Software - Crave at CNET UK

Google Voice heading for Europe?

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:48:02 +0000

Google Voice may be on its way to Europe. Google has revealed international deals have already been signed for the 'one phone number for life' service

Twitter retweets rolled out to beta tweeters

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:46:02 +0000

Twitter has begun rolling out new-look retweets, with a counter, to selected users. Not before time, we say

Beatles on a stick: Crave alternative headline competition results!

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:57:02 +0000

The news that every Beatles album will be sold on a USB stick launched a thousand puns. It's our first Crave alternative headline competition!

Ordnance Survey and GeoVation map the future with mashup competition

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:52:01 +0000

Ordnance Survey is backing GeoVation, a competition to win cash for ideas that make the map of the future

What does Google Suggest suggest about the state of humanity?

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:12:02 +0000

People ask Google some exceptionally worrying questions. We poked through the things it suggests you might be asking and offered some answers to the hard of thinking

The 10 dumbest Firefox add-ons ever

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Firefox's enormous popularity has led to thousands of extensions to change the way it works. Some protect you from the crassness of the Web, while many more are just plain stupid

Best iPhone Apps of 2009: CNET UK's Home Screen Awards

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Here are the 16 applications that should make up the discerning iPhone owner's home screen. Lovingly cradling your iPhone for the first time? These are the apps you need

MSN Music relaunches with free streaming

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:19:02 +0000

MSN Music has relaunched its download store, and introduced into private beta a free streaming service

Is it okay to call someone boring on Twitter?

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:46:01 +0000

A spat between Stephen Fry and some guy on Twitter has us thinking about the nature of celebrity, and how Twitter breaks down the walls of fame

IT execs: 'UK will never create a tech giant'

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:34:02 +0000

Leading British IT executives believe the UK doesn't have the skills, economic environment or governmental help to make a global giant like Google or Microsoft

Firefox 3.6 beta tested in-depth

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:23:01 +0000

The next major revision of Mozilla's Firefox Web browser is version 3.6. Mozilla promises speed boosts and many new features. We've been testing the beta for a few days

Spotify's Daniel Ek to headline SXSW: Spotify coming to America?

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:57:02 +0000

Spotify's Daniel Ek will be interviewed in a keynote presentation at conference/festival South by Southwest 2010. Is the streaming service crossing the Atlantic?

Windows 7 is a good name, trust us

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:07:02 +0000

There's been entirely too much mumbling about what a silly name Windows 7 is for our liking. So we went in search of the truth, and present here our findings for your perusal

Interview: Lala co-founder Bill Nguyen on Google and the future of music

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:30:00 +0000

US music-streaming service Lala signed a massive deal with Google last week to provide links for its new music search feature. We caught up with its founder, Bill Nguyen

Nokia exec: 'Apple taught the industry a painful lesson'

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:24:02 +0000

Nokia exec Niklas Savander, has given a forthright interview in which he praises Apple's App Store and outlines the lessons learned in creating Nokia's Ovi Store

Snow Leopard vs Windows 7: How the Apple has fallen

rory.reid@cnet.co.uk (Rory Reid) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Snow Leopard is as slick as ever, but after weeks of exhaustive testing, we've discovered the newly spray-painted pussycat simply doesn't have what it takes to go up against its main rival, Windows 7

Movies by Flixster for iPhone and Android

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:59:02 +0000

Movies, an iPhone and Android app from the people at Flixster, takes the hassle out of going to the pictures. All you have to do is decide whether you want salted or sweet popcorn

ICANN understand you now: Non-Latin characters approved for domain names

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:14:02 +0000

New rules from ICANN allow for characters from all languages to appear in URL Web addresses. Let's get ready to 파티에 나가다!

Google amps up music search

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:40:02 +0000

Google has officially announced a new, integrated way of displaying search results for artists, songs and lyrics, through partnerships with MySpace and Lala

Unironic Windows 7 party held in Georgia church hall

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:07:02 +0000

Astonishingly, someone has taken Microsoft's invitation to hold a Windows 7 party seriously. Elliot Minor held his OS bash at his church in Albany, Georgia

Android 2.0 Eclair SDK unwrapped

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:56:02 +0000

Google has released the software developer kit for the next major revision of its mobile operating system, confirming all its lovely new features

Microsoft wimps out of Family Guy Windows 7 special

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:37:02 +0000

The software megalith has finally seen sense and decided that having a viciously satirical animation promote its new operating system was a bad idea

Amazon UK iPhone app launched, tested

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:40:02 +0000

Amazon has launched a free iPhone app in the UK that lets you search and buy from its entire store, but with a couple of neat twists. We've tested it out and made some important observations

NASA iPhone app is free, spacetastic

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:06:02 +0000

NASA has released a free iPhone app to keep space-lovers up to date with all the Administration's extra-terrestrial goings-on

'Get a Mac' ads heckle Windows 7 launch

rory.reid@cnet.co.uk (Rory Reid) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:40:01 +0000

Apple has released a set of new commercials, all designed to upset the launch of Windows 7 and -- to a lesser extent -- highlight the advantages of its own products

Amazon to publish free Kindle PC app

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:36:02 +0000

Amazon is increasing the number of ways you can access its Kindle electronic book service, with a new free app for Windows PCs

