Transfer a Windows 8 ISO to a bootable USB flash drive

In last week’s post, Get the free 90-day evaluation of Windows 8 Enterprise, I showed you how to download the free 90-day evaluation copy of the final version of Windows 8 Enterprise and burn the ISO file to a bootable DVD using Windows 7’s Windows Disc Image Burner tool. While installing from a DVD is suitable in most situations, you may want to be able to install Windows 8 from a USB flash drive. Fortunately, doing so is not as difficult as it once was. In fact, Microsoft has a utility called the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool that will allow you to convert the ISO image so that it can boot from a USB flash drive. (Keep in mind that while the tool has Windows 7 in its name, it will still work for Windows 8.)
In this article, I’ll show you how to download, install and use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to transfer the Windows 8 Enterprise evaluation ISO to a bootable USB flash drive. Keep in mind that while I’ll use the Windows 8 Enterprise evaluation ISO as my example, this procedure will work with any Windows 7 or Windows 8 ISO.
This blog post is also available as a TechRepublic Photo Gallery.

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What you need

To install the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, you need at least a Pentium 233 MHz processor and 50MB of free hard disk space. You can install the tool in Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit). Your USB flash drive must be at least 4GB and it should not have any other files on it. In fact, I recommend that you perform a full format of your USB flash drive; just to be sure that it is error free.
If you are running Windows XP, you will need to download and install both Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 and Microsoft Image Mastering API v2 before you install the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool. Keep in mind that the most current version of the .NET Framework is 4.5, but if you only want to download 2.0, previous versions are available on the .NET site linked above.

Downloading the tool

Downloading the tool is easy. To begin, head over to the Microsoft Store’s Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool page and scroll down until you see the download link. When you click it you’ll be prompted to either Run or Save the tool, as shown in Figure A. For my example, I chose to save the file so that I could experiment with the tool on various machines.

Figure A

You can download the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool from the Microsoft Store.

Installing the tool

After I downloaded the file to my hard disk, I double-clicked the executable and was prompted with a Security Warning, shown in Figure B. You’ll see a similar warning if you choose to Run the installation from the download site.

Figure B

If you run the file from your hard disk, you’ll see this Security Warning.

As soon as you click Run, you’ll see the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool Setup Wizard. The installation runs pretty quickly via the four step wizard and the first and last screens of the wizard are shown in Figure C.

Figure C

The Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool Setup Wizard consists of four screens.

Running the tool

Once the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool is installed, I recommend that you insert your 4GB or larger USB flash drive and wait for it to be recognized. That way, the drive will be ready when you are running the tool. When the flash drive is ready, you can launch the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool from the Start menu. As soon as you do, you’ll encounter a User Account Control dialog box like the one shown in Figure D and will have to work through it.

Figure D

When you launch Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, you’ll have to work though a UAC.

When the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool displays its first screen, as shown in Figure E, you’ll be prompted to locate and select the ISO file. (As a sidebar, I must point out that the first time that I saw this screen I was a little startled to see Microsoft Store in the title bar - I had expected a more traditional looking wizard interface, like the one from the setup. Not a big deal by any means, it just took a little getting used to.)

Figure E

The first step is to locate the ISO file.

On the second screen, shown in Figure F, you will click the USB device button. However, as you can see, you can just as easily select DVD as the media type. (If you are running Windows XP, which doesn’t include a tool like Windows 7’s Windows Disc Image Burner tool, this tool comes in handy if want to burn a Windows 8 ISO to DVD.)

Figure F

On this screen, just click the USB device button.

When the third screen appears, you should see your USB flash drive in the list box, as shown in Figure G. If not, click the Refresh button adjacent to the list box. Once your drive appears, click the Begin copying button. As soon as you do, the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool will perform a quick format of the flash drive, ostensibly to make it a bootable drive.

Figure G

Once your drive appears, click the Begin copying button.

Once the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool begins copying the file to the drive, from start to finish the process will take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes to complete depending on the speed of your flash drive. When it is done, the status will indicate Backup completed. The beginning and ending of the copy operation are shown in Figure H. When the copy operation is done, just click the close button in the upper right corner.

