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Google+ unwrapping new features
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New Google+ features: Customize your streams, and more

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Touted in Google's official blog today, the enhancements are part of an ongoing effort to make Google+ more effective and more user friendly.

One of the tweaks will let you customize your Google+ stream. The more people you follow, the more cluttered your stream can become, increasing the odds of missing important posts. To help unclutter your stream, a slider at the top of a particular circle will let you control how posts from that circle should mesh into the overall stream.

The red notifications button at the top of your Google+ page tells you how many notifications are in the queue. But sometimes you need to click on a specific notification to get the full scoop on it. To reduce the time you spend clicking around, Google is adding "sneak previews" that quickly clue you in on what's new among your notifications.


Next on Santa's list for Google+ members are a range of changes to Google+ Pages. Since launching the business-oriented feature in early November, Google has been striving to improve it amidst some users complaints.

Tapping into one of the improvements to Pages, you'll be able to delegate up to 50 different managers to act as administrators for a certain page. A new "notification flow" will alert the managers to all activity on the page, ensuring that they stay abreast of the latest updates. And Google will show you a combined count of all the users who follow your page or +1 it, so that you can get a better sense of everyone who's connecting with it.

Finally, Google is tweaking its Google+ Photos feature. Clicking on a photo will display it in the Lightbox viewer, but now with better navigation and usability. A new photo tagging feature will let you more quickly tag individual people.

Google says that the new tweaks to Google+ will roll out over the next couple of days, just in time for the holidays. And the company is promising more in store for Google+ members with some resolutions for 2012.

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How to set up an HDTV
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How to set up an HDTV

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cnet.com - 12/12/2011
Geoffrey Morrison

You found your perfect TV. You've driven/carried/dragged it home. You have this big cardboard box sitting in your living room. Now what?

Well, after you follow the instructions for getting the TV on its stand (if it isn't already), the real setup begins. There are countless settings, options, and potential issues between box and beautiful picture. This how-to guide should help you navigate the waters of TV technology.


Cables


If this is your first HDTV, you'll find that the cables have changed a lot since the last time you hooked up a TV (it also might be worth checking out our HDTV 101 Guide). Even if you're replacing an older HDTV, it's important to understand the HDTV cable of choice: HDMI.



HDMI cables carry high-resolution images and sound over one small cable. If you bought your HDTV at a store, you were likely pushed into buying expensive HDMI cables to go with your TV.

Expensive HDMI cables offer no benefit to the average consumer. If you paid more than dollarsignr10 for your HDMI cables, you should consider returning them. Check out my article on why all HDMI cables are the same for more information. Then there's the follow-up Why all HDMI cables are the same, part 2.


HDMI cables are, however, vital to the overall performance of your television. There are only two ways to get an HD signal from your cable or satellite box to your TV: HDMI and component. Component cables are three attached cables identified with the colors red, green, and blue. Most are also labeled Y, Pb, and Pr. These only carry video. You'll need to add more cables for audio, most commonly a matched pair of analog audio cables.

The single yellow cable with white and red audio cables that comes with most products is not HD. Only VHS and the Wii can be hooked up with a yellow "composite" cable. DVD, Blu-ray, or cable or satellite boxes hooked up with a yellow cable will be significantly hampered in their performance.

If you haven't upgraded your other gear along with your new TV, component video is very common. If you've bought a new Blu-ray player or have a new cable/ or satellite box, HDMI may be all you can find.

Which brings us to...


Sources


If you haven't upgraded your other gear, make sure your DVD player is ready for your new TV. Go into its setup menus and make sure it's set to output a 16x9-pixel image. If it's an older player, it could be set to 4x3 pixels (like old TVs). Matching this aspect ratio to your new TV will greatly improve its performance.

The same is true for your cable or satellite box. Make sure you switch this to 16x9. If it's capable of HD, take this moment to set it to output 1080i.

Just because the cable box is capable of HD doesn't mean youre getting HD. You need to pay your provider for HD channels (unless they're included in your current package) and you need to tune to the specific HD channels. For example, with my provider, channel 2 is SD, whereas channel 1002 is HD.

As I discuss in my article on whether to upgrade your home theater gear, if you have a new HDTV, you owe it to yourself to get a Blu-ray player. Nothing offers the picture quality of Blu-ray. Even if you have an older HDTV, you won't believe how good it can look when you watch Blu-ray.




