If you are not into single lens reflex camera like myself, but want a good point-and-shoot camera at a reasonable price, take a look at the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7. This camera was just awarded the Editor's Choice Award by PC Magazine.
It is a 6 megapixel camera, which is very sufficient for good size enlargements, a 12X optical zoom lens, built-in image stabilization, and a good sized 2.5" image screen on the back of the camera. If you compared the zoom to a 35 mm camera, the lens is equivalent to a 36 mm to 432 mm lens. That is huge.
If you want to read their review, mouse on over to the PC Magazine website. It sells on the web for about $325.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
A New Wireless Standard
First, there was 802.11a, then 802.11b, then 802.11g. Now, there is a proposal for 802.11n. These are the names of the wireless equipment standards so we can connect our computers to each other and to the Internet when we travel.
The good things about these standards is that each new version increases the speed and amount of data that can be transmitted at any one time...and they are backward compatible (not true of 802.11a, but nobody bought that one anyway). In other words, my laptop has an 802.11g wireless receiver and it will work fine with any equipment using the slower 802.11b standard.
The new 802.11n standard is not officially certified or even finalized yet, although there is equipment available that uses it. It is backward compatible and it is faster. ..probably about four times faster than 802.11g. In addition, 802.11n will use a technology called MIMO (multiple-in, multiple-out) , which should improve the range and throughput of 802.11n products so that it can be used as a replacement for Ethernet cabling in an office and as a way to transmit video around a house without interrupted playback.
In January, the IEEE approved a draft version of 802.11n, after much controversy and infighting among chipmakers. In the last few months, several products have emerged on the market claiming to comply with the 802.11n draft. But, now that products are out in the market, groups testing draft 802.11n are finding that the technology has some problems. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that the two major testing groups that have written reports both recommend that you steer clear of buying any 802.11n products at this time.
If history is any guideline, these problems will all be worked out and the new technology will work just fine not too long from now. I just wanted to give you a heads-up that a new wireless standard is on its way.
PS - If you are using wireless strictly to connect to the Internet, you don't need to worry about upgrading. Even the slowest wireless connection runs faster than the Internet, even with fiber.
The good things about these standards is that each new version increases the speed and amount of data that can be transmitted at any one time...and they are backward compatible (not true of 802.11a, but nobody bought that one anyway). In other words, my laptop has an 802.11g wireless receiver and it will work fine with any equipment using the slower 802.11b standard.
The new 802.11n standard is not officially certified or even finalized yet, although there is equipment available that uses it. It is backward compatible and it is faster. ..probably about four times faster than 802.11g. In addition, 802.11n will use a technology called MIMO (multiple-in, multiple-out) , which should improve the range and throughput of 802.11n products so that it can be used as a replacement for Ethernet cabling in an office and as a way to transmit video around a house without interrupted playback.
In January, the IEEE approved a draft version of 802.11n, after much controversy and infighting among chipmakers. In the last few months, several products have emerged on the market claiming to comply with the 802.11n draft. But, now that products are out in the market, groups testing draft 802.11n are finding that the technology has some problems. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that the two major testing groups that have written reports both recommend that you steer clear of buying any 802.11n products at this time.
If history is any guideline, these problems will all be worked out and the new technology will work just fine not too long from now. I just wanted to give you a heads-up that a new wireless standard is on its way.
PS - If you are using wireless strictly to connect to the Internet, you don't need to worry about upgrading. Even the slowest wireless connection runs faster than the Internet, even with fiber.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Microsoft's Biggest Blunder of All Time?
I have been reading a PC Magazine columnist by the name of John C Dvorak since the 1980's and almost always enjoy reading his articles and his opinions. Sometimes he's wrong, sometimes I disagree, and many times he is right on. One of his most recent columns talks about a huge Microsoft blunder that goes back many years.
And what is that blunder, you ask? Well, sit down, because he says that huge mistake was the development and release of Internet Explorer. What?
At first I was taken aback by his pronouncement, but as I read his column, I realized he was dead-bang-spot-on. It was a huge mistake to get into the browser business and it has been nothing but grief for the company, both in dollars and public relation almost since the day it was released.
I strongly recommend you read his article, but if you don't wish to, his main points are that they rushed into the browser business because they initially missed the importance of the Internet. This is true and how well I remember it.
They put out a product that really wasn't ready for prime time and had multiple security issues that we still have to deal with today on a weekly or monthly basis. In addition, they have been sued by the our government and the European Union, not to mention other companies who felt Microsoft violated their particular patents or copyrights. Just the other day, they were slapped with a $521 court judgment on patent violation over Internet Explorer. And all this over a product that they give away for free!
This product has cost them millions, if not billions of dollars to keep it up and running. It has been surpassed in quality by other browser products like Opera, Firefox and even Netscape. And yet they keep on developing the product and fixing the existing security holes almost on a daily basis. And for what end? Ego, I suspect.
Dvorak recommends they totally get out of the browser business, remove it from future operating systems and then include other browsers on the package CD's and let the users decide which they would like to have. If they still want to be in the browser business, take out a financial stake in Opera. Just drop Internet Explorer!
Again, I recommend you read Dvorak's article and see if you don't agree with him also.
And what is that blunder, you ask? Well, sit down, because he says that huge mistake was the development and release of Internet Explorer. What?
At first I was taken aback by his pronouncement, but as I read his column, I realized he was dead-bang-spot-on. It was a huge mistake to get into the browser business and it has been nothing but grief for the company, both in dollars and public relation almost since the day it was released.
I strongly recommend you read his article, but if you don't wish to, his main points are that they rushed into the browser business because they initially missed the importance of the Internet. This is true and how well I remember it.
They put out a product that really wasn't ready for prime time and had multiple security issues that we still have to deal with today on a weekly or monthly basis. In addition, they have been sued by the our government and the European Union, not to mention other companies who felt Microsoft violated their particular patents or copyrights. Just the other day, they were slapped with a $521 court judgment on patent violation over Internet Explorer. And all this over a product that they give away for free!
This product has cost them millions, if not billions of dollars to keep it up and running. It has been surpassed in quality by other browser products like Opera, Firefox and even Netscape. And yet they keep on developing the product and fixing the existing security holes almost on a daily basis. And for what end? Ego, I suspect.
Dvorak recommends they totally get out of the browser business, remove it from future operating systems and then include other browsers on the package CD's and let the users decide which they would like to have. If they still want to be in the browser business, take out a financial stake in Opera. Just drop Internet Explorer!
Again, I recommend you read Dvorak's article and see if you don't agree with him also.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Is Podcasting a Success?
As mentioned here before, podcasting is an audio extension of blogging. Instead of writing news and views, podcasters create audio (and now some video) broadcasts that you can download and listen to or watch at your convenience. Another form of podcasting emanates from commercial broadcasters who save some of their programs to the MP3 format so you can time-shift your listening. But, how many folks are listening to these efforts?
According to a recently released report form Forrester Research, not that many. Forrester says only one percent of North American households regularly download and listen to podcasts. And, according to the report, "One-quarter of online consumers express interest in podcasts, with most interested in time-shifting existing radio and Internet radio channels." But while, they may be interested, there has not been a big movement to take some action and listen to them.
So podcasting, for the moment at least, is not only a bare trickle in the media stream, but one whose appeal is limited to those who use it to time-shift broadcast existing radio, not to listen to various former bloggers who turned to podcasting.
Now to be fair, we're only 18 months or so into the podcasting phenom, and a spokesman for Forrester predicts that it will grow to reach 12.3 million households in the U.S. by 2010. So there's a chance yet that it will someday become a mainstream medium. But right now it seems there's little evidence to merit all the hoopla we've been hearing from podcast evangelists.
Frankly, I don't care about all the hoopla. It is nice to be a member of a very small minority (at least Forrester says I am). As I have written here before, I do listen to podcasts...and they are from blogger/podcasters, not reruns of commercial programs. I subscribe to various podcasts that are automatically downloaded by my iTunes software. I then copy them to a blank CD and mostly listen to them while driving (I guess I should think about buying an iPod).
It sure beats most radio stations and listening to music can get tiresome. I enjoy listening to podcasts that are about things that really interest me, like digital photography and related subjects like Photoshop tips. In the car, I am a captive audience, so I would rather hear interesting talk on interesting subjects rather than stupid commercials.
If you would like to explore the world of podcasting, I would start by heading to Yahoo's podcast-specific search engine and seeing what is out there. It is amazing and fun.