Figure H

From start to finish the process will take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

When the operation is finished, you can launch Windows Explorer and take a peek at the contents of your now bootable USB flash drive, as shown in Figure I.

Figure I

You can use Windows Explorer to take a look at the contents of the USB flash drive.

Booting from the USB flash drive

Once you insert the bootable USB flash drive into the system on which you want to install Windows 8, restart the system, and then follow the onscreen instructions to access the boot menu. On my test system, the boot menu looked like the one shown in Figure J. Using the down arrow, I selected the USB Flash MemoryPMAP option and pressed [Enter].

Figure J

On your system’s boot menu you’ll select the option that identifies the bootable USB flash drive.

Within a few moments, you’ll see the new Windows flag on the screen, as shown in Figure K, indicating that Windows 8 Setup is being initialized.

Figure K

The new Windows flag displays as Windows 8 Setup is initialized.

For the best possible experience while you use the evaluation and for ease of disposal once the 90 days are up, I recommend that you install Windows 8 Enterprise to a VHD and use it in a dual-boot configuration as I showed you in the article titled Dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows 8 using a VHD.

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Top 10 keyboard shortcuts everyone should know

Using keyboard shortcuts can greatly increase your productivity, reduce repetitive strain, and help keep you focused. For example, highlighting text with the keyboard and pressing Ctrl + C is much faster than taking your hand from the keyboard, highlighting the text using the mouse, clicking copy from the file menu, and then putting your hand back in place on the keyboard. Below are our top 10 keyboard shortcuts we recommend everyone memorize and use.

Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert

Copy the highlighted text or selected item.

Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert

Paste the text or object that's in the clipboard.

Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y

Undo any change. For example, if you cut text, pressing this will undo it. This can also often be pressed multiple times to undo multiple changes. Pressing Ctrl + Y would redo the undo.

Ctrl + F

Open the Find in any program. This includes your Internet browser to find text on the current page.

Alt + Tab or Alt + Esc

Quickly switch between open programs moving forward.

Tip: Press Ctrl + Tab to switch between tabs in a program.

Tip: Adding the Shift key to Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab will move backwards. For example, if you are pressing Alt + Tab and pass the program you want to switch to, press Alt + Shift + Tab to move backwards to that program.

Tip: Windows Vista and 7 users can also press the Windows Key + Tab to switch through open programs in a full screenshot of the Window.

Ctrl + Back space and Ctrl + Left or Right arrow

Pressing Ctrl + Backspace will delete a full word at a time instead of a single character.

Holding down the Ctrl key while pressing the left or right arrow will move the cursor one word at a time instead of one character at a time. If you wanted to highlight one word at a time you can hold down Ctrl + Shift and then press the left or right arrow key to move one word at a time in that direction while highlighting each word.

Ctrl + S

While working on a document or other file in almost every program pressing Ctrl + S will save that file. This shortcut key should be used frequently anytime you're working on anything important.

Ctrl + Home or Ctrl + End

Move the cursor to the beginning or end of a document.

Ctrl + P

Print the page being viewed. For example, the document in Microsoft Word or the web page in your Internet browser.

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Disavow Links Tool: Are Your Back-links Negatively Affecting Your Ranking

