Innholdsfortegnelse for Nov-14 i PCWorld

INTEL BUILT ITS three new Extreme Edition chips, including the six-core Core i7-4960X, for the “1 percent” of geeks who demand the best of the best for gaming and high-end computing. The new processors appear atop Intel’s price list; you can expect to pay up to $990 for the processor alone—not including a CPU cooler. Nevertheless, if you’re interested in pulling maximum frame rates and detail levels from top-tier titles like Metro 2033 or the Crysis series, you’ll want to consider Intel’s new chips. An oldie but a goodie Despite their 4000-series model numbers, the new Core i7 chips are based on Intel’s older Ivy Bridge microarchitecture, not on Haswell (the code name for the new Extreme Edition series is Ivy Bridge-E). That means it’s restricted to Socket 2011 motherboards…

DON’T COUNT WINDOWS RT OUT YET: Although Windows RT and the Windows RT-powered Surface have had their detractors—and fans—RT-powered tablets will apparently remain in the conversation for some time to come, as Microsoft executives said in September that customers should expect “many more Windows RT tablets” in the future. As part of a 2013 financial analyst meeting (go.pcworld.com/msanalysts), Microsoft assembled its key leaders to field questions. Terry Myerson, executive vice president in charge of all of Microsoft’s operating systems, said that his job was to exploit commonalities in design, silicon, and interfaces to enable consistent experiences across different platforms. Myerson said that he had three key beliefs: one silicon interface for all devices, one API for all devices, and the availability of all apps on all devices. Moreover, all devices…

MICROSOFT’S BING SEARCH engine got a recent makeover befitting the modern (Windows 8) interface and bringing the engine into the “One Microsoft” fold (go.pcworld.com/onems). The refresh includes redesigns of Google-like features that Bing already offers. Microsoft says it has improved its predictive search capabilities as you type your query. Dubbed “Page Zero,” it means Bing can supply information before you see a complete page of search results. Similar to Google Instant, Bing will show you popular searches that others have done based on your keywords. So you might see suggestions for singer Katy Perry such as ‘Katy Perry songs,’ or ‘Katy Perry music videos’ popping up as you type. But Page Zero will also offer category tiles that pop up next to the search bar as you type. If you…

1 Microsoft Xbox One go.pcworld.com/xboxone » Microsoft’s Xbox One console may look like a VHS player from the ’80s, but it’s packed with high-spec hardware and a new Kinect camera that should make for a great upgrade to the company’s eight-year-old Xbox 360. Look for the Xbox One at $500 on November 22 alongside exclusive games like Dead Rising 3 and Forza 5. 2 Sony PlayStation 4 go.pcworld.com/playstation4 » Not only does the PS4 console launch a week earlier (November 15) than the Xbox One, but its lack of a pack-in camera, as on Microsoft’s Kinect, allows Sony to sell the device for only $400. We’ll see if that, along with the platform’s focus on independent developers, convinces consumers to jump over to Sony in this console generation. 3 SteelSeries…

SECURING YOUR PC against the malicious wilds of the Web isn’t as simple as just keeping your antivirus software of choice up-to-date. Here’s how to avoid the most devious PC security traps. Phishing Phishing websites mimic the look of another site in an attempt to lure you into entering your personal and account information. Although phishing websites take all forms, attackers especially like to spoof banks and social networks. Phishing attacks typically threaten from two angles: mistyped website URLs and email messages that pretend to be from legitimate sources. One simple tell gives away a phishing site: The URL doesn’t match the URL of the website you think it is. I can’t stress this enough: Give the URL of any website that asks you to log in a close examination…

MICROSOFT RECENTLY launched its next-generation Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 at an event in New York City (go.pcworld.com/surface2), pairing them with various new covers and other accessories designed to enhance the tablets’ functionality. The main changes in the new Surfaces are improved performance, longer battery life, and a slimmer overall profile (thanks to skinnier covers). Surface Pro 2: Yes, it plays games Inside the Surface Pro 2 is a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200 Haswell CPU. The original Surface carried a 1.7GHz Core i5-3317u Ivy Bridge chip. The original Surface Pro conked out under heavy load in about 2.5 hours, though lighter Web browsing and battery management could extend its life by a couple of hours. One Microsoft employee at the event said that the new Surface Pro 2 could…

AS THE NAME implies, Apple’s iPhone 5s (go.pcworld.com/apple5s) doesn’t look much different from the iPhone 5. But the handset’s mostly static exterior belies the numerous changes inside. Last year’s “slate” model has been displaced by a slightly lighter “space gray” version, but more notably the white-and-silver model has been joined by a white-and-gold variation. I prefer the darker look of space gray, but the gold iPhone is attractive and tasteful. The display—a 4-inch-diagonal, 1136-by-640-pixel display at 326 ppi, or Retina resolution—is essentially the same. It’s bright and beautiful, but I find myself looking at the larger screens on competing phones with growing envy. Perhaps next year Apple can offer a slightly larger model to go with the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c (reviewed on page 98). Sci-fi tech made routine…

