A Beginner’s Guide to Saving an Old Computer

(This is the text of my weekly Loose Wire Service column, written mostly for newcomers to personal technology, and syndicated to newspapers like The Jakarta Post. Editors interested in carrying the service please feel free to email me.) What should you do with an old laptop that is so slow you have time to down … Read more

Playing the Software Pirates at Their Own Game

In the last post I prattled on about how Microsoft et al didn’t get it when it comes to dealing with piracy. So what should they do? I don’t know what the answer is, but I’d like to see a more creative approach. After all, these pirates have an extraordinary delivery mechanism that is much … Read more

Organizing Software For The Mac

I recently wrote about outlining software in my column (recommending for Windows users, among others. MyInfo and Jot+). Now here’s a recommendation from a reader for Mac users: Sticky Brain. From the blurb: “StickyBrain elegantly handles all the miscellaneous tidbits of information which don’t cleanly fit in other software programs like your contact manager or … Read more

Software: Grokster Goes Pro

 If you haven’t heard of it before, it sounds like something painful that happens to a guy in his mid 40s, or a vital piece of plumbing under the sink, but Grokster is actually a file-sharing program, and it’s going pro. From its haven in the West Indies, the company has released a $20 version “in … Read more