support

People looking for a little tech support from Microsoft now have yet another option.

The folks in Redmond have just kicked off an online version of the physical support Answer Desk that's been up and running at the various Microsoft Store outlets.

The online Answer Desk bills itself as a premium Microsoft service designed to "give you the most convenient, friendly, and easy way to get the most out of your PC." Like the Microsoft Store Answer Desk, the Web-based version is staffed by support folks trained to troubleshoot and resolve problems with your Microsoft software.

So, … Read more

WikiLeaks has been forced to shut down its secret-divulging operations until it can raise cash, the organization announced today.

"We are forced to temporarily suspend publishing whilst we secure our economic survival," the group said in a statement. "For almost a year we have been fighting an unlawful financial blockade. We cannot allow giant U.S. finance companies to decide how the whole world votes with its pocket. Our battles are costly."

On a special "Donate" page, WikiLeaks argues that Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Western Union, and Bank of America have "tried to economically … Read more

Some new iPhone 4S owners are saying that their screens display a yellowish tint, prompting a few of them to dub the alleged defect "yellowgate."

Posting messages at the Apple Support Forum, several of the users say that the screen looks washed out and that the whites look more yellow, especially when compared with the iPhone 4. Some say the issue is specific to the black iPhone 4S, noting that the display in the white version looks fine.

As a possible explanation, a couple of commenters said they believe the yellowish display is the result of the glue … Read more

Mozilla, faced with business users' stiff resistance to its new rapid update schedule for Firefox, has proposed a slower-moving version of the browser.

Under the proposal, Mozilla would issue a new Extended Support Release (ESR) version of Firefox every 30 weeks. That's five times slower than the new rapid-release cycle for regular Firefox, which updates the browser every six weeks. And each version would be supported for 42 weeks under the proposal.

After Mozilla got an earful in June about how the rapid-release program outpaces some users' needs to test the browser and in-house Web sites that use it, … Read more

Apple frequently saves its newest features for the latest versions of its hardware and software, though a notice on a preference pane from an older version of Mac OS X suggests the company could be adding functionality from its upcoming iCloud service to the previous version of its operating system as part of a future software update.

Macrumors today posted a purported screenshot of the .Mac settings screen from Tiger (the OS before Snow Leopard and Leopard) noting that it's no longer able to sync up to Apple's servers because the account itself has been upgraded to iCloud. … Read more

With the next-generation iPhone now likely to arrive this fall, rumors continue to swirl about whether it will support high-speed 4G data service.

What is 4G exactly? Well, it's a little more complicated than you might think.

Verizon's 4G service, which is already being rolled out, is called LTE (Long Term Evolution) and Sprint's is WiMax. To confuse matters, AT&T is supposed to roll out its LTE network later this year in select markets, but in the meantime, like T-Mobile, it's calling its HSPA+ network 4G when it's more like 3.5G (HSPA+ is not considered a true 4G network).

Bottom line: if you want an iPhone that supports 4G data, you want an LTE iPhone.

What are the odds of the next iPhone having LTE support? That's hard to say, but a few months ago Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook stated that the "first generation of LTE chipsets force a lot of design compromises." Meanwhile, all Verizon has said is that its next iPhone would be a world phone (it will work on both CDMA and GSM networks), but said it was up to Apple whether the phone would include support for LTE (4G) networks.

The question is, how much do you care? Which is why we've come up with this little poll asking whether you'd buy an iPhone 5 if it doesn't support anything less than true 4G (it will almost certainly support HSPA+).

As always, feel free to add your 2 cents in the comments section. … Read more

We have uplifting news from Triumph International, the company that brought us the solar-panel bra, the husband-hunter bra, and the environmentally minded No Plastic Shopping Bag Bra, among other novelty lingerie.

Today, on the two-month anniversary of the Japanese quake and tsunami, the company unclasped the "Support Japan Bra," a strapless bustier and matching skirt covered in encouraging messages to disaster victims delivered from around the globe.

Now, it's probably safe to assume novelty lingerie isn't a priority for the many people still reeling from the epic natural disasters. Still, encouraging words from the global community, be they delivered by relief agencies, social media, or brassieres, will hopefully remind victims that they're still very much in hearts and minds the world over. … Read more

With the arrival of the $114 Kindle with Special Offers last week, Amazon.com has created an interesting dilemma for buyers.

The company has duplicated its Wi-Fi-only e-reader from a specs and hardware standpoint but offers you a $25 savings if you're willing to contend with some ads. Or you can choose to see it from a different perspective: to keep your Kindle ad-free, you must pay an extra $25.

Now some of you are probably saying: what's $25? Not much really. Here in New York, it's a couple of drinks at a bar (and sometimes $25 … Read more

A month ago we reported that Barnes & Noble was set to roll out a major software update for the Nook Color in April. This morning, Barnes & Noble finally flipped the switch on that update, which is a customized version of Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) and most notably adds a free built-in e-mail client, Flash support for Web browsing, and an app store with a selection of more than 125 free and paid apps.

Those who've already "rooted" the $250 Nook Color with custom firmware that's been circulating on the Web for months will … Read more