Facebook Promises Fix for @facebook.com E-Mail Glitch

Facebook is working to clean up the mess after it decided to hide e-mail addresses besides its own @facebook.com e-mail from users’ profiles. The switch happened last week, and those who sync their contacts with Facebook soon found that all their friends’ e-mail addresses were missing -- only to be replaced by @facebook.com addresses.

In an effort to make its own e-mail services more visible, the social network had hid real e-mail addresses and replaced them by default with @facebook.com accounts, which contain your Facebook username before the @. The switch had an unexpected effect -- messages were not delivered to the @facebook.com inboxes properly. Needless to say, that caused outrage among users.

There is a quick fix to reverse this change for your Timeline.

Fix is on the Way

Facebook says it is now working to fix the issue that resulted in the e-mail syncing anomalies. It appears contact synchronization with Facebook is performed through an API, which Facebook says it is pulling the primary e-mail address associated with an account -- but for certain devices (including older Android phones and those running iOS 6 beta with Facebook integration), only the last e-mail address added to the account was being pulled, in this case the @facebook.com address.

Facebook is not backtracking on the default change to the @facebook.com e-mail address on your profile page though, so you need to make sure that you have followed these steps, so when your friends sync their contacts with Facebook, they will pull your default e-mail address of your choosing, not the @facebook.com one. If you decide to use the latter, you need to make sure you specified in account settings that anyone can send you messages on the Facebook address, otherwise they will be put in your Messages/Other folder, or won’t reach you at all.

Windows 8 Pro Upgrade: Your FAQs Answered

When Windows 8 launches later this year you'll be able to upgrade to the pro version of Microsoft's newest desktop OS for just $40 for a limited time. The deal will apply to a broad base of current Windows users including those running Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Microsoft had a similar offer during the launch of Windows 7 but this one is cheaper than its predecessor. (Windows 7 upgrades ranged from $50-$100 at launch.)

Another big difference between the Windows 7 and Windows 8 upgrade deals is that you get the pro version instead of the base version of Windows 8. And if you're a Windows Media Center fan, Microsoft's Windows 8 upgrade deal will let you download the entertainment center program for free (more on that later).

If you plan on upgrading to Windows 8, here's what you need to know about Microsoft's limited-time upgrade deal.

Is the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Available for Pre-Order Right Now?

No. You won't be able to buy the Windows 8 Pro upgrade until Windows 8 launches. When it becomes available, you will find the upgrade deal on Microsoft's Windows site.

Any Idea When Windows 8 Will Launch?

Critics and analysts expect Windows 8 to launch in the fall. Most likely in October or possibly November.

When Does the $40 Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Expire?

After Windows 8 launches, you can purchase the upgrade for $40 until Jan. 31, 2013.

What Do I Get with Windows 8 Pro?

For the average user there's little noticeable difference between the home edition of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. But if you are interested in features such as BitLocker encryption, booting from a virtual hard disk, and Hyper-V, then upgrading to Windows 8 Pro will make all the difference. For more information about Windows 8 versions, check out PCWorld's “Windows 8 Will Come in Four Versions.”

What About Windows Media Center?

You will be able to download Windows Media Center for free when you upgrade to Windows 8 Pro during the limited-time offer. You'll find the free Media Center download as part of the “Add Features to Windows 8” control panel (formerly known as “Windows Anytime Upgrade”).

Microsoft had previously announced that Windows Media Center would be available to Windows 8 users for a small fee. This caused some consternation among users since Windows Media Center contains built-in DVD playback functionality for Windows. Previous versions of Windows contained the program for free.

Microsoft said it was dropping the program by default to reduce media decoder licensing costs for computer makers. It's not clear what the Windows Media Center download will cost after Microsoft's introductory Windows 8 upgrade offer expires at the end of January.

What Do I Get to Keep from my Old OS?

Windows XP: Personal files only

Windows Vista: Windows settings and personal files

Windows 7 (all consumer versions): Windows settings, personal files, and apps.

Can I Start Fresh?

Yes. You can choose to take none of your personal information with you during the upgrade process, or you can create bootable media such as USB thumb drive or DVD to format your hard drive.

How Do I Create Bootable Media?

All you have to do is follow the instructions from the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, which guides you through the installation process after downloading Windows 8 Pro.

I hate Downloading Programs. Can I Buy a DVD at my Local Computer Store?

Yes, but it will cost you a bit more at $70.

