Yahoo Mail has emerged from testing as a polished, fairly powerful online email program. It beats Google’s Gmail both in terms of features and its ability to act like a computer program instead of a Web page, writes Walt Mossberg.
Apple’s answer to Microsoft Office isn’t as powerful or versatile as its rival. Walt faults iWork ‘08 for emphasizing elegance over the nuts and bolts of writing and number-crunching, but praises Apple’s alternative to PowerPoint. (Video)
Walt Mossberg tests Fusion, another option for running Windows, and Windows programs, on a Mac. The program let him switch between each operating system rapidly and smoothly without slowing down his computer.
Walt Mossberg says Picnik — a Web-based photo-editing application — is good for tweaking and improving photos, then posting them to photo Web sites, saving them to a computer, emailing them, or even printing them.
Walt Mossberg takes an early look at add-on hardware and software for the iPhone. While the iPhone uses the same hardware ports as the iPod, most add-ons will require buying new gear or adapters to make the old iPod gear work.
Walt Mossberg tries out two new smart phones ahead of the iPhone’s highly anticipated release. One is the latest attempt by BlackBerry’s maker to appeal to consumers. The other is a high-resolution camera phone by Nokia. (Video)
Many people are furious about so-called craplets, the unwanted programs that come loaded on most new PCs. Until computer makers stop dumping these junk programs on us, here are some strategies for avoiding them.
New PCs force consumers to spend hours weeding out teaser software and ads that slow down the machines. The problem is a lack of respect for the consumer: manufacturers don’t act as if the computer belongs to you.
Samsung’s radical new music phone, the UpStage, shows real creativity in cramming music player and phone into one slim gadget, but has too many downsides. (Video)
LG’s new combo player can handle both new formats vying to replace DVDs — Blu-ray and HD-DVD. At $1,200, it’s only for videophiles with deep pockets, but Walt hopes it’s the start of a trend that will end the DVD format war.
Nokia is pursuing a radical product: a hand-held computer that isn’t a cellphone at all. The N800 has some nice features, Walt says, but the software is unpolished and it’s hard to imagine users carrying it around. (Video)
A new program helps people who prefer to use keyboard shortcuts rather than moving their hands to use the mouse. And its commands needn’t be memorized, because they are entered in plain English.
Edited by Walt and written by Katie Boehret, this is a guide to gadgets, web services and other consumer technologies.
Ethics Statement
Here is a statement of my ethics and coverage policies. It is more than most of you want to know, but, in the age of suspicion of the media, I am laying it all out.