Many sites recently suffered a big demotion in terms of Google ranking, and consequently the amount of organic traffic they receive, due to one of the Google Panda updates.
Was your site one of them? Well if it was it was probably due to a few reasons, one of which may have been due to excessive number of unnatural and low quality (spammy) back links.
In the past couple of years there has been quite a concerted crackdown by Google on sites deemed to be of low quality or those seen as “spammy” in nature from the viewpoint of Google.
This includes sites which have an “unnatural” collection of back links. As you may already know, back links are only one of the many indicators which Google uses to calculate the page rank of a website or web-page.
Over the years, the number of back links pointing to a website was one indicator which was quickly learned by most webmasters to make a significant difference to rankings, and as a result, many website owners poured a huge amount of effort in building as many back links to their site with the aim of catapulting their way to a higher page rank.
Unfortunately things got out of hand and a lot of people resorted to back-link-building techniques which most people (especially Google) considered to be a disreputable practice and a form of cheating.
Even more importantly, the quality of search results was being affected because Google was finding itself displaying poor quality sites on the first few pages of search results on account of the sheer amount of back links these sites had pointing to them.
Website owners were going crazy trying to SEO their sites using strategies which resulted in a massive number of unnatural back links being pointed to their site in a very short amount of time.
Perhaps you undertook something similar with your site and built back links by commenting (or spamming) other blogs or forums. Or maybe you hired some so-called “SEO expert” to optimize your website.
But as we all know, the people at Google are a very smart bunch and they have been working quite hard to combat this cancerous practice by penalizing those sites which they considered were cheating the system with unnatural SEO practices.
Google is always trying to make it harder for those attempting to game the system and the most  public demonstration of this is their release of several search engine algorithm updates in the past couple of years, some of which were given the names of Penguin and Panda.
Now we all make mistakes in our lives, innocent or otherwise, and the good thing is that Google is giving people the opportunity to somewhat redeem themselves by voluntarily giving them the ability to remove the spammy back links pointing to their site.
This is in the hope that it will wipe most of the slate clean and give people the opportunity to improve the rankings of their penalized website over time in a fair manner.
Google recently introduced a handy new tool called the Disavow links tool which falls under the umbrella of the “Webmaster Tools” and which is designed to help site owners “disavow” or clean up unnatural or spammy back links which are pointing to their site.
To use this tool you will obviously need a Google account and also you have to be signed up for the Webmaster Tools.

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How to Effectively Use the Color Red On Your Web Site

This article  is a continuation of the color, theme and design tips article series that I have been covering on this site. You may want to read the following two articles first (if you haven’t done so already)

• Color psychology and how it affects your site
• Color theory tips

In this article I talk about designing with the color RED and how to effectively use it on your site. I will cover the following topics.

• What the color red means and how it affects the viewer both positively and negatively
• Why you should use the color red
• Examples on how to use the color red effectively
• Best site to use the color red for.

Red is a very bold and powerful color. You can use red to evoke an array of emotions depending on the context the color is used in. Red represents the most physical color in the color spectrum.
First I will start with a little information on how color is perceived and recognized.

Color Recognition and Perception

Color recognition and perception is based on learned information from a multitude of sources:

• Individual
• Experienced
• Social
• Cultural traditions
• Environmental surroundings
• Formal teaching

Each person perceives color differently and this perception depends on the associations the brain has made for that color. Each individual holds in memory a personal “picture” of the meaning of each color name.
Most perception occurs unconsciously and at a high speed so they seem simultaneous with sensation.

What the color red means and the effects it has on the viewer

Red is the most dominant color and will always draw your attention when it is present.
The color red physically activates the adrenaline gland to fire up the body and senses. Red has been deeply integrated in the human brain as a signal to act, re-act or flee.
It can also command us to stop and encourage movement.
Here are some effects red can have on your viewers:
Positive effects of red

• Powerful
• Attention Getting
• Love
• Excitement
• Sexy
• Enthusiasm
• Motivating
• Impulsive

Negative effects of red

• Aggressive
• Anger
• Immorality
• Violent
• Antagonistic
• Temperamental
• Danger

Using a color does not mean that the positive or negative effects will be evoked in the viewer, this all depends on the context the color is used in and how the viewer processes the color.

Why use the color red

You should use the color red because it is an attention getter, sensual and sexy. The saying SEX SELLS is one of  the best ways to explain why you should use the color red. Red is seen as the most sexual and sensual color. Red can muscle through all the other colors to grab the viewer’s attention.

How to effectively use the color red

Red is a bold strong color and the most effective way to use this color is in small amounts.
Here are some effective ways to use the color red.
Website Design:

• A red button to draw your viewers attention so they are more likely to click that button
• A red arrow pointing out a button or other object you want the viewer to see
• A note, warning or instruction you need the viewer to read
• To make something important stand out
• Special offers
• Sale prices
• To create passion or strong emotional reactions to a subject

Graphic/Interior Design:

• To draw the eye away from a flaw you can not change in the design
• To make something standout like a logo or statement piece
• To warm up a project or room
• To add a sexy or sensual mood to a project
• To create passion or strong emotional reactions to a project or design element

Other Ways to Use the Color Red:

• To stimulate the appetite this is great for restaurants or food sites. If you think about it, how many restaurants do you know that have red in their logo or design? You will find most of them do, this is because it stimulates your appetite when you see the color red in relation to food.