ADOBE’S UPDATE TO Photoshop Elements, its image-organizing and editing software, offers a satisfying array of new features. In version 12 (go.pcworld.com/elements12), changes in the program’s Organizer focus on syncing and sharing photos for access on mobile devices, while the Editor gains slick Instagram-inspired effects, textures, frames, new guided edits, and a content-aware move tool. Even more exciting are an intuitive image-correction method that remembers how you use it and a red-eye tool that works on animals—two features that even its flagship sibling Photoshop CC doesn’t have. One big challenge in mobile photography is getting images off of your device. In version 12, the Elements Organizer lets you import photos with Adobe Revel—a free online storage, syncing, and sharing utility, similar to Apple’s iCloud and Photo Stream. The free Revel iOS…

FACEBOOK IS TWEAKING your privacy settings again, but that news is not quite as serious as it sounds. The change, which removes an option to hide your name in search results, was announced last December and has already been in effect for 90 percent of users. Now Facebook has removed the option for the last users still hanging on. This only people this affects is the less than 10 percent of you still using ‘Who can look up my timeline by name?’ In December, Facebook said it would be retiring the setting ‘in coming weeks’, but that really meant more than ten months, apparently. If this change is a shock to your system, listen up: There are other privacy settings you can use to control who has access to your…

THE SIRI EFFECT is spreading. Starting this fall, Nuance, a company that makes advanced speech recognition and transcription software, will bundle Dragon Assistant, its Siri-like voice-command app, with select Intel-powered Ultrabooks and all-in-one desktops. Dragon Assistant could change how people use speech recognition in everyday computing. Even if you’re a good typist, speech recognition can enhance your productivity by letting you handle everything from basic commands to emails without touching the keyboard. Though people worry about the training time—and there is some of that—it varies from product to product. These tips will help you get the most out of Nuance’s speech-recognition programs. Dealing with Dragon PC users have four Dragon products available (go.pcworld.com/dragon). Dragon Home ($75) is for basic users. The $150 Dragon Premium supports working in spreadsheets and presentations,…

NOW IN HIS mid-70s, actor George Takei (of the original Star Trek TV series) has found new fame as a beloved social media maven boasting millions of followers across his social networking accounts (go.pcworld.com/facebooktakei and go.pcworld.com/twittertakei)—after all, his meme-orific posts are absolutely delightful! But a few months back, the world learned that some of the humorous quips posted under his name were actually written by a ghostwriter being paid ten bucks per Facebook post. Takei’s use of outside help for his social media work isn’t unique—and several public figures have admitted to using such help. “At this point of having worked in this industry for a few years, I just assume that everyone has a ghostwriter,” says Oriana Leckert, the director of operations at Gotham Ghostwriters, a New York City–based…

AS BUZZWORDS GO, “big data” is currently one of the most powerful—and one of the most perplexing. But the strategy of analyzing very large amounts of data and looking for patterns, trends, and insights is one that nearly any business, large or small, can use to make better decisions. The more data you have to study, the better big data works. Want to gain insights into your company’s finances, for instance? A few hundred sales records might tell you something, but a few million of them will turn up more trends and help you gain a deeper understanding of where your company’s money is coming from. If you’re a typical small business, just rolling along from day to day without any strategic direction, the ability to get your arms around…

DESPITE BEING JUST 0.7 inch thick, Acer’s Aspire M5 (model M5-583P-6428) weighs a hefty 4.9 pounds. So it’s fortunate for Acer that Intel’s Ultrabook definition includes only a thickness limit: 0.9 inch. More important, the Aspire M5 delivers a big display, great battery life, and good performance for a moderate $700. Outfitted with an Intel Core i5-4200U (one of the lower-end entries in Intel’s current Haswell lineup of mobile CPUs), a generous 8GB of DDR3/1600 RAM, Intel’s integrated HD4400 graphics, and a 500GB hard disk that spins its platters at 5400 rpm, the Aspire M5 scored a respectable Notebook WorldBench 8.1 score of 143. That’s almost 50 percent better than our reference unit, the Asus VivoBook S550CA (go.pcworld.com/vivobookS); however, we’ve seen a few laptops in the M5’s moderate price range…

