I've identified 10 utilities (more or less) that just about everyone needs. How well are tablets catching on? I'll take a look. In Short Circuits: Apple's Ipad was a hit for the holiday season. A Dell stockholder tries to block the leveraged buyout. An avalanche of fraudulent messages buried my computer this week. And a quick explanation of what happened to the podcast a couple of weeks ago.

Your e-mail account is in danger. ThumbsPlus shows that being all thumbs isn't so bad. In Short Circuits: Google gets involved in the battle between privacy and security. YouTube may soon see some paid content. And Apple trademarks its stores.

Newsweek's conversion to an electronic format has been smooth but for readers, not so smooth. Microsoft's OneNote 2013 turns in an orchestral performance. In Short Circuits: Borrowing an Ipad at La Guardia. Blockbuster continues to shrink. Snip.It becomes Yahoo's latest acquisition. And Google beats the street.

This week: A change from Facebook promotes finding, tablets are the answer to what question? And in Short Circuits: Yes, you definitely need that Java update! (maybe), accused of running down a donkey, Google responds, and GM plans to return to Facebook.

Improvements in Excel 2013, a part of the Microsoft Office Suite. Will your applications work with Windows 8? When things go wrong. In Short Circuits: The end of Newsweek and the beginning. Microsoft reports Windows 8 sales figures (Surprise!). Iran blamed for ongoing attacks on US banks. Google's Eric Schmidt calls for open Internet access in North Korea.

How you can have a SaaSsy new year, if you want one. A look at the upcoming version of Microsoft Word. It's a new year but TechByter looks about the same on the surface. In Short Circuits: If you think antivirus software makes you safe, you have another think coming. Google Chairman Eric Schmidt heads for North Korea. And when Amazon catches a cold, Netflix sneezes.

Raspberry Pi soundls like a good idea for 2013. So really ... what's to like about Windows 8? In Short Circuits: Big trouble for Marvell Technologies. Does Instagram employ either an attorney or a public relations professional? One highlight of 2012: George Takei.

If you're planning to buy a new computer, it may come with crapware but you can remove it. Pixels, long the stuff of which digital photos are made, may be on the way out. The FCC moves to modernize the RF spectrum. Another week, another bunch of changes from Adobe. And in Short Circuits: Why do some tech journalists think we're too stupid to use Windows 8? Redbox plans to challenge Netflix. And life on the bleeding edge can be interesting.

Everything but the Facebook photo-sync. Computers may kill jobs but they also create jobs. Some things never change (like Linux usage). And in Short Circuits: A bit of a security leak in Switzerland, something you use has just turned 20, and the man who invented the clean room has died.

Are you wondering how to get to Windows 8 from where you are? The tale of an upgrade - making Windows 8 my own. Batting Outlook out of the park. In Short Circuits: Would the latest Facebook fraud fool you? "Petraeus" has become a descriptive noun. Microsoft is excited about tablets and phones but won't talk about sales figures. And some members of the United Nations would like to censor the Internet.