There's a certain segment of the population that is addicted to gizmos and gadgets. They're always waiting for the Next Big Thing. Those people are anxiously awaiting November 6, 2009, when the Motorola/Verizon Droid smartphone will be released to the...
"I recently got a Blackberry, and am having trouble figuring out the best way to listen to music on this device. What do you recommend for music on the Blackberry?"...
Here's your Geekly Update for the week of July 27th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......
Here's your Geekly Update for the week of June 29th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......
Today you have many search engines to choose from. Each search engine offers you both standard keyword search options and a few special features. One of the newest search engines to hit the streets is Microsoft's Bing. Let's see what...
Wouldn't it be great to pipe whatever is on your computer screen directly to your big-screen TV? Now you can wirelessly send YouTube videos, computer games and movies from your PC screen directly to your television screen. Even browse the...
When I was a kid, research meant spending hours in the library, poring over dusty tomes, making notes on index cards, and then trying to organize it all. Today the wealth of information on the Internet can be tapped, annotated,...
Internet radio allows you to listen to online radio stations on your computer or on a mobile device. But of course, the Internet is much cooler than a radio, so Internet radio lets you do all kinds of things you...
Two-way video phones have been "just around the corner" for about 40 years. I've officially given up waiting on Ma Bell to provide this feature, since you can get free video chat software that works over the Internet. Here's a...
It's becoming a wireless world, and now that world is extending to the realm of HDTV. If you're tired of the clutter of cables going to and from your HD television screen, read on to learn how to wirelessly connect...
Did you know that you can load up a flash drive with your favorite programs and run them on any computer, without installing, directly from the portable drive? Here's the scoop on portable apps......
If you have a decent computer, why buy a home theater system that can cost thousands? For a lot less money, I'll show you how to convert your PC into an awesome home theater system at about the quarter of...
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......
Pirate Bay is one of world's largest facilitators of illegal downloading. But now the owners are facing the prospect of huge fines and jail time. Is this the end of the line for online video, music and software pirates?...
What's the big deal with TiVo? Is it just a glorified VCR, or is it really a revolutionary new way to watch television? Get the scoop on TiVo here......
"We want to buy a portable DVD player for the car, since we have kids a travel often. What features should we look for, and do you have any reviews of the best portable DVD players?"...
The next wave in television evolution has arrived in the form of the marriage between Internet connectivity and HDTVs. Many television manufacturers have joined this trend by releasing their latest broadband HDTV models with the ability to connect directly to...
"I love my Flip Video mini cam, but it doesn't record in HD (high definition). Should I upgrade to the Flip MinoHD, are there other HD mini cams I should check out?"...
"I want to buy a USB turntable to convert some vinyl record albums to MP3 format. Are there any specific turntables you can recommend?"...
Are you going nuts over the selection of electronics that are available for this holiday season? There are so many choices -- cell phones, music players, PDAs, video cams and more. Read on for my personal recommendations to help you...
So you found the coolest video on YouTube, and you want to download it to your computer. But how do you download YouTube videos? There's no obvious way on the YouTube site, but there are some easy ways to download...
"I have someone in my home during the day to clean and do childcare. Can I install a wireless security camera that can be monitored over the internet? I'd like to be able to look in during the day from...
In the course of doing my job, I use certain programs on a regular basis. On any given day, I might be doing word processing, web design, programming, image editing, trouble shooting, and of course email and web surfing. Here...
"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'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..."...
Analog TV will cease to exist on June 12, 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?"...
"I've gotten some forwarded emails claiming that the Internet is doomed to collapse very soon, unless some big changes are made to the infrastructure. Is it true… is the Internet going to go "poof" and vanish in a cloud of...
Your kids are clamoring for an iPod. Even during pre-teen years, they are victims of hype, just as we are. You don't have to spend big bucks to get them an MP3 player that is both functional and unique. Here...
Are you a camera klutz? Don't know the difference between an f-stop and a fill flash? Then today's new automated digital cameras are just perfect for you. Just point and click, they do the rest. Here are my picks for...
Are you trying to convert iTunes music to MP3 format? Or maybe you have some "protected" WMA files that you want to convert? There are plenty of good reasons why honest people might want to use a DRM remover to...
"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?"...
"Can you explain what Mechanical Turk is all about? A friend of mine uses it to make money by doing small jobs, but I've heard some people say it's more like slave labor. What's the deal with Mechanical Turk?"...
"I'm getting frustrated with iTunes for many reasons. Are there some good iTunes alternatives for Windows and Linux users?"...
"I need to share Powerpoint presentations with a large group of people. Which online meeting service should I use?"...