Settings


Once you have everything plugged in (see the slideshow above for images of typical inputs and outputs), take a moment to check your TV's settings. Most modern TVs will ask you upon initial start-up if the TV is being used in a home or a store. Pick the one most appropriate to your environment (hopefully "home"; I'm not sure why you'd be living in Best Buy).

I go into more detail in my article on HDTV settings, but here's the CliffsNotes version. The TV will be its most accurate (in other words, most realistic) in its Movie or Cinema picture mode. It will appear brighter in its Sports or Vivid mode. The Contrast control adjusts how bright the bright parts of the image are, and Brightness controls how dark the dark parts of the image are. Also check out CNET's HDTV setup tips and Five tips for a better HDTV picture.

The initial settings for modern TVs are largely quite good, but none is perfect. Some fine tweaking, either by eye or using one of the great setup Blu-ray discs, will be worth the time spent.

If you want to get every possible amount of performance out of your TV, consider having it calibrated.

Flat panel TVs are also more susceptible to reflections than CRTs.

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Amazon responds to critics with Kindle Fire update
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Windows 8 Store: 8 Ways It Beats Apple
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Windows 8 Store: 8 Ways It Beats Apple

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informationweek.com - 12/8/2011
Thomas Claburn

Microsoft on Tuesday said a public beta of Windows 8 will be released in February 2012 and provided details about its forthcoming Windows 8 Store, the mechanism within Windows 8 by which the company will sell and distribute Windows 8 Metro apps.

Windows 8 is the next version of Microsoft's operating system for personal computers, laptops, and tablets. It brings with it major changes, such as an integrated software store--similar in concept to Apple's Mac App Store--and support for ARM chips. Metro is the name of the new touch-centric user interface in Windows 8.

In Windows 8, Microsoft is following the trail blazed by Apple, a path that leads away from freedom and toward convenience and ostensible security. "We have seen the future of the PC and it looks a lot like a smartphone," said IDC program director of applications development software Al Hilwa in an e-mail.
Hilwa gives Microsoft credit for learning from the competition, notably in its revenue-sharing model and its consideration for enterprise features such as app sideloading and support for management tools. But he is less enthusiastic about the restrictions.

"I lament that the world of the touch PC is a much more controlled walled garden, but the smartphone world has prepared us for it and there are certainly advantages in app discovery and deployment for consumers with an app store model," he said. "Whether the new model leads to more-secure or higher- quality apps is hard to call because we have seen poorly regulated app stores like Android's that have had some of the same quality and security issues of the existing PC model."

At the same time, he sees Microsoft having a lighter touch than Apple with regard to accepting apps in its store.
"In the app approval process, Microsoft is walking the fine line to provide more openness, speed, and predictability than Apple and more control and supervision than Google," he said. "It will remain to be seen if the execution lives up to this balanced promise, but the formula sounds right."

Indeed, Microsoft has made its forthcoming platform more appealing than the competition in several ways, at least on paper.

1. Royalties. Microsoft's revenue share percentage is 30%, as it is in the iTunes App Store, the Mac App Store, Amazon's App Store, and Google's Android Market. But once an app reaches dollarsignr25,000 in revenue, Microsoft drops its revenue share to 20% for all subsequent proceeds.

This revenue scheme will help only the most successful Windows 8 app developers. However, the percentage of Windows 8 developers generating more than dollarsignr25,000 from their apps--thanks to business customers willing to pay more for apps--presumably will be higher than it is for iOS developers. About 75% of iOS developers have earned less than dollarsignr25,000 in lifetime revenue, according to one survey of game developers.

The best deal around for revenue sharing, however, remains the Chrome Web Store. Google charges developers only 5% for selling Web apps through its online store.

2. Fees. For those wishing to submit Metro apps, Microsoft is charging individuals dollarsignr49 a year and companies dollarsignr99 a year. This is better than the annual dollarsignr99 Apple charges individuals or companies for membership in its iOS Developer Program and for membership in its Mac Developer program. For companies wishing to create proprietary, in-house iOS apps, Apple charges dollarsignr299 a year.

Amazon's App Store developer fee also is dollarsignr99 a year, same as Apple. Google's Android Market is the most affordable: It charges developers a one-time dollarsignr25 fee. It should be noted, however, that Google doesn't provide much in the way of app screening.

