Operating systems

What to expect in iOS 6

The Apple event to allegedly announce the iPad 3 is tomorrow and this is as good a time as any to talk about what's in store for the OS that will eventually run on it. iOS 5 brought us notifications, Twitter integration, and more cloud support, among other things, but what's next for Apple's mobile OS?

There are many rumors to what will be available in iOS 6, but I have a few on my wish list that hopefully will make it into the next major update.

True multitasking Earlier versions of iOS didn't have any … Read more

Parallels update brings Windows 8 and Mountain Lion support

With two new desktop operating systems on the horizon from the big hitters, you might be wondering how best to check them out. Microsoft's Windows 8 was just made available as a public preview, and Apple has released its own developer preview of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion to a select group of testers.

Unfortunately, as with any prerelease software, these previews are likely to be fraught with bugs and other details that must be tested and ironed out, so even if you have the option of installing these operating systems, you might not want to do so … Read more

How to use the new refresh and reset features in Windows 8

Updated, October 22, 2012: Updated to reflect the changes in the final version of Windows 8.

Since the days of Windows 95, users have had to deal with the inevitability of having to reinstall Windows to regain system stability and performance. This often entailed spending hours in front of the PC -- reinstalling Windows, applying patches, reinstalling programs, and setting personal preferences.

In Windows 8, Microsoft added two new features called Refresh and Reset, which simplify the entire reinstall process and reduces the amount of time required sitting in front of the PC.

Refresh

The Refresh option reinstalls Windows, but … Read more

Apple releases supplemental OS X 10.7.3 update

Apple has released a supplemental update to OS X 10.7.3 that addresses problems some people have had when trying to use Time Machine to restore their Macs.

The update is a 24.55MB download that is available via Software Update, but can also be downloaded at the update's Web page and manually installed.

The update requires OS X 10.7.3 to install, so if you are running prior versions and are thinking about updating, you'll need to first update and then check Software Update again or manually apply this patch to ensure your system is … Read more

23 new keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8

Update, October 18, 2012: This post has been updated to reflect some slight changes from the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and the final version of Windows 8.

The first time you use Windows 8, you might feel a little lost with the new start screen, charms, and apps. The best way to learn how to get around the new Windows 8 design and settings may be to use the new keyboard shortcuts.

Charms Win+C: Open charms Win+Q: Search charm Win+H: Share charm Win+K: Devices charm Win+I: Settings charm

Search Win+Q: Search apps (tip: an … Read more

Install Windows 8 virtually with free software

Don't have a dedicated PC on which to install Windows 8? No problem. Just install the OS virtually on an existing PC using a free virtual machine utility.

Various VM applications will let you install an operating system in a virtual environment on your Windows desktop or laptop. But not all are free and not all support the latest Windows 8 beta.

A product such as VMWare Workstation 8 supports Windows 8 but costs $200. Microsoft's own Windows Virtual PC is free but won't accept Windows 8 as a guest.

Instead, you can use Oracle's VirtualBox … Read more

Jeff Jaffe lights a fire under Web standardization

BARCELONA--It's been an action-packed two years since Jeff Jaffe took over as the World Wide Web Consortium's chief executive, but more action is the order of the day at the standards group.

The W3C oversees the standardization of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), technologies that carry tremendous importance as the Web expands from a medium to publish documents into a foundation for applications that can run on anything from mobile phones and cars to TVs and tablets. These Web standards, combined with the JavaScript programming language and other related technologies, let programmers reach a … Read more

Mobile World Congress awes and entertains

CES may dominate the technology calendar in the United States, but for wireless at least, Mobile World Congress is the trade show that matters. No event is more important, and as the calendar turns to February, you can bet that the entire industry will flock to Barcelona, Spain, to outflank and outshine the competition.

Of course, no gadget show would be complete without a gaggle of tech journalists scurrying to cover the news and the flood of product announcements. And as we've done over the past few years, CNET was on the ground in Barcelona to bring you the … Read more

How to, uh, turn Windows 8 off

Shutting off Windows used to be a simple matter of clicking the Start button and choosing the "Shut down" option. But the Windows 8 beta has no Start button. So how do you shut it down?

Microsoft has concocted a series of maneuvers and keyboard shortcuts to shut down the new OS. Though slower and clumsier than going through the Start button, the new steps at least let you fully turn Windows 8 off.

The most basic way to shut down Windows 8 is through the Charms bar.

In the Metro interface, hover your mouse over the Zoom … Read more