driver

This week I cleared Vista out of my home office by upgrading a 6-year-old PC to Windows 7. The machine was in dire need of a tune-up. I figured the money spent on a Win 7 upgrade would extend the desktop PC's life span and save me hours of system maintenance time.

When I ran the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, the program warned me that the machine's ATI Radeon Xpress 200 display driver and Realtek Audio Manager utility were out-of-date. The PC was otherwise good to go, which was a pleasant surprise considering it shipped in 2005 with … Read more

This morning Apple released a new line of iMac models that contain quad-core "Sandy Bridge" processors, faster graphics, and support for the new Thunderbolt I/O technology. These new machines may be an enticing buy, though if you plan to install Windows 7 via Boot Camp, be sure to install the latest Boot Camp update, especially if you are using Japanese and Korean languages.

Apparently the included Boot Camp drivers on the new iMacs have problems with handling Japanese and Korean keyboard layouts. Apple does not specify what these problems are, but has released an update to the … Read more

As an editor at Download.com, I can't really state an opinion on software made in-house for obvious reasons. But with that said, I can't help but think this latest promotion for TechTracker Plus is a pretty good deal. Starting today, for a limited time, you can get TechTracker Plus for Mac for $19.99 (down from $29.99) and receive a free copy of MacPilot as part of the deal.

MacPilot (usually $19.95) is one of our favorite apps for fiddling around with your Mac, optimizing it to run better and unlocking the hidden potential of … Read more

Apple has released an update to the Boot Camp drivers for the latest MacBook Pro systems. This update addresses a couple of problems with Japanese and Korean keyboards in the system, and also fixes shutdown problems, according to the update's download page. The update is specific for Windows 7, so if you are using an alternative version of Windows, this will not apply to you.

The update should be available for Boot Camp users via Apple's Software Update utility, but it can also be downloaded and applied manually from the Boot Camp 3.2 Update Web page. The … Read more

Today's cars so are full to the brim with high-tech gizmos and gadgets that it's easy to see how some users can get overwhelmed with the sheer complexity of it all. We receive e-mails and comments regularly asking what features should one look for in a new car and why.

With that in mind, we've assembled a list of the must-have car tech features for your perusal. From dashboard technologies to safety features to power train and handling considerations, there's something for everyone in this list. And while you may not check every single box with … Read more

Handing a newly minted teen driver the keys to the family car is often a leap of faith that they'll return safe. Teens are four times more likely than adults to crash, and more than 3,000 fatalities each year makes motor vehicle accidents the leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-olds. But one insurer found that mounting cameras inside the vehicle reduces risky driving behavior by 70 percent, which probably saved a few lives.

American Family, a Wisconsin-based insurance company, has offered the cameras and service since 2007 as part of its Teen Safe Driver Program. The … Read more

On the heels of the recent iDVD update, Apple has released a new version of iMovie, which addresses a problem with audio playback being out of sync. In addition, the update addresses a number of undisclosed stability issues. The update is available for all users of iMovie '11 (version 9.0.0 or greater) and requires OS X 10.6.3 or later to install.

The update should be available through Software Update, but can also be downloaded from Apple's iMovie 9.0.2 update page (27.52MB).

In addition to the iMovie update, Apple has released the latest … Read more

Microsoft is reportedly putting together drivers and a software development kit that would allow its Kinect motion sensor to work with Windows, according to WinRumors.

Citing the usual sources familiar with the situation, WinRumors says the drivers and SDK would give third-party developers the ability to create software titles that can use a Kinect plugged directly into a Windows PC.

Since its official launch last November, the Kinect has proven fertile ground for developers and hackers eager to stretch it beyond its Xbox 360 roots. People clever enough to write their own drivers have already been tinkering with the product, … Read more

Apple has released a couple of updates, one being for the AppleTV operating system software that addresses a couple of issues with high-definition output and downloading TV episodes and movies. The second set of updates is a set of printer drivers for use with OS X. The latest updates include drivers from Canon, Lexmark, and FujiXerox.

AppleTV software update

The AppleTV firmware update is for the second-generation AppleTV units and is available only through software update on AppleTV devices. It will bring the installed OS version to 4.2.1 instead of the previous 4.2.0. According to Apple'… Read more