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What I'd like to see in the iPhone 5

I've owned an iPhone every year since its 2007 debut. Every one. The reward for such reckless upgrading has been a sense of the iPhone's evolution over those years. What started as a device that had not many apps to speak of, but dripped futurism, has become an always-on, location-aware, frighteningly integral part of my nervous system.

While I've listed what we expect out of the next iPhone, I haven't told you what I want. So, here's my own personal list of what matters most...to me.… Read more

Crave giveaway: Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12

Congrats to Jonathan H. of Flushing, N.Y., for winning two canvas-mounted Instagram prints from CanvasPop in last week's giveaway. This week's freebie is really something to talk about. We're offering up a copy of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12, Nuance's new voice recognition software for PCs.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 promises 20 percent more accuracy than its predecessor, Dragon 11, as well as faster speeds and new technology that learns your preferences as you use it.

The product plays better than ever with Gmail and Hotmail, according to Nuance, and also extends the free Dragon Remote Microphone App experience to Android, turning compatible phones into a wireless microphone for Dragon for PC. … Read more

Pop those bubbles in Bubble Mania

Bubble Mania is a free iOS app that will bring back the days when you used to pop bubbles to have fun and kill time while you were waiting for something. This time the bubbles come back with a tweak: you have to put them in the right order.

The app's interface couldn't be simpler, with instructions provided ahead of the game: pop 50 bubbles in less than 25 seconds, following the order of the bubbles at the top.

Yeah, that sounds like an easy job to do, and it really is on the first level, where you … Read more

Windows 8 hybrid-tablet mania

Thursday's tech news roundup calls for a deluge of tablet-PC hybrids:

Everyone is talking about tablet hybrids at this year's IFA electronics trade show in Berlin. Every major laptop maker is getting in the game, all because of the October 26 release of Windows 8. Some choose to have the screen swivel or fold to be held like a tablet, such as the Dell XPS Duo 12 and the Asus Taichi. But most hardware makers are also offering tablets with full keyboards that snap on, like HP's Envy x2 tablet and Samsung's Series 5 and 7 Slates (… Read more

Find cool new stuff on the Web with StumbleUpon

Let's face it: there's a whole lot of content on the Internet, and there's no way to find the best of it without a little help. StumbleUpon can help with this monumental task by recommending sites to you based on your interests and the recommendations of others. The StumbleUpon Chrome extension integrates StumbleUpon's functionality into your browser, making it easy to discover and make note of new and interesting sites.

We didn't have a StumbleUpon account, so the first thing we had to do was create one, which was a simple process of selecting a … Read more

Rumor: New iPhone preorders to start September 12

The report, filed by Rene Ritchie at iMore, states that Apple will begin its U.S. preorders on September 12 while international orders should begin the first week of October, likely October 5.

Shipments from preordered iPhones should reach customers about nine days later, according to the report. In years past, many customers who preorder their iPhones have received them a day or two earlier than the scheduled release date.

Ritchie writes that iMore's sources for this story have reported accurate information in the past, though no official word from Apple has been released.

Despite a plethora of rumors … Read more

Make logging on to Windows memorable with Logon Screen Changer

So you're still logging on with the same old Windows log-on screen, day in, day out....You're right: it's extremely boring. Can't something be done about it? Yes. You can change the Windows log-on screen, but Windows doesn't make it as easy as changing your wallpaper or even your user account picture. Still, it's simple enough to do with help from tools like Saurabhorange's Logon Screen Changer.

This free app can banish the blue and replace it with high-resolution images that don't take up much space. It comes with a gallery of … Read more

FB Flicker aims to spice up Facebook albums

FB Flicker by Guppy Media is free software that promises to make your Facebook albums more exciting, and while it didn't quite live up to the hype, it was extremely easy to use. One of the main drawbacks is that your friends will also need to have the app installed to see the effects you've added to your albums.

The application is an add-on that will work with Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or any system running on Windows. There are no Help files or wizards to aid the user, but there is really no need. Once installed, … Read more

Linux comes to ultrabooks: Dell to preload OS on XPS 13

Dell will sell its sleekest ultrabook with a version of Ubuntu Linux this fall.

The Dell XPS 13 ultrabook will be offered with Ubuntu 12.04LTS preloaded in select geographies, the company said in a statement.

The initiative is an extension of Project Sputnik, a pilot project aimed at creating an Ubuntu-based developer laptop.

Dell is taking the project "from pilot to product this fall" and allowing developers "to create 'microclouds' on their laptops...and then deploy that environment seamlessly to the cloud." … Read more

ScheduFlow offers networked, enterprise-class scheduling for free

What's better than business scheduling software for keeping you on time, on track, and on your toes? How about business scheduling freeware? Duoserve's ScheduFlow 12 is an enterprise-quality calendar, scheduling, and contact management program that replaces paper-based calendars and appointment books. You can share calendars, appointments, and other data with networked users via a LAN or the Internet using e-mail or Web posting. It offers a full range of top-drawer features, including mobile device integration that syncs data with Outlook and most devices, Reports, Resource Utilization features like 3D Charts, and productivity applications such as Contacts, Timelines, and … Read more