driver

Refresh old drivers with DriverScanner, now 50% off

Drivers are tricky things. When they work you barely notice them, but should something go wrong, they can cause major headaches. This is especially true for machines with older hardware (we're talking Pre-Windows 7 computers). You used to be able to manually search for device drivers directly on the manufacturer's Web site. This process, however, takes both time and patience, requiring you to find the device info. and the correct driver version. At the end of the day it can still be a risky process, requiring a bit of technical savvy.

In comes DriverScanner 2013 to save the … Read more

Six tech features that should be standard in every new car

Air bags, antilock brakes, and stability control. CD players, power locks and windows, and air conditioning. These are all features that at some point were optional (and sometimes costly) in vehicles, but over time we've come to expect them in every new car on the road -- whether that's due to legislation or changing buyer tastes. As cars continue to evolve, so grow our expectations of what should be included in the sticker price. I've rounded up a few optional car tech features that I'd like to see make the jump to being standard equipment.

Bluetooth … Read more

Easy and simple backups with RadarSync DriverBackup 2012

With Radarsync DriverBackup 2012, installing and updating drivers is no longer a cringe-worthy moment. You can now safely backup all of your device drivers in a couple of clicks. DriverBackup will run a complete scan for everything it can find: sound, video, network, wireless, printers, etc. Then it will create a restore point. You can backup manually or set a schedule for when you want it to run automatically. One thing we do recommend to do is to turn off auto-backup on Windows start. We didn't find the option to create a backup every time you boot up your … Read more

Drive for your life as you are The Last Driver

In this free game, it's the end of the world and you play the title role of The Last Driver. The only aim is to keep the life bar full, which means constantly handling new challenges. The Last Driver, with its clean intuitive interface, offers a good gaming experience for both advanced and casual users.

Users will be put behind the wheel of a Mad Max-like Muscle Car, while they try to endure diverse challenges at a time when zombies are everywhere and the world is literally falling apart. Unlike some games with the goal of saving the world, … Read more

Connect to your Apple gadget with CopyTrans Drivers Installer

Breaking free from the closed-in world of Apple is easy if you have the right tools. CopyTrans Drivers Installer is a good first step toward unlocking more of your Apple gadget's potential without jailbreaking it. It gives you the right tools to start using third-party downloads with your iPod, iPhone, or iPad.

Upon downloading the ZIP file you will be given two options for installing this software: automatic and manual, which is for advanced users. If you have iTunes already installed you will get an error message. Keep in mind that once you go down the road of third-party … Read more

The 404 1,177: Where we get our Grinch on (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Nokia hires orchestra to create new ringtones.

- Here is the first official snap of Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs.

- Social networks responsible for lines in the restroom.

- "Ghostbusters 3" is a go as Billy Murray signs on.… Read more

Big shift in who's driving and what

For the first time more women in the U.S. have a driver's license than men. Its just one of the major shifts in modern driving.

According to the same University of Michigan study, the proportion of teens and young adults with license is down, especially for males. Men 25-29 showed a big 10.6% drop in license holdership in the 15 years up to 2010.

That leaves a greater share of women out there driving, and they tend to buy smaller cars that use less gas and they tend to have lower fatality rates on the road.

Another … Read more

2013 Nissan Altima packs an entire tech package into one camera

Modern luxury vehicles are available with a wide range of driver assistance technology and use a variety of sensors to power that tech. Lane departure warning systems use front-facing cameras to watch the lines painted on the road. Blind-spot monitoring uses sonar arrays to check the area around the vehicle for obstructions. Rear proximity detection also uses sonar arrays to detect objects behind a reversing vehicle. The 2013 Nissan Altima will be able handle all three of these functions with only one rear-facing camera.

Nissan's system uses a rear-facing camera that constantly watches the area behind and to the … Read more

Convert files to PDFs with PrimoPDF

Nitro PDF's PrimoPDF is a free tool that converts all kinds of files into PDFs that you can open, edit, and manage with your usual PDF application (Nitro has a free reader, too, if you don't already have one). Some free PDF converters are more like print drivers and only create documents from the Print command. But PrimoPDF also has a handy desktop icon you can drag and drop files into for rapid automatic conversion. Whichever method you prefer, PrimoPDF gives you the choice.

Clicking PrimoPDF's Drop Files icon opens the main interface, which is where you … Read more

Update and remove obsolete drivers with Driver Sweeper

Some drivers wear out their welcome yet refuse to leave. You delete them and reboot, and yet there they are, somehow restored, no matter what you do. You can eject those unwanted hangers-on with help from Phyxion's Driver Sweeper, a free tool that can delete or update your system's drivers. It helps you avoid driver conflicts and failure-to-update by deleting obsolete and unwanted drivers, allowing your system and software to install the latest versions. Driver Sweeper lets you create custom filters to update specific drivers, and it can also create backups of the drivers you remove. If you … Read more