desktop

Android smartphone and tablet browsers sometimes load mobile versions of Web sites. On native Android browsers, you can try the about:debug trick to change the user agent to force desktop sites to load. You can also use an alternative browser, like Dolphin Browser HD, which lets you easily change the user agent in its settings.

If you're a Firefox for Android user, you can change the user agent with a simple Firefox add-on called Phony. It works with the new Firefox beta for Android as well, which was released a couple of days ago.

To set up Phony, … Read more

Some users of Symantec's PGP Desktop encryption software are finding that after installing OS X 10.7.4, the program does not appear to respond properly and encrypted disks can no longer be accessed. When attempting to mount the drives, nothing happens, and the program states in its logs that the disks are already mounted.

If you experience this problem, then you may find an entry similar to the following in the PGP Desktop log files:

... 2012-05-12 9:52:38: Setting up PGP Virtual Disks 2012-05-12 9:52:38: Setting up PGP Whole Disks 2012-05-12 9:52:39: Setting … Read more

I've known about Adam Audio for a long time, but for one reason or another I never reviewed one of its speakers. Adam (Advanced Dynamic Audio Monitors) may have started as a pro sound company, but it now also makes audiophile speakers. To get a handle on their sound I started with Adam's least expensive model, the ARTist 3, a compact desktop monitor. The company was founded by physicist Klaus Heinz and electrical engineer Roland Stenz, in Berlin in 1999.

It was in the early 1980s when Heinz met Oskar Heil, a decade after the good doctor caused … Read more

Facebook users struggling to keep up with their accounts will like this free app that helps with checking messages, invites, friends' requests, pokes, and notices on the social media site. Facebook @Desktop from Olcinium is a dot NET app that provides access to this information directly on your desktop. With the new app, there is now no need to log in to the account itself to be instantly updated.

The free software, once installed, will place an icon in the task bar. Once a message is posted to your Facebook account, it will be relayed to your desktop as an … Read more

I heard about the Wadia 151PowerDAC from my friends at Magnepan, who make some of my favorite flat-panel speakers. They loved the way the 151 brought their fourteen-inch tall Mini Maggie speakers to life. That's great news, because when I auditioned the Minis at the factory last year (before they tried the 151) the speakers were hooked up to a massive Threshold stereo power amp. The Threshold/Maggie system was, by a large margin, the best-sounding desktop system I ever heard. Using a monster amp like that wasn't a practical solution for most buyers, but now with the … Read more

While not a regular problem, people using OS X might find their desktop backgrounds change to either a default starry space image, or to a flat grey. This happens when performing a specific task such as attaching an external monitor or waking from sleep, but it could happen more randomly.

As with most operating systems, OS X has the option to customize the desktop by adding personal pictures or artwork to the desktop background. These customizations can be done in the Desktop & Screen Saver system preferences, where you will be able to set a background from those that Apple … Read more

We admit that we did not have particularly high hopes for DesktopSnowOK. This type of desktop enhancement typically leaves us annoyed and frustrated as we end up sacrificing system performance for special effects that aren't that special. But unlike most programs of this sort, we actually found DesktopSnowOK to be pretty impressive. It's not the kind of program that we'd usually use, but people who like the idea of having snowflakes or other objects blowing around on their screen will likely find it quite fun.

DesktopSnowOK is highly customizable, which is what makes it so enjoyable to … Read more

Cloudmark Desktop One is an antispam tool for small and medium businesses, but it's free for personal use. It protects your e-mail account from spam, phishing, and viruses. It automatically configures itself to your e-mail account, but it works independently to protect you from threats even when your e-mail client is closed. It supports Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, and Mozilla Thunderbird with its optional integrated toolbar, and Gmail, Yahoo, Lycos, Hotmail, FastMail, and AOL without the toolbar. It offers separate downloads for 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows XP, Vista, and 7. We tried the 64-bit version in … Read more

If you like to use fun or attractive images as your desktop wallpaper but hate the way they look when they're cluttered with desktop icons, try AutoHideDesktopIcons. This simple utility easily displays your desktop icons when needed and keeps them hidden the rest of the time.

AutoHideDesktopIcons minimizes to the system tray when not in use, and clicking its icon brings up a simple interface with a series of check boxes and radio buttons. Users can specify whether they want the program to start with Windows, always start minimized, always be on top, or to hide the taskbar; this … Read more