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MacBook EFI updates fix battery problems

Posted by Harshad

MacBook EFI updates fix battery problems


MacBook EFI updates fix battery problems

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 04:36 PM PST

Apple has released a set of EFI firmware updates to address a rare problem where some systems might unexpectedly shut down or stop functioning after the battery has been used extensively.

Apple's determines battery health in part by the number of charge cycles it has been through (one charge cycle being a sum of partial charges that equates to one full charge), and depending on the system claims that batteries should last between 300 and 1,000 charge cycles. However, a rare problem in some systems might result in a nonfunctional computer if the system detects that 1,000 charge cycles have been surpassed.

To fix this problem, Apple has released three EFI firmware updates for the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook. The updates are small patches and should be available by going to the Software Update section in the Apple menu, but can also be downloaded and applied manually from the following links (the updates can only be installed on systems for which they are intended):

Being firmware updates, be sure you have the systems attached to a reliable power source and do not disturb the update process. The system should show a small progre... [Read more]

Top 3 photo collage apps for Android

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 03:46 PM PST

Sometimes it takes more than a single photo to capture a moment. Collage apps on Android have become increasingly popular, because they give users much more freedom to express their photography and enables them to create unique galleries. And with the ongoing trend of increasing screen sizes, check out these apps to Insta-photobomb your friends on that big and shiny phablet display of yours.

KD Collage

KD Collage includes templates for just about as many photos as you'd like, whether it's the standard two-to-four photos, five to nine or even 20 at a time. One unique advantage in KD Collage is the ability to freely transform each photo via multitouch. You can also set images as custom backgrounds. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide an easy solution to freely switch grids or the number of photos on the fly. The free version lets you save up to a resolution of 640x640 pixels, but for about a buck-fifty more, you can gain access to "HD" resolutions of 1,024x1,024 pixels and 1,280x1,280 pixels.

Photo Grid Photo Grid is another popular collage app that streamlines the collage generation process. Unlike KD Collage, Photo Grid will automatically generate the num... [Read more]

Official Stratego game debuts for iPad

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 12:52 PM PST

Stratego for iPad lets you play against the computer or any number of online opponents, including those on the Web and Facebook.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

Remember Stratego? It's the classic capture-the-flag boardgame. And it's now available for iPad.

Why just iPad? I'm not entirely sure. Granted, the board would be cramped on an iPhone or iPod Touch screen, but I've seen plenty of other games work around that. (Monopoly, anyone?)

That curiosity aside, Stratego for iPad does a fine job recreating the original while adding some welcome digital touches. For starters, you can create and save multiple board setups (i.e., troop deployments), a huge time-saver and a great way to test how various deployments work against your opponents.

And speaking of opponents, the app lets you play against a virtually unlimited supply of other humans, be they on Facebook, the Web, or another iPad. Yep, the game supports cross-platform play, so you can tackle Facebook friends just as easily as you would your fellow iPad owners.

Of course, Web and Facebook strategists (Stratego-ists?) get to play... [Read more]

Students to get Windows 8 upgrade discount

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 11:55 AM PST

The Windows 8 Start screen.

(Credit: Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

As Microsoft's ridiculously low price for upgrading older Windows systems to Windows 8 comes to a close tomorrow, the company has revealed a plan to let students upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for less than half the standard rate.

Microsoft's been running a deal since the Windows 8 launch in October where people who wanted to upgrade Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 to Windows 8 could pay only $39.99, but that deal will end tomorrow. As of February 1, upgrading an older Windows computer to Windows 8 will run you $119.99 for the standard edition, or $199.99 for Windows 8 Pro.

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Students, however, get a reprieve from the full cost of upgradin... [Read more]

Office 2013 desktop suite pops up in Windows Store

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 08:19 AM PST

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

Microsoft's Office 2013 desktop application has a home in the Windows Store.

The Windows Store hosts apps for Windows 8 and RT, which you can download directly. But it also serves as a pointer for traditional desktop applications. Instead of letting you download desktop programs directly, the store aims you at a Web site where you can download and purchase the product. And that's the case with Office 2013.

Running a search for "Microsoft Office" in the Windows Store displays several results, including one for Office 2013. Click on that result, and you'll see an overview, details, and eventually reviews of the new suite. Clicking the link to go to the publisher's site brings you to the Office 2013 product page. From there, you can choose which edition or individual application you want to buy.

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Big-name BlackBerry 10 apps available now (or very soon)

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 08:01 AM PST

It is no secret that RIM is gunning for its revamped BlackBerry OS to occupy third place among mobile platforms (behind iOS and Android). To this end, the struggling company -- in particular Alec Saunders, RIM VP of Developer Relations -- has been making a strong push to lure developers in droves. While we can't say yet whether the masses are buying in, we can say that, so far, BlackBerry 10 has a good head start in the app department.

LinkedIn and Foursquare are shown here on the BlackBerry 10 platform. Both are available now on BlackBerry World.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET)

Around 70,000 apps are reported to be available for BlackBerry 10 from the BlackBerry World store now. Of these, perhaps the most important titles include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Foursquare. These are major titles that a lot of mobile users lean on, and without these big names, some might be wary of adopting RIM's revamped platform. What's more, I've tried the apps, and they look great and perform smoothly.

Facebook and Twitter are also now available from BlackBerry World.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET)

But of course, these big four aren't the only... [Read more]

Firefox to block Silverlight and Java -- but not Flash

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST

To improve security and cut crashes, Firefox will block plug-ins including Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Reader, Apple's QuickTime and Oracle's Java, Mozilla said.

Only the newest version of Adobe Systems' Flash Player will be run by default, said Michael Coates, Mozilla's director of security assurance, in a blog post yesterday.

Plug-ins extend a browser's ability to run software or handle different media and file formats, but that extra ability opens new avenues for attack. They've been a staple of Web development for years, but browser makers are working hard to reproduce their abilities directly with Web standards that don't require plug-ins.

Related stories

Firefox will disable the execution of non-Flash plug-ins by default with a feature called Click to Play that lets people run each plug-in on a particular Web page if they choose.

Click to Play can be configured to override Mozilla's defaults, letting people set it to always or n... [Read more]

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