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Phones poised to replace the money in your pocket

2012-02-27T12:06:00.004-08:00

By Gareth Beavis, Special to CNN

updated 12:53 PM EST, Mon February 27, 2012 | Filed under

Visitors at the first day of the Mobile World Congress on February 27 2012 in Barcelona, Spain

Editor's note: Gareth Beavis is Mobile Devices Editor forTechRadar.com, reaching over 11 million people each month with news, features and some of the most in-depth reviews on the web. He's been fascinated with mobile technology for longer than he'd like to admit -- but still believes he holds the world record score for Snake on a Nokia 5110.

Barcelona, Spain (CNN) -- This is the fourth time I've covered Mobile World Congress and every year I arrive expecting to be unimpressed, thinking "surely, this year there's nothing new left to show" and every year I leave realizing the pace of change is just accelerating.

This year is no different: from smartphones with specs to rival advanced DLSR cameras to devices that are more powerful than a home PC in your pocket, Mobile World Congress has been impressive once more.

It's easy to talk about the headline devices, such as the Nokia 808 Pureview: a 41 megapixel camera stuffed into a phone. That's right: forty one megapixels in a phone -- imagine saying that just a couple of years ago.

The fact it's running Nokia's older Symbian OS isn't really relevant (although disappointing) because if you're that into the technology you'll be happy with whichever operating system you get -- but it seems similar camera phone tech will be stuffed into Windows Phone devices in the near future too anyway.

Another key theme this year has been the battle of the quad core phones: Samsung was noticeable for its lack of press conference, as it's saving its headline device for a standalone event. This means the likes of HTC, LG and new boys Huawei have managed to steal some of the thunder from the top Korean manufacturer, all pushing the boundaries of smartphone speed seemingly beyond breaking point by packing four chipsets into one device.

Read more: How mobiles of the future will get under our skin

But there are several more stories underneath that point the way to an interesting future for the phone in your pocket, beyond today's identikit black touchscreen slabs -- such as Samsung's new Galaxy Beam smartphone, which packs a projector into a device that's just over one centimeter thick.

It might seem pointless, but presentations on the go just became a reality for salespeople the world over, and it's a decent smarpthone to boot.

Then there's the idea of durability -- I've counted more than five companies all stating they're in talks with major manufacturers to not only make your phone shockproof, but make it water repellent as well. That means the days where dropping your phone in the toilet equals instant phone death will soon be over; the water will just roll off and your handset will keep on chugging (although you'll probably want to clean it first).

But to me, the most exciting thing is the way contactless technology is becoming reality: Near field communication has been around for a while in our handsets, but this year we're going to see it finally come to most new handsets and with it a whole host of new opportunities for users and networks alike.

Read more: Jargon-busting mobile industry's buzzwords

You'll start seeing a lot more information around paying for items with your phone soon; a number of retail outlets are upgrading their pay points to accommodate payment simply by tapping your phone on a hotspot, and you'll be able to keep up to date with all your spending through a specific (and secure) app soon.

But it's beyond the cash that gets me excited: touching phones together to exchange business cards will soon be a regular occurrence, or connecting to Wi-Fi routers or Bluetooth speakers with a simple tap of the phone. A number of the top-end manufacturers have confirmed to me that this is the year they'll start integrating such tech in their devices, and that's something that users can really get involved with.

It's left me feeling like there's literally nowhere for mobile phones to go now -- but this time next year, when we're looking at phones capable of projecting 3D holograms with 16 chips and 100 megapixel cameras, I'm sure I'll change my mind!

Whitney Houston scams flood Facebook and Twitte

2012-02-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

Written By Matt Liebowitz

Published February 14, 2012

TechMediaNetwork Foxnews.com

Singer Whitney Houston poses with a lifetime achievement trophy at the first ever World Women's Award ceremony in Hamburg's Congress Center, in northern Germany, on June 9, 2004. (AP Photo/Christof Stache)

As the rest of the world mourns the loss of Whitney Houston, online crooks have wasted no time capitalizing on her tragic death in the hopes of making a quick buck.

Shortly after news of Houston's death hit the Web on Saturday (Feb. 11), Twitter and Facebook became inundated with people reacting to the event. As a result "RIP Whitney Houston" quickly became a trending topic on Twitter, creating a perfect environment — millions of interested social networkers hungry for any information — for cybercriminals to strike.

The security firm TrendMicro found one such Twitter scam disguising itself under the supposedly homage-paying trending topic. Clicking on the link in the rigged Twitter post takes people to a blog dedicated to Houston's career, but the blog automatically redirects them to a Web page offering different Whitney Houston wallpapers.

Downloading a wallpaper triggers yet another offer to download Whitney Houston ringtones, and, no matter what you do, the sneaky Web page eventually takes you to a survey site that asks for your cellphone number.

Of course, no scam would reach even a fraction of its true potential unless it spread like wildfire through Facebook, and this one certainly has. Trend Micro spotted a wall post with the subject, "I cried watching this video. RIP Whitney Houston," followed by, of course, a link to what promises to be a YouTube video.

"However, clicking this link only leads to several redirections until users are lead to the usual survey site," Trend Micro's Christopher Talampas wrote in a company blog.

Trend Micro found 101 such survey scams registered on the same IP address where the original fake video was hosted.

It's par for the cybercriminal course that, within hours of a tragic event, scammers emerge from the woodwork to prey on the public's fascination and desire to know the "true" story of what happened. Similar scams popped up following the deaths of Amy Winehouse, Osama bin Laden and Moammar Gadhafi, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and countless other huge world happenings that drew people in droves to the Web.

To protect yourself from Whitney Houston hoaxes and other ones that are sure to come in the future, never download anything that looks suspicious, even if it comes from a friend on Facebook or Twitter. And make sure your anti-virus software is updated; besides basic common sense, it will be your strongest line of defense in combating rigged websites and dangerous software.

What scares Facebook: Privacy and phones

2012-02-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

By Mark Milian, CNN

updated 7:38 PM EST, Wed February 1, 2012 | Filed under: Social Media

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants his apps to be on all phones, but they don't make money yet.

(CNN) -- Like a good friend, Facebook says it doesn't want to invade our privacy or hang out with folks who spend all their time looking at a cell phone.

Privacy has long been a sensitive issue for Facebook. The word was mentioned 35 times in its filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday to sell company stock on the public market.

Facebook lists users' concerns over privacy as a risk to its business because it could prompt them to curb their usage of the social network. Perhaps more surprising, Facebook also says in the prospectus that as more people access the service from an application on their phones or tablets, the company could face problems.

A business is required to spill many of its secrets in an initial-public-offering filing. In Facebook's document, which totals nearly 200 pages, the company lists potential risks, intimate financial details and updated statistics on the website's growth. Facebook had 845 million people regularly using the site as of the end of last year.

Not surprisingly, the overall tone of the document is optimistic, but Facebook reveals its concerns, especially over mishandling of user information. For example, the filing says that if Facebook improperly discloses personal data or if hackers access data, its reputation is expected to take a hit.

Facebook usage -- and therefore, the company's finances -- could dip if the users become concerned with their privacy options on the site, the company notes in several bullet points within the filing. Facebook writes that it must avoid adopting "policies or procedures related to areas such as sharing or user data that are perceived negatively by our users or the general public."

