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Back in the dark ages of personal computing, if you wanted to look through the programs on your machine and, say, open a Microsoft Word document from the floppy drive, you would need to type a list of arcane commands that went something like this:

DIR * EXE

MSWORD.EXE A:  \REPORT.DOC

In an effort to win over less technical users, both Apple and Microsoft dumped that command-line interface for personal computers more than two decades ago, replacing it with visual icons for files, folders and applications. Over the years, they added animations and search technology and other features to make navigating a Mac or Windows PC even easier.

Yet all of the gloss and glitter does not hide the fact that both operating systems are still pretty geeky and difficult for many computer users to navigate. I frequently get calls from family members asking why the font size on their Web browser suddenly changed or where they should look for the photos they have just downloaded from their digital camera. I never get that kind of call Apple’s iPhone.

The iPhone, although locked and frustratingly placed in to a walled garden, is the epitome of simplicity. You control it by touching the screen - an intuitive interface that even a toddler can figure out. It is virtually impossible to change key settings by accident. And if you do somehow mess things up, it is a cinch to reset the machine back to its pristine, out-of-the-box state. Why cannot PCs work that way?

There are, of course, all sorts of legacy reasons why the front-end design of computer operating systems is so complicated. Microsoft, for example, strives to make each new version of Windows familiar to customers of earlier versions. But Apple’s iPhone and computer operating systems are both based on the Unix operating system. Why not use the iPhone interface as the basis for a new round of Apple computers? And in Microsoft’s case, what if the company scrapped the front end of Windows 7 and the troubled Vista OS and moved to the new, elegant interface it is using for its Windows Phone 7 Series mobile phones? Would users really be upset?

From a technology perspective, the transition would not be as simple as copying the OS from the phone and pasting it onto a computer system, but it would give these companies the opportunity to simplify their computers and create commonality between the phone and desktop interfaces. And it would allow them to capitalize on the predicted mass migration of users from PCs to mobile devices. Putting a simple and easy-to-use mobile OS onto desktops and laptops would limit errors by users and simplify existing file-based computing. Users would not forced to figure out where their iTunes music sits or even have to learn separate operating systems for their phones and desktops.

To some extent, the industry is already moving in this direction of simplified operating systems. Google’s Android’s user interface, originally aimed at smartphones, is being used in the small, basic laptops known as netbooks. Apple is using the iPhone OS in its iPad tablet computer. As Brian Chen of Wired predicted after Apple unveiled the iPad last month, “With the iPad and the horde of tablets that will follow it, we can expect computing to become much easier than what we are accustomed to today.”

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Hollywood director JJ Abrams is going where man has gone before, with his 2009 Star Trek movie blasting the sci-fi franchise back into the spotlight and online, uniting new and older generation fans. Videogame publisher Atari and developer Cryptic Studios hope to capitalize on the $385 million global box office that the Paramount Pictures movie raked in last year with the first multiplayer online (MMO) game set in Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction universe that dates back to 1996.

“Star Trek Online was released for PCs, allowing fans from the original TV series s well as the moviegoers who enjoyed Abrams’ reboot, to create a virtual character and explore apace, the final frontier. I think this game has an opportunity to unify the Star Trek fans, many of whom really are serious gaming fans, with those who aren’t,” said Zachary Quinto, who played Spock in Abbram’s movie and voices a hologram medical doctor in the game. “I think it is great to unify these two groups and give people the opportunity to engage each other and play with each other online and have the experience of the game together.”

While Quinto’s character guides players through a tutorial that covers the game, the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, narrates the online game, the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, narrates the online game. “There are a lot of young people who never saw Star Trek before who went to see the movie who are now interested in Star Trek,” said Nimoy. “I think there will be a number of them who will be interested in a video game and a number of them who will be going back to the original episodes to take a look to see what the roots of all this is all about.”

