Not sure which computer to buy for the summer or back-to-school?

You’re not alone.

Not only are there so many companies to choose from, but there are multiple form factors these days, such as a laptop, desktop, tablet, all-in-one desktop (with the computer built behind the screen), Ultrabook convertibles (half laptop, half tablet), and so on.

In other words, choosing a new Windows 8 PC can be an overwhelming endeavor -- so to help you decide on something that best suits your needs and budget, below we look at eight stellar considerations (not listed in any particular order).

01. Asus Taichi 21

Talk about innovation: In case you haven’t yet seen the Asus Taichi 21 ($1,399.99), it’s an Ultrabook with a two-sided 11.6-inch screen. That is, in regular mode, it looks like a regular laptop – though it’s super thin – but at any time you can enable the back of the screen to turn on (or mirror what you’re seeing on the main screen), plus the rear-facing screen is touch-enabled so you can close the

Video gamers who boast about their "mad skills" can put their money where their mouse is with Virgin Gaming, a service that lets you place a wager to compete in online matches and tournaments against other willing participants.

Sure, you might’ve already heard about Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Gaming – which turns 3 next month and has racked up more than 2.3 million members – but the company has just unveiled an app for Xbox 360 owners, dubbed Xbox Tournaments, which makes it even easier to win cash by playing against others.

To start, players age 18 years of age or older can compete in three-round, free-entry tournaments designed for gamers of all skill levels – but they’ll also have the opportunity to participate in free head-to-head challenges to sharpen their skills for cash-play games in the near future. To celebrate the launch of the app, Virgin Gaming is currently hosting a $100,000 tournament and leaderboard challenge, with “many more to follow,” assures Billy Levy, co-founder

Whether you're waiting for the next console wars to start or simply prefer playing games on your mobile phone, there's no shortage of awesome smartphone games — and ones that won't cost you a dime. Here are 10 "must have" free downloads for Apple (iOS) and Android devices.

Candy Crush Saga

The hit Facebook game is even better on your iPhone or Android. Taking a page from Bejeweled, King.com's Candy Crush Saga is an incredibly addictive puzzler that has you swap colored candies on a board to make a match of at least three in a row. Timed levels, cascading fruit and chocolate obstacles all add to the deliciously challenging gameplay. Facebook integration is still part of the game, so you can show off your high score to friends or ask them for extra "lives" to keep playing.

4 Pics 1 Word

Can you guess what the mystery word is based on four pictures? This is the premise behind the aptly named 4 Pics 1 Word. For example, you might see one photo with socks, another with two playing cards, a

You lead a busy life. Whether you have a demanding career or juggle a family – or in many cases, both – you need to stay organized and productive in today’s day and age.

While a calendar and corkboard at home are handy “old school” solutions, there are many technologies that can help you with your day-to-day life, whenever life takes you. The following are 10 such suggestions.

Smartphones

Smartphones are so popular because they’re like a mini computer for your pocket or purse. They help you stay organized thanks to calendar appointments, reminders and alarms; you can read and reply to email and other messages without having to wait for your laptop; and you’ve got access to the web, apps, cameras, and much more. Don’t leave home without it. Oh, and they make phone calls, too, if you remember those.

Cloud storage

“Cloud computing” refers to uploading, accessing and sharing content stored securely online. The benefit of free services like Dropbox, Sugar Sync, iCloud, Google Drive and SkyDrive

Mama, now on DVD & Blu-RayFans of filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (The Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth) will recognize his sensibilities all over Mama, the very effective paranormal thriller new this week to DVD and Blu-ray. Del Toro executive produced the movie, and clearly had some input on the film's dark and menacing vision.

The film opens with a distraught father, who has apparently just killed his wife, speeding off in a car with his two little girls. The car crashes and dad leads the kids to a creepy old cabin in the woods. Some unfortunate things happen to dad, then we flash forward five years.

The girls, now age nine and six, are finally discovered – still in the cabin and living like feral wolves. Actually, the way they skitter around on all fours suggests insects more than anything, and this is the first of the many, many disquieting images director Andrés Muschietti has in store.

The girls are eventually adopted by their uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – Jaime Lannister for you Game of Thrones fans).

Video games based on a movie franchise are usually less than stellar -- and that's being kind.

So, how does Gameloft's Iron Man 3 fare, based on the new superhero movie of the same name?

Meh.

Not bad -- but not excellent either -- this free action game for iOS and Android devices is at least worth a download for Iron Man fans, and for those who like those "endless running" games like Temple Run, Subway Surfer or Rail Rush.

Taking place after the events of the new Iron Man 3 flick, you play as billionaire Tony Stark, forced to don the Iron Man suit to take on rising A.I.M. forces. Along with flying drones, you'll face off against a number of villains from the Iron Man comics, beginning with Crimson Dynamo, and followed by Ezekiel Stane, Living Laser, and the final boss, M.O.D.O.K. (Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing).

Gameplay consists of flying in one of Iron Man's unlockable suits, swiping on the screen to avoid obstacles -- like planes and missiles -- and tapping on enemies to

Badland adventure gameThe phenomenon of mobile gaming is surely one of the great benefits of the Digital Age. When stranded in a place with bleak entertainment prospects – airports, car trips or certain family gatherings, perhaps – that smart phone or tablet can be a real life saver.

Compiled below are five of the best quick-fix mobile games out there, good for a convenient distraction from work or other hostile environments. Each of these is in heavy rotation on my own phone and/or tablet. They're games you can jump into and out of relatively fast, and each stands on its own as a particularly generous and impressive specimen of game design.

Badland

(iPad / iPhone / iPod Touch)

(Price: $3.99 / rated 9+)

The recenty released Badland is a weird and wonderful sidescrolling adventure game from the Finnish indie company Frogmind. You control a vaguely avian fuzzball who must navigate his way through the world's most lethal forest. As you float through the trees, you're confronted with a series of improbably deadly

Dealnews.comYou’re looking at that refurbished Xbox 360 on the shelf at Gamestop. They’re selling it for a lot less than an identical new model. That’s money you could spend on games or a second controller. You’re tempted. But then you look at the teenage girl behind the counter with Hello Kitty tattoos and multiple face piercings. Maybe “refurbished” means she just wipes used consoles down with Windex before selling them to you?

Nope. You’re safe. GameStop, like most reputable electronics retailers, actually refurbishes the products that are sold under that description. In an article last year on Gamespot.com, the gaming giant’s Divisional Vice President of Refurbishment said: “We’re looking at repairing it; getting it back to that original factory condition. You’re not trying to sell it to a customer and in 30 days or 60 days they have a bad experience with it, because they'll never come back to you again.”

That attitude is echoed in the practices of reputable electronics retailers and producers