Mechanical keyboard guide

You may have some fanatic friend who's always praising the virtues of his mechanical keyboard. Or maybe you have read about them on this site. But what makes mechanical keyboards different from typical membrane keyboards?

Going VoIP-only: Do you still need cellular voice service?

These days, smartphones with speedy Web connectivity are easy to find, so consumers should be able to get by with just a roomy data plan, dumping voice service in favor of VoIP. But is that practical? To see how feasible cutting voice service is, I decided to go VoIP-only for a week, on the new T-Mobile/Walmart prepaid plan that offers 5GB of 4G data on T-Mobile's HSPA+ 14.4 network for a measly $30 per month.

By Patrick Miller | 11 November, 2011 02:00

Tags: telecommunication, skype, voip, Phones

In pictures: 8 tech superstars as comic book characters

Ever wonder what superpowers Steve Jobs or Bill Gates would have in a comic book? Check out our slideshow of what-if tech superheroes (and supervillains). ART: Neil McAllister and Tony Talbert

By Patrick Miller | 25 August, 2011 16:19

Tags: steve jobs, Neil McAllister, slideshow, mark zuckerberg, Tony Talbert, bill gates, tech superstars, linus torvalds

4 stupid tech tricks, tested

Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke wrote "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." When you read those words, you might imagine yourself showing an iPad to someone from the 1800s. You probably don't think twice about blowing into your old Nintendo Game Paks to get them to load properly. I mean, you know how those work, right?

By Patrick Miller | 17 July, 2011 03:45

Tags: HDTV, Nintendo, hardware systems, software

Google Plus: 8 quick tips and tricks

Google Plus (aka Google+), Google's new social network, might offer the right mix of sharing and privacy to woo you away from your Facebook account.

By Patrick Miller | 02 July, 2011 06:48

Tags: Internet-based applications and services, Google, social media, internet

Tablet or netbook? How to choose the right mobile tech

Tablets, netbooks, smartphones--these days, you can't buy a microwave without being upsold on the touchscreen, app-store model. But when you're picking out your preferred mobile tech for work (or even for play), you can't rely on a features chart or a list of specs to tell you what you should buy.

By Patrick Miller | 24 June, 2011 02:16

Tags: tablet PC, Google, hardware systems, tablets, tablet PCs, laptops, netbooks, netbook

28 iPad 2 tips and tricks

Your new iPad 2 might not be as full-featured (or as complicated) as a laptop or desktop PC, but a few neat tricks are still hidden between the surface. Read on to learn how to secure your iPad, sync your bookmarks, and more.

By Patrick Miller | 17 March, 2011 01:18

Tags: tablet PC, Apple, apple ipad, hardware systems, tablets, tablet PCs, laptops

Mobile survival guide: Top tips for staying connected

Picture this: You're sitting down

By Patrick Miller | 14 January, 2011 01:11

Tags: mobile broadband, dropbox, Google, Networking, USB, LAN, WAN

HDTVs at CES: Small steps in the big picture

Whether they were big or small, LED or plasma, all the HDTVs on the CES 2011 show floor had one thing in common--they took the best that came out of last year, and added several slight, but significant, improvements.

By Patrick Miller | 11 January, 2011 06:28

Tags: lcd hdtv, HDTV, CES, Panasonic, Home Theater, plasma hdtv, sony, entertainment

Sharp's new HDTVs are 70-inches big

Sharp is thinking big with its newest round of HDTVs, led by a whopping 70-inch LED back-lit HDTV.

By Patrick Miller | 06 January, 2011 10:37

Tags: consumer electronics, Home Theater, Pandora, sharp, twitter, netflix, entertainment, Facebook, lcd hdtv

Hands-on With Vizio's New Theater 3D HDTVs

On Monday, Vizio announced their new Theater 3D HDTV lineup: Every TV in their E-series, M-series, and XVT-series line will include support for 3D TV. However, instead of using the active-shutter glasses that were so prevalent (and expensive) in 2010's 3D TVs, Vizio worked with a manufacturer called Sensio to implement polarized 3D--the same kind of 3D found in most movie theaters.

By Patrick Miller | 06 January, 2011 01:56

Tags: HDTV, CES, consumer electronics, Vizio

LG announces 'flicker free' LW6500 cinema 3D TV

In what may turn out to be a sneak peek of CES 2011 HDTV trends, LG announced the newest entry to their 2011 HDTV lineup--and it's a 3D TV that doesn't use the heavy, expensive active-shutter 3D glasses.

By Patrick Miller | 04 January, 2011 13:35

Tags: HDTV, CES, lg, consumer electronics, CES 2011

BitTorrent for beginners

Comcast wants to kill it, your next wireless router will probably have it built-in, and you can use it to download the entire GeoCities archive. BitTorrent has come a long way since its public release on July 2, 2001, but unless you're a regular media pirate, you probably haven't used it much. Read on to find out how it works and to clear up a few common misconceptions about it.

By Patrick Miller | 23 November, 2010 03:12

Tags: bittorrent, E-Mail & Internet, internet

Technology's Biggest Myths

As it turns out, Windows Vista really wasn't all that slow; and no, your PC probably won't fry if you open it up without wearing a wrist strap. Thanks in large part to the Internet, the tech world is teeming with lies, half-truths, and misinformation. We've dug up some of the Web's most notorious nuggets of conventional wisdom to see which hold up to scrutiny and which are merely urban legends.

By Patrick Miller | 23 August, 2010 16:50

Tags: telephony, inkjet, telecommunication, desktop, desktop pcs, Windows, hardware systems, Consumer Advice, software, lcd, Windows 7, operating systems

55 super software secrets

The apps you use most--your Web browser, productivity tools, media managers, and Windows and its built-in accessories--are more powerful than you realize. They are loaded with unpublicized features that make your PC easier to use, they respond to superquick keyboard shortcuts that you've never heard about, and they support add-ons and plug-ins that can shave minutes or even hours off of mundane daily chores.

By Patrick Miller | 24 June, 2010 00:23

Tags: Firefox, applications, Google, Windows, browsers, software, Windows 7, operating systems