The wild, nearly out of control growth of smartphones and tablets has computer makers re-thinking what goes into their desktop operating systems.

Notably, Microsoft and Apple are taking significant measures to address the success of mobile on their next desktop operating systems by making them closer to their smaller counterparts.

So how do these early "fusion" OSes hold up?

Let's start with Apple's new version of OS X, which made its debut earlier today in the form of a preview to developers. Apple's calling it Mountain Lion, and as the name would suggest, it's not a stern-to-stem overhaul, as much as some refining and additions to what the company did with Lion last year.

Apple's core idea with Mountain Lion is to take some of the built-in software people have been using on their iPhones and iPads and make it available on the Mac, all the while keeping everything in sync behind the scenes. Where Lion took steps to borrow the look and feel of certain mobile apps, Mountain Lion just takes some of the bigger set pieces from iOS outright.

Mountain Lion developer preview (screenshots)

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The simple layout doesn't require buttons to make and manage lists.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

I wrote my previous app collection about Advanced task managers on iOS, but a new app came to my attention this week that's too good to pass up.

Clear (99 cents) is a to-do list app that lets you use simple gestures to manage your tasks with an interface that's as intuitive as it is easy on the eyes. People seem to like this simple task manager, because it's now No. 1 in the iTunes App Store. This app won't take the place of Reminders or other scheduling apps that offer alarms--Clear sticks to simple list making, and it does a fine job.

The first thing I noticed about the app is the lack of interface buttons. You never hit a button called "menu" or rely on arrows to turn pages (though you will use the iPhone type pad). Instead, you navigate around this to-do list app using swipes and pinching gestures with delightful sounds as you complete each action. While looking at a list, a swipe down creates an empty list item so you can type in your next task. A swipe to the left on an item deletes it from the list. A swipe to the right crosses out an item and puts it at the bottom of the list for when you wan... [Read more]

(Credit: Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe | CNET)

In addition to ICS support, the side-load-only Swype Beta comes with new downloadable languages for tablets, accuracy improvements, and a plug-in to the nifty voice-powered search engine Dragon Go. With Dragon Go, you can simply speak your search terms or ask a question, and be brought directly to the most relevant result. It skips right over the typical hyperlink-filled search engine results pages.

Swype is one of the more popular Android replacement keyboards because it lets you type by quickly swiping from letter to letter. It comes preinstalled on many devices, and cannot be downloaded from the Android Market.

Swype Beta is available now for download from the Swype Web site. Devices that already come preinstalled with Swype do not support the Beta download.

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Weather is one of those things you pay attention to during the more extreme climate seasons like summer and winter. You'll want to see if it's going to be cold in the morning when you wake up or really hot in the afternoon so you can dress appropriately for your day. You may find one of these apps suitable by itself, or you can try combining a couple of them to get the most information.

The Weather Channel

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

One of the most popular weather apps by far. The daily information is excellent in this app because it includes what the temperature feels like, the humidity, and UV index. The hourly forecast is superior to that of other apps, showing you the temperature, precipitation chance, and wind. No artsy line graphs, just numbers to let you know what temperatures to expect.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

You'll also find 36-hour and even 10-day forecasts in The Weather Channel's app. Radar maps are nicely marked with respect to the severity of weather conditions. Also, severe alerts are marked on the map with pop-up place pins that make it supereasy to read. Tweets, videos, and first-hand encounters are also included if you just can't get enough info about the weather.

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Mobile app revenue continues to soar.

(Credit: Apps Builder)

Mobile app revenue was huge last year, but that'll be nothing compared to where it's expected to go by 2016.

In 2016, total global mobile application revenue will reach an estimated $46 billion, according to ABI Research. That figure, the research firm says, includes pay-per-download, in-app purchases, subscriptions, and advertising. Last year, mobile app revenue hit $8.5 billion, ABI research says.

This year, in-app purchases will likely outpace pay-per-download revenue, but according to ABI Research, the number of people buying content in apps won't grow all that much, potentially putting that revenue opportunity's future in doubt.

Mobile apps are a big business.

(Credit: Screenshot by CNET)

"As a revenue model, in-app purchase is very limited today," Mark Beccue, ABI Research senior analyst said in a statement today. "The vast majority of current in-app revenue is being generated by a tiny percentage of people who are highly-committed mobile game players. We don't believe the percentage of mobile game players making in-app purchases will grow significantly, so for in-app purchase revenues to grow, mobile developers other than game devel... [Read more]

(Credit: Piriform)

If you've never used CCleaner or a similar tool before, then chances are your computer is running slowly, displays errors every so often, and has much less free space than you'd expect (for those of you who just got your computers recently, that's cheating). CCleaner is a tool for Windows that can remove clutter from your PC, such as temporary Internet files and cookies. The problem is, you have to remember to run the cleaner regularly to really benefit from it. If this sounds like a problem for you, just follow these eleven steps to automate the process.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

Step 1: Download and install the latest version of CCleaner. 