3. Reach. Microsoft's reach advantage is theoretical at the moment. The company claims to have 1.25 billion Windows users globally, some portion of whom can be expected to upgrade to Windows 8, eventually.

If Windows has 92% of the desktop PC operating system market, then Apple, with about 6% global market share via Mac OS, has an installed base of 80 million Macs. As of the end of the third quarter, Google said that total Android activations had surpassed 190 million. The iOS installed base is estimated to be about 250 million by the end of 2011.

Certainly today, the iOS market is more attractive to a developer than the nonexistent Windows 8 app market. But it's worth thinking about tomorrow, particularly if the Windows 8 users turn out to be more inclined to pay for apps than, say, Android users.

4. Freedom. Apple, according to the Software Freedom Law Center, uses its control of iOS and Mac OS "to exclude competition, squelch criticism, and censor content." Microsoft might have done as much in the past, but its trailing position in both the tablet and smartphone markets has translated into an evident effort to have more permissive platform rules. Apple tells iOS developers explicitly, "If you want to criticize a religion, write a book," and that only "professional satirists and humorists" are exempt from its ban on apps that are "defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harms way."

Microsoft has a similar prohibition, against apps that are "defamatory, libelous or slanderous, or threatening," but the wording of what's disallowed suggests more tolerance for apps that push the content envelope. A mean-spirited app that's not defamatory would be allowed by Microsoft but not Apple, or so the written rules suggest.

But really, there's no way to tell: Microsoft could turn out to be just as cautious and restrictive as Apple. The wording of rules also isn't nearly as important as how each company implements its rules. We will have to wait for an app that Apple rejects and Microsoft accepts to really weigh the restrictiveness of the rules imposed on developers by the two companies.

If freedom really matters, Android is even less burdened by rules. Defame away.

5. Transactions. If Microsoft's content rules look only slightly more flexible than Apple's, the company's position on payment systems is significantly better. Apple requires iOS and Mac OS X apps that sell content within the app to use its In App Purchase API, for which Apple collects 30% of in-app revenue.

Microsoft will provide Windows 8 developers with an in-app purchase system, but will also allow them to use their own in-app payment system. "We don't mandate a specific transaction engine and developers can use their own," explained Ted Dworkin, Microsoft partner program manager for the Windows 8 Store, in a blog post.

Android's terms suggest developers can use any authorized payment processor. But Google doesn't provide a list of authorized payment processors and there's a reason why: "Currently, Google Wallet is the only authorized payment option for Android," a Google spokesperson said in an email.

Nevertheless, there are Android apps that use PayPal for in-app purchasing. Developers that do this are asking for trouble, but asking Google anything can take a while owing to the company's limited support options.

6. Trials. Apple doesn't presently support free app trials, a feature that's particularly useful for apps that cost more than a dollar or two. Microsoft will support free app trials, though developers will have to use its transaction system to implement in-app upgrades.

7. Enterprise. Faced with the explosive popularity of the iPhone and iPad, Apple only recently has decided to cater to enterprise customers. The slack, to date, has been taken up by companies such as Aperian, Good Technology, and MobileIron.

For Microsoft, the enterprise market is more familiar. The company's Metro app store should be business friendly out of the gate. Microsoft plans to offer companies three ways to manage Metro style line-of-business apps: Group Policy, App Locker, and sideloading. These three technologies will help IT departments deploy and manage Metro apps in ways that are similar to how Windows 7 applications are managed.

8. Marketing. Microsoft has reduced the friction of Metro app installation, making it as easy as installing a Web app from the Chrome Web Store. Through Internet Explorer 10, Windows 8 users will be able to view Windows 8 Store pages on the Web and install those apps with a single click. Apple customers don't quite have it as easy. iPad apps found on the Web using a Mac require the user to launch iTunes, due to the separation between Mac OS X and iOS.

It's too early to tell whether Microsoft's concessions to the developer community will make Windows more relevant in the tablet market. But Microsoft's opening gambit--more comfortable handcuffs--looks like a good move.

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Changing Outlook's Navigation Pane
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Changing Outlook's Navigation Pane

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Changing Outlook's Navigation Pane

nytimes.com - 12/6/2011
J.D. BIERSDORFER

That column full of buttons (officially known as the Navigation Pane) on the left side of the Microsoft Outlook 2007 and 2010 window makes it easy to jump around among Mail, Contacts, Calendar and the other parts of the program. You are not stuck with the default version of the Navigation Pane, though, and if you like to put the buttons in your own preferred order, you can customize it.

