http://www.ecoustics.com/latest/articles Latest articles, updated every five minutes http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/174558 Tired of hitting the Refresh button every time you want to, say, update an auction listing? This extension will do it for you. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:44:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/172166 When Dick McGraw checks Windows Update, he wonders which patches he should download and install Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:51:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/172063 Stop Windows from rebooting after updates, view really old files in current Office apps, and more. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:15:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/171785 Automated system updates: good. Automated rebooting to apply those updates: bad. Very, very bad. Here's how to stop it from happening. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:27:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/guide/294 The Snow Leopard cometh. After a modest demonstration alongside a hopped-up iPhone and slightly revamped MacBook at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, the long-awaited update to OS X finally gets its time to shine on August 28. While Apple has shied away from painting the new Mac operating system (OS) as a landmark release – even the name implies that it's just a revision – Snow Leopard will bring with it a slew of upgrades that Apple fans have long awaited, and many that should pave a path to unlock even more p...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/169201 Which airlines are most likely to keep you connected in the sky? Find out in our update. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/169235 If you know how to send a text message, you can update Facebook without a PC. Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:45:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/165867 Did you know that you can update your hardware without having to buy anything new? An easy-to-perform firmware update can add functionality, stability, and features. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:15:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/167036 Don't let a system restoration send you back to square one. A simple process called slipstreaming will give you an XP CD with all the latest updates. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:08:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/guide/270 Apple's new (and much-hyped) operating system update is already bundled inside the iPhone 3G S, but existing iPhone owners can now download iPhone OS 3.0 right from iTunes – though be patient, as Apple's servers are currently experiencing traffic jams.In case you're unfamiliar with what's new, more than 100 features have been added to iPhone OS 3.0, most notably: The ability to copy/cut and paste text between programs (the process is quite intuitive); landscape typing in email and notes (widening the "s...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/165848 Dig into some great online tools: an alternative to Google Alerts, a site that tracks your favorite bands, and a service that updates all your social networks. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/guide/259 If you’re like many, hours of every day are devoted to surfing the pages of top-ranked social network Facebook. However, checking friends’ and foes’ status updates can only provide so many hours of entertainment. So how to amuse yourself in-between checking for new photos, quizzes and other bite-sized distractions? Thankfully, that’s where apps, or “applications” – pint-sized software programs and utilities accessible through Facebook that run right in your Web browser and are devoted to everything from fun to education and productivity – come in. Here are 10 of our favorite selections:Social Networking:...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs Tue, 26 May 2009 03:00:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/164893 Are you getting exhausted making the rounds to Twitter, Facebook, and all your other networks? Ping.fm lets you update them all with a single message. Thu, 14 May 2009 13:40:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/163929 Running the latest versions of software helps keep your computer secure from malicious software. Here's how to manage software updates for all your major apps. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:35:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/162527 Afraid to install Windows XP SP3 "out of fear it will cause problems with my current settings," Nirvana asked the Answer Line forum for advice. Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:48:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/157821 Ads for DriveCleaner, WinFixer, Antivirus XP, Antivirus 2009 and others pop up on PCs all the time, but the software may be fraudulent or ineffective. Also: Mac users need security updates, too. Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:00:00 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/156262 Don Dalton installed Vista's SP1 update, encountered "a multitude of problems," and uninstalled it. Can he safely go on indefinitely without it? Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:55:00 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/24697/ Let’s just face it; Bluetooth technology is taking over. Just about all the new eletronic audio devices are incorporating Bluetooth technology into their design, allowing the user to talk on the phone, stream music, or perform other various tasks. This “Bluetooth fever” has also been leaking into the car audio industry for a little while now, but has recently exploded with all the different uses that Bluetooth can offer. Bluetooth car stereos are the way of the future, and manufacturers provide several different options to bring this convenient technology into the vehicle. The majority of these Bluetooth head units allow the driver to answer phone calls and steam music via a Bluetooth enabled music device such as a MP3 cell phone, iPod, or laptop. The most popular option is to have hands-free calling in the car. Let’s look at the KD-AVX44 from JVC and the MEX-BT5000 from Sony. When someone buys either of these units, it will come with Bluetooth technology built-in to the car stereo . The microphone is right on the faceplate, and the Bluetooth transmitter is already installed. All the driver had to do is pair his or her Bluetooth enabled phone to the unit and start... Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:37:29 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/24679/ Packed with power and light on the wallet, netbooks are a hot gift this year - see the specs of some of the most popular models. Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:47:40 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/dt/guide/164 High-priced plans, dropped calls and bumpy 3G connections? Now that the glimmer has faded, the iPhone is starting to fall short of its miracle status. Good thing for us there are plenty of other mobile handsets eager to step up and feed our desire for smartphone bliss.LG Prada 2, Price: TBD Update to the popular high-end smartphone. Touchscreen up front, slide out keyboard below. 5 megapixel camera, full HTML browser and Wi-Fi. Price TBD. Available by year’s end. www.pradaph...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0500 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/150734 Ralph Isaacs wants to know why Windows is telling him that it can't install its own updates. Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:30:00 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/23724/ The Sprint HTC Touch Diamond is almost here!!! Here are the facts! - Coming to Sprint in September - SRP $549.99 - Net Cost $299.99 Re-defining the perception of advanced mobile phones… the Sprint HTC Touch Diamond signals a giant leap forward in combining hi-tech prowess with intuitive usability and exhilarating design. Featuring a sharp 2.8-inch touch screen housed within a stunning formation of brushed metal and flawless faceted edges, the Sprint HTC Touch Diamond is as beautiful to behold as it is to use. With HTC’s vibrant touch-responsive user interface, TouchFLO 3D, and ultra-fast HSDPA internet connectivity… the Sprint HTC Touch Diamond offers a rich online experience to rival a notebook computer, allowing you to interact with Google, YouTube, and Wikipedia as freely as you would with a broadband connection. Your contacts, favourite music, videos and photos are no longer an uninspired line of text. With TouchFLO 3D, album artwork, video stills and snapshots of your friends’ and family’s faces are brought to life for you to interact, play and launch at your fingertips. A 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera will help you capture the perfect moment in style and with a massive 4GB of internal storage you can keep... Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:00:07 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/23304/ Now, I'd like to give my two cents on MobileMe.  A little backstory first, though - I've been a Mac user for about 6 years now (I'm guessing) and have loved it.  However, I always had to work on PC's (until more recently) and became addicted to Exchange and it's instant syncing ability between my Windows Mobile phone, work PC, and home PC.  Switching to Mac made me really miss these features, so naturally I was stoked for the release of MobileMe. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:49:08 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/22686/ Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:30:21 -0400 http://www.ecoustics.com/pcw/howto/147466 It's all out there: free cell-phone headsets, help getting refunds from big-name retailers, and, of course, cell phones making popcorn. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0400