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CNET News

Tech news and business reports by CNET News. Focused on information technology, core topics include computers, hardware, software, networking, and Internet media.

Xbox co-creator channels arcade classics at mobile-game startup: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:15:58 PST - The correlations between classic arcade games like Centipede and popular mobile games like Angry Birds are undeniable: they're simple, fun, and addictive. Seamus Blackley has hired a slew of old-school game developers to try to cash in on that fact with his company Innovative Leisure.
Firefox 11 to get add-on sync: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:46:08 PST - Changes are a-foot again for Firefox. The beta channel can now sync add-ons, the Aurora channel completes a smoother update process, and work on the faster native UI for Android continues.
Games for football lovers on iPhone and Android: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:16:00 PST - The big game is this Sunday and I've put together a collection of games for both iPhone and Android that let you play the role of different players on a football team.
Are composite pickup trucks in our future?: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:42:18 PST - Transportation design firm Motive Industries released sketches of what a pickup made of composite material could look like.
iPhone 5 rumor roundup: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:30:00 PST - CNET tracks all the iPhone 5 rumors--from the likely to the crazy--that we've heard so far in 2011 and 2012.
Ford Edge Ecoboost a harbinger of the new efficiency: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:25:37 PST - CNET tests the 2012 Ford Edge with its Ecoboost engine. With only 2-liters of displacement, this engine produces more than adequate horsepower while getting excellent mileage.
Military, government officials could get secure Android phones: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:12:08 PST - CNN reports that U.S. civilian and military officials are testing the use of secure Android smartphones that could be capable of transmitting confidential documents.
Apple cleans App Store of high-profile lookalike apps: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:59:22 PST - Apple has quietly removed a number of iOS games that could readily be mistaken for their popular counterparts and that had climbed up the charts as a result.
A hydrogen fueling station powered by the wind: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:57:04 PST - By building a wind turbine to power a hydrogen production and fueling station, a little hamlet in Long Island is positioning itself a bellwether for carbon-neutral transportation.
Verizon Galaxy Nexus loses Google support?: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:48:50 PST - The CDMA version of the phone gets dropped from the Android developer site.
Reading this kitchen scale takes on new meaning: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:33:09 PST - The Taylor Book End Scale stores upright on a bookshelf. A thin design and protective cover add to the appeal.
Mozilla preps the Web to push: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:29:36 PST - Mozilla's gestating a new project that takes its cues from the mobile world: site-specific push notifications. Could this be a next-generation RSS?
Cryoscope lets you feel your forecast: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:02:54 PST - Robb Godshaw, an industrial design student at Rochester Institute of Technology, demonstrates a haptic weather forecaster called the Cryoscope.
GloSpex glasses light up, freak people out: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:01 PST - The GloSpex Kickstarter project is destined to be a darling among ravers. The specs feature one-way illumination. The lens glow outwardly, but don't shine in the wearer's eyes.
Anti-SOPA forces have ISP snooping bill in their crosshairs: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:18:34 PST - An Internet outcry forced Rep. Lamar Smith to delay a vote on SOPA. Opponents of Smith's ISP snooping bill are hoping they can repeat the process.
Reporters' Roundtable: What's Facebook going to do with that money?: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:10:12 PST - Facebook plans to raise $5 billion in an IPO. What will Facebook do with the money? This week on the Roundtable, Rafe discusses Facebook's future with Josh Constine from TechCrunch and Shervin Pishevar from Menlo Ventures.
Pair of unknown LG Androids found ahead of Mobile World Congress: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:42:45 PST - Newly found details and model numbers indicate LG may have at least two devices ready for the annual event.
Beat the traffic with these GPS devices (roundup): Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:25:27 PST - We've rounded up a selection of navigation devices with the best of traffic data and avoidance technology.
Wheels. Legs. This robot has both: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:25:08 PST - Robots are evolving faster than humans. Check out a wheeled robot that can also sprout legs and walk on some serious terrain.
iOstand for iPad and Android tablets has a magnetic personality: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:05:49 PST - The startup iOmounts has sold out of its first shipment of iOstands, a nifty pedestal accessory for tablets and smartphones.

Latest Articles on Emerging Tech

ZDNet UK's news and analysis for business leaders includes 5,252 articles on Emerging Tech

Gov.uk public service portal goes live in beta

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:36:01 GMT -

The first beta has gone live on the UK government's effort to provide a single site where citizens can get access to and information on public services, with business services to come soon

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Tilera targets simple cloud tasks with 36-core processors

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT -

The 16- and 36-core Tile-Gx processors are designed for embedded and large-scale web applications, though code needs to be tweaked to run on their RISC architecture

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Sony teases two concept laptops

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:15:01 GMT -

At CES 2012, Sony showed off two sleek and stylish concept laptops, including an oval-shaped device and a hybrid tablet PC

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

MPs: Smart-meter scheme could cost consumers dear

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:52:01 GMT -

The ��11.7bn plan to install smart energy meters across the UK needs clearer direction from the government, or power companies could end up benefiting while low-income families pay more, the Public Accounts Committee has said

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

LightPad turns phones into projectors

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT -

LightPad is a pico projector mixed with a keyboard and trackpad, which together can convert your phone into a laptop, or beam it onto a screen

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

CES 2012 marches to the ultrabook beat

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT -

PCs and laptops soaked up the limelight at this year's CES in Las Vegas, with manufacturers queuing up to present variations on the Intel-defined ultrabook category of device

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

IBM stores one bit of data using 12 atoms

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:37:01 GMT -

IBM has developed a method to store one bit of data in an array of 12 atoms, rather than the million atoms currently needed, but the method requires expensive gear and is hard to translate to mass manufacturing

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Blippar makes a British stand in Las Vegas

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:38:02 GMT -

The London-based augmented reality start-up, which won a UKT&I competition for space on the CES 2012 show floor, lays out its apps and its ambition to be as recognisable as Twitter

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Raspberry Pi enters production, but not in UK

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:04:01 GMT -

The groundbreaking UK ��22-and-under bare-board Linux computer is finally being made in quantity, but economics have forced production to go abroad, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has said

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Intel aims to 'wow' with ultrabook prototypes

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:22:02 GMT -

Intel's Mooly Eden has shown off a number of ultrabook concept devices at CES, including the Nikiski prototype, which has a transparent touchpad and runs Windows 8

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

CES: Lenovo demos Ice Cream Sandwich TV

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:54:02 GMT -

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2012, the Chinese firm has shown off the first television set running Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Radio amateurs prep launch of tiny FUNcube satellite

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:05:02 GMT -

AMSAT-UK's scheme will see a 10cm-cubed satellite sent via converted ICBM into space, where it will broadcast telemetry data for UK schools and colleges to analyse

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Radio amateurs prep launch for tiny FUNcube satellite

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:05:02 GMT -

AMSAT-UK's scheme will see a 10cm-cubed satellite sent via converted ICBM into space, where it will broadcast telemetry data for UK schools and colleges to analyse

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

US plugs advanced optics into helicopter drone

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:26:02 GMT -

The prototype A160 Hummingbird rotorcraft drones have a sensor system that lets them track people and vehicles in a 25-mile area from a height of 20,000 feet

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Robots bake, fly and kick at US labs

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT -

Researchers at MIT and Harvard are toying with robots that can shake and bake cookies, pollinate crops, and kick like an ostrich

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Apple files patent for long-life fuel cell

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:26:01 GMT -

In a newly filed patent, the iPad maker has outlined the concept of an embedded fuel cell that could keep an electronic device charged for days or even weeks, without adding extra weight

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Termite-inspired batteries run on shredded paper

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:43:02 GMT -

Sony has demonstrated a battery prototype that uses an enzyme to break down shredded paper and generate power, similar to the way in which termites digest wood

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

IBM foretells mind-reading machines

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:18:01 GMT -

By 2016 people will have access to devices that can be operated by brain power alone, and biometric identification will replace written passwords, IBM has predicted

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Paul Allen backs Stratolaunch spaceplane

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:09:01 GMT -

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan have teamed up on a spaceplane known as Stratolaunch

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Traces of Higgs boson found at CERN

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:58:02 GMT -

Physicists working at the Large Hadron Collider have found 'tantalising' inconclusive hints of the elusive Higgs boson, a hypothetical elementary particle that could explain how the universe has mass

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

SpaceX targets first flight to space station

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:10:02 GMT -

NASA has given the go-ahead for SpaceX to fly its unmanned Dragon capsule on a test flight to the International Space Station in early 2012

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Space X targets first flight to space station

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:10:02 GMT -

NASA has given the go-ahead for SpaceX to fly its unmanned Dragon capsule on a test flight to the International Space Station in early 2012

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Graphene nanotubes promise better stacked chips

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:25:02 GMT -

A Swedish team of researchers has linked two chips using carbon nanotubes, which they say promise to be more reliable than copper interconnects for commercial production of 3D chip stacks

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

NASA's Mars rover finds key traces of water

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT -

Nasa's eight-year-old Mars Opportunity rover has sent back images of what may be gypsum deposits left by water that flowed on the red planet billions of years ago

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Verizon boss stands ready to reap M2M rewards

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:45:01 GMT -

Chief executive Lowell McAdam has said that the promise of machine-to-machine connections, or the 'internet of things', is set to be realised, with a host of internet-connected devices on the horizon

(ZDNet UK - Emerging Tech)

Latest Articles on Desktop Hardware

ZDNet UK's news and analysis for business leaders includes 10,568 articles on Desktop Hardware

Apple takes top PC spot from HP in Q4

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:10:01 GMT -

Strong iPad sales propelled Apple to the leading position in worldwide client PC sales in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to market research firm Canalys

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

TV maker Vizio to launch laptops and PCs

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:18:02 GMT -

Vizio, a US leader in HDTV sets, plans to reveal details of its entry into the notebook and all-in-one market at CES 2012, after using the show last year to launch its Via tablet

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Apple settles lawsuit over MagSafe cord glitch

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:34:01 GMT -

The deal puts an end to a court battle over Apple's MagSafe power adapter, which the plaintiffs claimed sparked dangerously when frayed, presenting a risk of fire

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Apple settles split cord MagSafe lawsuit

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:34:01 GMT -

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Photos: Apple Thunderbolt Display

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:06:01 GMT -

Apple's new Thunderbolt Display is large and sleek, and can turn any Thunderbolt-enabled MacBook into an impressive workstation

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Apple refreshes Mac Minis, MacBook Air

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:54:02 GMT -

The company has added multitouch capabilities to the MacBook Air, which measures less than one inch thick, while the Mac Mini gets a Lion upgrade

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Analysts cut PC sales growth forecasts

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:26:01 GMT -

A prolonged recession, the end of the netbook boom and saturation in developed markets are all factors for the revised predictions for 2011, analyst house IDC has said

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Chromium OS-based Kogan laptop launches

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:26:01 GMT -

The Australian hardware maker has started taking orders for a cloud-focused laptop based on Chromium OS, the open-source counterpart to Google's Chrome

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Xi3 prepares first Chrome OS desktop PC

Tue, 24 May 2011 15:53:02 GMT -

The manufacturer is preparing the release of the ChromiumPC Modular Computer, which it claims is the world's first desktop computer to run the Chrome operating system

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Apple enters top five list of UK PC sellers

Thu, 19 May 2011 09:00:01 GMT -

The Mac maker has leapfrogged Samsung to enter the top five group of PC vendors in the UK, amid a general picture of declining sales and low consumer spending

