Latest Components Opinion

  • 21 May 2012

  • Opinion: ArduPilot Mega 2.0 Does Drone Autopilot on the Cheap

    This one is for all those autonomous vehicle makers out there who need a cheap autopilot system to make it go. Among the bits of awesome seen at the 2012 Bay Area Maker Faire, was the ArduPilot Mega 2.0 (APM2) from 3D Robotics, a complete open source autopilot system.

  • 18 May 2012

  • Opinion: AMD's Trinity Processor vs. Intel's Ivy Bridge

    AMD's next-generation A-Series processors, code-named Trinity, are the chip manufacturer's answer to Intel's new Ivy Bridge processors now appearing in the new Ultrabook laptops.

  • 07 May 2012

  • Opinion: Top 15 Cloud Storage Tips and Tasks

    No single cloud service can do everything. Some shine when it comes to streaming a cloud music collection from the Web, but stink at syncing desktop folders. Other cloud services are great for sharing photos, but useless for reviewing a document's revision history.

  • 01 May 2012

  • Opinion: The Cloud, Day 26: Too Much Cloud Can Be a Bad Thing

    On Day 25 of the 30 Days with the Cloud series, I spelled out why I believe that cloud-based data storage and syncing is becoming mandatory thanks to mobile devices and SSD drives. Today I’m going to put a caveat on there, though.

  • Opinion: Beyond .zip: Secrets of the Archive Utility

    If you’ve ever sent, or received, a big file via email, you’ve undoubtably encountered a zip file. Double-click one of these and it expands to show files hidden inside. A zip file, or archive, takes up less space than the original files, so that your documents, images and whatnot are easier to send or store. But what do you do if a file won’t expand or you come across a different type of archive? Here are answers to frequently asked questions about working with compressed files on Mac OS X.

  • 30 April 2012

  • Opinion: Technology defies the law of diminishing returns

    One day while observing a lady next to me on her iPad, I noticed how this person was literally condensing an exercise that would normally require a happy shopper all day to complete within a period of 30 minutes at most. This person had within a blur of swipes and prods completed the purchase of at least eight items of clothing and accessories all from different well-known brands and all delivered to the doorstep within the week.

  • Opinion: Intel's Ivy Bridge Chips Appear to Run Hotter When Overclocked

    Intel's new third-generation Ivy Bridge processors offer a performance boost (especially in the graphics department) with lower power usage, but overclocking these chips to gain even more speed may be a bad idea. Several tests find Ivy Bridge processors to run much hotter than second-generation Sandy Bridge chips when significantly overclocked.

  • 27 April 2012

  • Opinion: Adafruit's New Board Lets You Hack the Raspberry Pi, Make It More Delicious

    So, you've got a Raspberry Pi (or you'r impatiently waiting for one to be shipped, like most of us are) and you're trying to figure out what to do with it. The options are pretty limitless for this devilishly cute little ARM linux system on a board, but here's something to think about from our friends at Adafruit Industries: the Adafruit Prototyping Pi Plate Kit for Raspberry Pi!

  • 26 April 2012

  • Opinion: Intel SSD 330 joins the race to the bottom

    Not that long ago, SSDs in general and Intel SSDs in particular cost a pretty penny. Things are changing though, especially now that Intel has released the Intel SSD 330, a very affordable SSD, with a price well below £1 per GB.

  • 25 April 2012

  • Opinion: TechHive: Hands on with Dropbox's new sharing features

    Despite many competitors, Dropbox is the de facto standard for syncing files across one's own computers and sharing them with others. New features rolled out Monday extend Dropbox's reach substantially by making it possible to create a public, revokable link to any file or folder in a Dropbox sync folder. Previously, only items in a special Public folder could be shared, and the links couldn't be canceled; the item had to be moved out of the folder.

  • Opinion: The Problem with Google Drive

    Google Drive is here. On paper the Google cloud storage service compares favorably against rivals like Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Box. However, there's one aspect of Google Drive that could force many users to shun Google in favor of the alternatives.

  • Opinion: Google Drive vs. Microsoft SkyDrive: 4 Reasons Google Wins Out

    Google Drive, Google's online storage service is finally available after years of rumors, but with Microsoft's SkyDrive offering more space and better integration with Windows 8, is Drive really worth the wait?

  • 24 April 2012

  • Opinion: Google Drive vs. The Rest

    Google Drive, Google's cloud storage service, is finally here, and it's no surprise that the competition is prepared after years of rumors.

  • Opinion: Automatically encrypt files for your Google Drive

    Today Google launched Google Drive, a free-if-you-just-need-5GB-of-storage Dropbox-like service that lets you easily store and share files in the cloud.

  • Opinion: Google Drive to Launch Tuesday?

    Google's expected new Dropbox competitor, Drive, may launch as early as Tuesday, offering 5GB of free online storage and up to a maximum 100GB for premium users, according to an online report. Speculation about Google Drive has been circulating for years, but reports about the service have increased in frequency since February.

  • 23 April 2012

  • Opinion: New and Improved SkyDrive Is a Threat to Dropbox

    Microsoft is shaking things up with SkyDrive. The new features and capabilities move it out of the Microsoft-centric shadows and pit it more directly against Dropbox, and possibly the imminently rumored Google Drive. However, Microsoft also announced a change to SkyDrive that many won't appreciate.

  • 11 April 2012

  • Opinion: Cures for an uncooperative CD/DVD drive

    Reader Ned Mitchell find his MacBook's media drive is a little picky about the discs he inserts. He writes:

  • 10 April 2012

  • Opinion: Save a Wet Gadget, Salvage a Laptop Hard Disk

    I can think of few hassles as devastating as dropping your cell phone into the sink or letting it take a tumble in the washing machine. These kinds of accidents happen all the time, often with the result of an expensive trip to the store for a replacement. But maybe that doesn't have to be the outcome. A couple years back, we offered some tips for reviving a wet phone, including the ever-popular "submerge it in a bowl of dry rice." But if you want a more robust solution, consider stocking a Bheestie Bag.

  • Opinion: Egnyte Launches Aggressive Campaign to Poach Box Customers

    When it comes to cloud storage and file sharing, Dropbox seems to be the undisputed champion on the consumer side. But, for business customers looking for a more robust cloud storage service and better management tools, Box is a clear leader. Egnyte wants to change that, though, and it's going for the jugular with its Box Buster Buyout program.

  • 06 April 2012

  • Opinion: Advertising in Free Apps Saps Your Smartphone's Battery Life

    As much as 75 percent of the energy spent by some popular smartphone apps, such as Angry Birds and Fchess, is spent on marketing and advertising aimed at you.

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