pc

It's the ultimate digital dilemma: you're happily browsing the web, listening to tunes, and composing a little email when all of a sudden your computer freezes up. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to fix a frozen computer and identify the problem.

As a good rule of thumb, always, always, always save frequently and back up your work. If the machine is sluggish — not frozen — then there are several quick fixes to speed it up. But if your Mac or PC starts to slow down and its hard drive revs up then stops altogether, follow our antifreeze recipe before forcing the computer to shut down (which should be a last resort, as you'll probably lose precious data!).

Here's what to do if your computer freezes . . .

. . . During Start Up

• If your Mac is delayed for a second or shows a question mark when booting up, try going to System Preferences > Startup Disk > and select a disk, if there isn't one already selected.
• Disconnect everything that's plugged into your computer. If your computer later starts up with no hubs, extension cords, USB, or Thunderbolt devices plugged in, one of those external devices was likely the culprit. If it is because of these plugged-in devices, then try installing the latest drivers for the device, or read its manual for troubleshooting steps.
• If the Apple logo does not appear after powering on the computer, then force shut the device down and, when it starting up again, hold down the option key until disk icons appear. Select one of the disks (for now, it doesn't matter). After the desktop is fully loaded, go to System Preferences > Startup Disk > and select a disk.

What to do when things get bad randomly or while running an application after the break.

You wouldn't consider a 30-year-old person "outdated," but when you're in the tech world, that's almost ancient. The PC is approaching its 30th birthday, and IBM engineer Mark Dean recently blogged about how quickly things move in technology, saying that "while PCs will continue to be much-used devices, they're no longer at the leading edge of computing. They're going the way of the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs." Ouch. Of course, smaller and more portable items like a tablet, netbook, and smartphone could be helping usher the PC out of the spotlight, but there are a few other technologies that have felt the burn, too.

1. Landline telephone — It's rare these days that you'll find anyone without a cell phone, and it's becoming an appendage that people can't live without. So much so, that lots of tech-savvy people are going wireless full time and canceling their home phone service. The landline had its heyday, but the smartphone is the future.
2. Email — Sure, we still use email on a daily basis, but recent studies show that email is on the decline among teens. It's only a matter of time before email becomes "too slow," and the adults of the future find other ways to communicate. Facebook Messenger, by chance?
3. VHS — Video stores are a rarity in 2011, especially since you can rent videos without leaving your house. So it goes, I suppose, since the DVD brought about the demise of the VHS, and now DVDs are nearing the end of their prime. Hello, Blu-ray!
4. Typewriter — There's something about the clickity-clack of an old-school typewriter. It's kind of romantic, wouldn't you say? But let's get serious — there's really no comparing a typewriter with the functionality of a laptop, especially when you factor in weight, ribbons, and portability.
5. Cable — Cable companies should be sweating bullets right now. Not only are they being ousted by online streaming options like Hulu and Netflix, but customers are dropping subscriptions left and right because it's too darn expensive in this time of financial instability. If cable/Internet providers want to stay relevant, they need to adopt an online-only a la carte program that streams live shows online. Yes, live. If I had my druthers, I'd subscribe to an online-only version of HBO, Showtime, AMC, and SyFy. I'm sure there are plenty of others who would follow suit with their own combination of channels and would be happy to fork over the cash for the freedom of choice.

Lusting for a tablet, but don't want to give up the luxury of your functional PC? No problem, says Samsung, who introduced us to the new Samsung 7 Series Slider PC, which gives you tablet-like functionality and a slide-out keyboard to keep you productive.

Running Windows 7 Home Premium, this tablet/laptop hybrid comes with front and rear cameras, a touchscreen (which remains a touchscreen when in laptop mode), WiFi and 3G compatibility, Bluetooth, and Samsung App integration and will come with a dongle so you can connect your USB peripherals and HDMI connectors.

Due out in the Q2 2011, you can check it out in action after the break.

There are some fights that live on throughout the ages: Ali vs. Frazier. McDonald's vs. Burger King. Queen Elizabeth I vs. Mary, Queen of Scots. And, of course, Mac vs. PC. Whether you're a loyalist or a convert, you gotta pick a team. Time for you to weigh in, put on the boxing gloves, and test out your operating system!

Who Rocks Mac and Who Rocks PC?	Who Swings Mac and Who Swings PC?	Who's a Mac and Who's a PC? Gossip Girl Edition
Have You Ever Been Mac or PC Curious?	PC vs. Mac: Waging War From the Get Go	Who Wins: Microsoft's Seinfeld Ads or Apple's Mac vs. PC Ads?

iPhone 4 owners and new 4th generation iPod Touch users have the ability to chat face to face on their devices thanks to FaceTime. It's a nice feature, but right now it may not seem all that useful, especially since you can only converse with other Apple customers. However, all that may change if FaceTime heads to Macs and PCs like a new rumor is suggesting.

According to one source, Apple is currently working on including FaceTime in Apple's iChat software, and developing a client for PC users as well. Why would this be such a big WIN for users? Find out when you read more.

There's a new trojan virus on the block, and instead of infecting your computer with malware or copying your data, it's actually stealing your money. Over 3,000 people in the UK have already been emptied of nearly $1 million dollars to date from the Zeus3 trojan, and while this sounds like the perfect time to panic, the only "silver lining" for the rest of us is that the trojan has affected customers from just one online banking system . . . so far.

There is one major problem, though. Find out what it is, and how the trojan works when you read more.

There are some fights that live on throughout the ages: Ali vs. Frazier. McDonald's vs. Burger King. Queen Elizabeth I vs. Mary, Queen of Scots. And, of course, Mac vs. PC. Whether you're a loyalist or a convert you gotta pick a team. Time for you to weigh in, put on the boxing gloves, and test out your operating system!

Who Rocks Mac and Who Rocks PC?	Who Swings Mac and Who Swings PC?	Who's a Mac and Who's a PC? Gossip Girl Edition
Have You Ever Been Mac or PC Curious?	PC vs. Mac: Waging War From the Get Go	Who Wins: Microsoft's Seinfeld Ads or Apple's Mac vs. PC Ads?

If you're excited for the Prince of Persia movie (and possibly winning a trip to LA to see it for yourself), then you must be just as stoked to play the next installment of the video game series, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Hitting the shelves on May 18, the prince is back for another adventure, but this time he's using the four elements — earth, fire, wind, water — along with time to battle his way through waves of enemies and huge bosses.

The game seems to lean heavily on perfectly timed jump sequences and use some of those Parkour skills — that newly coined action star Jake Gyllenhaal used in the film — to climb up walls and over obstacles, so it should get your heart racing, even though you're sitting still. Check out the two-minute featurette that introduces you to the game, and the team that made it, and tell me — are you picking up Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands next week?