Internet phone network Skype is set to release a major software update and is introducing a new breed of compatible telephone handsets. This combination of hardware and software could propel the service into the mainstream.
A free Web site called Netvibes is poised to give My Yahoo a run for its money, writes Walt Mossberg. It allows users to create personalized pages with modules that gather headlines, email, weather and other data from all over the Web.
Smart-phone shoppers who have been waiting for a cheaper iPhone that runs on faster cell networks might want to take the plunge on the iconic device’s latest iteration, but service costs have risen and battery life has dropped.
Google’s new Chrome Web browser will make using the Internet faster and less frustrating, but this first version is rough around the edges and lacks some features, says Walt Mossberg in the first hands-on review.
Verizon’s H-P Mini netbook is an adequate light-duty computer for a low price, but the charge for Internet service is high if used as a main online connection.
Edited by Walt and written by Katie Boehret, this is a guide to gadgets, web services and other consumer technologies.
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