"I just saw an ad for a Terabyte hard drive. What exactly is a terabyte?"...
"I was told that I should have a Firewire cable to transfer videos from my camcorder to my computer. I have USB connectors on my PC, is that the same thing, or can the Firewire plug in to that?"...
Apple's iPhone seems like the coolest gadget to hit the streets in a long time. It slices, it dices, it can browse the web, manage your calendar, take pictures, and even make a phone call. But here's why I'm NOT...
The ringtone craze started in Finland back in 1998 with a monophonic commercial ringtone service called Harmonium. The popularity of ringtones quickly spread throughout Europe and then into Asia. The U.S. was late to catch hold of this craze, however,...
Instant Messaging (IM) services allow you to connect directly with other computer users and engage in text, audio or video conversations. Unlike email, blogs or chat rooms, instant messaging provides real time one-to-one conversations. Here's the scoop on the most...
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...
"Suddenly, I can no longer upload music to Myspace. The message says 'Your upload privileges have been suspended' but all copyrights are mine. Any suggestions?"...
Videoconferencing, once primarily used for long distance business meetings, is becoming more accessible. Got a webcam? Here's how you can start videoconferencing on the web......
GPS systems are useful for finding your way around, but choosing the navigation system that's right for you might be just as challenging as traveling without one. Here are some guidelines on the best GPS systems so you don't get...
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......
This is the age of wireless devices. Information is relevant only if it is accessible anywhere and everywhere. From phones to computers, every device is aiming at becoming wireless and providing more accessibility to the users. Read on to learn...
Periodically creating a backup of your computer files is critically important to the preservation of your work, your entertainment and your memories. In the event that your system is corrupted by a virus, natural disaster or hardware malfunction you must...
"I've heard you can change BIOS settings to affect performance and startup options, but I've always been hesitant to poke around in the BIOS setup screens. Can you demystify this for me?"...
"Hey Bob, what's a podcast? Is this some kind of broadcast just for people with iPods?"...
"I keep seeing articles that mention something called Web 2.0, but they never give a good definition. What is Web 2.0? How is it different than the one Al Gore invented, and when is Web 3.0 coming?"...
"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?"...
Looking for some uber-cool gadgets to trick out your personal computer? Here are my picks for the top ten gadgets, guaranteed to make everyone else in the office (or home office) jealous......
Still can’t decide if you are iPodish or Zunish? Let’s look at some facts and figures to help you decide whether an iPod or a Zune is your best choice for a portable music player......
"I have lots of music in WMA (Windows Media Audio) format but I want to convert it to MP3 for my iPod. How can I convert WMA to MP3?"...
As the Myspace population passes 100 million members, the site seems to be creaking and groaning, ready to burst at the seams. With frequent outages, valid passwords being rejected, problems with music players, and comment spammers, you might be looking...
For seasoned audio purists, nothing compares to good old-fashioned analog recordings on vinyl records. But those old records are fragile... here's an illustrated step-by-step guide to help you convert vinyl to CD so you can enjoy them for years to...
"I have trouble with iTunes songs 'skipping.' At first I thought it was because of my speakers, but one of my friends mentioned that she has the same problem. Is this due to low RAM or because iTunes takes so...
"I have a WMV (Windows Media) video file. But of course I don't have Windows Media Player on my Mac. Can I play this video with QuickTime on the Mac, or convert it to MPEG format?"...
"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...
"My friends often call or email and ask computer questions that are hard to answer without actually sitting in front of their computer. I've heard radio commercials for a product that lets you control another computer over the Internet. But...
"My hard drive is making a clicking sound. It started recently and seems to be getting more frequent. Sometimes I hear a repeated click-whir sound and then the computer locks up. Does this mean my hard drive is going bad?"...
My youngest daughter learned phonics and reading skills on my lap at the age of three, then went on to read every book and encyclopedia in the house. We had to go to yard sales, just to keep up with...
"Blogs, bloggers and blogging... they seem to be everywhere I look. I have lots to say, but I'm not a techie and have no idea how to start my own blog. Can you help?"...
"I've purchased a bunch of music from iTunes and have enjoyed listening to them on my computer. But my portable music player is not an Apple iPod, so I can't take my songs with me. Is there any way I...
A friend of mine believes that her husband is chatting through email and IM's with other women. Is there any way to track the IM's or emails on her home computer?...
For best results, use just ONE or TWO keywords. This search engine looks for all words in any order. To search for an exact phrase, enclose the phrase in quotes. You may also use AND, OR, and NOT keywords to specify boolean expressions. For example:
"format drive"
spyware OR virus
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