In the August 2010 PCWorld: Super Software Secrets

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In today's PCWorld Preview: • In the Current Issue • Hot Downloads in the Current issue • PCWorld online exclusives Inside the August PCWorld Perk up your PCs performance with the August issue's collection of 55 shortcuts, add-ons, third-party apps, and services. Most of these gems cost little or nothing. Also check out our lab tests of seven pocket megazoom cameras, which outperform basic point-and-shoots and are easier to use than SLRs. And if you're considering a new PC or laptop purchase, we put eight leading desktop and laptop chips through a battery of rigorous tests to help you shop with confidence. We welcome your comments about any of the tips, reviews, and news in the latest issue. Send your feedback to our editorial director: steve_fox@pcworld.com In the Current Issue The Best Places to Buy Tech Gear We shopped our way across the country--online and off--to see which retailer has the best selection, service, and prices for six types of tech products. See related articles on PCWorld.com: » The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years » Reliability and Service: Technology's Most (and Least) Reliable Brands » 25 Best Business Software Tools and Web Services Inside Office 2010 Microsoft's latest suite offers both refinements and new features, including Web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. We take an in-depth look. See related articles on PCWorld.com: » 9 Ways to Spice Up Office 2010 Documents » 3 Reasons to Make the Move to Office 2010 » Microsoft Completes Rollout of Office 2010 The Netbook You Need Whether you want to watch video in high-definition, work during a long flight, or accommodate a tight budget, great netbooks abound. See related articles on PCWorld.com: » Laptop vs. Netbook vs. Smartphone » Long Live Your Laptop Battery! » Nvidia GeForce GTX 480M: The World's Fastest Notebook GPU? Hot Downloads in the Current Issue Stalled Printer Repair This free tool detects and purges any stuck print jobs, allowing you to resume printing right away. Windows Live Photo Gallery This program lets you assign tags to your photos by dragging and dropping items into a folder-like panel. Hotspot Shield This free VPN service encrypts all your traffic and transmits it through a tunnel to the Hotspot Shield data center and then out to the Internet. Comodo Dragon Comodo Dragon boasts what's called "Incognito Mode," which allows you to surf with no trace of your existence. This is handy for surfing over free public Wi-Fi, where security is an issue. PCWorld Online Exclusives Five Smart Printer Shopping Tips Inkjet or laser? Single-function printer or MFP? Our shopping advice can help you decide. Your Browser in Five Years The next big computing platform won't be Apple's Mac OS, Google's Android, or Microsoft's Windows. It's already here--and it's the Web. Household Hacks: Fix Home Nuisances With Your Tech Pigeons perched on your window? Cables cluttered? Use your tech to make your home life a little easier. A History of Portable Computing From 'portables' that weighed nearly 30 pounds in the 1980s to the featherweight Apple iPad of 2010, portable computing has come a long way. Here's a look at some of the milestones. Are You Part of the PCWorld.com Community? Register to ask questions or post comments in our forums, post user reviews of products, comment on PCWorld articles and more! Join now! Print Without a PC See the world's first Web-connected home printer with web apps. Learn more and watch the demo. 3D Laptop Will Take Your Breath Away Play games, watch movies and view photos - all in 3D. See it here. Advertisement Does your PC come with its own Virtual IT department? For a limited time, save big on select Lenovo PCs with AT&T Tech Support 360 service.Click here. » Most Popular Searches Android iPad Windows 7 Antivirus Google Product Reviews Alienware M11x 88 Pros AlienFX customizable lighting; Fantastic performance Cons Display has poor vertical viewing angles; Fan noise gets a little loud Read Complete Review » Top Ultraportable Laptops » AVADirect Clevo X8100 Core i7 Gaming Notebook 89 Pros Bright, large display; Good gaming performance--for a laptop Cons Gaming performance doesn't measure up to desktops; Extremely bulky and heavy Read Complete Review » Top Desktop