It's one of the most annoying Windows maintenance problems. The more you use your PC, the more your hard drive will become cluttered with all kinds of junk: leftover "temporary" files, various application caches, remnants of supposedly uninstalled programs and a whole lot more.

Of course if you've got hundreds of gigabytes of free space remaining then this may not seem to matter very much. But it will still have an effect. Excessive hard drive clutter can slow down file searches, antivirus scans, defrags, maybe even browsing in Explorer -- so cleaning up your system occasionally is a very good idea.

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Sean Clark from mp3Car speaks with Justin from ICS, who has made a demo piece of software to highlight how easy it can be to develop QT apps. These apps are built using QML, which is specifically designed for creating user interfaces.

Some of the really attractive features of this new QML is that it has great animated transitions and state changes built into the language. It can even give you that "flick to scroll -- bounce at the end" feeling.

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Berlin-based O&O Software GmbH has released a free defragmentation tool based on its award-winning O&O Defrag Professional software. O&O Defrag Free Edition, which is free for personal use, takes advantage of the same advanced defragmentation technologies found in the latest version (14.1.425) of its commercial sibling to promise improved drive performance for home and non-commercial users.

O&O Defrag Free Edition offers a set-it-and-forget-it solution to the problem of keeping your hard drive defragged: when first installed it gives you the option of scheduling automatic defragmentation either when the computer is idle or on a specified schedule (weekly to monthly). It also allows you to optimize your hard drive immediately by either performing a standard defragmentation or by also consolidating free space.

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Windows Vista and 7 include valuable features carefully designed to optimize your Internet and network speeds. Do these work for you, though? It's hard to say, because they're so deeply buried that there's no obvious way to see how they're set, or turn them on or off -- and so many people don't realize the options even exist.

If you're looking at optimizing your network performance, then, you should probably start by seeing which of these technologies is enabled on your PC -- and this applies even if you think you know already, as there's no telling when a Windows tweaking tool or other package might have decided to "optimize" your connection without telling you exactly what it's doing.

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One of the biggest traumas of buying a new computer is making sure all your files, emails, programs and settings are transferred across to your shiny new computer. Migrating from PC to PC is relatively straightforward these days, with Windows 7 providing an Easy Transfer Wizard for files and settings, and Laplink offering PCmover for those who want to transfer lock, stock and barrel. But what if you've bought a Mac and want to transfer everything across from your tired old PC to Apple's glitzy new computer?

Sadly there's not yet a one-stop solution to this problem -- programs and settings aren't cross platform, so an element of research is required when it comes to sourcing Apple alternatives to your software arsenal. However, when it comes to files and email, the situation is more promising: Laplink has released a tool that aims to simplify the transfer of both from your PC to your Mac in the form of Laplink Switch & Sync. The question is, how effective is it, and does it cover all the bases?

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Keeping your hard drive in order is a complex business, and one that normally requires an entire library of utilities and applications. There is a simpler alternative: you could just install Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2011 Suite. The program can create, format, delete or undelete, resize or merge your chosen partitions, for instance. A straightforward set of backup tools allow you to do everything from back up your emails or chosen files, to copy individual partitions or clone an entire hard drive.

Other modules help with migrating to a new hard drive; installing and managing multiple operating systems on one system; securely wiping a drive to remove confidential information; or defragmenting your files to maximise performance.

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Many people consider the Mac OS X desktop superior to Windows, which perhaps explains why there are so many utilities for Windows users that try to mimic elements like the Mac OS X Dock in Windows. But Windows 7 introduced some nifty new features of its own that suddenly become notable by their absence on the Mac.

One of the these features is the Live Thumbnail previews of open windows that appear when you roll the mouse over a Taskbar icon, allowing you to quickly view, select and even close individual windows or documents. Mac developers have been quick to plug the gap with the release of shareware programs like HyperDock and DockView, although you'll need the latest Mac OS X (v10.6, or Snow Leopard) release to take advantage of either program.

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Some people say command line tools are obsolete, out of date, no longer necessary when you can "point and click," instead. But the reality is very different. Every version of Windows sees the command line given new powers and abilities, and if you don't explore these then you really are missing out.

Take the WMIC command, for instance. It has astonishing scope and a huge set of features: the program can return useful information about your system, control running programs and generally manage just about every aspect of your PC -- all from the command line or a convenient shortcut.

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Rob Wray, from mp3Car, takes a look at the first electric-cooled three-wheeled motorcycle. With 170HP, 0-60 in 5 seconds, 150MPH top speed and weighing in at only 1,800 pounds, it's a surprisingly performance-oriented vehicle. It goes roughly 200 miles on a single charge at slower speeds or about 100 miles at 60 miles per hour. The motorcycle can be charged to about 80 percent in about 20 minutes at a charging station.

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The Visteon iPad dock provides a charging cradle for Apple's "I look cool" device. However, what's really cool about this product is its communicating with the vehicle's computer via a completely wireless network. Control of the HVAC, radio, phone and navigation system is possible from any seat in or out of the vehicle.

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I see over on Business Insider that AT&T's PR boss is already bashing the Verizon iPhone that will be announced [this] week.

AT&T should shut up.

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Parrot Electronics showcases its new Asteroid single din head unit running the Android operating system using an ARM 9 processor at roughly 500 MHz. Music, Bluetooth, Navigation, USB connectivity and an integrated amplifier all fit in a form factor less than 5-inches deep. Best of all, the unit will be open for community application development.

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Sean Clark, from mp3Car.ccom, interviews Chris Demeniuk from Ford about the application design process for vehicles. Simplicity, usability, and engineering with the end user in mind are all important themes when creating a Human Machine Interface.

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Rob Wray, from mp3Car, shows off the Visteon C-Beyond car. The center console has a thermal IR sensor that detects your hand location and opens and closes the console compartment automatically according to hand movement.

Adjustable ambient lighting can be changed based on the passenger's mood. Motion sensing lighting can aid passengers in finding lost items at night as the floor can illuminate based on hand gestures. "Vertical Air Flow" eliminates the need for conventional HVAC vents on the dash. Individual zones of the vehicle are more easily climate controlled based around circular ceiling and floor modules. A Windows PC and Centrafuse front end controls all of the technology.

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Rob Wray, from mp3Car, speaks with Mikael Soderberg, from Pelagicore, to discuss two new vehicle hardware setups.

First, the ARM processor of the Beagleboard C4 is paired with a daughterboard from Pelagicore to enable easy communication with systems in the vehicle including the MOST, CAN, & LIN protocols. AM/FM radio integration, Bluetooth and power management capabilities are also integrated.

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