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Lenovo demos ThinkPad X1, ThinkCentre

Tue, 17 May 2011 15:20:02 GMT -

The company has announced details of its new ThinkPad X1 laptop and ThinkCentre Edge 91z all-in-one desktop machine, both of which attempt to marry business and consumer features

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Apple refreshes iMacs with Sandy Bridge

Wed, 04 May 2011 12:08:01 GMT -

Apple has introduced updated versions of its 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac desktop computers with Intel's Sandy Bridge chip and Thunderbolt data transfer technology

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

PC market shrinks as business spending dips

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:25:01 GMT -

IDC has reported that PC shipments fell 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2011 amid cautious business spending, rising prices and disruptions in Japan

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Commodore USA revamps Commodore 64

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:47:01 GMT -

Commodore USA has released a set of images of its prototype of a brand-new Commodore 64, one of the most beloved home computers of all time

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Ten tips to cut the risk of hard-drive crashes

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:49:01 GMT -

Disk drives seem cheap these days but losing data is not, so adopt some basic measures to prolong the life of your storage, says Jack Wallen

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Thunderbolt speeds on new MacBook Pro

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:24:01 GMT -

Intel has shown off its Thunderbolt technology, which promises high-speed bidirectional connectivity, on one of Apple's new MacBook Pro laptops

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Intel unveils Thunderbolt data transfer tech

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:24:01 GMT -

Intel has shown off its Thunderbolt technology, which promises high-speed bidirectional connectivity, on one of Apple's new MacBook Pro laptops

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

New MacBook Pros feature Thunderbolt, Sandy Bridge

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:31:01 GMT -

Apple has unveiled this year's range of MacBook Pro notebooks, which all feature significant performance and data-transfer boosts over their predecessors

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

HP updates ProBook and EliteBook ranges

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:10:01 GMT -

The company's new enterprise-friendly notebooks all feature a new industrial design and come with Intel's Sandy Bridge Core processors

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Lenovo shows off Sandy Bridge ThinkPads

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:18:01 GMT -

Lenovo's new enterprise-focused laptops all use Intel's new processor line-up and, according to the company, they all feature fast boot-up times and Nvidia Optimus graphics-switching

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Ten ways to tackle a full Linux hard drive

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:54:01 GMT -

Even though storage is cheap these days, you still need to how to sort out overstuffed hard drives in Linux, says Jack Wallen

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

PC market sees modest growth at end of 2010

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:23:01 GMT -

Analysts have reported that the PC market enjoyed its strongest quarter of the year at the end of 2010, but sales figures still failed to meet expectations

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Dell launches Sandy Bridge quad-core Vostro 460

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:18:01 GMT -

The company says that the quad-core device is easier to configure than previous desktops and will allow for future upgrades

(ZDNet UK - Desktop Hardware)

Best Practices in Financial Services: Achieving Excellence in Customer Management, Productivity and Strategic Alignment

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 23:00:00 GMT - As the financial services needs of customers rapidly change, the banking industry faces significant delivery challenges.

Differentiation Through Service Excellence - Driving Customer Loyalty and Service Profitability

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:00:00 GMT - Consider five key service process platforms that are shaping the future - as companies look to service to keep pace with

Latest Articles on Business of IT

ZDNet UK's news and analysis for business leaders includes 39,256 articles on Business of IT

UK customers to lose out in Microsoft licensing price change

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:26:02 GMT -

Changes to Microsoft's European volume-licensing pricing structure in the summer will see UK customers likely to pay more, according to the software maker

(ZDNet UK - IT At Work)

Free Maps costs Google £400K in damages in France

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:02:01 GMT -

A Paris court has told Google to pay a French mapping services provider 500,000 euros after the search giant failed to convince the judge it was not trying to corner the local market by offering free Google Maps

(ZDNet UK - Regulation)

Facebook plans to raise $5bn via share launch

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:49:02 GMT -

Facebook has revealed details about its business on its announcement that it is set to join the ranks of other public technology giants by filing for its eagerly anticipated IPO

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

IT failings seen as threat to open data push

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:58:01 GMT -

Public sector IT systems may struggle to deliver on the government's pledge to allow people to see the data the UK authorities hold on them, according to a consultation report published by the Cabinet Office

(ZDNet UK - Business of IT)

Amazon profits fall as Kindle sales surge

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:34:01 GMT -

Amazon's fourth-quarter sales and outlook fall short of expectations, but Kindle sales surge over the holiday period

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

ARM's smartphone muscle powers jump in profits

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:40:02 GMT -

The Cambridge-based chip designer has reported rises in fourth-quarter profits, underpinned by success in smartphones and embedded systems and as it moves into Windows 8-based devices and servers

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

EU opens antitrust probe into Samsung

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:06:01 GMT -

Samsung is being formally investigated by the European Commission over licensing deals it made with rival manufacturers for the use of patents essential to mobile telephony standards

(ZDNet UK - Intellectual Property)

Tech giants face lawsuit over alleged hiring conspiracy

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:43:02 GMT -

Google, Apple and Intel are among the seven companies ordered to go to court to answer allegations they conspired to avoid recruiting certain employees from each other, stifling competition and wages

(ZDNet UK - Jobs)

Megaupload-stored files could be deleted on Thursday

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:45:02 GMT -

The companies hired to store data by cyberlocker provider Megaupload may start deleting its customers data on Thursday, according to US prosecutors involved in the massive piracy case

(ZDNet UK - Intellectual Property)

Facebook IPO seeks to raise $10bn, says WSJ

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:13:01 GMT -

Facebook is set to file its IPO as early as Wednesday, seeking a valuation between $75 billion and $100 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

Google takeover weighs Motorola down to $80m loss

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:19:02 GMT -

Motorola Mobility went from $80m in profit to a fourth-quarter loss of the same amount, thanks largely to expenses related to the pending takeover by Google

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

Samsung profits driven by mobile growth

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:31:02 GMT -

Samsung's mobile phone sales were up 54 percent in the last three months of 2011, balancing weaker demand for PC memory and disaster-blighted supply chain problems

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

Twitter to censor posts by country

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:29:01 GMT -

A new system allows the social media service to block certain tweets in some countries while showing them in others, which a legal expert says could enhance freedom of speech rather than stifling it

(ZDNet UK - Compliance)

Intel buys RealNetworks patents and software

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:18:02 GMT -

Intel's $120m purchase of video patents and software from RealNetworks gives the chipmaker new muscle in an important market that's filled with intellectual-property obstacles

(ZDNet UK - Intellectual Property)

Nokia earnings fail to shine despite Lumia

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:02 GMT -

Nokia has reported a loss of more than €1bn in the fourth quarter, but said it is now on track to establishing itself as a top-performing Windows Phone manufacturer, thanks to the Lumia range

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

Motorola hits Apple with iPhone, iCloud lawsuit

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:36:01 GMT -

Motorola claims that two of Apple's latest products infringe on six of its patents

(ZDNet UK - Intellectual Property)

Apple doubles iPhone and iPad sales

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:34:01 GMT -

Strong global sales of mobile devices have lifted Apple to record-breaking revenue in its first quarter, with the Chinese market performing particularly well, but there is still room for rivals if they build up their developer ecosystems

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

Privacy watchdog to probe O2 over phone number leaks

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:16:02 GMT -

Privacy campaigners have accused O2 of a 'serious mistake' after it emerged that customers surfing the web from their phones are unwittingly sending site owners their mobile numbers

(ZDNet UK - Regulation)

iPhone 4S helps double Apple's profits to $13bn

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:22:02 GMT -

Apple took in revenue of more than $46bn in the last three months of 2011, with strong launch sales of the iPhone 4S over Christmas setting a record for the handset

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

Intel fuels exascale plan with QLogic InfiniBand buy

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:03:02 GMT -

Intel has purchased the InfiniBand business of networking specialist QLogic for $125m, to help it develop the technologies needed to build an computer capable of 1,000 petaflops by 2018

(ZDNet UK - Mergers and Acquisitions)

Poor Nokia sales drag down ST-Ericsson earnings

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:48:02 GMT -

The cash-haemorrhaging joint venture between STMicro and Ericsson has revealed even deeper losses than before, which it has blamed on the change of business at key customer Nokia

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

Andy Nelson becomes UK government CIO

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:12:02 GMT -

The current CIO at the Ministry of Justice will take over from Joe Harley as the UK government's chief information officer

(ZDNet UK - Jobs)

VMware closes 2011 with strong quarter

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:09:01 GMT -

The virtualisation specialist has reported fourth-quarter earnings of $200m, as chief Paul Maritz said the company was looking to deliver 'competitive value' in its products

(ZDNet UK - Financials)

New RIM chief: BlackBerry must chase consumers

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:51:01 GMT -

Research In Motion chief executive Thorsten Heins, the newly appointed replacement for Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, has said former enterprise favourite BlackBerry must focus more on the consumer market

(ZDNet UK - Business of IT)

Micron buys Virtensys for PCIe technology

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:02 GMT -

SSD and memory specialist Micron has acquired Manchester-based Virtensys for an undisclosed sum, gaining a swathe of intellectual property relating to PCIe device sharing

(ZDNet UK - Mergers and Acquisitions)

Latest Articles on Cloud

ZDNet UK's news and analysis for business leaders includes 416 articles on Cloud

G-Cloud services to go live in February

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:32:02 GMT -

The first part of the G-Cloud catalogue will be pushed out in February, listing businesses interested in providing cloud services to public sector bodies, according to a Government Digital Service director

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

UK datacentres swarm into cloud services

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:58:01 GMT -

The technologies that underpin cloud computing have become so accessible that several UK datacentre operators are launching cloud services, but they are finding it difficult to distinguish their products among customers

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Commission pledges ��10m to cloud partnership

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:09:01 GMT -

The European Commission will put ��10m into the European Cloud Partnership, which will facilitate the joint procurement of cloud products and services by European governments

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Amazon cuts off stack at the PaaS

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:16:01 GMT -

Amazon won't directly compete with the likes of Azure, Google App Engine and Heroku, says its CTO; instead, the company hopes Amazon Web Services can be the enabling layer for '1,000 platforms to bloom'

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

G-cloud to aim for 12-month contracts

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:29:01 GMT -

The government intends to cut the length of its IT contracts for cloud services down from several years to 12 months or less, to promote flexibility and avoid being stuck with legacy technology

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Government aims for cloud flexibility via short contracts

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:41:02 GMT -

The government intends to restrict its IT contracts for cloud services to 12 months or less, to promote flexibility and avoid being stuck with legacy technology

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Infiniserv launches Linux-based UK cloud

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:39:01 GMT -

The cloud services are based on the open-source KVM hypervisor, use a range of UK datacentres and offer customers the ability to connect via dedicated fibre from their business premises to the cloud

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Joyent gets $85m to take on Amazon in cloud

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:16:11 GMT -

The investor funding will allow Joyent to expand its cloud datacentres to across the world and help boost its service provider-targeted software, heightening its competition with Amazon Web Services

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Can cloud unravel the data-sharing puzzle?

