Microsoft Word Now Knows the Difference Between Osama and Obama. Obama and Osama won't trip up the Word spellchecker any more, although some people will have to download an update.

Vudu Begins Movie Rental Reform. From a press release last week from Vudu, maker of my favorite set-top instant-movie box:“Extended Rental for $0.99: Starting immediately, the VUDU service will allow viewers to renew any standard definition video rental for just 99 cents within seven days of first viewing a film…the most generous rental renewal policy in the industry. The rental [...]

Delta Streamlines Check-In Software. Greatly streamlined check-in software debuted at the Delta kiosks in four big airports—Atlanta, Los Angeles, Orlando and New York's JFK. By the end of this month, it will be installed on the rest of the airline’s 1,400 kiosks in 195 cities.

Today's Mailbag: Reader Complaints. This week: a massive complain-a-thon, a compilation of recent gripes in David Pogue's inbox. May it suffice to shine the light on the companies my readers think are falling down on the job.

Windows Speech Recognition Does More. Windows' speech recognition software handles some foreign languages and does some pretty clever macros, a reader writes.

How Much to Re-Cable a Home Theater System?. David Pogue attempts to re-wire his home theater system. One quote was for $1,200. He got it done for $225. (Or was it $225 to move one cable?)

With Canon, Loyalty Has its Privileges. After I wrote about the untimely death of my Canon SD700 last week, a reader wrote me to ask why I didn’t just take advantage of the Canon Loyalty program.The what?“The Canon Loyalty Program (PowerShot Upgrade Program) is designed to assist customers whose camera is unrepairable and out of warranty,” explained a Canon rep. “It [...]

Quiz Time! Today's Problem: Chasing Daylight. From the desk of David Pogue's son: Can a plane fly around the equator so fast that it never saw the sun set?

The Bottom Line of the Eco Balance Sheet. It’s become clear to me that the math of greenness has become one of those endless Internet morasses, like red state-blue state, Mac-Windows, or just about anything involving digital photography.

Toyota's Prius: The Debate Continues. The debate over the Prius continues. One reader refutes some myths about the hybrid car.