Business

It's been a year since Google released Chrome for Windows, and now Mac and Linux users have access to the popular, streamlined browser. It comes just two months after Google co-founder Sergey Brin told his audience at the Web 2.0 Summit that the ... absence of a Mac version of Chrome was a serious disappointment for his company. To be clear, the edition of Chrome for download by Mac users is still in its beta stages. Still, Google says the release is part of a long-term project that has meant much sweat and stress up to this point. "The Wait was Worth it, " Says Google "We've been ... (view more)

According to a recent survey by a Windows support firm, almost one in every three problems with Windows 7 is tied to issues arising during installation. The report highlights consumer difficulties in making the long jump from the nearly decade-old ... Windows XP to Microsoft's latest operating system (OS). 100,000 Customers Surveyed The support company in question, iYogi, found that in a survey of 100,000 customers an estimated 31 per cent of all problems with Windows 7 were issues experienced during installation. Rounding out the top three most-reported frustrations for new Windows 7 users was ( ... (view more)

One of the best Windows 7 retail deals (aside from the $30 student package, of course) was Microsoft's special Windows 7 Family Pack promotion, which bundled three licenses for the new operating system (OS) for the discounted price of $150. Despite ... rumors that the Family Pack is now sold out across the U.S., reports suggest Microsoft's own stores might still have a few copies. Family Pack Sold Out on Microsoft Site A Microsoft spokesperson yesterday told the media that the Windows 7 Family Pack, which includes three licenses (and thus, can be installed on three different computers) had sold ... (view more)

Google will soon offer a range of new search options. The improvements include a constantly updated "real-time" search and some creative ways for using camera phones. One of the main drawbacks to any search engine has been that it takes time for ... pages to be scanned, analyzed and then added to the site's index so that they appear in searches. Today, that time has been greatly reduced, and it's common for news stories to appear on the first page of Google search results on the same day they are published. However, that's not enough for some users who want to search for the latest details on a ... (view more)

It appears Apple has gone ahead with plans to buy the rather unique music streaming service, named "LaLa." Some say the purchase could lead to big changes and, hopefully, improvements to the company's own iTunes service. LaLa has tested several ... different projects in the past, including CD swapping and radio, but in recent years has been known as a challenger to other popular music streamers like Pandora and Last.fm (frustratingly, like those other streamers it's also unavailable internationally). LaLa allows site members to create playlists of their own uploaded music and to allow ... (view more)

A Windows blogger has discovered that a feature supposedly removed from the starter edition of Windows 7 is in fact simply hidden. Thus, users of the new operating system (OS) can easily access the ability to run so-called ad-hoc networks. An ad-hoc ... network, also sometimes known as a computer-to-computer network, is a way of wirelessly connecting two computers directly rather than through a router. For example, you might use this when the main computer in a home is connected to the Internet through a cable modem rather than a router, with the ad-hoc network then allowing laptops to share data ... (view more)

As Microsoft and independent firms alike try to find out more about the " black screen of death " issue plaguing some users of Windows 7, the firm which first reported the problem has earned its fair share of criticism. However, that same firm ... maintains that despite getting the cause wrong, it still has the best solution. Fix for Some, Not All Cases Although it's now clear that Prevx misidentified Microsoft's update as being responsible for the problem, and grossly overestimated how many people could be affected, the firm has produced a fix which is reported to work in many, but not all, ... (view more)

Since its November 10 security update, reports suggest Microsoft has received more complaints about the Black Screen of Death, than ever before. One security firm is claiming that the update has caused the issue, while Microsoft asserts that the ... problem is neither rampant nor is it the result of the November 10 patch. The dreaded "blacK Screen of Death", otherwise known as KSoD, occurs when a user starts their computer but receives only a black screen rather than their desktop. It means that somewhere during startup process the operating system failed to load properly. The problem is ... (view more)

A sketchy firm based out of Miami Florida which falsely claimed it could sell cloned Macintosh machines has already suffered the wrath of Apple in the courtroom. Now it's suffering embarrassment as the truth emerges about its poor sales record. ... Psystar has been in long-running legal battles with Apple after selling computers which were made with PC parts but ran the Mac "Leopard" operating system. As Apple doesn't license its software to other manufacturers -- and you'd think that would made for a clear-cut court ruling, but the process was somewhat extended by Psystar (unsuccessfully) ... (view more)

Apple fanboys are bursting with pride this morning after a report emerging yesterday found that of all retail desktop revenue in the U.S. during the month of October, almost half went towards Apple -- a rather large jump over the previous year. ... According to industry analysts NPD, a total of 47.7 per cent of all desktop computer revenue went towards the purchase of Macs. That's up almost 15 per cent from the previous October (33.44 per cent). (Source: betanews.com ) NPD: Market Conditions Weighted in Apple's Favor How can we explain the hike in Apple sales? NPD vice president of industry ... (view more)