Stories by Ian Paul

Five tips to make your Facebook Timeline amazing

Facebook Timeline currently is rolling out to all users worldwide, and--whether you like it or not--the new default profile layout will be hitting your Facebook account in the coming weeks.

Google's GDrive reportedly to launch as Dropbox-rival 'Drive'

Google's long-rumored GDrive that would let you upload and store files to its servers and be able to access them from anywhere you have an Internet connection may finally be close to launching in the coming weeks as a more cheaply priced Dropbox rival.

Megaupload user data could be wiped out Thursday

Fifty million Megaupload customers stand a good chance of being ticked off Thursday when two hosting companies will likely begin deleting user data - including legitimate, non-copyright infringing files - from Megaupload's leased servers, according to court documents. The move is part of the ongoing criminal copyright infringement case against the file-sharing site Megaupload.

Refurbished HP TouchPad fire sale is happening this Sunday

Just when we thought the $99 Hewlett-Packard TouchPad was gone forever, the tablet that refuses to die is coming back for one last sale, according to online reports. A limited quantity of refurbished TouchPads will reportedly go on sale at HP's eBay Store starting at 6 p.m. US Central Time (7 p.m. Eastern) on Sunday, December 11.

Carrier IQ tracking: Your questions answered

Many smartphone users are wondering whether their Android, Nokia and BlackBerry devices are spying on them after security researcher Trevor Eckhart recently claimed that a piece of diagnostic software on the phones was acting like malware.

Kindle Fire: What the critics are saying

Gadget gurus have been testing out Amazon's Kindle Fire media tablet ahead of the device's Tuesday ship date and the consensus is that it's a solid alternative to the iPad for some environments.

Sony looks to trump Apple in race for next-gen TV, CEO says

Apple isn't the only company reportedly plotting to revolutionize the television set, Sony is also on the case, according to company CEO Howard Stringer.

Apple's iOS 5 update: No battery drain fix?

Some iPhone 4S users are still complaining about rapid battery drain following Apple's iOS 5.0.1 system update that began rolling out to users Thursday.  IOS 5.0.1 was supposed to fix several bugs that caused some iPhone 4S and older iPhone devices to rapidly discharge their batteries. The update also brings more multitouch gestures to the original iPad, several bug fixes for iCloud, and improved Siri voice recognition capability for Australian accents.

Amazon acquires voice recognition firm, fueling Siri speculation

Amazon appears to have quietly acquired Yap Inc., a speech recognition start-up company, fueling speculation that the online giant is getting ready to produce a voice command service such as Apple's Siri or Google's Voice Actions for Android.

Facebook's Timeline, still M.I.A. for most users

Six weeks after announcing Timeline, Facebook fans are still waiting for the social network to roll out its new profile layout that helps you organize and surface your past Facebook activity. CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Timeline "the story of your life" and a "new way to express who you are" during an Apple-inspired keynote presentation at Facebook's F8 developer conference in September. At the time, Facebook said Timeline, which will replace the current user Profile view, would be available in a "few weeks," but over a month and a half (and one lawsuit later) users are still waiting.

Google Maps provides street view-look at store interiors

Google Maps is moving you off the street and inside local businesses with a new feature called Business Photos that shows you 360-degree images of store interiors using Street View technology. Business Photos lets you peek inside select stores in 10 U.S. cities and surrounding areas including Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Washington, D.C. The new feature is also available in Australia, France, Japan, New Zealand and the U.K.

Windows XP: Pros and cons of not upgrading

Windows XP users, your favorite operating system is a decade old, and if you're still using it, you're not cool anymore, at least according to Microsoft. That's the software giant's recent take on its aging OS, which is still more popular than Vista or Windows 7 worldwide. Microsoft is hoping the final cadre of users hanging on to XP will start to dump it and move to the more modern Windows 7.

Hacking Apple's Siri: Not so easy

Hackers looking to port Apple's Siri digital assistant to iOS devices other than the iPhone 4S claim to have a rudimentary version of Siri running on the original iPad. Twitter user Jackoplane recently posted screenshots online showing Siri fully integrated into the iPad's operating system. The only problems is Siri can't do much on the iPad right now since most of Siri's processing takes place on Apple servers. Similar to the version of Siri on the iPhone 4 that hacker Steve Troughton-Smith had up and running earlier in October, the iPad doesn't appear to be able to interface with Apple's servers.

Hulu Plus comes to Nintendo 3DS, Wii; 3DS gets 3D video recording

Nintendo 3DS and Wii console owners will get a number of updates in late 2011, including Hulu Plus on both devices and 3D video recording on the 3DS, Nintendo announced Friday. Hulu Plus will land on the Wii and 3DS by the end of the year, while Nintendo promises 3DS owners they will be able to record up to ten minutes of 3D video by the end of November.

Apple's iOS 5 vs. Google's Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich

Apple's iOS 5 and the new iPhone 4S got some new competition late Wednesday after Google introduced Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, running on the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus.