Sony tempts audiophiles with new super-expensive 'Premium Sound' microSD card

Sony tempts audiophiles with new super-expensive 'Premium Sound' microSD card

Sony announces a new 64GB "Premium Sound" microSD card for audiophiles that costs about $160.

Sony

Audiophiles, you're not totally happy with the the sound quality of your top-of-the-line digital player and not sure what to blame? Turns out, it might just be the SD card you're using. At least Sony thinks so.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the company announced today a new "Premium Sound" memory card, called the SR-64HXA, that will start shipping next month. According to the company, this card is designed to create little to no electric noise when data is being read from it, hence offering clearer sound quality compared with regular cards.

The good news is that this is not another Sony Memory Stick, but a standard Class 10 microSDXC (or microSD card for short) that fits in any device that has a microSD card slot. The bad news is that this new card will cost some ¥18,500 (that's roughly equivalent to about $160 in the US, £100 in the UK and AU$200) for just 64GB of storage space. In comparison, you can get a regular Class 10 64GB SD card for less than $30.

Financially, there's no reason for you to get this new card for your smartphone or tablet. However, if you're going to get the high-end Walkman NW-ZX2 that Sony started shipping earlier this month that costs HK$8,880 ($1,150), spending another $160 for the memory card doesn't sound too over the top.

And that's a big if. Even Sony is not so sure about the demand of the new card, according to its spokesperson, but it believes that some "who are committed to committed to great sound quality would want it."

The SR-64HXA is slated to be available on March 5 in Japan. After that, if the sound quality is still not on par with your expectation, maybe you should have your ears checked.

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How to move Google Authenticator to a new device

How to move Google Authenticator to a new device

Using two-step verification is a smart way to help protect your data on Google. Follow these steps to move the app to your new mobile device.

Nicole Cozma/CNET

Two-step verification can help thwart malicious attacks against your online accounts. Anyone trying to break into your account would need both your password and the mobile device that authentication codes are sent to in order to gain access.

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• How to enable two-factor authentication on popular sites
• How to set up Google's two-step verification
• How to use Google Voice with two-step authentication

Google has done a splendid job of providing options for those who are interested in setting up this extra security measure: you can get text alerts, or you can use Google's authenticator app, available for Android, BlackBerry, and iOS.

When using the app as your method of authentication code delivery, you may wonder what happens when you want to retire an old phone for a new one. Or, you may have misplaced your device and want to disable the service as a precautionary measure. Here's how to move the authenticator app to a new device, or disable it completely:

Step 1: First you'll want to install the app on the new device where you want to receive authentication codes.

Google

Step 2: Next, head to Google's two-step verification Web page using a browser on your computer. You may need to log in to your Google account to access the security settings.

Step 3: Click the link that says "Move to a different phone." If you're disabling the feature completely, you can just click "Remove."

Fortunately, moving your authenticator to a new device will not invalidate any of your existing application-specific passwords, and does not require any backup codes to complete the transition.

Step 4: Scan the QR code that appears, or enter it manually by clicking, "Can't scan the bar code?"

Google Authenticator on AndroidNicole Cozma/CNET

Step 5: Finally, enter the authentication code that appears on the screen to verify the device. This is just like the log-in process when using two-step verification.

Before removing the authenticator from your original device, remember to move your other accounts that are using the app. You'll need to visit each site individually and scan the QR code with your new device.

Editors' note, February 19, 2015: This How To post was originally published on June 28, 2013, and has been updated to include new information.

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Clean up your Windows right-click menu with CCleaner

Clean up your Windows right-click menu with CCleaner

Tired of the laundry list in your right-click menu? Easily fix it with a new feature in CCleaner.

Lots of tools claim to be useful for your PC. Whether an application cleans out junk files, duplicates, or other nasties, a lot of the time it wants to take a spot in your right-click menu. Supposedly, this is "for your convenience," but most of us know what's convenient and what's just more bloat for Windows.

CCleaner released a recent update that added a feature that allows you to clean out random application shortcuts from the right-click menu. This is useful for those apps that either didn't give you a choice in the matter, or those that used some sneakiness to make the option go unnoticed. Additionally, it's much better (and likely safer) than manually digging through the registry.

This right-click menu is overcrowded.Nicole Cozma/CNET

So if you're tired of having a right-click menu that's just too bloated, here's how to remedy the issue:

Already have CCleaner? Great! Just make sure it's the latest version before you skip to the steps or you won't have the necessary utility options. If you don't have it installed, it's time to grab a copy of CCleaner that will serve you well during the foreseeable future.

CCleaner menu.Nicole Cozma/CNET

Step 1: Open CCleaner and click on the blue toolbox on the left-hand side labeled Tools, then click on the button labeled Startup.

Context menu management in CCleaner.Nicole Cozma/CNET

Step 2: Next, click the tab for the Context Menu and select an entry you want to edit.

Tip: If you want to select multiple lines, just hold down the Ctrl key while you click each entry.

Step 3: Decide whether you want to delete or disable the entry. Disabling will leave the shortcut available for later use if you change your mind.

Which programs will you be removing from your right-click menu? And also, how many of your entries are for applications that didn't give provide an option to stop them from being added to the list?

(Via Ghacks)

Editors' note, February 19, 2015: This How To post was originally published on July 26, 2012, and has been updated to include new information.

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How to find out if your Lenovo is infected with the Superfish adware and remove it

How to find out if your Lenovo is infected with the Superfish adware and remove it

There's no need to panic. It's a relatively simple process to remove Lenovo's "Superfish" adware. Here's what you need to know.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Users on Lenovo's forums have discovered that the Chinese company has been preloading some consumer PC models with a software called Superfish Visual Discovery. In short, the software tracks your searches and browsing habits (even on secure sites) and uses this information to place additional advertisements on the sites you visit. It's unclear what models have come preloaded with the software, although users have reported finding it on Lenovo Y50, Z40, Z50, G50 and Yoga 2 Pro models.

