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Tip: Nexus 7 is more flexible than Kindle Fire HD

Kim Komando, Special for USA TODAY
The Google Nexus 7 tablet is a good choice for those who want a wide range of apps.
  • Choosing between Nexus 7, Fire HD depends on how you use a tablet
  • Changing your browser's homepage is an easy fix
  • Assign a silent ringtone for someone you want to tune out

Battle of the 7-inch tablets

Question. I'm looking at buying a low-cost 7-inch tablet. Would you recommend the Google Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire HD?

Answer. It really depends on what you want to do with the tablet. If you just want something to watch movies and read e-books, go for the Kindle Fire HD. It's tied closely into Amazon's huge entertainment ecosystem. If you want to run a wide range of apps or use your tablet for productivity tasks, the Nexus 7 is a more flexible choice. Plus, Google Play is steadily on the rise to match Amazon's entertainment offerings.

Dealing with oversharing on Facebook

Q. I'm tired of seeing all the pages that my friends Like in Facebook. What can I do about it?

A. Some Likes you can hide by hovering over the post and clicking the down arrow in the right corner. Page Likes, however, can't be blocked, unless you unfriend the person, which is a bit extreme. What you can do is ask your friends if they're seeing these annoying Likes from you. Then go to your Profile page and select Info on the left hand side. Scroll down to see every page you have Liked and remove the ones that are annoying your friends. Then ask them to return the favor. Facebook scams can also clutter up your news feed.

What's the deal with silent ringtones?

Q. I was looking through the Apple store and saw a bunch of silent ringtones. What's the point?

A. Silent ringtones might sound like an oxymoron at first. They do have their use, however. There are times, for example, you'd like to mute a specific caller without silencing the whole phone. Just assign a silent ringtone to that contact. Of course, if you have the new iOS 6, it has a Do Not Disturb feature. You can schedule a time period to silence all calls, except those from contacts on a favorites list. Don't forget you can also send calls directly to voicemail by double-clicking the iPhone's power button.

Change your browser's homepage

Q. Someone changed the default homepage for my browser. How can I change it back?

A. Fortunately, this is an easy fix. In Google Chrome, click the Wrench icon in the top right and then choose Settings. In the On Startup section, you can set your homepage. For Firefox, click the Firefox button in the left corner and choose Options. Go to the General panel to find the "When Firefox starts" menu. For Internet Explorer 9 users, go to the gear icon in the right corner and select Internet Options. For IE8 and earlier, go to Tools>>Internet Options. The homepage is the first item on the General tab. Finally, if you use Safari, click the Safari button in the top left corner. Choose Preferences and find the Homepage option in the General tab.

Buying a high-end processor

Q. I'm building a high-end computer and want to know if AMD or Intel is a better processor choice.

A. Ten years ago, I would have said AMD in a heartbeat. But in the last 5 years, Intel's Core line of processors knocked AMD out of the performance market. AMD's fastest processor, the FX-8150, is a match only for the Intel Core i5, and it uses almost twice the power. In fact, AMD has publicly stated it isn't going to make any more performance consumer chips and is focusing instead on budget, mobile and servers. So, if you're after the fastest processor around, the Intel Core i7 is your only option. Just be sure to buy one of the newer 3000 series chips for the best performance.

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Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about consumer electronics, computers and the Internet. To get the podcast, watch the show or find the station nearest you, visit www.komando.com. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com.

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