I love the concept of tablet PCs. To me, the medium-sized handheld form factor seems like the natural next step in the evolution of notebook PCs. I can envision all kinds of uses for tablets, from applications for vertical businesses, to education, to e-book reading, to casual Web surfing on the couch.

So why don't I own a tablet PC? For the same reasons you don't, most likely. Past tablets have seemed to want to be all things to all people -- which meant they were too heavy, too bulky, too underpowered, and worst of all, too expensive. That's why I was excited to learn that an upcoming entry in Asus' popular Eee PC netbook line will take the form of a convertible tablet.

Online meeting software bridges clients and telecommuters in different locations. Many options are available, but they often include hassles, requiring a separate voice conference or software installation. I recently saw a demo of Fuze that makes this service stand out, especially for businesses that rely on video collaboration. But best of all, clients--and even hosts--only need a web browser and Flash.

Whether PowerPoint docs, high-resolution photos, high-definition videos, or any other file type, the Fuze servers act as an intermediary. This process provides smoother playback than requiring one of your computers to act as the host. In that self-hosting situation, your upstream would be the limiting factor to all clients. With Fuze in the middle, you only need a moderate downstream speed to stay in sync.

Amid the flurry of sleek, slim, sexed-up gadgets taking the stage at CES this year, some more buttoned-down business hardware is also making a good showing. On the productivity front, the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 boasts a host of new document handling features to help users get more organized with fewer hassles.

Taking credit card payments on the road--whether it's door-to-door or on a trade show floor--can be a frustrating task. Old-fashioned mechanical readers (known as addressographs) are insanely bulky, and leave you with a mass of paper to contend with at the end of each day. Dedicated electronic card readers, meanwhile, tend to be even bulkier, and often require a power source and Internet connection to function. These hassles make the ProPay MicroSecure Card Reader look pretty inviting.

I work across platforms, but I've never bothered with productivity software beyond Microsoft Office. It always seems like it does a good enough job, plus everyone else uses it, facilitating easy file sharing. Although I'm embarrassed having typed that out; can't I pick productivity software that I actually... like?

At the Macworld Expo, Apple released its latest productivity suite, iWork '09. A few of its new features have grabbed my interest. I'm still skeptical, but I'm going to try out this Mac-only software over the next week or two to see if it can actually replace my Office use.

Amid news of worsening economic turmoil in markets worldwide, rumors persist that Microsoft may be readying the first formal round of layoffs in the company's history. The latest buzz suggests the Redmond-based software giant may eliminate as many as 15,000 jobs -- though cooler heads say the cuts will come more from attrition and expired contracts than from actual pink slips. Whatever the case, look to January 15 for the big announcement, sources say.

News that Microsoft may be tightening its belt certainly comes as no surprise. It's not the only company to do so -- Yahoo trimmed 10 percent of its workforce in December, for example, while IBM is rumored to be planning layoffs of its own. But it's tempting to speculate whether there may be more behind Microsoft's cost-cutting measures than just a response to the current recession, especially in light of reports that core Microsoft products have lost significant market share in recent months.

Gestures can say so much without any words, whether you've just been cut off in traffic or you're trying to execute a PC command. Instead of reaching for a menu or even typing a key shortcut, use mouse gestures to activate these commands. You could make a loop to print, a "Z" shape to open the PC World website, slide up-then-down to close a window, and more. Some PCs, especially laptops, are beginning to read these kinds of commands in their mouse drivers. Here's how to add the functionality to any PC.

You have several gesture programs to choose from, including gMote and StrokeIt. I like gMote especially because it doesn't need any deep installation; it's just active when running, like a normal application. By default, you'll hold Ctrl and Shift while making gestures. Match a shape that the application recognizes--or one that you recorded--and it triggers a corresponding function.

I use Google many times a day, a big part of answering work questions, doing research, or otherwise finding information online. This search engine became a mainstream tool partly because of its simple, powerful results. But hidden, advanced techniques can get you better information with less hunting.

These are some of my favorite Google tricks, among many. Just enter your terms in a browser's Google search bar or directly at the site.

Key command shortcuts are quicker than mousing through menus; just bang a few keys together, and your PC instantly responds. And Windows has a lot of hidden commands, plus ways to customize those shortcuts however you want. Here are some of my favorites, plus Microsoft lists even more to browse. If you swap mouse movements for these commands, Windows will feel faster than ever.

Navigate menus: Open menus by holding (or pressing) Alt and pressing the underlined letter in a menu. Once open, you can let go of Alt and just tap the underlined letter of your selection. Arrow keys also navigate open menus, and Enter makes selections. Even hit Control-Esc--or the Windows Key--to open the Start Menu.

By now, most of us are aware of the potential privacy risks posed by Web cookies. But according to a new paper published by security consultancy iSec Partners, traditional browser-based cookies aren't the only technology used to store user data anymore. A number of browser plug-ins offer similar capabilities -- and because plug-ins are nonstandard browser components, users are often unaware that these silent conversations are even taking place.

Browser cookies are invaluable for storing things like usernames and shopping cart contents between e-commerce sessions, among many other legitimate uses. But cookies can also give Web sites the ability to track your surfing habits for the purpose of data mining or other, more malicious goals. That's why modern browsers give users fine-grained control over their cookies -- we can view them, delete them, or even block them completely. These controls don't apply to plug-ins, however, which add nonstandard features outside the customary browser UI.