Features

• The Grill: Raytheon CIO Rebecca Rhoads takes on new role with global reach

  Raytheon CIO Rebecca Rhoads was tapped earlier this year to lead the defense contractor's newly formed Global Business Services unit, whose goal is to improve operations and services by optimizing resources.

• Salesforce.com aims for next $1 billion business with ExactTarget buy

  Salesforce.com's pending US$2.5 billion purchase of marketing software vendor ExactTarget will help it develop a new $1 billion annual revenue stream and set the company on a clear strategic course for the foreseeable future, according to Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff.

• The social network wars are over. The winner: email!

  With every new social network and social service, with every new instant and not-so-instant way to communicate, email rises in importance. Columnist Mile Elgan explains how innovation has transformed email into the best social network.

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  The hidden dark side of today's hottest tech trends

  New technologies and new IT strategies are here to solve all your problems -- except the ones they create

• Google's next act: Diversify and conquer

  Center stage at this year's Google I/O was a company honing its vision for a future beyond search

• Google weaves Larry Page's social strategy into Maps, Search

  It became clear at Google I/O this week that Google is quietly but assuredly implementing CEO Larry Page's strategy to use Google+ to transform the entire Google experience.

• State social media privacy laws a mixed bag for businesses

  New social media privacy laws that have been enacted in several states around the country, or are in the works, present something of a mixed bag for businesses.

• What to expect at SAP's Sapphire

  SAP's Sapphire conference kicks off next week in Orlando, setting the stage for the company to sell customers on its visions for cloud-based applications, in-memory computing and mobility.

• Facebook on a mobile roll

  Facebook last week cited mobile growth as a major contributor to its first-quarter increase in sales and profits.

• Consumer tech key in Boston Marathon bombing probe

  Users of consumer technology and social media reacted quickly after explosions ripped through crowds near the finish line of the Boston Marathon last week, sending out updates, snapping photos and recording videos that officials said could turn out to be critical pieces of evidence.

• Facebook Home goes after mobile market with 'ferocity'

  Less than a year after calling mobile one of its biggest risks, Facebook has made another big move to attack the mobile market with Facebook Home for Android devices.

• Oracle's strategies to get real-world verdict at Collaborate user event

  Oracle's sprawling annual OpenWorld conference doesn't kick off until September, but next week the Oracle user group-backed Collaborate event will be held in Denver.

• Marketo IPO may spark suitors, including Salesforce.com

  Cloud-based marketing automation vendor Marketo's plans to raise up to $75 million in an initial public offering, which were revealed this week, could influence larger companies to acquire the company, including Salesforce.com and SAP.

• Fear of Facebook: 7 free apps that guard your privacy

  Facebook users are constantly being told that their privacy is under siege. Here are seven apps that can help secure your personal data.

• Opinion: More innovation means less control. Is that bad?

  Innovation in mobile computing, search and social media increasingly means taking control away from users, but at what cost?