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Monday, June 22, 2015

How the future of US wireless service hangs on a government auction

The name of the game is spectrum, and the carriers are jockeying for rules that could determine the ultimate winners and losers of the wireless wars.

The US wireless carriers may not be able to stand in the same room together, but they can agree on one thing: the industry needs more spectrum.

Wireless spectrum -- it'll color the future for your smartphone service.James Martin/CNET

What is spectrum? It's the set of licensed radio airwaves that allow carriers to ferry cat videos and Instagram selfies wirelessly from the Internet to your smartphone. Getting more spectrum is absolutely critical to meeting that growing demand for data.

The industry gets a crack at a fresh swath early next year, when the Federal Communications Commission will take unused spectrum from TV broadcasters and resell it to the wireless operators in one of the biggest government auctions ever. The FCC is expected to vote on rules for the auction at its next meeting, in July. Details of its plan are expected later this week.

It's those rules where all of that solidarity breaks down. Smaller carriers such as T-Mobile and Sprint are advocating that the FCC set aside a special reserve of spectrum specifically for financially strapped companies. There's already a reserve in place, but the carriers want an even larger one.

Verizon and AT&T, which have deeper pockets and have shown a willingness to spend, would rather there not be a reserve at all. They say that requests to set aside even more spectrum for companies like T-Mobile and Sprint, which are backed by major multinational telecommunications companies, are an attempt to get a valuable resource on the cheap.

At stake in this debate is the ultimate outcome of the wireless auction, which most experts agree will shape the competitive landscape. The extra swath of spectrum could help T-Mobile and Sprint build legitimate national networks that hit both urban and rural areas, providing a credible alternative to Verizon and AT&T, by far the two largest wireless carriers in the nation. Or it could widen the coverage gap if the Big Two end up the winners of the next auction. How it shakes out could impact your options for wireless service over the next few years.

'Beachfront property'

The spectrum the FCC plans to sell in the next auction is especially important to wireless operators because it runs on a lower band and can be used to transmit signals over long distances and through obstacles like walls.

Are you happy with the speedy coverage in your building? You can thank the last major auction of low-band spectrum, in 2008, which allowed carriers like Verizon to kick-start their 4G LTE networks. AT&T Mobility and Enterprise CEO Ralph de la Vega once called that spectrum "beachfront property."

This auction will be different. The FCC will act as a matchmaker between TV broadcasters who want to sell and wireless operators who want to buy. Making the spectrum even more valuable is the fact that this may be the last auction of low-band licenses for many years.

Here's why it's a big deal: If spectrum is like an interstate highway system, it forms the network of roads and highways that connect mobile customers to the content and services they love. The cars and trucks traveling on those highways are the bits of data that make up your Netflix streaming videos and e-mails.

The more cars and trucks on the road, the more crowded the roadway gets, clogging up the traffic flow. During peak times, there may even be gridlock. You've probably experienced this when videos on your phone buffer.

If an operator can get its hands on more spectrum, it can add new lanes to its highway and even expand that highway so that it can reach consumers in new markets. Without access to more spectrum, an operator can't add more lanes to handle heavy congestion or build roads to new areas. Frustrated by traffic jams and a limited access roadway, consumers will likely switch to providers with wider roads that reach more places.

Without more spectrum, it's difficult for a wireless operator to survive long term.

"If you don't have enough spectrum, you can't get enough market share to survive," said former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt.

Reservations, please

This is where the FCC's rules for the auction come into play. The FCC is the arbiter of this public resource in the US, and since 1994 it has been holding auctions to divvy up licenses. How it sets the rules will help shape the outcome of the auction and ultimately the competitive landscape.

More smartphones, more traffic -- and thus the need for more spectrum.CNET

"The FCC gets the market structure right now, or it never gets it right," Hundt said.

Smaller operators such as T-Mobile say they can't go head-to-head with deep-pocketed competitors AT&T and Verizon, which have enough money to easily outspend anyone. The FCC recognizes this challenge, and it agreed last year to restrict the participation of AT&T and Verizon in the auction by setting aside some spectrum for T-Mobile and other smaller carriers to bid on.

It's not enough. T-Mobile and the rest of its coalition are asking the agency to increase the size of this reserve.