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US regulators launched a preliminary investigation into reported steering problems on the Corolla sedan on Wednesday as Toyota Motor Corp faced questions from US lawmakers on whether it had ignored red flags on safety before a wave of vehicle recalls. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHT -SA) has received more than 150 complaints about possible steering problems in 2009 Corolla models, a US government official said. The agency began reviewing complaints about the Corolla models last week and on Wednesday determined the evidence warranted opening a preliminary evaluation, according to the official who asked not to be named because the plan has not been announced. The Corolla is Toyota’s second most popular model in the US market, behind the Camry.

Such preliminary investigations are a common step by NHTSA and are often closed before being upgraded to a second-step investigation or prompting a vehicle recall. Toyota spokeswoman Cindy Knight said the automaker was aware of the Corolla steering complaints that would “cooperate fully with NHTSA’s investigation.” Toyota’s quality chief, Shinichi Sasaki, said at a briefing in Tokyo on Wednesday that it was not yet clear if the problem is due to the steering, tires or another part, and that there would only be a recall if the issue was deemed to be a safety breach. “Our internal studies have shown that drivers have complained about a change in steering response versus the older Corollas possibly due to a switch from a hydraulic power steering system to an electronic one,” Sasaki said.

But the move comes at a time when Toyota and US safety regulators are under intense scrutiny for their handling of safety complaints related to unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles going back a decade. Toyota is being challenged by US lawmakers to answer the criticism that the company’s practice of tightly controlling key decisions in Japan had contributed to its deepening problems in the US market and criticism that it has not been forthcoming with safety regulators. In a move that raised the stakes for a pair of congressional hearings next week, Toyota president Akio Toyoda said he would send North America chief Yoshimi Inaba to testify instead of making an appearance himself. Toyoda, grandson of the 77-year old automaker’s founder, said he believed Inaba was the logical choice to testify.

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Indians figure among the first 10 in the list of the most attractive-looking people in the world while Americans tol the chart, a new survey has found.  While the US, home to Hollywood hunk George Clooney and actress Angelina Jolie among others, has come first, the second position is occupied by Brazil in the poll of more than 5,000 globe-trotting Britons. Spain, which boasts Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz as one of its natives, has come third. Blonde, tanned surfers of Australia saw it voted into fourth place, while Italy came fifth, according to the survey.

Sweden, which have models like Victoria Silvstedt, help the Scandinavian country into sixth spot, while England made it to the seventh place in the poll. India, home to Bollywood beauties Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, and heartthrob Salman Khan, among others, has come eighth, while France came ninth and Canada finished off the top 10. Other countries to feature in the top 20 include Portugal, Japan and Netherlands with Germany completing the top 20 list.

A spokeswoman for www.OnePoll.com which carried out the survey, was quoted by The Daily Telegraph as saying, “America has got a lot on offer and boasts some of the sexiest people on the planet. The likes of the Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt all help America’s image as a hot bed of good looking people. But with a population of more than 300 million, they do have an unfair advantage. But in fairness, when you think of good looking countries, Sweden, Italy, France and Brazil talent all spring to mind before us lazy, pale Brits. If you are looking for some fun in the sun you know where to head on holiday.”

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A South Florida teenager who sued her former principal after she was suspended for creating a Facebook page criticizing a teacher can proceed with her lawsuit, a federal judge has ruled. The student, Katherine Evans, is seeking to have hr suspension expunged from her disciplinary record. School officials suspended her for three days, saying she had been “cyberbullying” the teacher, Sarah Phelps. Evans is also seeking a “nominal fee” for what she argues with a violation of her First Amendment rights, her lawyers said, and payment of her legal fees.

The former principal, Peter Bayer, who worked at the Pembroke Pines Charter High School, had asked that the case be dismissed. But Magistrate Judge Barry L Garber denied Bayer’s petition and rejected his claims of qualified immunity. Lawyers of Evans, 19, now a sophomore at the University of Florida, said that they were pleased by the ruling and that they hoped to bring the case to trial in the spring. One of the lawyers, Maria Kayanan, associate legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said the judge’s decision had clearly extended the protection of First Amendment rights to online writings of a non-threatening manner.