According to a recently released report form Forrester Research, not that many. Forrester says only one percent of North American households regularly download and listen to podcasts. And, according to the report, "One-quarter of online consumers express interest in podcasts, with most interested in time-shifting existing radio and Internet radio channels." But while, they may be interested, there has not been a big movement to take some action and listen to them.
So podcasting, for the moment at least, is not only a bare trickle in the media stream, but one whose appeal is limited to those who use it to time-shift broadcast existing radio, not to listen to various former bloggers who turned to podcasting.
Now to be fair, we're only 18 months or so into the podcasting phenom, and a spokesman for Forrester predicts that it will grow to reach 12.3 million households in the U.S. by 2010. So there's a chance yet that it will someday become a mainstream medium. But right now it seems there's little evidence to merit all the hoopla we've been hearing from podcast evangelists.
Frankly, I don't care about all the hoopla. It is nice to be a member of a very small minority (at least Forrester says I am). As I have written here before, I do listen to podcasts...and they are from blogger/podcasters, not reruns of commercial programs. I subscribe to various podcasts that are automatically downloaded by my iTunes software. I then copy them to a blank CD and mostly listen to them while driving (I guess I should think about buying an iPod).
It sure beats most radio stations and listening to music can get tiresome. I enjoy listening to podcasts that are about things that really interest me, like digital photography and related subjects like Photoshop tips. In the car, I am a captive audience, so I would rather hear interesting talk on interesting subjects rather than stupid commercials.
If you would like to explore the world of podcasting, I would start by heading to Yahoo's podcast-specific search engine and seeing what is out there. It is amazing and fun.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Year of the Rat
Chinese Internet users who violate their own government's laws by browsing forbidden web sites or writing anti-government blogs, probably worry about friends, neighbors, or co-workers turning them in for their "illegal" activities. They now have a new worry...a stoolpidgeon who is recording their computer moves and turning the data over to the Chinese Secret Police. That "rat" is none other than computer giant Yahoo.
It has now been made public that Yahoo has provided information to the Chinese government that resulted in the arrest and imprisonment of three individuals who are accused of subversion. In one case, Yahoo willingly handed over information that enabled officials to link the IP address of the journalist's computer to a state secret he'd forwarded to foreign media via e-mail. In this case, the "state secret" was a message warning Chinese journalists of the dangers of social destabilization and risks resulting from the return of certain dissidents on the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
In the most recent case, Paris-based advocacy group Reporters Without Borders has found court documents that show Yahoo helped Chinese officials identify Jiang Lijun, who was imprisoned in November 2003 for penning pro-democracy articles. Jiang, 39, was sentenced to four years in prison in November 2003 for subversive activities aimed at overthrowing the ruling Communist Party.
In the third case, Li Zhi, from southwestern China, was sentenced to prison for subversion after posting comments online criticizing official corruption.
According to Reporters Without Borders, "Little by little we are piecing together the evidence for what we have long suspected, that Yahoo is implicated in the arrest of most of the people that we have been defending." The group defends imprisoned journalists and press freedom throughout the world.
A Yahoo spokeswoman said the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company is not familiar with Jiang's case. "We condemn punishment of any activity internationally recognized as free expression, whether that activity takes place in China or anywhere else in the world," she said.
Like all foreign technology companies doing business in China, Yahoo signed China's "Public Pledge on Self-discipline for the Chinese Internet Industry," a voluntary agreement to monitor and restrict information deemed "harmful" by Beijing, but I am sure that no one thought the company would follow it to the letter.
It has now been made public that Yahoo has provided information to the Chinese government that resulted in the arrest and imprisonment of three individuals who are accused of subversion. In one case, Yahoo willingly handed over information that enabled officials to link the IP address of the journalist's computer to a state secret he'd forwarded to foreign media via e-mail. In this case, the "state secret" was a message warning Chinese journalists of the dangers of social destabilization and risks resulting from the return of certain dissidents on the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
In the most recent case, Paris-based advocacy group Reporters Without Borders has found court documents that show Yahoo helped Chinese officials identify Jiang Lijun, who was imprisoned in November 2003 for penning pro-democracy articles. Jiang, 39, was sentenced to four years in prison in November 2003 for subversive activities aimed at overthrowing the ruling Communist Party.
In the third case, Li Zhi, from southwestern China, was sentenced to prison for subversion after posting comments online criticizing official corruption.
According to Reporters Without Borders, "Little by little we are piecing together the evidence for what we have long suspected, that Yahoo is implicated in the arrest of most of the people that we have been defending." The group defends imprisoned journalists and press freedom throughout the world.
A Yahoo spokeswoman said the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company is not familiar with Jiang's case. "We condemn punishment of any activity internationally recognized as free expression, whether that activity takes place in China or anywhere else in the world," she said.
Like all foreign technology companies doing business in China, Yahoo signed China's "Public Pledge on Self-discipline for the Chinese Internet Industry," a voluntary agreement to monitor and restrict information deemed "harmful" by Beijing, but I am sure that no one thought the company would follow it to the letter.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Buying a Digital Camera
This week I read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal by Walter Mossberg, a well respected technology writer that I always enjoy reading. The article was the annual buying guide for digital cameras. And while Mossberg avoids recommending any particle camera in the article, he does point out several things you should know before buying a digital camera. Most of them I already knew, but there were a couple of surprises for me, so I thought I would mention some highlights of the article for your benefit when buying your next digital camera.
Megapixels: Not all cameras that offer the same megapixel count are the same, by any means. This has to do with the size of the image sensor...the larger the sensor, the better the pictures. For instance, my Olympus single lens reflex camera is an 8 megapixel camera. It's images are substantially better than any point-and-shoot 8 megapixel camera because SLR's have larger sensors, so more information is stored on each pixel.
In addition, some point-and-shoot cameras offer larger sensors than others. The point is, be wary. If you see one camera offering 8 megapixels in the $200-$300 price range, it probably has a very small sensor.
Zoom Lenses: Almost all digital cameras offer zoom lenses, but they are not the same. The two kinds of zooms are Optical and Digital, or a combination of both. An optical zoom is the actual lens doing the zooming, whereas a digital zoom uses a computer generated magnification, which is nowhere near as good. Pay careful attention to this specification. Always look to see what the language of the specification refers to.
For instance, you may see one camera with a 6X optical zoom, which is good...while another offers a 6X digital zoom, which might be a combination of a 3X optical zoom and a 2X digital zoom. For the best quality, I strongly recommend buying a camera that offers only an optical zoom lens.
Image Stabilization: This wonderful feature which used to appear only in very expensive cameras and lenses is now showing up more and more in point-and-shoot cameras...and for a lot less money than it used to be. Image stabilization allows you to hand-hold the camera in low light situations without having to worry about shakey-appearing images because of slow shutter speeds. It can work just marvelously, as I recently found out in testing a 300mm zoom lens.
The thing you should know is that not all image stabilization cameras work the same. Like the zoom lens features discussed above, image stabilization comes in both optical and digital form. And like the lenses, you want optical. It costs more, but the results are truer. By the way, image stabilization is a trademark issue, so it might be called something else, depending on which camera you are looking at. For instance, Canon calls it "Image Stabilization", Nikon uses the term "Vibration Reduction," and Minolta calls it "Anti-Shake."
Speed: One of the issues with point-and-shoot digital cameras is the shutter speed delay, in this case meaning how much time elapses between the time you press the shutter and when the actual picture is taken. The delay time has become less and less as each new generation of cameras comes out, but it can still be an issue, especially if you want to shoot action pictures. In this case, before you buy your camera, you should hold it in your hands and fire off several shots to see if the speed is acceptable to you. By the way, in SLR cameras, there is no delay time.
Viewing Screens: With most digital point-and-shoot cameras, you view the screne you are about to photograph on a 1.5"-3" screen on the back of the camera rather than looking through the viewfinder. The majority of cameras don't even have a viewfinder anymore. Therefore the screen is a very important item, especially when working outside in the sun.
Fortunately, screen technology has gotten better and better, but pay close attention to this detail. Newer cameras have a 2.5" screen now and many offer much brighter images than in the past.
Battery Life: The life of a battery is very important, especially if your are out shooting and you run out of juice. Carefully review the estimate battery life listed by the manufacturer (and then subtract 20%). If the camera you are thinking about uses standard AA batteries, consider getting the rechargable NiMH batteries (see my blog dated 12/16/05) as you can recharge them at home or in your hotel then also have extras on hand.