To change the order, go to the bottom of the Navigation Pane, click the small black triangle and choose Navigation Pane Options from the menu. In the list for "Display buttons in this order," click the button you want to move, and click Move Up or Move Down to reposition it accordingly. You can tweak things further, by adding or removing buttons, changing the Navigation Pane’s font, or resizing the pane itself. Microsoft has full instructions on their website.

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aming with young kids? Here's where to start
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Gaming with young kids? Here's where to start

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msnbc.com - 12/4/2011
Winda Benedetti

According to a recent study from the NPD Group market research company, 91 percent of kids in the U.S. between the ages of two and 17 are now gamers. But here is the surprising bit: The fastest growing group of young video game players is the toddler set -- between two and five years old.

While some parents worry about whether playing video games is good for young children, I've found that gaming -- when properly supervised and balanced with other activities -- can be a great pastime not only for kids but for parents' relationship with their kids. Playing video games with your child is an absolute blast! It's a fun way to bond with your kid, plus it's a superb way to teach children some teamwork and puzzle-solving skills without ever letting on that you're actually, you know, teaching.

It just so happens that I have my own young gamer -- my almost-five-year-old son Oz. He's been helping me test out some of the latest video games in an effort to find titles that are enjoyable and appropriate for kids four to 10. What you'll find below is a look at the pros and cons of seven games that are not only easy for young players to jump into, but are great for parents and kids to play together.

Kirby's Return to Dreamland – Wii - dollarsignr50


Pros: Learning how to use video game controllers can be difficult for the youngest players, but this laid-back title -- starring Nintendo's famous pink protagonist -- is a fun, easy way to teach young hands to work buttons and a directional pad. The game is also downright adorable and relatively non-threatening for little players just trying to get the swing of things.

"Return to Dreamland" can be played by up to four people at a time which makes it a fantastic all-family game night option. Playing as Kirby and his pals, you and your children will need to use teamwork and cooperation as you to explore bright, colorful worlds and try to find the pieces of a lost spaceship that crash-landed on Kirby's planet, while fending off a host of relatively non-threatening foes in the process.

For this game, your child will turn Nintendo's Wii Remote controller on its side and use it as a traditional controller. And since this is a two-dimensional side-scrolling game, figuring out how to run, jump and fly the characters around the screen is fairly easy for kids to do. Meanwhile, the difficulty level ramps up veeery slowly, which means your child (and therefore you) won't get frustrated.

My son loves watching Kirby suck up his enemies to absorb their powers and is wowed by Kirby's new eye-popping, screen-filling Super Abilities. And when the going does get a bit tough, he can have his character jump onto my character's back for a piggy-back ride past the rough patches.

(It's worth noting that another excellent Kirby game to consider playing with young kids is last year's superb Wii game "Kirby's Epic Yarn")

Cons: There really isn't much of a downside to this game other than the fact that seasoned, grown-up gamers familiar with Kirby's history may find this particular installment a bit too easy. But then again, this isn't about us is it?

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster - Xbox 360 (Kinect required) - dollarsignr50


Pros: "Once Upon A Monster" offers everything a conscientious parents wants from a video game -- non-violent gameplay that both activates the body and the mind. It also offers that delightful Sesame Street sensibility and, well, Elmo ... lots and lots of Elmo along with his adorable monster pals.

With the Kinect motion controller reading your child's body movements, this game acts as a kind of interactive story book throughout which your child meets various colorful characters and tries to help them solve the problems they're facing.


To cheer up an unhappy monster, your child will make music by flapping their hands to bang on virtual drums. To help clean up a flower creature's garden, they'll hurl balls of virtual garbage into virtual garbage cans (as if tossing basketballs). And since the game features easy drop-in/drop-out cooperative play, mom and dad can jump into the action at any time.

Cons: The Kinect controller is often pitched as the perfect device for allowing young children to interact with games and virtual environments. After all, there's no controller to hold in tiny hands and no buttons or sticks to struggle with. And yet, my son ran into more controller-related frustrations with this game than any other on this list.

The thing is, little kids have a hard time standing in one place. They jump and flail their arms when they're relaxing. "Once Upon a Monster" asks kids to perform some pretty specific movements but frequently seemed to have a hard time reading my son when he performed them.

