PC World

Okay, so most of us have gone through the process of buying a cell phone or two, but that doesn't make getting a new one any less painful. You get the run around, geek speak and stats thrown in your face before you can even process exactly what you need and want.

So what do you need to know when going in for the big purchase? PC World has put together a great guide to buying cell phones that should solve some of your qualms about entering the mobile geek playing field. To check out my favorite tips, read more

Ever get the e-mail about that lost relative that's died and left you a fortune, only you have to share your banking number with someone in West Africa? What about the e-mail promising a cash payout from Bill Gates if you forward an e-mail to a bagillion of your friends? Online pranks and shams are all too familiar to those of us that live on the web, but that doesn't mean they aren't delightfully funny or painfully jarring. This month's PC World has put together a list of the The Top 25 Web Hoaxes and Pranks and I for one, took a little trip down memory lane. Highlights include:

• The Accidental Tourist (2001) - Quite possibly the most famous hoax picture ever, this gruesome idea of a joke traveled around the Web and made a grand tour of e-mail inboxes everywhere soon after the tragedy of September 11. It depicts a tourist standing on the observation deck of one of the World Trade Center towers, unknowingly posing for a picture as an American Airlines plane approaches in the background.
• Sick Kid Needs Your Help (1989) - This gem had its roots in reality. It all began in 1989, when nine-year-old cancer patient Craig Shergold thought of a way to achieve his dream of getting into the Guinness Book of World Records. Craig asked people to send greeting cards, and boy, did they. By 1991, 33 million greeting cards had been sent, far surpassing the prior record.
• Bill Gates Money Giveaway (1997) - "Dear Internet Subscriber," the e-mail starts. "The Government of the United States is quietly pushing through legislation that will affect your use of the Internet." It goes on to reveal that "Bill 602P" will authorize the U.S. Postal Service to assess a charge of five cents for every e-mail sent.

For the complete list of web Tom Foolery, check out PC World.

Are you the proud owner of one of the 10 Worst PCs of All Time? PC World has put together a list of systems that were "overpriced and underpowered," had parts that failed two days after the warranty expired and well, caused you to enter PC Hell. (Their words, not mine!) I've always been a Mac girl myself, but it's always fun to reminisce about clunky hunks of junk. Here's more:

Number one, we focused strictly on desktops. (We'll leave the flaming/exploding laptops for another occasion.) Two, these machines had to have shipped to consumers--no vaporware or concept computers allowed. Tres, we decided to ignore systems we've kicked around elsewhere (like the IBM PCjr, the Gateway 10th Anniversary PC, and the FreePC, all part of our 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time story), and home in on a different batch of turkeys.

The No. 1 winner were the Packard Bell PCs made between 1986 and 1996. "Part of the problem was Packard Bell's strategy of selling nearly identical systems under different names, depending on where they were sold," says PC World. "So the Packard Bell Legend 406CD hawked at Circuit City was more or less the same as the Axcel 467 on the shelves at Staples or the Force 480CD sold at CompUSA, making apples-to-apples (or in this case, lemons-to-lemons) comparisons impossible."

Check out the complete list of the 10 Worst PCs of All Time.

PC World polled its readers and put together a list of most intriguing free offerings available online. From downloads to upgrades and free software, the 101 Fantastic Freebies list has a little of everything. The top winners include:

• Fresh UI - Fresh UI is a tweaker's heaven: With it you can change scores of settings in XP, many of which you probably never knew existed. Want to alter most any aspect of the Windows interface? Go ahead. Customize the Start menu? No problem. Change global menu settings and dozens of network and Internet settings? You can do them all, and a whole lot more.



• Microsoft Power Toys for Windows XP - Who says Microsoft can't write great software? These easy-to-use tweaking tools allow you to customize XP in countless ways.
• Tweak and Tune - This freebie doesn't have as many options and tools as Fresh UI does, but it's simple to use and well laid-out.

For additional free security software, registry cleaner, instant Messaging, voice, and video downloads, check out the full list.