Without this increase, T-Mobile argues, AT&T and Verizon will dominate the auction and shut out competitors. T-Mobile executives say getting the FCC to increase the reserve of spectrum in the auction is not just important for T-Mobile and its customers, but for all wireless customers and industry competition.

"Every consumer in America loses," CEO John Legere wrote in a recent blog post. "You'll face higher bills, stifled innovation, crappy customer service -- all the usual AT&T and Verizon treatment! It would be a nightmare for American wireless consumers!"

Those supporting a larger reserve point to AT&T and Verizon's existing dominant position in the market. If these companies have the opportunity, they will buy spectrum just to keep it away from competitors, according to critics.

"Plain and simple -- AT&T and Verizon have the market power and resources to prevent smaller carriers from accessing additional spectrum," said Steve Berry, head of the Competitive Carrier Association, a trade group that represents smaller, local players. "The Big Two wireless carriers already own 73 percent of low-band spectrum, and to promote competition and give consumers choice, competitive carriers must have an opportunity to acquire additional low-band spectrum."

Who's really in need?

While it's true that Verizon and AT&T together hold more than 70 percent of the low-band spectrum licenses in the US, they also serve three quarters of wireless subscribers. Because of this, AT&T and Verizon are actually the most spectrum-constrained operators, said Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics.

"Would it help T-Mobile to have low-band spectrum?" he said. "Yes. But why should the government subsidize that for them and give a multibillion-dollar company what's tantamount to corporate welfare?"

There is no evidence that either AT&T or Verizon is willing to spend billions of dollars just to keep the resource away from competitors, Entner said. On the contrary, these companies have been buying spectrum on the secondary market, and deploying it as quickly as they can. The small amount of low-band spectrum that T-Mobile already owns resulted from a spectrum swap with Verizon.

"It certainly seems odd for a company supposedly willing to spend billions to keep others out of 600MHz spectrum to happily sell T-Mobile 700MHz spectrum," Doug Brake, an analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, wrote in a blog post discussing the upcoming auction.

Not in the game

In a recent blog post from Verizon, the company points out that neither T-Mobile nor Sprint participated in an auction of low-band spectrum in 2008.

"The last time large swaths of low-band spectrum came to auction in 2007, for example, T-Mobile could have participated," the company wrote. "It chose not to."

But 2008 was a different time. T-Mobile had just purchased spectrum in an earlier auction, and parent Deutsche Telekom was reluctant to invest again. Sprint, meanwhile, was focusing on fixing its network and reversing its customer defections, and lacked the financial resources to participate. The data explosion was just getting started.

AT&T's vice president of federal regulatory affairs, Joan Marsh, has likewise criticized T-Mobile for simply being unwilling to spend for growth.

"You can't win if you don't bring capital and stand prepared to use it," she said in a blog post. The post discussed the results of the FCC's most recent auction in which T-Mobile participated but curtailed its spending.

T-Mobile's Legere called that auction, which raised more than $40 billion in revenue, a "disaster for American wireless consumers" because AT&T, which spent $18.2 billion, and Verizon Wireless, which spent $10.4 billion, won the majority of the licenses.

But Marsh argued that T-Mobile, which spent $1.77 billion in the auction, pulled back when the prices began to rise. She said an analysis of the bidding showed that T-Mobile had as much as $3.5 billion in capital to spend, but as valuations rose in the auction it looked like T-Mobile "decided to take some of its capital off the table, which was certainly its prerogative to do." Still, it's unfair for T-Mobile to cry foul now, she said. "You can't withdraw capital from the auction then complain that you didn't win."

Indeed, another company, satellite TV provider Dish Network, did continue bidding. The company spent a total of $10 billion, after taking a $3.3 billion bidding discount by working with so-called "designated entities," or small businesses that under the FCC auction rules can earn discounts on spectrum licenses. Now Dish is reportedly interested in acquiring T-Mobile.

Fred Campbell, former head of the wireless bureau at the FCC under Republican chairman Kevin Martin, pointed to the success of Dish in winning licenses as proof that other companies can bid against AT&T and Verizon and win licenses.

"Everyone who runs a company would love to have government help if they could get it," he said. "But do they require the government help? The answer is usually no."

