10 Cool Things You Didn't Know About Google

http://www.cio.com/article/500315/10_Cool_Things_You_Didn_t_Know_About_Google
You use Google's site every day, but how well do you know the company?

Regardless of how you feel about Google, you have to admire them. Two techies in a garage with no viable business model have created one of the fastest-growing, most profitable, most admired companies, ever. They affect millions of people around the world and provide the infrastructure for an online economy worth billions. They have, in short, been almost frighteningly true to their mission: to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. For more of Google's story,

CIOs Losing Control of IT

http://www.cio.com/article/685835/CIOs_Losing_Control_of_IT_Survey_Finds

In an increasing number of organizations, the CIO is not the person who decides what IT projects should get investment. That job now belongs to the CFO.

Hot Stuff: Summer Gadget Guide 2011

From an extra-rugged smartphone to the perfect grilling fork, these 10 high-tech toys are ideal for summer.

http://www.cio.com/article/685745/Hot_Stuff_Summer_Gadget_Guide_2011?page=9#slideshow

Casio G'zOne Commando
For summer excursions that involve lots of water and mud, an AAPL)" target="_blank">iPhone -- or any typicalsmartphone -- is just not going to survive. TheCasio G'zOne Commando ($199 with two-year Verizon (VZ) contract) is a rugged Android-powered smartphone that meets the U.S. Department of Defense MIL-STD 810G spec for short drops (about 5 feet), water immersions, contact with mud, exposure to scorching sun and other environmental hazards.

SensoGlove
A remarkably innovative golf aid, the $89SensoGlove is aimed at training you to hold the club with a light grip. (Golf experts say a tight grip is the primary cause of an erratic swing on the course.) Sensors in the fingers measure your grip, and an LCD screen alerts you (both visually and audibly) about your grip pressure. You can configure the sensors to warn you when you exceed a threshold, such as a tightness level over 10.


Nike (NKE)+ SportWatch GPS
The trendy-looking Nike+ SportWatch GPS($199), which flaunts neon colors that match well with Nike clothes and shoes, connects to a small wireless receiver (included) that you place in the undersole of your Nike shoes.

Parrot AR.Drone
The Parrot AR.Drone ($300) is a flying "quadcopter" you control with your smartphone. When it was first released last summer, it worked only with the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, but now Android, Symbian and Bada users can play as well. The drone can go up to 160 feet high.

G-Form iPad Extreme Sleeve

Brookstone Always Perfect Chef's Fork with Digital Meat Thermometer
Some folks claim that barbecuing is an art, but geeks can tell you it's all about science. Expert grillers know that every kind of meat (chicken, pork chops, steaks, hamburgers and so on) has to be cooked to a specific temperature before it's perfectly done.

Éton American Red Cross Axis Self-Powered Safety Hub
PÉton's American Red Cross Axis emergency radio ($70) is quite the multifunction gadget, handy whether you're camping in the wilderness or at home when a thunderstorm or other disaster that cuts off your electricity. The device uses an NiMH battery that recharges when you turn the hand crank. One minute of cranking provides 15 minutes of power.
entax Optio WG-1


Available in black or bright purple models, thePentax Optio WG-1 ($350) is a rugged outdoor camera that can withstand 5-foot drops, 220 pounds of weight and underwater submersion to 33 feet. I found that the 14-megapixel camera, which measures 4.5 by 2.3 by 1.1 in. and weighs 5 oz., took surprisingly clear pictures for a pocket camera.


iRobot (IRBT) Scooba 230
Summer means lots of time spent outdoors -- and that means a nearly constant stream of dirt, mud, sand and more dirt tracked inside. The Scooba floor-washing robot is perfect for the inevitable cleanup chores on hard floor surfaces

Starbucks Begins BI Trial on Tablets

http://www.cio.com/article/685836/Starbucks_Begins_BI_Trial_on_Tablets

Starbucks has begun a trial of business intelligence software on tablet devices for potential use by its executives making storevisits to help them make view real-time, location-aware data.

