Hard technology news stories are hard to come by in the holiday season. And this year is no exception…except for biggest story of the year about how our cell phones are bugged by Carrier IQ. It may not turn out to be so big, but it also could be the #1 story of the year that may involve criminal activities. Congress is now involved and lawsuits are just beginning…so we are still in the early stages of this possible scandal.
Rather than bog this newsletter down with lots of stories covering all the angles, the first story is a gathering of many stories about Carrier IQ and what it means to you. Doing that allows me to publish other stories that also may be of interest. But, be sure and check out this out, then read the inside stories that you find of interest. - JRC
Carrier IQ: How big a threat is it?
The maker of the software that monitors smartphone performance is facing increasing scrutiny, following a security researcher's report on Carrier IQ. Here is a large collection of stories about Carrier IQ covering all aspects of this extremely controversial subject.
Firefox may be down, but it's not out
Don't cue the funeral dirge yet. Firefox has redeeming values, including its non-alignment with online advertising -- unlike Microsoft and Google
Windows 8 will be 'largely irrelevant' to traditional PC users
“Windows 8 will be largely irrelevant to the users of traditional PCs, and we expect effectively no upgrade activity from Windows 7 to Windows 8 in that form factor...” according to IDC predictions for this coming new year.
Pointless Internet Surfing: It's the American Way
Got nothing better to do? Go online! According to Pew Research, that's what more than half of America already does
Password Protection: How to Create Strong Passwords
The problem is that passwords should be different everywhere you use them, and that can make it difficult to remember them all. And, if a password is truly strong, that makes it even more difficult.
iTunes Match vs. Google Music vs. Amazon Cloud Drive
which system do you want to live with? It's a choice you can't make lightly because these companies don't play nice with each other. Once you've adopted one, it's hard to switch. If this were the Music Cloud Wars, then Apple's iTunes Match would be winning – but not by much. Here's a quick primer, along with a few ways to get in and around their digital barriers.
Roku 2 XS Review - Watch CNET's Video Review
Thanks to a varied range of content offerings--including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Crackle, and Pandora--that beats the Apple TV, the Roku 2 XS is the best all-around streaming-media box you can get for less than $100. I believe that as I own one.
EssentialPIM - Probably the Best Personal Information Manager
I've been relying on Microsoft Outlook for my email, calendaring and contacts management for many years, but some folks can't afford to pay the hundred bucks or so that it costs. Or you might use web mail and have no need for an email client, but still want a way to manage appointments and contacts with the look and functionality of Outlook. If so, Essential PIM is a viable, free alternative that lets you color-code appointments, create tasks and notes, link contacts to appointments and link email messages to notes.
WinUtilities Free Edition
WinUtilities (Free) is a multi-functional system performance and optimization suite for Microsoft Windows. This collection of tools lets you supercharge your PC's performance, enhance its security, tweak and optimize its settings, and customize and personalize your screens.
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