2007

Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 pulls a vanishing act

I was all set to write about handwriting in Microsoft Office 2007 today, but a funny thing happened on my way to open Outlook 2007: The program vanished. Gone. Without a trace.

I started to wonder whether somebody had slipped me one of those medications that has the unwanted side-effect of sending people sleepwalking, and sleep-driving, and maybe even sleep-application-deleting. I wouldn't doubt that if I were acting out unconscious wishes as I slumbered, uninstalling Outlook would be at the top of my to-do-while-somnambulant list.

No, I turned off the PC on Friday evening--closing Outlook before I shut down--and … Read more

Crossfade TV: Best of 2007

Later this week we'll post a brand-new Crossfade TV episode, featuring three artists who are already making a big splash in 2008. In the meantime, and before '07 fades entirely into memory, have a look at our end-of-the-season video special highlighting faves from last year's crop, including Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, Kanye West, and Richard Hawley.

Share and synchronize your Outlook and Google calendars

Since I started synchronizing my e-mail inboxes a few months ago, I rarely even open my Outlook mail client. I much prefer seeing the messages sent to my ISP's POP account and those sent to my Gmail account together in my Gmail inbox. But I still have to open Outlook to view my calendar, which I've been using for years, even though I now put many of my nonwork appointments in Google Calendar, which I can access from my iPhone or any Internet-connected PC.

I thought I found a free program that would let me synchronize the two … Read more

Microsoft Word's five most useful hidden features

Tuesday, I described how to convert the outline of a Word document into a Powerpoint presentation automatically. I stated that this feature was missing in Word 2007, but Tim Anderson explained in his ITWriting blog that the function was still there, though you had to dig a little to find it: Click the Office icon in the top-left corner, choose Word Options at the bottom of the dialog, click Customize in the left pane, select All Commands in the Choose Commands From drop-down menu, scroll to and select Send to Microsoft Office Powerpoint, and click Add to place this option … Read more

Episode 632: Best of 2007

… Read more

Episode 629: Predictions results show for 2007

… Read more

The 10 best downloads of 2007

The editors here at CNET Download.com have bashed our heads together trying to sort through the bloody mess that was the past 12 months in software. The rise of webware sure changed the playing field, but we think we've found 10 Windows applications that are either new to the world or had such a major upgrade that they might as well be. We present these in no particular order, but please feel free to add your favorites in the comments below.

… Read more

10 worst downloads of 2007

Pity poor me. Everyone else is out drinking spiked eggnog, full of holiday cheer, and here I am, stuck as the PC Grinch, casting snarks and aspersions upon software that intelligent, dedicated people have spent long, hard hours developing. However, the Download.com users occasionally demand blood, and if I'm the one who must bear the sacrificial knife, so be it.

Before I get to the list, I'll start with a disclaimer: These 10 programs are not the worst software programs in the world. These are simply the 10 programs that I had a major beef with in … Read more

The best and worst of cell phones in 2007

Time may choose its person of the year, but here at CNET we take our time compiling lists that really matter. So recently I joined with my fellow cell phone reviewers to pick the best and worst handsets of 2007. Out of the 123 cell phones we reviewed this year (that number doesn't include all the smart phones we examined), we had some definite winners, and some definite losers.

I'm not going to reveal them all here; instead you'll have to click through to see my picks for the best cell phones of 2007, Bonnie Cha's … Read more