user

RunWithParameters runs any program using a parameter without requiring you to open a command prompt. It integrates with shell menus in Windows Explorer, and it includes many preloaded parameters for popular utilities and browsers. It's free and open source, too.

RunWithParameters' installation wizard lets users enter any file types they want to associate with the program by typing them into a text field separated by spaces. By default, the program handles EXE, BAT, CMD, COM, MSI, and SCR files. RunWithParameters can support custom file types, too. Once you've installed RunWithParameters, you access this simple tool by right-clicking a … Read more

A consultancy has spotlighted difficulties people have using Amazon's Kindle Fire. But the "usability sessions" can hardly be considered exhaustive testing.

A summary of Nielsen Norman Group's tests said the Kindle Fire "offers a disappointingly poor user experience," and cites the size of the screen as the main culprit.

Then the group adds this caveat: "This was a small study, with only four users, but qualitative studies often generate deeper insights than bigger, more metrics-focused quantitative studies." The link to the findings first appeared on Daring Fireball.

Highlights of Nielsen Norman Group findings:… Read more

More and more people are becoming aware of the importance of having strong passwords to protect their e-mail, banking information, and myriad other electronic accounts containing sensitive data. The problem with strong passwords, of course, is that they can be hard to remember. There are lots of tools out there that can help with this task, and Save Users and Passwords is among the more basic options we've seen. It's pretty bare-bones, but it does a fine job of keeping all of your log-in information stored in a secure, centralized place.

The program's interface is quite plain … Read more

Lots of things have changed about cars over the past few decades. One that hasn't evolved all that much is the user interface that most of them provide. Garden-variety automobiles are still full of gauges and buttons and switches of the decidedly physical, old-fashioned sort.

And then there's Tesla's Model S. Due in showrooms next summer, the $57,400 sedan is the spiritual offpsring of the company's $108,000 Roadster sports car, in a more practical package. But when I checked it out today at GigaOM's RoadMap conference in San Francisco, I wasn't … Read more

Apple has begun seeding iOS 5.0.1 to select end users to begin battery testing, according to a report from 9to5Mac. Specifically the early release of the iOS update is going to users who explained battery issues to AppleCare after the release of iOS 5 earlier this fall.

9to5Mac also reports that the iOS 5.0.1 update brings improvements to Siri for Australian users as well as several other bug fixes and multitouch gestures for the original iPad. Apple Store employees are also being briefed on the situation and are instructed to tell customers to wait for the … Read more

Google recently added the multiple user account feature to the beta version of Chrome.

In the past some file structure hacking would have been necessary in order for multiple users to have a personalized experience in Chrome. Luckily you can start taking advantage of this new feature today by downloading and installing the beta and then following a few quick steps.

Step 1: Grab the Google Chrome Beta here: http://www.google.com/landing/chrome/beta

Step 2: After you finish installing, click on the wrench near the top-right corner and select Options.

Step 3: On the left-hand side … Read more

You know something went wrong with your Web site's redesign when two people who used to work on it publish detailed, scathing assessments.

Google Reader, revamped this week, falls into that category. Google gave the RSS site the new red-and-black look that's sprouting at Gmail and elsewhere and, deeper down, changed the mechanics of how people can share posts they're interested in.

Former Google Reader product manager Brian Shih took Google to task for a monochromatic user interface (UI) that squanders too much screen space on a header bar and for making it harder to share posts: &… Read more

Smartphones keep luring more mobile users, especially those under the age of 45, according to a new survey from Nielsen.

Only 43 percent of all mobile users own a smartphone, Nielsen noted in its third-quarter survey. That figure covers the gamut of 13 to over 65. But ownership has hit more than 50 percent among some specific age groups under 45.

Of those in the 25 to 34 range, a whopping 62 percent now own a smartphone. And 54 percent and 53 percent of those 18 to 24 and 35 to 44 do as well, respectively. Teenagers are known to … Read more

Having up-to-date backups of your data is like insurance, we all need it and at the same time never want to have to resort to it.

Though backing up data is not required by law, the consequences of not doing it are often so huge that it's fair to call those who don't frequently back up their important data, well, reckless, irresponsible, or just simply foolish. The truth is, when you realize that the originals of your important documents or photos are gone because of a hard-drive crash or losing your laptop, being called names is the least of your worries.

Now there's an easy fix. Here's a list of our top portable hard drives that make backing up data a no-brainer. Take a look and get yourself one if you don't already have a backup solution in place. … Read more