Starbucks began a trial of the MicroStrategy 9.2.1 software, announced Wednesday, almost six weeks ago, said Thomas Ball, lead on BI platform development for the coffee chain. The software includes transaction services to help workers quickly initiate BI transactions from a mobile device, MicroStrategy said in a statement.

15 Future-Laptop Concepts

http://www.cio.com/article/592807/15_Future_Laptop_Concepts_The_Fascinating_and_the_Far_Fetched
Anything Is Possible
What will laptops look like in five years? Ten? Predicting future tech trends is always tricky, but these notebook concepts from both PC makers and straight-up tech fans provide a few clues as to what could lie ahead.

D-roll
Designer Hao Hua's radical redesign of the laptop replaces the conventional clamshell with a lightweight, foldable roll modeled after artists' storage tubes. The flexible OLED screen and arc-shaped keyboard fold into the tube when not in use, and the carrying strap features a few easy-to-access USB ports. How about naming it the Stag Beetle instead?

Rolltop
This effort from Orkin Design has much in common with the D-roll in that both designs fold into an easy-to-carry tube when not in use. But unlike the D-roll, the Rolltop also lies flat for tablet use. The tube packs the power supply, a Webcam, USB ports, speakers, and an extendable power cord. A flexible OLED display, a screen keyboard, and a stylus (for tablet writing) round out the feature set. See the Rolltop in action.

Projection PCs
Why bother with a space-hogging keyboard and monitor when a humble pen would suffice? Researchers are developing projector PCs (for lack of a better term) capable of projecting a computer display and a touchscreen-like virtual keyboard on a smooth surface, such as your desk.

Flexible Displays
Your laptop, tablet, or e-reader may soon have a flexible display rather than a rigid glass screen that can break too easily. TheSkiff Reader, a Kindle-like device designed for newspaper and magazine content, may be the first such model to debut. Its bendable "metal foil" e-paper display is built to last, as are similar monochrome prototypes from LG Display and other tech companies. HP and Arizona State University are developing aflexible color display, as well.

Napkin PC
This oddball concept is fascinating, though wildly impractical. It consists of a series of pens with shortwave radio frequency, a computer base station (probably in the napkin holder), and several "napkins" that are in fact multitouch, color e-paper surfaces. Users in a workgroup setting could use a fresh napkin to scribble down every new idea. Great, but how do you wipe your mouth?

iWeb 2.0
This futuristic concept is surprisingly retro. Designer Yang Yongchang's petite iWeb 2.0portable has a folding keyboard that expands to desktoplike dimensions. Given the netbook's tiny, 6.5-inch screen size, an expandable keyboard makes sense. So what makes it retro? The iWeb is a variation of the "butterfly keyboard" concept that IBM (IBM) tried briefly back in the 1990s.

Five New Android Apps You Don't Want to Miss

http://www.cio.com/article/685215/Five_New_Android_Apps_You_Don_t_Want_to_Miss?source=CIONLE_nlt_insider_2011-06-29

This latest batch of apps for your Google Android smartphone lets you stream your favorite TV shows and films, pay for your morning caffeine fix or just kill some time...and maybe a few zombies too.

Netflix for Android

The new, official Netflix for Android app lets you watch Netflix's impressive catalogue of streaming films, TV shows and other video on your Android handheld, anywhere you have cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. The app itself is free, but you need an unlimited Netflix streaming plan to access video content. Then you just sign in, and you're good to go. The app also lets you manage your Instant queue. And it tracks your viewing progress, so you can pick up films or shows on other devices wherever you left off. The downside: The app is currently only compatible with and available for nine Android devices.

Starbucks (SBUX) for Android

Starbucks' new Android application is a must for all tech-savvy java lovers. The free app works just like a plastic Starbucks loyalty card; you simply register your card within the app, add cash for purchases and then your local barista can scan an on-device barcode when it's time for you to pay. You can also check and reload your Starbucks card balance, monitor your Rewards, view recent transactions and locate nearby Starbucks stores, all using Starbucks for Android.

Peggle for Android

Peggle, the popular pinball-like game for Apple iOS devices recently made its way to the Android platform. The point of the game is simple: Aim your ball at a screen full of red and blue pegs, and try to eliminate all of the red pegs in as few turns as possible. It's not particularly difficult not at first, at least. But the creative graphics and quirky audio, combined with surprisingly addictive gameplay, will have you shooting pegs for hours before you realize your smartphone's battery is about to die. On that note: Peggle players will want to charge often.