Be sure to take the time to make sure the Kinect is perfectly calibrated to your child's size (the game will walk you through the process). Meanwhile, urge your wiggle-worm to hold still a bit and try to focus on the specific gestures they need to execute to interact with the game. It may take some practice and some patience but the little whippersnappers learn very quickly.

Kinect Disneyland Adventures - Xbox 360 (Kinect required) - dollarsignr50


Pros: Imagine going to Disneyland -- but a Disneyland without all the crowds and lines and cost ... not to mention the parental misery created by all three.

Welcome to a little game called "Kinect Disneyland Adventures." Sure, the Disneyland you'll find here is merely a digital recreation. But it is a pretty impressive digital recreation and one that you and your child can jump into and explore at your own pace.

Almost all of the Disneyland grounds have been recreated within this game and are ready to explore. With the Kinect camera reading your child's body motions, your kid makes an avatar to look like him or herself and then steers that avatar around the Disneyland grounds by pointing where she would like to go. She can run up to Mickey and give him a high five or give Snow White a hug. And these characters will send your child on various quests that will have them exploring the famed park.

Meanwhile, the rides are where the gaming action comes in. Head over to Peter Pan's Flight, where you and your child can fly through the air collecting coins or sword fight with Captain Hook. Step into the Matterhorn where you'll race bobsleds or ski down snowy hills.

The dollarsignr50 lifetime ticket for you and your family to enter this virtual park will seem downright cheap compared to the hundreds of dollars a trip to the real Happiest Place on Earth will run you.

Cons: If you're not a fan of the Disney marketing machine, then this game is not for you.

Rayman: Origins - PlayStation 3; Xbox 360; Wii - dollarsignr50 to dollarsignr60


Pros: One of the great joys of parenting is hearing your children laugh. And if you want to enjoy the sounds of your young gamer guffawing uproariously, then grab "Rayman: Origins."

Zany, crazy and hilarious not to mention utterly creative, "Rayman: Origins" is not only a delightful platforming game for up to four players, it is a gorgeous work of animated art.

My husband, son and I have been having an absolute blast playing this game together. Here Rayman and his friends have awoken a cranky granny and her minions with their snoring. And now you must run, jump, swing and fly through one surreal level after another, each filled with a colorful host of outlandish baddies to beat. My son unleashed the most splendid, unstoppable peals of laughter when we encountered the chicken-headed boss pictured above.

Kids will love this game because it is silly in all the best ways. Adults will love this game because each level is a cleverly constructed work of gaming art.

Cons: This game will grow more demanding for the very youngest players far more quickly than something like "Kirby's Return to Dreamland" and will have them facing down more intense challenges than some young kids may be ready for. But it's worth noting that, if a child fails to get past a particularly difficult part in the game while playing with a parent or older sibling, he or she will find his character popped into a bubble that floats safely along until another player pops him out to rejoin the action at a more manageable point.

Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest - PlayStation 3 (Move controls required) - dollarsignr40


Pros: My son loves both skeletons and swashbuckling tales of sword fighting, so perhaps it's no wonder he's a huge fan of "Medieval Moves." This game puts young players in the role of the boy Prince Edmund who finds himself transformed into a skeleton and thrust into a battle against a nefarious sorcerer and his army of undead.

Skeletons? Army of undead? Well, yes. "Deadmund's Quest" may sound scary but it is cartoony as can be. The story of Prince Edmund-turned-Prince Deadmund is presented in comic-book-style cut scenes and the bad guys are more goofy than they are blood-curdling. Meanwhile, this is an "on rails" game, which means your child doesn't have to worry about maneuvering Deadmund around this world. Instead, the hero is whisked through the medieval-themed environments almost as if on a roller-coaster ride. All your young player has to do is focus on knocking out the bad guys.

Since this game uses the PlayStation 3's Move motion controllers, kids get to do battle with a host of skeletons by swinging the orb-topped wand controller like a sword, or drawing it out like they would a bow and arrow. And the Move controls here work superbly. They are highly responsive and my son found the gestures and button presses easy to get the hang of.

The Move controls really pull young players right into what is nothing short of a thrilling adventure. And the multiplayer modes mean that we parents can jump in and try our own sword-swinging, arrow-shooting skills alongside our young companions.