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT -

Some assume that the internet lends itself to large-scale data-sharing. It's a mistaken belief, says Lori MacVittie

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Amazon switches on DynamoDB cloud database service

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:37:02 GMT -

The scalable managed NoSQL database service moves Amazon Web Services further into the platform-as-a-service arena, where it will compete with Salesforce, Oracle and others to attract developers of large web applications

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Microsoft admits SkyDrive can do better

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:36:01 GMT -

A manager of Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud service has admitted that it comes in for criticism from users, and outlined steps that the company will make to improve the product

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Heroku launches cloud Postgres database

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:08:02 GMT -

Platform-as-a-service specialist Heroku has spun its Postgres database out of its main product into a standalone service, giving people more choice of databases to provision from the cloud

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Oracle: Our cloud to be cheap as open source

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT -

Oracle has major plans for its cloud service and hopes to beat open-source alternatives on price while becoming large enough to count itself among the three largest clouds in the world

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

How Amazon is raising mega-proxy spectre

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT -

Cloud-based initiatives from Amazon and Google may amount to a return to the bad old days of the mega-proxy, says Lori MacVittie

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Google's BigQuery moves from beta to preview

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:48:01 GMT -

After getting an update, Google's cloud analytics service is now open to a wider audience, as a proprietary solution to problems already dealt with by the popular Hadoop

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Cortado ThinPrint Printer Dashboard

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:01:01 GMT -

Cortado's ThinPrint Printer Dashboard is a potentially useful cloud application for monitoring the printers on your network. We had a few issues in this review, which hopefully will be addressed in a forthcoming update.

(ZDNet UK - SaaS)

Fujitsu to set up enterprise app store for its cloud

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:25:01 GMT -

The Fujitsu Business Solutions Store will sit on top of a Fujitsu cloud and carry business apps created by independent developers, who will share revenue in exchange for hosting

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Fujistu to set up enterprise app store for its cloud

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:25:01 GMT -

The Fujitsu Business Solutions Store will sit on top of a Fujitsu cloud and carry business apps created by independent developers, who will share revenue in exchange for hosting

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Rackspace seeds OpenStack private clouds

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:41:01 GMT -

The hosting specialist has put together a private cloud package based on the open-source OpenStack cloud OS, designed for businesses that want to run an internal cloud with support from Rackspace

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

BlackBerry Business Cloud Services for Office 365

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:42:02 GMT -

RIM's latest service, currently in beta, links Microsoft's cloud-based productivity suite with BlackBerry smartphones, delivering mobile access to Exchange-hosted email, calendar and contacts.

(ZDNet UK - SaaS)

IBM puts platforms on SmartCloud

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:56:02 GMT -

IBM has upgraded its SmartCloud service with a platform-as-a-service cloud that integrates SAP support and and has added to its private cloud management capabilities

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Oracle's cloud to be US-only at launch

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:46:02 GMT -

At launch, Oracle's Public Cloud services will be run from a single datacentre in Texas, potentially causing compliance concerns in the short term from customers outside the US

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Oracle steps into public cloud

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:21:02 GMT -

CEO Larry Ellison has introduced Oracle's Public Cloud, which provides a PaaS and hosted Fusion applications for a monthly subscription, in a move that pits it against Salesforce and SAP

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Janet UK looks for cloud providers

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:14:01 GMT -

The organisation behind the UK's higher education networking programme is seeking a supplier for datacentre and cloud services, according to a notice

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

Oracle retools Enterprise Manager for the cloud

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:20:01 GMT -

Enterprise Manager 12c is a version of Oracle's infrastructure management and automation software tailored to work with cloud environments, the first in a series of retooled products

(ZDNet UK - Cloud)

BusinessWeek -- Technology & You

Steve Wildstrom created BusinessWeek's Technology & You column in 1994 with the goal of helping readers understand and use personal technology to enhance their jobs and their lives.

