Scary-good tech innovations

Why is it that Friday the 13th only seems scary when it falls in October? Didn’t those unfortunate teens meet their demise at a summer camp? At any rate, in honor of this allegedly spooky/unlucky day, we’ve stocked up the roundup with scary-good tech innovations, a howling CEO and a reminder of how frighteningly bad our photos used to be before everyone had a digital camera and easy-to-use editing tools. At least back then we were spared the horrors of tagging.

• Apparently, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer‘s desire to out-innovate Apple really bubbled to the, um, Surface, this week in the form of his trademark Howard Dean-esque shoutiness.
• And while we’re sure the tech innovation under the Surface is swell, pardon us if we are a little more wowed at present by the kids who made these gloves that translate sign language into speech.
• The first photo uploaded on the Web (not to be confused with the Internet) will have its 20th anniversary this coming week. Believe it or not, it was totally “safe for work” — albeit not so much for fans of halfway decent Photoshop skills.
• Hey, Google and Apple — can your maps do this? Recce is an interactive map, a real-time information provider (think train schedules and bite-by-bite restaurant reviews) and, oh yeah, a gaming platform. Rumors that it’s also a floor cleaner and a dessert topping have not been verified.
• The list you’ve compiled while sitting alone in the far corner of your office may be longer, but here are four reasons your company needs a collaboration upgrade.
• Finally, in case you missed it, check out this week’s CIO Matters column on the agony and (potential) ecstasy of Mobile device virtualization.