driver

On June 11 Apple announced a couple of Thunderbolt adapters to provide Ethernet and FireWire connectivity to Thunderbolt-based systems, and issued a driver update for OS X to provide software support for these adapters; however, for a number of users the update resulted in the inability to boot. Apple has reissued a fixed version of this update, which should install properly without any issues.

The driver update is a small plug-in for a required system kernel extension to give it support for the new adapters, but when installed prevented the system from loading the driver properly, which caused some systems … Read more

Updating your system's drivers is important in keeping your computer running safe and smooth, but too many users neglect this vital maintenance task. DriverIdentifier is a free tool that scans your system, identifies all its drivers and versions, and compares the results to an online database. The app then presents the results as a Web page on which you can click on any driver to download an update to install.

Since nearly every driver is different, DriverIdentifier doesn't automatically install drivers; it just directs you to them and downloads them for you, if you tell it to, though … Read more

NirSoft's DriverView displays your system's drivers in an informative list view. This free tool is invaluable for troubleshooting system problems, updating drivers, installing and uninstalling hardware, and all the other issues that always seem to show up just when you think you've got your machine running on all cylinders. Better yet, DriverView is available in separate downloads for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.

Why does that matter? For starters, 64-bit Windows has performance advantages, such as handling more RAM. Most 32-bit apps will run in 64-bit Windows, but not vice versa. Also, drivers designed for 32-bit Windows won'… Read more

Keeping your drivers up-to-date is always a good idea, but who has time to manually check for updates for each and every driver? Drivers For Free makes short work of this task, scanning for driver updates and installing them automatically. We think it's a great way to keep on top of this tedious but necessary job.

Drivers For Free starts by automatically detecting what kind of computer you're using, but that feature didn't work so well for us; the program thought we were using a Dell, but in reality we're running Windows on a Mac. That … Read more

Driving tests are a little like the law. They fail to keep up with the technological times. There is surely a myriad of committees that must approve every detail before they enter the real world. By that time, the real world will have moved on.

So Responsible Young Drivers, a safety organization in Belgium, thought it might be amusing to infiltrate a few driving tests in order to make them a touch more contemporary.

I am grateful to Neatorama for discovering this fine video on YouTube, one in which fine young people are told during their driving tests that they … Read more

Driver updates? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," describes how many users feel about updating their system's drivers, but these important bits of software tell your PC's components what to do, and it's wise, sometimes critical, to update them regularly. SlimDrivers Free is a simple tool that uses cloud-based scans to identify, download, and help you install driver updates for your system. It creates a personal profile that remembers your drivers and downloads the right ones automatically when you scan your system.

SlimDrivers Free's simple, colorful interface advised us to begin … Read more

Teen girl drivers are more likely to be distracted by electronic devices and their male counterparts, a new study reports.

According to the in-car video study released last week by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, teen girls are twice as likely as teen boys to use cell phones and other electronic devices while driving.

"Cell phones, texting, personal grooming, and reaching for things in the car were among the most common distracting activities found when cameras were put in new teen drivers' cars," AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger said in a press release. "This … Read more

Recently Apple updated iPhoto and other software packages to make it possible to delete photos from the Photo Stream feature that is part of its iCloud service. Today Apple has further supported this option by adding it to its Aperture professional photo management tool in an update that is available today.

The Aperture update also addresses small performance and stability issues, and is recommended for anyone using Aperture, especially for those who make use of iCloud.

The Aperture update is around 635MB in size, and should be available via Software Update if you have Aperture 3.2 installed on your … Read more

Distracted Driving: Is it the scourge of public safety, or the new normal? What we know is that it's here and its going to grow. Fast.

In this episode of Device & Conquer, Brian Cooley gives us a quick look at the history of understanding distracted driving, what you can do to take control of reducing it in your life, and how the U.S. government may step in to handle that for you. It's the story of driving today. … Read more