Best Types of Sites to Use the Color Red

There are certain types of sites that you can use larger amounts of RED to get a positive and effective reaction from a viewer.

• Dating and relationship sites – Reds (especially deep reds) and pinks are great for these types of sites. They evoke the emotion of love, passion and romance.
• Fitness and exercise sites – Red gets your heart rate up and can encourage and motivate you.
• Food site – As I explained above, red stimulates your appetite. This has a good change to increase your food product sales or restaurant bookings. It is proven that if you shop for groceries while hungry you will buy more food than you intended to.
• Sites selling make-up or beauty products – Red is a very dominant color in make-up and beauty products as it is synonymous with sexy.

Red is a very powerful color especially when it is used properly. Remember too much red can be over stimulating and cause strong feelings either positive or negative.  Pink is a great substitute for red and still has many of the same affects on the viewer.

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iPhone 5: How to get better battery life

Wondering how to save battery on your iPhone 5? Our user guide should do the trick

Apple's iPhone 5 is arguably the best smartphone on the planet. With 4G LTE, a 4-inch display, and iOS 6, there isn't much to complain about, besides of course battery life. With the iPhone 5, the most you can really expect is about 12 to 13 hours of battery. That isn't that bad, but it's no iPhone 4S or Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX.
So, is there anything that can be done to get better battery life on your iPhone 5? Yes, of course, you just need to be diligent. Read on, and we will share some great tips to improve your iPhone 5 daily battery and maximize its overall lifespan.

1. Switch off unused networks and services

Networks and services for whatever reason seem to use a lot of juice on the iPhone, so switching them off will make a huge difference in regards to battery. Turning off the GPS and Bluetooth connectivity when not in use is key, as is switching off Wi-Fi when you’re not in range.

2. Adjust your iPhone 5 screen brightness

This is going to sound nuts, but it's not necessary to set your iPhone 5 screen to 100 percent brightness. I love my handset at around 75 percent, which is probably too high, but I just like a bright screen. For most iPhone owners, though, you should keep the screen at half or even lower if possible. Setting the display to auto-brightness should also help with the battery.
  
3. Turn off "Raise to Speak" function

When the iPhone 5 first came out, many said "Raise to Speak" caused battery drains. I have had friends who have noticed this as well. Anyway, Unless you use it often, or find it useful, you can turn it off for good.

4. Reduce background data and syncing

This is a big one. Even handset manufacturers like Apple don't necessarily get this. Set your various apps to manual fetching to extend your device's battery life. This works wonders as background syncing usually sucks down the most juice.

5. Turn off location services for apps

Each app is given permission to use location data, even apps that don't really need it. Facebook and Twitter, for example, have access to your location. Do they need it? Probably not. Anyway, choosing which ones need it and which ones don't can save you a lot of battery life. You can choose which apps have access to your location in the Location Services section of the Settings app.

6. Take care of your iPhone 5 battery

For the long-term health of your iOhone 5's battery, make sure to charge often and don’t let the battery drain completely before you decide to plug it into the charger. This is called 'power cycling,' and it is key to extending the overall lifespan of any battery.

Following just a few of these tips will help see your iPhone sipping juice more slowly. With the right formula, you may even be able to get 24 hours of battery life in a single charge.

Good luck.

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Facebook for iPhone gets faster timeline, new features

Facebook's latest iPhone update includes a little something Android owners already had

Facebook for iPhone received a nice little update on Thursday. The announcement came just after we heard about the social network making major improvements to its Android app, which had been a long time coming.
Frankly, Facebook for Android was a bit of a train wreck in comparison to its iOS counterpart, and it had some serious catching up to do there. That said, the iPhone update isn't quite as major as all that, but Facebook says it's faster than before -- particularly where News Feed and Timeline are concerned. Essentially, everything should load more quickly than before, affording you less time to over think, and giving you less of an excuse to complain about Facebook on Facebook.
But here's the part I find most interesting about Facebook's iPhone update: the ability to pick an album when you're uploading photos straight from the app. Yes, I know, it's not really that big of a deal -- but it kind of is when you consider that this feature already rolled out to Android owners in October. Plenty of folks have been quick to point out how far ahead Facebook has been with its iOS app; that all of its mobile focus was placed on Apple's platform while Android, as usual, settled for another round of sloppy seconds.
But at least we can see that hasn't been the case all around. Android did, indeed, have to wait it out where performance was concerned, but at least it got a taste of a new feature before iOS received it. We should be seeing plenty more, too, assuming Facebook holds true to its new "mobile first" strategy of updating its apps every four to eight weeks. Who knows, maybe that means both Android and iPhone owners will receive the newest features together, but I wouldn't count on it.

