CNET to the Rescue

Georgia Tech project arms consumers against restrictive ISPs

Your home's Internet router is an idiot. It is the one device you have that, theoretically, could accurately tell you how fast your Internet connection is over time, and who in your house is using up the bandwidth. But it does none of that.

It's not in the name of simplicity, either. The software that's baked into demented routers is not, for the most part, user-friendly. It's just dumb, because dumb is cheap.

Adventurous geeks who have the right hardware can upgrade a router by reprogramming it with an open-source replacement operating environment, like DD-WRT or … Read more

Exclusive: Retrevo to launch gadget model decoder

What is a P65VT30? It's a Panasonic 65-inch TV. Is it better than a P65VT25? Yes, it is: the model number ending in "30" means it's a 2011 model. The "25" means 2010.

Gadget review and shopping site Retrevo is launching the Model Number Decoder on Thursday to make it easier for consumers to read the coding embedded in gadget model IDs. Because unlike on car tires, the product codes you see stamped onto the product labels are not based on any agreed-on standard.

The service will cover flat-screen TVs at launch. Other product … Read more

CNET to the Rescue: The last Rescue, and the end of Quicken for Mac

This week, the sharp editor of CNET How To, Sharon Vaknin, joins us again as we answer questions about Quicken, Google+, mousing on a Mac, and Facebook security.

This is the last CNET to the Rescue show for a while. The show is going into the shop and we're going to tune it up a bit, and will re-launch it shortly. I am leaving this show to launch another one here at CNET, hopefully also shortly.

If you have a tech question for CNET, e-mail how-to@cnet.com.

Thanks everyone for listening, watching, complaining, whatever...It's been a lot of fun. --Rafe

CNET to the Rescue: To fix a bad Windows PC, send it back

The face and voice of the new CNET how-to section, Sharon Vaknin, joins us today as we road-test the Nook and Greplin, gripe at sloppy PC vendors, and advise on the best setup for graphic design student.

If you have a tech question for CNET to the Rescue, e-mail rescue@cnet.com. No question is too basic, so if you've got a tech problem that's been getting under your skin, please drop us a line and we'll try our best to help you out.

Decide.com: For gadget buyers, timing is everything

The Web is a great resource for the disciplined shopper. You can research the price of an item you want; shop around; collect coupons and offer codes; and pretty much make sure you're getting the best price known to mankind for anything, at any moment.

A new site, Decide.com, takes the research a bit further, helping you decide if the moment, not just the price, is right to buy. If it's not, the site will advise you to wait.

There are other services that offer historical pricing, including Shopobot, which does a good job of illustrating historical price volatility of items; and Retrevo, which maps products to a generic life-cycle curve. Neither of these services is as clearly focused at predicting future prices, though. … Read more

CNET to the Rescue: Gadget clothes, breaking RAID, and more

CNET editor-in-chief Scott Ard joins us today to talk about a bunch of cool new products he's actually using. Then we get into some interesting tech questions, like which DSLR to get for video, how to protect a 3-year-old from the Web, and what Dell says about backing up their own RAID arrays.

And be sure to check out CNET's new library of how-to articles, live now at howto.cnet.com.

CNET to the Rescue: Apple will sync you

Josh Lowensohn is with us today to help us understand the impact of Apple's announcement that it's bringing music and data synchronization to its apps and devices--if not the Web itself. Also: What to do with a dead RAID array, how to save big bucks on Windows upgrades, and much more.

WarrantyLife building online shoebox for warranties

The hard drive in my MacBook died last week. It was a Seagate drive I bought about a year ago after I outgrew the drive the laptop came with. I think it's still covered under warranty, but I'm not sure. Should I do the research to find out, and then try to deal with finding the receipt to get it replaced, or just suck it up and get on with my life?

With a new service, WarrantyLife, I might be able to make that decision based on actual information, instead of just taking the lazy route and throwing … Read more

CNET to the Rescue: Rebuilding Windows PCs

Donald Bell joins us today to help advise on rebuilding and rescuing Windows PCs. Also, we have advice for using Android tablets in the car and keeping podcasts up to date, as well as more of our ongoing love for refurb computers.

If you have a tech question for CNET to the Rescue, e-mail rescue@cnet.com. No question is too basic, so if you've got a tech problem that's been getting under your skin, please call us, and we'll try our best to help out.

Before we take your questions, we have two Road Tests: HBO Go and the HTC Flyer.

CNET to the Rescue: We are done with PCs (and Macs)

CNET's Brian Cooley joins us today for an epic rant about re-installing Windows yet again. I join in with my rant on my MacBook. Will the love never end? Also, great topics from listeners, including updating Android phones, using an iMac as a TV, and using solar power on laptops.