upgrade

Cheap Windows 8 upgrade may require your Windows 7 key

People who bought a Windows 7 PC on or after June 2 can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $14.99, but they may have to supply their Windows 7 product ID.

Microsoft kicked off registration for the $14.99 deal in August. Anyone who bought or will buy a new Windows 7 PC between June 2 of this year and January 31 of next year can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for that special price. Shelling out the $14.99 lets you download a copy of the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, which helps you install the new operating … Read more

iOS 6 adoption surges after release of Google Maps app

A surge of people adopted Apple's iOS 6 since last week, but it has been months since the latest operating system was released.

This growth in iOS 6 upgrades may not be as random as it sounds. According to TechCrunch, which got data from mobile ad exchange MoPub, iOS adoption has bumped 30 percent since Google Maps released its app for iOS. MoPub surveys more than 1 billion ad impressions a day across more than 12,000 different apps and got its data from seeing users upgrade to iOS 6.

"We observed since the launch of Google Maps … Read more

Samsung outs more details on Galaxy S3 Premium Suite upgrade

Samsung last week unveiled the first group of new features coming to its Galaxy S3. Now, it has unveiled the second group.

The company earlier today updated its blog with more new features coming to the Galaxy S3 through its Premium Suite upgrade. The handset's camera features are getting a lot of attention in the new update. The Premium Suite upgrade adds a low-light-shot feature, ensuring better picture-taking in dark environments. A Best Face feature allows users to take five pictures consecutively and then choose which to keep. Samsung has also added a camera feature that tells users how … Read more

Samsung's Galaxy S3 to get Premium Suite upgrade

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is getting the company's Premium Suite upgrade pack.

Samsung launched a video today showing just some of the features coming to its flagship handset. The upgrade, which was previously announced for the Galaxy Note 10.1, adds a new featured called Page Buddy that predicts what the users want to do based on their actions. So, if the Galaxy S3 owner plugs in earphones, the software will load the music player.

A contextual menu feature is also available in the Premium Suite upgrade, allowing users to see their most frequently used apps, rather than an … Read more

Hurricane Sandy puts Google's Nexus event on hold

Due to the severe weather conditions of Hurricane Sandy, we won't be filming a CNET Update show out of our New York studio. We'll return once the storm passes. In the meantime, here are some of the top tech headlines for Monday:

- Tracking Sandy: Many on the east coast spent the weekend boarding up windows rather than upgrading Windows. You can keep tabs on Sandy news through several websites, apps and Twitter accounts. Google has a helpful Crisis Response map that marks emergency shelters, evacuation routes and the storm forecast. News outlets like the The New York … Read more

How to upgrade to Windows 8

The Windows 8 eagle has landed, which means that Microsoft's $39.99 in-place upgrade is now available. They've made it extremely easy to upgrade your computer from a Windows 7, Vista, or XP computer to Windows 8. Here's how it's done.

First, check out our CNET guide on how to prepare your computer for Windows 8. There's also instructions on how to restore your old system, which is important in case something unexpectedly goes awry, or you decide you don't like Windows 8, you can restore what you had before.

If you're upgrading … Read more

iOS 6 adoption hits 61 percent just one month after its release

Despite a handful of complaints about Apple's new iOS 6, users are upgrading to the new mobile operating system at a fast rate. Just one month after the release of the new system, more than 60 percent of iOS users in the U.S. and Canada have upgraded to the new version.

Advertising and analytics company Chitika said today that 61 percent of iOS devices are now running iOS 6, which was released for download in mid-September. This number comes from what Chitika said is "a sample of hundreds of millions of mobile ad impressions" from its … Read more

iPad Mini won't be the only Apple news

Monday's CNET Update dusts off the crystal ball:

Everyone is eager to learn about the rumored iPad Mini, but today's tech news roundup looks at what else Apple will be announcing. We're expecting to see at least one new computer, such as an iMac or Mac Mini. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that the Mac Pro will get an update in 2013, so it may be too soon to announce that. As for laptops, there have been reports that Apple will give the 13-inch MacBook Pro a retina display.

When Apple does unveil the iPad Mini, … Read more

Windows 8 buying guide

Before taking the plunge into Windows 8, there are a few questions you should ask yourself. We've summarized some of most useful ones here, and by going down this checklist, you'll end up with a much better idea about the right path for upgrading existing hardware versus buying a new machine, and figuring out all the new styles of tablets and touch-screen hybrids hitting store shelves alongside Windows 8.

Do you want to stick with Windows at all, or would another OS work better for you? Microsoft has two new operating systems, Windows 8 and Windows RT. For … Read more

Get an OCZ 120GB SSD for $59.99 shipped

It's official: solid-state drives are awesome-sauce.

They're fast, shock-proof, battery-friendly, cooler-running than traditional hard drives, and, finally, affordable.

Case in point: Today only, and while supplies last, TigerDirect has the OCZ VTX3-25SAT3-120G Vertex 3 120GB SSD for $59.99 shipped. That's after redeeming a $20 mail-in rebate (PDF).

That's one of the lowest prices I've seen on a 120GB SSD, especially one with this pedigree. The Vertex 3 is a 2.5-inch SATA III drive that would make a mighty fine replacement for the pokey old HDD in your pokey old laptop. Of course, because … Read more