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Top 5 smartphones of 2012

The top 5 smartphones of 2012 include the iPhone 5, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, HTC 8X and HTC DROiD DNA

P

It's been a wild year in the mobile world these last 12 months and we've seen some great advances in terms of design, software and mobile networks. But which smartphones stood out above the crowd?
Without any further ado, let's take a look at the five best smartphones of 2012.

iPhone 5

Why:
Apple has done it again with the iPhone 5, but this time, it comes with a larger screen and 4G LTE support. The design is elegant, the software is polished and filled with fun and exciting apps.
Apple continues to deliver a fantastic camera experience, as the iPhone 5 is one of the best shooters around. The only real negative we had was moving over to the Lightning connector because
From our official review:

"Phone calls sound loud and clear, battery life is unbelievably good for an LTE device and the overall software performance is great. The camera is really good at taking stills, and videos are equally good -- that microphone in the back even helps pick up better sound from the direction in which you're recording. The iPhone 5, for all that it can do in such a thin and lightweight package is truly a feat of engineering."
More information: 
iPhone 5: 30 Tips and Tricks

iPhone 5: One month in
iPhone 5: 10 must-have accessories
iPhone 5 User Guides

Galaxy S3

Why:
Samsung has created a smartphone that's every bit as good as the iPhone and in many ways, the Galaxy S3 surpasses Apple's darling. The Galaxy S3 sports a beautiful, 4.8-inch screen, is packed to the gills with every type of sensor and technology you'd want and the software has matured greatly.
Just as importantly, the Galaxy S3 has become a mainstream device that evokes anticipation and joy that used to only be reserved for iDevices. This Android superphone rightly deserves the adulation it's received. We're still not 100 percent in love with the plastic feel of the device, but the Galaxy S3 is unquestionably one of the best handsets this year.
From our official review: 
"I do love the Galaxy S III, and I'll be hanging onto it until Samsung starts sending me demand letters to get its review units back ... If you're in the market for an Android smartphone on AT&T and you haven't picked up the HTC One X yet, the Galaxy S III is a strong and solid bet."
More information:
Galaxy S3 Review
Galaxy S3 Premium Suite upgrade revealed
Samsung Galaxy S3: 30 Tips and Tricks
Galaxy S3 User Guides

Galaxy Note 2


Why:
Samsung pushed the limits on screen size and design but it paid off in spades. I was very skeptical that the 5.5-inch HD display would make the Note 2 unwieldy but Samsung delivered a spectacular device that really skirts the line between smartphone and tablet.
That screen size really comes in handy when you're trying to watch videos, multitask or type, and the intelligent Samsung software on top of Android also makes that extra real estate feel well used. Throw in the smart S Pen (stylus) and you have a device that's really appealing for many users. Some may still find it a bit large, though.
From our official review:
"The Galaxy Note II is a great smartphone because its performance is just ridiculous, battery life is great, reading and consuming multimedia content is great. The size is a pain in the rear sometimes and you really have to decide if all the benefits of the size outweighs the sacrifices you'll have to make. If you can get over the size, buy it. It's pretty good."
More information:
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Review
Galaxy Note 2: 5 S Pen tips
Galaxy Note 2 User Guides
Galaxy Note 2: 5 things to love