Still, he said the government bears a certain amount of responsibility to ensure there are limits on how much spectrum any company can own. But he added that knowing where to draw the line in terms of how much the FCC intervenes is not cut and dry.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a blog post last week that the agency is wrapping up its new rules. He promised the outcome will be fair. But he acknowledged that "no single party will be happy with everything" the agency has done in crafting an auction that has "more moving parts than a Swiss watch."

In the end, he said, "Hard decisions in difficult situations mean that no stakeholder will get exactly what it wants."

PlayStation 4 to get 1-terabyte treatment in July

The new console, doubling the storage of the current model, will follow a 1TB version of Microsoft's Xbox One arriving this month.

Sony is matching Microsoft by launching a 1TB flavor of its game console.Sony

Sony has confirmed that it will offer a 1-terabyte edition of its PlayStation 4.

The new 1TB PS4 Ultimate Player Edition will launch in select European and PAL territories starting July 15, Sony said in a blog post published Monday. PAL is the video standard used across most of the world, with the exception of North and South America, which use a standard known as NTSC. Sony didn't reveal when the 1TB PlayStation 4 would debut in the US or other non-PAL regions.

Offering double the storage capacity of the current PS4, the terabyte edition will closely follow the June launch of a 1TB edition of Microsoft's Xbox One. Both consoles come as both digital and disc-based games are getting larger, which means hard-core gamers who have a huge collection of titles can more easily run out of space.

The PS4 has been clobbering the Xbox One in sales. However, at last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo, the video game industry's biggest conference, Microsoft announced several new features designed to attract more users, including a lineup of new games, the Xbox Elite Wireless controller and the ability to finally play Xbox 360 titles on the Xbox One.

Sony, meanwhile, is also launching a new model of the 500GB PS4 starting the end of this month. Initially rolling out in Japan and then other Asian countries as well as North America and Europe, this PS4 will weigh 10 percent less than the current edition and consume 8 percent less power. The new 500GB edition will sell in the US for $399.

Available in either jet black or glacier white, the new version will have a matte finish, which Sony says will give it a "more casual look." The company is also promising a new lineup of titles from its own game publishing studio as well as popular third-party developers. New titles due to hit the market include Capcom's Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi and Konami's Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Sony will kick in such games as God Of War III Remastered, Until Dawn and The Tomorrow Children.

Staying safe on public Wi-Fi

Free public Wi-Fi is incredibly convenient, but security can be an issue. Here's how to minimize the risk, whether you use a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

Stuck without a data connection on the road? Free public Wi-Fi is one of those little luxuries that can make travelling easier, but you do need to exercise caution in how you use it.

Here are some tips on what to look out for when using public Wi-Fi, whether you use a laptop, smartphone or tablet.

Choose your network wisely

Tempted to connect to that elusive "Free Wi-Fi" hotspot? It's worth doing your homework before selecting any network that's open or not familiar to you. For example, if you're in a coffee shop or public library, make sure to verify the name of the network with staff or on signage before connecting.

It's pretty easy for someone who wants to intercept your data in a man-in-the-middle attack to set up a network called "Free Wi-Fi" or any other variation that includes a nearby venue name, to make you think it's a legitimate source.

If you are connecting via Windows, make sure to turn off file sharing and mark the Wi-Fi connection as a public network. You can find this option in the Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change Advanced Sharing Settings. Under the Public heading, turn off the file sharing toggle. You may also want to turn on the Windows Firewall when connecting to a public network if it's not already activated. These settings are also found in Control Panel > Windows Firewall.

On Mac, open up System Preferences and navigate to the Sharing icon. Then, untick the checkbox next to File Sharing. Here's a full rundown on how to disable sharing and removing public home folder sharing options in OS X.

You can also turn on the firewall within OS X by heading to System Preferences, Security & Privacy and click the Firewall tab.

Use a VPN

Creating a virtual private network (VPN) is one of the best ways to keep your browsing session under wraps. A VPN client encrypts traffic between your device and the VPN server, which means it's much more difficult for a would-be intruder to sniff your data.

Setting up a VPN on Android.Screenshot by Lexy Savvides/CNET

If you don't already have a VPN set up through your employer or workplace, there are other options available. One free implementation is SecurityKISS which offers ad-free VPN access with data limited to 300MB/day. That's plenty of scope for checking email, looking at maps and other casual Wi-Fi uses.

CyberGhost is another option that offers a free tier, but also has a paid version that boosts speed.