How to Benchmark Your PC for Free

To thoroughly evaluate a PC's performance, you need to use multiple tools and utilities specifically designed to tax each major component. We show you which tools to use, describe how to get results that are reliable and repeatable, and explain what all those numbers mean.

Running benchmarks on a PC enables users to evaluate performance, to identify potential bottlenecks, and to choose effective system upgrades. Unfortunately, many users imagine that system performance is simply a matter of CPU frequency or memory capacity, which leads them to think that dropping in a faster CPU or more memory will automatically and immediately yield noticeable performance improvements. In reality, however, that is not always the case.

Though CPU and memory upgrades help in some situations, it often makes more sense to upgrade the storage subsystem or the graphics board if you're looking for perceptible improvement in system responsiveness or gaming performance, for example. If you ran a series of benchmarks and identified which components were holding your system back, you'd be able to choose the most effective upgrade for your current system--or determine which components make the most sense in a new system suited to your particular needs.

Several different types of benchmarks are available for evaluating a system's performance. Some use synthetic tests that don't necessarily reflect real-world usage, while others employ scripted tests that rely on actual applications and simulated real-world workloads. Some benchmarks assess the performance of a single component, while others measure total system performance. To best gauge the overall performance of a PC, consider running some combination of all of these different types of benchmarks, based on your usage patterns.

Benchmarking Do's and Don'ts

Before running any benchmarks, you need to consider a number of hardware and software factors, in order to avoid potential damage to your system and to ensure consistent, accurate results. We'll look at hardware factors first.

Many benchmarks place significant stress on specific components, so you need to ensure that all such components are in good working order, properly cooled (if necessary), and receiving adequate power. If you have a component that seems unstable or unreliable during normal, day-to-day use, subjecting it to a taxing benchmark could kill it. Also, an inadequately cooled or underpowered device that works most of the time may become unstable under stress. That said, we've run benchmarks for many years, and have had only a handful of components fail due to the demands of a benchmark test--and those components were likely defective to begin with.

On the software front, parameters for the operating system, applications, and drivers must be satisfied to ensure accurate, repeatable benchmark results. Windows (and other) operating systems proactively prefetch data and store numerous temporary files that could interfere with a benchmark, so it's best to clear out any temporary files and prefetch data before running a test. In Windows 7, you can find prefetch data in C:\Windows\Prefetch, and temporary files in C:\Windows\Temp and C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Temp. If you have applications running, it may not be safe (or possible) to delete all temporary files, so restart your system and shut down any applications that may be running in the background before wiping out any temporary files.

You don't want applications or utilities that may be running in the background to interfere with the benchmark, so shut them down. This is especially important in connection with antimalware utilities, remote desktop tools, and downloaders that intermittently consume CPU, memory, and storage resources and steal application focus. Unless you're testing a system as it shipped from an OEM to evaluate the effects of background applications on performance, shut them down before running the tests. In the same vein, most operating systems load multiple services and perform maintenance during the initial boot process. Consequently, after boot-up, it's best to let the system "settle" and reach an idle state, with no drive or CPU activity, before you run a test.

Using the correct (typically the latest) drivers for a component is another important step to take to ensure that it is operating and performing optimally. This is especially true of graphics boards and motherboards/chipsets, where the wrong driver can significantly worsen the system's frame rates or transfer speeds and latency. Finally, confirm that the operating system is fully updated and patched to ensure optimal compatibility and to reflect the current, real-world OS configuration--not the OS as it may have shipped years ago.

Benchmarking Individual Components

Many components in a system contribute to its overall performance, but the CPU/processor, memory, graphics board, and storage configuration generally play the largest roles for most users. Which of these components is the most important in a particular case depends on the individual person's usage patterns, however. A gamer seeking the best possible frame rates, for example, will probably be better served by a faster GPU than by more memory. A casual user seeking a more responsive system may benefit most by upgrading a slow hard drive to a fast solid-state drive. You must decide which aspects of system performance are most important to you, tailor the suite of benchmarks to your specific needs, and then weigh the individual test results accordingly.

CPU/Processor

The most useful CPU benchmarks place a heavy workload on the CPU while minimizes the influence of other system components. SiSoft's SANDRA 2012 incorporates a few CPU-centric synthetic benchmarks that test a chip's performance with various mathematical workloads. The tests are multithreaded and generally scale with higher-clocked speeds and more CPU cores. SANDRA also provides results from other CPUs for easy comparison.

Utilities like SiSoft's SANDRA 2012 incorporate various easy-to-use, synthetic benchmarks for testing the performance of different system components.