HTC DROID DNA 


Why:
HTC continues to be on the bleeding edge of technology and the HTC DROID DNA is the first major handset with a 1080p HD screen. That's right, the 5-inch screen on the DROID DNA is probably better than your flat-screen television.
It's not just a pretty screen though (although, it is a killer display), as the DROID DNA has a powerful processor, 4G LTE, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, all the goodies you'd expect in a smartphone and a high-quality camera. That large screen may be offputting for some who want a lighter footprint, but it's quite stunning to see how far we've come with these screens in our pockets.
From our official review:
"It is excellent for watching videos and looking at photos or browsing the Web. So I'd say it's for users who see their smartphones as entertainment and multimedia devices, more than anything else. Not that the DROID DNA isn't capable of much else, but I have to keep coming back to that big, sharp display."
More information:
HTC DROID DNA Review
HTC DROID DNA vs. Apple iPhone 5
Best Verizon smartphones for the holidays
HTC DROID DNA User Guides

HTC 8X


Why:
The HTC 8X has probably the best in-hand feel of any phone on the market. Seriously, this is how a smartphone is supposed to rest in your hands -- it feels extremely comfortable but also like you're holding a premium device.
The rest of the device isn't too shabby, either. You have a nice, 4.3-inch display, internals that can match the competitors and 4G LTE for blazing fast speeds. It also sports Windows Phone 8 and this is a refreshing way to do your mobile computing on the go but you will be sacrificing app selection in the short term.
From our official review:
"If you're looking for your first smartphone, the Windows Phone 8X by HTC should definitely be on your list but not if you're the type who wants the latest and greatest apps. Switching over from iPhone or Android may also be painful for similar reasons but the fresh look and feel of Windows Phone 8 and this HTC device may make that sacrifice worth it."

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Best iPhone 5 apps

You got an iPhone 5 for Christmas, yay! Here are the best apps to get started

Apple's iPhone 5 is one gift we're pretty sure you won't be returning this year. So, power that thing up and let's get started with some essential apps:

Pulse

Sick of tabbing back and forth between your favorite news sites and social networks? Let pulse ease your browser burden. The news-oriented app allows you to select from several different categories based on different interests (tech, food and fashion, to name just a few) and then it rounds up the latest stories using that information. You can also add your favorite sites, blogs and social networks, and integrate directly with your RSS feed. And if that's not alluring enough, Pulse is easy on the eyes too.

Pinterest

I've heard plenty of folks say that Pinterest is for everyone, but let's get real here. Have you ever really looked around the site? It was very clearly designed with women in mind. And for that, I am thankful. Bros have their MMOs and us ladies have pins. And more pins. And OMG, even more pins. And we never have to give it a rest, either, thanks to this iPhone app, optimized for Apple's hottest new handset.

Fab

I'm listing Fab.com's app next because it's the perfect transition from Pinterest. You can pin a bunch of crap you want, and then you can sate that shopping bug straight from your iPhone 5 with Fab. And I promise, this one isn't just for the ladies, Fab has a little something for everyone - even your dog. From quirky tees and unique baubles to crazy kitchen gadgets and gourmet snacks, this popular shopping app has a knack for listing only the most interesting products. Each deal has a time limit and a quantity, so burn through that Christmas cash while you still can.

Tweetbot

You don't need to be a Twitter power user to justify this one, but it's likely you'll become one after using it a few times. Really, Tweetbot is like the enabler for all tweeting addicts. An insanely clean interface makes for an overall smooth experience, and smart gestures let you interact with optimal efficiency. You can also manage several timelines from one page, and create lists for those friends who you interact with the most.

Facebook

To be totally clear, I'm not including this because it's an amazingly designed app (it's not), I'm including it because it's frickin' Facebook. And a smartphone without Facebook is like a meme with no text; it just feels ... empty. In the sake of fairness, the social network is continually working to update its mobile apps, so we should see more improvements here soon. Most recently, the iPhone app was updated to include the ability to choose from specific photo albums when uploading from your phone.

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iPhone fuels crime in New York City

Apple's mobile devices cause spike in New York City crime rate

Apple's iPhone is creating buzz for reasons other than its ultra-thin hardware and expertly designed operating system; crime. Yep, that's right, Apple's mobile devices are so damn coveted that they've become a seriously scary hit with thieves.