Hulu Plus for Android

Like the previously mentioned Netflix app,Hulu Plus for Android brings a wide variety of your favorite streaming films and TV shows to the palm of your hand. Hulu Plus even offers some free content, including popular shows and movies, but the bulk of the streaming content is available only to Hulu Plus customers. (Hulu Plus costs $7.99 a month, though various free trial plans are also available.) Unfortunately, Hulu Plus is only compatible with six current Android handhelds, though support for additional devices is expected in the future.

Plants vs Zombies for Android

Plants vs Zombies for Android, another iOS transplant, is probably my favorite mobile game ever. The premise? You guessed it; you must battle off waves of cute cartoon zombies using a variety of plants, in an effort to protect your home...and, well, your brains. The game takes place in a number of environments, including your front yard, pool and roof. But like Peggle, the game's vivid graphics and amusing audio—incoming waves of zombies are heralded with a crusty "The Zombies Are Coming!" chant—are really the best part of the app. Warning: Doing away with animated zombies is much more entertaining than it sounds, and you could lose the ability to be even mildly productive after downloading this app.

My First 48 Hours with iPad 2: One CIO's Story

One CIO who has already made the iPad a critical part of his organization shares what he liked - and still wished for - after his first couple of days with the iPad 2. Read on for his take on FaceTime, Apple's not-so "smart" cover, and more.By Tom Kaneshige

CIO — After weeks of waiting for an iPad 2 on back order, CIO Rob Rennie of Florida State College at Jacksonville finally got his hands on the slick, new device. "My assessment so far is, I love it because it is faster, lighter and the FaceTime capability makes a lot of difference for me," Rennie says.

More than just a cool consumer device, the iPad has become a critical piece of technology at the college. Rennie has helped usher hundreds of iPads into the hands of executives, IT staff, administrators, faculty and students. Executives use them for reporting purposes, project tracking, staffing issues. Last summer, Rennie told CIO.com about five surprises during his iPad enterprise rollout.

CIO Robert Rennie

[ Considering the iPad 2? Check out these 15 best iPad apps for newbies, reports CIO.com. ]

"We are having great success with them in science labs and other academic environments where a laptop is impractical," Rennie says. "Leader management types are making good use of them as part of a larger paperless initiative."

As an early iPad champion, Rennie waited anxiously for his iPad 2 to arrive—which it did this week. The top-of-the-line iPad 2 64GB with 3G has enough storage space to handle Rennie's huge media content needs. He also chose to go with 3G, rather than use his iPhone as a hotspot, because he feared hot-spotting would run down the iPhone battery.

"The 3G data plan works well for me, making the iPad a fully independent device," he says.

So what does a CIO who has staked much of his reputation on the iPad do in the first couple of days with the iPad 2 (other than cartwheels and including a business trip)?

In this interview, Rennie gives the lowdown on what apps took priority (for both work and personal use), what he thinks of the magnetic Apple (AAPL) case, and what he hopes will show up in iOS 5, expected to be announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6.

What apps took priority on your iPad 2?

Rennie: In addition to the standard apps, including email and calendar, I went first for iAnnotate PDF ($10—a PDF reader and annotation tool), Fluent News Reader (free—newspaper aggregator app), Keynote ($10—Apple's presentation app), Office2 HD ($8—Word and Excel app), Dropbox (free—cloud storage app), Evernote (free—cloud-storage, note-taking app), Numbers ($10—Apple's spreadsheet app), OmniGraffle ($50—diagram-creating app) and various music apps such as Amplitude HD ($2—app for amplifying sound).

I use all but the music apps for work. With Keynote, Numbers, iAnnotate, Office2 HD, and Dropbox, I have a fully mobile work environment on the iPad. I don't need a laptop except in extreme cases. Evernote is great for keeping all my notes synced. (For iPad newbies, here are 15 must-have iPad apps.)

