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Posts Tagged ‘computer’

The new SkyDrive features added late last week were, apparently, just the tip of the iceberg; today, Microsoft unleashed a new and improved preview version of its cloud-storage service that adds local SkyDrive clients, default Live Mesh-like functionality, the ability to pay for extra storage and more. Heads-up for existing users, though; your SkyDrive allotment could shrink from its current 25GB down to just 7GB if you don’t act fast.

The stand-alone SkyDrive for Windows program is now available for Windows 7, 8 and Vista users; a Mac OS X client is also available for people who like to mix … [Read More...]

As more athletes embrace the ethos of good-form running, the trend of barefoot-inspired footwear is spilling over into new areas. The craze that started on the beach soon moved to the streets and sidewalks, then the trails and mountains. Now, it’s landed on the sofa.

The NewSky is an everyday, around-the-house barefoot shoe from New Balance — a company that already makes a raft of barefoot shoes for running on the pavement and in the hills. The NewSky is designed to be worn as a minimalist recovery shoe, not a running shoe. You change into them … [Read More...]

The Flashback botnet scare may have thrust Macs’ supposed invulnerability to antiviruses claim under a microscope, but Sophos decided it wanted some numbers to go along with the heaping of hype. So the company studied feedback from 100,000 Apple computers with Sophos antivirus installed and surprisingly discovered that the Macs were fairly teeming with malware. Before you start laughing, consider this: the vast majority of the malware found didn’t affect OS X at all. It targeted Windows PCs.

Only 2.7 percent of the infected Macs contained malware that was harmful to Apple computers, Sophos reports in both a press release … [Read More...]

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This past weekend, we had spring weather in Seattle. It was 70, the sun was shining and I played tennis every day. I also thought about the dreaded task of spring cleaning. For those of us with small little condos, spring cleaning isn’t that big of a deal but I still think of it with a mix of emotions. On the one hand, I love getting rid of all the things I haven’t used/will never use/wonder why I ever bought and on the other, I’m sentimental of things I haven’t used/will never use/wonder why I ever bought like my grandma’s … [Read More...]

Have you ever wondered what everyday life is like for the average worker at Valve? As a privately held company they tend to be a bit overly secretive, and as such we know surprisingly little about what they do all day. Aside from tormenting us with silence over Half-Life 3, it turns out new employees actually get issued a handbook on what to do “when no one’s there telling you what to do”.

The handbook includes a great run down on the values and principles that we’ve all come to know and love, but also details an impressively honest admission … [Read More...]

The first Arbor Day was held in Nebraska 140 years ago; by some accounts nearly a million trees were planted that day. Arbor Day is now celebrated in many countries, although the date it’s observed on varies widely from region to region, and depends a lot on the local climate and best times for planting. In the United States April also brings us Earth Day, which is a much younger holiday; apparently it began in 1969 or 1970. But regardless of whether Arbor Day (or Earth Day) falls in April where you live, I hope you’ll enjoy the fresh and … [Read More...]

No one buys a Mercedes-Benz S-Class by accident. This is Mercedes’ largest and most comfortable sedan. By no coincidence, it is also the most expensive. An S-Class is a rolling, four-door announcement. It says you know what you’re doing with your life, and while you have money to spend, you do not spend it foolishly.

Or at least that’s the stereotype. In reality, gobs of people buy S-Classes without thinking about it. Parking lots from South Beach to Palm Springs are dotted with the cars, and New York … [Read More...]

If AMD were an Internet troll, it would be that annoying guy who always chimes in with a “FIRST!” post in the comment section of articles. After the company’s Radeon 7000 series beat Nvidia to market by quite a few months, it’s now beaten Intel to the CPU punch, too. With Ivy Bridge’s expected launch staring us square in the face, AMD has announced that its Trinity and Brazos 2.0 APUs have begun shipping out.

…kinda. In a blog post on the AMD website, senior PR manager Phil Hughes announced that the chips started shipping to OEMs last quarter, but … [Read More...]

It’s coming. Or at least Nvidia tells us it’s coming. What the heck is “it?” We’re not really sure. Nvidia posted those two ominous words on its Facebook page yesterday, underneath a close-up of the black Nvidia logo on what looked to be a graphics card cooler shroud. How mysterious! One source says it knows what the vague announcement portends, however.