According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple products have helped fuel New York City's overall crime rate in 2012 is expected to increase for the first time in two decades.
Theft of personal electronic devices including Apple's iPhone was up a substantial amount at nine percent, while overall crime reflected an increase of three percent. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told the Journal that without the spike in Apple thefts the city actually would have seen a "slight decline" in crime citywide. From the report:

"Overall crime in the five boroughs is up 3% so far this year, driven by the thefts of Apple products, Paul Browne, the department's top spokesman, confirmed. If Apple thefts had remained the same, "we would be experiencing a slight decline in crime citywide," Mr. Browne said. The number of shooting incidents so far this year has fallen 8.5%, and the number of shooting victims has dropped 10.2%."

NYC isn't the only place where iPhone crime is a thing, though (at least one iPhone robbery in Chicago resulted in a bystander's death). Nor is the iPhone Apple's only product causing sticky fingers; the iPad and iPad mini have proven just as appealing. Bottom line: If you own a new iPhone 5, watch your back. 

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Best apps for Samsung's Galaxy S3

Did the Galaxy S3 grace your Christmas tree this year? Get started with these stellar apps
Samsung's Galaxy S3 is still as hot as ever, it's OK that you're a little late to the game getting one. But let's not waste any more time; get started with these apps and you'll love your S3 like it just launched:

Pinterest
It was a wonderful day for the ladies of the internet when Pinterest FINALLY released a native Android app. And it wasn't long ago, either. Now the virtual pinup board for all things found, made and inspired can be carried around in your pocket. Stuck at the dentist's office or in line at the grocery store? Pin, pin, pin. Best of all, the app allows you to pin with your camera, satisfying the virtual hoarder in you in ways the website never could.

Paper Camera
Paper Camera is not just another photo filter app, and even if it is, it just may be the best one out there (oh yeah, we went there, Instagram). The post effects are sharp enough to fool even your most artistically inclined friends (why yes, I did draw that sketch of my dog), and with real-time cartoon effects you can finally view the world like the comic book you always wished it was. This app is fanciful, colorful and highly addictive.

Pocket
Remember back in the day how when you wanted to read a magazine article you had to bookmark it on your browser? Or, for the over 30 crowd, you had to actually physically pick up and carry said magazine around with you wherever you went? Well those days are long gone, thanks to read-it-later apps, and Pocket is a favorite in that highly competitive field. It saves anything and everything from articles to videos for later viewing in a clean and easy-to-read format. The Pocket app is shared across all your mobile devices, and best of all, you don't need an internet connection to use it.

Minecraft - Pocket Edition 
If you told me a couple of years ago that a pixilated cube building simulator would be one of the most popular games of 2011/2012 I probably would have told you to get your block examined. But Minecraft, developed by Mojang, is not just popular, it's also one of the most addictive indie games ever, and even harder to put down, thanks to the mobile Pocket Edition. The app version may not have all the lava-spewing goodies of the full PC/console game, but creation and adventuring options abound. Best of all the game is regularly updated and new features and options make the mobile experience never dull.

Fluid
I'll confess I've spent many an hour playing with the watery ripples of the Galaxy S3's lockscreen. It's mesmerizing. It's inviting. It's... what are we talking about? With Fluid you can now enjoy the meditative wonderment that is the S3's high resolution. This live wallpaper app is highly customizable and comes preloaded with lots of background choices. Smooth animation, HDMI support, responsive to your touch, this may just be the coolest wallpaper you've ever seen. And you thought you spent too much time staring at your phone already.

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Best tablet apps for toddlers

Keep the kids entertained with these iPad and Kindle Fire apps

Locking your kid up in a cage for a moment of silence may not be socially acceptable (or legal), but digital distractions are totally fair game. The next time you need 10 minutes (or, ummm, two hours) to yourself, hand over your tablet and keep the kiddos entertained with these iPad and Kindle Fire apps targeted toward toddlers.

iPad apps 

Scribble Press, $2.99

Want to encourage creativity in your little one? This is just the app to help Junior flex his artistic muscle. Scribble Press invites kids to tell their stories through their own drawings and words, which can later be turned into a digital book (printed copies are also available from the company's New York studio). Story templates are also available and include themes like "My Babysitter is a Zombie" and "The Dog Ate My Homework." The app's blank pages also serve well as a simple sketchbook when your tiny tot just wants to doodle.

