Articles by Patrick Nelson

My first impression of the bargain-basement US$39.99 Windows OS upgrade: To alloutward appearances, Windows 8 is a vivid, visual, deeply rewarding and aesthetically pleasing skin tothe 2009-released Windows 7 PC desktop OS Big deal, you might say....

Car Widget Pro, an app from Alex Gavrishev, is available for US$0.99 at Google Play. ...

If you're used to Microsoft's stratospheric pricing email program -- Outlook alone isUS$139.99 estimated retail -- take a look at the small print at Microsoft's Windows 8 website, and you'll see that a Windows 8 Pro upgrade can be downloaded for a limited-time at the measly price of $39.99 This is a surprising bargain from the monolith -- and a sig...

Wireless carriers are putting more energy into prepaid. It's a normal evolution. As quality phones became cheaper, prepaid brands like Sprint's Boost and Virgin Mobile have been able to offer better phones -- even a selection of smartphones, including the iPhone. Those better products, along with the availability of 4G network speeds, have increased prepaid demand...

At a recent search-and-rescue boot camp I attended, it was clear during unscientific tests I performed that a standalone, dedicated Global Positioning System device wasmore accurate navigating to waypoints than a smartphone with GPS chip -- but it was only by a few feet A dedicated GPS device that a buddy operated was spot-on when predeployed marke...

JuiceDefender Ultimate, an app from Latedroid, is available for US$4.99 at Google Play....

Horror stories abound of electronic lives compromised by stolen passwords. One of the problems with a password-secured life is that the password is the single element that -- when compromised -- allows access. The User ID isn't protected, nor is any hardware Shouldn't there be better methods? There are more secure systems. All you do is add further...

ROM Toolbox Pro, an app from JRummy Apps, is available for US$4.99 at Google Play....

New iPhone? Now, what to do with the old one, and the one before that? Wondering what to do with the old, redundant gear spilling out of drawers, relegating your automobile to the driveway or street?...

The explosive growth of smartphone and tablet devices may have gotten the mouse running scared. That's the kind with buttons and scroll wheel -- not the tailed, furry variety that elephants are afraid of How long has the mouse got? ...

PYKL3 Radar, an app from PYK Consulting, is available for US$9.99 at Google Play....

As many of us are gearing up for Windows 8's imminent release, it may well be worthconsidering some alternatives. I don't know about you, but after XP to Windows 7, viaVista, the idea of another OS from Microsoft, while not yet causing night sweats, isengendering some trepidation For one, there are its networking quirks -- XP didn't talk to 7 at t...

Chrome for Android, an app from Google, is available for free at Google Play....

If you've been experiencing choppy voice quality or dropped calls from your mobile provider atyour home or workplace, there are steps you can take to correct the problem Cellular phones use radio signals to communicate, and like any other radio, signalpropagation issues -- including topography, obstructions, distance to tower andinterference -- aff...

Tasker, an app from Crafty Apps, is available for US$6.49 at Google Play....

If you've been getting into the convenience and usability of the smartphone and tablet User Interface (UI) and are wondering just why your cable provider is unable to create anything with the same elegance and function, it may be time to slap Android on your TV -- yourself There are a few ways to approach this, and all of the methods have pros and ...

3G Watchdog Pro, an app from Richard Gruet, is available for US$2.99 at Google Play....

During a recent apartment move, I became aware of how much stuff I had that was redundant.It was with great pleasure that I was able to dump a lot of it rather than paying guys tomove it all across town -- again Books and CDs were the principal weighty items I got rid of, along with asvelte cherry laminate IKEA CD rack that my girlfriend told me ma...

The fires raging across western U.S. states this summer, at times plowing through residences and other structures, might have gotten you thinking: "What if?" That is, what if one of my buildings were destroyed in the 44-square mile California Pondorosa fire in August, which leveled more than 80 structures? Or what if my community were in the path o...

Fast Burst Camera, an app from Spritefish, is available for US$3.99 at Google Play.Spritefish's Fast Burst Camera may be just the app for sports photography....