IS THE 12–POUND–PLUS HP Envy Rove (go.pcworld.com/envyrove) an oversize tablet or a portable all-in-one desktop? HP’s designers view this Windows 8 Home system as an AIO desktop that users can haul around the house—hence the name, Rove. Its sturdy hinged prop-up stand works as a handle. And because the Rove can operate for nearly 3 hours on internal battery power (one of its tabletlike features), you don’t have to bring its power cord. You can even lay the machine flat to use its 20-inch multitouch display as a gaming platform. The Envy Rove isn’t the first system to straddle the desktop-tablet divide. Last year’s Sony Tap 20 boasts strikingly similar specs. And like the Tap 20, the Envy Rove is based on Intel mobile technology, although HP opted for a…

A RUGGEDIZED VERSION of the Galaxy S4, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Active (go.pcworld.com/s4active) is for people who want a high-end handset but don’t want it to get in the way of their active lifestyle. The Active is slightly larger and thicker than the S4; but even with its added girth, it’s comfortable to hold. The top and bottom corners have a rubbery coating that makes it more resilient to drops, and the phone seems less fragile than the S4. The physical navigation buttons are a bit spongy, but they seem capable of withstanding some abuse. Much like the Sony Xperia Z, the Active is certified water-resistant in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The Micro-USB port has a small flap that you need to cover before…

How to build, maintain, and fix your tech gear. WHETHER YOU’RE DEALING with your dad’s decadeold computer or your own custom-built gaming rig, troubleshooting PC problems is a part of everyday life. Before you make that $50 support call, though, try your hand at homebrew tech support. Try this first I know it sounds like a no-brainer, but before you do anything else, restart your computer. While you’re at it, make sure that your operating system is fully updated by running Windows Update. If you’re having problems with a peripheral, try switching it on and off. If that doesn’t work, try disconnecting and reconnecting the device. As a last resort, download the latest drivers and perform a full reinstall. My computer is too slow First, verify that your machine is…

YOU HAVE A target on your back. In 2012, 31 percent of cyberattacks were aimed at small businesses. But fear not. Here are several ways to fend off cyberthreats, and the only investment required is your time. Use what you already have The quickest—and cheapest—way to shore up your defenses is to understand and use the security measures already at your disposal. Start with the simple things. Make sure that all your user accounts are protected with strong passwords and that only employees who need administrative privileges have administrator accounts on their PCs. Next, take a look at the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows. This power tool gives you granular control over groups of users and computers, so it makes sense that Microsoft placed the utility where people can’t…

SOMETIMES, YOU AND your Android phone just can’t get along: You want to watch a video, but it won’t stop pinging you with notifications. Of the hundreds of apps installed on your phone, trying to pinpoint the one that’s incessantly pestering you would take too much time. In situations like this, the scorched-earth method works best—provided you don’t mind losing all your personal data. To reset your Android phone to its pristine, fresh-from-the-factory state, simply head over to your phone’s Settings app and look for the Backup and Restore menu. Tap it, and you should see an option labeled Factory data reset. Selecting this option will pop up a window asking you to confirm your selection. Note that if you choose to proceed at this point, you’ll lose all the…

RETAIL COPIES OF the Windows 8.1 operating system are now available in stand-alone, full versions, not as upgrades from previous versions of Windows (go.pcworld.com/win81rev). Unfortunately, pricing for the new Windows 8.1 editions will match that of Windows 8: $120 for Windows 8.1 by itself, and $200 for the Pro edition. If you already have Windows 8 or 8.1 and wish to upgrade to the Pro version, you can still do so for $100. Pro users who want to add Media Center functionality can do that upgrade for $10. But with Windows 8.1, Microsoft will make two important changes. First, users have the option of buying either an upgrade code for digital download or a retail DVD. That allows traditionalists the option of a physical disc in case of a hard…

INTEL SUCCESSFULLY OVERCLOCKED one of its SSDs by 10 percent, overall (the percentage increase of the overclock itself was more than 50 percent), at its Intel Developer Forum this year. It’s unclear, however, whether the company will ever formally release the technology to market. Intel representatives dialed up the clock speed on the memory controller governing its SSDs from 400MHz to 625MHz at IDF. Intel has explicitly supported overclocking some of its high-end processors—a feat often accompanied by spectacular gouts of liquid nitrogen (go.pcworld.com/liqni) and the risk of melting down the processor itself. OEMs and consumers already select SSDs for speed. Intel’s SSD 530 series reads and writes data sequentially at, respectively, 540 and 480 megabits per second. Random accesses of data, however, are where an SSD truly shines, with…

DROPBOX REVOLUTIONIZED the way we share information, and no enterprises have enjoyed the benefits more than small businesses. Cloud storage has enabled them to access critical data from the road, work across geographic boundaries, easily share large files, and do away with costly physical infrastructure. But while Dropbox and other popular cloud-storage providers are adequate for the average consumer, most services don’t meet small-business needs for security, affordability, real-time collaboration, and lots of file storage. Here are some Dropbox alternatives that do. 1 SpiderOak Free storage: 2GB; Pricing: $100/year for 100GB, $600/month for 1TB (100 users per TB); Best for: Security SpiderOak (go.pcworld.com/spider_oak) is a cloud-based storage and syncing service that offers full encryption of your data and password, along with a “zero-knowledge” privacy policy. This means that not only…