Caillou Stickers!, 99 cents
As someone who isn't under the age of five, I have a really hard time pin-pointing the addictive nature of this app -- because honestly, there isn't that much going on here. But maybe that's actually the draw. Little minds can focus on the very basic task of choosing "stickers" and then dragging them into their preferred Caillou background (there are seven to choose from including a campground, birthday party, farm house and bus stop).

Juno's Piano, Free

Your budding musician get a jump start on traditional piano lessons with this instrumental iPad app. Juno's Piano takes a super simple approach in instructing the kiddos on basic tunes, and it won't charge you an arm and a leg by the hour like those stuffy old instructors. First, an animated pig-tailed girl jumps along the on-screen keys, and as each one lights up, that's little Susie's cue to follow along. Different colors represent different notes, and positive reinforcement (via audio) is awarded when the correct keys are played.

Read Me Stories, Free
When you're just too tired to read the same damn bedtime story for the twelfth time in a row, let Read Me Stories take over for you. The app is free to download and offers several themed story collections that can be purchased for a small fee once you're in (these average around $2). After that, a new story automatically downloads each day (but good luck getting your tiny tot to move on from her favorite fairytale). Kids can opt to read the book without any help, or choose the audio option to have it read aloud (each word is highlighted as its read, making it easy to follow along).

Kindle Fire apps

Kids Ultimate Finger Painting, Free
Nothing says hours of fun and entertainment (and free time for mom and dad) like finger painting. The downside? You're usually left with a massive mess to clean up afterward. But not any more thanks to tablet apps like Kids Ultimate Finger Painting. Hand over your Kindle Fire and let your toddler go crazy ... just make sure you've got a protective case on that thing. The app also contains various drag-and-drop puzzle games to help with hand-eye coordination.

Super Why!, $2.99
This one comes straight from the educational PBS show Super Why!, which teaches tiny tots to read. Geared toward kids ages three to six, the app contains a collection of interactive games with popular characters from the show including Alpha Pig, Princess Pesto, Wonder Pig and Super Why. When your toddler does well, she'll receive virtual stickers that can be placed for positive reminders in a digital sticker book.

My First Puzzles, $1.99
The title for this one couldn't be more apt, as the puzzles here are about as rudimentary as it gets. My First Puzzles can help kids with hand/eye coordination, while fun sound effects and sharp graphics keep them entertained. The app offers 14 different puzzles, all of a different animal. As soon as a puzzle is completed, an icon will appear with an image of it so little Johnny can easily remember which ones he's already mastered.

iStoryBooks, Free
This one is similar to the Read Me Stories app for iPad in that it serves as a mini digital library for the kiddos. iStorybooks offers several interactive children's books with an option for your toddler to try reading on his own, or to have the story read aloud to him. The illustrations are slick, and a new book is automatically downloaded every two weeks. iStoryBooks comes with a few pre-loaded options, but you can download additional content within the app.

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iPad kills Kindle in page views

Apple's iPad still dominates tablet Web traffic, despite more budget-friendly options

 

Tablet Web traffic is on the rise, which isn't at all surprising given the variety of budget-friendly options we now have. But despite that ever-growing list of choices, Apple's iPad still dominates page views like it's the only slate in existence. 

Analytics company Chitika found in its Dec. 2012 tablet market update that if it's not an iPad, it may as well be dead. According to the company's stats, for every 100 iPad page views, other tablets achieve just 14.75 views in total. That means that 87 percent of tablet Web traffic in North America can be chalked up to iOS. 

The iPad's big (that's a slight overstatement) runner up is currently Amazon's Android-based Kindle. But that's not really saying much at all, as we're only dealing with 4.88 page views for every 100 on Apple's iPad. It's almost painful just to read, isn't it? Still, a 4.25 percent share of overall tablet Web traffic isn't the worst for Kindle. It's just not exactly brag worthy. 

Samsung's Galaxy is in there somewhere, too, with just 3.04 page views for every 100 on the iPad; Google's Nexus comes in just after that at 1.22 views. As for the Nook and Playbook? Does it really even matter at this point? (They both come in under one). 

But, all good things must come to an end, right? Just how long can Apple continue riding this iPad Web traffic high? As Venture Beat points out, these numbers could certainly shift after post-holiday stats are in. 

So, which category do you fall in? Are you contributing to the iPad's insane Web traffic, or are you still in the minority with an Android-based tablet?

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