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FreeFixer is a capable tool that scans your computer for potential threats such as viruses and malware. It identifies a wide range of system processes and functions and gives you the power to delete any you choose. But the developers take great pains to remind users that this freeware can't tell good files from bad ones and will delete critical system files if you tell it to. They recommend using it with great care, and so do we. Don't use it if you don't know what it's going to do. Most users won't need it … Read more

Volvo's V60 plug-in hybrid gets outstanding mileage but still has some spunk.

The company today said that the diesel electric "sport wagon" will be available early next year priced at 57,000 Euros, or $75,500 . It expects that 80 percent of the buyers will be companies, rather than individual consumers.

Volvo has taken a unique path in building a plug-in electric vehicle with a diesel engine. The car will drive about 30 miles in pure electric mode and then the 215 horsepower diesel engine, which powers the front wheels, will kick in.

The combination yields mileage … Read more

The new Opera might be a minor-point update, but along with the interface changes, better HTML5 support, and faster handling of secure sites, Opera humorously has noted that it's a good thing that tween pop star Justin Bieber prefers Google Chrome. Debuting today, Opera 11.60 for Windows (download), Mac (download), and Linux (download) brings Opera a step closer to version 12 and its planned hardware acceleration update.

Hardware acceleration is currently one of the major features missing from Opera that its competitors offer. It allows the browser to leverage a computer's graphics processor to cut down on … Read more

If all goes according to Wilocity's plan, the startup's dream of high-speed wireless networking will take a crucial step toward reality in January.

That's because Wilocity, which is leading the charge for next-generation technology called 802.11ad designed to reach 7 gigabits per second over short distances, plans to show off a variety of devices using its technology at the mammoth CES trade show that month.

"We'll be able to show you what your life would be like on 60GHz," said Mark Grodzinsky, Wilocity's vice president of marketing. He predicts that the first … Read more

The Taser sounds like the perfect law enforcement tool. Simple, effective and generally safe, it allows officers to subdue a suspect using electricity rather than resorting to blunt or deadly force.

But a recent study found that some officers may be too quick to use the popular stun guns when conventional procedures would suffice. As CBS News' David Martin reports for "60 Minutes," there's growing concern that Tasers may be inflicting unnecessary pain and, in rare cases, lead to death.

By this time next year, companies like Sony might not even sell TVs like the KDL-BX420 series.

The CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent) backlight that illuminates this TV's LCD panel is slowly going extinct, replaced especially in larger screen sizes by LEDs packed into razor-thin cabinets that can generate more light from less power. They can also generate higher profits.

The BX420 is Sony's least expensive 1080p TV for 2011, and it's a very good value. The picture quality isn't up to the best non-LED models we've seen, like Samsung's more expensive LND630, but we noticed no major problems and a couple of surprising strengths. We wouldn't recommend it for budget videophiles, but casual viewers who don't want to pay more for LED will find plenty to like about the Sony KDL-BX420.

… Read more

MacBook Pro notebooks get a boost, Sprint ends unlimited 4G for non-smartphone devices, and we learn more about the man behind Apple with the release of the official biography of Steve Jobs.

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

As a companion piece to an interview this evening with Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson, CBS' "60 Minutes" focused on how touch-screen tablet computers--like those introduced by Apple--are helping non-verbal autistic children communicate with their parents.

The app used by one autistic person in the segment is Proloquo2Go. It's marketed to the parents of kids with special needs--specifically those with autism, apraxia, and other disabilities that affect their communication. Proloque2Go is just one of a growing number of apps that supplement existing speech or replace speech that is not functional to improve social interaction, school performance, and … Read more

Steve Jobs is infamous for being an abrasive and often abusive boss--determined to get his way. But for those at Apple who stood up to him, there could be a humorous payoff, his biographer, Walter Isaacson, tells "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft.

"He could have been kinder, he could have been gentler to people," Isaacson says. "But I think the honesty and the passion of his honesty both made for the great products but also made for that cruelty sometimes."

Stiil, he didn't mind people pushing back at him, Isaacson says, recollecting an … Read more