Additionally, we have built a series of custom apps for our organization that replaces our decision support, ERP reports and several other ready references. Our tech plan and project-by-project fiscal analysis is in iBooks. Dropbox is great for file sharing.

You mentioned that you're a big FaceTime fan, and the iPad 2 brings FaceTime to the tablet. How important is this feature?

Rennie: FaceTime delivers a good, quick videoconference from any wireless environment. It has become a favored tool for work. We do quick video conferences and show whiteboards and physical spaces. When I travel, it's nice to call home and see everyone. I use FaceTime at least three to four times a week.

Did you get any accessories with your iPad 2?

Rennie: I didn't get a keyboard because the virtual keyboard works fine for me. I did get a camera connection kit ($30)and a HDMI digital AV adapter ($40) to connect to large monitors around the office and in conference rooms. (Check out these five iPad productivity tools for under $5, reports CIO.com.)

What about Apple's magnetic "smart" cover ($40)?

Rennie: I have a problem with the awkwardness of the cover. Although it appears to be a great idea, it starts to lose its luster when you are holding (the iPad) in your hand and walking around. The cover is kind of clumsy. I've also had the cover disconnect at the magnet hinges a few times. It's a little weird on airplanes where the absence of rigidity of position is problematic.

I am trying to adjust to the cover, but if I don't really soon then I will start evaluating other options.

On the iOS side, Apple apparently will introduce iOS 5 at this year's Worldwide Developer's Conference. From a CIO's perspective, what do you want to see?

Rennie: I know the iPad is an individual's device, but it is also great for classes, labs and healthcare applications where having more than one user per device is essential. Yet there's no easy way to share an iPad across classes and work shifts that keeps common data and apps and allows multiple authenticated users with their personal profiles.

For example, with an iPad in a clinical or medical environment, you'll want to keep the patient information and charts (the same for workers changing shifts) but would like the user to authenticate and have their unique calendar, email and subscriptions. This would make enterprise management of the devices a lot easier.

Essential Skills for IT Leaders (Checklist)‏

A few years ago, I set out to create a list of the essential skills any IT Leader must have or develop to fully realize their potential. I want to share that list with you today.

Essential Skills for IT Leaders:

 #1 - Make your users feel that you are "on top of" the basicsSenior management won't be impressed with your ambitious new project or recent achievements -- no matter how great it they are -- if they can't access their e-mail.

#2 - Know how to have IT projects fail without killing your careerIT projects are complex endeavors, and it is a fact of life that some projects will NOT be successful. If the leaders in your company lash you down personally to the success or failure of every project, your career will stall.

#3 - Generate real trust through business intimacyTechnical knowledge and experience are essential for IT leaders, but are NOT enough to get a real seat at the table. You know you have mastered business intimacy when people in your company (and outside of the IT department) feel you fully understand them and their issues, and invite you to be a part of the decision making process instead of being someone who decisions are dictated to.

#4 - The right way to communicate well, inside and outside of the IT departmentAs an IT Leader, you are forever briefing someone on something: senior management on the budget, your peers on project performance, your team on organizational and developmental plans. Sometimes you are promoting a vision. Other times, you need to deliver less than wonderful news about a project gone south, a budget exceeded or a service level unmet.  No matter how you slice it, communications are a big part of IT leadership.

#5 - Know how to say NO nicelyIf you say "yes" to every project idea or request, your entire IT department would quickly become overwhelmed, unable to do good work, with company-wide disappointment soon to follow. Knowing how to say no nicely is the key to managing expectations and being seen as a competent leader throughout your company.

#6 - Employ "leader's skepticism"It might surprise you to know that leadership in your company doesn't want you IT Leaders to be over-the-top optimistic. Demonstrating a leader's skepticism -- balanced skepticism, NOT cynicism -- means that you will be trusted with bigger and bigger decisions.

#7 - Understand what it really takes to sell projects and ideasHaving a technically sound plan only gets you halfway, selling your projects and ideas within your company is an exercise in Influence, and having a structured way to get full support and buy-in before you ever present your idea to a group is a mandatory skill.

