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For the Pope on Twitter, many slings and arrows

When you come down from on high and mix with us, les miserables, it can be a touch depressing.

For though you try to take us seriously, we may not feel the same way. And, well, social media allows us to express our feelings without fear of permanent damnation.

Pope Benedict XVI, famously a recent convert to Twitter, is discovering that mixing with us isn't always pretty.

His Holiness -- and his almost equally holy advisers -- surely believes that one has to speak to the faithful through every available channel.

And yet this entails encountering the unfaithful too: … Read more

Gingerbread Millennium Falcon looks pretty Chewie

While Americans are all trying to blow out their electrical circuits with insane light displays, Canadians are busy creating elaborate edible gingerbread structures. A gingerbread "Star Wars" Millennium Falcon is blowing away the competition in Canada's National Gingerbread Showcase 2012.

The insanely elaborate creation comes from the Canoe Brewpub in Victoria, B.C. The spaceship appears to have landed on Hoth, judging by the presence of tons of shredded coconut snow and a Wampa. Chewbecca also lounges near the ship. … Read more

Microsoft serves up 60-day trial version of Office 2013

People who want to take Office 2013 for a spin can download a 60-day evaluation edition.

The version available is the full Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 suite, which includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, and Lync. The software contains all the features in the paid edition, so you won't miss out on anything.

You will need a Microsoft account in order to access the download page, but otherwise there are no strings attached.

Here's how you can grab the free trial version:

Head over to the Office Professional Plus 2013 download page on TechNet. Click … Read more

Microsoft Office for iOS, Android could debut early next year

iOS and Android users may finally see a mobile version of Microsoft Office designed for their devices.

Citing "several sources close to Microsoft's plans," the Verge said today that the new apps are set to pop up early next year.

Office Mobile, as it's dubbed, would let Microsoft account users view Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files on their mobile devices. But, the Verge added, editing the documents would require an Office 365 subscription. The apps would reportedly provide basic editing functionality but nothing close to that of their desktop counterparts.

Last month, a press release from … Read more

Classic point-and-click fun is back with an old fan favorite

Broken Sword: Director's Cut is the rerelease of the 1996 classic point-and-click adventure/mystery game Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars. In addition to the original game, Broken Sword: Director's Cut has also added a slew of new content and gameplay to flesh out the back story of Nico, one of the major characters. You play as the American tourist George Stobbart as in the original game and for selective sections as the attractive freelance journalist and part-time petty thief, Nicole "Nico" Collard. They must brave the dangers of a Parisian underworld to solve the … Read more

iPad Mini, 4th-gen iPad reviews

While CNET's New York office works to get power back after the storm, we're bringing you the Update show from our San Francisco office. Wednesday's top tech stories include:

- Apple judgement day: Read CNET's reviews of the iPad Mini and the latest full-size iPad. The Wi-Fi versions of the Mini and updated iPad arrive in stores on Friday.

- Give 4G connection to an iPod Touch with a $99 Freedom Pop sleeve.

- If you're buying the deluxe Wii U game console bundle, Nintendo has a perk for downloading games: 10% of every dollar … Read more

Networking buying guide

Looking to build your home network? If money is not an issue, check out the cutting-edge, non-compromising Netgear R6300, or the Asus RT-AC66U. They offer the latest, superfast 802.11ac (aka 5G Wi-Fi) support, long range, two USB ports, and a boatload of features. If you want the biggest bang for your buck, however, the Asus-RT56U is definitely one to consider; this little true dual-band N600 router packs way more punch than its physical size would indicate, both in terms of range and performance. On a tight budget? Something like the D-Link DIR-605L will serve you right; it'll make … Read more

Address document-handling frustrations in OS X

When using current programs on your Mac to manage files generated from an older system, you may run into some errors in which the libraries and services used in the current program cannot properly interpret details of the files. This usually results in a formatting issue similar to a missing font, but it can also result in crashes or hangs.

Recently MacFixIt reader John wrote in regarding such an issue:

I have been trying to work with some PowerPoint presentations in Keynote in order to covert them to a Keynote presentation. I keep receiving an error that PICTD has quit. … Read more

Hackers steal customer data from Barnes & Noble keypads

Hackers broke into keypads at more than 60 Barnes & Noble bookstores and made off with the credit card information for customers who shopped at the stores as recently as last month.

The company discovered the breach on September 14 but kept it quiet while the FBI attempted to track the hackers. Hackers broke into the point-of-sale terminals at 63 stores across the country, including locations in New York City, San Diego, Miami, and Chicago.

Since discovering the breach, the company has uninstalled all 7,000 point-of-sale terminals from its hundreds of stores for examination. Although only one terminal in … Read more

Office 2013 Web Apps final version now live on SkyDrive

Microsoft's Office 2013 Web Apps suite is now a final and official part of SkyDrive.

The online Office suite has been available for SkyDrive users since July. But it's been in a customer preview mode still being tweaked by Microsoft. A tweet yesterday from Omar Shahine, a SkyDrive group product manager, confirmed that the final edition is now live.

SkyDrive users who create or open a Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote file will see it pop up in the completed 2013 edition of Office Web Apps. Opening a file created under the previous version triggers a message that … Read more