For detailed instructions, here's how to set up a VPN on an iOS device and on Android.

There are many other VPN services available, including paid and free options. It's worth doing your research to work out which is best for your needs, especially if you are a heavy-duty user.

Disconnect.me helps to protect against session hijacking via browser extensions for Chrome, Opera and Safari, but on the VPN front it also offers a standalone Android app called Secure Wireless that automatically detects unsecured Wi-Fi and activates a VPN where needed.

Check for HTTPS

Like the old saying goes, check for the lock in your browser to make sure it's secure. One way you can force your browser to use HTTPS is through an extension, such as HTTPS Everywhere. This is available for Chrome, Firefox, Firefox for Android, and Opera.

It's important to note that HTTPS Everywhere works by activating encryption on all supported parts of the website. As outlined in its FAQ:

"HTTPS Everywhere depends entirely on the security features of the individual web sites that you use; it activates those security features, but it can't create them if they don't already exist. If you use a site not supported by HTTPS Everywhere or a site that provides some information in an insecure way, HTTPS Everywhere can't provide additional protection for your use of that site."

Patch it up, check your apps

It's time to start forming some good patching habits. Keep your browser and internet-connected devices up to date with the latest versions, but make sure to do this on a trusted home or work network -- not on public Wi-Fi.

There have been instances of travelers being caught off guard when connecting to public or hotel Wi-Fi networks when their device prompts them to update a software package. If accepted by the user, malware was installed on the machine.

Also, if you're on a mobile device, don't assume that your apps are automatically secure or using HTTPS. Unless outlined by the app developer, it's safest to presume that the app is not conducting a secure transaction. In this case, you should use your browser to log on to the service, and check for a HTTPS connection in the status bar.

Enable two-factor authentication

It's good practice to enable two-factor authentication on services that support it, such as Gmail, Twitter and Facebook. This way, even if someone does manage to sniff out your password when on public Wi-Fi, you have an added layer of protection.

On the topic of passwords, try not to use the same password across multiple services. There are plenty of password managers available to make your life easier -- here are six of our favorites.

Forget the network

Once you are all done with your Web browsing, make sure to log off any services you were signed into. Then, tell your device to forget the network. This means that your phone or PC won't automatically connect again to the network if you're in range.

In Windows, you can uncheck the "Connect Automatically" checkbox next to the network name before you connect, or head to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center and click on the network name. Click on "Wireless Properties" and then uncheck "Connect automatically when this network is in range."

On Mac, head to System Preferences, go to Network, and under the Wi-Fi section click Advanced. Then uncheck "Remember networks this computer has joined." You can also individually remove networks by selecting the name and pressing the minus button underneath.

In Android, you can do this by entering into your Wi-Fi network list, long press the network name and select "Forget Network." On iOS, head to Settings, select Wi-Fi networks, click the "i" icon next to the network name and choose "Forget This Network." As an extra precaution, you should also turn on "Ask To Join Networks" which is also found in the Wi-Fi networks menu.

Finally, be very careful with what you do on public unsecured Wi-Fi. It's best to save that Internet banking session for when you're able to connect via cellular data, or on a secure network.

Editors' Note:This post was originally published August 20, 2014, and has been updated.

Smart credit cards are coming. Here's what you need to know

Smart cards want to replace your wallet full of debit and credit cards with one dynamic smart card. Here's what you need to know.

At least four startups are betting the world isn't ready for mobile payments.

Unlike services like Apple Pay and Google Wallet (which use your phone), all-in-one cards or "smart cards" embrace a familiar medium -- the plastic credit card -- and turn it into an all-in-one payment solution.

Smart credit cards primarily offer convenience while maintaining security. Instead of carrying a dozen cards (including gift and rewards cards), all your payment options are tidied up into one dynamic card.

Since many merchants aren't yet equipped to accept contactless payments like Apple Pay and Google Wallet, a smart card is one way to consolidate your wallet until merchants catch on.

Since Coin's introduction in 2013, at least three comparable solutions have entered the space: Swyp,Stratos and Plastc. You'll have to wait to get them, though. Plastc, Swyp, Stratos and Coin are currently taking pre-orders-- but if it sounds like an appealing alternative to mobile payments, getting one of these cards might be worth the the wait.It works like this: a card -- not unlike the form factor of magnetic stripe cards you currently carry -- is embedded with a Bluetooth connection, which it uses to act as a variety of cards. That smart card can act as your mileage rewards card, your debit card, and even your in-store club card.

