os

One of the primary uses of computers is, of course, for media, whether you're watching movies, listening to music, playing a game, or running through a feature-packed slideshow. In the middle of the fun, it can be incrediby frustrating to get interrupted by a loud swoosh as you receive a new e-mail, or a speech alert telling you some other program needs attention.

To avoid such interruptions, of course you can quit the various applications like Mail and instant-messaging clients that may cause them, but this will not guarantee silence, as alerts can still crop up from other sources.… Read more

So, congratulations! Perhaps you're the owner of a new iPad this holiday season. If so, you've come to the right place. Apple's tablet is incredibly easy to use, but there are still plenty of ways to set up and optimize your iPad to take advantage of everything it has to offer. Some of these suggestions may be obvious; others might not.

Regardless, here's what I do when I take a new iPad out of its crisp white box. I think you should do the same. At the least, these tips should help you get on your feet.… Read more

If this week's news of Facebook tinkering with Instagram's privacy policy before backpedaling has you heading for the exits, Flickr's iOS app is probably your best bet for snapping, filtering, and sharing photos. But for a more disciplined approach, or if you'd like to start a photo-a-day 365 project, check out Blipfoto for iPhone.

Blipfoto features five buttons along the bottom: Camera, Newsfeed, Browse, Map, Search, and More. Camera mode lets you snap a shot or grab a photo from your Camera Roll. The only editing tools the app provides are 12 rather underwhelming filters, 5 … Read more

Is Siri more responsive in iOS 6 than she was in iOS 5?

A new study from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster uncovered a slight improvement in the voice assistant in the latest version of iOS.

Based on the analyst's testing, Siri understood 91 percent of queries under iOS 6, compared with 89 percent in iOS 5. Further, Siri correctly answered 77 percent of those queries under iOS 6, versus 76 percent in iOS 5.

In general, Siri was adept at finding local businesses and understanding operating system commands but not so good at tracking down general information or … Read more

Last week's release of the Matrox DS1 Thunderbolt Dock heralded the arrival of alternative docking solutions to Apple's Thunderbolt Display for Mac systems. Though useful for adding new and expanded capabilities to iMac and Mac Mini systems, the primary benefit of these solutions is that it lets laptop users convert their systems to desktop workstations.

Apple laptops support a "clamshell" mode of operation, where if you attach an external keyboard and monitor, then you can close the lid and tuck the unit away to a convenient location and still operate the computer. Unfortunately this usually requires you to at least connect a USB cable along with a monitor to your system, not to mention any audio cables, printers, external hard drives, and other peripherals you might use in your desktop environment, which is obviously inconvenient to deal with every time you move.… Read more

People can now enjoy Tumblr's 85.5 million blogs on Apple's iPad. The microblogging site officially released the 3.2.3 version of its iOS app today, which brings markdown support, a new "explore" tab, and iPad optimization with landscape view.

The popular blogging platform's free app is now compatible with all versions of the iPhone released after the 3 GS, the 4th and 5th generations of the iPod touch, and the iPad. Tumblr also has an app for Android devices, which includes Android tablets.

If Instagram's privacy policy shift (or not) has you packing in your Instagram account and looking for an alternative photo-filtering and -sharing app, you might want to give Aviary a try. In fact, you might already be familiar with Aviary. Its technology powers the new Flickr app for iOS and Twitter's new photo filters, but Aviary can also be used on its own. The company offers both iOS and Android apps. Here's a quick look at how the app works on the iPhone.

After launching the app and granting it access to your Camera Roll, you'll … Read more

A surge of people adopted Apple's iOS 6 since last week, but it has been months since the latest operating system was released.

This growth in iOS 6 upgrades may not be as random as it sounds. According to TechCrunch, which got data from mobile ad exchange MoPub, iOS adoption has bumped 30 percent since Google Maps released its app for iOS. MoPub surveys more than 1 billion ad impressions a day across more than 12,000 different apps and got its data from seeing users upgrade to iOS 6.

"We observed since the launch of Google Maps … Read more

Besides installing an SSD to replace a mechanical hard drive, RAM upgrades are one of the more significant and beneficial upgrades you can do for a PC system. When it comes to Apple's systems, however, RAM upgrades from Apple itself have been insanely expensive, so my recommendation has always been, unless the RAM is soldered to the motherboard (as it is with the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro), to purchase only the base amount of RAM and then upgrade it yourself later on.

Such was the case with my most recent Mac, a 17-inch 2011 MacBook Pro that … Read more