Anyone can plug in a computer and attach a printer. But that's not all there is to being a serious computer jockey these days. Are you ready to get your geek on? Check out these five must-have gadgets to enhance...
Samsung recently introduced the Instinct at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association Wireless 2008 show. The Instinct was rated the top cell phone presented at this year's show by CNET. But how does this slick mobile device compare to the iPhone?...
"Some people are calling the new LG Voyager a potential iPhone killer. I'm considering buying the Voyager so I'd like your take on how it stacks up against the Apple iPhone."...
"I checked out Hulu and was impressed by the amount of popular TV shows available for free there. Almost seems too good to be true, so… is it?"...
"I'm hearing good things about the latest Ubuntu Linux. Is there anything compelling enough in the latest release to save me from installing Vista on my next machine? Kinda hoping so..."...
If you've already decided that you want to find stardom on YouTube, good luck with that. With over 100 million videos watched every day, chances are mighty slim that you will be a star on that site. Let’s explore the...
"Windows is giving me a warning that says 'You are running out of disk space on Local Disk (C:).' My friend told me this is not important and offered to disable the warning popup for me, but I'm not sure....
Analog TV will cease to exist on February 17, 2009. Is this the end of free TV? Will your current TV set need to be replaced with a digital TV? Find out what the switch to digital television broadcasting means...
"I'm ready to buy an HD TV set, but I'm not sure how to compare the various options. Can you demystify the terminology and the HDTV buying process for me? And maybe recommend a few specific HD TV models?"...
Almost everyone is aware of the fact that there is a Blu-Ray/HD war going on that involves both DVD player manufacturers, the entertainment industry and computer vendors. If you are into gaming, you are probably on the Blu-Ray side since...
"I'm looking for a basic entry-level desktop computer to give to a high-school student as a Christmas gift. What do you recommend in the budget category that can handle web surfing, email and word processing?"...
"I'm looking for a pocket-sized video camera with a price tag that's just as small. Can you recommend some tiny digital video cameras that don't cost a fortune?"...
"I've heard that Joost offers free online TV, but I'm afraid it's either a scam, or something illegal that will get me in trouble. I don't want to end up like the woman in Minnesota who was fined $200,000 for...
"I have a site that attracts visitors from all over the world, so I often get emails in Spanish, French, and German language. Sometimes even Russian and Japanese! Is there a tool that will help me translate to English? I...
"Just a few days ago I was wondering whatever happened to the Zune. Now I'm seeing commercials for the new improved Zune. Is it worth another look as an iPod alternative?"...
HDTV (high definition television) is the wave of the future. Right now many television stations are transitioning to Hi Def, and if you are an avid TV watcher, then you'll want to make this transition as well. But if you...
"My husband likes his Fantasy Football league so much, I'm wondering if there are any interesting fantasy leagues for women (that don't involve sports). Come on, give us girls a little fantasy too!"...
Every few months I go through the Ask Bob logs and see which articles were the most popular. Here is the current Top Twenty, ranked by readership volume......
"What's the deal with Twitter? Some of my friends are telling me how great it is, but when I checked out the site, it seems like just a stream of random personal comments from people who don't even know each...
It’s back-to-school time again... parents breathe a sigh of relief and students groan under the load of spiffy new backpacks. Of course you want to help you child succeed in school, so here are some sites that will inspire kids...
More and more, people are asking me if they can get sued by the entertainment industry for downloading, music, movies, games or television shows. The answer is YES, maybe. Read on and learn how to download safely, and avoid the...
It’s sometimes difficult these days to differentiate between science fiction and fact, because the two worlds often borrow ideas from each other. If you've ever read Alfred Bester's classic 1956 sci-fi thriller "The Stars My Destination", or Ray Bradbury's space...
"My eleven year old wants a Myspace account, but I think she's a bit young for that. Are there some other sites I can encourage her to visit, with games and activities that are appropriate for pre-teen kids?"...