Google's AI Czar: Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:40:49 -0400 - Peter Norvig, Director of Research at web-search leader Google discusses how the online giant's search for artificial intelligence is revolutionizing everything from voice recognition to the way we perceive real life.
Intel's Reader For Visually Impaired: Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:25:35 -0500 - In his last piece for BusinessWeek, Tech and You columnist Steve Wildstrom talks with technology editor Peter Elstrom about Intel's digital reader for the visually impaired and its plans for health products
How Single-Purpose Devices Succeed: Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:55:38 -0500 - In the struggle between specialized devices and multipurpose products, multipurpose nearly always wins. To succeed, a specialized product must perform far better than any multipurpose version. Cheaper or simpler isn't enough; it has to be superior
Augmented Reality: Not that Real Yet: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:49:51 -0500 - Augmented reality is a technology that uses location data from your phone's GPS receiver and orientation information from its compass to superimpose data on a screen image generated by the phone camera. It sounds great in theory, but doesn't work very well in reality. A major reason appears to be that the data the phone supplies just are not accurate enough
The Secrets of Apple's Success: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:14:55 -0500 - Macs account for less than 20% of the U.S. retail market, according to NPD Group, but nearly 90% of the $1,000-plus segment. Apple does so by focusing on a superior user experience and shunning advice to boost share by pursuing the low end of the market
Droid: Taking on the iPhone: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:01:31 -0500 - It's only been a year since the release of the first Android phone, and the Google platform has matured amazingly in that time. The Motorola Droid is not an iPhone killer, but it's a smartphone that can stand up to the Apple's device on its own terms.
Touch Screens Arrive on PCs: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:50 -0400 - Microsoft's support for a wide range of iPhone-like touch gestures in its Windows 7 operating system gives software developers freedom to focus on the creative aspects of touch rather than the mechanics. That should help touch move into the mainstream
BlackBerry: A More Perfect Storm: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:32:05 -0400 - The original BlackBerry Storm, released a year ago, was marred by poor execution of its touch screen. The new Storm 2's may swing the balance away from physical keyboards. It's no longer worthwhile to put up with a tiny display or a clumsy slider design.
Win 7: Microsoft Gets It Right: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:37:56 -0400 - Win 7 has a lot in common with the reviled Vista. By eliminating the sluggishness and annoying quirks of Vista and taking cues from the better ideas in the Mac OS X interface--an old OS tradition--Win 7 is slick and pleasant to use where Vista was clunky.
Windows Mobile 6.5, New but Too Old: Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:44:17 -0400 - Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 is at best a stopgap until a truly new version is ready. The iPhone has already passed it. Worst problem: touchscreen phones that both lack the latest touch technologies and provide sluggish and inconsistent support for touch
Nuvifone: Navigation on a Phone: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:31:31 -0400 - The Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 is an excellent personal navigation device on a mediocre phone. At 299 dollars (after rebate) with a two-year AT & T contract , it's cheaper to get an iPhone with a navigation app. You'd have a poorer navigator, but a much better phone.
PCmover Eases Windows Migration Pain: Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:51:29 -0400 - There's no direct way to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, or from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Win 7, but Laplink, one of the oldest publishers of PC software, can make things a lot easier with a migration tool called PCmover
Gaming Could Save Zune HD: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:48:39 -0400 - Microsoft's Zune is never going to beat Apple's iPod Touch and iPhone as a media player. Gaming--and integration with the Xbox--could be Zune's secret weapon. But it's hard to tell, since Zune HD was released with an understocked app store
Microsoft's Free Antivirus: Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:23:55 -0400 - Microsoft failed to score in security software with a product called OneCare. It's free antivirus program, can't compare to heavyweight security offerings from the likes of Symantec and McAfee, but it will meet the needs of most Windows users
Windows 7: A Rough Road to an Upgrade: Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:59:02 -0400 - Win 7 is the best OS Microsoft has offered in years. But you may need a new computer to fully enjoy it. Upgrading from XP means reinstalling all your applications. And going to 64-bit Win 7 to access 3 GB of additional memory raises similar issues
Snow Leopard: More Steak than Sizzle: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:16:39 -0400 - Snow Leopard is short on the eye candy Apple is famous for. But there's a lot of engineering under the covers. The new OS supports Exchange, and software like Grand Central Dispatch and OpenCL ready the OS for a future of massively multicore computers.
Services that Eliminate Phone Tag: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:21:24 -0400 - Arik Hesseldahl tries Google Voice and RingCentral, two Internet call-management services, one aimed at consumers, the other at businesses, which can help simplify the multiphone life
Printers That Tap Right Into the Web: Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:21:03 -0400 - Printer manufacturers are trying to stay relevant by adding Web connections and software to their devices, letting users print without having to use a computer
Thin Clients: Replacing Office PCs?: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:38:13 -0400 - Stripped-down devices offer big savings on hardware costs and software support
T-Mobile's myTouch: A Better Android: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:46:35 -0400 - The first Android smartphone, T-Mobile's G1, wasn't very good and didn't give the software a fair test. The myTouch, the U.S. version of HTC's Magic, is an improvement. More Android phones are coming, but it's a crowded field and the iPhone is way ahead.
A Tale of Two Laptops: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:34:21 -0400 - Lenovo's ThinkPad T400s and Acer's Timeline 3128 are similar. But the ThinkPad starts at $1,600 while the Acer goes for $900. What does the $700 buy? In general, a laptop that is better in many ways, though the Timeline offers much better battery life.
Nokia's Tough Road in the U.S.: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:56:29 -0400 - Nokia's making another stab at the U.S. mobile phone market, led by the E71x. But despite an attractive $100 price with an AT&T contract, the E71x doesn't stand out in the crowded smartphone field
Desktop PCs: Set for a rebound?: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:59:08 -0400 - Desktop PCs have been fading from the scene for years, but they may be poised for a modest rebound. One big reason is the combination of big touchscreen models--the Dell Studio One or the Hewlett-Packard TouchSmar--and the multitouch features of Windows 7.
The iPhone 3G S: An Unstoppable Force: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:51:38 -0400 - Since the advent of the iPhone 3G and iTunes App Store, Apple has become a tornado of creative destruction in the handset market. Now it's challenging new markets including in-car navigation, video production, and BlackBerry's hold on the corporate market
Bigger, Better Kindle for Business: Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:17:48 -0400 - The most striking thing about the Kindle DX is its size--it looks like a Kindle 2 with a screen nearly three times bigger than the original. But perhaps the most important thing is the ease with which businesses can load their own documents in PDF form
Palm Pre: Where are the apps?: Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:30:24 -0400 - The new Palm Pre may be the first phone that can challenge the iPhone. The hardware is solid and the OS is advanced. But there's one thing the iPhone has taught us: It's all about the apps
Easier Communication for Road Warriors: Wed, 27 May 2009 11:36:18 -0400 - Novatel's MiFi creates an instant Wi-Fi hotspot using the Verizon or Sprint networks. Lenovo Constant Connect silently feeds e-mail from a BlackBerry to a ThinkPad, but limited device support and difficult setup get in the way.
Office Applications For Smartphones: Wed, 20 May 2009 18:00:12 -0400 - Until recently, iPhone and BlackBerry users could read Microsoft Office documents sent to their phones but could not edit or alter them. Two applications, Quickoffice for the iPhone and Documents To Go for the BlackBerry, are changing that.
Bluetooth Headsets: Better Than Ever: Wed, 13 May 2009 15:48:49 -0400 - You can get a Bluetooth headset for less than 20 dollars. But this is an area of technology where spending more is well worth it. We look at three headsets that offer superior voice quality, battery life, and noise reduction.
Bigger, Better Ultra-Thin Laptops: Wed, 06 May 2009 12:11:19 -0400 - Thin, light notebooks have been around for a while, but they have been aimed at well-heeled mobile execs. A new generation is emerging that will drive down prices below $1,000 and igniting conflict among Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.
Dell's Adamo: Good Looks, Bad Timing: Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:46:22 -0400 - Dell, long known for its plain laptops, has made a design statement with the Adamo. But its performance is mundane, like that of most compact notebooks. And will the world clamor for a $2,000-plus laptop when the average price is falling below $1,000?
Cisco Takes On the Home: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:46:42 -0400 - Cisco Systems isn't the first company you'd name as a digital home entertainment leader, despite its Linksys networking gear, Scientific Atlanta set-top boxes, and Flip video cameras. Question is, can Cisco learn to think like a consumer electronics company?
BumpTop: Beyond the Desktop: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:59:32 -0400 - Computers' basic user interface has changed little since the Macintosh appeared 25 years ago. Using improvements in computer power and graphics, a startup called Bump Technologies has a fresh approach. Having to rewrite all applications is a huge hurdle.
Applause for BlackBerry App World: Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:14:36 -0400 - Research In Motion's new App World brings one-stop shopping to the BlackBerry. But the experience is nowhere near as slick as Apple's iTunes App Store because of the burdens of PayPal's checkout procedure and BlackBerry's own security measures.
Verizon's Hub: Land Line Revolution?: Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:56:30 -0400 - The Hub is Verizon Wireless' push for the home-phone market, where consumers have been shedding landlines by the millions. It's impressive, but it tries too hard to make you do what Verizon wants, not what you might want to do yourself.
What Data to Entrust to the Cloud: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:53:18 -0400 - Applying some common sense in deciding what data you entrust to online services can save you from grief. Photos from that trip to Disney World? Good. The term sheet for a proposed acquisition? Better think again.
Touch: Coming Soon to a PC Near You: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:09:14 -0400 - The iPhone brought multi-touch interfaces to wide attention. Windows 7 will bring it to PCs. We take the multi-touch Dell Latitude XT2 for a spin with a trial version of Windows 7 and beta drivers from N-Trig. It has a way to go, but looks promising.
Internet TV Just Got a Lot Closer: Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:10:16 -0500 - Watching internet video on TV is a tough proposition at this point. Open-source software called Boxee aims to improve this and is available for use on Macs and on some PCs
Kindle 2: Hardware as Good as the Service: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:55:55 -0500 - Taken one at a time, the changes in the design of the Kindle e-book reader don't amount to much. But the overall effect is a dramatic boost in the device's usability. Coupled with Amazon.com's excellent content service, the device is a winner that could change reading forever
A Net Gain for Netbooks: Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:45:04 -0500 - Netbooks are the hottest PCs out there, but standard operating systems, especially Windows, don't work well on displays smaller than 12 in. HP has built a new user interface that greatly enhances usability while hiding the complexities of Linux.
Booting Your Laptop in a Blink: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:38:14 -0500 - Slow boot-up times have been an annoyance since the dawn of computing. The new HyperSpace software from Phoenix Technology lets a Windows laptop boot almost instantly into a Linux environment to get you working fast.
Taming the Wild Home Network: Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:58:30 -0500 - Home networks are getting more complicated. Many households have a combo of Windows PCs and Macs. Hewlett-Packard's second-edition MediaSmart Home Server makes it easier for computers to communicate, back up their data, and share videos, music, and photos.
Windows 7: A Sight for Sore Users: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:04:57 -0500 - A focus on clean design, better user control, and compatibility has Windows 7 off to a very promising start. It's a welcome change from the unfortunate launch of Vista.
Broadband May Not Be the Best Stimulus: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:05:34 -0500 - The tech industry and advocacy groups call for spending $10 billion to $40 billion to bring superfast broadband to the U.S. As a matter of social equity, the idea has merits. But it's not likely to provide a huge boost to the economy in the short run.
Apple Invests in Desktop Software: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:10:00 -0500 - While Microsoft, Google, and others seem to be betting the future of consumer applications is Web-based, Apple continues the push for improved native apps. But Apple's business model also depends on offering unique, superior software on the Mac platform.
Nvidia Brings 3D Home: Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:52:00 -0500 - Three-dimensional displays have been an elusive goal for years but Nvidia's $19 kit, plus a high-end display and graphics adapter, can make existing software leap off the screen
Why BitTorrent Is Thriving: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:23:30 -0500 - Why are classic movies unavailable on DVD and why are some titles available in Europe but not the U.S.? Why do movies appear on and disappear from download services seemingly at random. Blame it on an antiquated business model that serves mainly to encourage piracy
A Very Techy New Year: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:09:08 -0500 - PCs, not very newsy of late, may dominate tech news next year. Apple and Microsoft will have new operating systems, while mini-notebooks, or netbooks, which burst on the scene in 2008, will expand their market and could be sold more like wireless phones.
How the iPhone Has Changed Wireless: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:31:39 -0500 - The iPhone has accelerated a trend: Customers who once belonged to wireless carriers now identify with the maker of their handset or its software. This is turning the carriers into commodity bandwidth suppliers, but it increases choices for customers.
Windows on Mac: Virtually Perfect: Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:48:35 -0500 - New virtual machine versions from Parallels and VMware make Macs easier for business users.
Netflix Comes to the Xbox 360: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:15:19 -0500 - Microsoft is trying again to transform the Xbox 360 from just a gaming console into a whole-family entertainment center. A new user interface and a deal with Netflix to provide unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows might just do the trick
iPhone or BlackBerry Storm?: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:27:43 -0500 - The iPhone and the BlackBerry Storm are both wonderful products, but they are aimed at different users. The Storm is for people who primarily use a smartphone for messaging, while the iPhone is the choice for Web browsing, games, and cool applications.
