instant

commentary I'm generally an optimistic guy, but iMessage left me feeling that the cup is half empty.

Apple's new service for iOS 5 devices lets people send messages to each other through a system that embraces and then extends the traditional text-messaging world. It's got plenty to be excited about, but overall I'm sad that a powerful computer is repeating the mistakes of the instant-messaging market.

Here's why: I'm glad somebody with Apple's clout is sticking it to the carriers when it comes to overpriced text messages. But I need another proprietary messaging … Read more

HP today announced a partnership with Conde Nast that will deliver a handful of its most popular magazines (Allure, Details, Epicurious, Wired, Self, Golf Digest, etc.) to your home. Well, more specifically to your printer.

The press release shapes it as a "new digital content distribution medium that merges rich content and digital-to-print service," which really just means that readers can schedule automatic digital content delivery straight to HP's Web-connected printers, which will then use lots of ink to print out excerpts from magazines...in full color. This is the content solution that will save the print industry? Check your calendars; it's not April.… Read more

Thanks to a new licensing deal Amazon has made with 20th Century Fox, later this fall Amazon Prime members will be able to instantly stream such TV shows as "24," "The X-Files," and "Arrested Development" and such movies as "Office Space" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

The deal will bring the total number of "free" Prime instant videos to more than 11,000 movies and TV shows as Amazon continues its efforts to match up with Netflix in the digital streaming arena.

Amazon Prime currently costs $79 a year and allows members to get free two-day shipping on many products Amazon sells. Amazon is heavily pushing the program with enticements like video streaming because it stands to reason that Prime members are Amazon's most loyal shoppers. … Read more

Maybe the biggest piece of Microsoft news this week was about Windows 8 startup times. For good reason. It's one of those nuts-and-bolts issues that affects (plagues?) every Windows user. But Windows 7 startup can be pretty snappy too with the right hardware, and it should improve later this year.

Let me begin by saying I am also a little skeptical of Microsoft's claims of eight-second bootup times for Windows 8 (see: Microsoft promises faster startup for Windows 8). My third-generation MacBook Air with a solid-state drive takes about 16 seconds from power-up to the main OS X … Read more

For many people, the first part of every workday is spent turning on their computer and then opening the various programs, documents, and Web sites that they regularly use to do business. If you'd rather go get a cup of coffee instead of staring at your screen while you launch each individual program and file, try Instant File Opener. This easy-to-use program can automatically launch everything you need, saving you time and letting you focus on something else while your computer gets its act together.

The program's interface is plain and intuitive, and we had no trouble getting … Read more

Samsung is jumping into the instant messaging market with a new IM tool destined for a variety of feature phones and smartphones.

The Korean mobile phone maker's new and free ChatOn IM client is designed to be cross-platform, allowing users of a wide range of phones to be able to chat with family, friends, and colleagues. The service will be preinstalled on Samsung's feature phones as well as smartphones running both Android and the company's own Bada mobile OS, according to Reuters.

But it will also be available as a free download for other mobile platforms, including … Read more

Yesterday started like so many others, with me standing in the back of a noisy, sweltering bus that smelled of urine. But unlike previous mornings, this time I was able to use my phone to quantify my stress level as it mounted with each jarring pothole.

Armed with a new app called Stress Check on my iPhone, I could verify that the stress I was feeling was real--when I woke up my level was 1 percent, but on the bus it topped 100. And while a number of apps require an external attachment to take health measurements, Stress Check required just me and my phone.

Released a couple of weeks ago, Stress Check is one of several apps from Palo Alto, Calif. start-up Azumio, which recently received $2.5 million in series A funding. The company's first health-oriented app, Instant Heart Rate (also available for Android), has generated 8 million downloads since its release in January. The company has more apps in the pipeline.

If it's easy, and fun, to collect personal health data, more people will likely be inclined to do so--and take action, reasons Azumio co-founder Bojan Bostjancic, who stopped by CNET headquarters last week to demo the company's health apps. … Read more

Amazon's Instant Video service has reached an important milestone.

The e-commerce giant says it now has 100,000 movies and television shows available to customers to buy or rent. The video content, which can be viewed on more than 300 devices, including PCs, Blu-ray players, and televisions, has a starting price of $3.99 per video, depending on what customers choose to watch.

"The 100,000 titles on Amazon Instant Video range from new hit blockbusters to old favorites, with more than 15,000 of those titles available in HD, and popular TV shows available the day after … Read more

Abbreviations have become a pretty common part of online communication, but so-called Netspeak is not without its detractors; linguistic purists insist that it's an affront to the English language. If you want the economy of keystrokes provided by abbreviations without sacrificing proper word use, try InstantType. This simple utility will automatically paste the full text of whatever abbreviations you type, allowing you to save time and still sound literate.

There's not much to InstantType, really; when it's running it appears as an icon in the system tray, and right-clicking on it brings up a Settings menu. Here, … Read more