#8 - Demonstrate understanding of the business you are inAt some point, most IT Leaders hear patronizing lines like, "you gotta understand the business" or "you gotta speak the language of the business." Most confuse this with "aligning with the business," but it is actually three unique things: demonstration that you understand the business model, operating model, and the industry environment.

#9 - Master the 3 "signature plays"In the realm of IT leaders working to advanced their career and gain access to the executive suite, the signature plays are those plays that bring you the "seat at the table". Essentially your play is nothing more than a discussion with one or more people supported by some highly targeted presentation material. These plays are your very best moves where you shine brightest; where everyone (both on the field and off ) says: "that's cool."

#10- Develop and grow the people around you in order to grow yourselfYour career as an IT Leader won't grow much unless the people around you do too. A framework to select and develop those around you will grow both your influence and your career.

#11 - Generate rock-solid respect from your company's key playersWhile most in IT feel that respect is something "earned" through competence and skills, in reality that's only part of the equation. For example, how could a business leader who lacks technical know-how possibly judge the technical competence of your department or initiatives? To truly develop as an IT Leader, you must discover and utilize the strategies that produce company-wide respect for both you and your team. 

Building an Effective CIO Resume

If you're a CIO or an aspiring C-suite IT executive looking to make a move, you'll find that creating an effective technology leadership résumé is a different type of challenge than you've encountered in the past.

Computerworld — If you're a CIO or an aspiring C-suite IT executive looking to make a move, you'll find that creating an effective technology leadership résumé is a different type of challenge than you've encountered in the past.

CIO Resumes: Compare Yours to the Cream of the Crop [registration required]

After all, the résumés for typical midcareer roles such senior solutions architect, deputy of MIS or even IT manager feature specific technologies as their centerpiece.

In contrast, your CIO résumé will need to emphasize your company-level contributions, rather than merely the technologies you've employed or the projects your teams have completed.

Here are three key components of a CIO résumé that paint a vivid picture of fitness at the IT executive level.

1. Strategic rather than tactical focus

This describes specific areas where you've added value to the organization and taken long-range business plans into account when developing the IT road map for the corporation. If your career has already included a seat at the executive table, you'll want to provide details on the contributions you've made as a CIO, with special emphasis on the role of technical upgrades that support future growth.

If you have yet to hold the title of CIO, take a closer look at your strategic charter within roles such as IT director or vice president of IT. Here, you may have been asked to help determine the viability of upgrades at the enterprise level from an infrastructure standpoint, or assisted in planning application migrations from legacy systems.

If this is the case, add these examples to a CIO-level résumé as proof of your ability to strategize at the leadership level, with supporting details that show potential cost savings to the business and the nature of your executive relationships with major business unit stakeholders during the process.

The following CIO résumé example shows how to flesh out and reframe the context of an executive-level activity with long-term implications:

Before: Created risk management profile on aging infrastructures for presentation to executives.

After: Spearheaded creation of five-year strategic road maps instrumental in executive team planning for IT; clearly communicated risk surrounding replacement needs for end-of-life infrastructures.

2. Incorporation of technology as a driver for the business

As a measure of effectiveness, many CIOs can point to new initiatives that added value in the form of increased revenue, higher levels of efficiency or improved staff productivity. The key to showing this type of detail on a CIO résumé is to focus on the end result, while speaking to the technologies involved as a means to achieving it.

In these situations, the CIO (as well as the CTO) often partners with business leaders to identify potential improvements that can be achieved with technology changes. The relevance to the business need is key, and the actual application, vendor solution or platform used is only part of the story.

Consider this conversion of an ERP initiative's description within a CIO résumé:

Before: Implemented SAP ERP system (the second version at the company) in order to promote 100% traceability from raw materials.

After: Facilitated new business by adding SAP ERP capabilities (including 100% raw-material-to-finished-part traceability) that impacted company ability to obtain key industry credentials.

3. Strong examples of cost-cutting moves

A CIO's charter is often to bring in cutting-edge solutions, but at the lowest possible cost. This is especially true in situations where the CIO reports directly to the CFO.

Therefore, your CIO résumé should highlight moves that have provided a technology edge for your employer and strengthened the company's market response -- while negotiating a substantial savings through solutions such as virtualization or long-term, enterprise-level contracts.

