memory

SanDisk Memory Zone

SanDisk Memory Zone not only lets you poke into your internal and removable memory sources, it also integrates with several online storage services, making it the ultimate hub for monitoring and managing your mobile device's memory.

The app opens up to a list of your device's memory sources, including internal memory and memory card (if available). To dig into a source, simply tap an icon and scroll through its contained files. Here, you can see exactly what's consuming all your memory, and even view files by type (music, photo, video, document, app, etc). From the home screen, … Read more

Remembering my first iPhone

Editor's note: The iPhone is 5 years old. Last year, I reflected on my very first iPhone, and what owning one was like before the smartphone landscape had utterly changed...before the App Store...before iPads. What I wrote last year is still true now, maybe even more so, although one important event has transpired since: Steve Jobs died October 5, 2011, less than four months later. What follows is what I wrote, along with photos of that iPhone that I still have kicking around, compared with the iPhone 4S. Looking at them side by side, it's amazing how little has changed in terms of form.

It was only 2007 when the iPhone debuted. It seems like longer. My first HDTV, my Wii, and my PlayStation 3 all existed before the first iPhone. Yet, in 2007, BlackBerrys were all the rage. The Motorola Q was an eye-catching phone. Android didn't exist.

Also, my grandparents were still alive. I wasn't married. I didn't have a kid. I was freelance-writing a novel. My life was different then.

The iPhone lines were crazy, but if you picked the right time you could sneak into an Apple Store and buy one. That's because the first iPhone started at $499. No one knew yet whether the device was a smash hit. Apple didn't have a reservation system in place yet, or claim tickets. In the summer of 2007, the iPhone was a novelty. … Read more

Crucial's dinner with Woz called off in favor of gift card, donation

Those hoping for a chance to dine with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak will have to settle for an Apple gift card instead.

Computer memory maker Crucial today made a significant change to the grand prize in the Mac-centric contest it launched earlier this month. Instead of offering a dinner with Wozniak in San Francisco, the company said that "due to unforeseen circumstances," the new prize has been changed to a $10,000 Apple gift card.

"We apologize to our customers for the change in the grand prize, and hope entrants will understand that we were trying to … Read more

Samsung aims to up memory to 2GB for phones, tablets

Ever felt like that game or tabbed-out browser on your phone or tablet could use more memory? Samsung says it has the answer.

The South Korean electronics giant announced today that it has begun making low-power double-data-rate 2 (LPDDR2) memory using 20 nanometer class technology.

Translation: Samsung's most advanced manufacturing process allows it to pack 20 percent thinner memory chips into a 2-gigabyte package.

And that means potentially more large-screen phones and tablets with 2GB of standard system memory instead of the 1GB limit that's prevalent today. And that, in turn, means more DRAM to power memory-hungry games … Read more

RAM upgrade considerations for iMac systems

When it comes to memory upgrades, Apple's CTO offerings for its Mac systems are options I recommend people avoid, not because of any quality issues, but because of the ludicrously high prices Apple charges for the upgrades. For instance, Apple ships its iMac systems with a standard 4GB RAM, but if you want the optional 8GB or 16GB RAM upgrades, you will pay $200 or $600, respectively.

These prices are more than four times the cost of most other similarly sized and specced RAM upgrade options, which are just as compatible with your iMac as Apple's RAM. While … Read more

Computer use plus exercise may reduce age-related memory loss

The combination of mentally stimulating activities such as computer use and moderate physical exercise appears to decrease one's odds of suffering from age-related memory loss, according to a new Mayo Clinic study.

The researchers say their findings among a self-reporting cohort of 926 people ages 70 to 93 are just preliminary, but that the numbers are significant enough to warrant further investigation.

Previous studies have shown links between exercising one's mind and exercising one's body to improved memory, but this one, published in the May 2012 issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, suggests that a combination of … Read more

System slow? Try Memory Booster

When computers run short of memory, the best solution is to add more RAM. But if your PC is already maxed out on memory modules, you can use software to free up resources and improve your system's performance. There are several ways to free up system memory. Rizone Memory Booster uses the simple but effective technique of making regular Windows API calls to tell the operating system to clean up running processes, freeing up system memory in the process. Its automatic mode cleans your system memory at regular intervals determined by the software, but you can configure the program'… Read more

SSD prices may drop following impending price war

In September of last year, slowdowns in the growth of the PC market led to a surplus of OEM RAM supplies and resulted in massive drops in prices for RAM in the following months. This made upgrades to higher-density RAM chips much more feasible for many Mac users, allowing them to do more with their Macs without experiencing slowdowns and other problems that happen when systems run low on memory.

Even though RAM upgrades being cheaper has allowed many to increase the performance of their systems, another major performance bottleneck of modern computers besides the RAM is the hard drive. … Read more

The technology of the 9/11 Memorial

NEW YORK -- The new 9/11 Memorial is stunningly beautiful and extremely visitor-friendly, but the names of the 2,983 people who died in the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing aren't listed alphabetically, meaning that visitors may need help finding specific names.

Yes, there's an app for that. Two, actually.

The memorial, which opened on September 11, 2011 -- the tenth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania -- has already had more than 2 million visitors, and thousands … Read more