If you are seriously thinking about a new digital camera, I strongly recommend you visit the Digital Camera Review Website. There you will find in-depth reviews, or at the very least, user comments and ratings, if they haven't reviewed the camera yet. The review on my new Nikon D200 was 32 pages long, although most reviews are 10-20 pages long.
I hope you find all this information useful and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to drop me a note.
Megapixels: Not all cameras that offer the same megapixel count are the same, by any means. This has to do with the size of the image sensor...the larger the sensor, the better the pictures. For instance, my Olympus single lens reflex camera is an 8 megapixel camera. It's images are substantially better than any point-and-shoot 8 megapixel camera because SLR's have larger sensors, so more information is stored on each pixel.
In addition, some point-and-shoot cameras offer larger sensors than others. The point is, be wary. If you see one camera offering 8 megapixels in the $200-$300 price range, it probably has a very small sensor.
Zoom Lenses: Almost all digital cameras offer zoom lenses, but they are not the same. The two kinds of zooms are Optical and Digital, or a combination of both. An optical zoom is the actual lens doing the zooming, whereas a digital zoom uses a computer generated magnification, which is nowhere near as good. Pay careful attention to this specification. Always look to see what the language of the specification refers to.
For instance, you may see one camera with a 6X optical zoom, which is good...while another offers a 6X digital zoom, which might be a combination of a 3X optical zoom and a 2X digital zoom. For the best quality, I strongly recommend buying a camera that offers only an optical zoom lens.
Image Stabilization: This wonderful feature which used to appear only in very expensive cameras and lenses is now showing up more and more in point-and-shoot cameras...and for a lot less money than it used to be. Image stabilization allows you to hand-hold the camera in low light situations without having to worry about shakey-appearing images because of slow shutter speeds. It can work just marvelously, as I recently found out in testing a 300mm zoom lens.
The thing you should know is that not all image stabilization cameras work the same. Like the zoom lens features discussed above, image stabilization comes in both optical and digital form. And like the lenses, you want optical. It costs more, but the results are truer. By the way, image stabilization is a trademark issue, so it might be called something else, depending on which camera you are looking at. For instance, Canon calls it "Image Stabilization", Nikon uses the term "Vibration Reduction," and Minolta calls it "Anti-Shake."
Speed: One of the issues with point-and-shoot digital cameras is the shutter speed delay, in this case meaning how much time elapses between the time you press the shutter and when the actual picture is taken. The delay time has become less and less as each new generation of cameras comes out, but it can still be an issue, especially if you want to shoot action pictures. In this case, before you buy your camera, you should hold it in your hands and fire off several shots to see if the speed is acceptable to you. By the way, in SLR cameras, there is no delay time.
Viewing Screens: With most digital point-and-shoot cameras, you view the screne you are about to photograph on a 1.5"-3" screen on the back of the camera rather than looking through the viewfinder. The majority of cameras don't even have a viewfinder anymore. Therefore the screen is a very important item, especially when working outside in the sun.
Fortunately, screen technology has gotten better and better, but pay close attention to this detail. Newer cameras have a 2.5" screen now and many offer much brighter images than in the past.
Battery Life: The life of a battery is very important, especially if your are out shooting and you run out of juice. Carefully review the estimate battery life listed by the manufacturer (and then subtract 20%). If the camera you are thinking about uses standard AA batteries, consider getting the rechargable NiMH batteries (see my blog dated 12/16/05) as you can recharge them at home or in your hotel then also have extras on hand.
If you are seriously thinking about a new digital camera, I strongly recommend you visit the Digital Camera Review Website. There you will find in-depth reviews, or at the very least, user comments and ratings, if they haven't reviewed the camera yet. The review on my new Nikon D200 was 32 pages long, although most reviews are 10-20 pages long.
I hope you find all this information useful and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to drop me a note.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Thinking About Photography
Two weeks from today, Susan and I will be Yosemite for four days. It is my first time there in over 30 years. I have been there many times in my life, but never tire of its incredible beauty. Since it is Spring and we will be there in early May, the many waterfalls in the park will be running at full capacity and the wildflowers will be blooming.
No wonder I am thinking about photography. In fact on Saturday morning, Susan and I are signed up for a Photography Walk in the valley with an expert photographer. Then, we will have the rest of the day to explore the valley with our three cameras.
Yes, I said three. Susan is bringing her Olympus point-and-shoot while I am bringing both my Olympus Digital SLR with two lenses and my brand new Nikon digital D200 camera with two
lenses. The D200 is a professional DSLR camera with a price tag to match. But it is quite a camera, to say the very least. I am looking at really giving it a workout plus learning more about its little idiosychrosies. I have this dream of doing a great photo of something like Yosemite Falls and printing it out on a 24x36 canvas.
So my head is definitely into photography these days. So I thought I would share some of the information I have run across that you might find of interest over the next couple of blogs.
As most of you know, I use Photoshop CS2 for my photographic and digital painting work. I also use several different "plug-ins" from several companies that work inside of Photoshop. But, of course, Photoshop is a very expensive program, running over $500 for a
new version.
If you want to have most of the power of Photoshop for a lot less money, you can purchase Photoshop Elements, Ver. 4. It is real close in power and performance of the full version and you can still use plug-ins (there are even some good free plugins available). Photoshop Elements costs about $75.
But, of course, free is always better, especially if you can find a good piece of software. I found a list of high quality free software for your photo and graphic needs on download.com today and thought I would pass it along. If you want to do some digital enhancements of your photographs, you might look at "Irfanview", "PhotoPlus, " and "XNView." I have heard good things about all three.
For organizing your software, take a look at "Picasa." It is a good one. And again, all of these are free. Why not try them all and see which you like best.
Good shooting, everybody!
No wonder I am thinking about photography. In fact on Saturday morning, Susan and I are signed up for a Photography Walk in the valley with an expert photographer. Then, we will have the rest of the day to explore the valley with our three cameras.
Yes, I said three. Susan is bringing her Olympus point-and-shoot while I am bringing both my Olympus Digital SLR with two lenses and my brand new Nikon digital D200 camera with two
lenses. The D200 is a professional DSLR camera with a price tag to match. But it is quite a camera, to say the very least. I am looking at really giving it a workout plus learning more about its little idiosychrosies. I have this dream of doing a great photo of something like Yosemite Falls and printing it out on a 24x36 canvas.So my head is definitely into photography these days. So I thought I would share some of the information I have run across that you might find of interest over the next couple of blogs.
As most of you know, I use Photoshop CS2 for my photographic and digital painting work. I also use several different "plug-ins" from several companies that work inside of Photoshop. But, of course, Photoshop is a very expensive program, running over $500 for a
new version.If you want to have most of the power of Photoshop for a lot less money, you can purchase Photoshop Elements, Ver. 4. It is real close in power and performance of the full version and you can still use plug-ins (there are even some good free plugins available). Photoshop Elements costs about $75.
But, of course, free is always better, especially if you can find a good piece of software. I found a list of high quality free software for your photo and graphic needs on download.com today and thought I would pass it along. If you want to do some digital enhancements of your photographs, you might look at "Irfanview", "PhotoPlus, " and "XNView." I have heard good things about all three.
For organizing your software, take a look at "Picasa." It is a good one. And again, all of these are free. Why not try them all and see which you like best.
Good shooting, everybody!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
An Invention guaranteed to Make your Blood Boil
Philips Electronics has just filed for a patent on an invention that I am sure you will hate and curse the day it was invented. To be succinct, this new invention will prevent you from changing channels on your TV when ads are running, thereby forcing you to watch them.
How is this possible? The secret, according to a new patent filing, uses Multimedia Home Platform (MHP), the technology behind interactive television in many countries. MHP software also comes built into most modern digital TV receivers and recorders. It looks for digital flags buried in a broadcast, and displays messages on screen that let the viewer call up extra features, such as additional footage or information about a program.
Philips suggests adding flags to commercial breaks to stop a viewer from changing channels until the ads are over. The flags could also be recognized by digital video recorders, which would then disable the fast forward control while the ads are playing.
Philips acknowledges that this invention may be "greatly resented by viewers" who could initially think their equipment has a problem. One of their suggestions is that the new system could throw up a warning on screen when it is enforcing ad viewing. They also suggest that the system could offer viewers the chance to pay a fee so that the ads can be skipped.