In addition, IT initiatives often have an impact on the bottom line, either through automation or new capabilities that add the potential for more revenue. In these cases, it's important to add the metrics associated with the improvement to your CIO résumé as a measure of effectiveness.

As an example, this CIO résumé was altered to define specific costs and expected benefits of a switch to virtual servers:

Before: Upgraded data centers, engineering labs and service labs to utilize virtual server technology.

After: Added virtualization solutions projected to secure 135% ROI over three years, with 88% better recovery performance plus decreased facilities and cooling costs; upgraded data centers with no additional staff or space -- eliminating $1.2 million in potential costs.

In summary, a solid CIO résumé can generate results by telling a story that includes specific financial benefits of technology changes, a business-minded focus, and examples of strategic contributions that improve the company's position.

Here's where reframing your achievements and leveraging the business context can demonstrate the immediate advantage of bringing you into the company in the role of CIO.

Laura Smith-Proulx is an award-winning, certified executive résumé writer, LinkedIn profile writer and former recruiter. Visit her Web site, AnExpertResume.com.

9 Management Apps That Won't Bust Your Budget

Open source world delivers enterprise capabilities at a price that's hard to resist.

By Denise Dubie

Savvy IT professionals know that open source management applications can be excellent go-to tools when budget dollars are scarce. Plus, many open source tools have advanced to handle enterprise environments, say industry watchers. (See related story, "Why invest in open source management apps now?") Here are nine tools that could help ease an IT pain point at no cost.

Key features: Big Sister Network Monitor is an SNMP-aware monitoring program with a Web server front-end and client-server architecture.

The application provides: distributed monitoring of networked systems; real-time views of status; notifications of critical events; historical view of status changes; and displays of system performance data. More info.

Key features: This Web-based network management tool uses SNMP to collect connection and configuration data for large networks. With the application, network managers can locate the switch port of an end-user system by IP or MAC address. Data is stored in a SQL database, and Layer 2 topology protocols such as Cisco Discovery Protocol provide automatic network topology discovery. More info.

Related story: DIY tips for IT pros: How to cut costs and get more from your gear

Key features: IPplan includes DNS administration, configuration file management, customizable circuit management and hardware information storage. The application is said to be able to handle a single network or multiple networks and overlapping address space. More info.

Related story: Managing IP addresses with free tools

Key features: This network discovery and configuration tool eliminates the need to telnet into switches and perform MAC address lookups by continuously running through the MAC address tables on switches, cataloging devices it discovers and populating the data into a local database. More info.

Key features: This network protocol analyzer can perform deep-packet inspection of hundreds of protocols; conduct live capture; perform offline analysis; and provide VoIP analysis. The application runs on Windows, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD and OS X, and network managers can browse captured data via a GUI. More info.

Related stories: Management MVPs: IT managers' most useful products
Podcast with Combs

Key features: Kismet is an 802.11 Layer 2 wireless network detector, sniffer and intrusion-detection system. It works with any wireless card that supports raw monitoring (rfmon) mode and can sniff 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g traffic. More info.

Related story: Reloading the WiFi shotgun

Key features: This PHP-based network management system uses a MySQL or PostgreSQL back-end database as it monitors standards-compliant SNMP devices, servers and TCP port. If network managers are willing to write custom code, JFFNMS can also provide Cisco-centric monitoring features. More info.

Key features: Designed for server monitoring, Nagios' claim to fame is that code from commercial products including GroundWork Open Source is based on the open source application. The status monitoring and alerting system also provides a number of plugins and supports SMTP, POP3, HTTP, NNTP, ICMP, FTP and SSH. More info.

Related story: Nagios, lots of network management for nothing

Key features: The network traffic probe can sort network traffic according to protocols, display traffic statistics, show IP traffic distribution among protocols, and identify e-mail addresses of computer users. More info.

Related story: 13 free tools ease IT management

Windows 7 in Pictures: 10 Cool Desktop Features

In anticipation of Windows 7 being released into the wild on Oct. 22, here is an up-to-date pictorial guide to the most compelling navigation and networking features of the OS.

