away on superior traffic information and street view. “Ask anyone what Websites they can’t live without: After mentioning their e-mail service and Google, they’ll invariably point to an online […]

ZDNet: Windows Phone 7 – Do You Need A Plan? ZDNet’s Hardware 2.0 columnist Adrian Kingsley-Hughes asks some tough questions about the new Microsoft mobile platform which is launching next week. Can it compete with the iPhone-Android-BlackBerry juggernaut? “We now have a confirmed launch date for Windows Phone 7 – October 11. OK, so what’s […]

PCWorld: Review: Asus Eee PC 1015PED Netbook PC World gives the 1015PED ($349.19 – $411.52) three stars out of five. Performance is average and it doesn’t do video terrifically well. “If you’re familiar with Asus’s Eee PC series of netbooks, the vendor’s $369 Eee PC 1015PED will hold few surprises for you. It has softer, […]

PCWorld: iPhone Collaboration Tools That Kill PC World magazine reviews ten iPhone collaboration tools, including Box.net, Dropbox, iThoughts and Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite. “In today’s infinitely connected workplace, the iPhone’s popularity and usability make it a powerful platform for collaboration. With a few downloads from Apple’s App Store, you can be managing projects, updating your […]

Entrepreneur: Choosing The Right Tools For Your Home Office In the first in this multi-part series on setting up a high-tech home office, Entrepreneur magazine’s Jonathan Blum looks at ergonomic furniture and lighting. “Until recently, the evolution of the entrepreneurial work-at-home experience went something like this: First a small space–maybe just the kitchen table–would be […]

PCWorld: Review – HP EliteBook 8740w This high-end business laptop from HP gets a high rating, but it’s expensive and doesn’t do video terrifically well. The HP EliteBook 8740w is a highly configurable, business-rugged desktop replacement laptop that actually looks pretty cool. You can have it configured with a Core i5 or i7 processor, up […]

Entrepreneur: Internet Explorer 9 For SMBs The beta of the new Internet Explorer delivers important improvements, starting with blazing speed, but it’s also bug ridden, says Entrepreneur’s Jonathan Blum. “Browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari may get all the hype. But Microsoft Explorer remains the lingua-franca of the small-business realm. Explorer claims […]

Laurie McCabe’s Blog: How To Adopt An Online Collaboration Suite Laurie McCabe reviews some of the important considerations when selecting and implementing an online collaboration suite in a small business. “Effective collaboration can make the difference between business success and failure. While point collaboration solutions can help us bring order to the chaos, using and […]

PCWorld: Your Android Apps Are Spying On You – How To Stop Them PC World offers tips on how to prevent Android apps sending information about you to advertisers. “Worried your Android apps are spying on you? You should be, according to a recent study that found several popular Android Apps regularly share your location […]

ITBusinessEdge: How To Integrate Smartphones Into Your SMB Network Paul Mah reviews some of the considerations when integrating smartphones into your small business network. “The number of smartphones and tablet devices on the market means that SMBs are under increasing pressure to open up to these devices. Personally, I consider their appearance at the workplace […]