CIO Essentials: Underwater Google Earth, Microsoft's Milan and BlackBerrys

Ever wondered what CIOs are reading on silicon.com? Our CIO Essentials feature puts you in the picture. Each week a leading IT chief picks his or her top stories from the past week and explains why they matter.

This week we hear from Chris Broad, head of information systems and technology at the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

FMC-flavoured BlackBerry on the way
I am an unashamed BlackBerry fan although I do have some concerns about the gadget element that is appearing in the latest models, so BlackBerry stories always interest me. There has been a long-standing problem persuading some people to use the BlackBerry as a phone so improved functionality in this area is welcome.

There has been a long-standing problem persuading some people to use the BlackBerry as a phone so improved functionality in this area is welcome.

Cheat Sheet: The $100 laptop
silicom.com has commented on the $100 laptop before. The old adage "teach a man to fish and he will never starve" should be remembered. Simply giving $100 of the latest western fishing tackle won't help much. Teaching and adapting to local conditions is the key.

Google Earth takes a dive
This free resource just gets better. I am interested in nautical archaeology, in which good aerial photos and particularly free ones are important as the work is mainly done by volunteers and no money is available.

You what…?

Bust through tech jargon with silicon.com's Cheat Sheets.

Photos: Microsoft's touchscreen tabletop PC
Big Microsoft announcements always attract interest. However, is this just the IT equivalent of a concept car at a motor show or will it deliver something practical and useful?

Apple to lecture iPod lovers
iPod stories are always interesting, however there is an issue behind this one that has great significance to the role of lecturers and the way colleges and universities operate. If lectures are replaced by podcasts - and why not - how do you monitor the progress of students?

If you are a UK-based IT director or CIO and would like to take part in the CIO Essentials series by choosing your top five stories of the week, send us an email here at silicon.com.