I asked, "Who is Michael Jordan?" and not only did it give me speedy results; Google Search also read me a short bio.

Google Search (Free) has been on iOS for some time, with well-known search capabilities, access to Google apps, Google Goggles for identifying products, and Voice Search. But an update to the app yesterday enhanced Voice Search with spoken answers and after only a couple of tests it seemed only natural to try it against Siri.

Siri has a distinct advantage in most cases because it's integrated with the iOS. This means you can have Siri "Call Rebecca," for example, and Siri accesses your contact list along with your phone app to make the call. Ask Siri where to get Pizza and you'll automatically get a result on a background tailored to match Yelp listings. Similarly, you can launch an app using your voice because Siri knows what apps you have and has the access to launch apps for you. Google Search doesn't have this kind of access.

What Google Search does have access to is the most-used search engine in the world, and with the upgraded Voice Search, it seems it also has the fastest voice results available. I performed a number of tests by asking both Siri and Google Search the same question to see how long it took for each to give me r... [Read more]

Win8 StartButton offers Windows 8 users a full Start menu for the desktop.

Windows 8 users who miss the old, reliable Start menu now have another application that can fill the gap quite nicely.

Available for free, Win8 StartButton recreates the look, feel, and functionality of the traditional Windows Start menu. But it then ups the action through a host of customizable features.

After you install the program, the familiar Windows Start orb appears in the lower left corner of the desktop. Clicking on the orb displays the typical two-pane Start menu with easy access to all your programs and favorite Windows locations, such as your documents and music. The menu sports commands for search, run, and Help. And a Shut Down option lets you shut down, restart, switch users, lock Windows, or hibernate the PC.

Right-clicking on the orb and choosing Settings brings up a host of options. You can choose a specific Start menu style, such as classic Windows, Windows XP, or Windows 7. You can decide whether clicking the mouse and pressing the Windows key opens the Start menu or the Windows 8 Start screen. And you can opt to boot directly to the desktop and bypass the Start screen entirely.

Through more advanced options, you can choose to enable or disable Windows 8's hot corners, modify the menu's co... [Read more]