PC World Latest Technology News

Droid Likely to Boster Android Games

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:02:00 -0800

Developers are intrigued by some of the extras in Droid that will allow new creativity with game design.

No Droid For Me, iPhone Is The PC Of Smartphones

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:44:00 -0800

I have decided to hold onto my iPhone, for now anyway. Why? Because the iPhone is the PC of smartphones--in the good sense of what a "PC" represents.

Motorola Droid: Sorry, it's No iPhone Killer

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:28:00 -0800

Analysis: Its multitasking abilities and quick access to Google Maps with GPS makes it pretty cool, but Apple has little to fear.

Step Aside, Kindle -- Nook Has Android on Its Side

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:46:00 -0800

The Nook has two important capabilities that could expand the market for e-book readers beyond Amazon's device.

Beatles Come to Apple -- No, Not that Apple

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:15:00 -0800

Analysis: People can't get enough of Apple's aura of cool. Apple could use a dose of humility.

Linux Will Kill Windows, Says Former Microsoftie

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0800

It's not just the Linux faithful who are predicting the demise of Windows -- an ex-Microsoft employee believes that "proprietary software is eventually going to be doomed."

Motorola's Droid: 4 Reasons to Buy, 1 Reason to Duck

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:53:00 -0800

Analysis: The Droid definitely has its advantages -- and here are the top ones -- but also beware of the main caveat.

Is Windows 7 a Panacea for Vista — or Pure Puffery?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0800

To get technology to work effectively — including Windows 7 — it takes commitment on a company’s part, not just a superior product. Here’s how to get average working folks on board.

Google Dashboard Gives You a Degree of Control

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0800

Google is putting all your account info on a single page, hoping to calm fears about its intentions. But not everyone is convinced.

iPhone App Store Hits 100K, Leaves Others in the Dust

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0800

The iPhone may soon be getting stiffer competition from upcoming products like the Motorola Droid, but one area where Apple's commanding lead seems untouchable is its mobile app store.

OpenOffice Introduces Multi-Button Confusion With New Mouse

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:21:00 -0800

WarMouse introduced a new mouse that seems to be aimed specifically at incredibly dexterous OpenOffice users.

Update Fixes IPhone Sync Problem With Windows 7 for Some

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:10:11 -0800

A fix has been issued to repair a problem that prevented Windows 7 users from synching their iPhones.

PC World Podcast 52: Moto Droid Invades, AT&T Sues Verizon, and BlueBeat Rips Off the Beatles

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0800

Join the editors of PC World for an irreverent round-table discussion of this week's hottest technology trends.

Apple Store Announces Reserve and Pick Up Program

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:40:00 -0800

For you pre-Thanksgiving shoppers, the Apple retail store on Friday announced a way to get a jump on your holiday list.

Verizon's Droid: 10 Apps to Get You Started

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:25:00 -0800

So, you've got your spiffy new Motorola Droid phone from Verizon. Now what? Try these 10 top-notch Android apps to get started.

Sales Boycott over Modern Warfare 2 with Steam 'Trojan Horse'

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:06:00 -0800

Key online storefronts Impulse, Direct2Drive, and GamersGate won't distribute Modern Warfare 2 after learning it's bundled with competitor's software.

Black Friday Starts Now for Savvy Shoppers

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:53:00 -0800

Big retailers hope early sales will drive traffic to brick-and-mortar stores and retail websites, possibly nudging consumers to start their holiday shopping early.

Bugs & Fixes: Magic Mouse Loses Its Way

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:40:25 -0800

I am now on my second Magic Mouse (Get Best Current Price), having returned the first one within days of getting it. It looks as if I will soon be returning the...

XGestures Updated for Snow Leopard

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:40:22 -0800

Brian Kendall has released an updated version of xGestures for Snow Leopard, which allows you to drive your Mac with "mouse gestures"--a particular combination...

Intel Antitrust, 'Net Bug, Coding Error

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:30:14 -0800

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed federal antitrust charges against Intel this week, with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission expected to follow suit...

Cisco Undervalues Tandberg, Investment Firms Say

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:30:22 -0800

An investment firm wants Cisco to offer Tandberg shareholders at least 11 percent more, according to the Wall Street Journal.

US Lawmakers Propose Changes in Telecom Subsidies

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:30:14 -0800

Two U.S. lawmakers release a draft of a bill to reform the Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes telephone service.

Add More Effects to Photo Booth and IChat

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:10:22 -0800

As you know, Photo Booth includes a collection of image-altering effects you can use to distort your photos; just click the Effects button to see the collection...

Windows 7: Putting Early Sales Figures in Perspective

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:07:00 -0800

Windows 7 is beating initial sales of Windows Vista by a wide margin, but appears to be lagging in driving sales of new PC's. Its too early to fairly gauge the impact of Windows 7 on PC sales fairly though.

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Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:07:00 -0800

Upgrade the Mac Mini in Six Minutes

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:50:22 -0800

I've upgraded quite a few Mac minis over the past several years, from the original 2005 model to the latest version, released last week, and some in between...