Facebook has grappled for many years with public outcries over substantial changes to its design and features related to privacy. The reaction to Beacon, a scrapped service that published what users were buying from online retailers, and News Feed, which surfaced more data from other parts of the site, were especially contentious.

This issue can become amplified because Facebook provides a platform to vent, even about Facebook, Rebecca Lieb, a media analyst at tech consulting firm Altimeter Group, said in a phone interview Wednesday shortly after the filing was made public.

"People will hate on Facebook within Facebook," Lieb said. "I don't think it's anything new for Facebook. They've backed down on privacy issues before. Zuckerberg has eaten crow."

But Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has had less time to digest what the trends toward mobile usage will mean for his fast-growing company. Facebook's apps are dominant on most mainstream mobile platforms, but the company makes no money directly from them because they don't show advertisements.

In the IPO filing, Facebook listed growth in usage from phones and tablets in place of computers as a risk. Reading between the lines, Facebook is perfectly happy to let users check in from their phones at the bus stop as long as they keep using the site just as often from PCs.

"That was the first thing in the prospectus that was in flashing red lights for me," Lieb said. Access from mobile devices, she said, "will eventually put a serious dent in desktop use."

On the desktop version of Facebook, the company has begun inserting ads into users' homepage News Feeds from brands they or their friends have "Liked." In the public document, Facebook points out that the company is considering making a push toward mobile advertising.

"We currently do not show ads or directly generate any meaningful revenue from users accessing Facebook through our mobile products, but we believe that we may have potential future monetization opportunities such as the inclusion of sponsored stories in users' mobile News Feeds," Facebook's prospectus says.

Making money from ads shown on a phone is something the rest of the tech industry is struggling to figure out as well. Apple, Google and many start-ups are squaring off in mobile ads. Facebook is not necessarily behind in its efforts, Lieb said.

In the letter from Zuckerberg contained in the filing, the founder mentions mobile developments as an opportunity.

"We live at a moment when the majority of people in the world have access to the Internet or mobile phones," Zuckerberg writes, calling them, "the raw tools necessary to start sharing what they're thinking, feeling and doing with whomever they want."

But perhaps users should brace for a day when they have to scroll past a mini ad for soda before seeing what their friends are up to.

Tech companies team up to combat email scams

2012-01-30T15:58:00.000-08:00

Foxnews I Published January 30, 2012
| Associated Press
Reuters
Facebook is teaming up with its tech peers to fight scams.

NEW YORK – Google, Facebook and other big tech companies are jointly designing a system for combating email scams known as phishing.
Such scams try to trick people into giving away passwords and other personal information by sending emails that look as if they come from a legitimate bank, retailer or other business. When Bank of America customers see emails that appear to come from the bank, they might click on a link that takes them to a fake site mimicking the real Bank of America's. There, they might enter personal details, which scam artists can capture and use for fraud.
To combat that, 15 major technology and financial companies have formed an organization to design a system for authenticating emails from legitimate senders and weeding out fakes. The new system is called DMARC -- short for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance.
DMARC builds upon existing techniques used to combat spam. Those techniques are designed to verify that an email actually came from the sender in question. The problem is there are multiple approaches for doing that and no standard way of dealing with emails believed to be fake.
The new system addresses that by asking email senders and the companies that provide email services to share information about the email messages they send and receive. In addition to authenticating their legitimate emails using the existing systems, companies can receive alerts from email providers every time their domain name is used in a fake message. They can then ask the email providers to move such messages to spam folder or block them outright.
According to Google, about 15 percent of non-spam messages in Gmail come from domains that are protected by DMARC. This means Gmail users "don't need to worry about spoofed messages from these senders," Adam Dawes, a product manager at Google, said in a blog post.
"With DMARC, large email senders can ensure that the email they send is being recognized by mail providers like Gmail as legitimate, as well as set policies so that mail providers can reject messages that try to spoof the senders' addresses," Dawes wrote.
Work on DMARC started about 18 months ago. Beginning Monday, other companies can sign up with the organization, whether they send emails or provide email services. For email users, the group hopes DMARC will mean fewer fraudulent messages and scams reaching their inbox.
The group's founders are email providers Microsoft Corp., Yahoo Inc., AOL Inc. and Google Inc.; financial service providers Bank of America Corp., Fidelity Investments and eBay Inc.'s PayPal; online service companies Facebook, LinkedIn Corp. and American Greetings Corp. and security companies Agari, Cloudmark, eCert, Return Path and the Trusted Domain Project.
Google uses it already, both in its email sender and email provider capacities. The heft of the companies that have already signed on to the project certainly helps, and its founders are hoping it will be more broadly adopted to become an industry standard.

Nigerian email scam ends in real-life kidnapping

2012-01-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

Published January 16, 2012

| TechMediaNetwork

South African police have rescued a man and his daughter who were kidnapped by a Nigerian gang after the duo flew to Africa to claim their multimillion fortune promised to them in a phony email.

The unnamed victims, a 65-year-old South Korean man and his daughter, in her 30s, flew to Johannesburg last week after receiving an email promising them tens of millions of dollars, the Guardian reported.

The man was told he had to come to Africa to claim the money; when he landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport, he and his daughter were picked up by a driver (who was working for the gang), and dropped off at a house in a Soweto township. The driver managed to escape, but his passengers were not as lucky; they were held hostage for four days.

[Woman Loses $130,000 to Nigerian Cybercrime Gang]

The kidnappers, five Nigerians and a South African, demanded a $10 million ransom from the kidnapped man's wife in South Korea, which was to be deposited to an account in Singapore, Col. McIntosh Polela of the South African police service told the Guardian. The amount was negotiated down to $120,000.

The man's wife alerted the South Korean embassy in South Africa, and the police raided the home and freed the victims. The man and his daughter returned to Korea without appearing in court.

"They declined to testify because they were traumatized," Polela said. "They were also embarrassed at being lured to South Africa. This is common once victims discover they've been fooled."

iPhone celebrates fifth birthday -- How has it changed?

2012-01-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

By Christina Bonnington, WIRED

updated 7:48 AM EST, Tue January 10, 2012 | Filed under: Mobile

Opening weekend sales numbers proved the iPhone 4S to be the most successful iPhone launch in Apple's history

(WIRED) -- Gadget fans may be focused on the CES trade show this week, but there's something else notable going on today: It's the iPhone's fifth birthday.

Five years ago today, Apple unveiled the original iPhone to the world. It wasn't a tightly kept secret, shrouded in mystery and speculation like more recent Apple announcements, but it was arguably the world's most anticipated gadget launch.

Although its form factor -- a capacitive touchscreen candy bar -- hasn't dramatically changed over the years, each iteration of the iPhone has yielded important improvements. Let's take a look back at how the iPhone revolutionized what we thought a phone could be.

The iPhone Is Revealed

"An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator," Jobs said when preparing to introduce the iPhone in January 2007. "An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator.... These are not three separate devices!"

The original iPhone launched on AT&T with a handful of Apple-created apps. It had a 320×480 resolution, 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen and 2-megapixel camera, and ran iOS 1.0. Inside, it featured a 412MHz ARM 11 processor, a proximity sensor, and an accelerometer.

