software

Imagine if an iPhone had the equivalent of a car alarm. Would a loud, annoying alarm sound when a thief ran off with the device? Or would the alarm ring out when a stranger just tried to look at the phone?

These are questions Apple explores in a patent application filed today. Titled "Acceleration-based theft detection system for portable electronic devices," the application involves a smartphone deciphering what kinds of movement take place during a phone robbery.… Read more

Apple just released the first update to iOS 6, set to fix a few bugs and improve performance. iOS 6.0.1 is available through the usual methods, over-the-air (OTA) or iTunes. But, if you use an iPhone 5, you will be presented with the screen above when you attempt to update using the OTA method.

To begin the process, launch the Settings app, tap on General, and then Software Update. Once you do that, you'll see the above message. Tap on Learn More to begin the process of fixing a bug that prevents your iPhone 5 from updating … Read more

Do you really need to log-in to every single free hotspot Wi-Fi zone? Ever since I learned that you are most vulnerable to getting hacked at Wi-Fi hotspots, I rarely log-in to free Wi-Fi hotspots unless it's an absolute must. One way to protect yourself is to make yourself invisible with CyberGhost VPN! So, just in time for Halloween, we bring you a 24 hour spooktacular giveaway of CyberGhost VPN (69.99 USD value) to give you that invisible power and get you protected from cyber-thieves.

Rated 4.5 stars by CNET, CyberGhost VPN hides your IP address and … Read more

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has been dealt another blow by the U.S. government. The U.S. Defense Department recently announced that it is opening its exclusive contract with the company to other device makers, including Apple and Google.

According to Reuters, the Pentagon said it would still use "large numbers" of BlackBerry smartphones but that it was also asking other companies to apply for a government contract to provide software that is capable of monitoring, managing, and enforcing U.S. military security requirements.

A Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters that it was broadening its reach with device … Read more

Apple says it needs a little longer to finish up work on iTunes 11.

The software, which adds a handful of new features and a facelift, was previewed at an event last month, and was originally due by the end of October.

Apple now says the software will be out before the end of next month.

"The new iTunes is taking longer than expected and we wanted to take a little extra time to get it right," Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told CNET. "We look forward to releasing this new version of iTunes with its dramatically simpler … Read more

Valve Software's 2007 video game Portal was an instant classic that immediately won fans over with its unique, physics-based challenges, innovative portal gun, and sharp comedy. But beyond the dark humor and diabolical puzzles was a hidden gem for players able to make it to the end: a witty and humorous song called "Still Alive."

Singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton was the man behind the infectiously catchy Easter egg song. But in an interview with CBS News, JoCo -- as he's known to fans -- showed why he's more than a one-hit wonder. … Read more

There are any number of utilities out there that can quickly and easily convert a variety of file formats into PDFs, so there's no reason to settle for one that doesn't quite meet your needs. DeskPDF Pro combines an efficient drag-and-drop interface with some useful features, but the limitations of the trial version are significant, and there are free programs with many of the same features.

Once installed, DeskPDF Pro appears as an icon in the Windows system tray; clicking it brings up a small interface onto which users can drag files for conversion. This launches a window … Read more

Windows 8 is finally here, and if you've ever started with a brand-new operating system, you know that one of the first things you do is download the apps that make your life easier and maybe even a little more fun while you're at it.

The Windows Store is pretty new and is not stocked with everything you might want just yet (frankly, it's pretty anemic at this early stage), but we've hand-picked a collection of apps that will be useful for new users of Microsoft's latest OS. All are highly rated and come from … Read more

The the slow pendulum swing toward the smart TV is about to hit WebOS.

LG has teamed up with Gram, the organization established by HP to handle the WebOS project, to create a television that will be running on the open-source operating system, according to a new report from WebOS Nation. That blog reports that LG and Gram have been working closely for several months on the project.

The road to Gram has been a long and hard one for HP. In 2010, the company made the ill-advised decision to acquire Palm for $1.2 billion. After a few product … Read more