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

Step 2: Run CCleaner and set the cleaning areas to your liking, then select Options from the list to the left.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

Step 3: Under the Advanced tab, make sure Save all settings to INI file is checked.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

Step 4: Open the Start Menu and enter Task Scheduler into the search box. Run the Task Scheduler program that will pop up.

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With an Android app called Scanner Radio, you can turn your Android phone into a portable police scanner. Volunteers with scanners provide over 3,100 audio streams from police and fire departments, weather radios, and amateur radio operators.

You can let Scanner Radio search for scanners near your current location, or manually search for scanners based on area, genre, or source.

(Credit: Screenshot by Ed Rhee)

Once you find your favorite audio feeds, you can add them as favorites for quick access. You can also listen to archives of certain feeds, but that feature requires the Pro version ($2.99).

(Credit: Screenshot by Ed Rhee)

That's it. Just a little warning: listening in on police scanners can be addictive and scary, all at the same time.

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(Credit: Skype)

If you've ever copied and pasted text from a Skype call or conversation, you've probably noticed that Skype adds a time stamp and some quotation texts to whatever it is you copied. This can be handy for showing someone else exactly who said something and when, but it becomes rather tedious when copying a string to be entered into, say, a search box. If this bothers you, then you're in luck. This additional information is completely optional (albeit on by default) and can be easily disabled from within Skype. Read on to learn how.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

Step 1: Open the Tools menu from the main Skype window. Select Options from the list that appears.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

Step 2: View the IM & SMS options by clicking on the button in the left pane.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

Step 3: Select IM settings from the list under the IM & SMS heading.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

Step 4: Click on the Show advanced options button in the right pane.

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma)

Step 5: Under the heading Pressing Ctrl+V will, click on the option labeled Paste message as plain... [Read more]

The BlackBerry PlayBook could see an OS upgrade next week.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

BlackBerry PlayBook users eager for the long-awaited 2.0 upgrade could get their wishes answered next week.

The new OS is expected to launch February 21, according to blogging site N4BB, relying on intel from its own sources. The confirmation followed previous "rumblings" pointing to that date for the launch.

Canadian blog site Mobile Syrup also added its take by revealing an upcoming Best Buy flyer listing the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 upgrade as arriving in February. The flyer is due to hit the public on Friday and stretch out for one week, hinting that the new OS will reach users sometime before the end of next week.

Mobile Syrup picked up one more clue. The latest version of the BlackBerry Desktop Software has been available since Tuesday. The new version 7 of the client software is likely needed for users who choose to upgrade their tablets to OS 2.0 by syncing with their computers.

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Mozilla

Firefox developer Mozilla will reveal partners later this month for its Boot to Gecko project, an ambitious attempt to build a browser-based operating system for mobile devices.

At first glance, it's easy to write off Boot to Gecko (B2G) as doomed from the start. When it comes to taking on iOS and Android, WebOS was a dud, BlackBerry OS is struggling, and Microsoft is carving out a niche for Windows Phone only by dint of extraordinary effort.

But B2G has a couple things going for it. First, it's a browser-based operating system, meaning that Web apps become its native apps. With legions of Web programmers already at work and increasingly attuned to mobile browsing, B2G isn't starting from scratch.

Second, it turns out, B2G has allies.

"B2G is partnering up," Mozilla Chief Technology Officer Brendan Eich said in a tweet. "More at MWC," he added, referring to the frenzied Mobile World Congress show that starts in a week and a half in Barcelona, Spain.

Having Web developers as allies is nice, but having strong partners is essential--especially because Mozilla plans for B2G products to arrive in the second quarter. Without a vehicle to deliver B2G into users' hands, the software will be mostly irrelevant.

And Mozilla doesn't want to be on the sidelines. The non-profit'... [Read more]

(Credit: Screenshot by Kent German/CNET)

There's a good reason that people use the word "ecosystem" when discussing Apple products.

Indeed, the company has spent the last couple of years pushing the idea that customers should have the same user experience regardless of which device is in their hands. And now, just as iOS has evolved to unify that experience across the iPad, iPhone, and iPad Touch, the latest version of OS X brings the Mac further into the fold.

Announced today as Mountain Lion (v10.8), the update brings many of the features born in iOS 5 and plants them on the desktop. Some of the additions, like Notes, Reminders, and iMessage, are strictly functional, while others, like AirPlay Mirroring, iCloud, and a deep Game Center integration, spread the content love across your Apple-integrated universe. And don't assume that Mountain Lion just rehashes what you've already seen, for it also delivers a new security feature that keeps Apple at the forefront of malware protection.

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