Priced at $499 and $599 for 4GB and 8GB models, the iPhone didn't actually go on sale to eager hordes of consumers (hundreds of whom waited outside Apple Stores) until June 29.

"As a device, it's a genre-bender," former Gadget Lab editor Dylan Tweney said in his review of the landmark device. "Never before have American consumers had access to a phone that is simultaneously so powerful, so elegant, and that performs so many functions."

iPhone 3G, the App Store and iOS 2.0

Apple's second generation iPhone debuted in the summer of 2008. Internally, it was largely identical to its predecessor: same processor, same type of display, same 2.0 megapixel camera, same amount of memory. But the iPhone 3G, as the name implied, now supported 3G network operability, as well as GPS.

More importantly, though, the launch of the 3G was accompanied by iOS version 2.0, which included an industry-altering addition: the App Store. The App Store finally let independent, third-party developers legally create apps for the device with a 70/30 revenue split weighted toward Apple.

The App Store has been an incredible success story for Apple and developers alike. It houses more than half-a-million apps, and there's been more than 18 billion downloads to date. Pretty much every mobile platform has its own app market now, and most aremodeled similarly to Apple's.

iPhone 3GS Takes Photography Seriously

The iPhone 3GS was primarily an incremental improvement over the 3G, but it included some notable hardware improvements that would continue through later iterations of the phone.

First, the 3GS included a camera upgrade: a 3-megapixel, autofocusing camera that shot decent video that could be edited and easily sent to YouTube or other destinations. Photography would become an increasingly important feature for iPhone users. The processor was upgraded to a 600MHz Samsung chip, and the display was upped to 480×320 pixels. The 3GS also added a compass, a tool that would prove incredibly useful in apps like Google Maps.

On the software side, the 3GS also added Voice Control, and iOS, now at version 3.0, finally added a cut/copy/paste functionality to the system.

iPhone 4: Prototype Leak, 'Antennagate' and Verizon

The iPhone 4 stunned the world with its radically redesigned look, which Gizmodo revealed early after getting its hands on a prototype.

A 3.5-inch Retina Display put pretty much every other smartphone display to shame: At 960×640 and bearing a 326ppi pixel density, it offered pixels smaller than the human eye could detect. The iPhone 4 was also encased front and back by slim slabs of glass, and ringed by an aluminum rim. The visual conceit was slick, and Apple received kudos for its smart industrial design refresh.

Unfortunately, that aluminum rim became the source of a debacle known as "Antennagate": Because of the external antenna design of the phone, if users held it a particular way, they would experience a drop in signal strength.

The iPhone 4 debuted in June 2010, still on AT&T like its predecessors, but in January 2011, Apple expanded availability toVerizon.

iPhone 4S Delivers Siri

Expecting an entirely differently designed iPhone 5, some Apple fans were disappointed by the announcement of merely an "iPhone 4S." However, pre-sale numbers and opening weekend sales numbers proved the 4S to be the most successful iPhone launch in Apple's history.

A major reason for the success of the 4S was its new voice-controlled virtual assistant, Siri. Hackers attempting to port Siri toother iOS devices have almost succeeded, but the solution just isn't available for the masses. Others though, are more interested in hacking Siri to control other gadgets in their lives like thermostats or a rotary dial phone.

Work Faster in Microsoft Word: 10 Secrets

2012-01-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

By Helen Bradley, PCWorld

Not everything that Microsoft Word 2010 can do is obvious from a quick look at the tools on the main ribbon toolbar. Some features are buried in the Options menu or in dialog boxes, and others take the form of keyboard shortcuts or simply aren't easy to see.

1. Create Lines for a Blank FormWould you like to be able to insert a cent symbol or type the accented é characters inrésumé, directly from the ribbon toolbar? How about adding your company's specialized terminology to the built-in Word dictionary? You can have these and other options for working faster and smarter in Word at your fingertips if you know where to find them and how to set them up.

Creating a form? Custom dot leader tabs let you easily create the blank lines.When a printed document--such as a form--needs typed or handwritten information added to it, you can use tabs to draw the blank lines. Start by typing the text (such as Name:) that prompts the form's reader to enter information on the blank line that you will draw; then press the spacebar, and select the Home tab on the ribbon toolbar.

Locate and click the Paragraph dialog launcher icon in the bottom right of the Paragraph group, and click the Tabs button at the foot of the Paragraph dialog box. Here you can create your own tabs--you'll need a single tab stop at the point where the dotted line should finish.

To set the margin at 6 inches in a letter-size document with 1-inch margins, for example, type 6"into the Tab Stop Position box, choose Right for the Tab Alignment, and choose 2 as the Leader to get a dotted line. The click Set and finally OK.

Back in the document, place the cursor where you want to draw the line; press the Tab key on your keyboard, and a dotted line will appear drawn from the blank space all the way to where you set the right tab. Press Enter twice, type the next prompt (such as Address:) and pressTab again. Every time you do this, a new dotted line will appear. When you're ready to return to normal editing, press Enter once and then press Ctrl-Shift-N to return to Normal paragraph style; and the default tabs will immediately reappear.

2. Label Items With Sequential Numbers

Use field codes to number tickets and coupons automatically and sequentially.Word lets you create elements within documents that appear in numeric order, such as printed coupons or event tickets. You can automatically create sequentially numbered items by using field codes. First design the coupons or tickets; and, you can place multiple tickets on a page inside table cells, if you like.

Click the location where the first ticket number should appear and selectInsert, Quick Parts, Field from the Categories list. Then selectNumbering, and from the list below choose SEQ. Next, click Optionsfollowed by the Field Specific Switchestab. After the letters SEQ in the Field Codes box, type a bookmark name that only you will see, such as ticketnumber, followed by a letter space, the marker \r, another letter space, and then the starting ticket number. Thus, to start at the number 1000, you would use this field code:

SEQ ticketnumber \r 1000

Click OK twice when you're done. Starting at the location where the next number should appear, repeat the process, this time using this field code:

SEQ ticketnumber \n

Click OK twice. The next-larger number (1001) should appear in the designated place. Copy this field code and add it everywhere you need an incrementally larger number. You can perform this operation as many times as you need to. If the numbering doesn't automatically increase incrementally, force it to do so by pressing Ctrl-A to select the document and then pressing F9to update the fields.

At any time, you can change the start number by clicking the first field code you added and then pressing Shift-F9 to view the field code. Replace the number 1000 with your new starting number, and then press Shift-F9 again to hide the field code. To update all of the codes to reflect your new starting number, press Ctrl-A followed by F9.

3. Reverse the Page Print Order

Reverse the order in which pages of a document print, and save yourself the trouble of sorting pages manually.If the pages in your document are printed the wrong way around, you can reverse the print order by selectingFile, Options, Advanced, and then scrolling to find the Print group of options (these are different from and in addition to the Printing Options in the Display settings). Locate and change the setting of the Print Pages in Reverse Order checkbox; if it was enabled, disable it, or vice versa. Finish by clicking OK. In the future, documents will print in reverse order, saving you the trouble of having to reorder them. This setting will remain in place the next time you open Word, and it will apply to all documents.

4. Save Images as Building Blocks

When you save an image as a Quick Part, you can add it to any document at any time.When you need to add a repeating image (such as a logo) to your documents, you can save it as a building block for easy insertion.