I reached out to four card makers, and none but Stratos could provide review units. The companies are either committing to giving their early backers the first units, or aren't ready for distribution just yet.

Once more review units are available, we'll do a real-world road test. Until then, we know enough about how these cards work and what they do to give you a comprehensive comparison.

How it works

The selling point on smart credit cards is that they offer convenience. Instead of crowding your wallet with many cards (including gift cards and club cards), one digital card represents them all.

Stratos, Coin, Swyp and Plastc achieve this in an unexpected way. When you receive one of these cards, it comes with a magstripe reader that looks a lot like the Square or PayPal card readers.

Once you've confirmed your identity, you'll be able to add your "old school" cards to the smart card's app by swiping them through the card reader. (More on this under "Security.") Then, using Bluetooth, the app loads that information onto your smart credit card.

How can one magnetic stripe act as many different cards? Like this: When you select the card you want to use, an induction coil embedded within the card sends a signal that re-programs the magnetic strip.

The added benefits

Some of these cards offer more than just convenience. For instance, the accompanying Plastc app can also act as a place where you can manage your budgets and keep track of all transactions in one central place, much like Mint.com.

Stratos, Swyp, and Plastc will offer tokenization eventually, a feature that masks your credit card's identity for each transaction, preventing your true account number from being exposed during a credit card data breach. (Plastc and Swyp plan to add this feature as an update after the initial launch.)

These cards can be updated with over-the-air updates, so expect more features to be added as smart card makers look for ways to make their product stand out from the rest.

Where they're accepted (or not)

They're just like any other credit card, so you should be able to use them everywhere, right? Almost.

Most of the credit cards in your wallet are actually equipped with two magnetic stripes, called "Track 1" and "Track 2." You can't see them -- they're usually masked under what looks like a single stripe. Track 1 is primarily used for your name, while Track 2 is used for your credit card number.

If a credit card contains both tracks, then your card will be accepted universally. But, if the card only contains one track (Track 2), then some credit card terminals might not be able to read it.

Coin only employs one track, and provides a list of major retailers where its card is not accepted. When asked if and when the card would be updated to include both tracks, Coin did not respond.

This isn't necessarily a deal-breaker, but definitely something that might affect a seamless transition from your current card to a smart card. Plastc, Swyp, and Stratos all use both tracks, ensuring your card will be accepted everywhere you go.

And, yes: smart cards can be used with ATMs.

As easy as a credit card?

Just like picking a card out of your wallet, you'll need to choose a card at the cash register. Stratos, Coin, Plastc, and Swyp want to make this process as fluid as possible so that using their smart cards are just as easy as the way you pay for things now. The method is a little different for each card, and while we haven't had a chance to do a real-life test, here's what we know.

Stratos. When you're at the register, you'll tap the card onto the counter top (or another hard surface) to activate. Stratos will light up, at which point you'll choose the card you want to use by selecting it on the card itself. Stratos doesn't have an actual display -- just LED lights that represent your primary four cards.
Coin. To make a purchase, you'll tap the button (it's flat) on the card to toggle through your available cards and make a selection.The card has an LED display, so you can see the names of the cards as you toggle through.
Plastc. Since it has a considerably large e-ink display, Plastc is probably the most user-friendly card. To select a card at the point of sale, you'll swipe across the e-ink display until you find the card you want to use. You'll be able to arrange the order of the cards. Consider that we won't know how responsive the screen is until the card is available to test.
Swyp. This one works a lot like Plastc. The card include a small display that shows your card's name and account information. It's equipped with buttons so that you can toggle through your cards when you're ready to buy. Swyp's stand-out feature is that it will eventually learn which cards you like to use based on the time of day and location.

Security

Because this is an entirely new concept and product category, all four makers are taking a very careful approach to how your cards are stored, programmed and kept secure. Before we dive into card-specific approached, here's how (generally) all four cards work from a security perspective.