Cons: Each youngster is different and you should consider whether doing battle with skeletons -- no matter how bloodless and cartoony those battles are -- is something that will thrill your child ... or scare 'em. This game may be most appropriate for slightly older kids (think seven to 10).

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure - Xbox 360; PlayStation 3; Wii; Nintendo 3DS - dollarsignr70


Pros: This title blends two things that kids love into one bright, enjoyable package. That is, it combines real-world toys with video gaming.

The starter pack comes with the game disc, three Skylander figurines -- Spyro, Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt -- and a plastic Portal of Power peripheral that you plug into the game console. Fire up the game disc and then pop an action figure onto the Portal of Power and suddenly an animated version of that action figure appears inside the game.

You and your child will take these characters on a colorful, humor-filled quest to save the Skylander world from the evil powers of Kaos. Each of the different action figures has unique powers and abilities and your child will need to think about how to best use these unique strengths to conquer the challenges and puzzles they face.

It really is pretty neat to swap these toys on and off the portal and see them pop into and out of the video game on the fly. Meanwhile, the more your child plays the game with a certain character, the more that character is upgraded with additional powers and abilities. And here's another cool bit: All those upgrades are uploaded to an RF chip in the matching action figure. What that means is, your kid can take their own action figures over to a friend's house and, even if that friend has the game on a different kind of game console, your child can pop their figurines onto their friend's Portal of Power and play the game with all their own characters' unique upgrades and customizations intact.

Cons: The dollarsignr70 price tag for the starter kit is steep to begin with, but you may end up spending even more money than that. While the "Skylanders" game can be won with just the three initial characters, there are actually 32 Skylander figurines in all to collect (i.e. buy for around dollarsignr8 a piece) and these additional characters unlock additional challenges and additional areas within the game.

My son was perfectly happy with the initial three action figures, but that doesn't mean every kid will feel the same. The more your child delves into this "Skylanders" adventure, the more you may hear them beg "I want more."

Fruit Ninja Kinect - Xbox 360 (Kinect required) - dollarsignr10 download via Xbox Live


Pros: I cannot tell you the joy that "Fruit Ninja Kinect" has brought to our household ... and to our son's bedtime routine. Simply put: There is no better way to wear out your kid to the point that he or she has no strength left to fight sleep.

"Fruit Ninja Kinect" takes the gameplay found in the hit smartphone/tablet game and puts it up on your TV via Xbox Live and Kinect. Rather than swiping your finger across a touchscreen to slash fruit that's tossed up into the air, the Kinect camera keeps track of your body movements as you swing your arms and legs to cut down pineapple, kiwi, bananas and other nefarious foods.

This game was not made specifically for children, but it certainly brings out the child in everyone who plays it. More importantly: It's easy for children to jump into and I can promise you, their enthusiasm for the fruit-slashing ninja arts is a joy to behold.

The multiplayer mode is especially enjoyable to play with young kids. Sure, you can play it competitively, but there's also a cooperative mode that allows you to work together as you slash your way to a joint high score. And there's nothing like conquering evil fruit to bring you closer to your adorable rugrat.

Cons: The menu screens are very sensitive to motion and can be difficult for wiggly children to navigate, so you might need to help them get things started. Meanwhile, the difference in an adult's height and a small child's height can make it so the Kinect camera has a difficult time fully reading both players' movements. I suggest you have Kinect calibrate to your child (giving them the best game experience) and then play on your knees beside them.

Also be absolutely sure you give each other enough room when you play together -- otherwise, with all those flailing arms, someone is liable to get a karate chop to the nose.

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Amazon Kindle Fire owners reporting Wi-Fi bug
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Amazon Kindle Fire owners reporting Wi-Fi bug

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cnet.com - 12/5/2011
Lance Whitney

Just three weeks after the debut of the Kindle Fire, some users are complaining of problems accessing Wi-Fi networks and the Internet.

Noted by tech enthusiast site Electronista, some Firetablet owners are saying they can't connect to their Wi-Fi networks, while others say they can connect to their routers but can't access the Internet.

Among the 175 posts about the subject in Amazon's ownkindle forum several frustrated users described the problem.

One posted that "my Kindle Fire is not connecting to my network either. It recognizes my router but once I enter the security key it attempts to connect and fails. Another said: "Have just opened Kindle Fire. Can connect to wifi but no internet. All other wireless devices in home are working fine connecting to internet."

