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It's no secret that we're fans of "other" browsers, but the browsers often seem like well-kept secrets themselves, especially when you get into the ranks of those Web browsers that stand way behind the "Big 3" (or 5, depending on how you feel about Opera and Safari) in market share. That's a shame, because many of these alternative browsers are worth gossiping about.

To compete with the big players, let alone other would-be contenders, many of these up-and-comers offer unique and interesting features and capabilities you won't find in the famous browsers … Read more

Don't hold your breath for Intel chips inside Apple iPads or iPhones.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gus Richard doesn't see it happening until 2015.

"We believe Apple could add roughly $5B-$6B/yr in revenue for Intel but is unlikely to be a foundry customer this year or next," said Richard, who follows Intel closely, in a research note today.

Five to six billion dollars in added revenue is nothing to sniff at in light of all the smartphone and tablet chip business now going to Intel rivals like Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Samsung.

But he added that … Read more

Apple today launched iOS version 6.1.3 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users.

The latest update fixes a security flaw that allowed someone to gain access to an iPhone by getting past the lock screen.

By following a specific series of steps, including making an emergency call, a person could get around the passcode and make phone calls, listen to voice mail, or check contact photos.

iOS 6.1.3 also adds improvements to Apple's Maps app for users in Japan.

iOS users can update their devices over the air by opening the Settings screen, tapping on … Read more

A researcher used a simple, binary technique to take control of more than 420,000 insecure devices including Webcams, routers, and printers running on the Internet -- and says that's just a hint of the potential for real trouble to get started.

In a SecLists posting yesterday, the unnamed researcher describes how he was able to take control of open, embedded devices on the Internet. The researcher did so by using either empty or default credentials such as "root:root" or "admin:admin", indicating how a surprisingly large number of devices connected to the Web … Read more

With the relatively low reliability of current rotating drives and limited lifespan of SSD memory, looking for a good solution to back up your important files seems only natural. If Time Machine is not enough for you, a more advanced tool such as Syncovery for Mac could be a good option.

Syncovery for Mac lets you choose between a somewhat simplified interface consisting of four main areas/buttons or a more advanced table mode. The program offers options for making exact copies of folders and drives (cloning) or for programming one-way or two-way synchronization. Two-way synchronization is especially useful for … Read more

For advanced users of video files, finding quality programs for Mac to work with MKV files can be difficult. MKVToolnix for Mac has multiple features for working with these files, but only advanced users are likely to be able to interpret the program.

Available as freeware, MKVToolnix for Mac has no restrictions or payment required for its full use. Download and installation were fairly easy and only required the user to locate and initiate the program to load it for the first time. No user agreements were required to complete the setup. There is a Read Me file that comes … Read more

Tablets and smartphones can make great digital photo frames on the fly. Social Frame Free HD Slideshow will craft a nifty slideshow of all the photos of you and your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Social Frame works well enough, but doesn't give you enough control of your slideshow. You can't do much with it once it's created.

The slideshow has to physically sync each of the pictures you want it to display individually. If you choose more than a dozen or so photos this takes a very long time and does a number on your phone … Read more

Android is the go-to for gearheads because of all the custom ROMs you can put on your phone. ROM Manager makes it even easier by taking the guesswork out of installing the Clockwork Mod, one of the more popular custom ROMs, on your phone. It lets you back up your installations, search for new updates, and more.

ROM Manager only works with the Clockwork Mod, so you have to have that installed for this to work. This app won't even let you do anything without already having rooted your phone. While it won't hold your hand through the … Read more

For those users who have multiple disks with hundreds of files, organizing them may be a challenge. DiskCatalogMaker for Mac works well to organize these files, but most users will not find the limited features useful.

DiskCatalogMaker is available as a free trial version; the full purchase price is $29.99. Download and installation completed quickly, despite the lack of a native installer. Unfortunately, there were no obvious instructions to DiskCatalogMaker, but there are updates available. The program started quickly, but the interface was poorly designed. Instructions would have been helpful for all but the most sophisticated users. There are … Read more