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Holiday 2012: What's on your gadget wish-list?

The time for holiday shopping has just about come to a close. With just four days until the Big Day, all that's left now is to hope Santa got your letter in the mail -- and thinks you've been a good little gadget hound this year.

So, what did you wish for? What gadget are you most hoping to find under the tree on Christmas morning? Something tablet-shaped, perhaps? Or maybe something boxy (or Boxee) that streams video? How about a Bluetooth speaker, or a new camera, or even that big TV you've been eyeballing at Costco?… Read more

Apple names top apps, games of 2012

Apple has once again named its top picks for software released on its various application stores.

Formerly dubbed iTunes Rewind, Apple's gone back to a simple "Best of" header, with editorial choices from the App Store for iOS and OS X.

Taking top honors for the iPhone was Bad Robot's Action Movie FX, the software that adds computer generated action sequences to video you've shot on your iPhone or iPad. The software actually came out last December, though its developers put out version 2.0 this October. Meanwhile, Ubisoft's $2.99 Rayman Jungle Run … Read more

The 6 most disappointing games and trends of 2012

Each year we're treated to 12 months worth of games all competing for your hard earned cash. Some are must-buys, some are just average, but only a select few can be labeled the year's most truly disappointing.

This year I'll take a look at the games and trends that induced the most head-scratching and face-palming reactions from an entire calendar year. Brace yourselves. It gets ugly here on out.

Feeling nostalgic? Here's what stunk in 2011.

Manage your Any.DO task app from Chrome

When surfing the Web, it's easy to forget an idea that springs to mind about an item you need to include on your to-do list. This is likely because it's located on your mobile device and it's easy to get distracted from remembering to add it.

In a sea of task apps, Any.DO has managed to make a name for itself. With a clean and simple user interface, it's easy to just get started with managing what you need to do, who you need to call, or what you need to buy. And with the … Read more

Draw stunning images and share them with others using Paper by FiftyThree

Paper by FiftyThree is an app that lets you sketch drawings and diagrams on your iPhone and iPad and share them with others. A free app from iTunes, Paper by FiftyThree installs easily.

There's barely an interface with Paper by FiftyThree. You can touch the screen of your device and draw anything you want, just as if you had a stylus and paper in front of you. There's a selection of tools available, but it pops out of the way when you don't need them. Paper by FiftyThree claims that its engine reacts to touch-screen pressure in … Read more

Find someone's Amazon Wish List by his or her e-mail address

There has been an increasing number of holiday decorations appearing in my neighborhood recently, not to mention the many photos of Christmas trees I've seen posted on Facebook this week. I'm am left with only one conclusion: the holidays are upon us.

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Better question: do you know what you are getting that certain someone who is particularly hard to buy for each year? If that person uses Amazon, then you might want to sneak a peek to see if he or she has an Amazon Wish List.

Your gift recipient will … Read more

Apple stores still top earners per square foot, study says

Apple's retail stores have once again nabbed the top spot when it comes to sales per square foot.

According to research firm RetailSails, compared with more than 200 chains in 15 different retail genres, Apple brought in the most money per square foot at its stores during the year.

According to the rankings (seen right), Apple made $6,050 per square foot during 2012, a little more than twice that of the runner-up, jewelry maker Tiffany & Co., which brought in $3,017 per square foot. By comparison, RetailSails pegged Apple for $5,626 per square foot in its … Read more

Fight your way to stardom doing everything you can

Stardom: The A-List is a game about clawing your way to the top in Hollywood almost any way you can. You can lie, fight, cheat, and schmooze your way through a list of accomplishments to become a star. Stardom: The A-List is easy to install if you have Mac OS X 10.7 or later. This is a free download, but there are "star packs" with upgrades for sale through the App Store.

The graphics in Stardom: The A-List are good; cartoonish, but effective at conveying the storyline. As part of your road to stardom you need to … Read more

Tackle a missing Chinese word list update from Apple

Recently a number of OS X users who use Chinese input options in OS X have noticed an update to Apple's Chinese word list dictionary; however, for some reason this list has not been made available to everyone.

The update seems to be spurred by the use of some third-party software packages; however, it is not listed as a standard available update by Apple.

MacFixIt reader Sanchai recently wrote in regarding this issue:

"I'm running Mountain Lion and found that on my friend's machine, Chinese Word list update had been updated to version 1.1 on … Read more