Bing's Twitter search service tested, loved

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:06:02 +0000

Microsoft's Bing now has a dedicated Twitter search engine. It's still in beta and only available on the US site, but it's the first mainstream search engine to offer real-time Twitter search

Flickr adds face tagging

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:41:02 +0000

Flickr has added a people-tagging system that lets you place that face. We take a look to see how it works

Google One Box to jazz up music search

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:59:02 +0000

It seems Google's rumoured music service won't be direct streaming or downloads, but rather a souped-up search listing featuring images, video and preview links

Windows 7 released: Your guide, from shop to shut-down

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:24:02 +0000

After what seems like a remarkably problem-free developmental journey, Microsoft today released Windows 7, and everything a new Windows 7 user needs to know is right here

Sky Player brings live and on-demand telly to Windows 7 and Xbox Live

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0000

The Sky's the limit for Windows 7 users, as Sky Player brings live and on-demand telly to Windows Media Centre and Xbox Live

Microsoft launches Windows 7 with new hardware and massive PC World discounts

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:41:02 +0000

Microsoft has launched Windows 7 in London, showing off the sparkly new OS on Sony, HP and Toshiba laptops and desktops

How to run scheduled backups in Windows 7

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:50:01 +0000

Scheduled backups not only help prevent the loss of critical data, but also make it less likely that you'll bludgeon someone to death in a fit of rage when your computer crashes. Behold our handy guide

Google planning Google Audio music service?

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:55:02 +0000

According to reports, Google is developing Google Audio, a music service that may involve streaming or downloading, or both. Could this be a wrong note for the search behemoth?

The 5 billionth tweet: 'Oh lord'

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:35:01 +0000

Twitter reached tweet number 5,000,000,000 last night, with the 'Pentagigatweet' posted by user @robinsloan

Windows 7 delivered early to UK customers

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:40:01 +0000

Some lucky Brits received their pre-ordered copy of Windows 7 today -- several days before it goes on sale -- proving that there is at least one good thing to result from postal strikes

Spotify vs Sky Songs: Sound quality blind test

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:48:02 +0000

Sky has launched a subscription music service called Sky Songs, though its streaming audio quality is much lower than Spotify's. We investigate whether anyone can tell the difference

How to resurrect the Quick Launch toolbar in Windows 7

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:05:02 +0000

The Quick Launch toolbar is absent by default in Windows 7, but we'll be damned if we're going to live without it. Here we reveal how to reinstate this useful feature

How to boost battery life with a Windows 7 power report

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:40:02 +0000

Microsoft's latest operating system features a nifty utility that scans your laptop and offers advice on how to improve battery life. Find out how to run it with our handy guide

WolframAlpha offers �30 iPhone app: World says 'LOL!'

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:45:01 +0000

Search engine for scientists, researchers and other assorted boffins, WolframAlpha now has an iPhone app. Problem is, it's one of the most expensive in the app store

Napster vs Spotify vs Sky Songs

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:10:02 +0000

Sky Songs launches today, the latest entry into the burgeoning music-streaming sphere. We compare Sky Songs, Napster and Spotify to see which is right for you

How to set up and configure a HomeGroup in Windows 7

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:32:02 +0000

Windows 7 makes it easier to set up and manage network connections, and share files across the network, than it is with Vista. Here's how to do it all

CNET solves Microsoft's Windows 7 'browser ballot' dilemma

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:37:02 +0000

How should Microsoft make it easy for a user to choose between the ten Web browsers Windows 7 will offer for install during its initial setup? The answer is really quite simple

Google makes record $1.6bn profit

nick.hide@cnet.co.uk (Nick Hide) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:07:02 +0000

Google warmed the cockles of Web advertising salesmen the world over, announcing massive profits that signal an upturn in online ad spend

Stephen King hides novel on the Web: CNET UK has a snippet of Under The Dome

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:59:02 +0000

Stephen King has hidden snippets of his new novel Under the Dome across the Web -- including in Crave. Can you find it?

Channel 4 to put entire shows on YouTube

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:16:02 +0000

Channel 4 and Google have signed a deal to put the station's entire catch-up service on YouTube, for free, ad-supported streaming in the UK

Spotify lets you buy 7digital MP3s without leaving the app

richard.trenholm@cnet.co.uk (Rich Trenholm) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:58:02 +0000

You can now buy DRM-free MP3s from 7digital without leaving Spotify. We tried it out, buying Lily Allen tracks so you don't have to

Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm apps ready for Xbox 360

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:54:02 +0000

Microsoft is nearly ready to launch its delayed social-networking apps for the Xbox 360, and gave our sister site Crave US a sneak peek

Family Guy to promote Windows 7: Has product placement gone too far?

nate.lanxon@cnet.co.uk (Nate Lanxon) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:44:02 +0000

In November, a special edition of Family Guy will air with the sole purpose of telling the world how awesome Windows 7 is. We discuss whether this is product placement taken too far

Android 1.6: Sticky hands-on with Donut

ian.morris@cnet.co.uk (Ian Morris) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:43:02 +0000

Adding plenty of new features, Android 1.6 is really very exciting, and now we've finally got our Donut-covered hands on a phone running it