Are you kidding me? I pray that this ridiculous invention never sees the light of day in modern technology. It is an affront to personal freedom and the right to control one's own life. I find it ironic that Philips recently abandoned their advertising slogan, "Let's make things better."
How is this possible? The secret, according to a new patent filing, uses Multimedia Home Platform (MHP), the technology behind interactive television in many countries. MHP software also comes built into most modern digital TV receivers and recorders. It looks for digital flags buried in a broadcast, and displays messages on screen that let the viewer call up extra features, such as additional footage or information about a program.
Philips suggests adding flags to commercial breaks to stop a viewer from changing channels until the ads are over. The flags could also be recognized by digital video recorders, which would then disable the fast forward control while the ads are playing.
Philips acknowledges that this invention may be "greatly resented by viewers" who could initially think their equipment has a problem. One of their suggestions is that the new system could throw up a warning on screen when it is enforcing ad viewing. They also suggest that the system could offer viewers the chance to pay a fee so that the ads can be skipped.
Are you kidding me? I pray that this ridiculous invention never sees the light of day in modern technology. It is an affront to personal freedom and the right to control one's own life. I find it ironic that Philips recently abandoned their advertising slogan, "Let's make things better."
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Getting the Most from your Digital Pictures
By now, many of us have made the switch to digital cameras from film cameras. If you are like me, the one thing you may have noticed when you use digital is that you wind up taking a lot more pictures than you used to because you don't have to worry about film processing costs.
But, what do you do with all those extra pictures? The first thing you probably do is go through and get rid of all the really bad photos. But, usually that still leaves many, many really good pictures...usually of family, friends, places and events. But, instead of sitting in a shoebox, they now reside on your computer, taking up valuable hard drive space. You can, of course, copy them to CD's and DVD's and remove them from your hard drive, but then your newly created CD's and DVD's go into a shoebox, perhaps never to be seen again.
Here are a couple of solutions where you might put some of your best pictures and view them on a more frequent basis: Take your best photos and turn them into either computer wallpaper and/or screensavers. It isn't that hard to do and I am going to recommend a couple of programs so you can do either or both for free.
Let's talk first about screensavers. Screensavers were once used for just what the name implies...saving your screen from being burned in by an image that was on the screen far too long. Those days are long gone as today's computer screens are immune from burn-in. Today, we use screensavers for fun. After so many minutes of non-use, your screensaver program automatically activates itself and shows things on your screen. Microsoft built several fun screensavers right into Windows.
But, why not create your own screensaver and use it to show your favorite digital pictures? Our friends at CNET recently posted a short article on how to do it. It is worth reading to get of feel for how to do it and what can be done with your own screensaver, although the software they recommend costs $40.
There is a free software program out there called "Dcat Screen Saver,"that has received the highest ratings from reviewers and will allow you to include both audio and video in your screensaver. It has many many transition effects you can use to go from one picture to another plus you control the time that each picture is on the screen. It gives you a lot of control over what images are used and how they are used, so it is worth considering if you want to customize a screensaver for your computer.
Wallpapers are little different than screensavers. In case you don't know, wallpaper is the image you have on the screen when you don't have any programs running or when you press your "Show Desktop" icon. Usually, you can only show one wallpaper at a time and you have to go into Windows to change it.
There are free programs out there like "Webshots" that do a nice job with both wallpaper and screensavers, although you have to pay money to get the most of them. And they are showing other people's beautiful pictures, not yours.
If you want create your own wallpaper, control its use, and do it on the cheap using your images, you might try the free version of "Wallpaper Master." It comes in both a free and pro version, but the free version will probably work just fine for most of us. You get complete control of how your wallpaper works on your computer. You can create different categories and have up to 5,000 pictures in each category. There are far too many features to list here, so I suggest you visit their website to learn more.
I can't think of a better way to put your mostly unseen photographs to work than to create your own screensaver and wallpaper. Why not give it a try and see what I mean.
But, what do you do with all those extra pictures? The first thing you probably do is go through and get rid of all the really bad photos. But, usually that still leaves many, many really good pictures...usually of family, friends, places and events. But, instead of sitting in a shoebox, they now reside on your computer, taking up valuable hard drive space. You can, of course, copy them to CD's and DVD's and remove them from your hard drive, but then your newly created CD's and DVD's go into a shoebox, perhaps never to be seen again.
Here are a couple of solutions where you might put some of your best pictures and view them on a more frequent basis: Take your best photos and turn them into either computer wallpaper and/or screensavers. It isn't that hard to do and I am going to recommend a couple of programs so you can do either or both for free.
Let's talk first about screensavers. Screensavers were once used for just what the name implies...saving your screen from being burned in by an image that was on the screen far too long. Those days are long gone as today's computer screens are immune from burn-in. Today, we use screensavers for fun. After so many minutes of non-use, your screensaver program automatically activates itself and shows things on your screen. Microsoft built several fun screensavers right into Windows.
But, why not create your own screensaver and use it to show your favorite digital pictures? Our friends at CNET recently posted a short article on how to do it. It is worth reading to get of feel for how to do it and what can be done with your own screensaver, although the software they recommend costs $40.
There is a free software program out there called "Dcat Screen Saver,"that has received the highest ratings from reviewers and will allow you to include both audio and video in your screensaver. It has many many transition effects you can use to go from one picture to another plus you control the time that each picture is on the screen. It gives you a lot of control over what images are used and how they are used, so it is worth considering if you want to customize a screensaver for your computer.
Wallpapers are little different than screensavers. In case you don't know, wallpaper is the image you have on the screen when you don't have any programs running or when you press your "Show Desktop" icon. Usually, you can only show one wallpaper at a time and you have to go into Windows to change it.
There are free programs out there like "Webshots" that do a nice job with both wallpaper and screensavers, although you have to pay money to get the most of them. And they are showing other people's beautiful pictures, not yours.
If you want create your own wallpaper, control its use, and do it on the cheap using your images, you might try the free version of "Wallpaper Master." It comes in both a free and pro version, but the free version will probably work just fine for most of us. You get complete control of how your wallpaper works on your computer. You can create different categories and have up to 5,000 pictures in each category. There are far too many features to list here, so I suggest you visit their website to learn more.
I can't think of a better way to put your mostly unseen photographs to work than to create your own screensaver and wallpaper. Why not give it a try and see what I mean.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
More on Mac's "Boot Camp"
A week or so ago, I told you about the Macintosh "Boot Camp" beta software from Apple. This handy-dandy software lets you install Windows XP on a Macintosh computer (Intel-based Mac's only) right alongside the Mac operating system..then allows you to choose either a Mac or Windows operating system at boot-up.
There has been a lot written about this new software lately in the technology press, mostly raves about the concept itself. But how does it work?
Our friends at CNET have done some in depth testing and come up with some very interesting results, mostly positive. By going to their special web page, you can watch a 90 second video on how it works, then go over to their in-depth testing page and read all the specifics.
If you are intrigued as I am about the concept, you will enjoy reading the article. If you don't want to take the time, the bottom line is that the system works well. Windows runs just fine on the Intel-based Mac computer. Of course it should as Windows was made to run on Intel processors.
You do have to choose which operating system you want to use at startup...you cannot run the two side-by-side. However, it is easy to change from one to the other in midstream just by holding down two buttons together for a couple of seconds.
Overall, Windows performed quite well on the Mac computer. There were differences in some program performance, as would be expected. For instance, the music software "iTunes" ran faster on the Mac than Windows, but that it not unusual since iTunes was originally written for the Mac. Games ran much better on Windows than the Mac, but the Mac really isn't a gaming machine. But, by having both systems on your computer, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Of course, doing that would cost you a lot of money. I would love to run my graphic software like Photoshop on a Mac as it is preferred by most graphic professionals. But, at this point, I am not going to buy a few thousand dollars worth of Mac-based software that I already own in the Windows version. So, although I am very intrigued and happy to see that you can now have Mac OS-X running on the same machine as Windows, it is a bit too late in the game for someone like me.
There has been a lot written about this new software lately in the technology press, mostly raves about the concept itself. But how does it work?
Our friends at CNET have done some in depth testing and come up with some very interesting results, mostly positive. By going to their special web page, you can watch a 90 second video on how it works, then go over to their in-depth testing page and read all the specifics.
If you are intrigued as I am about the concept, you will enjoy reading the article. If you don't want to take the time, the bottom line is that the system works well. Windows runs just fine on the Intel-based Mac computer. Of course it should as Windows was made to run on Intel processors.