Design: Why iPhone, BlackBerry Excel: Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:17:51 -0500 - Open design is great in theory. But BW's Stephen Wildstrom reluctantly concludes that tight integration of hardware and software in proprietary designs may be why the iPhone and various BlackBerrys outpace such rivals as Windows Mobile
Apple Laptops: More Hit Products: Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:01:13 -0500 - Compared with what rivals offer, Apple has a limited lineup of notebook computers. But they keep gaining market share--and selling for twice what people pay for Windows notebooks. The reason: They're really good.
Neat Co. and the Paperless Office: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:25:36 -0400 - The "paperless office" has been slow to appear. A new scanner and software combo for Neat Co. (formerly Neat Receipts) could change that. It scans and interprets documents, saves them to a database, and syncs with other programs.
WiMAX's Promising Start: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:04:08 -0400 - XOHM, a joint venture of Sprint Nextel and Clearwire, has lit up Baltimore as it starts its rollout of a national network. It's a promising beginning, but WiMAX faces challenges from tough financial markets and a rival technology called LTE.
Android's Shaky Start: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:26:16 -0400 - Android, Google's open-source smartphone software, makes its debut Oct. 22 with the T-Mobile G1. The software breaks down barriers between applications, but Android could be hampered by poor handset design and T-Mo's limited 3G U.S. network.
The BlackBerry Storm: A Touch Better: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:01:00 -0400 - Research In Motion invented the usable mini keyboard for the BlackBerry. It has reinvented it with the Storm. With a light touch for navigation and a harder press, with terrific tactile feedback, for typing, the touchscreen offers unprecedented accuracy
Lightweight Laptops Get Serious: Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:58:04 -0400 - A new generation of lightweight laptops with 12.1-inch widescreen displays are serious corporate workhorses, offering better keyboards, faster but energy-thrifty processors, and long battery life, plus prices that won't make a purchasing manager wince
Android Steps Out: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:20:08 -0400 - The T-Mobile G1, the first phone based on Google's Android open-software platform, has been unveiled. Its long-term success will depend on the efforts of third-party developers--and people's willingness to share even more personal information with Google
RealDVD: Movies When You Want Them: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:06:35 -0400 - Copying DVDs to hard drives has been difficult--and illegal. RealDVD simplifies and legalizes the process, but there are some significant restrictions on what you can do with the content.
Google Chrome Goes for the Jugular: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:12:21 -0400 - Google Chrome is a browser designed from the ground up with the understanding that Web pages have become complex applications rather than collections of text and images. To the extent it succeeds, desktop operating systems become less relevant.
The Net's Not Running Out of Room: Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:16:05 -0400 - To hear AT&T tell it, the Net is running out of room, but studies suggest the traffic is not accelerating. Neutrality advocates claim ISP interference in video traffic with precious little to back the assertion. It's time to tone the argument down.
Palm's Bid to Get Back in the Game: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:03:47 -0400 - The new Treo Pro is the best piece of hardware from Palm in some time. However, two big problems: It's being sold in the U.S. with no carrier partner at an unsubsidized $550 price, and Windows Mobile makes it hard to differentiate it from other products
TV Conversion: Not Picture Perfect: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:15:03 -0400 - When analog TV stations go dark next Feb. 17, so will old analog TVs that rely on over-the-air broadcasts. Converter boxes won't let you take full advantage of digital signals.
Cameras: Tangled Up in Feature Creep: Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:05:08 -0400 - A discussion with Jay Greene, BusinessWeek's Seattle bureau chief, about a bevy of features in the latest compact digital cameras. They don't always make taking pictures any easier.
That's Using Your Head: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:32:23 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Cliff Edwards takes a look at a new headset that can be tuned to read your thoughts and translate them into computer instructions so you can play a game or arrange photos without using your hands or speaking words
Broadband TVs: Are We There Yet?: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:48:00 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Cliff Edwards says that by next year, recent deals will allow Panasonic and other TV makers to build in cable converters, eliminating set-top boxes
A Stroll Through iPhone's Apps Store: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:13:41 -0400 - An even bigger deal than Apple's July 11 announcement of its new iPhone 3G was the unveiling of its iTunes App Store to distribute third-party applications. The applications are varied and of mixed quality. The big lack: no turn-by-turn navigation.
The Future of Open Wireless Networks: Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:44:09 -0400 - Recent months have seen contradictory trends in wireless networks. Google's Android and Verizon's Open Network point to a greater consumer choice, but Apple's iPhone 3G could be a step back.
Car Repair Costs Revealed: Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:12:12 -0400 - The availability of pricing information on the Web has revolutionized how cars are sold. Two new services, DriverSide and RepairPal are trying to do the same for repair services.
HP Tries Software Innovation: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Computer makers other than Apple mostly withdrew from software 25 years ago and watched Microsoft turn their products into commodities. HP hopes to use its software chops to differentiate itself - its latest effort is a much improved TouchSmart family PC
Why iPhone Wannabes Don't Cut It: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Since the iPhone came out, handset makers have tried to replicate the touch-screen wonder. But software deficiencies mean that even a good copy, like the Samsung Instinct from Sprint, falls short. Now Apple is fostering more robust third-party software
Firefox Trots Ahead: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Firefox browser, an open-source project based on Netscape code, is pushing toward a 20% share of the market. A new version features improved performance and anti-fraud protections.
No-Hands Search for Handsets: Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - For mobile search with speech recognition and location awareness, Yahoo's oneSearch and Microsoft's Tellme have complementary strengths and weaknesses, but both are likely to improve.
Bluetooth Comes of Age: Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - There's more to Bluetooth these days, including wireless speakerphone kits for cars and setups that let your 3G phone work as a wireless modem for your laptop.
Streaming, Presented by Netflix: Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Netflix has made some titles available for streaming on PC for several months. Now, pony up $100 for a Roku Netflix Player and see them on TV. The drawback: A poorly designed Web site.
BlackBerry's Bold Move: Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - In the year since the iPhone launched, Research In Motion's BlackBerry has gained market share. The new Bold, with added appeal for corporate users, is BlackBerry's bid to counter Apple's second-generation iPhone
A Touch of Genius: Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Since the iPhone, multitouch hardware is getting more relevant. It gives users a more natural interaction with electronic devices, but the software still has a long way to go
Tapping Into Mobile Video: Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - There's a lot of great video on the Web, but playing it on a handheld is a big challenge. vTap not only finds the video you want but reformats it so you can play it on your handset
HP Hits the Mini-Notebook Field: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - HP is the first top-tier U.S. laptop maker to introduce a low-cost mini-notebook aimed at the education market. The challenge is getting software that can fulfill the hardware's promise
Photoshop's Little Online Brother: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Photoshop Express really isn't an online version of the photo editing software. But a lot of Photoshop technology powers what may be the most capable site for fixing photos for Web display
File Syncing, Sweet and Simple: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - The SugarSync Manager and a Web service make it simple to get access to files of any sort from Windows PCs, Macs, Windows Mobile smartphones, or BlackBerrys.
Adobe Wants to Be a Player: Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Adobe's Flash software is the standard for online video, but now it lets you watch TV shows, movies, and videos on one player that you can set up without calling on your teenager for tech support
The Payoff from Open Networks: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Apple is opening the iPhone to third-party applications, Verizon is opening its network, Google's Android is an open platform for handset software, and government rules require buyers of newly auctioned spectrum to be open to all
Microsoft Office Lurches Online: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Despite its name, Microsoft Office Live has little to do with Microsoft's suite of productivity applications. Instead, it's a package of tools to help small businesses establish a presence online. Ironically, one flaw is a lack of integration with Office
The Danger Lurking in Public Wi-Fi: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400 - Most of public Wi-Fi networks are unencrypted--that means everything you send or receive can be monitored by anyone with a laptop and some software. The best protection: Use a virtual private network or stick to secure Web sites
Apple TV: Somewhat Improved: Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:00:00 -0500 - A free software download fixes Apple TV's biggest shortcoming. You can now shop at the iTunes Store directly from your TV and rent as well as buy movies. But with just 500 movie titles available, Apple TV has a ways to go to become a compelling purchase
Lenovo's ThinkPad X300: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:00:00 -0500 - Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom says that the X300 is not as thin or as glamorous as the MacBook, but most mobile professionals will agree that it is better designed for the long haul
My Windows Wish List: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:00:00 -0500 - Microsoft is working on a successor to the poorly received Vista. My unsolicited advice: Make it a lot more like a Mac, if necessary by creating a separate consumer version of the software
Fortifying the Handheld: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:00:00 -0500 - Intel is readying two new generations of chips that will bring unprecedented power to handhelds. The Silverthorn will let mobile devices be smaller and run longer. The Moorestown may bring true computer-like performance to the iPhone and other handsets
FileMaker's Bento: Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:00:00 -0500 - Databases are the workhorses of computing, but they are way too hard for most people to use. Bento, from Apple's FileMaker, brings the power of databases within the reach of everyone--at least if you have a Mac
MacBook Air: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0500 - The new MacBook Air is the sexiest laptop ever designed. But before long you'll notice some deficiencies that will greatly impact those most likely to use it: mobile professionals
Another Look at Vista: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0500 - Lots of folks were waiting for Service Pack 1 before moving to Windows Vista. With SP1 almost ready for release, they are likely to be disappointed. It fixes bugs and improves performance, but Vista's many annoyances are still with us
DayJet's Program: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0500 - BusinessWeek's Steve Wildstrom says that DayJet flies three-passenger micro-jets with prices based on how flexible fliers are. For travel between smaller cities, it's an alternative to driving or chartering a plane
Self-Publishing That Novel: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0500 - BusinessWeek's Steve Wildstrom says that for only $20, a startup called Blurb gives you the opportunity to create a book and sell the finished product online
Office:mac 2008: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0500 - This long-overdue reworking of the Mac version of Office, the leading productivity software suite, is the first Mac version to take full advantage of Apple's move to Intel processors--and it's got even more than that going for it
A Wider Wireless World: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500 - BW Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom says that more bandwidth will be available for wireless networks after analog TV is shut down
Cutting the Cords: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500 - Wireless USB could eliminate the data cables that connect cameras, music players, and other gizmos to computer, while a wireless charger from wildCharge could eliminate many power cables
Where To Store It All: Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500 - Home computers are used for mail, documents, photos, music, and videos. Microsoft sees an opening for a home server product that can easily and securely store and share data
Zune 2.0: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500 - Microsoft's Zune didn't dent Apple's dominance of the music market, but the company is trying again with a new and much improved version of the media player, and a subscription service
Amazon's Kindle: Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500 - Amazon has taken its knowledge of books and online selling to create a simple digital reading device. The main problem is the $400 price tag, which could come down if Kindle takes off
The Sonos Digital Music System: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500 - BW's Steve Wildstrom thinks that Microsoft and Apple are both missing the home entertainment boat, especially since the arrival of a new generation of digital entertainment products that work just fine without a computer
Hard Drive Encryption: Thu, 08 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500 - Encryption solves the problem of loss of confidential data, but it has been too difficult for most to use. New hard drives with encryption technology built in are changing the game
Leopard Hits the Spot: Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - With Leopard, the latest version of Mac OS X, Apple follows the eclectic software tradition of incorporating ideas from other programs. But while many ideas in Leopard come from Windows or Linux, Apple has found ways to improve on them
Get Your Hands Off the Web: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - Verizon Communications and AT&T have convinced BusinessWeek Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom that more government involvement is needed to keep communications free of corporate interference
The Palm Centro: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - Priced as low as $99, the new, smaller Palm Centro is a bid to expand the market for Palm's bigger and more expensive Treo smartphones. Will sales buy Palm enough time to keep going until the end of 2008, when its aged core software gets a rewrite?
Which BlackBerry Is Juiciest?: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - Research In Motion has just released two new BlackBerrys, the first to incorporate Wi-Fi. Superficially, the 8820 for AT&T and the 8320 Curve for T-Mobile seem a lot alike. Edge: the Curve
The Gateway One: Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - The new Gateway One is a fine example of a neglected breed: the all-in-one desktop computer. But Tech & You columnist Stephen Wildstrom says it lacks the emotional appeal of the Apple iMac
Nice Gear. More Flicks, Please: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Technology & You columnist, Seve Wildstrom, talks about Vudu, a new service that delivers movies direct from the Internet to your TV
The Elegant iPod Touch: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - More than an iPod, less than an iPhone--The Touch, Apple's newest iPod, creates a whole new product category. It has the look and feel of the iPhone, but has Wi-Fi only for browsing, not calling. It's a beautiful device, but some software omissions make it less useful than it could be
