upgrading

YouTube may start releasing its own original content, Coldplay gives a cold shoulder to music streaming, and Sony pays Ericsson to take over the handset business.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

RAM is a high-speed memory workspace that the system uses for running programs, loading operating system components, and performing most of its computing tasks.

If you use programs that take up a lot of RAM, you may see the system slow down while the system makes use of the slow hard drive to manage memory contents, to the point where it may sometimes crawl to a near standstill while tasks are running.

As a result, having ample RAM is great for system performance, so I always recommend to go with as much RAM as you can afford to put in … Read more

This is an update of a deal I posted a few months back.

A RAM upgrade is a great way to make your PC run faster, especially if you run a lot of programs simultaneously. More RAM means less reliance on the comparatively sluggish hard drive.

If you own a desktop system, here's one of the best memory deals I've ever seen: TigerDirect has the Kingston KHX1333C9D3B1K2 8GB desktop RAM kit for $24.99, plus around $2 for shipping. That's after a $20 mail-in rebate (PDF).

The kit includes a pair of 4GB, 240-pin DDR3 sticks … Read more

Galaxy on Fire is a 3D space combat and exploration game that was a lot of fun at its release in early 2009, but has since been eclipsed by other games in performance--especially its super-polished (and super-fun) sequel, Galaxy on Fire 2, which delivers exponentially on the promise of this original game.

The core of Galaxy on Fire 3D is space combat, and the game excels at providing an immersive, responsive aerial shooter (almost as good as its sequel), in which you can use touch or tilt controls to weave through pitched outer-space dogfights. The game also has some light … Read more

commentary Research in Motion, is that really all you've got?

After a critical outage that left some BlackBerry users without e-mail for as many as three days, RIM is offering customers $100 worth of premium apps for free. Enterprise customers also get a month's worth of technical support.

The problem is, the BlackBerry faithful stick with you for primarily one reason: your excellent e-mail service. If they wanted games, media apps and other whiz-bang features, they would have fled to an iPhone or Android smartphone already. You lose your e-mail, even for one day, and you lose your … Read more

Carrier contracts and device subsidy policies mean wireless subscribers who want the latest and greatest iPhone have to think carefully about their upgrade strategies.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer some advice to one frustrated reader who has been waiting a long time to upgrade to a new iPhone. She can't decide if she should pull the trigger now and buy the iPhone 4S, or whether she should wait for the next upgrade to the iPhone, expected next year.

I also explain how the fact that Apple has used common chips for the iPhone 4S on AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint Nextel means that travelers have more freedom to use their phones when they're overseas. But at the same time, the software each carrier uses to lock these phones to their own networks, also limits where and how they can be used.

Ask Maggie is an advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. The column now appears twice a week on CNET offering readers a double dosage of Ask Maggie's advice. If you have a question, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put "Ask Maggie" in the subject header. You can also follow me on Facebook on my Ask Maggie page.… Read more

Galaxy on Fire 2 is a fully 3D space trader game with sleek graphics, fun missions, and an engrossing storyline--as long as you can stomach the less-than-stellar voice acting. Cut scenes early in the game explain your situation: a malfunction in your hyperdrive has somehow managed to warp your ship across the galaxy and 30 years into the future. With only your basic ship and the help of friendly people at various space stations you visit, you'll slowly learn the ins and outs of equipping your ship, buying and selling commodities for cash, mining for minerals, and how to … Read more

Apple's MacBook Pro series could be the next in line for a hardware upgrade, according to a new report.

Citing anonymous sources "with proven insight into Apple's future product plans," AppleInsider says the Mac maker plans to introduce new models of its Pro portables with speedier Intel processors. The new models are said to ship in time for the holiday shopping season, though could arrive this month, the outlet says.

How big a bump are we talking about? AppleInsider points to Intel's latest crop of quad-core Core i7 chips, which come in at 2.4GHz, … Read more