Desktops

Score one for boring!

One of the side-effects of Apple's popular Mac vs. PC television commercials is that there is now a cottage industry of fakes.

It's time to put aside your personal OS preference (AmigaOS, baby!) and have a good laugh at director Laurie McGuinness's mock PC-vs.-Mac clips. And if you can't...well, you're taking things far too seriously for your own good.

Nevertheless, we've balanced out the bashing with some links to pro-Apple clips below the embedded videos. Enjoy, and ponder whether the video-editing was done on a PC or a … Read more

Gone may be the days of remembering passwords or scanning your fingerprint to log on to your PC. If NecSoft's new authentication software catches on, all you'll need is your face.

The NecSoft BiodeLogon system uses a Webcam to take your mugshot, then matches it up to your assigned user photo. If it's a match, you're logged in. So if you need to change your password, just get a haircut or pierce your nose.

Sounds easy...maybe too easy. If you have an identical twin, can they access your PC? What if you're just not … Read more

Given our circuitous posture, we sometimes wonder if we're even descended from the homo erectus species. If it were up to us, we'd spend every waking moment in the supine state that we find most natural.

But society doesn't look kindly upon those of us who assume this position in public places, so we're forced to address the dreaded posture issue. Brando may make this slightly easier, according to Uber-Review, with its "USB posture reminder," an LED sensor that sits atop the monitor and flashes irritatingly if you get too close to the screen.… Read more

With so many concerns about the ergonomics of the mouse, why not just remove it altogether? After all, laptops and their touchpads have done just fine without them. Sweden's Mousetrapper Nordic apparently shares this philosophy, which is why it designed the "Mousetrapper Advance."

It's described on TechShout as a "unique electronic pointing device" and a "multi-dimensional steering pad," but to us it looks like a laptop-style touchpad built into a wrist rest. Marketing-speak aside, it could still be a good idea for RSI sufferers. For our part, we're sticking with the &… Read more

If you've been playing around with a prerelease version of Windows Vista Ultimate (millions of people have been testing different versions of the new OS for months), you might have been wondering about all the extra features promised in the highest-end Ultimate edition.

Instead of the usual "no extras are currently available" message, users can now download two new features. The first is Hold 'Em Poker, a basic single-player poker simulator. The second is a series of enhancements that make it easier to use the BitLocker hard drive encryption system.

It may not be the most awe-inspiring … Read more

We saw this news over on Crunchgear this morning, and sure enough, the Apple Store has a download enabling 802.11n wireless networking on the majority of its current desktops and laptops. It'll cost you $1.99 (nickel and dime much, Apple?) but for that affordable price you can upgrade an Airport Extreme-equipped Mac Pro and every Core 2 Duo-based MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac (minus the 17-inch, 1.83GHz model). We're disappointed the MacMini didn't make the cut, but then it still uses Core Duo (note the missing "2"). Perhaps when/if the little … Read more

We'll confess: When we heard CompUSA was keeping its stores open until 2 a.m. for the Vista launch this morning, we scoffed. Sure, we reasoned, people will show up at the locations where they're giving away free gadgets and food, and a visit from a pro football player will certainly draw more than your typical techie crowd. But we were convinced that every other store would be filled with the sounds of crickets chirping, accompanied by bored employees drumming their fingers on idle cash registers.

But when we pulled up to the CompUSA in Culver City (Los … Read more

The Leopard update of Apple OS X will be able to wirelessly transmit the Mac desktop to any HDTV that's connected to an Apple TV box--at least, that's the word according to LoopRumors (as spotted on Digg). Of course, the report is nothing more than a rumor: no source is cited, and there's no way to know if this is based on genuine inside information or whether it's just another fanboy fantasy. But chewing on wild, unsubstantiated rumors is half the fun with Apple products, so--with a massive grain of salt firmly in place--let the speculation … Read more

Because it costs less, that's why. If you're the type of rugged individualist who builds computers from scratch (well, almost), then you know that shipping can be the difference between a bargain and a waste of time. So Aopen Asia is making tower cases that fold up and save space, resulting in lower packing and shipping costs, according to OhGizmo. This way, the company says it can fit twice as many cases in a standard shipping container. There are no guarantees, of course, that the savings will be passed along to the consumer. (We can be so cynical … Read more