autos

It can be hard to keep your software up to date, even programs that check for updates themselves. HQ's AutoUP is a free utility that scans your system to identify your installed and update-capable programs and then searches online for the latest updates. AutoUP can also download and save updates, too. You can set it to run when Windows starts as a one-stop check for all your software. It also accesses and checks Windows Update, too. Handy color-coding tells you at a glance which updates are available and if any are beta versions.

AutoUP's dialog-size interface is colorful … Read more

There are plenty of basic utilities out there that let you set your mouse to click repeatedly on a certain link. Advanced Mouse Auto Clicker is something else entirely. This comprehensive program lets you auto click on certain fixed points, images, and color blocks, and it has plenty of options for configuring its behavior. It's by far one of the better programs of this type that we've seen.

The program's interface consists of a single screen that's cluttered with drop-down menus and radio buttons, but it doesn't take too long to get acquainted with it. … Read more

Cursors are necessary and useful, but every now and then they can get in the way. You might find them blocking the text you're typing in a word-processing document, hovering over the forehead of someone in a video you're watching, or presenting a distraction during a slideshow. This is a problem that can be easily solved with AutoHideMouseCursor. This simple utility can automatically hide your cursor after a specified period of time, keeping it out of the way until you need it again.

The program's interface is straightforward; there are check boxes to disable the program, have … Read more

To give online car shoppers a feel for the brick-and-mortar buying experience, eBay is teaming up with AutoNation to sell new vehicles using a modern take on a "tent sale" method.

Starting today at 9 a.m. PT, AutoNation will post a handful of new vehicles each day on eBay that initially bear the MSRP. However, each hour the price of the car will drop until someone clicks the "Buy It Now" button. The drop each hour will be "significant," said eBay in a statement," and there's no bottom floor or reserve … Read more

Of course you use antivirus software and maybe a firewall, too, but keeping your PC safe only starts there. One of the simplest yet smartest things you can do is disable Autorun in Windows. It's a convenience that runs programs automatically; for example, Autorun starts playing a CD as soon as you close the tray. It's even more convenient for the viruses and other malware that use autorun.exe to do everything from infiltrating your system to destroying it. One of the simplest ways to disable Autorun completely or selectively is with AutoRun Disable by Endpoint Protector. This … Read more

Apple has filed a patent application that describes a method for obtaining and adding metadata to files automatically using the Internet and various social networks.

The process, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (discovered by AppleInsider), shows Apple's continued interest in creating connections with social networks by inventing a way for users to automatically update their files using data obtained online.

Apple's method, titled "Automatic Discovery of Metadata," seeks to solve an issue that many of us do not likely even know we have. Metadata on files already includes common entries such as … Read more

News leaked out early today that Mitsubishi will debut its upcoming plug-in hybrid Outlander SUV at the 2012 Paris Motor Show.

Although there is no official news release or announcement from Mitsubishi, Edmunds InsideLine confirmed with a company spokesperson that the SUV is headed to the auto show next fall. It also confirmed that U.S. buyers will get the vehicle either in late 2013 or 2014.

The plug-in hybrid will be based on the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander, and will have three driving modes, including all-electric, serial hybrid, and parallel hybrid. Based on the PX-Miev II Concept that debuted at … Read more

Dish's new ad-skipping feature has aroused anger among TV broadcasters, but the company's chairman sees it as a wake-up call to the industry.

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen defended Ad Hop, the new feature that lets Dish viewers skip advertisements.

Cheap Web-based TV is a threat to pay TV, believes Ergen, a trend created in part by the networks themselves because of their failure to develop ads better targeted toward viewers. Ergen is hoping Ad Hop will convince TV networks to create "more meaningful" ads that people won'… Read more

Microsoft has released an update for its AutoUpdate for Mac utility, which is used to provide application updates and security patches for its Office for Mac productivity suites. Microsoft is touting this latest update as a required installation for Office 2011 and Office 2008, since it will be required to apply future updates to the Office suite.

The update is a small 850KB download and will bring the version of the AutoUpdate utility to 2.3.4. The updater is available via the current AutoUpdate utility, but can also be installed by downloading the standalone installer from the Office for Mac support site.… Read more