Ideally this is the screen you will see.Screenshot by Dan Graziano/CNET

LastPass has created a Web tool that makes it easy to check to see if your computer is infected. You can check by simply clicking on this link. To manually check for the Superfish adware and uninstall it, head to the Windows Control Panel, select Programs and click Uninstall a Program. Search the list forVisualDiscovery. If it is there, click the program and select Uninstall.

Screenshot by Rob Graham

You're not finished yet, though, there is one more step. You must also uninstall the Superfish certificates. Start by clicking the Windows Start button and typing certmgr.msc in the search box. Launch the certmgr.msc program, click on Trusted Root Certification Authorities, followed byCertificates. Search through the certificates for anything mentioning Superfish Inc. Once you have found the certificates, right-click them and select Delete.

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How to save a file to Dropbox from anywhere on iOS

How to save a file to Dropbox from anywhere on iOS

Using the share extension on iOS 8, you can now upload a file to your Dropbox account from anywhere on iOS.

Uploading a photo using the Dropbox share extension.Jason Cipriani/CNET

The ability to upload nearly any file to Dropbox on your iOS device has been sorely absent. Outside of the dedicated app allowing you pick and upload a photo from within the app, uploading files was near impossible unless a third-party app supported Dropbox.

A recent update to the Dropbox app changes this dynamic, however, by allowing you to upload files from anywhere using iOS 8's share extension.

Before you can begin sending files to your Dropbox account, you'll need to download the latest updatefrom the App Store.

Enabling the share extension for the first time.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Once that's over with, you only need to enable the Dropbox extension from a share sheet. The easiest way to do so is the launch the Photos app, select a photo and tap on the Share button.

Scroll the bottom row of icons to the left, until the More button is present. Tap on it, then slide the switch located next to Save to Dropbox to the On position. Before pressing Done, take the time to rearrange your sharing options if you so desire.

Back on the Share sheet will be the Dropbox icon. Tapping on it will ask you to select where you'd like to save your file. Once you start using it, previous locations will show up in a list making it easier to repeat the process without much work.

The next time you tap on the share button when a file is involved, Dropbox will be waiting, begging for your attention. And attention it will undoubtedly get.

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Windows 10 lets you schedule Windows Update restarts

Windows 10 lets you schedule Windows Update restarts

Gone are the days of losing hours of work to a poorly-timed Windows Update!

Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

Windows Update has been the bane of my existence -- until now. Here's why: While I appreciate the convenience of automatic downloads and installs, I do not appreciate automatic restarts. Luckily, Windows 10 now lets you schedule restarts for a specified time, no more "Remind me in 4 hours" pop-ups!

In the Windows 10 Technical Preview, Windows Update still downloads and installs updates automatically. And if you have Windows Update set to "automatic," it will work like it does in previous versions of Windows: it will wait until your computer is idling (this usually happens when you're in the middle of a major, unsaved project and you've just stepped away from your desk for an impromptu meeting with your boss), and it will restart automatically.

But if you'd rather not have this happen, you can now set up your PC to prompt you to schedule a specific restart time. Gone are the days of losing hours of work to a poorly-timed Windows Update! Here's how to do it.

1. Open the Settings menu and click Update & recovery.

Under the Update & recovery screen, you can check for updates.Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

2. Under Windows Update, click Check for updates. If there's a new update available, your device will download and install the update. If the update requires a restart, you'll see a new section in the Windows Update window that says "A restart has been scheduled." Under this section, you can choose to have the computer automatically restart ("during a time you don't usually use your device"), or you can click Select a restart time to choose the time and day you want the restart to occur. If you want to simply restart the computer now, click Restart now.

You can now schedule a specific time to restart your computer.Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

3. To set up your computer to always prompt you to schedule a restart time, click Advanced options. Under Choose how updates are installed,choose Notify to schedule restart from the dropdown menu.

Use the Advanced options screen to set up your computer to always prompt you to schedule a restart time.Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

And that's it -- now updates requiring a restart will prompt you to schedule a specific restart time, so you no longer have to worry about leaving your computer alone.

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How to assign a 'legacy contact' in Facebook

How to assign a 'legacy contact' in Facebook

Better safe than sorry: give someone you trust the keys to your profile page in case the worst happens.

I know people who have passed away suddenly -- don't we all? -- and the last thing loved ones should have to deal with is figuring out how to access and update their dearly departed's Facebook page.

If you have a Facebook page of your own, now you can make things easier on your friends and/or family by designating a "legacy contact." This new feature allows the person of your choice -- a close friend, your spouse, your child -- to manage parts of your Facebook account, the better to announce your passing and properly memorialize your life.

Let's hope your trusted contact never needs to memorialize you on Facebook.Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Here's how to choose that person. Note that my instructions describe doing this in a Web browser on your PC, but the procedure is virtually identical if you have an updated version of the Facebook app on your phone.

Step 1: Open Facebook, click Settings, and then click Security.

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Step 2: Click the Legacy Contact option, then click the "Choose a friend" field and start typing the name of the person you want. (Remember, this being Facebook, everyone is a "friend." Obviously you can choose a relative if you want.)

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Step 3: Review the notification message your contact will receive and make any desired changes. (I found it a pretty formal message to send to my wife.) Then click Send.

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Step 4: If you want, check the Data Archive Permission box, which would allow your contact to download posts, photos, videos and/or other content from your account. Click Close and you're done.

In the unfortunate event you pass on, your contact will still need to inform Facebook and submit a memorialization request. Once that's approved, he or she can write a post for display atop the memorialized Timeline, respond to new friend requests, and update the profile picture and cover photo

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