Most desktop search tools are perpetually a step behind, periodically snooping your machine to find new and changed files. But Spotlight, the search
function in Apple's new Tiger operating system, updates the instant anything changes because it's built into the core of the OS. That integration also means that the search function is available in the Save and Open dialog boxes of other applications. And Spotlight searches more metadata-the information about a file, such as who created it or what camera it was taken with-than ever before, so as long as you sort of know what you're looking for, you'll probably find it. $130 (for the entire OS)
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Science is reinventing play, from extreme sports to gamification to ridiculous roller coasters to the playgrounds of tomorrow, and this issue is chock full of fun. Also, on a less fun note: Did global warming destroy my hometown?