First, insert your image into a document and format it to look the way you want it to. Click the image to select it, choose Insert, Quick Parts, and then choose Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. Type a name for the image, and select a gallery to add it to (Quick Parts is a good choice); then change the Category setting toGeneral or add a new category if you wish. Type a description of the image, and select it to save it in Building Blocks.dotx, a file that Word automatically creates during this process. End by clicking OK.

The image will be stored permanently in your building blocks collection, and you can add it to any document by choosing Insert, Quick Parts and clicking to select it from among the items displayed there.

Favorite Downloads of 2011

2011-12-27T10:25:00.001-08:00

At the end of another year, PCWorld reviewers name downloads and Web programs we liked so much we just kept on using them.

By PCWorld Staff and Contributors, PCWorld Dec 22, 2011 9:00 pm

All year long, we PCWorld reviewers immerse ourselves in desktop programs and Web software. After evaluating a program, often we uninstall it—but several of this year's finds earned places in our workflows and/or our hearts. These programs and services are the ones we reviewed for PCWorldDownloads and also kept using for our own productivity and enjoyment. Perhaps you started using them this year, too…and if not, well, a shiny new year is right around the corner.

(To get all of the download links in one convenient list, see our "PCWorld's Favorite Downloads of 2011" collection. And click on each image below to see it in full size; click on "Close" in the image's bottom right to return to this list.)

Improve Your Productivity and Security

CloudMagic

If there's one thing I could use more of, it's time. Well, and money, too. And sleep. CloudMagic may not be putting money in my bank account or helping me catch more Zs, but this handy little Firefox extension sure is saving me time. It searches my Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Twitter accounts in what seems like record time. And its results are unfailingly accurate, too. What more could I want?

Read the full review and download CloudMagic beta (free).

--Liane Cassavoy

Visual Thesaurus

If you love words, think that reading a dictionary is great fun, or simply need a more organic way to search for synonyms, Visual Thesaurus is a great online resource. The dynamic, intuitive graphical interface is intelligent, playful, and educational. On the surface, it offers a tree-like visual structure that displays related synonyms in branches, surrounding the word you looked up. Click a synonym to display the next level of related words. Definitions are also a click away. We've found Visual Thesaurus so helpful that it is always open in one of our Internet browser tabs, so we can refer to it quickly while writing.

Read the full review and download Visual Thesaurus ($20, free trial).

--Sally Wiener Grotta and Daniel Grotta

Foxit Reader

The original lightweight alternative to Adobe Reader strayed from the winning formula for a while by getting fat, installing junk, and generally trying to do much. It's back on point with a clean, intuitive interface--and back on my PC opening PDFs faster than Adobe Reader and rendering them every bit as cleanly.

Read the full review and download Foxit Reader 5 (free).

--Jon Jacobi

LastPass

I used to waste a lot of brain power remembering all of my passwords. The ones for my email accounts. And my credit card accounts. And my online shopping accounts. Now, I'm relying on LastPass instead. It not only remembers and organizes all of my passwords for me, but it also generates secure ones. With all of the brain power I'm saving, I could spend my free time solving complex mathematical equations. I'm not, but I could be. Maybe.

Read the full review and download LastPass 1.8 (free).

--Liane Cassavoy

Expand Your Artistic Horizons

ArtRage Studio Pro

I can't go into an art supply store without buying something, because I always go, "Ooooh! I'd love to try that." I have boxes of paint sets, canvases, and brushes that I've never used. With ArtRage Studio Pro I can paint to my heart's content, without having to buy the supplies. And even though I don't have much artistic talent, ArtRage is intuitive, gives me instantly beautiful results, and makes me want to practice more.

Read the full review and download ArtRage 3.5 ($80, 30-day free trial).

--Clare Brandt

Corel Painter

I really enjoyed reviewing Corel Painter 12, because I felt it manages to meld the world of soft "analog" painting with the digital sophistication of a modern graphics editor. Making pen strokes on my Wacom tablet and watching them dry and blend with what I already put on paper was an inspiring experience. It made me want to paint.

Read the full review and download Corel Painter 12 ($429, free trial).

--Erez Zukerman

Carrara

What I like about Carrara is that it makes 3D design feel accessible. It does take longer to master than Google SketchUp, but you can create commercial-level 3D graphics and organic-looking objects with Carrara. Creator DAZ 3D offers a huge catalog of models, characters, and character costumes that you can buy and integrate into your scenes. Carrara is complex, but well-made and fun to use.

Read the full review and download Carrara 8 ($150, buy-only).

--Erez Zukerman

Beautify Your Desktop (and Beyond)

Lonely Landscapes Windows 7 Theme

I'm tired of the typical landscape photography fare: tropical sunsets, green meadows, majestic mountains. I prefer a more original take on the world that surrounds us. I love the Lonely Landscapes Windows 7 theme because the contributors each bring their own unique perspective to landscape photography. For example, instead of a mundane dock scene, you get an ethereal image of a lonesome jetty; instead of the typical orange sunset, you get a desaturated and almost ghostly take on the scene.

Read the full review and download Lonely Landscapes Windows 7 Theme (free).

--Kim Saccio-Kent

Chinese Watch Shop

Romantic script font Champignon, flirty brush script Doris Day, and futuristic Orbitron are fine additions to any font lover’s collection…but my hands-down favorite for the year is Downloads underdog Chinese Watch Shop by font folklorist Daniel Gauthier. Quirky to set, gawky on its feet, and boldly irreverent, Chinese Watch Shop breaks rules to stay true to its nature.

As a designer at PCWorld magazine I work with fantastic typographer-approved fonts every day, but on my own time I prefer the company of a difficult personality--a font that challenges and surprises me as the words hit the page. Gauthier spotted a handful of characters on a shop sign in Hamilton, Ontario, and forged ahead to produce this little gem. A little attitude does a long year good. My pork pie hat is doffed to Chinese Watch Shop and Mr. Gauthier.

Read the full review and download Chinese Watch Shop (free).

--Kate Godfrey

Day of the Dead Windows 7 Theme

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Mexico and Latin America on November 2 every year. It's a time to celebrate departed loved ones and honor their memories by decorating altars, holding fiestas, and creating calaveras--whimsical skeletons or skulls. One of my favorite downloads this year, the Day of the Dead Windows 7 Theme, puts a parade of colorful folk-art calaveras on your desktop.

Read the full review and download Day of the Dead Windows 7 Theme (free).

--Kim Saccio-Kent

Kittens Windows 7 Theme

I love felines, so it was pretty easy to choose my favorite Windows 7 theme this year: Kittens. Load up this theme and you get cuteness overload on your desktop with eight beautifully shot photographs of adorable kittens. The custom sound effects are fun, too--although one user complained that his real cats do not find them amusing.

Read the full review and download Kittens Windows 7 Theme (free).

--Kim Saccio-Kent

Play These Games for a While…Or Forever…

DC Universe Online

DC Universe Online is truly the massively-multiplayer online game for those who hate MMOs. It's got DC Comics style all over it, is fast paced and arcade-y, and lets you level up swiftly. And you can play through the whole game by yourself, if you want. Since my review, it's gone free to play, meaning it's an even better deal. It does still have occasional bugs and crash issues, so make sure your video drivers are updated all the way.

