Every week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on improving application development, web accessibility, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Most data isn’t “big,” and businesses are wasting money pretending it is
It’s all over the tech sites. You’ve heard the hype. “Big Data” is the next big thing. Quick! Buy expensive software to manage all of your big data! Of course, I’m joking. The fact is, most companies don’t actually have “big data.” Unless you’re dealing with absolutely massive amounts of data, you don’t need “big data” software. You need BI software that will let you quickly analyze your data and run reports. If you’re looking for good BI software, here’s a handy guide that will help you choose the best option.

A strategy to improve application development
As mobile devices become mainstream and new web-connected devices crop up, developers face a challenge. How do they build apps that appeal to users across all devices?

A checklist for web accessibility
With all of the fuss over developing web apps for all devices, let’s not forget about developing web apps for all users. Are your web apps accessible to users with disabilities? This article provides a nice list of questions that will make your web site/apps more accessible.

When IT doesn’t choose applications
In the past, the IT department controlled technology. They were the gate-keepers. The business users couldn’t access new software or hardware without IT’s approval. That’s all changing now. Departments regularly bypass IT altogether, and buy their own hardware and software. If this is happening in your company, here’s an article that addresses the reasons, as well as a solution.