Holiday travel, with the sheer volume of travelers and the potential for bad weather, seldom goes according to plan. If you are a frequent or even occasional air traveler, then you likely have an app or two on your phone that keep you apprised of your flight status. But I doubt you have an app that can answer the following questions:

"How do I get from Terminal A to Terminal B?"

"Do I buy a bad cup of coffee now or hope there is a Starbucks behind the airport security checkpoint?"

"What are my ground transportation options?"

"Do I buy a soda and a soggy slice of of Sbarro now, or do I hold out for a beer and burger beyond security?"

"Does the airport have free Wi-Fi?"

"Can I get to the nearest play area before I begin speaking to my children in public in a tone I would prefer the public not hear?"

To get the lay of the land for an airport you may be passing through or stuck in this holiday season, make sure you have access to TravelNerd's Airport Guide. It's both a free and universal iOS app and a Web app.

(Credit: Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)

I used the app on my iPhone, and before I jump into what the app does, let me clear up a source of potential confusion. The app is listed as Airport Guide in iTunes, but it shows up on your phone as Tra... [Read more]

In a month of uneven Windows 8 news and reviews, Microsoft is taking another hit. This time, its freeware Security Essentials finds itself in the crosshairs.

Independent German security suite evaluators AV-Test.org publish bimonthly tests that rate the effectiveness of the biggest Windows security suites out there, and the recently-published results showed that MSE failed to earn certification on the most recent test. MSE was the only suite to fail out of 24 suites tested on Windows 7 during September and October.

Requests for comment sent to AV-Test.org and Microsoft were not immediately returned. CNET will update the story when we hear back from them.

The news is potentially more damaging for consumers because Microsoft Security Essentials is, according to Opswat's September 2012 market share report, used by almost 14 percent of the security market worldwide. In the U.S. alone, it commanded nearly 27 percent of the market as of September.

As PC Magazine noted, 16 out of the 23 vendors scored worse this time than during the previous Windows 7-based test in May and June. AVG has AV-Test benchmark its free and paid suites, which accounts for one more suite tested than there are vendors.

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This Chrome extension is particularly useful for Chromebook users and anyone who uses Google Drive to store their files more so than their hard drive. If either of these profiles describes you, then I would urge you to give Save to Drive a try. It's dead simple to use and provides useful functionality for storing any image you stumble across in Chrome, along with HTML5 video and audio files.

(Credit: Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)

When you spot such a file you'd like to keep, right-click it. With Save to Drive installed, you'll see a line -- Save image to Google Drive -- has been added to your right-click menu. Choose it and after two status windows, the file gets added to your Google Drive account.

That's it -- dead simple in operation, no? There are, however, a few things Save to Drive does not let you do, perhaps as a result of the extension's simplicity. First, you can't specify a particular folder for files; they are added to My Drive. Secondly, when you click to open a file obtained via Save to Drive, you will not see a preview -- just a download link. Lastly, it does not support Flash.

(Credit: Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET)

Still, if you've come to embrace the cloud, you should give a warm handshake to Save to Drive.

(Via ... [Read more]

Android smartphones make great personal media players, but because of the lock screen, pausing your music can take a few seconds. EasyMute is an Android app that allows you to quickly pause your music by simply putting your hand over the proximity sensor, even when your phone is locked.

Optionally, you can configure easyMute to lower the volume to a preset level. After installing easyMute, just tap the Enable easyMute button to turn it on.

(Credit: Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET)

EasyMute works with most Android music players, such as Google Music and even Pandora.

(Credit: Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET)

That's it. Keep in mind that, in order for easyMute to work, your phone must have Android 2.1 or higher and a proximity sensor. For the Samsung Galaxy S III, make sure to enable the proximity sensor by going to Settings > Motion.

(Via AddictiveTips)

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Band of the Day is an app that works just like the name suggests. Each day the developers upload a new band to their page for some sweet free listening. Runner up for Apple's App of the Year 2011, they carry a variety of genre and each day will offer something different from the last. The cool thing about the app is that it offers listeners the option to learn more about the band beyond the music. Full blown biographies and interview pages are posted along with the soundtrack. We were able to watch some cool video interviews and learn about some of the bands' history.

Ipad display.

(Credit: Screenshot by Tuong Nguyen/CNET)

Whether you're an audiophile, music hipster, or simply bore of the radio and feeling a bit adventurous, try a free download of Band of the Day. We found that the music selection is quite extensive and the interface beautifully designed, something akin to a digital music catalog-newspaper. There is something for everyone in this app. Some days were misses but at times we were able to find some amazing jams. In the age of Katy Perry and Justin Bieber, sometime it is refreshing to be able to h... [Read more]