Verifying your ID. To ensure no one creates a smart credit card using your name, the card maker will conduct a thorough identification verification process that ensures you are who you say you are. First, you'll provide your name and the last four digits of your social security number. Most card makers use a third-party service to then verify your ID by asking questions about your previous addresses, family members and other information only you should know.
Adding accounts to your smart card. As we'd expect, you'll only be able to add cards that match the account name you verified in the first step. In addition to swiping the card, you'll take a photo of it to ensure the info on the card matches what's on the magnetic stripe. Plastc takes that a step further and uses the front-facing camera to ensure the person adding a card is the same one who created the account.
Losing your card. The mechanics of this are a little different with each card, but the point is the same: security measures ensure it will be difficult to use your card if you lose it. For instance, Swyp requires a four-digit PIN you'll enter on the card if it loses connection with your phone. Coin works similarly, but instead of a PIN code, you'll be required to enter as series of button presses on the card. Stratos and Plastc let you determine how long they should wait before shutting down after losing a conenction with your phone.
PCI DSS compliance. Anyone who accepts credit cards, online or offline, is required to be PCI DSS (Data Security Standard) compliant, and that includes smart cards. This ensures that the card data they collect and store is done in a secure fashion. It also ensures they're equipped to prevent, detect and react to any security breaches. Stratos, Plastc and Swyp are all working on meeting these requirements. Coin did not respond.

Future-proofing

Plastc and Swyp told us in interviews that they will ship cards that are capable of programming EMV (or "chip-and-PIN") cards. Those same cards can also be used for NFC-based contactless payments (where you'd tap the card on the terminal instead of swiping.) Stratos also plans to add this feature and will incorporate it into the next version of its card.

These features won't be available at launch, but once the companies are ready to deploy the updates, cards will be updated over the air.

This is important because by the end of the year, a liability shift will take effect, and merchants who do not support EMV cards will be responsible for fraudulent transactions.

In order to comply, more merchants will update their credit card terminals to accept these new cards. Those new terminals will likely also work with contactless payments like Apple Pay and Google Wallet. If that's the case, then ubiquitous support for contactless payments might be around the corner. At which point we'll ask: where do smart cards fit in?

Tips to speed up your Mac

Boost your Mac's performance and reclaim hard-drive space with this handful of tips.

The only place I like seeing a beach ball is at a beach or in a stadium during a baseball game or concert. The one place I least like to see a beach ball is on my aging MacBook Pro, where the spinning beach ball has become an altogether too familiar a sight. If your Mac has become frustratingly slow, there are a number of ways you can speed it up again.

Before you engage in any maintenance, I would urge you to take caution and back up your data. For Macs, it's easy: grab an external drive and run Time Machine. With your Mac's drive freshly backed up, you may proceed.

1. Replace your hard drive with an SSD

Moving from a traditional spinning hard drive to a solid-state drive (SSD) is the single best thing you can do to improve the performance of an aging MacBook. Follow Sharon Profis's instructions on how to upgrade your MacBook Pro with an SSD. You'll be shocked at not only how easy it is to do but also at the huge impact it has on performance.

I just performed the maneuver myself, replacing my 2011-era MacBook Pro's 500GB hard drive with the 500GB Samsung 850 EVO. The Samsung SSD and a SATA-to-USB cable kit cost me just north of $200 on Amazon. And the whole procedure took less than an hour (not counting the half a day it took to clone my MacBook's hard drive to the SSD). Really, the hardest part of the whole thing was tracking down a size 6T torx-head screwdriver for the four torx screws that help hold the hard drive in place.

2. Add more memory

While you have your MacBook opened to replace its hard drive, you may want take the opportunity to add more memory. Like the replacing a hard drive, adding more memory is a straightforward, simple process.

First, you need to find the right type of memory for your specific MacBook model. The brand doesn't matter; everyone has his or her favorite. Just make sure you are buying the right amount, type, and speed. Apple has a handy support page that shows the memory specifications for a variety of models, along with an illustrated guide to replacing the memory.

In my case, my early-2011 MacBook Pro has two DIMM slots, each of which is occupied by a 2GB module. Since I don't have any free slots, I will need to replace those two modules with two 4GB modules. I need DDR3 memory with a speed of 1,333MHz.

