Freeing Google From the Desktop
We put Google’s suite of mobile programs through the ringer to see if we might let it infiltrate our on-the-go lifestyle as easily as Google search has become an everyday part of our computer’s browser.
Sort by: Newest First | Oldest First 1-15 of 20 Results
We put Google’s suite of mobile programs through the ringer to see if we might let it infiltrate our on-the-go lifestyle as easily as Google search has become an everyday part of our computer’s browser.
BlackBerry users are a stubborn bunch, almost as fond of their device’s familiar features — scroll wheel, full minikeyboard and big screen — as they are of constantly checking email. So when I directed all of my work and personal email from my current BlackBerry to the newest BlackBerry 8800 for this column’s testing, I [...]
The iPhone is a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer, Walt Mossberg and Katherine Boehret say. A major drawback: the network it uses. Video
The H-P Smart Web Printing program is a useful free solution that organizes online research right in your browser, but only works for PC users of Internet Explorer — for now.
Apple’s updates for the iPhone and iPod Touch enable more customization and outfit each device with a handful of new features, making both gadgets much more useful and fun.
Video-sharing service SeeToo lets users watch videos along with the people with whom they’re sharing it and type comments to each other in real time. But SeeToo sounds too good to be true, and in many tests, it was.
The once-frustrating process of sharing digital photos and videos has improved over the past year, thanks to seamless Web-based programs. One such application, shwup, serves as a neat, artistic way to share photos quickly — when it works.
We tested Meebo, Adium and Digsby, free instant-messaging programs that work by being a one-stop shop for online communication. All three are straightforward and work without much effort or instruction.
Kinoma Play is one application that is desperately needed by Windows Mobile users, and it just might remind them that there’s a better way to navigate media and media-related Web services without needing to buy a new mobile device.
Web video has transformed the way the Internet is used, but finding the exact clip you want can be incredibly hard. And it’s no wonder, considering that sites like YouTube conduct their hunts by looking at a clip’s “contextual metadata” — tags, video title and description — and thus can often be misled by false information.
If you’ve heard of Twitter but don’t exactly know what it is or how it works, you’re in good company. In the past two months a bunch of my friends, ranging in age from early 20s to late 30s, have asked me about Twitter–or Tweeter, as one person accidentally called it. To clear things up, I’ve put together a basic Twitter guide that explains how to use it, Twitter lingo, privacy options, mobile applications that can be used with the service and problems that it has.
Katie reviews Windows Live, Microsoft’s Web-based attempt to consolidate many of the regular activities you perform on the Internet: sharing photos on Flickr, emailing via Hotmail, posting status updates on Facebook, following tweets on Twitter, sending instant messages on Google Chat and keeping a calendar on Apple’s MobileMe.
There’s nothing more frustrating than a fruitless Web search — or one that returns results that distract you from your original goal. This week I tested two free tools that attempt to make your Web searches more relevant by learning from users’ reactions to search results.
The Nintendo DSi’s two cameras, snappy Web browser and music-player capabilities make it a likable and well-rounded device.
RealPlayer SP grabs videos from the Web and converts and transfers them to over a dozen portable devices. While other software programs perform two or just one of these tasks, RealPlayer’s trio of talent make it like a digital Swiss army knife.
Click below to browse or search past editions of Walt and Katie's columns.
Walt's main column, written since 1991, in which he reviews hardware, software and web sites, and comments on technology issues.
Walt's weekly column in which he answers readers' questions.
Edited by Walt and written by Katie Boehret, this is a guide to gadgets, web services and other consumer technologies.
Here is a statement of my ethics and coverage policies. It is more than most of you want to know, but, in the age of suspicion of the media, I am laying it all out.