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Larry Seltzer
What Windows 8.1 Must Be
December 04, 2012 02:25 PM
Windows 8 Desktop Mode is not usable on conventional desktops and notebooks, but the problem is clearly fixable and Microsoft will see the wisdom of this before too long. Close your eyes and imagine that it's well into 2013 and Microsoft is preparing their first update to Windows 8, in which they address widespread complaints about it.
George Ou
Will iPads Get Intel CPUs or Macs Get ARM?
December 03, 2012 07:02 AM
Rumors have been spreading that Apple will shift their Macs to ARM processors and that Intel will make them. It's more likely that Apple and Intel will compromise and move higher-end systems, including the iPad, to Intel architectures. Moving the iPhone won't make as much sense.
Eric Zeman
Unlocked iPhone 5: Worth The Cost?
December 01, 2012 09:06 AM
Apple is now selling an unlocked version of the iPhone 5 starting at $649. Make sure you know the pros and cons involved in buying an off-contract device.
Chris Spera
Microsoft Scroogled Site Challenges Google Shopping Honesty
November 30, 2012 12:04 PM
Are you getting Scroogled? What does that even mean? Microsoft wants you to believe Google Shopping is a rip-off and has dedicated Scroogled.com to explaining it all. (Hint: Bing is a much safer place to holiday shop.)
Larry Seltzer
Windows Phone 7 Users To Get Cosmetic Update
November 29, 2012 08:30 AM
Users of Windows Phones prior to the new generation of devices will not be upgraded to the new operating system, Windows Phone 8. Instead, they will receive an update early next year that makes their OS look like Windows Phone 8, but not get any of the other new features.
Chris Spera
Where Are All The iPhone/iPad Lightning Accessories?
November 29, 2012 08:10 AM
Where are all the Lightning accessories? It's now almost December -- two months after Apple's new Lightning connector debuted on the iPhone 5 -- and there is still practically no Lightning-compatible iOS hardware available. Owners of the new Lightning-equipped iPad Mini, iPad 4 and new iPods are waiting, too.
Bob Guccione Jr.
Apocalypse Now (Here Comes the Sun)
November 27, 2012 09:00 AM
One major belch from the sun can destroy our ability to connect to the grid and leave us in the dark for months. So says science journalist Lawrence Joseph in his new book, Solar Cataclysm: How the Sun Shaped the Past and What We Can Do to Save Our Future, reviewed by BYTE columnist Bob Guccione Jr.
Larry Seltzer
Are Windows 8 Sales Already Disappointing?
November 26, 2012 09:01 AM
It's way too early to declare Windows and Surface failures in the market, although it would be foolish to expect it to obviate Windows 7 any time soon, especially in business and double-especially on desktops. In the meantime, its job is to recover market share for Microsoft that has been lost to Apple iPads and Android tablets, and there's reason to believe it's doing that.
Larry Seltzer
Online Backup Vs. Cloud Storage
November 22, 2012 09:00 AM
Online backup services such as Carbonite, Acronis, IDrive and Mozy might be a bad deal for some users when compared to cloud storage services Box, Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft Skydrive. The former usually just backs up files; the latter does backs up files and also gives you working access to them.
Larry Seltzer
iPhone And iPad: My Top 5 Complaints
November 21, 2012 11:35 AM
I've never liked my iPhone. Apple's restrictions on interface customization, storage expansion, hardware interfaces and the battery make the experience disappointing. Chalk most of these problems up to Apple's arrogant design philosophy and its desire to make as much money as possible.
Larry Seltzer
Happy 100 Millionth, Dropbox
November 19, 2012 08:02 AM
It still makes no sense to me that a company can make a living selling shared disk access over the Internet, but then again I'm one of the paying customers making Dropbox a success.
Eric Zeman
Why Apple Can't Deny Google Maps On iPhone
November 16, 2012 01:41 PM
When Google submits its rewritten Google Maps app for iOS, Apple can't block it.