Another popular CPU benchmark is Cinebench. Cinebench renders a 3D scene using the animation engine from Maxon's Cinema 4D. Cinebench is free, works with multiple operating systems, and can run in single-threaded mode (to test the performance of a single CPU core) or in multithreaded mode (to tax all of the cores in a CPU). If all is working properly, an Intel Core i7-2700K will score about 1.55 in Cinebench's (R11.5) single-threaded test and about 7.05 in its multithreaded test.

Maxon's Cinebench, based on the company's Cinema 4D animation software, tests single-threaded and multithreaded CPU performance.

GPU/Graphics Board

Myriad graphics-related benchmarks are available for testing a GPU's performance. Many games have built-in tools to test performance; and you can test games that don't with a utility called Frapsthat shows real-time frame rates and tracks performance over time. Many synthetic and "canned" graphics benchmarks don't use actual game engines to test performance, but produce comparable results nonetheless.

Fraps tests how well a game is performing on your system, even if the game doesn't offer a built-in benchmark.

For testing a GPU's performance, we recommend using a mixture of synthetic and real-world tests to see how the GPU handles a range of different workloads. Futuremark's 3DMark 7 is a popular tool that provides an overall 3DMark score, as well as numerical results for each of the individual tests that contribute to the final score. Another handy synthetic benchmark is Unigine Heaven. Heaven can test a GPU's performance using DirectX 9, 10, or 11 or OpenGL paths, with varying levels of image quality and tessellation. Heaven's results identify both an overall score and a frame rate.

The Unigine Heaven benchmark tests GPU performance in multiple DirectX or OpenGL modes.

In a system powered by an Intel Core i7-3960X, when tested at a resolution of 1920 by 1200 with 4X MSAA, 16X anisotropic filtering, and high tessellation, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti will score about 665 points in Unigine Heaven, at about 26.4 frames per second. At the same settings, a Radeon HD 7850 will score about 706 points, at 28 fps. If you have a faster GPU than those cited here, your system should be able to beat these scores, but a slower GPU won't be able to catch them.

Memory

The most common method of evaluating memory performance is via synthetic tests designed to ascertain peak bandwidth and latency. Performance variables include the operating frequency and capacity of the memory, and the number of channels that a given system uses.

AIDA64 Extreme Edition has an excellent built-in memory benchmark that tests read, write, and copy bandwidth, as well as latency; but it is available only as a limited trial unless you pay for the full edition of the tool.

The free edition of SiSoft SANDRA 2012 offers memory bandwidth and latency tests, too. It reports bandwidth scores in gigabytes per second (GBps) and latency in nanoseconds. The tests are easy to run and take moments to complete. An Intel Core i7-2700K-based system with 8GB of DDR3-1333MHz system memory running in a dual-channel configuration (two memory sticks) should offer about 16 GBps of bandwidth at an access latency in the 29ns range. Higher clocked memory should deliver more bandwidth and lower latency.

SiSoft SANDRA 2012's Memory Bandwidth benchmark tests peak bandwidth using both Integer and Floating Point tests.

Drives/Storage

CrystalDIskMark is an excellent tool for testing a drive's read and write performance at a number of different transfer sizes.
To test the performance of a hard drive or solid-state drive adequately, your best bet is to use a benchmark that evaluates read and write transfer speeds (with both sequential and random workloads), as well as access latency. Trace-based tests, like those used in PCMark, that track performance over time with simulated application workloads are also very useful.

One of the better free tools available for testing a drive's performance isCrystalDiskMark. This benchmark is particularly useful because it tests both sequential and random read and write speeds with both large and small block sizes, and with queue depths of up to 32. A SATA II Corsair solid-state drive earned the scores shown in the screenshot at right. Hard-disk drive scores will be much lower, but most newer SATA III SSDs will score higher.

CrystalDiskMark doesn't report access latency, however, so it's a good idea to use a tool such as HD Tune, IOMeter, or the Physical Disk Benchmark in SiSoft SANDRA 2012 for this purpose.

Total System Benchmarking

Among total system benchmarks, the rather basic Windows Experience Index (WEI) built into Windows 7 and Vista isn't a good choice, owing to the rudimentary nature of the tests and the lack of granularity in the results. Instead consider using a suite such as BAPCO's Sysmark or Futuremark's PCMark 7; both are widely accepted and generate extensive results. Sysmark is expensive and tends to be difficult to run, however, whereas PCMark 7 is available in a free basic edition and can be run with a single click.