After finding the right RAM for your MacBook, you will need to power it off and remove the 10 small screws on its bottom panel (if you don't already have your MacBook opened to replace the hard drive). Be sure you note the position of the screws when you remove them; some are short and some are longer. Since I need to replace the existing memory instead of simply adding a new module to an open memory slot, I had to push outward on the two levers holding the sides of the memory module to release it before gently sliding it out. Repeat for the second module. Install your new memory by lining up the bottom notch of each module with the memory slot and push it in until it clicks. Once your new memory is installed, screw the bottom panel back into place.

3. Clean your hard drive

If you aren't up for the challenge of getting inside your MacBook's case (or are already using an SSD and have maxed out the memory), there are still some ways you can speed up your system. Instead of replacing your hard drive, you need to clean up your data on the existing drive. I'd wager that over the years, you have cluttered your Mac with files and applications you no longer use or need.

To get started, let's look in the Applications and Downloads folders. If there are apps in there you can't remember installing, odds are you can live without them. Move them to the Trash to reclaim some hard-drive space. There are files associated with every application you install, however, and they are left behind when you simply move an application to the Trash. Mac OS X lacks anything resembling an uninstaller, but AppZapper is one such app. With it, you can uninstall apps and the related files. AppZapper is free for the first five zaps, after which you'll need to pay $12.95.

Next, let's clean up the applications you are keeping. When you install an app on your Mac, the piece of software arrives as part of a package of files, including permissions that tell OS X which users can do what things with specific files. Over time, these permissions can get changed, resulting in your Mac lagging, freezing or crashing. Repairing these disk permissions, in the most basic terms, amounts to reshuffling and re-dealing these permissions so that they return to their rightful place. Thankfully, OS X has a built-in tool called Disk Utility that does just the trick. Read my previous post on how to repair disk permissions for a step-by-step guide.

If your Mac acts like it needs a nap every afternoon, when you are at the height of multitasking, there is an easy way to see which of your open applications is using the most system resources. Open theActivity Monitor. The numbers are constantly fluctuating, but they show you the amount of CPU and memory resources each app is using. After watching the Activity Monitor for a while this morning, I see that Firefox generally takes up more CPU resources and more than triple the memory resources. Perhaps it's time for me to abandon Firefox and use Chrome exclusively. Also, I found that the sluggish iTunes isn't nearly the resource hog I thought it was. My apologies, iTunes.

Now that you've paid some attention to your applications, it's time to look at the files cluttering your drive. You can use Finder to search for huge files. To do so, open Finder and select the volume you'd like to search. Next, choose File > Find (or hit Command-F). Click on the Kind pull-down menu and select Other. When the Select a search attribute window opens, check the box for File Size, uncheck any other boxes, and click OK. Change the "equals" pull-down menu option to "is greater than" and then change KB to MB. Enter a minimum files file size such as, say, 100MB. You can then delete any files that show up on the list that you no longer need -- or move them to an external drive at the very least.

4. Reduce login items

If your Mac is slow to boot up, the problem may be it simply has too many applications to open that it can't load the OS in a timely fashion. Many applications by default open automatically at startup. Go toSystem Preferences > Users & Groups and then click on the Login Items tab to see a list of the apps that open when you boot your Mac. Highlight the apps you don't want to open at startup and click the minus-sign button below the list of apps.

5. Keep current with OS X

Apple releases new versions of OS X as free upgrades, so there is no reason not to stay current. New versions of OS X contain performance enhancements and security improvements to keep your Mac running smoothly and safely. Check in periodically with the Updates tab of the Mac App Store for OS X updates and don't ignore notifications of updates that are ready to install.

How to get the Windows 10 upgrade icon if it's missing

Run a quick script, get the missing icon.

We have shown you how to hide or disable the Windows 10 upgrade icon if you have grown tired of seeing it in the system tray. But what if the reverse is true -- the icon is missing and you want to see the icon to reserve your free upgrade to Windows 10 and have the OS automatically download to your system when it's released at the end of July?

If that describes you and your Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC, there is a batch script available on Dropbox that will install the icon. Here's how:

1. Download the ZIP file from Dropbox.

2. Extract the file from the compressed folder. You will have exacted a single file, a Windows Batch File titled win10fix_full.

3. Right-click on the file, select Run as administrator and then click the Run button to open the file.

4. With the file running, press any key to continue twice to get to the Main Menu.

5. Press 1 and Return to run an update status check to make sure your system is up to date.

6. With your system up to date, you will have three options to add the Windows 10 upgrade icon to the system tray. In my case, 2) Quick-Method #1 did the trick for my Windows 8.1 desktop that lacked the icon.

