monitoring

Accessing all accessible temperature sensors on your Mac is very useful if you're trying to find out why your computer hangs after some hours of usage or when under some heavy load. Temperature Monitor for Mac displays the temperature of every component within your Mac in an easy-to-read format.

This app comes in a small 3.3MB package, which you can download for free. Installation is straightforward and simple and there are additional drivers/software also included in the installer. Upon your first launch, Temperature Monitor for Mac will scan your computer and display all the information that it … Read more

The ViewSonic VX2460H-LED is a 24-inch monitor with a 1080p resolution and dual HDMI ports. With a price of only $200, the aforementioned specs alone are enough to recommend it to those looking for a general-purpose monitor. Luckily, it also has a bit more to offer.

The monitor's default settings don't do it any favors in the performance department, but the five color temperature presets and inclusion of full RGB adjustments mean you won't have to settle for what you're given.

Once tweaked, the VX2460H-LED provides appropriate colors and contrast for general-purpose tasks and surprisingly good … Read more

iActivity Monitor Free is a utility app that puts vital information regarding your iPhone right at your fingertips, including CPU usage, RAM and battery levels. And it does so in an attractive, easy-to-read interface.

iActivity Monitor Free gets right to work and opens with your iPhone's information on full display. At the top of the screen, the RAM information is displayed in a pie graph, and broken down into Free, Wired, Active, Inactive and Total amounts. Likewise, the CPU readings shows User, System, Idle, and Total usage. The battery level is shown as a percentage, and shows if your … Read more

When I dropped by the Park Avenue Audio NYC showroom, I was on a mission to find an audiophile bookshelf speaker that wouldn't break the bank. The store's selection covers a wide gamut, but the majority of speakers are $1,000-plus per pair. Then I ran across the Monitor Audio "Silver" RX1; it's a medium-size bookshelf speaker, measuring a tidy 12.3 x 7.3 x 9.4 inches. At 15 pounds, it feels surprisingly heavy for its size. It has a 1-inch ceramic-coated aluminum/magnesium-alloy dome tweeter and a 6-inch metal woofer. The speakers … Read more

When shopping for a new monitor, degrees of swivel, tilt, and pivot aren't usually at the top of the wish list. But ergonomic options are important for the comfort and placement of your work space. Some monitors are designed with no options for adjusting your physical viewing experience, and an inefficient monitor setup can result in bad posture, eye strain, and other physical discomfort.

Whether you use your monitor for work or play, these models are chock-full of ergonomic features to maximize productivity by reducing fatigue and discomfort. Make sure to click on the photos of each monitor to see a demonstration of how they work. … Read more

National governments are increasingly purchasing surveillance devices manufactured by a small number of corporate suppliers and using them to control dissidents, spy on journalists, and violate human rights, the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders warns in a new report released this afternoon.

The group's 2013 report for the first time names five private-sector companies "Corporate Enemies of the Internet" for their choice to become "digital mercenaries" and sell surveillance and censorship technology to authoritarian regimes.

"If these companies decided to sell to authoritarian regimes, they must have known that their products could be used … Read more

Looking for a TV for the den or bedroom? For many folks, a 24-inch LCD would seem to be the ideal size.

Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Westinghouse EW24T8FW 24-inch LCD HDTV for $139.99 shipped (plus sales tax). It's pretty rare to find a 24-inch monitor at that price, so this is definitely worth a look.

The reasonably slim EW24T8FW measures just 1.9 inches deep. It features a 23.6-inch, 60Hz LCD with a native resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels (aka 1080p) -- unnecessary at that size, but nice if you'… Read more

The words "deal" and "Apple product" rarely appear in the same sentence, which is why I continue to be fan of buying refurbished Apple gear whenever possible.

While some refurbs prove to be junk, Apple gives you like-new hardware -- complete with a same-as-new warranty. It's the only way to go.

But how do you know when a particular product hits the Apple Store? Short of checking online every day, there's no easy way. Until now: RefurbMe catalogs all the latest Apple Store refurbs and can notify you when price and/or availability changes.… Read more

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