The iPhone Unfettered: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - BW's Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom says Apple and AT&T have locked down the iPhone's hardware and software, but others are frustrating the effort. Although it loses some functions, an iPhone freed by a hardware modification, supplied by PureMobile in Quebec, easily works on multiple GSM networks
Who Pays for 'Free' Net Calls?: Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - To avoid "termination" charges, ooma is using some of its customers--those who have kept regular phone lines--to serve as gateways to the local phone network. BusinessWeek's Steve Wildstrom says that when it looks like you're getting something for nothing, somebody is paying, and it might be you
Net TV: Coming Into Focus: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - BusinessWeek Technology writer Cliff Edwards thinks that the Archos 605 Wi-Fi video player will allow even novices to get Net-based content on their TV. And despite the occasional hassle, this device offers one of the best experiences available in the still-troubled arena of Internet TV
A Sneak Preview of WiMAX: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Jay Greene says that if you want Internet access wherever you go, there's an emerging technology called Wimax that aims to indulge that craving
The Mouse That Soars: Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - Over the years, Logitech has delivered plenty of innovations to make this time-honored device more versatile. But at this late date, is there really any way to build a better mouse? BusinessWeek Technology Writer Cliff Edwards thinks so
Is Your PC a Graphics Wimp?: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - 3D graphics have been the province of serious gamers, but Microsoft is encouraging software developers to make more use of 3D in its Windows Vista OS. But the widely used graphics adapter, the Intel 965 Express family, is not optimized for 3D. Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom discusses some suggestions on how to get better 3D graphics on a new PC
TiVo, Minus the Tangle: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom says that the new TiVo HD isn't quite the set-top box of his dreams, but it comes pretty close. And it is a harbinger of better things that will be here soon
Wi-Fi Gets the Call: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom says that techies have been promoting Wi-Fi as an alternative to conventional wireless phones for some time, but most people have found it hopelessly impractical. The new HotSpot @Home service from T-Mobile changes the game by letting users move seamlessly between Wi-Fi and calls on T-Mobile's GSM network
iPhone's Network Hang-Up: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom says that Apple isn't talking, but the decisions aren't as mysterious as they might appear. And they say a lot about the confused and confusing state of the U.S. wireless industry
Business and the iPhone: Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0400 - Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom says that lots of mobile executives would love to switch to Apple's new iPhone, but it's not ready for serious business. Luckily, its software problems can be fixed
Toshiba's Portege R500 Laptop: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom says that he's a big fan of featherweight computers. But he has been discouraged by the slightest and lightest of this class because of the compromises they forced him to accept--cramped keyboards, undersized displays, poor battery life, puny storage, and less-than-stellar performance. But the Toshiba Portege R500 breaks that mold
Ask.com: Worth a New Look: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom says that while Google has done a lot to improve Web search, it's still very 1999. Ask.com, has a better idea, with its three-pane approach to search results that really is more usable
Streaming Video, Unwired: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom says that videos from YouTube and all other streaming media sites on the Web have one big disadvantage: You can't take them with you. But now, RealNetworks has a solution in RealPlayer 11, which can record noncopy-protected streaming video
Unchained from the Cable Box: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom says that on July 1, Federal Communication Commission regulations 11 years in the making will liberate consumers from the tyranny of cable providers' set-top boxes. The new rules prohibit cable operators from combining tuning and security in a single integrated device. The CableCARD security module should lead to the creation of whole new classes of cable-ready devices. Consumers should finally get the boxes they want, not the ones the cable companies wants them to have
How Flash Memory Will Change PCs: Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom tells us how after 25 years as the king of storage, the conventional hard-disk drive is coming under attack from a new breed of storage based on flash memory. The first laptops based on these new solid-state disks have hit the market, promising more speed, greater reliability, and more compact designs. For the time being, SSDs are much more expensive than conventional drives but the gap will narrow. And in the meantime, expect to see Windows Vista PCs using hybrid storage that combines flash with a conventional drive for improved performance
The Flip from Pure Digital: Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom tells us why the Flip camcorder from Pure Digital is an example of the terrific simplicity that can be achieved when a product is designed for a single purpose
Verizon's Global BlackBerry: Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - Globe-trotting BlackBerry users who prefer Verizon's wireless service--and there are many of them--have had to put up with service blackouts outside North America. The new BlackBerry 8830 World Edition lets them have their cake and eat it, too. At home, it runs on Verizon's CDMA voice and high-speed data network. Abroad, the 8830 magically morphs into a Vodafone GSM handset for voice and solid, although slower, data. You need never miss an e-mail again
Steve Wildstrom's Notes from Zaragoza: Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Steve Wildstrom talks to GuideWire's Cathy Brooks at the Innovate!Europe conference in Zaragoza, Spain. They discuss the changes in the European market over the last three years as well as the way that failure is perceived in Europe and the U.S., the cultural nature of that perception, and its impact on innovation. And guess which two countries are most like Silicon Valley when it comes to a culture of innovation...
Kodak Moments for Less: Thu, 03 May 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - Kodak wants to change the digital photography game with a new line of printers that dramatically lowers the cost of home printing -- in order to compete with labs. Whether or not this is a winner for Kodak, it's good news for consumers
SanDisk Sansa: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - BW Columnist Steve Wildstrom talks about the latest entrant to the digital music player market, the SanDisk Sansa connect, a new player that makes intelligent use of Wi-Fi connectivity. Well-designed middleware from ZING systems lets the Connect leverage Yahoo! Music Unlimited to Go's subscription music services
Jaman: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - Jaman's startup download service aims to become an online film festival for world movies and the works of independent filmmakers--the sort that don't have distribution deals with Miramax Film or Fox Searchlight Pictures. BW's Tech & You columnist, Steve Wildstrom says that for anyone looking to go beyond the greatest hits approach of iTunes, CinemaNow, and the others, Jaman is well worth a look
Harnessing Social Networks: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - The increased customer interaction provided by social networking sites creates both opportunities and pitfalls for businesses. A new service called Ning provides a relatively easy way for small and medium-sized businesses to get into the game
The FlipStart: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Steve Wildstrom says the FlipStart, a mini-clamshell laptop from Paul Allen's Vulcan Portals, is the best attempt so far at putting a PC into a tiny package. But for this class of product to succeed, Microsoft, an avid promoter of the ultra-mobile PC, must rethink Windows for smaller displays
Now Playing: Digital Disarray: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - The quickly growing stock of movies and shows available for download is too scattered to allow any one service to gain traction. BW's Steve Wildstrom says the downloaded entertainment revolution is going to remain on pause until Hollywood loses its overwhelming fear of piracy
Apple TV: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - BW Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom screens some Apple TV. Like nearly all products coming out of Apple these days, Apple TV is brilliantly executed. It's a set-top box that lets you play content--movies, TV shows, podcasts, photos, music--from an iTunes library on a computer in your home on your television set. The problem is that you can only play iTunes content--and that leaves out an awful lot you might want to see
Vista: Slow and Annoying: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:01 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Steve Wildstrom says that extended use of Microsoft's new operating system has failed to make some annoying features less vexing. The biggest problem is User Account control, a security feature that requests permission before installing software of changing system settings. It's an example of a good idea gone too far. And while you can turn it off, doing so compromises the security of Vista
Where Search Stumbles: Wed, 07 Mar 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - BusinessWeek's Steve Wildstrom finds that search engines still have trouble locating a business inside your zip code. He tests the major Web search engines, and concludes that you're better off using alternative sites to find local information
Transmedia's Glide OS 2.0: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - Much hyped, Web-based software is becoming a serious competitor to conventional desktop applications. Glide OS 2.0 from Transmedia tries to replace most software with Web-based equivalents. It may be too ambitious, but it points to an interesting future
The BlackBerry 8800: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - When it introduced the Pearl last fall, Research In Motion brought some style to its competent but rather stodgy BlackBerry handheld. The new BlackBerry 8800 inherits many of the features of the more consumer-oriented Pearl, including the shiny black and silver look and the little pearl-like trackball that replaces the traditional BlackBerry scroll wheel. But the 8800 includes a full keyboard, which makes it a powerful e-mail machine
HP TouchSmart IQ770: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - An electronic family communication center has long been the dream of the PC industry, and the latest manifestation is the Hewlett-Packard TouchSmart IQ770. This is a very nice all-in-one PC with some specialized applications designed to let family members share information easily. But it's not likely to replace the note stuck to the refrigerator as the family messaging system
Keeping Windows Pests at Bay: Wed, 07 Feb 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - Windows Vista represents a considerable advance in the security of Microsoft operating systems, but that doesn't mean you can let your guard down. Whether you are running Vista or XP, you are going to need additional software to protect your computer from the bad guys on the Net. Changes in both software and the common types of attacks increasingly argue for a single integrated tool to provide antivirus, antispyware, and firewall protection, and Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom thinks Norton Internet Security 2007 is the best of the current crop Windows Vista represents a considerable advance in the security of Microsoft operating systems, but that doesn't mean you can let your guard down. Whether you are running Vista or XP, you are going to need additional software to protect your computer from the bad guys on the Net. Changes in both software and the common types of attacks increasingly argue for a single integrated tool to provide antivirus, antispyware, and firewall protection, and Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom thinks Norton Internet Security 2007 is the best of the current crop
Putting Pen to Screen: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - The Tablet PC languished in the four years since Microsoft introduced it. With the release of Vista, Tablet software is getting deserved improvements, and PC manufacturers are responding with interesting Tablet laptops. Some features could become standard
Powerline Networking: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - The increasing use of video on home networks is creating more demand for speed than Wi-Fi systems can deliver. A new version of an old technology, data over power lines, may provide the answer. Homeplug AV and Powerline HD, provide enough bandwidth to send high quality video around your home
GPS: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - Plunging prices and rising quality have made navigation devices based on the global positioning system indispensable for travelers. Many mobile phone handsets now include GPS circuitry, and subscription navigation services do a more than respectable job. Dedicated systems that mount on your car's windshield or dashboard are a step up and are available for as little as $200
Opening New Windows: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - Some of the safety features in the Microsoft Vista operating system will probably make you feel annoyed. But don't mess with them -- they're actually good for you, says BW technology columnist Steve Wildstrom
Windows Vista: Wed, 03 Jan 2007 23:00:01 -0500 - The most dramatic change in Microsoft's flagship product in more than a decade, Vista is very pretty to look at, but its real significance lies in the underlying improvements in Windows security, says BW's Steve Wildstrom
Office 2007: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:00:01 -0500 - With its 15-year legacy, Microsoft's Office has high expectations to meet. BW columnist Steve Wildstrom reviews the latest version of the software. He gives high marks to the way commands are grouped, but also has some reservations about the new product
Why the Big Story is Software: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:00:01 -0500 - Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom says it doesn't take much of a fortune-teller to predict the big tech news of 2007. Early next year Microsoft will finally roll out Vista and a major overhaul of Microsoft Office. And probably before spring Apple will release Leopard, the latest version of OS X. But these new releases may be dinosaurs, because the action is moving to the Web
You Heard Right, HD Radio: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 23:00:01 -0500 - Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom talks about HD radio. While television is making a highly publicized transition to digital, high-definition broadcasts, a much quieter transition is underway to HD radio. The big advantage of the new standard is better sound quality, with digital FM sounding nearly as good as CDs and digital AM approaching standard FM quality. The digital transition also gives broadcasters the ability to send out two or three channels in their existing bandwidth. But limited availability of receivers and poor programming put a damper on the appeal of HD radio
Tech's Senior Class: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 23:00:01 -0500 - Many high-tech products are far too complicated for most people, and that makes them doubly intimidating -- and useless -- to many older folks who are uncomfortable with technology. Two new products, the GreatCall Jitterbug phone and the HP Printing Mailbox, address themselves to this market by offering maximum simplicity and the relatively low cost of very limited features
Sony's PlayStation 3: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 23:12:01 -0500 - Though quantities are severely limited, Sony's PlayStation 3 has finally arrived. It's an impressive technical achievement, with graphics that are better than anything seen before in a game console. But is that enough to ensure a payoff for Sony? The company has struggled due to its severely underdeveloped networking capabilities. And the economics of the PS3 are daunting
Nokia E62 & HTC Excalibur: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 23:12:01 -0500 - Not surprisingly, the success of Motorola's thin and inexpensive Q smartphone is inspiring competition. Versions of a couple of competitors that have been available for a while in Europe and Asia have landed on North American shores. Cingular is offering the Nokia E62, a full-keyboard smartphone based on the Symbian operating system. It can easily hook up to corporate e-mail systems using BlackBerry Connect or Good Messaging Service. The more consumer-oriented T-Mobile Dash, also known as the HTC Excalibur, can get data using both T-Mobile's network and Wi-Fi hot spots