Larry Seltzer
Good Claims Sovereignty Over Mobile Security
November 16, 2012 10:04 AM
The Mobile Device Management (MDM) industry is surely worried about the implications of Good Technology asserting their foundational mobile security patents. MobileIron and AirWatch may be big deals in MDM, but there are some much bigger companies -- Apple and Samsung are two -- who could get tied up in this in a really nasty way.
George Ou
Why Windows Tablets Are The Best Storage Deal
November 15, 2012 08:51 AM
People who complain that too much of the flash storage in Windows 8 and RT tablets is taken up by the OS and Office 2013 app are missing a big point. At least they can add their own flash storage later via microSD card for very little money. Apple iPad and Google Nexus tablet users, on the other hand, are stuck with whatever storage comes with their device.
Larry Seltzer
Whither Windows After Sinofsky?
November 13, 2012 11:46 AM
The resignation of Microsoft Windows president Steven Sinofsky raises many questions about a platform that is going through perhaps its most radical changes ever. Is Microsoft unhappy with his work on Windows 8 and Surface? Or is this just a personal career move for Sinofsky?
Dino Londis
Evernote 5: Don't Rush To Upgrade
November 09, 2012 04:35 PM
Evernote 5 for iPad and iPhone looks new but it isn't functionally better, except for one or two new features. Evernote should have spent its time overhauling the desktop version instead.
Serdar Yegulalp
Mobile Office: Partial Functionality Not Enough
November 08, 2012 08:31 AM
The rumors are hot again that Microsoft will release an Office version for the iPad and iPhone, but all indications are that it will be little more than a document viewer, of which there are many already for iOS. Microsoft already has a far more capable Office Mobile for Surface, but even that is missing many important features, like editing Excel pivot tables and using Word revisions.
Larry Seltzer
Bad Idea: New Jersey Allows Email Vote
November 05, 2012 03:10 PM
In order to reach out to voters displaced by Hurricane Sandy, the state of New Jersey will allow residents to vote by e-mail. The goal is laudable, but the means of achieving it is fraught with danger of facilitating voter fraud.
Larry Seltzer
Imagine iPad, Mac Combined
November 05, 2012 11:22 AM
Apple might publicly scoff at Windows 8's combination of the PC and tablet into one platform, but it has to be at least thinking about whether it could and should do the same. The best approach would be to add touch features to OS X so that eventually it could replace iOS.
Eric Zeman
Samsung's 10-Inch Android Tablets: Which Is Best?
November 02, 2012 09:06 AM
With its Nexus 10 tablet, Samsung risks cannibalizing sales of its existing 10-inch tablets. Let's look at the key differences.
Serdar Yegulalp
Crapware Lives On Windows 8
November 02, 2012 09:02 AM
Windows 8 is a clean slate in many ways. But one scourge that is not gone is crapware, a.k.a. bloatware, junkware, trialware, and stupid games that drag down the performance and experience of so many Windows PCs. We asked Acer, Toshiba, Dell, Samsung and Lenovo what they preload on their Windows 8 systems. Some PCs are cleaner than others. The surprise? A Microsoft store might be the best place to buy.
Chris Spera
Windows 8 Upgrade: No Touch, No Good
October 31, 2012 04:08 PM
BYTE's Chris Spera has been using Windows 8 since the first preview version. There's a lot to like about it on the new touch PCs and tablets, but upgrading Windows on your old non-touch PC to the new OS isn't worth the trouble.
Eric Zeman
RIM Seeks Carrier Approval For BlackBerry 10
October 31, 2012 03:34 PM
Research In Motion has given BlackBerry 10 to more than 50 carriers around the world for certification.
Peter Rysavy
4G World: The Need For More Spectrum
October 31, 2012 09:28 AM
The wireless industry may run out of spectrum in three years, and it needs government help to find more to realize the promise of mobile broadband.
Larry Seltzer
Windows Phone Users, Rejoice: More Apps On The Way
October 29, 2012 12:15 PM
The biggest weakness Windows Phone has is the weakness of the Windows app store. Why will Windows Phone 8 make any difference? Because, in most cases, developing a Windows Phone 8 app gets you almost all the way to developing an app for Windows 8, a product almost certain to sell hundreds of millions of units.