You do have to choose which operating system you want to use at startup...you cannot run the two side-by-side. However, it is easy to change from one to the other in midstream just by holding down two buttons together for a couple of seconds.
Overall, Windows performed quite well on the Mac computer. There were differences in some program performance, as would be expected. For instance, the music software "iTunes" ran faster on the Mac than Windows, but that it not unusual since iTunes was originally written for the Mac. Games ran much better on Windows than the Mac, but the Mac really isn't a gaming machine. But, by having both systems on your computer, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Of course, doing that would cost you a lot of money. I would love to run my graphic software like Photoshop on a Mac as it is preferred by most graphic professionals. But, at this point, I am not going to buy a few thousand dollars worth of Mac-based software that I already own in the Windows version. So, although I am very intrigued and happy to see that you can now have Mac OS-X running on the same machine as Windows, it is a bit too late in the game for someone like me.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Firefox Update
If you use Firefox as your Web browser, you need to know there is an update available that you can download quite easily. Mozilla describes the update as having "significant security and stability improvements." Details on the security vulnerabilities being patched were not available when Firefox 1.5.0.2 was released as a high-priority update.
Users already running Firefox 1.5 will receive an automated update notification within 24 to 48 hours. The new version can also be applied manually by selecting "Check for Updates" from the Help menu. The process is quick and easy.
Users already running Firefox 1.5 will receive an automated update notification within 24 to 48 hours. The new version can also be applied manually by selecting "Check for Updates" from the Help menu. The process is quick and easy.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Wal-Mart Controlling the Gaming World?
There is an interesting story that appeared in the most recent edition of the on-line magazine, "The Escapist." In it, the writer claims that Wal-Mart is in virtually complete control of what video games make it to the market. How do they control it? Because of the fact that they are the nation's largest retailer...and if they make a decision not to carry a game, that particular game is almost never brought to the market.
According to The Escapist, Wal-Mart has shaped the video game market in much the same way it shaped the markets for CDs and DVDs. Says game designer Allen Varney who wrote the article:
"The retail games you buy at GameStop or Best Buy or online are the games Wal-Mart has decided you can buy. Publisher sales reps inform Wal-Mart buyers of games in development; the games' subjects, titles, artwork and packaging are vetted and sometimes vetoed by Wal-Mart. If Wal-Mart tells a top-end publisher it won't carry a certain game, the publisher kills that game. In short, every triple-A game sold at retail in North America is managed start to finish, top to bottom, with the publisher's gaze fixed squarely on Wal-Mart, and no other."
While I really don't give a hoot about what video games come to the marketplace, I really find it disturbing that Wal-Mart is in such control of our lives. I suppose it is a normal byproduct of a world controlled by giant corporations, but it is still sad. Giving Wal-Mart control of what videos we can watch or what music we can listen to, or what games we can buy is tantamount to giving McDonalds control over what we can eat. To quote a famous musician, "Mediocrity is King and creativity is a liability."
According to The Escapist, Wal-Mart has shaped the video game market in much the same way it shaped the markets for CDs and DVDs. Says game designer Allen Varney who wrote the article:
"The retail games you buy at GameStop or Best Buy or online are the games Wal-Mart has decided you can buy. Publisher sales reps inform Wal-Mart buyers of games in development; the games' subjects, titles, artwork and packaging are vetted and sometimes vetoed by Wal-Mart. If Wal-Mart tells a top-end publisher it won't carry a certain game, the publisher kills that game. In short, every triple-A game sold at retail in North America is managed start to finish, top to bottom, with the publisher's gaze fixed squarely on Wal-Mart, and no other."
While I really don't give a hoot about what video games come to the marketplace, I really find it disturbing that Wal-Mart is in such control of our lives. I suppose it is a normal byproduct of a world controlled by giant corporations, but it is still sad. Giving Wal-Mart control of what videos we can watch or what music we can listen to, or what games we can buy is tantamount to giving McDonalds control over what we can eat. To quote a famous musician, "Mediocrity is King and creativity is a liability."
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Google to Offer Free Calendar Service
The amazing Google is adding another weapon to their arsenal. Beginning today, Google will begin offering a free web calendar that offers a variety of features to make using Web calendars as easy as desktop calendars such as Outlook.
Among its other features, the new calendar will allow users to "drag and drop" events from one calendar to another. And like other web-based calendars, you can store appointments online, receive reminders about them and share those plans with others. In addition, there is a feature that allows users of Google Calendar to send invitations and manage guest lists.
The new service takes advantage of slick Web programming tricks using Javascript and XML along with RSS. But perhaps the biggest breakthrough is the calendar's use of "natural language processing" technology that simplifies how events are entered. The feature allows users to type simple commands like "leave work today at 4:30 p.m." or "drinks Thursday with Bob" that the system can interpret and automatically insert into the calendar. Events can be private, shared with friends, or made public on the Web.
Users of Google's free e-mail service Gmail may find the Google Calendar particularly useful. Google's software scours Gmail to recognize mentions of events and then automatically offers the user to add the date information to the calendar. Users can also add entries in simple text, such as "Coffee with Jim on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Rock Park Cafe," thereby eliminating the need to fill out forms.
The new services opens a new level of competition with rivals such as Yahoo, Microsoft and Evite.
Among its other features, the new calendar will allow users to "drag and drop" events from one calendar to another. And like other web-based calendars, you can store appointments online, receive reminders about them and share those plans with others. In addition, there is a feature that allows users of Google Calendar to send invitations and manage guest lists.
The new service takes advantage of slick Web programming tricks using Javascript and XML along with RSS. But perhaps the biggest breakthrough is the calendar's use of "natural language processing" technology that simplifies how events are entered. The feature allows users to type simple commands like "leave work today at 4:30 p.m." or "drinks Thursday with Bob" that the system can interpret and automatically insert into the calendar. Events can be private, shared with friends, or made public on the Web.
Users of Google's free e-mail service Gmail may find the Google Calendar particularly useful. Google's software scours Gmail to recognize mentions of events and then automatically offers the user to add the date information to the calendar. Users can also add entries in simple text, such as "Coffee with Jim on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Rock Park Cafe," thereby eliminating the need to fill out forms.
The new services opens a new level of competition with rivals such as Yahoo, Microsoft and Evite.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
The Internet May Change Television Forever
If you follow the comings and going of the TV and movie industry, you just knew that one day the concrete dam behind which Hollywood protects it movie and TV properties would start showing cracks and eventually break, releasing a flood of its products over the Internet. The first crack came last week, as we informed you in this blog, when Hollywood allowed many of its newest films to be available by download (no matter how badly this was executed, as we also pointed out).
The next crack has now appeared...and its a big one. Disney Studios, owners of ABC Television, has announced that it is going to make many of its hottest shows available for viewing for free via the Net. Beginning April 30, ABC shows like "Desperate Housewives," "Commander In Chief" and "Lost" will be available for viewing online. The programs, which will be available the morning after they air on ABC stations, can be rewound, fast-forwarded and paused, but will include advertisements that cannot be avoided, or fast-forwarded.
Now, here is the really interesting part. At the beginning of show, you will be asked to choose which advertiser or product you wish to view during the show. In addition, you are asked whether you want to watch a traditional commercial or an interactive game commercial. After selecting it, the show begins...but instead of five commercial breaks per hour show, there will only be three, and each one will be from the advertiser you chose in the beginning. Each commercial break is only one minute long.
Features like this will no doubt present an interesting value proposition to advertising planners, who are fast losing confidence in the effectiveness of traditional ads and looking for new ways to reach potential customers. Indeed, AT&T, Ford, Procter & Gamble and Toyota are all participating in the trial. If it's a success, we'll undoubtedly see other networks following suit.
All this brings serious implications for the cable industry, which could see its on-demand services challenged before they're ever rolled out, especially as the connection between the Net and the living room entertainment center get easier. Also, local TV stations could suffer as their advertising revenues drop considerably as people may prefer to watch their TV's via the new kind of home entertainment servers which are showing up in the home and are connected to the Internet.
The times...they are a changin'.
The next crack has now appeared...and its a big one. Disney Studios, owners of ABC Television, has announced that it is going to make many of its hottest shows available for viewing for free via the Net. Beginning April 30, ABC shows like "Desperate Housewives," "Commander In Chief" and "Lost" will be available for viewing online. The programs, which will be available the morning after they air on ABC stations, can be rewound, fast-forwarded and paused, but will include advertisements that cannot be avoided, or fast-forwarded.
