generation

Soundscapes are collections of sounds that, taken together, create a particular scene. A forest soundscape, for example, might include the sound of wind rustling in the trees, birds singing, and a babbling brook. Soundscapes can be used for any number of purposes, including relaxation, theatrical performances, and parties. Audio Chaos Soundscape Generator makes it easy to create and save custom soundscapes. All you need to get started is a selection of audio files; Audio Chaos Soundscape Generator makes it easy to combine them into interesting soundscapes.

The program has an intuitive interface and displays tooltips at the bottom any time … Read more

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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