"How do we make the most of this amazing device and do it in safe, sustainable manner going forward?" asked Sree Sreenivasan (Chief Digital Officer at Columbia University and faculty member of Columbia's School of Journalism), who moderated a panel discussion hosted by Consumer Reports at Columbia University last night: "Consumer Trade-offs in a Mobile Culture: Privacy, Payments and Social Media."

Consumers' home PCs were no safer than they were last year, our annual State of the Net survey found. Heavy spam afflicted 43 percent of those surveyed. We've used our survey to extrapolate the number of consumers affected nationally.

In our latest reader survey of computer technical support, Apple bested its own scores from last year's survey and walloped other brand-name computer manufacturers.

The Archos GamePad is a tablet designed specifically for playing games—one of several others coming out some time this year, including the Wikipad, NVidia's Project Shield, and the Razer Edge Pro. The GamePad combines the features of an Android tablet with the physical controls needed for complex gaming. It does a lot of things competently, but that's not quite enough to make it a must have.

When you're shopping for a new printer, the sticker price matters, of course. But that may not be the end to what you'll pay. In fact, some inexpensive models could rack up unexpected additional costs as you use them.

There's no need to sacrifice performance or portability if you're looking to save a few bucks on a new laptop. We turned up several models in our latest batch of Ratings that don't cost a fortune but come close to performing as if they do.

When it comes to digital imaging, a number of well-respected brands specialize in either cameras or printers. Rarely does a company excel in more than one area. But Canon stands out as a reputable brand that crosses over several categories, including point-and-shoot cameras and printers.

It's not often easy for an older person with little technical experience—or anyone else who's frustrated by current technology—to jump into the world of computing. The Telikin Elite PC ($1,000) wants to help: It's a 20-inch all-in-one touch-screen desktop computer the manufacturer says is designed for the "technology novice." But is that touted ease of use worth the rather steep price?

At a recent Green Day concert, my daughter and her friend both took pictures of the band with their smart phones. We were sitting pretty far from the stage, so they had to zoom in to compose and capture their photos. Since they were shooting with smart phones, they had to use digital zoom—which will almost always result in photos or video with degraded image quality.

Touch-screen displays are ubiquitous on smart phones and tablets, and they're becoming more common on all-in-one printers, too. In fact, three of the four new all-in-ones in our recently updated ratings—the Epson Expression Photo XP-850, HP Envy 120, and Epson Workforce WF-3540—include LCDs with touch-screen capabilities.

Samsung has announced it will set up dedicated mobile shops within Best Buy stores to sell its cell phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras. The Samsung Experience Shops, coming to more than 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores beginning this month, aim to bring Samsung customers the same expert, brand-immersive experience that iPhone, iPad, and Mac types enjoy when they visit an Apple Store.

What do you do with your photos after you capture them on your smart phone? Beyond posting them on Facebook or Instagram, or texting them to your friends and family, you may want to print some choice shots or use them in slideshows. Here are three steps to help you get more from your smart-phone photos:

Through March 31, Barnes & Noble is offering a two-for-one deal on a couple of its electronics devices: Purchase a Nook HD+ tablet (starting at $270), and B&N will throw in at no charge a Nook Simple Touch e-book reader, normally $80.

When Apple launched the first iPad, tablets were tablets, and laptops were laptops. Sure, there were cross-over features, but aside from a few outliers, it was always pretty clear which was which. Enter Windows 8: We're now seeing tablets running full Windows 8 operating systems. And we're finding that what makes a good tablet may not make a good laptop—and vice versa.

Consumerist (our sister site) just ran a story about a couple of hapless parents, a five-year-old Littlest Pet Shop player, and a $120 charge the child incurred making in-app purchases for the game. If you're concerned about the same thing happening to you, here's how you can prevent it.