Birth of the Droid Fanboy

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:34:00 -0800

If the Droid is truly challenging the iPhone, its armies are going to need T-shirts, forums, parodies, and other weapons in the fanboy arsenal.

Printing 35mm Slide Scans

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:35 -0800

When you scan and reprint photographs, chances are you'll retain their original size or only make modest adjustments. But when you scan, or order high resolution...

Switchers Guide: Moving From Windows to the Mac

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:31 -0800

[Editors' note: We asked Harry McCracken, the former editor of PC World and the editor of the Technologizer blog, to write a guide to switching to the Mac from...

Switchers Guide: Move Your Files From PC to Mac

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:28 -0800

If you've been using a Windows PC but now want to move to a Mac, you likely have files--documents, PDFs, photos, music, and videos--that you want to bring with...

Switchers Guide: Getting Used to OS X

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:25 -0800

Though neither Microsoft nor Apple would care to admit it, Windows and OS X are in many ways strikingly similar. That's good news for switchers: If you're...

Switchers Guide: Moving Hardware and Software to Mac

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:22 -0800

When you're switching from a Windows PC to a Mac, there's one piece of good news: Most of the peripherals you used with your PC--including printers, digital...

Switchers Guide: Run Windows on a Mac

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:18 -0800

These days, buying a Mac doesn't mean you have to leave Windows behind. In 2005, Apple started building Macs with Intel processors. Among the other benefits of...

Switchers Guide: Understanding Mac Security

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:14 -0800

When it comes to security, using Windows can feel like living in the heart of a big city--the kind of place where you can install all the locks and alarms you...

Google Strives to Balance Commercial, Community With Android

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:20:13 -0800

Partners say Google is in charge of Android development, despite pitching it as a community project.

Mac Developers Band Together for One Finger Discount

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:10:16 -0800

MacHeist threw a curveball this year by offering six Mac apps for free (well, in exchange for your name and email), so other developers got motivated to launch a...

Skype's Legal Storm Clears up

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:40:32 -0800

Skype's cofounders have reached an agreement to withdraw their legal challenges against eBay and Skype's future majority owners.

Squarespace's Site Management IPhone App Now Available

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:40:28 -0800

Squarespace is a hosted blog and Website service that, like Apple, prefers to think different. It offers a lot of drag-and-drop freedom for laying out a site...

Report: SAP CEO Asked Ellison for Meeting on Sun-EU Impasse

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:30:18 -0800

SAP's CEO sent Oracle CEO Larry Ellison a letter in September asking to discuss the Sun merger and other issues between the companies.

World Tech Update: Ballmer in Asia, Droid in Stores, and More...

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:30:00 -0800

Steve Ballmer tours Asia, Motorola preps the new Droid phone for launch, and more...

Droid Lures Shoppers to Verizon Stores

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:26:00 -0800

Motorola's Droid takes on the iPhone, drawing interested crowds at its debut.

Secrets Pref Pane Updated for Snow Leopard

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:20:00 -0800

Blacktree Software has released Secrets 1.0.6, a Snow Leopard-compatible version of their preference pane which exposes hidden features on your Mac.

Baidu Deal May be First Step in Linking to Licensed Music

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:46:00 -0800

UPDATE: Baidu did not fully confirm a statement by music provider Qtrax that it will indeed start linking to licensed music downloads.

Windows 7 Sales Up, But is it Really a Hit?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:36:00 -0800

Windows 7 is beating Vista's debut, but Microsoft had to discount it to fend off the growing competition.

eBay Reaches Deal With Skype Founders, Your Gabbing Is Safe

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:22:00 -0800

Skype users can breathe easier, now that one of technology's greatest business blunders has been fixed. The outside chance of a Skype service disruption has gone away.

Microsoft Battles on in Mobile, Search and the Cloud

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:20:44 -0800

As Microsoft launches Windows 7 and seeks to banish the ghost of its less-than-successful Vista OS, it is fighting to defend its primacy as the world's leading...

Has Microsoft Placed Its Last Mobile Bet?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:20:41 -0800

When Microsoft first started talking about building mobile-phone software back in the late 1990s, handset makers that had been in the market for years scoffed...

The Search Market Created Microsoft's Worst Enemy

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:20:38 -0800

Throughout its history, Microsoft has earned a reputation for tenacity when entering markets created, and initially dominated, by innovative startups.

MS Office Battles Google in the Cloud

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:20:35 -0800

When Microsoft releases the next version of its productivity suite, Office 2010, it will be into a very different competitive landscape than the one Office 2007...

Microsoft Seeks to Leverage Midmarket ERP

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:20:31 -0800

Microsoft can't boast the ERP (enterprise resource planning) application revenue earned by giants SAP and Oracle, nor equal their breadth of technological...

Norwegian ISP Doesn't Have to Block Pirate Bay, Says Court

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:20:27 -0800

Norwegian ISP Telenor doesn't have to block access to file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, according to a verdict from the district court for Asker and Bærum.