Listen to BusinessWeek -- Technology & You podcast online

Augmented Reality: Not that Real Yet

Wed, Nov 18 Listen

Augmented reality is a technology that uses location data from your phone's GPS receiver and orientation information from its compass to superimpose data on a screen image generated by the phone camera. It sounds great in theory, but doesn't work very well in reality. A major reason appears to be that the data the phone supplies just are not accurate enough

The Secrets of Apple's Success

Tue, Nov 10 Listen

Macs account for less than 20% of the U.S. retail market, according to NPD Group, but nearly 90% of the $1,000-plus segment. Apple does so by focusing on a superior user experience and shunning advice to boost share by pursuing the low end of the market

Droid: Taking on the iPhone

Tue, Nov 3 Listen

It's only been a year since the release of the first Android phone, and the Google platform has matured amazingly in that time. The Motorola Droid is not an iPhone killer, but it's a smartphone that can stand up to the Apple's device on its own terms.

Touch Screens Arrive on PCs

Tue, Oct 27 Listen

Microsoft's support for a wide range of iPhone-like touch gestures in its Windows 7 operating system gives software developers freedom to focus on the creative aspects of touch rather than the mechanics. That should help touch move into the mainstream

BlackBerry: A More Perfect Storm

Tue, Oct 20 Listen

The original BlackBerry Storm, released a year ago, was marred by poor execution of its touch screen. The new Storm 2's may swing the balance away from physical keyboards. It's no longer worthwhile to put up with a tiny display or a clumsy slider design.

Win 7: Microsoft Gets It Right

Tue, Oct 13 Listen

Win 7 has a lot in common with the reviled Vista. By eliminating the sluggishness and annoying quirks of Vista and taking cues from the better ideas in the Mac OS X interface--an old OS tradition--Win 7 is slick and pleasant to use where Vista was clunky.

Nuvifone: Navigation on a Phone

Tue, Sep 29 Listen

The Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60 is an excellent personal navigation device on a mediocre phone. At 299 dollars (after rebate) with a two-year AT & T contract , it's cheaper to get an iPhone with a navigation app. You'd have a poorer navigator, but a much better phone.

Gaming Could Save Zune HD

Tue, Sep 15 Listen

Microsoft's Zune is never going to beat Apple's iPod Touch and iPhone as a media player. Gaming--and integration with the Xbox--could be Zune's secret weapon. But it's hard to tell, since Zune HD was released with an understocked app store

Microsoft's Free Antivirus

Wed, Sep 9 Listen

Microsoft failed to score in security software with a product called OneCare. It's free antivirus program, can't compare to heavyweight security offerings from the likes of Symantec and McAfee, but it will meet the needs of most Windows users

Windows 7: A Rough Road to an Upgrade

Thu, Sep 3 Listen

Win 7 is the best OS Microsoft has offered in years. But you may need a new computer to fully enjoy it. Upgrading from XP means reinstalling all your applications. And going to 64-bit Win 7 to access 3 GB of additional memory raises similar issues

Snow Leopard: More Steak than Sizzle

Tue, Aug 25 Listen

Snow Leopard is short on the eye candy Apple is famous for. But there's a lot of engineering under the covers. The new OS supports Exchange, and software like Grand Central Dispatch and OpenCL ready the OS for a future of massively multicore computers.

Services that Eliminate Phone Tag

Tue, Aug 11 Listen

Arik Hesseldahl tries Google Voice and RingCentral, two Internet call-management services, one aimed at consumers, the other at businesses, which can help simplify the multiphone life

Printers That Tap Right Into the Web

Thu, Aug 6 Listen

Printer manufacturers are trying to stay relevant by adding Web connections and software to their devices, letting users print without having to use a computer

Thin Clients: Replacing Office PCs?

Wed, Jul 29 Listen

Stripped-down devices offer big savings on hardware costs and software support

T-Mobile's myTouch: A Better Android

Wed, Jul 22 Listen

The first Android smartphone, T-Mobile's G1, wasn't very good and didn't give the software a fair test. The myTouch, the U.S. version of HTC's Magic, is an improvement. More Android phones are coming, but it's a crowded field and the iPhone is way ahead.