Read the full review and download DC Universe Online (free).

--Steve Horton

Aurora

Galactic 4X game Aurora is buggy, obtuse, and in appearance...well, you can't even say it has a great personality, because it's finicky, uncommunicative, and prone to sullen fits in which you know something's wrong but it won't tell you what. Despite all that, I've spent more time playing Aurora than I have any other game I've reviewed this year, and am still hooked.

On about my ninth restart, I made it 20 years into game time before mineral shortages made progress nigh impossible. On my tenth restart, I have better colonies and trade routes 6 years in than my last game managed in 20, and my first true warships (the Iron Duke-class jump frigates), have rolled off the line and are conducting fleet training exercises in-system. Despite this seeming mastery, I've barely scratched the surface. It would not be unfair to say that Aurora combines the adrenaline-pumping action of balancing your checkbook with the aesthetic appeal of Visual BASIC circa 1995... but it somehow keeps luring me back in for one more round of redesigning ordnance payloads, juggling command assignments, and dreading the "Unknown Thermal Contact" message that means it's time to see if I've finally learned how to design an effective combat force.

Read the full review and download Aurora (free).

--Ian Harac

Play With Music and Video Files

Amazon Cloud Music Player

Imagine a world in which your PC's digital music collection would be available to you wherever you were. Whether you were using a friend's computer, toting a smartphone or a tablet, or sitting down with an eReader like a Kindle or a Nook, you could listen to every track. That world exists, and you can get to it by using the Amazon Cloud Music Player. Install the Amazon MP3 uploader app, upload your files, and then listen via the Web or an Android app anywhere, anytime.

Read the full review and download Amazon MP3 Uploader for Amazon Cloud Music Player (free).

--Preston Gralla

Freemake Video Converter

Freemake Video Converter is a free app that converts almost any video format into any other video format, can extract audio into MP3s, and can even create DVD or Blu-ray files suitable for burning. Be sure to deselect the third-party toolbar when you install, but otherwise, it's highly recommended.

Read the full review and download Freemake Video Converter 3.0.1(free).

--Steve Horton

Next-Gen iPods Are Curved Screen Bracelets, Report Suggests

2011-12-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

Published December 19, 2011

| BGR

The Apple logo is displayed outside one of the company's stores.

Apple may be secretly developing wearable iPods that offer full support for voice commands using the company’s Siri software. Details surrounding the supposed project were revealed by The New York Times on Monday.

Apple is reportedly working on a “curved-glass iPod that would wrap around the wrist,” which sounds similar to a watch-like device that could replace the iPod nano and shuffle in gyms around the world. Presuming Siri support would be the same as it is on the iPhone 4S, users could command the device to play a specific song, check the weather or more.

We’re even imagining deeper Siri integration where a user might be able to ask their iPod how far they have run or what their current heart rate is. Read on for more.

The New York Times also suggested that Apple’s small group of engineers working on the project have considered using the iPhone as the central information hub. So, for example, your iPhone might do all of the hard processing work while the wearable iPod is simply a means to display what you need.

Google may be working on a similar project in its Google X labs, although less information is known about it. Google is said to have already hired engineers from Apple, Nokia Labs and universities to begin development on wearable products.

This content was originally published on BGR.com

Dutch Airline Lets Passengers Pick Seats By Perusing Facebook Profiles

2011-12-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

By Leslie Horn pcmag.com

There are a few dreaded co-passengers you always fear you'll be forced to sit by on a flight: the lady with the screaming baby, the linebacker who horns in on your elbow room, or a talker who won't shut up long enough for you to put on your headphones.

Now KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is introducing a social way for you to pick your own seat. According to USA Today, the carrier will let you choose where you sit by looking at the social media profiles of other fliers.

When you check in online, you can choose where you rest your behind for a couple of hours by browsing Facebook and LinkedIn profiles of passengers who have opted to link their pages to their e-tickets, selecting a seatmate with similar interests.

USA Today said the service is available to anyone who wants to participate, but you're not obligated to connect your profile.

Could this spell disaster at 30,000 feet or prompt a flood of new members of the mile high club?

KLM isn't the first airline to introduce social seat selecting. TNooz noted that Malaysia Airlines in February rolled out a Facebook app that lets you book your flight, check-in, and see if any of your Facebook friends are on the same flight or traveling nearby all without leaving Facebook.

In other flying news, American Airlines recently gained approval from the FAA for pilots to use iPads in the cockpit, without having to power them down during takeoff and landing. These iPads replace the hefty 38-pound flight bag containing operating manuals, navigational charts, handbooks, checklists, logbooks, weather information, and all the materials that pilots traditionally carry when they fly a plane.

For more from Leslie, follow her on Twitter @LesHorn.

What If You Could 'Download' New Skills? Scientists Say It's Possible

2011-12-12T16:53:00.000-08:00

Published December 12, 2011

Foxnews.com | News Corp Australian Papers

What if you could become a kung-fu master by just downloading the skills required?

n the future, people may be able to plug in and "download" new skills like characters in The Matrix, scientists say.

Scientists from Boston University and ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in Kyoto, Japan, have used a functional magnetic resonance machine (fMRI) to decode the process of learning.

The procedure - known as Decoded Neurofeedback or “DecNef” – stimulates the visual cortex by sending signals that change the brain activity pattern.

For example, by placing a juggler into a fMRI machine and have them imagine juggling, scientists, can capture the brain patterns and then pass the information onto someone else.

Researchers put volunteers through a visual skill test using the fMRI, and then compared the results with another group who didn’t.

They found those using the new technology experienced a significant improvement in visual skills.

The process - published in the journal Science - does not require any red or blue pills, or medication of any kind.

Welcome to the real world.

The Top 10 Best Laptops

2011-12-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

By Laarni Almendrala Ragaza
December 7, 2011 PCMAG.com

Do you want to buy a laptop, but are daunted by the sheer number of choices out there? We winnow down your options to the top 10 best laptops available today.

Shopping for a laptop these days is a pretty daunting task. The sheer number of laptops available online or in a store's electronics section is enough to make your mind spin. Most people have a general idea of what their laptop should look like and what they want in terms of features, but are often intimidated by the choices available. That's where we come in.

The editors of PCMag.com test hundreds of systems each year to help you find the best laptop. There are a lot of laptops out there, from the large-screen desktop replacements to the lightweight ultraportables, and even netbooks, but all share common features. In this story, we help you narrow your choices by collecting the top 10 laptops on the market today.

Featured in this story

Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8

The Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8 is the clear leader in the nascent ultrabook category, with better overall performance and battery life than any competitor. It also has a brilliant display, superb sound, and solid construction.

HP Pavilion dv7-6163cl

The HP Pavilion dv7-6163cl supplies quad-core performance, switchable graphics, booming audio, and a sleek aluminum chassis at a fair price, making it the affordable media center laptop to beat.

Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Late 2011)

The Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch gets new hardware and software, including a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, AMD Radeon GPU, and OS X Lion, while keeping everything that works well, like the thin and stylish unibody design.

Asus U56E-BBL6

The Asus U56E-BBL6 budget laptop has all the desired features, including a fast Core i5 processor, cutting-edge features, and best-in-class battery life, sold for a price few can pass up.

