Articles By Preston Gralla

Windows 8 developer preview: extensive hands-on review

After spending several days with the Developer Preview of Windows 8 on a PC, it's clear that Microsoft's new operating system -- which offers two separate interfaces, Metro and Desktop -- is a

Published on: September 23rd, 2011 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Secure your PC with crucial free downloads

Want to ensure that your PC and all of your files and data stay safe, secure, and private--without breaking the bank? We've rounded up 11 free security and privacy utilities that shield you

Published on: August 4th, 2011 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Google+ Android app is a winner

If you're a Google+ user with an Android smartphone or tablet, here's a simple piece of advice: Download the Google+ Android app right now. It's so well-designed, simple and straightforward to use, you

Published on: July 29th, 2011 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Top 10 Microsoft Office add-ons to boost productivity

Like most people who own PCs, you probably rely on Microsoft Office to get a lot of your work done. And you probably wish that you could get more out of the suite.

Published on: May 26th, 2011 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Put your Google services on steroids

Like everyone else on the Internet, you likely use one or more of Google's many services, from search to Gmail to Google Calendar to Google Docs. And like plenty of other people, you

Published on: December 15th, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

8 laptop tools to be more productive and secure

If you have a laptop, you have instant computing wherever you are. Using a laptop means that you can always stay connected, keeping work and entertainment near at hand. Unfortunately, using a laptop

Published on: December 2nd, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

6 useful wonderful Wi-Fi tools for Windows

We live in a mobile world; if you have a laptop (and who doesn't?), that means constantly connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi. You most likely use Wi-Fi not just when you're on

Published on: September 2nd, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Online ‘ad-stalking’ getting out of hand

Tired of getting tracked as you browse the Web, and being stalked by the same ad following you from site to site? Maybe it's time to heed the calls for a "Do-Not-Track" list,

Published on: August 31st, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Wave 4 of Live Essentials — a grab bag of great free downloads

The beta of Microsoft's latest update of its free Windows Live Essentials line of online applications -- which Microsoft calls Wave 4 -- was recently released to reviewers and beta testers; the final

Published on: June 10th, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

10 ways to get the most out of Outlook 2007

Hate it or love it, there's a good chance that you use Microsoft Outlook, still the most popular e-mail client on the planet. Outlook 2010 for Windows was just released, but only to

Published on: June 2nd, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Microsoft Office 2010 offers exciting changes

I review plenty of software packages throughout the course of a year, and it's rare that I come across one that I believe will truly make a difference in the way that I

Published on: May 5th, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Top 10 free or cheap downloads to unlock your printer’s potential

What's the most underused productivity tool in your home or office? Your printer. Confined within that unassuming box, however, is a lot of power--far more than you might imagine.We've assembled ten printer downloads

Published on: March 29th, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Microsoft moments — good, bad and ugly

The year is 1975. Gerald Ford is in the White House, South Vietnam falls, Muhammad Ali defeats Joe Frazier in the "Thrilla in Manila" world championship boxing match, the late-night comedy show NBC's

Published on: March 25th, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

What Microsoft can reveal to the police about you

I've got my hands on a copy of the leaked, confidential Microsoft "Global Criminal Compliance Handbook," which details for police and intelligence services exactly what information Microsoft collects about users of its online

Published on: March 1st, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca

Outlook Social Connector worth downloading, but needs improvement

Microsoft's just-released beta of the Outlook Social Connector aims to solve a formidable problem: How to retain Outlook's centrality when social networking sites and services such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have become

Published on: February 24th, 2010 Preston Gralla @itbusinessca