By Shane O'Neill

Since the general beta release, Windows 7 has been through the testing wringer and has come out with mostly high marks for its speed, flexibility, user interface (UI) and networking features.

The starting point of all this UI efficiency is the revamped taskbar, which allows faster and easier management of application windows, while also adding some visual flair.

Some Windows 7 features that will unclutter navigation are clickable thumbnails that appear when you mouse over a taskbar button, jump lists and Aero Peek, which makes all windows transparent except the one you want to look at. On the networking side, HomeGroups links Windows 7 computers on your home network to share photos, music and videos through Media Streaming.

Here's our photo collection of 10 key interface and networking features new to Windows 7.

Aero Peek

Aero Peek expands on Vista's Aero graphical interface. If you have many windows open, Peek brings the window you want to focus on to the front, while turning all other open windows into transparent "glass sheets." Peek also works on the desktop. If you mouse over the "Show Desktop" control at the far right of the taskbar all windows on the desktop turn to glass, allowing the entire desktop to be seen.

Sharing with HomeGroup

HomeGroups let you easily link Windows 7 computers on your home network to share pictures, music, videos, documents and devices such as a printer. In order to set up a HomeGroup, a user's Network Location needs to be set as "Home" in the Network and Sharing Center. When you create a HomeGroup, you specify which media files, folders and devices you want to share, and create a password so that only people with that password can join the HomeGroup.

Media Streaming Options

Media Streaming in Windows 7 has been simplified to share photos, video and music with other PCs on your home network using the new Homegroup feature. Remote Media Sharing, a new feature in the Windows 7 release candidate, allows users to stream information over the Internet to share media remotely. Media Streaming Options lets you restrict which specific PCs have access to your media by choosing "more streaming options..." from the Windows Media Player "Stream" menu.

Play To

Once Media Streaming is enabled on your Windows 7 PC, the "Play To" feature lets you to send media to other Windows 7 PCs or devices in your network and play it using a remote control window. From Libraries within Windows Media Player or Windows Explorer, you can right-click on your media and send it off to another device. For example, you can send video clips to a television, or music to another laptop that's connected to speakers.

Aero Snap

Maneuvering between windows is a pain, and comparing the content of two windows side by side requires awkward resizing that never quite works. Aero Snap is a feature that allows users to snap any two windows side by side. You grab a window and move your mouse to the edge of the screen and the window will fill half the screen. Repeat with the other window and they are locked next to each other.

Jump Lists

Jump Lists provide users with quick access to a mini-Start menu containing lists of pictures, music, word documents or links that they use most frequently. There are two manifestations of the jump list in Windows 7: As part of the Start Menu (pictured here), and as a popup menu from an application's taskbar button. For example, if you right-click on the Microsoft Word button in the taskbar a list of recently accessed documents would pop up.

Trippy Desktop Background Wallpaper

OK, this has nothing to do with navigation or networking, but this surreal acid-trippy desktop background artwork (and there areothers like it available in Windows 7) is part of the user interface and shows that Microsoft actually has a personality. By including some experimental styles from international artists, Microsoft is embracing the weird and having some fun. Who knew?

Libraries

Instead of having all files and folders organized under the familiar Documents folder, Windows 7 features separate Libraries for specific content types such as contacts, documents, downloads, music, pictures and videos. Each Library is stylized to fit its content and can be shared with other people in your home network by using HomeGroup. Click here for more on how Libraries and HomeGroup work together.

Taskbar Peek

This feature applies the Aero Peek technology to taskbar thumbnails. If you mouse over an application button in the Windows 7 taskbar, thumbnails of open windows associated with that program pop up. If you then mouse over one of the thumbnails, the full corresponding window on the desktop (be it a Word doc, a browser, an IM session) will come to the forefront and all other windows will turn to glass and become transparent.

Windows Media Player Taskbar Controls

A Windows Media Player mini-viewer works with the new Windows 7 taskbar. You just need to hover over the Windows Media Player button on the taskbar after WMP is launched and a good-size thumbnail window shows up with options for controlling your WMP and playing songs. The controls provided in the thumbnail are basic — Previous Track, Play/Pause, Next Track — but the quick access to music from the taskbar is a nice time-saver.