Acer Travelmate 8481T-6440

What little the Acer Travelmate 8481T-6440 business laptop gives up in horsepower, it gains back with a sleek, ultrabook-like design (low volt processor requires fewer clunky cooling fans) and over 11 hours of battery life.

Lenovo IdeaPad V570-1066AJU

The Lenovo IdeaPad V570-1066AJU offers excellent performance and a good feature set, for a price few can pass up

Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Tablet

The Lenovo ThinkPad X220 takes top honors among tablet PCs, combining choice aspects of a capable ultraportable business laptop with a multitouch Windows tablet.

Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5)

Aside from a few minor annoyances, the Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5) is a stylish, powerful, and battery-efficient mainstream laptop.

Lenovo ThinkPad T420s

The Lenovo ThinkPad T420s is an amazing device when you realize that its power, feature set, and battery yields are usually found in much heavier laptops.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt)

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt) is a formidable player in the ultraportable space, thanks to a Core i5 processor, backlit keyboard, and Thunderbolt port.

Inside Apple's New Grand Central Terminal Store in NYC

2011-12-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

By Leslie Horn
pcmag.com December 7, 2011 02:09pm EST

Apple showed off its new store in Grand Central Terminal during a Wednesday press preview, and the company has stayed true to its plans for the store, making "very modest alterations to historic elements," and creating a space that is a perfect complement to the 140-year-old train station.

When you walk up the staircase, to enter the store, you don't feel as though you've left Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal's main concourse. You're greeted with an iconic glowing Apple, under which Apple's best-selling products are available right at the front of the store, meaning if you want an iPad, you can be in and out in a flash.

Macs and two Genius bars are located through the doors to the left and iPods, iPhones, iPads, and accessories are to the right. As you browse through products, you look out over the enormous hall, with the station's beautiful mural on the ceiling above you and various commuters below. The store seems to have been carefully crafted to fit in with the architecture of the building, which is no surprise since Apple has stores in historic spots all over the world, like underneath the Louvre and London's Covent Garden.

The store is huge. Occupying 23,000 square feet, it is one of Apple's biggest retail outlets in the world, according to Bob Bridger, Apple's vice president of retail real estate and development. The Grand Central store has a staff of 350, bringing the number of Apple's New York area employees to more than 4,000.

View Slideshow See all (50) slides

Bridger pointed out some unique features of the new store, Apple's fifth brick-and-mortar location in New York City. He touted the store's commitment to "personal setup," via two "startup rooms," so customers can leave the store ready to use their new products right away.

Exclusive to the Grand Central store are new, 15-minute express workshops, where Apple associates will demo certain products and services. For example, this morning one employee gave a how-to with the iOS 5 Cards app—demoed on an iPhone and displayed on TV screens in the wall. Each day, there will be speedy demonstrations about using a Mac, managing photos in iPhoto, creating a movie on iMovie, and more. A schedule of the workshops is available on the store's Web site.

Bridger also noted that the Store includes a couple new features Apple has recently added to its retail experience, including personal pickup, which means you can order an item online and retrieve it from the store. Apple debuted personal pickup about two months ago, starting with San Francisco area stores, and it has since launched the service in all of its U.S. locations.

At the new store, you can also use Apple's iOS retail app for self checkout.

Apple recently completed a renovation of its Fifth Avenue Store, in which it removed the 90 glass panels that comprised the glass cube entrance and replaced them with just 15 pieces, making the cube appear more seamless.

Bridger also said Apple is in the process of expanding its store in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood.

Apple's Grand Central Terminal Store opens Friday at 10am. If you can't make it to New York City, check out the slideshow above, as well as PCMag's Six Apple Stores to Visit Before You Die slideshow.

Photos by Scott Schedivy.

For more from Leslie, follow her on Twitter @LesHorn.

For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.

Tech Gear You Shouldn't Buy This Christmas

2011-12-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

By Kim Komando

Published December 05, 2011

Foxnews.com| The Kim Komando Show

There are gadgets you just shouldn't buy this holiday season. They're the tech world's equivalent of getting socks for Christmas.

If you don't want to be uncool, don't be tempted to give these -- no matter how great the bargains may seem.

Feature phonesFeature phones have another name: dumbphones. It doesn't make sense to get a free feature phone anymore -- much less pay for one -- when you can get a smartphone for free.

For example, you can now get a free iPhone 3GS with a two-year AT&T contract.

On the Android side, you can get a nice LG Enlighten for free from Verizon. AT&T will let you walk out of the store with a Pantech Crossover by signing a two-year contract. Sprint is giving away the LG Optimus S. Meanwhile, at T-Mobile, you can choose theSamsung Exhibit 4G.

These specials are likely to change, Just keep checking the carriers' websites through the season for deals. You might be able to get an even better Android model for free.

GPS unitsDutch GPS maker TomTom said last month that it would stop making standalone navigation units and concentrate instead on built-in systems for cars and apps for smartphones.

Anyone with a smartphone can get where they want to go with a free app such as Google Maps. Paid apps from Garmin, Magellan and TomTom offer turn-by-turn directions and even support celebrity voices.

NetbooksComputer manufacturers thought they had a surefire winner with the netbook -- and they did, for a fleeting moment in 2009. Compared to laptops, netbooks were very small and lightweight. They skimped on the RAM and the processors, but you could get some work done for under $300.

Then the iPad arrived in January 2010. Android-based tablets with similar touchscreen technology soon followed. Suddenly, you had something smaller than a netbook, and just as useful. At the same time, bargain PC laptops dropped into the $300-$350 price range.

It's game-over for the netbook. Sure, you can still buy one, but I recommend buying a tablet or a laptop instead. Here's my up-to-date tablet buying chart to help you choose.

Pocket camcordersHere again, smartphones are raining on the manufacturers' parade. Smartphones with 5MP to 8MP cameras can do everything that a pocket camcorder can do. Plus, you don't have to carry around an extra item.

There are some gadgets that fall into a gray area as well. They aren't quite obsolete, and there are still good reasons to buy them. You may still want to consider these if you can get a great deal:

Portable gaming consolesSmartphones and tablets are challenging Nintendo and Sony for control of the mobile gaming market. How do you know which system to buy?

If you have a kid who's too young for a smartphone, there's nothing wrong with getting a Nintendo DS (starting at $100) or DS3 (the 3D model, $170).

I wouldn't buy the PlayStation Portable at this time, because Sony will discontinue it when they company launches the Vita in February.

Portable media playerIf you have a smartphone or a tablet, you already have a fantastic media player. Some runners don't want to lug around a large smartphone, however, so there's still a niche market for tiny music players, such as the iPod shuffle ($50) and nano ($130).

Because of all the apps it can use, the iPod touch ($200) is a great gift choice for kids. They get an excellent all-around media player and gaming gadget, but you don't have to worry about them racking up a large cell phone bill.

Point-and-shoot camerasMany smartphones ship with 5MP to 8MP digital cameras built in. For casual photos, that's more than enough. However, point-and-shoot cameras still have the edge in megapixels and sensor size. Additionally, the prices have dropped, so you can get a decent one for under $100.

Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about consumer electronics, computers and the Internet. Get the podcast or find the station nearest you at www.komando.com/listen. Subscribe to Kim's free e-mail newsletters at www.komando.com/newsletters.

