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CNET to the Rescue: Computing in a crowd

Every year, CES breaks Las Vegas' Wi-Fi. So we bring mobile hotspots. And they break. CNET reporters try to cover live events, but we run out of AC power. And we can't find a places to sit and do our reporting. If you've ever attended a big conference or convention and tried to work at it, you may sympathize. So this week, we reveal how we (try to) get around these constraints, and how the lessons we learn can help you compute at your crowded events. Plus: Your questions answered, of course.

If you have a tech question for CNET to the Rescue, e-mail rescue@cnet.com or call us to get on the next show: 877-438-6688. No question is too basic.

Episode 30: Computing in a crowd

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How to make your speakers sound better

Think about it: when you're listening to music or movies most of the sound that reaches your ears doesn't directly come from the speakers. You're hearing a lot of sound reflecting off the floor, ceiling, walls, and other objects in the room. Speakers "play" the room. It's an analogous to way light illuminates a room, the source of the light may be the light fixture, but most of the light you see is reflecting off the surfaces of the room. With speakers we're trying to reduce reflections where we can to maximize the … Read more

The 404 730: Where like, whatever, you know what I mean? (podcast)

Natali is back from her burrito-tour of San Francisco and hops back into the studio for the last Natali Thursday of 2010! Today's headlines include a video game controlled by your urine, a porn company making your Microsoft Kinect 3D sex simulation dreams come true, the most successful pickup lines according to geographic location, and we reveal the most irritating word of the year!

Sega finally unveils a video game that non-gamers like myself can enjoy, because the objective is to pee all over the game. Sega Toys is testing a new minigame in Japan called Toirrettsu that comes with a sensor that can measure the speed of urination and score games accordingly.

Japan hopes that the game will encourage people to take better aim in the bathroom, but Jeff tells us that America already has its own version of the pissing match.

You've been waiting for it since the day Microsoft unveiled the Kinect motion control accessory, and we've finally arrived: after two months, adult software vendor ThriXXX released a statement today describing forthcoming Kinect-powered software that will use gestures, spoken commands, and objects in a sexual gaming environment. This segment of the show is worth watching the video for Natali's gestures alone!

According to a survey from online dating site Badoo, the secret of international dating is to spout localized pick-up lines.

The site's "Compliment Success Index" analyzed over 200,000 online conversations in 11 languages to determine the best opening line for women from different countries. So the next time you're in a United Nations Security Council caucus, be sure to compliment that Portuguese woman on her perfect ears!

Episode 730 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

How to solve iPhone volume problems by cleaning your headphone jack

One frustration many iPhone (or any Apple device with headphones) owners will undoubtedly experience is a situation where their handset remains in headphones mode, despite no headphones being plugged in.

The solution to this problem can be quite easy, though a steady hand is recommended.

Symptoms If this situation occurs, you'll most likely figure it out pretty quickly:

You slide to unlock your iPhone and the "click" sound is not heard. You press the volume buttons to increase or decrease the ringer and the headphones volume setting appears instead. You launch applications, games, or videos that normally … Read more

Install Win 7 on MacBook Air from a USB drive

So you've gotten yourself the sleek new MacBook Air and your first thought is to install Windows 7 on it. OK, that's my first thought. The problem is the laptop has no optical drive, meaning you'll probably have to buy an accessory that costs around $80 to do the job.

Well, unless you're reading this. Yes, it's totally possible to install Windows 7 (or Vista) on the MacBook Air without a DVD drive. All you'll need is a computer running Windows 7 (that has a DVD drive), a 4GB or larger USB thumbdrive, a Windows 7 installation DVD, and about an hour of free time.

Note: make sure you back up the contents of the thumbdrive as they will be completely erased during this process. Also, the actual work is a lot shorter and less intimidating than the look of this article.

Here are the detailed steps.… Read more

Navigate Finder with arrows

Apple has always been an advocate of the simplicity provided by the computer mouse, and for the longest time provided only one-button mice for use with Macs. Though the mouse allows for manipulations onscreen to be done easily and quickly, for some tasks, such as navigating the Finder, the use of the mouse is slower than using the keyboard.

If you are used to using the mouse for navigating through files and folders, you might benefit from giving the keyboard a try. There are several ways to use the keyboard for navigation, but the most common is the arrow keys … Read more