system

At Download.com, we've long recommended the excellent Mark Russinovich-created and Microsoft-supplied Process Explorer freeware, which provides scads of info on all of your Windows PC processes and options for managing them. Well, Process Lasso is like the peanut butter for Process Explorer's chocolate. It lets users set default priorities and CPU affinities for specific processes, establish rules for how processes behave, and also create alerts and automatic events for when processes misbehave or use too much memory. The interface is outdated and not beginner friendly, but Process Lasso offers very useful features in a powerful little package.… Read more

The number of options available in the Mac OS and its applications can be difficult to manage for all but expert users. With MacPilot for Mac, users can track and change settings in a number of areas from one program.

The free trial version of MacPilot for Mac comes with a 15-day usage limit, while the full program requires a payment of $19.95 to activate. The program's native installer set the program up quickly, but a lengthy user agreement must be accepted to use the program. Upon startup, the user is prompted to purchase the full version or … Read more

As Apple continues to work on kinks and bugs in iOS 6, rumors are already flying about a possible iOS 7. The latest chatter suggests that Apple is running behind schedule in its development of iOS 7 but that the software will have a whole new display.

According to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, development for the possible operating system is so delayed that Apple has pulled engineers from the Mac OS X 10.9 team to work on it. This rumor suggests that Apple may be readying the operating system for its Worldwide Developer Conference, which is in the … Read more

It's a first time face-off between Apple and Google for smartphone operating system supremacy. New phones are being released every month, but one of the things that remains pretty constant are the operating systems they are running.

It's Apple's extremely popular iOS 6 taking on Android in its purest form with an unmodified Jelly Bean 4.2.2

iOS 6 brings its pick-up-and-play operating system, and the biggest and baddest ecosystem of content on a phone. Android brings its unmatched customization and more features than Panda Express has menu combinations

This one will always come down to … Read more

Windows 8 is slowly carving out a slightly larger slice of the OS market.

The latest flavor of Windows captured 3.17 percent of all desktop OS traffic tracked by Net Applications in March. That was a small gain from the 2.67 percent share in February.

Since its official debut last October, Windows 8 has very gradually risen up the ranks, at least in Net Applications' Web traffic reports.

Starting with a 1.09 percent share in November, the OS carved out a 1.72 percent share in December. It then grabbed a 2.26 percent share in January, … Read more

Canonical, the organization behind popular Linux distribution Ubuntu, is working alongside the Chinese government to deliver a state-endorsed operating system.

According to Canonical, it's working alongside the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to bring a suitable Ubuntu version to China. The operating system, which will be known as Ubuntu Kylin, is expected to be released in April.

Ubuntu Kylin is part of a broader strategy on China's part to increase the adoption of open-source initiatives in the country, according to Canonical. China's ministry was deciding between several different Linux distributions before ultimately choosing Ubuntu.

"… Read more

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt said Android and Chrome will stay separate, according to a new report.

Speaking to reporters in India today, Schmidt said that despite changes to the mobile operating system's leadership, Android and Chrome will not be combined, according to Reuters, which was in attendance. Schmidt did say, however, that there might be more overlap between the operating systems.

In addition to Android and Chrome, Schmidt was asked about rumors that he might be considering leaving Google. Schmidt unequivocally denied he would leave, calling the rumors "completely false."

"Google is my home," … Read more

Voyager 1 truly has gone where no man (or spacecraft) has gone before. Huge changes in the environment around the space probe indicate that it has gone beyond the heliosphere, our little corner of space that's dominated by the influence of the sun.

It only took 35 years for the craft to travel more than 11 billion miles from the sun and possibly exit the solar system. What scientists are seeing is a huge spike in galactic cosmic rays.

"Within just a few days, the heliospheric intensity of trapped radiation decreased, and the cosmic ray intensity went up as you would expect if it exited the heliosphere," said Bill Webber, professor emeritus of astronomy at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.… Read more

I bought a BDI stand for my TV 10 years ago, and it still looks great. That says a lot about BDI's quality -- I'm constantly swapping out gear, and the stand is good as new. They no longer make the mostly glass unit I own, but their range of new models is huge.

Most of BDI's current designs feature medium-density fiberboard (MDF) construction, with gorgeous, real hardwood veneers. MDF is better than solid wood in these types of cabinets, real wood shelves bow or warp when heavy gear is placed on them for long periods of … Read more