Best Cyber Monday Tech Deals

2011-11-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

Published November 28, 2011

| FoxNews.com

Looking for a bargain this holiday?

Give thanks this year not for extra helpings of turkey and stuffing but for Cyber Monday, when the country's biggest retailers roll out their deepest price cuts to entice you to spend, spend, spend -- and then come back for seconds.

From Best Buy deals to bargain Xboxes, there are deals galore out there. Here's a few you should consider.

Several Cyber Monday-watching websites noted a 5-inch TomTom XXL 550 GPS, on sale today only at woot.com for just under $55. If you've still waiting to jump on the GPS bandwagon, or hoping to upgrade a smaller unit to one with a larger screen, this might be just what you -- or the driver in your family -- is looking for.

The company still has several great deals available, however, including desktops for just $349.99, a 22-inch LED monitor for just $139.99, printers and more.

Want a cheap Apple iWhatever? You may have missed the boat. The company offered discounts on Black Friday on iPads, iPod Touches, and more. Buyers were offered $41 off the 16GB version of the iPad 2, for example, or $61 off the 64GB device. Those deals lasted only for a day, however; today Apple has up its Holiday Gift Guide page, which offers not deals but suggestions on other stuff you can buy.

Instead of a new iPhone or iPod, consider an accessory for the Apple lover in your life. Tech giant Philips has a 30 percent off sale in effect, for example, which includes the company's extensive line up of speaker dock. Grab the $400 Sound Curve Airplay for just $279.99 with free shipping, provided you use use coupon code "BF2011SALE."

Big tech retailers have too many deals to list comprehensively here. Best Buy, for example, has a Cyber Monday sale listing a raft of bargains on mobile phones, video games, tablet computers and more. The popular Xbox Kinect add-on is discounted to just $99.99, for example.

NewEgg.com has Cyber Monday promotions as well -- look for a Sony Vaio EH laptop with a 15.5-inch screen, Windows 7, and an Intel Core i5 processor for $599 -- $100 off. And pick up a copy of McAfee Internet Security for just $45 -- keep you safe while you browse all the deals out there.

For a massive list of bargains and deals, swing by Gizmodo's exhaustive list of Cyber Monday deals. And for even more deals and steals, see Engadget's compilation of offers.

The best tech deals this Black Friday

2011-11-23T16:36:00.001-08:00

From MSNBC.com

Walmart

Many Black Friday circular ads, such as Walmart's, can already be viewed online.

Whether you're already in line for a Black Friday sale or still figuring out what you'll do with Thursday's leftover turkey, now's a good time to review the best offers of this shopping season. We're here to help with handpicked tech deals.

A few things to note:

These deals are Black Friday offers — promised for Friday, Nov. 25 — so don't panic if you don't see them in stores or on retailer's websites with the prices listed below right this minute.
The deals in this list were selected by considering a combination of factors such as value, savings, product quality, features and brand reputation.
Most offers are limited in quantity, so be quick if you've got your eye on something specific.
The cellphone offers listed below typically require you to sign a two-year service agreement.
You should read the detailed descriptions of each offer carefully before buying — msnbc.com is not responsible for the duration or integrity of individual deals, though we do our best to check the all.
If you're looking for a gigantic list of Black Friday deals instead of some handpicked deals, take a peek at the Black Friday Cheat Sheet compiled by our friends at Gizmodo. If you prefer an alternative pile of hand-selected offers, then check out what the folks at Lifehacker picked out.

Got all that? Great! Here are some of our favorite deals for Black Friday 2011.

We will be updating this list in the days and hours before Black Friday, so feel free to check back often.

Televisions:I aimed to pick a variety of size options here and definitely kept value in mind. Samsung came out as one of the best bets for this shopping season — as far as TVs go, at least.

22-in. Samsung LED HDTV (1080p) for $198 (Normally $250) — at Best Buy
32-in. Emerson LCD TV for $188 (Normally $300) — at Walmart
40-in. Samsung LED HDTV (1080p) for $497 (Normally $700) — at Best Buy
40-in. Samsung LED Smart HDTV (1080p) for $728 (Normally $1,100) — at Best Buy
47-in. LG LED (1080p) for $700 (Normally $1,000) — at Best Buy
60-in. Samsung LED Smart HDTV (1080p) for $1398 (Normally $2,800) — at Best Buy
60-in. Samsung 3D LED HDTV (1080p) for $3300 (Normally $4,200) — at Best Buy

Gaming:If you're looking for a gaming console, you should probably make Walmart one of your stops on Black Friday. It's got some of the better overall deals.

Xbox 360 4G console (with Kinect and "Kinect Adventures") for $200 (Normally $300) — at Walmart
Xbox Kinect (with "Kinect Adventures") for $100 (Normally $175 — at Walmart
PlayStation 3 160GB console (with "Little Big Planet 2" and "Rachet and Clank 4") for $200 (Normally $250) — at Walmart
Nintendo Wii console (Limited Edition Blue) for $100 (Normally $150) — at Walmart
Nintendo 3DS console with "Super Mario 3D Land" for $180 (normally $209) — at Target
Xbox Live Gold (3-month membership) for $13 (Normally $24) — at GameStop
Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360) for $40 (Normally $59) — at GameStop
Forza Motorsport 4 (Xbox 360) for $40 (Normally $59) — at GameStop
Rage (Xbox 360) for $30 (Normally $59) — at GameStop
LEGO Harry Potter (Nintendo 3DS) for $10 (Normally $19) — at GameStop
FIFA Soccer 12 (Xbox 360/PS3) for $40 (Normally $59) — at GameStop
Maden NFL 12 (Xbox 360/PS3) for $40 (Normally $59) — at GameStop

Monitors:After carefully interrogating friends and colleagues about their monitor choices, I've realized that Acer's the crowd favorite due to its reputation and value. And there are definitely a handful of those monitors to be found on sale come Friday.

20-in. Acer LED widescreen monitor for $90 (Normally $130) — at Best Buy
20-in. LG LED widescreen monitor for $110 (Normally $160) — at Best Buy
21.5-in. Samsung LED monitor for $120 (Normally $169) — at Staples
23-in. Acer LED widescreen monitor for $160 (Normally $200) — at Best Buy

Desktops:It's rough to make recommendations when it comes to desktops simply because individual priorities differ a great deal when it comes to these particular gadgets, so I went with a handful of decent deals for the average shopper.

18.5-in. HP AMD dual-core 3GB DDR3 500GB HD desktop for $298 (Normally $429) — at Walmart
20-in. HP 320-1034 AMD dual-core 4GB DDR3 1TB HDD all-in-one desktop for $400 (Normally $700) — at Best Buy
24-in. Dell XPS 8300 Core i7 16GB RAM 1.5TB HDD desktop for $1000 (Normally $1500) — at Costco
24-in. Sony Intel Core i3 4GB RAM 1TB HDD touch-screen desktop for $900 (Normally $1079) — Staples

Laptops:Like desktops, laptops are a finicky topic when it comes to Black Friday shoppers. I decided to select a product I'd recommend personally — the MacBook Air — and two low cost solutions.