Now, here is the really interesting part. At the beginning of show, you will be asked to choose which advertiser or product you wish to view during the show. In addition, you are asked whether you want to watch a traditional commercial or an interactive game commercial. After selecting it, the show begins...but instead of five commercial breaks per hour show, there will only be three, and each one will be from the advertiser you chose in the beginning. Each commercial break is only one minute long.
Features like this will no doubt present an interesting value proposition to advertising planners, who are fast losing confidence in the effectiveness of traditional ads and looking for new ways to reach potential customers. Indeed, AT&T, Ford, Procter & Gamble and Toyota are all participating in the trial. If it's a success, we'll undoubtedly see other networks following suit.
All this brings serious implications for the cable industry, which could see its on-demand services challenged before they're ever rolled out, especially as the connection between the Net and the living room entertainment center get easier. Also, local TV stations could suffer as their advertising revenues drop considerably as people may prefer to watch their TV's via the new kind of home entertainment servers which are showing up in the home and are connected to the Internet.
The times...they are a changin'.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Your Computer and Windows Vista
Will your computer run the new Windows Vista when it is released early next year? That is a question many of us are pondering. Although Microsoft has yet to release all the specs that will help us answer this question, the Gartner Group has released a study that shows the vast majority of our computers will run Vista (if they run XP), although only about half of them will run it to its full potential.
The Gartner study says today's mainstream processors and hard drives offer plenty of performance and capacity to keep up with the new operating system...and Microsoft offers some basic guidelines for Vista on its Web site. But while it does take a minimum of 512MB of RAM, Gartner says your computer should have 1 Gb of memory to make it work best...and you need a more up-to-date graphics processor also.
Microsoft is going to release a "Windows Capable" program, which helps highlight PCs capable of being upgraded with the OS for consumers. But that has not happened yet. And it has not yet release its final hardware recommendations for the new OS, including details on the hardware necessary to run its full Aero interface.
Here are some interesting quotes from the Gartner report:
"Since most organizations keep PCs for three to five years—we recommend three years for mainstream notebook users and four years for mainstream desktops. PCs purchased in 2006 will be in service well after Windows Vista ships"
Choosing the right graphics will require the most advanced planning. Vista's most basic user interface, which is expected to be able to run on just about any PC released in the recent past, will offer a redesigned start menu and taskbar, along with tweaks to the control panel and features such as search. But, some of the new features require extra graphics horsepower, which many, but not all, current graphics processors can do.
Windows Aero, the advanced interface, adds a translucent task bar and window frames, in addition to things like real-time thumbnail previews. Under the hood, it also employs a new WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model), which promises to increase a PCs' stability.
So while we have a while yet to plan the move to Windows Vista, it is good to know a little more now what we have to think about if we want to migrate.
The Gartner study says today's mainstream processors and hard drives offer plenty of performance and capacity to keep up with the new operating system...and Microsoft offers some basic guidelines for Vista on its Web site. But while it does take a minimum of 512MB of RAM, Gartner says your computer should have 1 Gb of memory to make it work best...and you need a more up-to-date graphics processor also.
Microsoft is going to release a "Windows Capable" program, which helps highlight PCs capable of being upgraded with the OS for consumers. But that has not happened yet. And it has not yet release its final hardware recommendations for the new OS, including details on the hardware necessary to run its full Aero interface.
Here are some interesting quotes from the Gartner report:
"Since most organizations keep PCs for three to five years—we recommend three years for mainstream notebook users and four years for mainstream desktops. PCs purchased in 2006 will be in service well after Windows Vista ships"
"While nearly all PCs on the market today will run Windows Vista, we estimate that about half will not enable the user to take full advantage of the advanced Windows Aero user experience, so care must be taken to properly configure them.
"This will be important for some users, but less important for others. Organizations that plan on upgrading 2006 PCs to Windows Vista, or those that want to keep their options open, need to buy the right PCs now to reduce migration costs later."
Choosing the right graphics will require the most advanced planning. Vista's most basic user interface, which is expected to be able to run on just about any PC released in the recent past, will offer a redesigned start menu and taskbar, along with tweaks to the control panel and features such as search. But, some of the new features require extra graphics horsepower, which many, but not all, current graphics processors can do.
Windows Aero, the advanced interface, adds a translucent task bar and window frames, in addition to things like real-time thumbnail previews. Under the hood, it also employs a new WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model), which promises to increase a PCs' stability.
So while we have a while yet to plan the move to Windows Vista, it is good to know a little more now what we have to think about if we want to migrate.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Did AT&T Violate All Our Privacies?
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed a major lawsuit against the largest telecommunications carrier in the U.S....namely AT&T. The EFF is alleging that AT&T has purposely diverted customer traffic to the National Security Agency for years as a means of aiding the NSA's covert surveillance program that was revealed last December. They also claim they claim to have the documents to prove it.
According to EFF, they have a sworn statement from a retired AT&T telecommunications technician and several internal AT&T documents that show the company gave the government unfettered access to its more than 300 terabyte "Daytona" database of caller information, one of the largest databases in the world.
"The evidence that we are filing supports our claim that AT&T is diverting Internet traffic into the hands of the NSA wholesale, in violation of federal wiretapping laws and the Fourth Amendment," said EFF staff attorney Kevin Bankston. "More than just threatening individuals' privacy, AT&T's apparent choice to give the government secret, direct access to millions of ordinary Americans' Internet communications is a threat to the Constitution itself. We are asking the Court to put a stop to it now."
These documents, among others, at first worried the government (which is not a party to the lawsuit), which is concerned about matters of national security being discussed in open court. The Department of Justice has looked over the materials, though, and just announced that it has no objection to the EFF case so long as the documents and proceedings are kept under seal. That seems to lend a fair amount credence to the EFF case.
On average day AT&T carries some 300 million voice calls as well as over 4,000 terabytes of data, approximately 200 times the amount of data contained in all the books in the Library of Congress. The EFF says they chose to sue AT&T because they are the largest and if they are successful with this case, it would probably convince other firms to stop aiding the NSA, if for no other reason than to avoid class-action lawsuits and massive fines.
The NSA and the Bush Administration may have crossed the line of demarcation as spelled out in the 1978 law that protects us from unfettered wire tapping. And while we all want to help in rooting out terrorist's that threaten our country, there needs to be some sort of checks and balances put in place regarding wire tapping and our right to privacy. After all, our constitution is designed with many checks and balances to make sure no one person or entity can take total control of our government and our lives. And, in the last few decades, it is the concept of "National Security" that was used as the excuse to violate our basic rights.
According to EFF, they have a sworn statement from a retired AT&T telecommunications technician and several internal AT&T documents that show the company gave the government unfettered access to its more than 300 terabyte "Daytona" database of caller information, one of the largest databases in the world.
"The evidence that we are filing supports our claim that AT&T is diverting Internet traffic into the hands of the NSA wholesale, in violation of federal wiretapping laws and the Fourth Amendment," said EFF staff attorney Kevin Bankston. "More than just threatening individuals' privacy, AT&T's apparent choice to give the government secret, direct access to millions of ordinary Americans' Internet communications is a threat to the Constitution itself. We are asking the Court to put a stop to it now."
These documents, among others, at first worried the government (which is not a party to the lawsuit), which is concerned about matters of national security being discussed in open court. The Department of Justice has looked over the materials, though, and just announced that it has no objection to the EFF case so long as the documents and proceedings are kept under seal. That seems to lend a fair amount credence to the EFF case.
On average day AT&T carries some 300 million voice calls as well as over 4,000 terabytes of data, approximately 200 times the amount of data contained in all the books in the Library of Congress. The EFF says they chose to sue AT&T because they are the largest and if they are successful with this case, it would probably convince other firms to stop aiding the NSA, if for no other reason than to avoid class-action lawsuits and massive fines.
The NSA and the Bush Administration may have crossed the line of demarcation as spelled out in the 1978 law that protects us from unfettered wire tapping. And while we all want to help in rooting out terrorist's that threaten our country, there needs to be some sort of checks and balances put in place regarding wire tapping and our right to privacy. After all, our constitution is designed with many checks and balances to make sure no one person or entity can take total control of our government and our lives. And, in the last few decades, it is the concept of "National Security" that was used as the excuse to violate our basic rights.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Of Mice and Men
I don't think I have ever written a blog about the simple little device we use everyday and probably take for granted...the computer mouse. But three new mice from Microsoft caught my eye so I thought I would create a precedent and write a mouse blog.