PCMark 7 runs a wide range of tests that tax CPU, GPU, memory, and disk performance; and it generates scores for each test--with higher scores reflecting better performance. PCMark 7 tends to emphasize disk/storage performance, but we're fine with that. Upgrading from a hard drive to a solid state drive tends to be one of the best upgrades a user can make to improve system responsiveness, and PCMark 7's results reflect that.

Futuremark's PCMark 7 evaluates system performance by testing CPU, GPU, memory, and storage subsystem performance.

To give you a baseline for comparison, an Intel Core i7-2700K-based system with 8GB of RAM, a discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 280 graphics card, and a 7200-rpm hard drive will earn a PCMark score of roughly 3800. Upgrade that same system with an SSD, and its score will jump to about 5100.

Digesting the Results

Most benchmarks scores are easy to understand. But keep in mind that higher scores don't always point to better performance. On most benchmarks, higher frame rates or scores do mean that one system or component outperformed another; but some benchmarks are timed--and may output results in minutes or seconds. In such results, lower scores usually indicate better performance.

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Apple Siri Versus Google Jelly Bean: Voice Search Showdown

Which one listens to you and delivers information better: Google's Jelly Bean on the Galaxy Nexus or Apple's iOS Siri voice search? We put them to the test.

One of the big enhancements in the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system update that Google announced on June 27 is improved voice recognition in search. You can now ask your Android phone questions in a natural way--meaning you no longer have to sound like a robot to get answers.

We wondered which service is better at answering questions: Android's Voice Search or Apple's much-touted Siri. To test the services, we assembled a list of 17 questions or commands, and asked them of a Galaxy Nexus running Jelly Bean and an iPhone 4S running iOS 5.

A quick disclaimer: Apple has greatly improved Siri in iOS 6, but we weren't able to get our hands on the beta to test it. And the version of Jelly Bean we received from the Google I/O developer conference was not the final version, which will come to phones in mid-July.

Our results? Siri and the new voice recognition software in Jelly Bean each have their fair share of pros and cons. In the end, Android came out ahead on 8 of the 17 questions and commands we posed.

Here's a breakdown of how well each phone handled each question or task.

Question 1: "Where Is the Empire State Building?"

Siri seemed to have trouble understanding this question, while Jelly Bean produced a map that gave us the address of the Empire State Building in New York. For now, Android has the upper hand when it comes to locating famous buildings.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 2: "Will I Need an Umbrella on Sunday?"

The first few times we asked this question, Siri gave us directions to the nearest department stores. We believe that it may have been trying to point us to places that sold umbrellas, rather than answering our weather question.

When Siri finally realized that we were asking about the weather, it informed us that it could not predict what the weather would be on Sunday, and showed us a graphic displaying the local weather forecast for the next five days. Android told us that we wouldn't need an umbrella on Sunday, and also produced a five-day forecast.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 3: "Show Me Pictures of Mount Rushmore"

Android automatically brought up a small grid of images, while Siri asked if we wanted to perform a Web search. Siri finally showed us what we had asked for, but it required an extra step.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 4: "Where Can I Get a Taco Around Here?"

Siri, which pulls its results from Yelp, brought up 20 restaurants in the area that had tacos on the menu. Android presented a map of places that served tacos, but only one establishment was nearby; the rest were spread throughout the city. We have to hand it to Siri on this one, due to the number of results and owing to how close they were to our approximate location.

Winner: Apple Siri

Question 5: "What's the Capital of Canada?"

Both phones came up with an answer, but Android was faster at fetching a result.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 6: "Get Me Directions to the California Academy of Sciences"

As with the Empire State Building question, Android immediately brought up a map with the location of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and started opening Google Maps to give us directions.

Siri found two entries for the California Academy of Sciences, and required us to select the correct entry before proceeding to give us directions.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 7: "How Old Is Stan Lee?"

Both Siri and Android gave us an answer, but Google showed us a picture of Marvel's Stan Lee and read the answer to us.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 8: "Who Was the Number One Pick in the NBA Draft Last Year?"

Neither Siri nor Android had an answer to this question, and both defaulted to performing a Google search instead.

Winner: Tie

Wait for the iPhone 5 or go Google Android?

The latest Google Android devices on the market are impressive. And with Google's latest software release, it's hard to imagine that Apple will come up with anything to top it. But should you wait for the new iPhone anyway? Ask me for some advice.