“This is an important victory both for Evans and Internet free speech,” Kayanan said, “because it upholds the principle that the right to freedom of speech and expression in America does not depend on the technology used to convey opinions and ideas.” Evan’s suspension first came to the attention if the civil liberties union in 2007. Then a high school senior and an honor student, Evans repeatedly clashed with Phelps, her English teacher, over assignments, Evans has said. She turned to Facebook to vent her frustration. At home on her computer, Evans created a Facebook page titled “Ms Sarah Phelps is the worst teacher I have ever had” and invited past and current students of Phelps to post their own comments.

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Google Buzz is facing flak from critics over what they have dubbed as the biggest privacy breach in its history. Google had introduced Buzz, which is similar to social networking sites like Facebook, to its email service Gmail, but in doing so it automatically made public its users’ most frequently talked-to contacts. The tool is now facing an avalanche of complaints, as it has given an easy access to user information.

Some of those who complained included a woman whose abusive ex-husband was able to find sensitive information about her, after signing in to the Buzz. Journalists whose confidential sources were revealed to other sources by Buzz, and political activists who contacts were made public and potentially open to analysis by government investigators. To make matter worse, the system selected which contacts were made public, with some users reporting that people they had only spoken to once appeared on the list.

Google at the weekend apologized for the error and announced it would make changes to the system. “Since we launched Google Buzz four days ago, we have been working around the clock to address the concerns you have raised,” News.com.au quoted product manager Todd Jackson as writing on the Gmail Blog. However that is unlikely to satisfy critics, who view the mistake as a sign Google does not take the privacy of its users seriously. Articles criticizing Buzz have flooded popular social news sites like Digg, with headlines including: “And you thought Facebook had privacy issues?”

The story that has attracted most interest describes how one blogger’s details became available to her abusive ex-husband and is titled: “F— you Google”. “You know who my third most frequent contact is? My abusive ex-husband,” wrote the author. “Which is why is is so exciting, Google, that you automatically allowed all my most frequent contacts access to my Reader, including all the comments I have made on Reader items, usually shared with my boyfriend, who I had no reason to hide my current location or workplace from, and never did. “F— you, Google. My privacy concerns are not trite. They are linked to my actual physical safety,” she had stated. Meanwhile Tech Crunch said the idea of linking private communications - email - with social networking was “just asking for trouble”. “Google is-deservedly-getting a lot of heat for the fact that its latest social product has a number of privacy flaws baked in to it by design,” it said.

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Forget astrology and star signs. Your favorite coffee reveals unspoken things about your personality. According to a new book, The You Code, a cup of coffee not only has froth and sugar at its bottom but personality traits as well. Body language experts Judi James and James Moore decipher what caffeine preferences can reveal about a person’s self esteem, stress levels and even sex life in the book. Now, take a look for yourself -

Espresso: James and Moore describe the espresso as “the unfiltered cigarette of the coffee drinking world”. Espresso-drinkers tend to be moody, hard-bitten and hard-working. They are also into leadership and fast goals. The espresso drinker can be an experienced, exciting and consummate lover, but is not known for reliability or unswerving loyalty.

Black Coffee: This type is about minimalism and takes no-frills, direct approach to life. The black coffee drinker can be quiet and moody but prone to brief bursts of extroversion. A difficult, but potentially rewarding friend, colleague or partner.

Latte: Typically metrosexuals or cuddly-toy collectors, latte drinkers are pleasers with an overwhelming compulsion to be liked. Latte drinkers reveal that while they may want to come across as hot shot contenders, they have an immature side.

Cappuccino: Like their drink, cappuccino drinkers are all froth and bubble, bored by detail and liking, but not obsessed with material objects. She/He enjoys sex, but is easily bored by an unimaginative partner.

