IT

Ask online about ways to improve the Internet connection around your home, and you'll often come across users recommending that you use a "mesh WiFi" system. So, what is mesh WiFi? Is mesh WiFi better than regular WiFi? What about mesh vs an ... extender, or mesh vs a router? How does mesh compare to Google Nest? How do you set up a mesh Wifi network? We'll answer those questions and more below. Related: How to Fix: Stop Neighbors Stealing My WiFi Related : Are you looking for the best possible way to extend the WiFi signal in your home , but don't have the technical expertise? Tired of ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Allan J. writes: " Dear Dennis, I own a website that is hosted through GoDaddy.com; I signed up for a 5 year contract ($600) which covers my hosting and registrar fees. I own a smartphone, a PC, and a laptop for my work and am ... attempting to sync my email across the devices so that I can view all my messages, regardless of which device I use. I've tried setting this up myself, but my emails automatically download onto one of the three devices at random, and nothing gets synced. When I checked my computer, some emails have been downloaded throughout the day, while other ... (view more)

Netgear is launching its own take on a multi-router system in order to improve WiFi across an entire home. It's not a new idea, but Netgear says its tweaks should give it a significant edge over rival setups. The logic of Netgear's Orbi and similar ... systems is that a single wireless router isn't always enough to cover an entire home adequately. Wireless signals can be weakened by passing through walls and floors, as well as being affected by metal such as pipe work. While that problem has always existed, it's become more noticeable as demand for high-bandwidth activity such as ... (view more)

Can Christmas tree lights degrade a WiFi signal? A British government agency suggests exactly that, but tech experts say it's unlikely to have a noticeable effect. The claim came in a press release for a new app to check WiFi quality. Ofcom, which ... is roughly equivalent to the Federal Communications Commission, noted that WiFi problems "could be down to something as simple as interference from other electronic devices, such as a microwave oven, baby monitor, a lamp - or even Christmas fairy lights." (Source: ofcom.org.uk ) The app runs some basic checks to see whether data is ... (view more)

The super computer that won Jeopardy! is now turning its hand to cooking. IBM's Watson has come up with some unlikely recipes including a strawberry curry. IBM originally developed the supercomputer specifically to compete on the game show called ... Jeopardy! . It was considered a major challenge for a computer as Jeopardy! doesn't simply require players to know facts, but to decipher clues. While normal game shows have a question with a single answer, winning Jeopardy! means finding the most likely of all possible questions that could relate to the supplied answer. Watson proved up to ... (view more)

Picasa Photo Organizer 3.9.0.138.151 As the name suggests, Picasa Photo Organizer helps to organize photos. It can create albums, screen savers, slide shows and even edit photos. http://picasa.google.com Jarte 5.3 Jarte is a free word processor. ... It's based on WordPad already built into Windows; it's fast, and easy to use and has many extra features not already present in WordPad. It's small, portable, and even has touch-enabled features. http://www.jarte.com (view more)

The makers of a new wireless router system claim it will offer guaranteed high-speed Wi-Fi connections throughout large homes. But at a minimum of $299 to take advantage, it's a costly solution. The Eero system is aimed at people who have an ... Internet connection and wireless router but struggle to get a good signal -- or any signal -- throughout their entire home. Wi-Fi signals can be weakened by structural issues such as in multi-storey houses, or by interference from wireless networks run by neighbors. The makers say this will become an increasingly frustrating problem as people make ... (view more)

Today, most business offices depend on a range of technologies, from desktop and laptop computers to smartphones and even tablets -- most of which are connected to the Internet. Now, a new study suggests that although today's workplace technology ... helps to increase productivity, it also lengthens the amount of time spent at work. The study, which was carried out by the Pew Research Center, involved surveying 1,000 adults between September 12 and September 18, 2014. The researchers focused most of their attention on just over five hundred participants who said they worked full- or part-time ... (view more)

A new report suggests that the personal computer may be on the verge of making a comeback. The report comes from industry analysts Gartner and IDC, which state that there was only a slight drop in demand for personal computers during the third ... quarter of 2014. While those figures don't sound too impressive, the outcome is quite startling when considering the trend over the last three years. Since 2011, PC sales have been steadily declining. Some experts went so far as to suggest that we were witnessing the 'death of the PC' , with consumers opting for mobile devices -- like ... (view more)

Industry analysts at Gartner have released their list of the top trends in information technology (IT) for 2015. The general theme appears to be a growing -- and perhaps troubling -- reliance on web-connected devices and the cloud. Topping Gartner's ... list is the 'computing everywhere' concept, also known as ubiquitous computing . The research firm believes 2015 will be about expanding access to computing capabilities, from placing touchscreens in connected cars , to washing machines and dryers. To many, it's an exciting trend that will allow people unprecedented access to their devices ... (view more)