Microsoft's Windows 10 finally has a release date: July 29

The next iteration of the software maker's operating system is slated to arrive in time for the summer.

Microsoft has set a release date for Windows 10 to arrive in the summer.

The software maker announced Monday that it will begin offering its newest software to power PCs andtablets as a free upgrade on July 29. Windows 10 Mobile, the company's companion software designed to power smartphones, is expected to arrive later this year. Windows 10 will be free for users who have bought a computer in the past six years or so, powered by Windows 7 or later, or tablets running Windows 8.1.

Users running Windows 7 or 8.1 with the latest updates can reserve the upgrade, which is available until July 29, 2016, starting today. Check out CNET's guide for more details.

Windows 10 marks the next iteration of the one of the world's most ubiquitous pieces of software. Microsoft's operating system powers a majority of personal computers and acts as the backbone of many of the world's businesses. Despite its dominance, Microsoft critics see the company and its products as a tech titan in decline, as mobile phones and competing, cheaper software have chipped away at Windows. The company's goal with Windows 10 is both to repair the damage done by the ill-received Windows 8 and to convince consumers that upgrading is worth the time and effort.

Rumors originally swirled around a July release date for Windows 10 back in April when Lisa Su, head of chipmaker AMD, discussed the timeline on a conference call. Microsoft has mostly remained mum, coyly avoiding discussion of a launch date even during its developer conference in April. Some industry watchers became concerned the software may not be ready in time.

In a statement given to CNET, Microsoft confirmed the price of single Windows 10 licenses in the event you are not eligible for a free upgrade or wish to build your own computer. A copy of Windows 10 Home will run $119, while Windows 10 Pro will cost $199. Those prices match Windows 8 pricing, the company said. For those who wish to upgrade from the Home edition to the Pro edition, a Windows 10 Pro Pack will cost $99.

Through its Windows Insider program, which lets eager users sign up to receive developer versions of the software-in-progress, Microsoft has been more transparent with Windows 10 than previous releases. Since its unveiling in September, those early users have watched the software's evolution firsthand. Some of the key changes Microsoft has made include a revamped Start button and the removal the unpopular tablet-focused interface of Windows 8. There's also a new browser, Edge, to replace the decades-old Internet Explorer, as well as a more robust version of Cortana, Microsoft's voice-enabled digital software assistant.

The most important aspect of Windows 10, however, is the company's philosophy powering it: one Windows to rule them all.

Microsoft remains the world's largest software maker, with Windows running on more than 90 percent of the world's computers, according to NetMarketShare. But the company had a late start on smartphones and has struggled to keep its software relevant while developers focused on Apple's iOS mobile operating system, Google's Android and the Web at large. PCs sales have also been on a steady decline.

With Windows 10, Microsoft is making a big gamble that its Windows software can power a web of devices, attracting customers to own computers, tablets and smartphones all powered by one company's software. It's a gamble that's worked for Apple, whose iPhones, iPads and Macs are well regarded for working well with one another.

Microsoft executives, including CEO Satya Nadella, have stressed the importance of thinking of Windows and Microsoft software as services, not products we buy. The company has already begun applying this model to its Office software suite, which includes programs like Word, Excel and Outlook. Microsoft now available offers it as subscription service, called Office 365, instead of selling individual disks to customers at a one-time flat rate.

The company has not yet said if there will ever be a Windows 11, or a version of Windows we consumers will pay for like past releases. Users who update to Windows 10 will get "new features and benefits for a long, long time," said Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's vice president of operating systems, said at Build earlier this month.

Though it still makes most of its money selling its traditional software to businesses, Microsoft's fastest-growing business division now is its cloud services group, which is on track to make $6.3 billion in sales this year. Nadella, who oversaw Microsoft's cloud business before assuming the role of chief executive in February 2014, hopes to see annual sales there grow to $20 billion over the next three years.

By 2018, Microsoft hopes to have more than 1 billion devices running Windows 10. That's ambitious, particularly considering Microsoft's previous release, Windows 8 which arrived in 2012, powers less than 15 percent of the world's computers.

Update at 11:25 a.m. PT: Added Microsoft's statement on Windows 10 single license pricing.