Microsoft's Zune: Wed, 08 Nov 2006 23:00:01 -0500 - The new Zune music player and service is Microsoft's latest attempt to win a share of the market dominated by the iPod and the iTunes store. Its main distinction: a wireless connection that allows Zune owners to share music
Explorer's Long-Awaited Update: Wed, 01 Nov 2006 23:00:01 -0500 - BW Columnist Steve Wildstrom wonders why it took Microsoft so long to launch IE 7, especially now that it must confront challengers like Firefox
Hewlett Packard Media Vault: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:00:01 -0400 - The Hewlett Packard Media Vault is a big disk drive, 300 gigabytes or more, that you can hang directly on your network, and HP has done a good job of making it accessible from any computer on the net. Considering the huge and growing size of video downloads, music, and photos, this is a great idea. But the digital rights management schemes used to protect commercial content, especially movies and TV shows, make the Media Vault a lot less useful than it might be
Casio ClassPad 300 Plus: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:00:01 -0400 - Teaching math is heading into a back-to-basics phase. But while excessive reliance on technology might be partly responsible for declining skills, the Casio ClassPad 300 Plus, a new type of calculator, can enhance the understanding of math
Building a Better Mouse: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:01 -0400 - You can get a perfectly serviceable mouse for $15, so what do you get if you spend upwards of $75? In a couple of words: features and customization. New cordless mice from Microsoft and Logitech represent the state of the art. The MX Revolution from Logitech is the most interesting, featuring a new kind of scroll wheel that lets you move through through a document one click at a time or in a free-wheeling mode that lets you zip through the longest spreadsheets
Getting the e-Vote In: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:00:01 -0400 - Chances are great that Americans will face widespread problems when they go to cast their ballots on Nov. 7. Not because of the much-publicized vulnerability of electronic voting systems to hackers, serious as they might be, but because we have unwisely deployed technology without the training and systems needed to make it work effectively. As a result, overworked and undertrained election officials make mistakes, and chaos ensues
Sony?s Reader: Thu, 05 Oct 2006 00:00:01 -0400 - While far better than the monochrome displays on earlier e-books in both appearance and power consumption, the Sony Reader falls short of real print on paper
Movie Downloads: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 - The availability of movies and other entertainment for download from the Internet is growing daily, but getting that content to television sets, which is where most people want to watch it, remains a daunting challenge. Part of the problem is that the technology isn't quite there. But the bigger issue is the reluctance of the Hollywood studios to take the plunge into the digital era
The Mac Pro: More Vroom for the Buck: Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 - Who needs the computing equivalent of a V-12 engine? Creative professionals: graphic artists, photographers, musicians, and video- and filmmakers, along with scientists, designers, and engineers. But Tech & You Columnist Steve Wildstrom says the Mac Pro also holds great appeal for serious amateurs
Research In Motion's Pearl: Thu, 07 Sep 2006 00:00:01 -0400 - RIM BlackBerrys are corporate icons. But no one has ever accused them of being fun or stylish. BW Columnist Steve Wildstrom reviews the new BlackBerry Pearl, which crams a small keyboard, a camera, and a media player into a package the size of a standard candy-bar phone
The Truth About Fiery Laptops: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - The recall of nearly 6 million Dell and Apple laptop batteries brought to light what has long been the tech industry's dirty little secret: The batteries that power our laptops, wireless phones, iPods, and cameras are potential incendiaries, says BusinessWeek's Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom
Brainier Robots, Brainier Kids?: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - BusinessWeek's Tech & You columnist, Steve Wildstrom, thinks that LEGO's enhanced Mindstorms kit could help spark an early interest in science and serve as an antidote to today's popular high-tech toys and shoot-em-up video games
In Praise of a Closed Market -- Part II: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - It's an article of faith in the tech industry that competition is good for everyone. But the history of the PC provides a good illustration of where competition works for consumers and where it doesn't. In part two of a two-part podcast, BusinessWeek Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom says that the wireless coverage is so reliable in Europe because they made a decision early on to build to the same GSM standard
In Praise of a Closed Market -- Part I: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - It's an article of faith in the tech industry that competition is good for everyone. But the history of the PC provides a good illustration of where competition works for consumers and where it doesn't. In part one of a two-part podcast, BusinessWeek Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom says that the pressure to squeeze out every penny of cost yields PCs as commoditized as wheat or cement
The Samsung Helix and Pioneer Inno: Thu, 03 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - Popular for cars and to some degree homes as well, satellite radio hasn't been able to make a go of it for mobile units. Two new, nearly identical XM2Go receivers neatly address the problem. The Samsung Helix and Pioneer Inno add interesting capabilities: You can use them to record music broadcast by XM to be played back whenever you like, and you can mix recorded XM music with MP3 digital recordings from your computer
Waiting for Vista: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - Six months before the release of a major new operating system, you would expect the Microsoft hype machine to be running at full buzz. But there's a curious lack of anticipation in the runup to Windows Vista, which Microsoft says will ship early in 2007. That's partly because PCs and their software are maturing. But it also reflects a lack of truly compelling new features in Vista, says BW's Steve Wildstrom
MSFT Windows XP Media Center Edition: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - The growing supply of TV shows and movies available for download on the Web amount to a good argument for a device that links the Internet and your TV. But BW Tech & You columnist Steve Wildstrom says he's growing increasingly doubtful that Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition is the right way to do it. The problem: too much Windows, not enough entertainment. We need software that does its job and stays out of the way
HD-DVD Still Immature?: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - The most distinctive feature of Toshiba's Qosimo G35-AV650 laptop: a high-definition DVD drive. But that's probably the worst reason to buy it. Neither Toshiba's HD-DVD nor Sony's rival Blu-ray Disc is really ready for prime time. Consumers would do much better to wait until the technology matures -- and maybe until a single standard emerges
Net Neutrality: Thu, 06 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - There's more -- and less -- than meets the eye to the fight over "net neutrality" now raging in Washington, says BW's Steve Wildstrom. The two sides, basically phone and cable companies on one hand and big Internet players like Google and Microsoft on the other, want you to believe this is about freedom and innovation. But it mostly revolves around money. Fortunately, there's a way out of the swap that can protect the interests of both the big players and the public at large
Google Spreads Out: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - Since vanquishing its rivals in the 1990s, Microsoft Office has owned the market for productivity applications such as word processors and spreadsheets. But simple and free Web-based applications are presenting Gates & Co. with a real challenge in the consumer and small business markets. The outstanding new offering is Google Spreadsheets, a surprisingly full-featured upstart that can replace Microsoft Excel for many users. But the trick for the publishers of these new Web-based applications is finding a way to make money off them
Forbidden Radio: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - The new Pioneer Inno XM Satellite Radio receiver lets you listen to XMs live broadcasts and record music and shows. But the record industry has gone to court to block its sale, claiming that that by allowing recording, XM has changed its service from a broadcast to an illegal download service. Record companies are continuing the fight to sustain their outmoded business model
Pick a Mac: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - As millions of students prepare to go to college, many are thinking about what sort of computer they should take. This year, I have some new advice: For most students, the best bet is a Mac. Mac OS X is the best consumer operating system available, and it comes with an suite of excellent applications, including iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band. And with the move to Intel processors, Apple has closed both the performance gap and the affordability gap between Macs and Windows PCs
Palm's Treo 700p: Thu, 08 Jun 2006 00:00:10 -0400 - For longtime Palm fans, Windows envy is over. For the past six months or so, Palm's latest and greatest hardware, the Treo 700, has only been availalbe in a version that runs Windows Mobile. But now we have the Treo 700p from Sprint and Verizon, an all-Palm version of the 700 hardware. And there's a nice bonus: Not only does the 700p run on Sprint and Verizon's high-speed data networks, you can use it as a modem to give your laptop wireless data access as well
Motorolas Q Smartphone: Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:30:00 -0400 - Consumers had to wait a long time for Motorolas Q to make it to market, but its finally here, with the style and panache we have come to expect from Motorola products of late. The Q breaks new ground by incorporating a full keyboard and big display -- for a handheld -- into Microsofts Windows Mobile Smartphone edition software. This version has some disadvantages -- in comparison to the more powerful Pocket PC version -- but on the whole, the Q is a winner
Skype: Thu, 25 May 2006 00:00:01 -0400 - Skype, the free computer-to-computer phone service owned by eBay, also offers a cheap way to make calls to conventional phones, especially for international callers. A couple of new USB accessories make it very easy to turn your laptop into a high-quality Skype speakerphone. And in a bid to increase its presence in the U.S. market, Skype is offering free calls to any phone in North America for the rest of the year
Fostering Innovation: Thu, 18 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - This week's podcast, featuring BW's Steve Wildstrom, originates at the Innovate!Europe 2006 conference in Zaragosa, Spain. It is conventional wisdom in the U.S. that government efforts to spur innovative businesses are doomed to failure. That belief is not shared in the Autonomous Region of Aragon in Spain, where the governments of the region and the capital city of Zaragosa are working to promote innovation in energy production and other businesses -- apparently with some success
Hi Again, Speech Recognition: Thu, 11 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - After receiving a lot of hype in the late 1990s, speech recognition software seemed to have gone into a long hibernation. But it never went away, and it remained the object of intense research in industrial and academic laboratories. After BW's Steve Rosenbush spent a day catching up with the latest in speech technology at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center, he discovered the technology is much improved -- and poised for a comeback on laptops and handheld devices
An Itsy-Bitsy Problem: Thu, 04 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - In "An Itsy-Bitsy Problem," BW's Peter Elstrom interviews Tech and You columnist Stephen H. Wildstrom about the new Q1 from Samsung, the first product to incorporate a Microsoft-Intel design called the ultra-mobile PC. Its small, but it has two big drawbacks. One is a $1,099 price tag. The other is that its Windows XP software just doesnt work very well on its 7-inch widescreen display. For the UMPC to succeed, it will need software specifically designed to work on small displays
The View Beyond Vista: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - Early next year, when Microsoft celebrates the release of its much delayed update of Windows, called Vista, it will probably mark the end of the road for Windows as an all-in-one operating system. Projects on the scale of the systemupdating and writing tens of millions of lines of interlocking codeare becoming impossible to debug fully. Windows will make money for Microsoft for a long time, but theres a better way to build such software. Technology exists that can divide a large and complex operating system into a number of smaller, simpler units that run on one computer but function independently of each other. To the user, it will look much like todays software, but it will be less prone to glitches, crashes, and attacks
Macs Speaking Fluent PC: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - Apple Computer caused a huge stir in early April when it released software called Boot Camp that lets Windows XP run on new Intel-powered Macs. Apple's stock even got a 10% pop. Despite the program's elegance, it's the wrong solution for the many people who might like to buy a Mac but need to run an occasional Windows program. There's a better way
Internet TV:: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0400 - Disney's Apr. 10 announcement that it was making an assortment of current ABC Television shows available for streaming on the Web was the latest in a string of deals bringing real television to the Internet. We are even seeing the first bit of high-definition television from aggregator Akimbo. But for Internet television to become truly mainstream, two things have to happen. Viewers need a unified source of programming information, sort of a TV Guide for the Web. And most importantly, we need a way to get the programming from computers to TV sets, which is where most people want to watch it
HDTV's Digital Disconnect: Thu, 06 Apr 2006 10:30:00 -0400 - Antipiracy safeguards embedded in digital TV programming create a new set of problems for those trying to hook up TV cables. The problem stems from restrictive antipiracy measures imposed by companies that own the content. At best, the transition to HDTV was going to be confusing for consumers. But the piracy safeguards embedded in the hardware make it much more complicated, according to BusinessWeek's Tech & You columnist, Steve Wildstrom
Digital DJs Must-Haves: Thu, 30 Mar 2006 09:30:00 -0500 - Many folks who listen to digital music have a large collection and treasure the freedom to dip into it wherever they choose. Two new products, the Roku SoundBridge Radio and the Apple iPod Hi-Fi, offer relatively inexpensive ways to enjoy tunes -- with high-quality sound -- on the go. BusinessWeek's Tech and You columnist, Steve Wildstrom, tries both and gives us his report
Wi-Fi Freedom: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - Now that nearly every new laptop comes equipped with Wi-Fi, it seems you should be able to plunk your computer down just about anywhere, log on to a wireless network, and get to work. Alas, it's not that simple, because Wi-Fi is neither ubiquitous nor always cheap. That's why new PCs that use both very fast cell-phone networks and Wi-Fi are attractive. But which service is the right one for you? BusinessWeek's Tech and You columnist, Steve Wildstrom helps you choose
Intel to the Core: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - Apple is continuing to push the conversion of its line to Intel processors, introducing two Intel-powered minis and the MacBook, the successor to the 15-inch PowerBook G4. Because these models are skipping forward a full processor generation, they show much more impressive performance gains than the iMac introduced earlier this year. And they both display a lot of typical, nice Apple touches: a breakaway power cord and an iSight camera in the MacBook, Front Row software, and easy connections to a TV in the minis
