Mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras shoot for consumers and pro photographers

Mirrorless cameras, such as the Nikon 1, are smaller than DSLRs, but are bigger than point-and-shoot cameras.

Gadgets that will electrify those on your holiday shopping list

Technology is always moving forward, and yesterday’s hot gift is tomorrow’s Apple Newton.

Google+ challenges Facebook’s social-networking dominance

Google+ allows users to post status updates, links to web content, and photos, and to view a feed of content created by other users they follow.

For techies, there’s Yuletide cool aplenty

To help you rekindle some of that holiday magic, here’s the Straight’s annual techie gift guide.

DSLR photography newbies advised to shoot for simplicity

As the price of digital cameras comes down, DSLRs are an increasingly accessible option for people looking to take their photography to the next level, even if they have no plans of ever doing it professionally.

Vancouver app developers seize iPad opportunity

With more than two million iPads sold since the device’s April 3 debut in the United States, and now that it’s been released in Canada, Apple’s newest gadget presents a major opportunity for software makers.

Augmented reality gets a boost from wave of new apps

Augmented-reality technology is turning your handheld device into an information source on everything from subway systems to the stars.

iPad proves to be fine reading device with amazing battery life

It’s a step toward computers that aren’t designed to be easy for us to learn how to use them, but that are designed to be easy to use.

Comic book industry shouldn’t wait much longer to embrace digital age

The problem is that, as much as I and other comic book readers might want to buy all their comics digitally, it’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Cataloguing software keeps collections neat

Cataloguing software isn’t exactly a bestseller, but it’s useful for people whose media libraries are growing.

Comic publishers sketchy on digital future

While Web comics similar to those found in newspapers have been around for years, digital comics are still in their early days.

Twitter's now a dating tool

Social-media services like Twitter and Facebook are opening up new avenues through which people can make on-line connections.

Tech stuff to take them back to the future

Nothing reminds one of the relentless march of time like an annual tech gift guide.

With Shortcovers, Indigo charts different course than Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Unlike other e-book moves by print-book retailers, Indigo is not selling its own device but instead making books available on smartphones, computers, and Sony’s e-book readers.

Amazon's international Kindle e-book reader works wonderfully, even in Canada

When Amazon released its Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless, a worldwide version of its previously U.S.-only e-book reader, there was a great deal of disappointment that it was not bound for Canada.

Gaming now central to Facebook experience

Many developers are using the hugely popular social-networking site to distribute their games among the on-line masses.

Snow Leopard runs how Mac OS X should have from the start

This is a tightening of existing features, fixes based on a few years of user feedback that could not be envisioned when developing the software.

Vancouver Internet start-ups need to network for success

While Vancouver is home to a growing number of Internet start-ups in various stages of development, some say the infrastructure and investment required to make the city a top high-tech hub have yet to be established.

Open Web advocates say social media needs reform

A question that’s increasingly being raised is, who should control all of the data shared through social media sites—the user or the service?

BCIT spawns iPhone games

The British Columbia Institute of Technology launched its iPhone Game Design course in September, just six months after Apple released the smartphone’s software-development kit.

Geotags help locate photos

One method of cataloging digital photos, known as geotagging, uses where they were taken. Geotagging goes beyond labelling a photo with a place name.

In Second Life, it's a wonderful, virtual world

What do you get when you remove the gaming from a multiplayer on-line game? Second Life, an on-line virtual community, where users can socialize and explore without having to battle pixelated foes.

Some tech gifts Canadians won't be getting this Christmas

With Christmas time coming, you'll be seeing a lot of lists of great gifts to get for that special someone. This isn't that list.

Pownce's closure warns us about trusting the cloud

With the announcement that Twitter rival Pownce is shutting down on December 15, users of the microblogging service who want to save their posts had better do it soon. Following recent news of other high-profile on-line closures, like that of Sandy and Stikkit, the question is what other Web services will be shut down.

Software lets you be Choosy about your browsing

If you're like me and use different browsers for different things, you're probably as annoyed as I am by the way that OS X is set up to launch a default browser.

Northern Voice blogging conference is looking for speakers

Northern Voice is an annual blogging and social media conference that's held near the start of every year in Vancouver. It manages to attract bloggers and Web media people from right across North America, and it's regularly a sellout.

Flying high with Wi-Fi

In-flight Wi-Fi has not been something that the average commuter had access to up until recently.

Latest iPhone update adds wealth of new features

Good news for iPhone users: Apple released the 2.2 software update this morning. Just plug your iPhone into iTunes, hit Update, and you'll get a whole bunch of enhanced functionality within minutes.

Some tech blogs can be trusted

I've called into question the level of trust that readers can put into the average tech blog, pointing out that more often than not a fantastic scoop will outweigh whether or not a story is true.

Tech blogs are often loose with the truth

In tech blogging it's often not who's right; it's who's first because the currency for most bloggers is hits and being proven wrong days or weeks later doesn't hurt the same way that it does for a print publication.t publication.

Wanna meet up with Vancouver bloggers?

Vancouver bloggers have their say in cyberspace

Whatever the reason, there's no doubt that the city offers a lively and diverse blog scene.

Loopt and Brightkite put friends in their place

Social-networking service are making a breakthrough by allowing friends to navigate their social lives by orienting them to people, places and events via detailed, interactive maps on their cellphones.

Status-update site has Net in a Twitter

The microblogging service is a cross between the status-update feature in Facebook and social-bookmarking sites like Delicious. "Tweets" are used to solicit aid, information, and opinions from other users.