All three mice use the company's High Definition technology, which is aimed at supplying improved mouse responsiveness, at least six months of battery life, and smoother tracking over uneven surfaces. According to Microsoft, they have sold more than 1 million products from the High Definition line since its debut in September.
The first of this new generation of mice, which Microsoft put on the market this week, is a wireless optical mouse intended for laptop users. The Wireless Optical Notebook Mouse 3000, which sells for $29, is billed as an upgrade to the company's best-selling Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse. Redmond describes the device as a more portable, easier-to-stow option for laptop users and said its new design features improved mousing in cramped spaces such as airplanes or small cafe tables.
Next, the five-button, ambidextrous Wireless Laser Mouse 5000 is aimed at desktop users and is due to hit the shelves at the end of this month. It will retail for $49 That device will contain a Magnifier button, designed to allow for real-time enlargement and editing of any section of a user's screen. It will also bear Microsoft's familiar Tilt Wheel technology, which permits horizontal and vertical scrolling through pages.
In June, Microsoft plans to release the Wireless Optical Mouse 2000, another desktop-oriented gadget. At $29, the three-button, silver-accented device is being marketed as a more affordable alternative to the laser mouse.
If the features of these mice interest you, but you don't like buying Microsoft products, be aware that Microsoft says it will license three of its hardware technologies to other manufacturers, including the Magnifier and Tilt Wheel tools.
Happy Mousing, everybody!!
All three mice use the company's High Definition technology, which is aimed at supplying improved mouse responsiveness, at least six months of battery life, and smoother tracking over uneven surfaces. According to Microsoft, they have sold more than 1 million products from the High Definition line since its debut in September.
The first of this new generation of mice, which Microsoft put on the market this week, is a wireless optical mouse intended for laptop users. The Wireless Optical Notebook Mouse 3000, which sells for $29, is billed as an upgrade to the company's best-selling Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse. Redmond describes the device as a more portable, easier-to-stow option for laptop users and said its new design features improved mousing in cramped spaces such as airplanes or small cafe tables.
Next, the five-button, ambidextrous Wireless Laser Mouse 5000 is aimed at desktop users and is due to hit the shelves at the end of this month. It will retail for $49 That device will contain a Magnifier button, designed to allow for real-time enlargement and editing of any section of a user's screen. It will also bear Microsoft's familiar Tilt Wheel technology, which permits horizontal and vertical scrolling through pages.
In June, Microsoft plans to release the Wireless Optical Mouse 2000, another desktop-oriented gadget. At $29, the three-button, silver-accented device is being marketed as a more affordable alternative to the laser mouse.
If the features of these mice interest you, but you don't like buying Microsoft products, be aware that Microsoft says it will license three of its hardware technologies to other manufacturers, including the Magnifier and Tilt Wheel tools.
Happy Mousing, everybody!!
Friday, April 07, 2006
Important Fix Due Next Week for Windows
This coming Tuesday, Microsoft will release a new patch for Windows XP that is designed to fix several serious problems. At least one of the alerts is deemed "critical," Microsoft's highest risk rating, the software maker said in a notice posted on its Web site yesterday. It tags as critical any security threat that could allow a malicious Internet worm to spread without any action required on the part of the user.
The "big fix" will be for its Internet Explorer Web browser. It will include a comprehensive update with multiple fixes, including one for the publicly known "CreateTextRange" vulnerability. Microsoft did not specify what other issues its additional Tuesday patches will repair, or how many flaws will be tackled. To date, researchers have noted several unpatched flaws in IE. The CreateTextRange bug is considered most critical by experts. The flaw is being exploited by malicious Web sites to install spyware, remote-control software and Trojan horses on vulnerable PCs.
As part of its monthly patch day, Microsoft also plans to release an updated version of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. The software detects and removes common malicious code placed on computers.
If you don't have your computer set for automatically installing Microsoft fixes, make sure you download this fix next week...Especially if you use Internet Explorer as your Web browser.
The "big fix" will be for its Internet Explorer Web browser. It will include a comprehensive update with multiple fixes, including one for the publicly known "CreateTextRange" vulnerability. Microsoft did not specify what other issues its additional Tuesday patches will repair, or how many flaws will be tackled. To date, researchers have noted several unpatched flaws in IE. The CreateTextRange bug is considered most critical by experts. The flaw is being exploited by malicious Web sites to install spyware, remote-control software and Trojan horses on vulnerable PCs.
As part of its monthly patch day, Microsoft also plans to release an updated version of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. The software detects and removes common malicious code placed on computers.
If you don't have your computer set for automatically installing Microsoft fixes, make sure you download this fix next week...Especially if you use Internet Explorer as your Web browser.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Odds and Ends
Here is a roundup of generally interesting news from the world of technology:
Jury Duty Scam
Here's a new identity theft scam that is making the rounds: Thieves who pretend to be from your local court call you and say you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant has been issued for your arrest. Then they ask for your social security number, birth date, etc. Many folks who would never be fooled by an email scam will give out this info over the phone. Please don't do it! Hang up and call the court yourself or go there in person to be sure it's the real deal.
Chinese Man Tries to Sell Soul
A man in his late 20s in Jiaxing, a city near Shanghai, has attempted to sell his soul on Taobao, China's top online auction site, attracting bids from some 58 soul-searching buyers before the posting was pulled. After reviewing their policies, a spokesman for Taobao said they were not opposed to the idea of soul selling online, but wanted more proof that the seller could provide the goods.
"After some discussion, we decided that we will allow the member to sell his soul on Taobao, but only if he can provide written permission from a 'higher authority'," he said.
Taobao made its decision as Chinese around the world on Wednesday observed Qing Ming, a traditional holiday where many travel to their ancestors' graves to clean them and offer gifts to the spirits. Taobao is no stranger to odd items being put up for auction, with past sale items including advertising space on one member's forehead.
Netflix Sues Blockbuster
Online DVD rental firm Netflix is suing rival Blockbuster for patent infringement, asking a federal judge in Northern California to shut down Blockbuster's 18-month-old online rental service and award Netflix damages.
Netflix holds two U.S. patents for its business methodology, which calls for subscribers to pay a monthly fee to select and rent DVD’s from the company's Web site and to maintain a list of titles telling Netflix in which order to ship the films, according to the patents, which were included as exhibits in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says Blockbuster, which launched its online rental service in 2004, was aware that Netflix had obtained a patent for its business method and was seeking a second at that time, but willfully and deliberately violated the existing patent. Netflix is demanding a jury trial and asks that Blockbuster Online be enjoined from using Netflix's business method and be forced to pay damages and court costs.
Apple Puts Windows on the MAC
Apple Computer has released beta software that lets Mac users run Microsoft Windows XP operating systems on Intel-based Macintosh computers. Called Boot Camp, the software creates a hard drive partition for Windows XP and lets users choose between the two operating systems at start-up time. It's available now as a free trial beta that works only for a limited time, and will be included as a feature of the next major Mac OS release, currently code-named Leopard.
The move comes a few months after Apple introduced its first computers based on Intel's x86-type processors. The company has expressed little enthusiasm in the past for running Windows on its Macs and even now may not be entirely happy about it. The software will not work on non-Intel MACS. The company thinks Boot Camp will make its Macs more appealing to Windows PC users who might be considering a switch.
Jury Duty Scam
Here's a new identity theft scam that is making the rounds: Thieves who pretend to be from your local court call you and say you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant has been issued for your arrest. Then they ask for your social security number, birth date, etc. Many folks who would never be fooled by an email scam will give out this info over the phone. Please don't do it! Hang up and call the court yourself or go there in person to be sure it's the real deal.
Chinese Man Tries to Sell Soul
A man in his late 20s in Jiaxing, a city near Shanghai, has attempted to sell his soul on Taobao, China's top online auction site, attracting bids from some 58 soul-searching buyers before the posting was pulled. After reviewing their policies, a spokesman for Taobao said they were not opposed to the idea of soul selling online, but wanted more proof that the seller could provide the goods.
"After some discussion, we decided that we will allow the member to sell his soul on Taobao, but only if he can provide written permission from a 'higher authority'," he said.