It's going to be pretty hard for Apple to top the Samsung Galaxy S III and the latest release ofAndroid 4.1 that will be running on the Galaxy Nexus later this summer.

iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S III vs. Samsung Nexus - I offer some advice on whether it's worth it to wait for the new iPhone expected in the fall. I also explain why Samsung is releasing the new Galaxy S III on different carrier networks on different dates.

Dear Deassismoneira,
I have an iPhone 3G (yes it's old) and I want (need) to buy a new phone. My question is should I buy the Samsung Galaxy S III or wait for the iPhone 5? I'm also thinking of buying a Galaxy Nexus because I hate when i don't have the newest OS on my phone (one of the reasons why I am buying a new phone).

Thanks,                                                                                    
Bog

Dear Bog,
The first thing you need to consider is whether you're willing to switch from Apple to Android. If you've been using an iPhone 3G for the past few years then there's a good chance that you've accumulated a lot of apps and maybe even some music in iTunes.

I've written about what a pain in the neck it can be to make this switch in previous Ask Maggie columns. Any apps you've purchased or downloaded from iTunes will not automatically transfer to your Google Android device. You'll have to redownload apps and in some cases repurchase them.

Also, any music that was ripped or purchased from iTunes that is encrypted won't be able to be moved over to your Android phone. But there are plenty of ways to get your unencrypted iTunes music onto an Android device. You just have to be willing to put in a little effort to get things set up.

If this sounds like a great big hassle to you, then I'd suggest waiting for the iPhone 5. It's likely coming out September or October, and unless your iPhone 3G is dead, chances are you don't really need a new phone right now.

But if you are tired of being a slave to Apple, then I'd say it's not necessary to wait for the next iPhone. Samsung has built two really fantastic Google Android devices that you mentioned: the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Nexus.

First, these two phones are very similar when it comes to hardware. The only major difference I'd note is the fact that the Galaxy S III has a much better camera. Not only does the Galaxy Nexus have fewer megapixels, but some reviewers have complained about the poor low-light performance and mediocre focusing.

But the real difference between these devices is in the software. The Nexus is a pure Google phone. This means that Samsung has not included any of its own TouchWiz software flavor to the device. It also means that you will get the latest and greatest software on your phone when it's available from Google. The latest version of Android 4.1 called Jelly Bean is coming to the Nexus in July.

Jelly Bean isn't a massive upgrade, like the one from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich, but there are a few notable updates. The most important new feature is Google Now, a real time updating and search service that actually anticipates the kind of information you are likely to request.

Samsung TouchWiz on the Galaxy S III offers Samsung's own Siri-like voice recognition search. But Google Now is different. Google Now learns what you search for, which apps you use, and even where you go. Then it offers information to you, sometimes even before you have asked for it.

I wrote in his critique of Google Now that the software was actually able to advise him that it would take 17 minutes to get his son to karate. Scott said he hadn't even told the device that he had to take his son to karate. The class wasn't scheduled in his Google Calendar either. But Google knew based on his location history and past check-ins that his son was likely taking karate lessons at that particular location on that particular day.

There are a few other enhancements to Jelly Bean as well. For instance, the notification bar has been updated. And the user interface of the entire Android software is just smoother on Jelly Bean than on Ice Cream Sandwich.

While there's a good chance that the Samsung Galaxy S III will get Jelly Bean at some point, Samsung hasn't said when that might be. So chances are, you'll have to wait awhile before your carrier makes it available to you.

The Galaxy S III also has some software bells and whistles that the Nexus doesn't have, thanks to Samsung's special sauce TouchWiz. For instance, Samsung offers Smart features like Smart Stay, which keeps the phone "awake" while you're using it. And then there is S Voice, Samsung's answer to Apple's Siri voice activated search.

But on the whole, I can't say that the new TouchWiz features impressed me all that much. But if you like the look and feel of the software, then you'll like this iteration on the Samsung Galaxy S III. I sort of like the water ripple effect on the home screen of the Galaxy S III, but functionally it doesn't really offer anything. And it's completely unnecessary. And as I mentioned I really like the camera. So with those factors in mind, I'd probably choose the Galaxy S III.

That said, Google Now via Jelly Bean is really cool. And if getting the latest and greatest software updates from Google is what's the most important thing to you, get the Nexus. You won't be disappointed with the true-Google experience.

You could wait to see what Apple comes out with this fall. But I don't think you really need to. I don't think that Apple will be able to race ahead of Google when it comes to advanced software functionality or even hardware specs or performance.

Good luck with your decision.