One person said that he spoke with Amazon's customer support, who told him it was a "known issue" and one that would be resolved in a few hours. The support rep reportedly promised to e-mail or call back but failed to follow up. And a few hours later, Internet connectivity was still down.

On a positive note, many forum posters were apparently able to fix the glitch by installing the latest software update for the Fire. Initially version 6.1 and now 6.2, the update makes no specific reference to Wi-Fi bug fixes. But several users who installed the 6.1 update via a USB port and rebooted their routers were then able to get online. However, others who installed 6.1 said their Wi-Fi or Internet access was still down.

Kindle Fire users who continue to have trouble connecting after installing version 6.1 may want to try the new 6.2 update since Amazon does describe this latest software upgrade as providing "improvements to the operation of your Kindle Fire."

Electronista reported that "Amazon has yet to publicly acknowledge problems with Wi-Fi connectivity." Amazon did not immediately return CNET's request for comment.

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Apple iOS is safer than Android, McAfee says
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Apple iOS is safer than Android, McAfee says

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cnet.com - 12/2/2011
Lance Whitney

In the fight against malware, Apple's iOS outshines Android as a safer environment, but no mobile device is free from risk, says a new report from McAfee

Apple has so far done a good job of securing its devices, according to the report, noting that there have been no known cases of malware affecting iPhones, at least those that haven't been jailbroken. One reason iOS is more secure is because Apple restricts the way users can download apps.

iOS device owners can only download apps through Apple's App Store or through Mobile Device Management, which gives IT departments control over the Apple devices in their organizations. But even the Mobile Device Management requires approval from Apple.

Apple's single App Store is also tightly controlled, leading to a safer and more secure environment.

In contrast, Google's method of distributing software is more open, but with that openness comes risks. Though Google controls its own Android Market, users can download Android apps from third-party sites just as easily, which may not have the necessary security in place.

And even Android Market has proven vulnerable to threats. As just one example, Google had to get rid of a number of malicious apps in March after they were infected by a nasty bit of malware dubbed DroidDream In total, the company removed 58 malicious apps both from the market and from mobile devices where users had downloaded them.

Further, because Android is a more fragmented operating system, many handset makers tweak Google's open-source code and often modify certain security-related features, says McAfee. That approach also increases the time it takes for OS updates to reach Android users because some of those updates have to be customized for different devices.

And since almost all mobile malware infections come from app stores, Android has become the riskier environment. Though Nokia's Symbian is historically still the most popular mobile platform for malware writers, Android took on that dubious role in the second quarter of the year, attracting 63 percent of all malware infections at that time.

Finally, McAfee sees a different approach between Apple and Google in combatting malware.

"Apple's approach is proactive and focused on prevention," the report noted. "Google's plan is apparently to encourage the creation of apps and deal with the problems as they occur, in a reactive fashion. Google's may be a sensible move to generate a large volume and wide variety of apps, but from the security perspective it creates exactly the kind of environment in which malware gangs feel comfortable."

Both iOS and Android are based on Unix/Linux, according to McAfee, making them somewhat inherently secure. Instead, the vulnerabilities arise from manufacturers and developers who fail to make security a priority and sometimes rush to the market with new drivers and apps that aren't fully tested. Updates to the operating system and firmware may also be flawed, undermining the the strength of the core OS.

Virtually all smartphones and mobile devices face security risks now and increasingly so down the road, says McAfee. Most of the malware that threatens PCs is also possible on mobile devices. Plus, the security vendor believes that new kinds of threats not yet seen on PCs may hit smartphones.

Even if the overall number of threats were to decline, mobile devices are more vulnerable simply because they're always on, usually connected, and often hold some type of personal data.

Citing one example, McAfee pointed to a device's GPS capability, which can reveal the user's location. One piece of malware called GPS Spy, or TapSnake, has been found to use a device's GPS to send a person's location to a third party.

As another example, malware writers can exploit weaknesses in a mobile OS to control a device's camera or microphone, letting them spy on the users. McAfee said it has already detected Trojans that were able to record phone conversations and send the recordings to a third party.

On a positive note, McAfee noted that security for mobile operating systems is progressing, making certain types of malware impossible. But the company still expects mobile malware to increase as a result of the difficulties in filtering it. Ultimately, protecting users will require the industry to better secure its mobile platforms along with its mobile devices.

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