compatibility

Updated, October 25, 2012: Updated for the final version of Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant.

General availability of Windows 8 has finally arrived. If you're considering upgrading your current PC to Windows 8, you might want to check your PC for compatibility first. Here's how, using the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant:

To download the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, go to the Windows 8 upgrade site, then click on the blue Download Upgrade Assistant button. The file is only about 5MB, so it shouldn't take long for the download to complete.

To run the upgrade assistant, double-click on Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.… Read more

Android users are now facing another malware twist.

A new Android Trojan dubbed "NotCompatible" is being spread through compromised Web sites. Though the threat seems to be minimal at this point, security provider Lookout says this is the first time hacked Web sites are being used to target mobile devices.

Further, Lookout believes the new malware could be used to break into private networks via an infected Android device.

The Trojan works by automatically downloading an application from a compromised site through the Web browser, a process known as a "drive-by download." The mobile device then … Read more

Now that Microsoft has made the Windows 8 beta (known officially as the "Consumer Preview) available for public download, those wanting to kick the tires may be wondering whether their PCs and tablets can handle it.

The Consumer Preview is close to being "code complete" and looks and feels very much how the final version of Windows 8 will when it launches later this year. The Consumer Preview is meant for anyone who is undaunted by technology to try, though Microsoft isn't advising anyone to load this on their primary PCs without remembering that it is … Read more

The PS Vita is a pretty phenomenal piece of hardware that's technically capable of being backward-compatible with the entire PSP library. Alas, at this point, the list of PSP games you can download onto your PS Vita is limited. Sure, there are plenty of great older games (and lots of great brand-new ones, too), but there are many missing titles. Browse the list for yourself.

Sony says the list of backward-compatible games will continue to grow, but why wait? There are actually plenty of other PSP games you can play on your PS Vita right now, but you'll need a PS3 to make it happen. They may not be listed on Sony's backward-compatibility list, but they certainly work.… Read more

You may not have been happy when Apple released the iPhone 4S instead of an iPhone 5, but a lot of case makers were. That's because at first glance their existing iPhone 4 cases seemed to work just fine with the new model, which meant that they didn't have to scramble to create new designs and had a ready supply of cases available for the 4S.

But that was before someone noticed that Apple had made a small but somewhat crucial design change: it moved the ambient-light sensor a few millimeters to the left. That created a problem … Read more

Mozilla has decided that when it comes to Android devices, performance is more important than the wealth of add-ons that can be used to customize Firefox.

Yesterday, Mozilla Director of Firefox Engineering Johnathan Nightingale announced on a mailing list that Firefox will move to Android's native user interface, ditching the XUL technology that's been in use by Mozilla since before there even was a Firefox.

"Firefox on Android is a critical part of supporting the open Web, and this decision puts us in a position to build the best Firefox possible," Nightingale said.

Firefox is widely … Read more

While Dan's changing his newborn's diapers, Scott invites his college buddy, David Tze, over to discuss how a discontinued tablet with no current support gets to be the most popular tablet on the market right now. Fox's announcement to delay its program streams on Hulu causes an online piracy upsurge. The NFL Sunday Ticket comes to the PS3 for a price higher than the current price of the console. Lastly, will backward-compatibility on gaming consoles be missed? … Read more

Today's news from overseas about Nintendo's slightly redesigned and price-dropped Wii isn't much of a surprise, with the Wii U around the corner. Neither is the new Wii's dropping of backward-compatible support for the GameCube and its peripherals. In fact, it nearly comes as a footnote.

Honestly, some people might be shocked that the Wii can even play GameCube games at all. Those small discs, looking like giveaways from some '90s music magazine, slot into the current Wii's disc slot (even though DVDs won't work). Even the GameCube controllers--and other peripherals--plug in via a door on the side. That's generous of Nintendo, but hardly necessary. Unless you have a large collection of GameCube discs, most memorable Nintendo games are easily gotten via Virtual Console downloads, re-issued Wii-ified versions, or improved franchise sequels.

Do we care about backward-compatibility in our game consoles? Well, maybe we used to. It's getting harder and harder to care. Here's why.… Read more

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed in by our readers. This week readers wrote in asking about shared parent folders mounting when subfolders are accessed, .DS_Store files appearing on the desktop, which Office versions will work with Lion, where to look up application compatibility for Lion, and whether or not you should install software that came with external hard drives. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present a few answers here, we welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Accessing shared subfolder … Read more