speed

When and where will Google Fiber roll out next?

If you've spent any time online, you've played the waiting game. Waiting for a site to load. Waiting for your photos to upload. Waiting for a video to download.

That's why so many of us salivated when we first heard about Google Fiber, the blazingly fast connection that promised Internet speeds 100 times faster than what most Americans have today.

It's been three months since the service launched in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan. And, yes, it's fast. Street View images load almost instantly. You can open multiple browser windows and simultaneously play … Read more

Download Files with SpeedTao for Mac

Faster connection speeds and more powerful computers make you want to download larger file types, but most browsers' built-in features are not capable of this level of usage. Luckily, SpeedTao for Mac is a download management program that tries to increase your control and help manage your entire list of file downloads. It can also restart stopped downloads.

SpeedTao for Mac is a download management tool with a dedicated interface. This program is simple but it allows the user to easily download a variety of file types from many different sources. It can also eliminate the frustration of stopped or … Read more

Control your scrolling and switch between sets of mouse settings with Mouse Speed Switcher

If you frequently switch between using a mouse and the touch pad on your laptop, or use more input devices in general, this software may come as a blessing. If touch pad gestures aren't quite working for you, Mouse Speed Switcher can help. It lets you control up to 10 mice or track pads in one program.

This program's namesake feature isn't the most exciting add-on it offers. While it can change how fast your mouse reacts to clicks, that feature can be found in your Windows Control Panel. So, unless you're using more input devices … Read more

Test your network speeds with Speedtest.net Speed Test

Developed for both basic mobile device users and advanced developers, this network-testing app proves to be a very handy tool. Speedtest.net Speed Test delivers an accurate test and aids in diagnosing connection problems.

Speedtest.net Speed Test app was quick to install and there were no advanced settings needed. The tool is very easy to use. A simple one-touch activation begins the test. Bright, easy-to-read graphics indicate progress and current speed in the style of an analog meter. Wi-Fi networks as well as mobile networks may be tested. A separate menu shows a record of the results and the … Read more

Double-speed USB 3.0 to arrive next year

Computing industry powers are doubling the data-transfer speed of USB 3.0 from today's 5 gigabits per second rate to 10Gbps.

The move will uncork speed bottlenecks of external SSD storage devices, open up options such second monitors, and help confine the even faster Thunderbolt interface to a high-end niche.

But it won't happen immediately. The specification should be done in mid-2013, which "will enable initial products to appear in late 2014 with a much broader availability of products in 2015," according to the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, which announced the faster Universal Serial Bus … Read more

Manage downloads and download faster with iGetter

iGetter is a download management app for MacOS. We could not find iGetter on the App Store but it is available from several download sites and the publisher's Web site. iGetter installs easily. You can use iGetter for free as a single use license with no expiration, or buy a license with full support for $25.

The iGetter interface consists of a number of icons across the top of the dialog and a status display for files beneath. It can launch automatically when you start a download, or you can use iGetter to initiate the downloads. There are two … Read more

Speed camera gives ticket to stationary car

Something's wonky about technology in Baltimore.

Earlier this week, I shivered at the idea that the city had been at the forefront of putting audio surveillance in its buses.

Now I hear that its speed cameras appear to have been buying street drugs from extremely disreputable sorts.

You see, a Baltimore camera issued a ticket to Daniel Doty. It claimed that he and his Mazda wagon were going 38 mph in a 25 mph zone.

I hadn't been aware that Mazda wagons could go that fast. Doty, on the other hand, hadn't been aware that you can go 38 mph while standing completely still.… Read more

iPad 4 impresses in speed tests

What the iPad 4 loses in style, it gains in performance versus the Mini.

As I wrote last week, the Mini's style, size, and weight make it hard to put down. But after upgrading from the third-generation iPad 4G/LTE model to the fourth-generation iPad with 4G/LTE and after a week of pretty constant use, I found the 4's performance compelling.

It feels fast and benchmarks fast. In most -- but not all -- cases, Web pages pop, apps load, and graphics render faster than the Mini.

And the 4's performance is supported by my own … Read more

Google inaugurates its super-high-speed Internet service

After years in the making, Google announced today that it has started connecting people in Kansas City, Kan., to its ultra high-speed fiber-to-the-home Internet service. Acting as guinea pigs of sorts, these locals will be the first people in the world who get to test out Google's new service and decide whether it lives up to the hype.

When Google first announced its nationwide Google Fiber project in 2010, around 1,100 U.S. towns and cities applied to get in on the deal. When Kansas City won out, Google Access General Manager Kevin Lo said, "new high-speed … Read more

Maximize your old Mac's performance

While slowdowns in a Mac system are likely caused by errors, be it corruption in the file system or a similar problem that ought to be addressed, over time as program and OS developments demand more out of a system, you may find an older system simply does not seem to keep up. While the system may not severely bog down, you might find many tasks begin to take a little longer. While purchasing a new system is one solution to this problem, it often is not a feasible or even necessary option.

In many cases, older systems do have … Read more