Operating systems

Android 4.2 adds multiple users and panoramic photos, copies Swype and AirPlay

While Google's big press event scheduled for today in New York may have been canceled, the company still decided to move forward with a slew of announcements via blog post. Among them was the release of Android 4.2, an updated version of Jelly Bean to come preinstalled on the new line of Nexus devices.

Swype fans will be pleased to hear that Android 4.2 includes a keyboard that lets users input text via gliding gestures. Not only that, it offers predictions based on common strings of word combinations for "smarter" typing. While the news is … Read more

How to upgrade to Windows 8

The Windows 8 eagle has landed, which means that Microsoft's $39.99 in-place upgrade is now available. They've made it extremely easy to upgrade your computer from a Windows 7, Vista, or XP computer to Windows 8. Here's how it's done.

First, check out our CNET guide on how to prepare your computer for Windows 8. There's also instructions on how to restore your old system, which is important in case something unexpectedly goes awry, or you decide you don't like Windows 8, you can restore what you had before.

If you're upgrading … Read more

Phase One, DxO Labs revamp raw photo software

DxO Labs and Phase One updated their image-editing programs this week, aiming to improve image quality and editing controls in an attempt to fend off market heavyweights Adobe Systems and Apple.

DxO Optics Pro 8 and Phase One Capture One Pro 7, like Adobe's Lightroom and Apple's Aperture, are designed in particular to handle raw photos from higher-end cameras, photos taken directly from the image sensor for higher quality, greater flexibility, but more hassle.

Among DxO Optics Pro's new features announced during the PhotoPlus Expo show in New York:

A "Smart Lighting" control designed to … Read more

Apple adds raw support for Nikon D600, other Photokina models

Apple issued an OS X update today that lets iPhoto, Aperture, and other Mac software use raw photos taken by the Nikon D600 and several other cameras that arrived last month at the Photokina trade show in September.

The Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 4.01 enables use of raw photos from the following cameras: … Read more

7 reasons why Windows RT works

Face it, true Microsoft believers: it's just not that easy to explain Microsoft's "sort-of" version of Windows 8 known as Windows RT.

We took a couple of healthy stabs at it in our Surface RT review and our Windows RT FAQ, and as an operating system it ships with some serious problems.

But fear not: Just because Redmond doesn't want you calling it Windows 8 Lite doesn't mean it doesn't have redeemable qualities. Windows RT and the devices that run it offer some excellent, interesting innovations. Here are our top six:

Windows RT … Read more

How to return to the Windows 8 Start screen

Feeling lost in Windows 8's Desktop mode? Not sure how to get back to the Start screen? It's simpler than you think. We've got three ways to get you back home to the colorful safety of Metro's tiles.

Use the Charms, Luke. Open the Charms bar, Windows 8's new superpowered sidebar. If you're on a touch screen, you can do this by swiping in from the right edge. If you've got a mouse, move the cursor to the upper-right-hand corner of your screen. Wait a moment, and the Charms will appear. Move the … Read more

Windows 8 delivers the goods on benchmarks

CNET Labs has released its system benchmarks comparing Windows old and new, and they've discovered that Microsoft's controversial new operating system doesn't steamroll over Windows 7 as much as it gently shoves it out of the way.

Operating system Boot time Shutdown time MS Office performance iTunes decoding Media multitasking Cinebench Windows 7 SP1 45.2 7.7 408 127 343 16985 Windows 7 SP1 47.5 7.8 412 124 344 17,116 Windows 8 RTM 31.4 8.8 372 123 340 15,300 Windows 8 RTM update 26.4 11.7 367 123 340 … Read more

A handful of new devices surface on day 1 of MobileCon

SAN DIEGO -- Though a significantly smaller show than January's Consumer Electronic Show and February's Mobile World Conference, MobileCon 2012 still kicked off its first day with a handful of new phones. However, hardware companies didn't hog all the fun; there was plenty of carrier news as well.

T-Mobile T-Mobile introduced its first Windows Phone 8 handset, the Nokia Lumia 810. Available withiin weeks, the Lumia 810 has a 4.3 inch touchscreen, an 8 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss technology, and interchangeable back plates that enables the device to charge wirelessly.

Another T-Mobile device, the LG Optimus L9, … Read more

Microsoft rolls out massive Windows 8 update

Microsoft's notorious Patch Tuesday has been replaced by Update Tuesday, at least for today, as the company makes sweeping alterations to Windows 8 and its core apps.

The update to Windows 8 Release to Manufacturing (read the review) aims to improve what was already solid performance in Windows 8. In the blog post announcing the update, Windows president Steve Sinofsky explained that the update would be seamlessly available for all Windows 8 machines when they boot up on October 26 and thereafter. "By developing better test automation and test coverage tools we are happy to say that Windows … Read more

Apple tackles latest OS X issues with supplemental updates

Apple has released a supplemental update to OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion that fixes some outstanding issues that were introduced in or were not addressed by the most recent 10.8.2 update. The fixes include problems with Lion systems taking forever to back up to Time Machine, and a problem in which Mountain Lion would not allow users to access secure Web sites with parental controls, among others.

The specific fixes addressed in the updates are the following:

OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 Supplemental Update (26.65MB)

Resolves an issue that may cause certain Japanese characters … Read more