Swedish overclocking site SweClockers.com (as translated and explained by VideoCardz.com) says that “independent sources” claim that “it” is the GeForce GTX 690, the long-rumored video card that theoretically sports two, count ‘em, two of the GK104 Kepler GPUs found … [Read More...]

When you’re talking the Z77 chipset, one thing springs to mind first and foremost: Ivy Bridge. Intel’s upcoming CPU isn’t the only newcomer to the game, though, as Z77 is the first Intel desktop chipset to support the company’s high-speed Thunderbolt interface — assuming a Thunderbolt controller is on the mobo, of course. Most of Asus’ Z77/H77 ‘boards have lacked an integrated controller, but it looks like Thunderbolt compatibility is coming thanks to an upcoming expansion card.

Asus told VR-Zone that the majority of the company’s H77/Z77 retail mobos will be able to accommodate the Thunderbolt expansion card, which is … [Read More...]

HTC has been one of the more prolific players in the Android phone market of late. But so far, the Taiwanese manufacturer hasn’t quite solidified its desired reputation as a beloved premium handset maker, up with the likes of Apple, Samsung and Motorola.

Over the past couple of years, HTC’s strategy has been to make dozens of phones at dozens of price points — something for everyone, but nothing truly memorable. That “almost there” legacy continues with the HTC One S, the first … [Read More...]

When I devote time to media – whether it’s a game, TV show, book, or slice of delicious chocolate cake drowned in molten frosting lava – I tend to lose myself in it. I think about it constantly. My speech becomes laden with referential jargon, and probably by pure coincidence, my friends start punching me in the throat more frequently. That’s the power of a great world, though. You have to drag me away from it kicking and screaming, and even when you do, I bring a few chunks of officially licensed astro turf along for the ride. 

But … [Read More...]

I’ve been reviewing tech products for about ten years now, and I can tell you that I’ve never been quite so sad to pack up and return a piece of gear as I was when I had to send back the Foresight Sports GC2. Because this deceptively simple-looking gadget could have changed my life. Or at least my golf game.

The GC2 is what’s known as a launch monitor. Using a high-speed stereoscopic camera system, it measures exactly what’s happening at the moment your club impacts the ball. The system can directly measure the ball’s speed, … [Read More...]

My Mom is awesome and if I stood in front of her and said thank you every minute on the minute for a year, it probably wouldn’t be enough thanks for all the things she does and has done for me. I’m sure most of you agree about your mom too! That’s why we’ve come up with a few ways that you can say thanks to Mom this upcoming Mother’s Day. Join us during this week’s Tech Tuesday chat to learn how to:

• Create a digital card using Paint,
• Create a Mother’s Day movie card,
• Create a special SkyDrive thank

… [Read More...]

Hewlett-Packard today announced the availability of its Z1 user-serviceable all-in-one PC. Unveiled  in February at the HP Global Partnership Conference, the Z1 is said to be the world’s first all-in-one workstation with a 27-inch diagonal display. Hit the jump for more.

Its 27-inch LED-backlit IPS display has a resolution of 2560×1440 and supports over a billion colors. With user-serviceability being the Z1’s main selling point, it is ridiculously easy to snap open the screen and gain access to its neatly packed innards.

HP’s site lists four models priced between $1,899.00 and $2,899.00. However, the basic model is unlikely to cut … [Read More...]

It’s been quite a while since I attended my last LAN party, but I was under the impression that most gamers have moved on to laptops like these folks, if for no other reason than to quit it with all the lugging, loading, and hauling of gear. A laptop makes things easy: Bring your power adapter and a laser mouse and you’re ready to frag.

But every gamer knows that laptops — even so-called “gaming laptops” — have limitations. Namely, they suck at gaming. And they are ridiculously expensive, and if there’s … [Read More...]

At this point in the game, Netflix Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings puts little effort into hiding his disdain for Comcast, the largest cable operator and Internet service provider in the U.S. He’s complained about Comcast before and the favoritism the ISP gives its own Xfinity Streampix service over Netflix, and he decided to dole out a mini rant over the weekend using Facebook as his soapbox.

Hastings’ issue with Comcast is that, in his opinion, the ISP is “no longer following net neutrality principles.” He explains it like this.

Comcast no longer following net neutrality principles.

Comcast should apply … [Read More...]