ie8 fix

snow

iPad + ice storm + gravity = surprise outcome

In some parts of the country, a little snowfall isn't a big deal, but in my part of the country--Seattle--things can get bad fast.

Seattle, if you're not familiar, is built on a series of steep hills. It also has relatively mild winters, though it usually gets cold enough to snow once or twice a year. A winter storm blew in last week that dumped a few inches of snow and brought record-low temperatures. It also coated the entire hilly city in a good half-inch of slick ice under the snow.

And that's where I had a problem. Walking home on Wednesday night, getting ready for Thanksgiving, I was walking down a street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. I was not wearing snow-sensible shoes. My feet went flying out from under me and I landed on my back. Hard. It hurt.

But before I even realized I was injured (I bruised a couple of ribs, cut open my thumb, and pulled a muscle in my left leg), my mind went to the canvas bag over my shoulder and the unprotected iPad inside.

I pulled the gadget out and surveyed the damage. It was beat up pretty bad and looked like I felt, but it still fared better than me.… Read more

The 404 718: Where it's snowing in space (podcast)

Our apologies to the listeners who waited patiently for us to fix the live stream this morning--CNET Live has a brand new layout and we're still working things out, so thanks for your patience and understanding!

Today's topics include a new generation of Four Loko alternatives, social-networking shoes, and Wilson's struggle to jam a big tip into a small ear canal.

New manufacturers are springing to life to fill the void left by Four Loko and Sparks, and one of them infuses alcohol into an aerosol spray of whipped cream. It's called Whipped Lightning, and it's the newest way to get alcohol poisoning thanks to its 30-proof, 15 percent alcohol content.

But if you really want to end up in a hospital, try whipping it onto a glass of 40-proof chocolate milk, the new newest Four Loko substitute coming soon to Minnesota, California, and Arizona.

Remember the Boba Fett Adidas sneakers we first saw on our buddy Peter Ha's feet back in September? Those looked pretty cool, but check out these new concept designs for a new pair of Adidas Superstars designed to look like Facebook and Twitter.

Luckily they're only concepts (for now), but with fools paying more than $1,000 for an official Facebook hoodie, it's not hard to imagine them arriving at Foot Locker in the near future. And while you're there, be sure to look in the clearance bin for The 404 Adidas Superstars as well. Thanks for the image Ddawg!

Tune in after the break as we advise Wilson how to properly insert the tip of an in-ear headphone like the Monster Turbine into his tiny canals. Be afraid--it's just as terrifying as it sounds.

Episode 718 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS VideoRead more

High-tech exhibits shine at Walt Disney museum

SAN FRANCISCO--It's hard to imagine anything in a museum featuring hundreds of original Disney concept sketches and art pieces, including dozens of Mickey Mouse, being as impressive as the art itself.

But try visiting the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio here and not coming away with the strong impression that the way the facility was designed, with its wide variety of beautiful digital displays, imaginative use of video screens, innovative touch-screens, audio clips of Walt himself nearly everywhere you go, and much more, is nearly as compelling an experience as the opportunity to see first-hand the origins … Read more

Updates for Aperture and Snow Leopard ProKit are available

Along with the release of Java updates for OS X 10.5 and 10.6 and the firmware updates for the new MacBook Air system to address some possible system hangs, Apple has released updates for Aperture and an accompanying ProKit update for Snow Leopard.

The version 3.1 release of Aperture adds a host of performance and quality enhancements, including library management, face recognition, and small edits like red-eye correction and image straightening. The 357.55MB update is available for OS X 10.5.8 and 10.6.2 or later. Apple recommends it for all Aperture 3 users, … Read more

Apple releases MacBook Air and Java updates

Following Apple's announcements for the new MacBook Air models and features of OS X Lion and iLife, Apple has issued a few updates for current systems. The first is an update for the new 2010 model MacBook Air systems that were released today, and the second is an update to Java for Snow Leopard installations.

The MacBook Air update fixes graphical issues in which the system may become unresponsive during the playback of movie trailers in iMovie, and also addresses an issue in which the system would hang after waking from sleep when attached to an external display. The … Read more

System requirements for Apple's iLife '11

With Apple's release of iLife '11, new hardware requirements have been published so that people can run the latest software enhancements. Keep in mind that these are the minimum specifications required to run the new iLife '11 and better hardware will ensure smoother operation.… Read more

Apple releases Snow Leopard Graphics Update 1.0

Apple has released Snow Leopard Graphics Update 1.0 to solve specific issues regarding frame rates in Portal and Team Fortress 2 on certain Macs, as well as issues that could cause StarCraft II or Aperture 3 to quit unexpectedly or become unresponsive. … Read more

64-bit kernel now default on Apple's Mac Pro

While the phrase "640KB RAM ought to be enough for anybody" was falsely attributed to Bill Gates, it definitely outlines a way many of us think about the computing limits we're faced with. At the time this was purportedly said, computers were just transitioning to 16-bit architectures with the Intel 8088 processor (the one used in some of the first PCs), which broke through the 64-byte memory limit of the older architecture.

In the past few years Macs and other PCs have been in a similar transition with 64-bit capable processors (starting with Apple's G5), but … Read more

Add 'cut and paste' support for files and folders in OS X

When many Windows users switch to the Mac, one of the seemingly logical features that is missing is the ability to cut and paste items in the filesystem browser. Many people get used to this for organizing their files, and to see it missing on the Mac takes a little getting used to if you have frequently used this feature.… Read more

Apple quietly adds anti-malware in Snow Leopard update

In the latest update to Snow Leopard, Apple included software to protect Mac computers from a Trojan horse that has been distributed by attackers disguised as iPhoto, but which opens a back door on the machine, security firm Sophos said on Friday.

When Apple released OS X 10.6.4 on Tuesday, the company said it addressed certain compatibility issues with VPN connections and other things, but failed to mention anything about adding an anti-malware update.

But buried in the code is an update to the XProtect.plist file, which contains signatures of malware written to target the Mac. The … Read more