WINDOWS 8’S WALLED garden hides a slew of workready apps, especially if you venture beyond the Windows Store’s lackluster business section. Although the following apps probably can’t replace your desktop software completely, they’re more than capable enough to keep you productive while you’re on the run. Box Business accounts on Box (go.pcworld.com/boxw8) offer managed file access, collaboration tools, secure connections, and an uptime guarantee that consumer-grade cloud storage just can’t match. And unlike SkyDrive and Dropbox, Box handles file uploads just fine. The Windows 8 app allows you to scour your Box using the Search charm. The Share charm makes distributing files easy. And best of all, you can pin Box folders to your Start screen, where they become live tiles that give you a heads-up when a colleague alters…

LENOVO’S C540 TOUCH is one of the two best all-in-one PCs we’ve reviewed recently—the other one being the Toshiba PX35t-A2210 (reviewed on page 91). Still, it does have some drawbacks. Though I have no significant complaints about the quality of its multitouch display, the glass is recessed behind the bezel in a way that can produce a disconcerting feeling when you sweep your finger in from the edge to call up the Windows 8 charm bar. The display measures 23 inches diagonally, but it’s mounted to a stand rather than being incorporated into a monolithic frame. Lenovo pairs the Intel Core i3-3240 CPU with a generous 8GB of DDR3/1600 memory, and it packs a 1TB, 7200-rpm hard drive inside its somewhat thick chassis. All-in-ones are notoriously difficult to upgrade, so…

WHEN A NEW device comes out, comparing it with its predecessor is only natural. But comparing the iPhone 5c (go.pcworld.com/apple5c) solely with the model it replaces would be a mistake. In part that’s because the 5c so closely matches the iPhone 5. But it’s also because of how people buy phones in two-year commitments. If you signed away 24 months of your life to AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint for an iPhone 5, a color change and an improved camera probably aren’t enough to get you to reevaluate things one spin around the sun later. On the other hand, if you have an iPhone 4 or 4s—or a non-iOS phone—the circumstances are different. You’ll be intrigued by the promise of a full-featured phone with a more-than-reasonable price. Color me impressed You…

WESTERN DIGITAL’ Sentinel RX4100 (go.pcworld.com/sentinalrx4100) is a fast rack-mount network-attached storage device that might change your mind about how your small business handles storage. Rack-mount equipment is more expensive than desktop gear, and it requires an investment in a rack. However, these kinds of NAS devices are easier to cable, organize, maintain, and expand. They will also impress your clients. The RX4100 takes up just one standard two-inch vertical rackspace. It houses four quick-change drive caddies and a bezel that locks down to discourage theft. A dual-core Intel Atom D525 CPU powers the RX4100, supported by 4GB of DDR3/800 memory in the motherboard’s single SODIMM slot. Two gigabit ethernet ports support both failover and aggregation scenarios. That adds up to plenty of horsepower for a small-business NAS. The RX4100 is…

IT’S TIME TO LEAVE YOUR OLD DESKTOP PROGRAMS BEHIND, AND TO GET IN TOUCH WITH SOME USEFUL NO-COST APPS MADE FOR MICROSOFT’S MODERN INTERFACE. Whether you’re new to Windows 8 or a veteran of countless swipes through touch-friendly apps, now is a great time to give some fantastic (and free) Windows 8 apps a whirl. The vastly improved Snap experience—moving an app to the side of your screen—in the Windows 8.1 update makes modern-style apps infinitely more useful than before. And as a result, Microsoft’s modern apps have never been more appealing. Slacker Radio The Windows Store is strong on musicstreaming options. From iHeartRadio (go.pcworld.com/iheart) to TuneIn Radio (go.pcworld.com/tunein) to Microsoft’s own Xbox Music (go.pcworld.com/xboxmusic), the store has all sorts of free Windows 8 possibilities. But Slacker Radio (go.pcworld.com/slacker) may…

IF YOU SPEND a significant amount of time working at a desk, the single best way to boost your productivity is to connect a second monitor. Most laptops have either a VGA or HDMI output, making the addition pretty simple: Just connect the LCD, tweak Windows’ settings to extend your desktop, and then enjoy the benefits of a double-size workspace. (My preferred arrangement: Outlook “permanently” open on the right, my browser and other stuff on the left.) Ah, but why not go a step further? Why not extend your desktop even further with a third screen? Simple: Few desktops, and almost no laptops, have a second VGA or HDMI output, meaning there’s nowhere to connect that third screen. Three options Happily, there are workarounds. If you happen to have…