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The guide to password security (and why you should care)

In a better world, vulnerable accounts like banks, medical records, e-mail, and cloud drives would be protected with biometric systems. A swipe of a finger or a retina scan would allow access to your most important data.

Alas, eight-or-more-character passwords still dominate Web service log-ins. Anything from your investment portfolio to your Facebook account is simply accessed with an e-mail address (or username) and a few characters.

Yet, many Internet users continue to use easy-to-guess passwords like "123456," "qwerty," or their first names. Even worse, users repeat the same password (or a variation of one) across … Read more

Character Name Generator

Have you ever found yourself needing a name for a character in a story, a play, or a novel? Well, writers in the U.S., at least, can now breathe a collective sigh of relief and turn to Character Name Generator, freeware from Bad Wolf Software.

Once installed, the software's interface is quite simple and very easy to understand. To produce a list, you pick a gender, set the desired popularity of the first and last names, choose the age group, and then click on the Generate Names button. The tool will then provides a set of 11 names … Read more

New Toshiba all-in-ones have a certain something

Expect lots of new all-in-one designs between now and the launch of Windows 8 in the fall. Odds are high they will blend together into commoditized, mass-market PC mush. Still, there's something appealing about this new LX800-series design from Toshiba.… Read more

Apple looking into new iPad Wi-Fi issues

Apple is investigating Wi-Fi connection issues on the new iPad, according to a report at 9to5Mac.

The Apple-centric Web site has posted what it says is an AppleCare internal document citing "intermittent connectivity...slow Wi-Fi speeds...[and] Wi-Fi network not seen."

At the top, the document states in red, "Issue/Investigation in Progress" and, under that, "Products Affected, iPad (3rd generation)."

Retail stores and "contact centers" are instructed to "capture" third-generation iPads if they exhibit any Wi-Fi issues, according to the document. In this case, capture refers to picking up … Read more

Researcher says new iPad's charging math is 'wrong'

A report from DisplayMate Technologies yesterday noted that Apple's latest iPad is not fully charged when it shows that it's 100 percent juiced up, and today the creator of that report says the problem is due to bad math.

In a note sent to CNET and other media outlets this morning, DisplayMate President Ray Soneira said the iPad's behavior here can be attributed to the calculations that go into determining how far along the recharging process is based on battery health and other factors:

The charge indicator on all mobile devices is based on a mathematical model … Read more

How to disable explicit language for Siri

Siri Dictation on the new iPad, as well as the iPhone 4S, is fairly accurate a majority of the time. But, as with anything software-based (let alone in beta), sometimes mistakes are made. However, when those mistakes throw out some choice four-letter words, especially when kids are present, it's not going to make people happy.

Yesterday I was asked by a reader if it was possible to disable explicit language for Siri Dictation on the new iPad. So, I decided to make a video showing how easy it is to disable explicit language for Siri on both the iPad, … Read more

Apple mum on 'record' iPad launch numbers

How many iPads did Apple sell over the weekend?

There is no official tally as of yet, but the company has already outed the device as setting a new record.

During this morning's conference call in which the company announced a dividend and a stock buy-back program, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster about sales of the company's latest iPad, which was released Friday.

"We had a record weekend, and we're thrilled with it," Cook said.

Whether that's a record by iPad standards or of any Apple product … Read more

New iPad launch: Live from the streets

Friday is D-day for consumers looking to get their hands on Apple's third generation iPad, and lines are expected to be long because the device is already sold out online.

Doors at Apple stores and most other retailers selling the new iPad open at 8 a.m. local time in nine countries, including the U.S., and two U.S. territories. The first iPad was already sold in Australia at a Telstra store that opened at midnight local time. Other countries getting the new iPad include: Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, France, the U.K., and the U.… Read more

Even in Paris, buying an iPad still has that ooh la la

PARIS--Why brave the chilly, early spring air of Paris for hours just to get the latest electronic gadget that you could also just order online?

Because, as Apple demonstrated today as hundreds gathered outside its store to buy the new iPad, there still can be more to it than a mere financial transaction.

"J'aime le Mac," said Zhuang Bin, shuffling slowly but steadily down a chicane of metal crowd-control barriers to buy a new companion for his first- and second-generation iPads.

The Apple tablet no longer is such a novelty, and buying one is mundane for plenty … Read more

CNET Asia's new iPad review: iPad is still the tablet king

Editor's Note: Read CNET's full Apple iPad review here.

The new iPad may first go on sale at 12:01am Friday here in our corner of the world, but CNET's Singapore-based team managed to snag Apple's third-generation iPad 4G at midnight their time, before staying up until the wee hours reviewing the anticipated device. Read CNET Asia's iPad review.

Vincent Chang's verdict is more or less what we expected after Donald Bell got his hands on the device here in San Francisco at Apple's launch event last week. The stunning Retina Display on … Read more