desktop

TiVo has added the ability to view downloadable Web videos on the company's DVRs, making good on its announcement at January's Consumer Electronics Show. The update will allow Web videos such as video podcasts to be downloaded with the same Season Pass functionality used by TiVo viewers to record their favorite TV shows. But don't expect to just punch in a URL or an RSS feed into the TiVo remote. Videos must first be downloaded to your PC's hard drive, after which they'll be transferred to your TiVo via your home network. That's a … Read more

After I compared three popular desktop-search programs a couple of weeks ago, the folks at Google contacted me about a couple of inaccuracies in that post. I had thought that because local files are listed above Web sites when you use Google to search in your browser, the ads that appear on the results page are related to the content of the local files. In fact, Google keeps an index of your local files on its servers only when you enable the Search Across Computers feature, which is off by default. And even then, the index disappears once the search … Read more

Updated at 10:30 a.m. PDT with comments and further details from Microsoft.

In its latest move into virtualization, Microsoft said on Wednesday that it has bought Kidaro, a company that helps businesses manage their collection of virtual machines.

Microsoft said the technology will make it easier for businesses to manage application compatibility challenges, ultimately spurring faster Vista adoption as well as broadening the use of virtual machines within corporations.

"The challenge we have with Virtual PC today is it doesn't have enterprise-level management and deployment with it and the user experience could be improved," said … Read more

An Ovum market research report suggests that those looking to get rich off Linux had best focus on the server. The market for Linux products and services (not including hardware) came in at $2.4 billion in 2007, according to the firm, but should hit $7.7 billion by 2012.

That's a nice bump, 81 percent of which will be services, with a corresponding 81 percent stemming from the server, not desktop. (Mobile/embedded was not included in the report.)

It does call into question, however, whether Canonical/Ubuntu's focus on the desktop is misplaced, at least from a financial perspective. Is Red Hat right to single out the server for its plans?… Read more

Last week Lenovo lent me one of its X61 ThinkPad laptops so that I could give Ubuntu Linux a try. Having had a bad experience with Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop a few years ago, I had sworn off desktop Linux and determined not to return.

A week into a new trial with Ubuntu Linux, however, it's clear that desktop Linux has come a long way. I found it extremely easy to use, including when I had to install a program (Skype) that wasn't included in the supported applications list. This is an operating system that my grandma could (and, in fact, did) use.

This isn't to say that my week with Ubuntu Linux was uneventful. I had a few struggles, which I'll detail below. These struggles, however, were almost entirely due to running Ubuntu on unsupported hardware, and not any fault of Ubuntu (or Linux) itself.… Read more

Intel will bring out a version of the Atom processor for low-cost desktops, among other form factors, according to a report.

The Atom processor, announced earlier this week, is a tiny low-power, low-cost processor destined for ultramobile devices and low-cost desktops typically running either Linux or Windows XP. The first Atom chips will ship in the second quarter.

A dual-core version of the Atom processor, due in the third quarter, will run at 1.87GHz and have a thermal envelope of 12 watts, according to the Chinese-language Web site HKEPC, which cites Taiwan motherboard manufacturers as sources. Some designs that … Read more

You've got your pick of free desktop-search utilities, nearly any of which are faster and less processor-intensive than Windows' built-in file-search feature. I've used at least a half-dozen different file-search tools in the last few years, but three have stood the test of time: Google Desktop Search, Microsoft's Windows Desktop Search (or simply Windows Search in Vista, where it replaces the old Indexing Service), and the oldest and best of the bunch, Copernic Desktop Search. After bouncing between the three, I've settled on Copernic for its speed, ease of use, and relatively small footprint.

That's … Read more

Jooce's portable Internet desktop product--a finalist in the Webware 100--is extending its reach, especially to developing countries through publicly funded Web access centers. Between bandwidth requirements and government agencies, the company is meeting with mixed success.

Read the full story on BBC News: "Web desktop targets 'cybernomads'"

As I type this post, I can hardly see my desk because of the mess of cables. My headphone wires are strewn between my speakers and keyboard, a couple of USB cables are on my left connected to the computer, and more often than not, I'm charging some mobile phone or handheld using the power strip behind my monitor.

Those who find such an arrangement an eyesore (like the colleague who sits beside me) will like the SpaceStation from BlueLounge. This desk organizer for laptop users cleverly hides cables and has an integrated four-port USB hub. Its raised feet … Read more