Tag: COMPUTER

Christmas is coming, and you're about to have a ton of time off. Some of that time will be spent energetically tearing apart beautifully-wrapped gifts, and eating food is certainly next on the list of priorities. Obviously you have to play with your new gifts (or put on your new socks), but after that... after the postprandial sofa-surfing grunts and burps and farts... well, there isn't a whole ...

Our regular readers can probably rattle off a list of their 20 favorite apps without breaking a sweat -- as the comments on this post will no doubt prove. But for our less in-the-know friends, family, and co-workers, it can be challenging to figure out where to download high quality programs that actually do what they need them to do. We've put together an assortment that will help you hit the ...

A few days ago there was a smattering of reports on NEC's new pirate-detection software. In essence, this software scans the original content and creates a digital signature for each and every frame. The signature is very small (only 76 bytes) and can then be compared against videos on sites like YouTube or Vimeo. NEC touts an accuracy of 96% and only five false-positives per million. But ...

I struggle to count the number of sci-fi books, shows and movies that include intelligent, interactive computers. From the visionaries like Asimov through to HAL 9000, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and Eureka, talking, helpful computers are a recurring, staple concept with massive appeal. The idea of a computer that interacts quickly and cogently with your voice commands is the stuff of ...

Touch Mouse [iTunes link] is a free iPhone / iPod Touch application from Logitech that turns your iDevice into a wireless keyboard and trackpad for your Windows or Macintosh computer. It's not a remote control application, so you don't get a view of the computer's screen; you simply get an alternative way to control the mouse pointer and keyboard. Touch Mouse works by relying on a small server ...

We leave you with a tale of a person's first computer, and her desire to get rid of the thing! - Ed. Being in my late 20's, I am a member of the first generation of people that grew up with computers in pretty much all aspects of my life. I've witnessed and adapted to many new trends: Apple II's quirky ability to lock up when the 5 1/4" floppy got dusty, the introduction of a CD ROM drive to ...

My first computer was a used IBM 80286 with 640k RAM, a 10MB hard drive, running MS-DOS 3.0, and a sporting stylish 5.25" floppy drive on top of a 3.5" drive. The computer was brought home by my father, from work, when I was 6 years old. He'd bought it from the company when they upgraded to 386s that were brand new that year. When he carried the massive box into the living room that evening, I ...

Many people can remember the first computer they owned. Whether the experience was euphoric or maddening, the experience seems to be emblazoned into our minds like burn-in on a two decade old monochrome monitor. The topic can illicit tears of joy or sobs of frustration. But either way, there always seems to be a fondness and nostalgia surrounding our first computing machine. The first computer ...

When I was growing up during the 1960s, just having a remote control television felt a little "science fiction." Back then, access to leading-edge technology was unthinkable. So you can imagine my surprise when I was given a computer for my 13th birthday -- a Digi-Comp II. I vividly remember studying the outside of the box, carefully reading all the text and taking it all in. I had no idea what ...

digg_url = "http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/01/18/keeping-it-private-and-safe-on-public-computers/";Even if you have a computer at home, on occasion you'll find you need to use the public computers at a library, internet café, or your local copy shop. Traveling, technical glitches at home, or the sheer convenience of checking on something right now brings almost everyone to a public ...

Feeling a little lonely as you type away on your keyboard? How about adding a little friend that you don't have to feed, water, or take outside for walks. Keyboard Characters simply slide into the keys of your keyboard and add a little color to your workspace. Set 1 of the Keyboard Characters comes with 10 friends that include a monkey, robot, fish and a dragon. The price is a little steep at ...

Google has another aquisition under its belt and this one is a little green. Not in the environment sense, but in a secure sense. GreenBorder, based in Mountain View, California, has developed a way to isolate each internet session from the rest of a users PC. This way threats like viruses, spyware, trojans and malware can be secluded and tossed when users close down their browser window instead ...

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative is planning to ship nearly 5 million XO model PCs this summer to mostly third world countries. There are rumors floating about that the OLPC folks may offer the laptops for sale to the public as well. Consumers would be able to buy the laptops in pairs, and only receive one of them, with the other one going to a child in a third world country. Sure it is ...

Edubuntu, a nine year old, and savvy parents--sounds textbook right? Next, the headline: Pentagon Hacked by 9-year-old. This guy has an interesting idea though, put his nine year old on an inexpensive Linux machine for his school, gaming, and general computing pleasure. Not a bad idea, and it does give him the advantage of doing something with an old PC he had lying around. Is it an option for ...

This holiday "gift" for you and yours comes from PC World. Their new video area offers practical guides on the small screen (PC that is) on how to replace a graphics card, set up a wi-fi network, and others. The gift part is that you can enjoy a nearly "my-new-technology-doesn't-work" phone-call free holiday season. Okay, I am dreaming a little bit here, but you get the idea. The videos are fairly ...