The beginning of a new year always presents us with a perfect opportunity to reflect on the year that has passed and look forward to the year ahead, make plans (call them resolutions if you must), and set goals.

As always, a year is a long time in the tech world, and a lot of things happened in 2008. Our own little corner of it (Tech Tips) is no exception. In this issue of Tech Tips, we’ll take a look back at some of the articles we brought you in 2008.  read more »

The familiar hardware for Guitar Hero and Rock Band cries out to be tinkered with, and do-it-yourselfers answered the call: playing real guitars, rigging up double bass drums and just plain cheating.

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First and foremost, you need a good foundation. For myself, for some disturbing reason only my subconscious can answer, I have a deep and unabated interest in all things electric – but particularly computers. More than likely, if you’re reading this Tech Tip, you probably have such an interest too. If you are looking for something that’ll give you a good background in computer components, I’d recommend the book Upgrading and Repairing PCs by Scott Mueller (QUE Publishing).  read more »

Books definitely are great. But when you want to carry a bunch of them with you, that’s when you run into problems. Books get bulky and heavy. A lot of them are awkward to carry, to say the least.

So, what if you could carry dozens if not hundreds of books with you? And what if they could fit into something the size of a small hardcover, but lighter? That’s the promise an eBook reader delivers. While eBook readers are nothing new, they’ve really started to come into their own.  read more »

It’s that time of year again! Time to do your best to find just the right gift for your friends, family, and that random person picked out of a hat down at the office.

High tech gifts have traditionally been a difficult area to explore for a variety of reasons. Price has always been a factor, but concerns about compatibility and contractual restrictions could also drive people away from giving geeky gifts. Things have changed, and perhaps you could check a few names off of your list by considering some high tech gift ideas.  read more »

Most new TV sets are tuned to catch eyes from the showroom floor, not to accurately reproduce colors and images. Properly calibrating your TV will give you a better picture, and, as a bonus, could also save electricity and extend the life of your set.  read more »

If the components in your dive are still functioning, you can recover the data yourself. If there's mechanical damage, send it to the pros. PM's complete guide to getting your files back.  read more »

In a previous Tech Tip, we gave an overview of the many basic things to look for in a CPU when choosing a computer. While that Tech Tip gave details about the subtle differences to look for with regards to CPUs, in this Tech Tip we will be looking at some of the specific processors offered today, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as clear up some of the confusion surrounding how to pick the right computer processor.   read more »

A netbook is a somewhat old laptop paradigm that became very successful in the last year and encompasses a small sized body that’s light-weight and usually low-cost.  read more »

The problem with gadgets that "don't have any parts" is that you can't fix even very minor problems. PM's Senior Technology Editor Glenn Derene buys a new iPhone and destroys his old one-all in the name of a little pocket lint.  read more »