Microsoft's Next Browser: Wed, 08 Mar 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - Back in the mid-1990s, security experts warned Microsoft that integrating a Web browser deeply into Windows was a mistake. A decade and countless security vulnerabilities later, Microsoft is tacitly conceding the critics had it right. The new version of Internet Explorer to be released as part of the Vista version of Windows this fall -- and separately for Windows XP -- loses much of the privileged relationship with Windows that the Microsoft browser has long enjoyed
Network Space:: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - The explosive growth of digital media means that PC disk drives with 60 or even 100 gigabytes -- which once seemed limitless -- are filling up. Fortunately, there are solutions that both solve your storage problems and make sharing content on a home network much simpler
Ready for 1080p: Wed, 22 Feb 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - High-definition and digital TV are already vastly confusing for consumers. Now laypeople will have even more furrowed brows. Get ready for a new HD standard called 1080p -- and for a war between two contenders that both want to distinguish themselves as the next-generation high-def DVD. Combining the best of the two most popular HD standards, 1080p provides both very high resolution of larger displays and the ability to handle rapid action well. The problem: No 1080p content is available and probably wont be until settlement of the DVD format fight. Still, if you're buying a display larger than 40 inches, getting one capable of a 1080p display might serve as good future insurance
Secure About Security: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - The job of keeping a home PC free of viruses, spyware, and other pests has become overwhelming for many consumers. Even when assembled into "suites," users are faced with an assortment of programs, each designed to deal with a specific threat. And configuring them properly often requires knowledge far beyond that available to most nonprofessionals. But things are improving. A startup called TrustELI provides hardware and service to manage the security of a home network on a wireless router. And security heavyweights are moving toward better integrated and more managed solutions
Net Privacy: Wed, 08 Feb 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - Web sites know a lot more about you than you probably realize. Mostly, site owners care about the aggregate behavior of users -- and are not out to invade your privacy. But two factors threaten what remains of privacy: First, improvments in technology may make it possible for others to identify you as an individual out of snippets of "nonpersonally identifiable" data. Second, the government's growing appetite for information about people's Web behavior might trump any site's privacy pledges
iMac's New Brain: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - At first glance, and even after you have used it for a while, the newest iMac seems almost identical to the version released last fall. The similarity is amazing for a machine that has undergone a brain transplant, going from an IBM PowerPC G5 to an Intel Core Duo. Because the Intel chip uses entirely different instructions than the G5, Apple had to work some software magic through a remarkable technology called Rosetta. Its not perfect, but it comes pretty close
Intel's Core Duo: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - BW's Steve Wildstrom discusses the newest Intel processor, the Core Duo, designed to narrow the growing performance gap between desktops and laptops. Like the desktop Pentium D released last year, the Core Duo puts two processors on a single chip, gaining a better trade-off between performance on the one hand, and cooling requirements and power consumption on the other. But no one can determine for sure what impact it will have on battery life -- or the ideal configuration for laptop buyers looking forward to the release of Windows Vista this fall
Garmin's nuvi 300: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - Add-on car navigation systems have improved greatly and the nuvi 300 from Garmin stands out as the slickest yet, says BW columnist Steve Wildstrom. The biggest difference between the new products and older version is that very fast GPS systems can get a location fix very quickly while speedy processors take just seconds to generate new directions if you deviate from the suggested route. At $900, the nuvi is expensive, but offers some very nice features. Its just about the size of a deck of cards, so you can remove it from the car and slip it into your pocket, and an optional talking phrase book and travel guide can enhance its value
Analog TV:: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - When Congress returns at the end of this month, one of its first acts will be to give final approval to a bill that sets Feb. 17, 2009 as the date when broadcast television stations in the U.S. will go all digital, abandoning the analog technology they have been using for the past 60 years. But most U.S. TV viewers will never notice, because they get their signals from cable or satellite, not from over-the-air broadcasts. The new rules will affect you, though, if you are looking to buy a new TV in the next couple of years. Cheap analog-only CRTs are disappearing fast. But the good news is that the cost of new flat panel sets i8s continuing to plunge
The Treo 700w: Wed, 04 Jan 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - Palm has unveiled the much-anticipated Windows-based Treo 700w, and it looks like a very impressive piece of work, says BW's Steve Wildstrom. The company took full advantage of its license to modify the Windows Mobile software -- hence producing the first Pocket PC whose stylus will almost never leave its storage slot. Now available from Verizon Wireless, Treo 700w should be offered by other carriers later in the year
BlackBerry Shutdown?: Tue, 03 Jan 2006 23:00:00 -0500 - With negotiations to settle a patent infringement case stalled, theres still a possibility that a judge could shut down Research In Motions BlackBerry mobile e-mail service. But there's good news for millions of BlackBerry addicts: A number of existing alternatives can keep the e-mail flowing to mobile workers -- whether individuals, employees of small or medium-size businesses, or part of large-scale corporate deployments
Vista in View: Tue, 27 Dec 2005 23:00:00 -0500 - Microsoft's Windows Vista, the new version of Windows due out at the end of 2006, has received poor reviews from a number of observers. The primary reason: Microsoft has dumped some major planned features it couldnt finish if it wanted to make its shipping deadline. But Vista is still going to prove itself a crucial development for both business and home computer users. It makes some highly significant changes in the security architecture of Windows -- which should produce safer and more reliable computing. But it remains unclear as to what sort of hardware users will need to take full advantage of Vista
PCs: The Buzz is Back: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:00:00 -0500 - The last few years have looked pretty dull in PC-land. Faster and cheaper is nice, but it's been a long time since any real breakthroughs in PC hardware or software came to the market. Next year should prove different. It will begin with the announcement of the first Apple PCs to run on Intel processors. And toward the end of 2006, Microsoft will roll out Windows Vista, the first big change in the look and feel of Windows in a decade. I suspect that both developments will have greater lasting importance than is immediately apparent. The new Mac could position Apple to play a major role in the digital home of the future, and Vista could provide major improvements in the security and reliability of personal computing
Digital Piracy: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:00:00 -0500 - Sony BMG's fiasco with copy-protection software reveals enormous pitfalls in content owners' plans to prevent piracy through digital-rights management (DRM). But DRM is essential to making the content available, and there are ways to do it right. To make the revolution in digital media a success, rights management must be based on standards. It should be interoperable, so that users can play all types of content on all devices. Above all, it should be designed with the consumers' needs in mind
Xbox 360: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 22:59:00 -0500 - The Xbox 360 takes console gaming to a new level. With high-definition video, the best Xbox 360 games approach cinematic realism. But the Xbox means more to Microsoft than games -- it seeks to dominate the digital living room of the future. Here the device falls short, as it's too noisy to serve as a primary media player and is saddled with all the flaws of Microsoft's Media Center PC
I Hear a Symphony: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 10:59:00 -0500 - Classical music lovers are a small but passionate segment of the music-buying population, but many feel left out of the digital revolution. The pickings at online music stores are sparse, and the quality of downloadable recordings is not acceptable to serious listeners. Olive Media Products hopes to change all that with its $899 Symphony, a digital music player designed for classical listening
Aging-Boomer Techy: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 10:59:00 -0500 - For years, an assortment of technologies designed to let people with disabilities use computers effectively have been available, but at the high cost dictated by the relatively small market. Now that the oldest baby boomers are hitting 60 and increasingly vulnerable to the infirmities of aging, a niche market is going mainstream. BW's Steve Wildstrom takes a look at some technologies that can help with a variety of sensory and motor problems, including a new generation of Microsoft mice with built-in screen magnifiers, a mouse that can filter out tremors, and a system that can create on-the-fly captions for video
The New BlackBerry: Wed, 09 Nov 2005 10:59:00 -0500 - BW's Steve Wildstrom discusses the challenges faced by the BlackBerry. Although it has produced a hugely popular product, RIM -- manufacturer of the device -- has much new competition. A number of e-mail service providers now compete with BlackBerry service. Microsoft is readying new wireless capabilities that some execs call a BlackBerry killer. And RIM is enmeshed in a patent suit. Fortunately, the company has a promising new handheld in the works
Google and Sun: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 11:59:00 -0400 - There may be more than meets the eye to the recently announced strategic relationship between Google and Sun Microsystems. Google clearly is itching to challenge Microsoft on the desktop. Of course, there are still daunting technical and business challenges ahead
Microsoft Gets It: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 11:59:00 -0400 - With Windows Mobile 5, Microsoft significantly narrows the gap between the Pocket PC Phone Edition and rival devices such as Treos and BlackBerrys. A new Treo built on Microsoft's software, and due from Verizon Wireless early next year, should finish the job
Laptops: the Big Picture: Thu, 06 Oct 2005 15:24:00 -0400 - What do consumers know that corporations don't? That wide-screen laptops are a really good idea. These designs now account for the overwhelming majority of laptops sold to consumers and small businesses but remain extremely rare in large enterprises. The corporate view seems to be that wide-screens are only good for movies, but I found that, in addition to being ideal for airplane use, a new breed of thin, light wide-screens are also great for traditional business applications
Bless These Backups: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 15:42:00 -0400 - It happened to me, and sooner or later it will happen to you-hard-drive failure. But when my disk died, it was a nuisance, not a disaster because I had it backed up two different ways. And if you havent backed up but really, truly need the data, data recovery offers and expensive but potentially lifesaving alternative
Why Palm Is Going With Microsoft: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 16:22:00 -0400 - Palm will soon announce a Treo that runs Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 rather than Palm OS. What does this mean for Palm and the future of handheld devices?
Bait, Tackle, and Gizmos: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 10:05:00 -0400 - Time was about the only electronics you'd find on most please boats was a two-way radio. But the marine electronics revolution has drastically changed boating. State-of-the-art systems, such as the Raymarine E-series, can superimpose radar and global positioning system data on an integrated chart display, and even add satellite imagery and the phone number of dockside restaurants. But even the most sophisticated fish finder still can't guarantee catching anything
Kinder, Gentler Cell Phones: Thu, 08 Sep 2005 10:40:00 -0400 - An August column on simplified wireless phones for small children produced a lot of reader response wondering where similar products might be for a lot of other people who could use simpler handsets: the handicapped, the elderly, and a lot of folks who just want a simple phone to make a simple phone call. But at least in the U.S., where carriers are pursuing a youth market with ever fancier phones, the market for simplicity is badly underserved
Do It Yourself High-Definition: Thu, 01 Sep 2005 12:20:00 -0400 - The newest consumer camcorders offer the ability to record your own HD video. But editing it and playing it back is another matter. The editing problem is being solved, but HD sharing and playback will remain a big issue until the industry solves some fundamental problems
Best of the Web: Thu, 25 Aug 2005 00:01:00 -0400 - The Web is evolving rapidly in ways that make it more interesting and useful. One major development is the deployment of Web services that can be combined to create something entirely new
Living in a Tough Network Neighborhood: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 16:35:00 -0400 - Security threats on the Internet keep getting nastier. You owe it to yourself and others to take precautions--and here's some advice on what you should do
Computers & Math: Bridging the Gulf: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 16:35:00 -0400 - Computers are terrific at arithmetic, but students at all levels need help to develop the required skills. Some of our kids aren't learning the math they'll need for a successful career through their own lack of diligence or effort. But far more are being failed by professionals that are paid to know better
Cell Phones for the Sandlot Set: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 12:16:00 -0400 - Parents see phones as a good way to contact kids whenever they wishin an emergency, to communicate a change of plans, and just to satisfy curiosity about here the kids are and what they are doing. A couple of companies have designed phones specifically for the grade-school set. Both the Firefly from Firefly Mobile and the TicTalk from Enfora are drastically simplified handsets that offer parents complete control over who their children can talk to and how much time the spend on the phone
Do Your Homework, Microsoft: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 11:34:00 -0400 - Microsoft Student 2006 is a $100 package that promises to use the power of personal computing to help students learn. But it's something of a hodgepodge, combining features of the MSN Encarta encyclopedia with an assortment of adds-ons to Microsoft Office. Parents might do more for their kids if they spend the money on some good books instead
Chips with Two Brains: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 11:56:00 -0400 - Rising processing demands are causing computers to bog down even while running routine tasks such as e-mail or Web browsing. Instead of merely boosting processor speeds as in the past, Intel and AMD are bringing real relief with new chips that combine two processors on a single piece of silicon
The Web Hits the Stacks: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 15:40:00 -0400 - Popular wisdom to the contrary notwithstanding, most of the world's knowledge is not freely available on the Web. Instead, it's hidden away in subscription-only databases or in those ancient stores of information, books. Several efforts are underway to make this content more accessible, though sometimes for a price. Steve takes a look at such services as Yahoo! Search Subscriptions, Google Scholar, Scirus, and Google Print
Google's Magic Carpet Ride: Wed, 06 Jul 2005 10:15:00 -0400 - Google Earth, a new free program from the ubiquitous search company, is a fascinating new way to use a PC to explore the world. The program lets you fly over a global mosaic of satellite imagery, zooming in and out of points of interest, from the Grand Canyon to your childhood home. It's not clear what Google Earth is really useful for, but it sure is fun
Vinyl In Music Files Out: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 10:15:00 -0400 - Digitizing vinyl LP records or tapes is a lot more difficult than ripping CDs. But if you have analog recordings that are not available on CD, preserving them in digital form may be worth the effort. Steve discusses some tools that can help you do the job

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