Updating your graphics card can be a costly business, especially if you're into gaming. Thankfully, there is also a bevy of affordable options for those on limited budgets. But making the right choice isn't easy -- plenty of graphics cards are duds, especially at lower price points. We've compiled a shortlist of the five mid-to-low range graphics cards that have most impressed us over the past few months. (You can click on the headings to read our in-depth reviews of each card.)

Always wanted to know more about that star overhead? Now you can.

Google is introducing a Web site tool called Friend Connect today that promises to extend the reach of social networks such as Facebook to any site that wants to use the tool. Those sites that decide to use Friend Connect can give visitors a much richer Web experience allowing even the smallest of Web sites the ability to leverage the enormous popularity of social networks.

Apple said Tuesday it is adding episodes from HBO's original programming to its pay-to-view iTunes online store, and will charge US$1 more than the usual for some episodes.

This week's annual conference for BlackBerry users comes at a critical time for the device's creator, Research in Motion.

Google is introducing a Web site tool called Friend Connect today that promises to extend the reach of social networks such as Facebook to any site that wants to use the tool. Those sites that decide to use Friend Connect can give visitors a much richer Web experience allowing even the smallest of Web sites the ability to leverage the enormous popularity of social networks.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has called on government to enforce rigid privacy laws on organisations which intercept employee e-mails.

What's worse than the sudden, unexpected appearance of a blue screen filled with white text? Recurring appearances of blue screens filled with white text. The fewer times you have to read the maddeningly passive-voice observation "A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down...," the better.

Google recently added a welcome feature to Google Docs, its free Web-based office productivity tool set, which includes word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation apps. It's called Google Docs Offline, and as its name suggests, the feature enables you to edit Google documents without being connected to the Internet.

This week's annual conference for BlackBerry users comes at a critical time for the device's creator, Research in Motion.

Chordiant Software has nothing against Microsoft Excel. But the software maker no longer wants to use it to track and manage its mobile users, devices and carrier service plans.

Microsoft Tuesday patched six vulnerabilities, most marked "critical," in Windows, Word, Publisher and its anti-virus software.

The vendor HyBlue says it can prevent the "cold boot" encryption hack discovered by Princeton researchers with a laptop security product announced Tuesday.

IBM Tuesday unveiled a new blade server based on the Cell chip that was originally designed to run a video game console.

VMware is releasing two bundles of management and automation products designed to streamline disaster recovery and curb virtual server sprawl.

Cisco Systems will take its TelePresence virtual meeting systems into home offices later this year, bringing telecommuters nearer to their corporate colleagues and society one step closer to science fiction.

Small businesses have, for some time, been able to easily deploy a wide-open access point or two, or put together a couple of access points with a basic level of security. The thing that hasn't been easily available is a small, secure, managed wireless network that's easy to deploy and administer, and priced for the needs of a smaller business. Now there is such a thing, and its existence does a good job of highlighting what we've been missing. The solution is the Ruckus Wireless ZoneFlex Smart WLAN System, and it is a very good thing, indeed, for the SMB wireless market.

Red Hat Fedora users who wanted an easier way to use the popular and free community-supported Linux operating system on portable USB thumb drives have had their wishes granted.

Since its inception, the Web has been synonymous with the browser. Pundits hailed NCSA Mosaic as "the killer app of the Internet" in 1993, and today's browsers share an unbroken lineage from that humble beginning.

Microsoft Tuesday patched six vulnerabilities, most marked "critical," in Windows, Word, Publisher and its anti-virus software.

The vendor HyBlue says it can prevent the "cold boot" encryption hack discovered by Princeton researchers with a laptop security product announced Tuesday.

Google is introducing a Web site tool called Friend Connect today that promises to extend the reach of social networks such as Facebook to any site that wants to use the tool. Those sites that decide to use Friend Connect can give visitors a much richer Web experience allowing even the smallest of Web sites the ability to leverage the enormous popularity of social networks.

Always wanted to know more about that star overhead? Now you can.