A Tale of Two Laptops

Wed, Jul 15 Listen

Lenovo's ThinkPad T400s and Acer's Timeline 3128 are similar. But the ThinkPad starts at $1,600 while the Acer goes for $900. What does the $700 buy? In general, a laptop that is better in many ways, though the Timeline offers much better battery life.

Nokia's Tough Road in the U.S.

Tue, Jun 30 Listen

Nokia's making another stab at the U.S. mobile phone market, led by the E71x. But despite an attractive $100 price with an AT&T contract, the E71x doesn't stand out in the crowded smartphone field

Desktop PCs: Set for a rebound?

Thu, Jun 25 Listen

Desktop PCs have been fading from the scene for years, but they may be poised for a modest rebound. One big reason is the combination of big touchscreen models--the Dell Studio One or the Hewlett-Packard TouchSmar--and the multitouch features of Windows 7.

The iPhone 3G S: An Unstoppable Force

Wed, Jun 17 Listen

Since the advent of the iPhone 3G and iTunes App Store, Apple has become a tornado of creative destruction in the handset market. Now it's challenging new markets including in-car navigation, video production, and BlackBerry's hold on the corporate market

Bigger, Better Kindle for Business

Wed, Jun 10 Listen

The most striking thing about the Kindle DX is its size--it looks like a Kindle 2 with a screen nearly three times bigger than the original. But perhaps the most important thing is the ease with which businesses can load their own documents in PDF form

Palm Pre: Where are the apps?

Thu, Jun 4 Listen

The new Palm Pre may be the first phone that can challenge the iPhone. The hardware is solid and the OS is advanced. But there's one thing the iPhone has taught us: It's all about the apps

Easier Communication for Road Warriors

Wed, May 27 Listen

Novatel's MiFi creates an instant Wi-Fi hotspot using the Verizon or Sprint networks. Lenovo Constant Connect silently feeds e-mail from a BlackBerry to a ThinkPad, but limited device support and difficult setup get in the way.

Office Applications For Smartphones

Wed, May 20 Listen

Until recently, iPhone and BlackBerry users could read Microsoft Office documents sent to their phones but could not edit or alter them. Two applications, Quickoffice for the iPhone and Documents To Go for the BlackBerry, are changing that.

Bluetooth Headsets: Better Than Ever

Wed, May 13 Listen

You can get a Bluetooth headset for less than 20 dollars. But this is an area of technology where spending more is well worth it. We look at three headsets that offer superior voice quality, battery life, and noise reduction.

Bigger, Better Ultra-Thin Laptops

Wed, May 6 Listen

Thin, light notebooks have been around for a while, but they have been aimed at well-heeled mobile execs. A new generation is emerging that will drive down prices below $1,000 and igniting conflict among Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.

Dell's Adamo: Good Looks, Bad Timing

Wed, Apr 29 Listen

Dell, long known for its plain laptops, has made a design statement with the Adamo. But its performance is mundane, like that of most compact notebooks. And will the world clamor for a $2,000-plus laptop when the average price is falling below $1,000?

Cisco Takes On the Home

Wed, Apr 22 Listen

Cisco Systems isn't the first company you'd name as a digital home entertainment leader, despite its Linksys networking gear, Scientific Atlanta set-top boxes, and Flip video cameras. Question is, can Cisco learn to think like a consumer electronics company?

BumpTop: Beyond the Desktop

Tue, Apr 14 Listen

Computers' basic user interface has changed little since the Macintosh appeared 25 years ago. Using improvements in computer power and graphics, a startup called Bump Technologies has a fresh approach. Having to rewrite all applications is a huge hurdle.

Applause for BlackBerry App World

Tue, Apr 7 Listen

Research In Motion's new App World brings one-stop shopping to the BlackBerry. But the experience is nowhere near as slick as Apple's iTunes App Store because of the burdens of PayPal's checkout procedure and BlackBerry's own security measures.

Verizon's Hub: Land Line Revolution?

Wed, Apr 1 Listen

The Hub is Verizon Wireless' push for the home-phone market, where consumers have been shedding landlines by the millions. It's impressive, but it tries too hard to make you do what Verizon wants, not what you might want to do yourself.

BusinessWeek -- Technology & You podcast (Consumer & Technology)