Instant Coffee: These are cheerful, straight-forward types, who like a laugh and live by the maxim “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But instant coffee drinkers can be unadventurous in their careers and need to let others see the hidden depths in their personality. The no-nonsense instant coffee drinker is allergic to pretentious behavior and are likely to keep their socks on during sex.

Decay soy milk: A self-righteous eco-worrier and attention seeker with a tendency to be picky, fussy and squeamish in the bedroom. What’s more, this faux choice implies a pretentious, high-maintenance type who wants what they can’t have and is disguising their true personality.

Frappucino: Flightly and shallow, the frappucino drinker will try anything once - especially if a celebrity has done it first. They fancy themselves as trendsetters. The frappucino drinker’s relationships often last as long as their drink choice.

Non-coffee drinker: Frightened of coffee equals frightened of life. If the taste of coffee puts you off, you really are a child, they say.

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A sculpture by Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti has smashed the world record for an art work at auction, selling in London for 65 million pounds ( $104.3 million), Sotheby’s said. “L’homme qui marche I”, a life-size bronze statue of a man, was expected to go for up to $29 million at the sale Wednesday - but an anonymous telephone buyer paid almost four times that amount. It beat the previous record for a work at auction set by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso’s painting “Garcon a la Pipe” which was bought for $104.2 million in New York in 2004, said the auction house.

Bidders at the auction snapped up a string of other sought after art works, bringing in more than $235 million and making it the highest value sale ever staged in London, according to Sotheby’s. The auction house hailed an “exceptional” result after a dramatic bidding battle forced up the price of Giacometti’s work. “L’homme qui marche I” (Walking Man I) fetched exactly $104,327,006, which included the buyer’s premium, said the auctioneers. The 1961 metal figure, by the leading 20th century artist known for his stick-thin sculptures of the human form, was sold by German banking firm Commerzbank, said Sotheby’s.

The auction house said Wednesday’s sale opened at 12 million pounds, but after eight minutes of “fast and furious bidding” between at least 10 prospective purchasers, it went to the anonymous telephone bidder. “The price is a reflection of the extraordinary importance of this exceptionally rare work,” said Helena Newman, of Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art department. Georgina Adam, editor-at-large of The Art Newspaper, attended the auction and hailed the “astonishing” price paid for the “one in a lifetime opportunity”. “There were so many bidders chasing to get it that even before it was put up for sale somebody had started bidding,” she told the BBC.

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What is it about Buckfast Tonic Wine that makes it so alluring to consumers and yet so repulsive to politicians? Perhaps, it is its special caffeine-and-sweet-wine recipe, which allows overly enthusiastic consumers to be tipsy and bouncy at the same time. Perhaps it is its array of snappy nicknames, including “Wreck the Hoose Juice” - hoose being a Scottish pronunciation of house - or its exotic provenance as the product of wine-making Benedictine monks at an abbey in England.

Whatever the cause, Buckfast has emerged as a symbol of Scotland’s entrenched drinking problems at a time when it is urgently debating how to address them. “For a large section of the Scottish population, their relationship with alcohol is damaging and harmful to individuals, families, communities and to Scotland as a nation,” the Scottish government said in a recent port.

Buckfast does not seem to help. In a survey last year of 172 prisoners at a young offender’s institution, 43% of the 117 people who drank alcohol before committing their crimes said they had drunk Buckfast. In a study of litter in a typical housing project, 35% of the items identified were Buckfast bottles. And the police in the depressed industrial district of Strathclyde recently told a BBC programme that the drink had been mentioned in 5,638 crime reports between 2006 and 2009 (the bottle used as a weapon in 114 of them).

A spokesman for J Chandler & Company, which distributes the drink, said that Buckfast accounted for less than 1% of the alcoholic beverage market in Scotland and was being unfairly singled out. Nor, he said, is wine-making a sign that monks of Buckfast Abbey have strayed from the teachings of St Benedict, an accusation recently leveled by an Episcopal bishop. “It is always wise to remember that Jesus turned water into wine,” the spokesman, Jim Wilson, said in an interview.

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