Consumer IT

Thu, March 18, 2010 - After months of anticipation, Amazon on Wednesday night released a beta of Kindle for Mac, software that lets you read Kindle e-books without the need for any special hardware (say, a Kindle). The free app for OS X 10.5 or later is available now in more than 100 countries, and joins the ranks of Kindle for iPhone, Kindle for PC, and Kindle for Blackberry.

Tue, March 16, 2010 - Almost 40 percent of BlackBerry users would switch camp to an Apple iPhone, a recent study into smartphone brand loyalty shows. Google's Nexus One is almost as desirable, according to the study by Crowd Science (PDF link), which shows that a third of the BlackBerry users polled were willing to switch their device for the Android-based phone.

Tue, March 16, 2010 - Apple's iPad, which arrives April 3, is already regarded as a high-end, color e-reader and multimedia device. But its potential as an e-textbook reader for students remains debatable.

Tue, March 16, 2010 - Retail sales of Apple's Mac computers jumped 43% last month compared with the same month in 2009, research company NPD Group said.

Tue, March 16, 2010 - I can't stop thinking about my experience last month when I had to reload Windows XP for a friend. It makes me think we need to reconsider how we in the security world have failed the consumer. Should it really be necessary for a consumer to be a security expert to safely use a computer?

Mon, March 15, 2010 - Earlier this month, Eric Chen, vice president of the systems business group at ASUS, dismissed the iPad as just a big-screen iPhone. I agree -- though I see that as a good thing.

Mon, March 15, 2010 - At the start of its annual MIX 10 Web developer conference, Microsoft announced the immediate free release of mobile-enabled versions of its latest core development tools for Windows Phone 7.

Mon, March 15, 2010 - Orders for Apple's iPad fell off sharply over the weekend after a big opening day Friday, an investment blogger claimed today.

Mon, March 15, 2010 - After facing criticism--and lawsuits--in the past over the irreplaceable batteries in its products, Apple appears determined to get in front of the issue with the iPad. Three weeks before shipping its new tablet, the company announced an iPad battery replacement program.

Mon, March 15, 2010 - The hottest market in wireless communications in the U.S. is for customers who pre-pay for their service, with that group accounting for 65% of all net new subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2009, research firm IDC said.

Sat, March 13, 2010 - The Apple iPad has been available for pre-order for more than 24 hours now. Initial demand seems promising, although not everyone has embraced the concept of dedicating $500 or more to be an early adopter of a device that nobody really has all the details on just yet.

Thu, March 11, 2010 - I have the greatest respect for the men and women behind Apple's tech support. Despite having one of the toughest jobs in the industry, they've always been extremely efficient and courteous in solving my own problems.

Thu, March 11, 2010 - A data service outage affecting some BlackBerry users nationally this week seems to have left them angry but not deeply concerned about the future of BlackBerry's parent, Research in Motion Ltd.

Thu, March 11, 2010 - Beginning on Friday, iPad buyers will finally be able to order the tablet-styled device -- or reserve one at an Apple store. Here's what you need to know before buying.