pro

Despite the simplicity of this attractive desktop clock, it offers a surprisingly long list of customization features.

Big Clock Pro places a large analog clock on your desktop. By default, the clock was large enough that it consumed most of our screen, but we found it appealing and professionally designed. You can access its features by right-clicking on the taskbar icon. You have options to cut the clock size in half, adjust its translucency, keep it on top, and select its desktop placement. It's a simple click and drag to place the clock where you like. The clock also … Read more

Bad bumps? A U.K. tech site is alleging that the latest Apple MacBook Pros contain Nvidia graphics chips with the same "bad bumps" problem that Nvidia addressed this summer and said was rectified.

Nvidia said in a phone interview on Tuesday that this is dead wrong.

First a little background. Nvidia issued a statement July 2 saying it would take a charge of up to $200 million to cover repairs due to a "weak die/packaging material set in certain versions of its previous generation GPU and MCP products used in notebook systems."

Both Hewlett-Packard … Read more

Problems with Apple's newly redesigned MacBooks are being reported on Apple discussion boards and across the Internet.

The new notebooks, which have already run into problems with the trackpad, are said to have problems with video performance, third-party memory chips, and staying in sleep mode. It's always difficult to get a sense of how widespread such problems are from tracking message board posts--and every computer ever made has had problems--but the volume of such complaints regarding the new systems seems to be increasing.

Gizmodo collected some of the more pressing problems in a post Monday. The memory issue involves crashes that appear to be linked to adding third-party memory chips into the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Apple charges way more for memory upgrades than other companies such as Crucial or Other World Computing, so savvy Mac users interested in adding memory on their own often choose one of those products.

That post also highlights an issue that involves the MacBook Pro being unable to stay in sleep mode, turning itself on when closed every minute or so, or freezing when woken up by the user. That issue doesn't seem as serious as the memory one, but if you've noticed this problem resetting your MacBook's PRAM seems to have worked for some people.

… Read more

Fujifilm has released a firmware update to its 12MP FinePix S5 Pro DSLR camera. The update, version 1.12, corrects an issue where in some rare cases the camera may freeze up when PC controlling-software is used--this includes Fujifilm's own Hyper Utility HS-V3. Details can be found on Fujifilm's Web site.

We generally recommend installing the latest firmware updates for your camera, so you can get the most out of your gear. For more information on firmware updates for a specific camera, visit the manufacturer's Web site. Before installing any firmware upgrade, always take the time to … Read more

On Monday, HTC, the manufacturer of many of today's popular smartphones, announced its acquisition of San Francisco-based design firm One & Company Design, Inc (One & Co). A design company? Weird, right? Actually, not really.

If you've followed HTC over the years, you may have noticed its smartphones taking on a new look recently. The company has gone from the traditional Pocket PC-phone form factor of the HTC Mogul and the smaller but still bulky HTC SMT5800 to the sleeker HTC Touch Diamond and sexier HTC Touch Pro, and this is in large part due to One & … Read more

Apple rolled out a QuickTime update Tuesday night that should alleviate some of the concern over the addition of some copy-protection technology to the new MacBooks.

Apple customers who bought one of the company's new MacBooks or MacBook Pros introduced in October were annoyed to discover that the Mini DisplayPort on those systems uses a copy-protection technology called HDCP. That technology is supposed to prevent those owners from playing HD movies purchased from the iTunes store on external projectors that don't also support HDCP technology. But several owners reported that standard-definition movies were also declared off-limits by their … Read more

The straightforward, sunny Jing Project is one of the easiest ways to grab and share screenshots and videos straight from your PC. The interface, half a lemon yellow sphere, sits at the top of your screen, waiting for you to hover over it to begin capturing the image or screencast in a crosshair.

You'll be able to annotating images and review videos, but copying, saving, and sharing them is what Jing is really about. Version 2.0 adds a useful Help Center and lets you configure new buttons that will upload your creations to Flickr, an FTP account, or … Read more

This is no "bathtub gin wine" we're talking about here. WinePod has put together an impressive product designed to help budding enthusiasts take advantage of their passion for wine. Add grapes and yeast, follow some directions, (or along in the community) and you are on your way.

The Garagiste is similar to the Classic WinePod in that it produces four cases of wine, but the price is significantly lower which should create more interest in the budget minded. While the Classic sells for $4,499, the new model is available for only $1,999. The makers, ProVina, … Read more

The Sony PlayStation 3 is a game console first, but its Blu-ray playback also makes it one of the most popular home theater devices on the market. The only problem is that because the PS3 lacks an IR receptor, its difficult to integrate with home theaters centered around a IR-based universal remote, like a Harmony. For those who have become accustomed to controlling their gear using simple buttons that say "Watch TV" or "Watch a Blu-ray disc," it's a real pain that the PS3 requires using Sony's Blu-ray DVD remote or the game controller.… Read more