Imagine you're in a hotel room, on another continent... you fire up the laptop, and with a few clicks, you're watching the same cable or satellite TV programming that's in your living room at home. You can change the channel,...
Everyone knows that you can throw a word or phrase at Google and it will return web pages that match. But Google is more than a search engine... it's a verb. Here are some very cool specialized Google searches that...
Many television stations currently broadcast both analog and digital signals. However, the days are numbered for analog signals, picture and sound carried on electromagnetic waves. Digital signals are the way of the future, and if you have a trusty television...
"I've seen ads for movies on Blu-Ray discs but I'm not sure what that means. What is Blu-Ray and how is it different from a regular DVD disc? Do I need a special player to view a Blu-Ray disc?"...
Imagine... putting that big old television set to good use as a secondary, or even primary, monitor for your computer. The thought has certainly crossed the minds of many a technophile. Here's how to hook it up......
So you're in the market for a new TV... but all those techie buzzwords have your head spinning? Should you go for CRT, LCD, HDTV? And what about Plasma -- will it stain the rug? Read on to de-mystify all...
With hundreds of cell phones on the market you can narrow down your choices by first deciding what features you need or want. Read on for a handy guide to selecting the cell phone that's right for you......
"Hey Bob, what's a podcast? Is this some kind of broadcast just for people with iPods?"...
"I've been using Netflix to rent movies by mail, which is okay, but with high-speed connections so common now, why can't I just download movies I want to watch from the Internet?"...
"I'm looking for a camcorder, but the selection and features are overwhelming. What's a good model for someone who wants decent quality without spending a pile of money?"...
YouTube is a video-sharing website that is changing American culture. It seems that every day, some short video clip on YouTube makes headline news. Here's the story behind the phenomenal success of YouTube, and some tips on how you can...
"I've been told that I can download movies and even popular software for free using Bittorrent. Sounds too good to be true… What exactly is Bittorrent, is it legal, and safe to use?"...
"I saw a website advertising software that's supposed to give you free satelite TV on your PC. The program costs $40, but they claim it lets you watch hundreds of live worldwide channels free of charge. Sounds too good to...
"I see commercials on TV telling me to switch to broadband, but I'm not sure what that means. They talk about DSL lines, cable access, satellites and megabits, which further confuses me. I've had dialup access through AOL for years...
"I purchased videos on iTunes, but I can't play them on my video player, because they are in some 'protected' M4V format that only works on iPods. How can I convert iTunes videos to MPEG or WMV format so I...
"I read somewhere that AOL is going to stop charging for their Internet service and make AOL access free. Is that true, and if so, are there any gotchas I should now about?"...
After helping a friend clean up a nasty spyware infestation, we had one remaining problem. Windows would say "RPC Server is Unavailable" when starting up, and also later when trying to print or install new software. Some other things just...
Leavin' on a jet plane? Learn how to make online air travel reservations, find airports, get airline information, and view real-time flight tracking data. Read on......
Ever since the Web went graphical in the early 1990's, there have been people motivated to create websites that exist only to be amusing, annoying or completely useless. And like a car wreck, we just can't keep ourselves from looking...
"Every day I get the same lame jokes in my email that have been making the rounds for years. Are there some websites you can recommend for really good computer humor?"...
Back in 1995-96 I worked for BoardWatch Magazine, covering the world of Bulletin Board Systems and the fledgling Internet. One of my favorite parts of that job was interviewing prominent netizens of the day. Some may boast about being self-made...
"Not sure how to say this -- but just for fun I clicked on a credit card application, and then cancelled IMEADTELY!! Well, two months later my count as of this day: 2948 spams for credit cards, loans, easy credit,...
Windows XP seems to rearrang the program loading order at every boot. My problem is that I often find that my computer is connected to the Internet provider before anitvirus, antispyware, and system monitoring programs have loaded. Is there any...
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