Smart

Six months: iPhone vs. Blackberry Pearl

I've been living a dual mobile life with both an iPhone and a Blackberry Pearl for almost six months now, and I thought that before we before we get overwhelmed with new gadgets rolled out at CES and Macworld, I would check back in on my developing relationship with the iPhone. I appreciate its charms much more after working with it for a while, and I have found an important new use for it, but it is significant that I have not come close to setting aside my Blackberry yet.

After the jump, you'll find my side-by-side comparison, written from a busy working Mom's perspective:… Read more

Switch quickly between Word's smart quotes and straight quotes

When I described how to replace Microsoft Word's smart quotes with straight quotes to keep the HTML versions of documents from breaking, several people objected, claiming that straight quotes make the docs more difficult to read. I agree completely, which is why I decided to tell you about the quickest way I know to convert from one quote style to the other. In just a few seconds you can optimize a document for the Web, or for readability in print or onscreen.

Suppose you want to put a Word document that's full of smart quotes--both the double quotation-mark … Read more

The best and worst of cell phones in 2007

Time may choose its person of the year, but here at CNET we take our time compiling lists that really matter. So recently I joined with my fellow cell phone reviewers to pick the best and worst handsets of 2007. Out of the 123 cell phones we reviewed this year (that number doesn't include all the smart phones we examined), we had some definite winners, and some definite losers.

I'm not going to reveal them all here; instead you'll have to click through to see my picks for the best cell phones of 2007, Bonnie Cha's … Read more

Fast fixes for five Word woes

You use your browser a lot. You use your e-mail program a lot. But the chances are better than even that you spend a big chunk of your workday in Microsoft Word. There's no way any application used by so many people for so many different tasks is going to be set up just right for you. Here are the five settings I changed to make Word work my way, more or less.

I say "more or less" because Word isn't quite the paragon of flexibility. You can make serious changes to the program's look … Read more

Video: Smart ForTwo Preview

Brian Cooley takes a drive in the Smart ForTwo, anticipating its arrival in the U.S. next year. The ForTwo darts through traffic, includes a six CD changer, and, most importantly, offers enough headroom for the 6 foot 3 inch Mr. Cooley.

Gadgettes 69: The Weird Holiday Stuff Episode

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Ultra Smart F700 phone coming to Asia

Currently available only on the German and U.K. markets, Samsung's Ultra Smart F700 is headed to Malaysia and possibly other Asian countries early next year, according to the company.

We had a brief hands-on with the HSDPA handset and found ourselves liking the touch screen's haptic feedback. Sliding out the QWERTY keyboard, which was aided by a spring-loaded mechanism, was also very smooth and solid.

Adding a dash of style were the square keys with rounded borders that resembled those on the Apple MacBooks. Our only gripe with the unit was with the glossy surface that tended … Read more

Windows Home Server really available, sort of

Bill Gates announced Windows Home Server to much fanfare at January's Consumer Electronics Show.

The energy seems to have dwindled some during the product's elongated path to market over the past year. Microsoft finalized the code back in July, but HP said it would wait for an update to the software before releasing its MediaSmart server, in what was seen as the biggest endorsement of the product.

On Monday, Microsoft announced "general availability" for the software, although HP's product will not be shipping to consumers until later this month. Some servers from smaller computer makers … Read more

Killer Download: Background apps for security and speed

With so many potential threats on the Internet, it is an absolute necessity to prepare your computer for the Web. Whenever I get a new computer, the first programs I download include antivirus, antispyware, and firewall software. Frankly, if you don't have at least these three types of programs running on your computer, it's like driving at night without your lights on--sure it's possible, but don't be surprised if it ends in a crash (har har).

Fortunately, there are a lot of great security programs available at Download.com. Recently I've written Killer Downloads about both the best firewalls and the top antivirus programs. This week I'm doing a software roundup of a different type. In recent scouting of new (and new to me) software I came across some great Windows programs that work behind the scenes to keep your computer running smoothly and also keep your data secure.… Read more