application

Many applications in OS X are self-contained packages that you install by dragging and dropping to your Applications folder. Since all of the program's required resources are within this package, when you need to update or upgrade the software, you can download the update and drag it to your Applications folder, replacing the current version you have installed.

This method of managing programs is very straightforward and usually works without error; however, at times you might run into problems when upgrading where the system gives an warning claiming that a component of the application is in use.

Recently I … Read more

Windows ships with an effective suite of security tools, including a firewall, but third-party firewalls are popular with many users. Many are free, and the most popular ones do a good job keeping millions of users safe from cyber attacks, hackers, and other intrusive threats. Privacyware's Privatefirewall has all the features and most of the extras that most personal firewall and host intrusion prevention freeware (HIPS) offer, like its Process Monitor and Port Tracking tools. Its chief advantages are its intelligent tracking feature and its extensive explanations. Privatefirewall monitors your online activity privately to learn your usage patterns. It … Read more

Ascomp's BackUp Maker is a free data backup solution for Windows. It automatically backs up your files and folders on schedule or when something changes, and it can create new backups or add changes to existing backups. It doesn't create system images, so it can't restore your entire system, though Windows Backup already does that. What it's best for is backing up critical files and folders on a daily basis. BackUp Maker Standard Edition is fully functional freeware that displays a nag screen at startup and when backups complete.

BackUp Maker's user interface shows prominent … Read more

Apple dislikes seams in things. This very obsession led it to the point where it spent an estimated $6.6 million on a remodel of its Fifth Avenue store in New York to cut the number of glass panels it was using in its exterior cubic entrance from 90 down to 15.

Now another iconic Apple-made item could be in line for a seamless makeover: the company's earbuds.

In a patent application published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and picked up by Apple Insider, Apple has laid out a plan for ultrasonically welded, unibody headphones.… Read more

Former Microsoft employees who worked on the ill-fated Courier dual-screen tablet and started their own mobile-development house have found some early success.

Developer FiftyThree announced on its blog yesterday that its sketchpad and ideas app Paper has hit 1.5 million downloads in its first two weeks of availability. In addition, the company said a total of 7 million pages have been created so far with the app.

"To say the response has been overwhelming would be an understatement," FiftyThree wrote on its blog. "For a tool that we made for ourselves, we're thrilled to find … Read more

The stickers Apple slaps on iPods encased in see-through plastic packaging to show off their features could be replaced with real onscreen visuals, thanks to a technology the company wants to patent.

In a new patent application for "active electronic media device packaging," which was published (pdf) today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and picked up by Apple Insider, Apple details packaging design that can slurp up wireless power and deliver it to the gadget inside.

This design does two main things, the filing argues: one is keep the gadgets charged and updated with the … Read more

Windows XP has gradually been losing market share over the past few years, yet it continues to hang on as the most popular OS, according to the latest stats from Net Applications.

XP grabbed a 46.86 percent share of the OS market last month, up from 45.39 percent in February. At the same time, Windows 7 lost a bit of ground, capturing 37.53 percent in March, down from 38.12 percent in the prior month.

Neither stat represents a major shift. Over the longer haul, Windows 7 is still gaining in popularity, while XP has been shedding … Read more

When applications are opened in OS X, the system will check for the presence of a quarantine flag on the application file to determine whether the program has been downloaded from the Internet, so it can issue a warning and require confirmation before the program is executed.

This flag will prevent the system's launch services from opening the file until it is removed or the system is otherwise set to allow the program to execute. This is usually done by clicking Open within the warning dialog that appears when you first open the program. But in some instances the … Read more

Has an employer or potential employer ever requested access to your Facebook account? If so, Facebook itself advises you to just say no.

Responding to growing complaints from employees over the practice, Facebook made its own position quite clear in a post published today. Noting an increase in the number of such requests from employers, the social network said they undermine both the security and the privacy of the user and the user's friends.

And the practice can put employers themselves at risk.

Companies making such requests may not have the right policies or training in place to deal … Read more