Stories by Brian Nadel

5 iPad gadgets for geeks

To most users, the iPad is a sleek tablet for watching videos, nosing around the Web and reading the occasional e-book. But to tech enthusiasts, the iPad can also be a platform to satisfy their intense curiosity.

5 more tech breakthroughs in access, power, control

This is the second half of a two-part series on technology breakthroughs that have the potential to change computing. Last week, we looked at five chip-level innovations that will make electronic devices faster, more powerful, more flexible and less expensive to manufacture. This week, we explore advances in how we access the Net, how we power our devices and how we interact with them.

Chip-level advances that may change computing

Imagine a world with electronic devices that can power themselves, music players that hold a lifetime of songs, self-healing batteries, and chips that can change abilities on the fly. Based on what's going on in America's research laboratories, these things are not only possible, but likely.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 vs Apple MacBook Air

Known for its straightforward business laptops, Lenovo is adding a touch of style with its new ThinkPad X1. The ultrathin laptop will be available May 24th for a starting price of US$1,399.

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet -- released before it was ready?

Because of its association with the BlackBerry brand, Research in Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook will appeal to businesspeople, but on arrival it lacks many corporate must-haves, such as email and 3G wireless data. In fact, it feels like it was rushed to market.

ViewPad 10 dual Android-Windows tablet

While tablets such as Apple's iPad and Motorola's Android-based Xoom are continuing to attract popular attention, there are many workplaces that are still based around Microsoft Windows. Unfortunately, Windows 7 isn't really optimized for use in tablets, and it looks like the next version won't be out for another year. So what can people who want to use Windows on a tablet do?

Five Bluetooth headsets: Not just for phone calls

A headset can do more than keep your hands on the wheel while you're on the phone. It can free you to take notes while talking with a client, sip coffee during a conference call or even doodle while waiting on hold. In other words, a headset today is essential equipment for anyone who spends a lot of time talking on a mobile phone.

TerreStar Genus

Need an always-on mobile phone with access to the Internet regardless of the patchwork of cell network coverage? The TerreStar Genus is an innovative smartphone that can not only make and take regular cell calls, but also connect with a satellite anywhere in North America, all with one phone number.

3G vs. 4G: Real-world speed tests

Mobile workers who need always-on Internet access -- and who don't want to rely on public Wi-Fi hot spots -- often turn to a cellular network for connectivity, using either a 3G-equipped notebook or an external 3G modem. Now carriers are touting faster fourth-generation wireless networks as the next phase of mobile computing. But to make use of the new networks, you have to buy a 4G-capable device or modem and a new, often more-expensive service plan.

Troubleshoot your Apple iPad

Anyone who has spent any amount of time with an iPad will know that -- like all computers -- it sometimes doesn't do what it's supposed to do. It could be a frozen screen, a system that overheats or a refusal to recharge. The result is the same: You have to figure out what's wrong with it and how to get it back on the straight and narrow.

12 iPad apps that mean business

So far, Apple has sold more than 3 million of its iconic iPads, making it the best-selling tablet on the market. A runaway success? Absolutely.

Your next laptop: Concept designs point the way

Tired of the stale cookie-cutter designs that make all laptops look basically alike? You're not alone. A group of intrepid designers and engineers is doing something about the "sameness syndrome" that permeates notebook design. They're working on groundbreaking concept designs that not only turn heads but also point to new ways to work and play on the road.

New Lenovo ThinkPad offers a colorful Edge

Bored with the fact that Lenovo ThinkPads come only in basic black? Not any more. The <a href="http://shop.lenovo.com/us/landing_pages/thinkpad/2010/Edge">ThinkPad Edge</a> is not only available in fire-engine red (as well as matte or glossy black), but it combines high performance with a simplified keyboard in an elegant design. Aimed at small and medium businesses, the Edge lacks the highest-level <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/topic/17/Security">security</a> that big companies demand, but it's a reliable system at an excellent price.

USB 3.0: The new speed limit

Have you spent too much time waiting for large files to crawl between a computer and an external hard drive? Don't fret -- USB 3.0 has arrived. Not only can it move data faster and provide more power, but it's compatible with USB 2.0 devices.

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