10.1-in. Gateway LT2811U netbook (1.66MHz/1GB RAM/250GB HDD) for $149 (Normally $450) — at Best Buy
13.3-in. MacBook Air (1.7GHz/4GB RAM/128 SSD) for $1099 (Normally $1299) — at Best Buy
15.6-in. HP 2000-329WM laptop (1.60GHz/3GB RAM/320 GB HDD) for $248 (Normally $400) — at Walmart

Cameras:A DSLR and a low-cost point-and-shoot. What more could you ever want to pick up in the camera department on Black Friday?

Nikon Coolpix S3100 camera (14MP/720p video) for $99 (Normally $139) — at Best Buy
Canon Rebel T3 DSLR for $480 (Normally $550) — at Target

Tablets:There's no getting around it — the tablet category was a popularity contest.

Apple iPad 2 (16GB with Wi-Fi) for $455 (Normally $500) — at Best Buy
Amazon Kindle Keyboard 3G with "Special Offers" for $85 (Normally $99) — at Target
Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch for $79 (Normally $99) — at Barnes & Noble

Cellphones:While some other options are listed, your best bet when it comes to cellphones on Black Friday is Amazon. Nearly every phone you can think of is available for just a penny — assuming you sign a two-year service agreement — and you get a bonus $100 gift card.

AT&T Samsung Infuse for $0 (Normally $100) — at Best Buy
AT&T LG Thrill for $0 (Normally $100) — at Best Buy
Verizon Droid Incredible 2 for $0 (Normally $200) — at Best Buy
Verizon HTC Thunderbolt for $0 (Normally $150) — at Best Buy
Almost any phone you can think of (plus a $100 Amazon gift card) for $.01 (Normal prices vary) — at Amazon.com

GPS devices:A solid GPS device, a lifetime of maps, and a decent price? No brainer.

4.3-in. Magellan GPS device with lifetime maps and traffic updates for $99 (Normally $149) — at Best Buy

SoftwareOfficeMax is one of the spots with the best software deals on Friday, so head there if you're looking to feed your computer some new apps.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 for $55 (Normally $100) — at OfficeMax
Dragon Naturally Speaking (Home Edition) for $45 (Normally $90) — at OfficeMax
Microsoft Office Home for Mac for $80 (Normally $120) — at OfficeMax

Miscellaneous odds and ends:Dyson products. On sale. This doesn't happen often, folks. Take advantage of it.

Dyson DC 28 full-size bagless upright vaccuum for $479 (Normally $649) — on Dyson.com
Dyson Hot fan/heater for $299 (Normally $399) — on Dyson.com
Dyson Air Multiplier AM 03 fan for $349 (Normally $449) — on Dyson.com
iCade iPad arcade cabinet for $60 (Normally $100) — on ThinkGeek.com
HP C410a Color Inkjet Photosmart Premium wireless all-in-Oone printer/fax for $100 (Normally $300) — at OfficeMax
Most items on Panasonic's website for whatever discounted price Panasonic employees would pay (Normal prices vary) — on Panasonic.com
Seagate 3TB external HDD for $100 (Normally $175) — at Best Buy
Targus compact laptop charger for $20 (Normally $80) — at Staples
Targus leather iPad cover for $10 (Normally $50) — at Staples

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

11 Tips for Safe Online Shopping

2011-11-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

By Eric Griffith
November 21, 201PCMAG.com

Billions of dollars will be spent online over the course of the next month, and, unfortunately, there are those that will be looking to steal some of it. Make sure you're not a victim

Let's face it, there's every reason in the world to shop online. The bargains are there. The selection is mind-boggling. The shopping is secure. Shipping is fast. Even returns are pretty easy, with the right e-tailers. Shopping has never been easier or more convenient for consumers.

But what about the bad guys who lay in wait? IID's Third Quarter eCrime Report for 2011 indicates that use of phishing attacks (where thieves attempt to swindle you out of your sign-in credentials and even credit card info by pretending to be a real website, or even an online bank) is down, as much as eight percent since the second quarter and 11 percent since the third quarter of last year. That's great news—except the same report says sites with malware (malicious code aimed at compromising your privacy) has increased by 89 percent since the second quarter.

Stay calm. While somewhat alarming, these stats should not keep you from shopping online. You simply need some common sense and practical advice. Follow these basic guidelines and you can shop online with confidence. Here are 11 tips for staying safe online, so you can start checking off items on that holiday shopping list.

1. Use Familiar Websites
Start at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. Search results can be rigged to lead you astray, especially when you drift past the first few pages of links. If you know the site, chances are it's less likely to be a rip off. We all know Amazon.com and that it carries everything under the sun; likewise, just about every major retail outlet has an online store, from Target to Best Buy to Home Depot. Beware of misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain (.net instead of .com, for example)—those are the oldest tricks in the book. Yes, the sales on these sites might look enticing, but that's how they trick you into giving up your info.

2. Look for the Lock
Never ever, ever buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at the very least. You'll know if the site has SSL because the URL for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://). An icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your web browser, or right next to the URL in the address bar. It depends on your browser.

Never, ever give anyone your credit card over email. Ever.

3. Don't Tell All
No online shopping store needs your social security number or your birthday to do business. However, if crooks get them, combined with your credit card number for purchases, they can do a lot of damage. The more they know, the easier it is to steal your identity. When possible, default to giving up the least amount of information.

4. Check Statements
Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month. Go online regularly during the holiday season and look at electronic statements for your credit card, debit card, and checking accounts. Make sure you don't see any fraudulent charges, even originating from sites like PayPal. (After all, there's more than one way to get to your money.)

If you do see something wrong, pick up the phone to address the matter quickly. In the case of credit cards, pay the bill only once you know all your charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify the bank or card issuer of problems, however; after that, you might be liable for the charges anyway.

5. Inoculate Your PC
Swindlers don't just sit around waiting for you to give them data; sometimes they give you a little something extra to help things along. You need to protect against malware with regular updates to your anti-virus program. PCMag recommends Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus (4.5 stars, Editors' Choice, $39.95 direct), which has extras to help fight ID theft, or at the very least the free Ad-Aware Free Internet Security 9.0 (4.5 stars, Editors' Choice).

Geek TOGO USA Computer Repair and Support

Phones poised to replace the money in your pocket

Whitney Houston scams flood Facebook and Twitte

What scares Facebook: Privacy and phones

Tech companies team up to combat email scams

Nigerian email scam ends in real-life kidnapping

iPhone celebrates fifth birthday -- How has it changed?

Work Faster in Microsoft Word: 10 Secrets

2. Label Items With Sequential Numbers

3. Reverse the Page Print Order

4. Save Images as Building Blocks

Favorite Downloads of 2011

At the end of another year, PCWorld reviewers name downloads and Web programs we liked so much we just kept on using them.

Improve Your Productivity and Security

Expand Your Artistic Horizons

Beautify Your Desktop (and Beyond)

Play These Games for a While…Or Forever…

Play With Music and Video Files

Next-Gen iPods Are Curved Screen Bracelets, Report Suggests

Dutch Airline Lets Passengers Pick Seats By Perusing Facebook Profiles

What If You Could 'Download' New Skills? Scientists Say It's Possible

The Top 10 Best Laptops

Inside Apple's New Grand Central Terminal Store in NYC

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Tech Gear You Shouldn't Buy This Christmas

Best Cyber Monday Tech Deals

The best tech deals this Black Friday

11 Tips for Safe Online Shopping

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