Taobao made its decision as Chinese around the world on Wednesday observed Qing Ming, a traditional holiday where many travel to their ancestors' graves to clean them and offer gifts to the spirits. Taobao is no stranger to odd items being put up for auction, with past sale items including advertising space on one member's forehead.
Netflix Sues Blockbuster
Online DVD rental firm Netflix is suing rival Blockbuster for patent infringement, asking a federal judge in Northern California to shut down Blockbuster's 18-month-old online rental service and award Netflix damages.
Netflix holds two U.S. patents for its business methodology, which calls for subscribers to pay a monthly fee to select and rent DVD’s from the company's Web site and to maintain a list of titles telling Netflix in which order to ship the films, according to the patents, which were included as exhibits in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says Blockbuster, which launched its online rental service in 2004, was aware that Netflix had obtained a patent for its business method and was seeking a second at that time, but willfully and deliberately violated the existing patent. Netflix is demanding a jury trial and asks that Blockbuster Online be enjoined from using Netflix's business method and be forced to pay damages and court costs.
Apple Puts Windows on the MAC
Apple Computer has released beta software that lets Mac users run Microsoft Windows XP operating systems on Intel-based Macintosh computers. Called Boot Camp, the software creates a hard drive partition for Windows XP and lets users choose between the two operating systems at start-up time. It's available now as a free trial beta that works only for a limited time, and will be included as a feature of the next major Mac OS release, currently code-named Leopard.
The move comes a few months after Apple introduced its first computers based on Intel's x86-type processors. The company has expressed little enthusiasm in the past for running Windows on its Macs and even now may not be entirely happy about it. The software will not work on non-Intel MACS. The company thinks Boot Camp will make its Macs more appealing to Windows PC users who might be considering a switch.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Pay More...Get Less...The Hollywood Way
Only the gods of Tinseltown could come up with a digital distribution model for films that bleeds away all consumer advantage and convenience while preserving the economies that guarantee the industry higher margins.
Facing intense pressure from Apple and others eager to distribute online, the major Hollywood studios have finally embraced digital distribution. On this day to remember, Movielink and CinemaNow, Hollywood's two movie-download services, will begin offering us the ability to download and own films from the Internet on the same day that they are released on DVD. Oh, but by the way, those films will cost significantly more than their DVD counterparts (newer releases on Movielink are priced between $20 and $30) and they won't contain extras that are typically included on the disks.
But wait, there is more...the downloads can't be burned onto disks that can be played on other devices, such as DVD players and gaming consoles. Sure, you can burn a backup DVD of the movie and keep it for as long as you care to on your computer. But if you'd like to watch it on your TV, you must connect the two, which can be a real inconvenience when the devices are in separate rooms. Leave it to Hollywood to offer consumers less while charging them more for it. Of course, Hollywood doesn't see it that way.
"This really is a transformative moment in the distribution of filmed entertainment content," Paramount Digital Entertainment President Thomas Lesinski said. "Hollywood has finally made a real commitment to sell films online and embrace the digital consumer." The Internet really has come of age, hasn't it?
That's Hollywood...running your life their way.
Facing intense pressure from Apple and others eager to distribute online, the major Hollywood studios have finally embraced digital distribution. On this day to remember, Movielink and CinemaNow, Hollywood's two movie-download services, will begin offering us the ability to download and own films from the Internet on the same day that they are released on DVD. Oh, but by the way, those films will cost significantly more than their DVD counterparts (newer releases on Movielink are priced between $20 and $30) and they won't contain extras that are typically included on the disks.
But wait, there is more...the downloads can't be burned onto disks that can be played on other devices, such as DVD players and gaming consoles. Sure, you can burn a backup DVD of the movie and keep it for as long as you care to on your computer. But if you'd like to watch it on your TV, you must connect the two, which can be a real inconvenience when the devices are in separate rooms. Leave it to Hollywood to offer consumers less while charging them more for it. Of course, Hollywood doesn't see it that way.
"This really is a transformative moment in the distribution of filmed entertainment content," Paramount Digital Entertainment President Thomas Lesinski said. "Hollywood has finally made a real commitment to sell films online and embrace the digital consumer." The Internet really has come of age, hasn't it?
That's Hollywood...running your life their way.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Ask Challenges Google
If you are like me, you probably do the majority of your Internet searches using the Web's #1 search engine, Google. And there is every reason why you should. It is an excellent search tool. But recently, an older search engine has revamped, remodeled, and renamed itself and deserves your attention.
Ask.com is the newest incarnation of the former AskJeeves.com. But, unless you knew that, you would never know as it looks completely different. Ask.com looks much more like Google while the old AskJeeves.com site was clunky, a little difficult to use and was cluttered with advertisements that were easily mistaken for real search results. It's easy to understand why AskJeeves lost favor among Web users.
Ask.com is a new ballgame. Its design is clean, friendly, and in some ways friendlier and more informative than Google. Using Google, you usually get your search results on the left side of the page with ads running down the right side and a result at the very top of the page that is usually a paid listing on your subject.
Ask.com does is it differently. For instance, I did a search on "Julius Caesar." At the top of the page was a picture of a bust of Caesar and an encyclopedia listing giving you some information about him. On the right side of the page there is additional information and suggested links to help you further narrow or expand your search. There were also names of other people who were in some way connected to Caesar. In this instance, I was given the names of Cleopatra, Brutus, Augustus, and even William Shakespeare, all of whom have some sort of relation to Caesar.
Advertising is limited usually to three ads at the top of the page and three at the bottom. And they have a blue background to clearly distinguish the fact that they are ads. In the case of Caesar, I got no ads at all. As to the all-important search results, in my opinion they are just as good and relevant as Google.
Under each listing is a small icon that looks like a pair of binoculars. If you point your mouse at it, you will see a preview of the linked page. Now here is something I really like...on same line as the binoculars is the actual web link address , and a button that says "save". If you click on this, it will save this particular link to a special section called "MyStuff" so you can easily save the most relevant listings to a single location. Very handy, indeed.
In MyStuff, you can also create folders and move your saved links into it. For instance, I created a folder called Caesar and moved all my saved results into it. You can save up to 1,000 web links for free and they don't clutter up your bookmarks.
If you use Firefox, you can add Ask.com to your list of search engines in the upper right hand corner. Just pull down the list and at the very bottom you will see "Add Engines." Just click on it and when the page comes up, click on Ask.com. I suggest you give Ask.com a test drive and see if you don't like it as much as I do.
Ask.com is the newest incarnation of the former AskJeeves.com. But, unless you knew that, you would never know as it looks completely different. Ask.com looks much more like Google while the old AskJeeves.com site was clunky, a little difficult to use and was cluttered with advertisements that were easily mistaken for real search results. It's easy to understand why AskJeeves lost favor among Web users.
Ask.com is a new ballgame. Its design is clean, friendly, and in some ways friendlier and more informative than Google. Using Google, you usually get your search results on the left side of the page with ads running down the right side and a result at the very top of the page that is usually a paid listing on your subject.
Ask.com does is it differently. For instance, I did a search on "Julius Caesar." At the top of the page was a picture of a bust of Caesar and an encyclopedia listing giving you some information about him. On the right side of the page there is additional information and suggested links to help you further narrow or expand your search. There were also names of other people who were in some way connected to Caesar. In this instance, I was given the names of Cleopatra, Brutus, Augustus, and even William Shakespeare, all of whom have some sort of relation to Caesar.
Advertising is limited usually to three ads at the top of the page and three at the bottom. And they have a blue background to clearly distinguish the fact that they are ads. In the case of Caesar, I got no ads at all. As to the all-important search results, in my opinion they are just as good and relevant as Google.
Under each listing is a small icon that looks like a pair of binoculars. If you point your mouse at it, you will see a preview of the linked page. Now here is something I really like...on same line as the binoculars is the actual web link address , and a button that says "save". If you click on this, it will save this particular link to a special section called "MyStuff" so you can easily save the most relevant listings to a single location. Very handy, indeed.
In MyStuff, you can also create folders and move your saved links into it. For instance, I created a folder called Caesar and moved all my saved results into it. You can save up to 1,000 web links for free and they don't clutter up your bookmarks.
If you use Firefox, you can add Ask.com to your list of search engines in the upper right hand corner. Just pull down the list and at the very bottom you will see "Add Engines." Just click on it and when the page comes up, click on Ask.com. I suggest you give Ask.com a test drive and see if you don't like it as much as I do.
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