Replacement Laptops » HP Mini 5102 80 Pros Lots of options, including touchscreen display; Good keyboard and touchpad Cons Expensive for a netbook; Limited resolution Read Complete Review » Top Netbooks » Top 10 Business Laptops » Get Big Savings When you Shop at PCWorld.com Shop online at PCWorld.com, where you can compare product information, read trusted reviews, and find the best prices on consumer electronics. Mini NB305-N410BN Netbook - Atom N450 1.66 GHz - 10.10" - Brown Price: $342.79 Avg User Rating User Reviews MacBook MC516LL/A Notebook - Core 2 Duo 2.40 GHz - 13.3" - White Price: $969.95 Avg User Rating User Reviews Browse more Best Prices on Laptops, Notebook Accessories, Wireless Networking, Desktops Top News on PCWorld.com Apple iOS 4: 10 Best Features Multitasking might be the biggest news in the latest version of the iPhone OS, but it has plenty of other useful features and refinements, too. Here's a hands-on look at our 10 favorites. Share: Adobe's Flash Player 10.1 Sent to Phone Makers Adobe is sending the final version of Flash Player 10.1 to its mobile partners. Share: Top Reviews on PCWorld.com Apple iOS 4: 10 Best Features Multitasking might be the biggest news in the latest version of the iPhone OS, but it has plenty of other useful features and refinements, too. Here's a hands-on look at our 10 favorites. Share: Review: WordPress 3.0 Adds Better Customization and Multisite Networks The new version of WordPress includes useful new features for both single-site bloggers and organizational admins. Share: Chip Showdown: A Guide to the Best CPUs Confused about which processor to pick for your new system? We tested eight leading chips to help you make the smartest choice. Heres everything you need to know about todays best desktop, laptop, and mobile CPUs. Share: Beta Watch: DataInherit, Flavors.me, Longform.org This month, we look at a virtual safe deposit box, a personal Website service, and a site for long-form journalism. Share: Downloads: Editor's Collection PCWorld Reviewers' Favorite Downloads: May 2010In PCWorld Downloads, our reviewers sometimes find fascinating new files...and sometimes develop a fresh appreciation for the tried-and-true. This May, both scenarios played out. We ran across handy little utilities for system tray use and Office improvements. We reviewed tools for DVD-ripping, energy conservation, general tweaks, and more. And with all that work done, we felt fine about relaxing with a physics-based desktop toy and a classic game. WinBubble   25725 Downloads  |  Free  |  Filed Under System Resources Tune-Up. Tweak Windows Vista in many different ways. SoupToys Toybox   2130 Downloads  |  Free  |  Filed Under Simulation Add time-wasting but fun toys with realistic physics directly to your desktop. Switch Off   405 Downloads  |  Free  |  Filed Under Desktop Set a time for your PC to shut itself off, hibernate, log off a user, or run a script with this utility. See (3) more PCWorld Reviewers' Favorite Downloads: May 2010 » Browse DownloadsAntivirus & Security • Design & Multimedia • Utilities • Games • Chat, Email, & the Web • Sponsored Downloads StickyNoteStickyNote is the most popular virtual notes program in the world. With StickyNote 9.0, you can create beautiful 3D notes on your desktop and send them instantly over the Internet or a LAN. StickyNote also enables you to adhere notes to documents or windows *and* to attach documents to your note. StickyNote eliminates the clutter and confusion of keeping up with the reminders and phone numbers that never seem to be where you left them. Forget jotting down messages and let StickyNote deliver them for you. You can even customize a note's texture, color and priority with a few simple clicks, and you can set an alarm to have notes appear at a certain time or at regular intervals. Managing important information has never been easier! Net Librarian 8.0Net Librarian is an Internet search utility which functions like a search engine, but brings back lists of Web sites which match key words you enter. This saves you the time of waiting to browse each of these Web sites to see whether your key words are there. (Search engines don't ensure that your key words are actually on the page) You can view these at your leisure, and copy and paste topics for your research report or student paper.

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