functionality

Access hidden function key options in OS X

The standard F1 through F12 function keys in OS X by default are set to change a number of common system settings, including audio volume, backlight and brightness levels, and media player controls. Convenient as this is, sometimes their default behaviors can be intrusive or too crude for your needs.

For example, if your system is connected to an external amplifier that is set to a high volume, then the increments changed by the volume function keys may be too crude for your needs, and the corresponding audio indicator pop may be unpleasantly loud and intrusive, especially if you are … Read more

Microsoft: Surface beats the iPad in display quality

Microsoft's Surface RT has a better display than does the iPad -- that's the case being made by one of the tech gurus behind the new tablet.

At a Reddit IamA held yesterday, Microsoft engineers who worked on Surface answered questions about the tablet.

One question asked how users might consider Surface versus the iPad in light of their different screen resolutions. Surface for Windows RT offers a resolution of 1366x768 while the current iPad delivers a resolution of 2048x1536.

Microsoft's Steven Bathiche quickly chimed in to address that issue. Bathiche is the director of research for … Read more

Obama signs order outlining emergency Internet control

President Barack Obama signed an executive order last week that could give the U.S. government control over the Internet.

With the wordy title "Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions," this order was designed to empower certain governmental agencies with control over telecommunications and the Web during natural disasters and security emergencies.

Here's the rationale behind the order:

The Federal Government must have the ability to communicate at all times and under all circumstances to carry out its most critical and time sensitive missions. Survivable, resilient, enduring, and effective communications, both domestic and international, … Read more

Mini Calculator is a fine little tool

The ideal pocket calculator would be compact yet capable, taking up little space but with an easy-to-use layout that maximizes efficiency. It should have not only basic functions but also optional scientific functions. The same criteria apply to desktop calculators. Jose Falcao's Mini Calculator is a free desktop calculator for Windows that generally meets those criteria. It's compact and efficient, with an attractive layout. You can use it as a basic calculator or add a panel of scientific functions with a click. It also has an optional tally strip feature. Minicalc is also portable freeware, making it a … Read more

Google adds graphing calculator to search

For those who have misplaced their TI-83 graphing calculator, Google has introduced a graphing tool that plots mathematical functions on the search results page.

Students and lovers of all things math need merely to type in a function to the Google search bar, and the tool will render an interactive graph, Google explained today in a company blog announcing the new tool.

"You can zoom in and out and pan across the plane to explore the function in more detail. You can also draw multiple functions by separating them with commas," Google engineer Adi Avidor wrote. "This … Read more

Samsung teases U.S. with Galaxy S II sign-up page

Samsung has already begun revving up U.S. consumers eager for more details about its popular Galaxy S II smartphone.

With the GS II set to launch in the U.S. in August, Samsung has set up a sign-up page where potential buyers can fill out a form to receive more info on the phone and learn about special offers. Consumers are invited to submit their name, e-mail address, mobile phone number, and carrier of choice.

The Galaxy S II made its debut in its home base of South Korea on April 29 before reaching Japan and several European countries … Read more

Samsung sells 5 million Galaxy S II phones in 85 days

Samsung's Galaxy S II smartphone has racked up record sales even before it's hit the hot U.S. market.

The Korean mobile-phone maker said yesterday that it sold more than 5 million units of the Galaxy S II in the 85 days following its debut. Announcing the sales on its Samsung Tomorrow page (Google Translate English version), Samsung said that the phone has captured the top market share among more than 10 countries in Europe.

In comparison, the original Galaxy S took 125 days to reach the same 5-million-unit sales mark.

The GS II launched in its home … Read more

Carryout contacts

A good contacts manager is a necessity, whether it takes the form of a little black book or a computer program. SSuite Office - Address Book Pro Portable is a basic program that can keep track of addresses, phone numbers, and other important information. It's definitely not the most full-featured program of this sort, but it gets high marks for portability and ease of use.

The program has a commonsense interface, with buttons for adding, editing, deleting, and printing contacts on the left side of the home screen. This screen also displays your contacts in a list with names … Read more

Tip: Use modifier keys for additional volume and brightness controls

On Apple's keyboards you have the option to use the function keys either as F-keys, or for the functions Apple has assigned them by default. These include changing the screen brightness, invoking dashboard and expose, controlling iTunes, and adjusting the volume.… Read more