Digital Home Advisor

Instant messaging (IM) is set to overtake e-mail as the preferred form of business communication by the second half of 2010, according to research by IDC.

E-mail collaboration software vendor Open-Xchange has released beta software that adds an enterprise-critical feature to Apple's popular iPhone -- the ability to receive calendar and contact updates wirelessly instead of plugging the device into a computer.

The University of Washington's technology staff demonstrated in 1989 what smart thinking and creativity can accomplish when it developed the Pine e-mail system, which quickly became widely adopted outside the university.

Adobe has updated its stable of design software, including releasing version 9 of is PDF creation tool Acrobat, and has introduced an online collaboration portal, Acrobat.com.

Hewlett-Packard has set ambitious goals to improve the energy efficiency of its printers and use more recycled materials in their manufacture -- and it intends to draw buyers' attention to the features with a new Eco Highlights labeling plan.

The Internet offers a wealth of excellent tools, information, and entertainment--and it asks very little from us in return. So don't get upset when a poorly designed online tool or site gets on your nerves; instead, use Greasemonkey, a free Firefox add-on that harnesses the power of JavaScript to right usability wrongs and improve the functionality of specific Web sites and of the Internet at large.

Printers for small businesses account for a large chunk of the printer market. These days, businesses have plenty of choice -- between inkjets and lasers, multifunctions and standard printers -- and this can make decisions about which printer to purchase confusing.

About five months ago, Macintosh lovers finally got their hands on Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard," which boasts more than 300 new features spread across its interface and underpinnings. Some of those features are well-known -- the Dock's "stacks" function, Spaces, Time Machine and Screen Sharing, to name some of those most talked about by users and columnists alike.

Imagine the last time something in your house broke - a cup or plate, a bracket, a door handle, a component in an electrical appliance or mechanical device, a hinge, a switch - the list can go on and on. But instead of tossing the entire device out, or heading to the local hardware or electrical store to find an often costly replacement, imagine if you could recreate that object or component in your home on a 3D printer. Now imagine if the 3D printer you use to make that part could recreate itself as well.

Around the end of the 19th century, King C. Gillette began making disposable razor blades. He sold the handles for these at less than cost price, making a loss but drawing in the punters. Then he sold the blades themselves at far, far above cost price, ensuring a steady revenue stream from numerous customers for years to come. Naturally, the design of the blades was patented, preventing competitors from making cheap alternatives.

How to get the most from your BlackBerry

Get your message across with our advice

The holidays might have tapered off a few weeks ago, but I'm still paying for them. Indeed, my checkbook has an "out of order" sign on it, and my teenage daughter has offered me a short term, high interest loan to see us through the winter.

For 150 years, film reigned supreme. But today our photo archives are in danger of being lost forever as prints fade and the emulsion on slides and negatives dry out and deteriorate. If you want to be able to pass your photos (and your parent's photos and their parent's photos) on to future generations, you'll have to do it digitally.