Tech News for today 08-24-2010
Posted by: David
Watch the video for thoughts and info
No links for the news today.
Search Gizmodo, engadget and techcrunch!
Tech News for today 8-23-2010
Posted by: David
Watch the video for thoughts and info.
Links to news covered in the video below.
Hacking your PS3 will keep you from being able to play online
Dual-core Intel Atom processors will boost the power of netbooks
Yet another tablet for the holidays?
Russia a leader in riskiest places to surf the web. Is this really a surprise?
What will IT be like in 2020? Intense.
Along those same lines, 5 indispensable IT skills for the future.
Foursquare and Facebook : Why you should develop apps for facebook
Posted by: David
Facebook is now offering a check-in service similar to Foursquare
Facebook started offering a similar service to that of Foursquare today. If you are not familiar, Foursquare uses your location and allows you to "check-in" at places in order to share them through social media.
Foursquare was catching on like wildfire. It was developed nicely, is sharp and smart at the same time. However, Foursquare will now start to rethink business strategy as Facebook has started offering its check-in service.
The real problem is Foursquare's inability to plan for this day. They make an application that can easily be replicated, specially with a company with the resources like Facebook. While Foursquare was unique and innovative yesterday, it is just another social networking tool that Facebook decided it could do better.
This is the reason you shouldn't develop applications for social networking. IF YOU DEVELOP APPS FOR SOCIAL NETWORKING, THE NETWORKING SITE CAN DO IT TOO. Just because you wrote some nice code that is unique when you publish it, doesn't mean that companies like Facebook and Twitter with tons of resources can't emulate it within a few weeks (or less).
Strangely, it appears as if social networking games might be the safest bet for developing on social networking sites. The difference here is that people get attached to their game. Take Farmville and Mafia Wars for example, the both encourage hours of gameplay to make progress and require interaction with friends to advance in the game at certain points. People will be less willing to give up the hours they have spent on a game where they feel like they have earned something, as opposed to using an application that just shares information such as Foursquare.
It doesn't look good for Foursquare, but they may yet stand a chance. Badges that users could gain from Foursquare might retain some of their users. Otherwise, it looks like Foursquare should try to cash in right now, unless they have a card up their sleeve, or an ace in the hole. It might just be time for Foursquare to check-out.
Is my vision of the WebTV of the future here already?
Posted by: David
A new device called MetaMirror could be the future of WebTV
I posted about my future for WebTV being qoute
- Be connected with the web - obviously
- Be integrated with the web, allow controls via a web interface
- Not interrupt your TV shows to use the web
- Allow you to search the web for things you see, or are related to what you see on the screen
This seems to be almost exactly what MetaMirror is going to try to accomplish.
MetaMirror describes its software :
The product is a software platform which runs on a secondary device of the users choice, displaying this contextual content over a mirror of the television broadcast. By bringing together live television, real-time contextual information and an intuitive user interface, Meta Mirror is positioned to update television from uni-directional broadcast to two-way interaction.
While the software will obviously face challenges now, it is clearly going to be the wave of the future for WebTV, MetaMirror is only getting the quick jump they needed to.
Images and qoutes courtesy of http://www.core77.com/blog/technology/metamirror_notions_vision_for_the_near_future_of_tv__17118.asp
GoToMeeting thoughts
Posted by: David
Why use go to meeting?
- Cut your costs. No longer do you need to go out and do training, or invite people to your buildings to train them on your software. Simply host a webinar and invite all of the attendees to watch and listen from their comfort. No more travel fees! Sometimes you can't avoid travel, but there isn't much a great power point couldn't help with.
- Remote tools. If you need to support some helpless person who you have more trouble than ever with in giving remote assistance, gotomeeting is really simple. You don't need their IP, or hostname, just make sure they can read their e-mail, and send them an e-mail invitation. Change the presenter to them so you can see their screen and request control of their machine to start working on it.
- Simple. Even some of your more simple minded employees or customers can figure out how to use it. If they can't figure it out the first time, the help and manual for gotomeeting provides a great resource tool to get it. If you don't get gotomeeting, you don't get much. Sorry.
Some problems
- When things go wrong, they really go wrong. Hosting a webinar? Easy enough right? Well, not if you change the conference phone number without alerting half of your attendees. Make sure you keep all stakeholders informed on what is going on when you are hosting webinars, specially if they are more important than most.
- Requires a software download. The hardest part about getting a helpless remote user help is walking them through the install. If someone is completely helpless, then you know how hard it can be to walk them through installing something. This can be a bear, but if you are dealing with someone who knows how to use their computer, it should only take a minute or two (depending on connection).
- Chaotic. Get 70 people on your webinar with a teleconference. You sure are saving a lot of money, but you know how people can be. They refuse to mute their phone and you can hear them talking in the background. You can mute them from your gotomeeting, but whenever someone joins you need to keep reminding them or mute everyone. At time it can definetly be inconvenient.
Overall Thoughts
Gotomeeting is good software. It was excellent software to organize your web meeting, and with the use of a conference line can get confusing at time, but offers power that you use to only dream about. It cuts your travel costs a ton. Move that money in your budget to give you employees new monitors and ergonomic keyboards so they can be more comfortable working.
As long as you keep everyone informed, and are willing to help people who aren't familiar with computer gotomeeting can be very helpful. It is when you start having issues that things can get very bad very fast. Chaotic was a good word for it. Once things get bed they tend to stay bad for a while. Things get disorganized quickly. Game plan before you start, and be prepared for anything. If you are prepared, gotomeeting can be a great asset, otherwise it can be a complete hassle.
Before you start using gotomeeting corporate wide, make sure you have people who are familiar with using the software to be able to give some support. You should do this with all software really. However with something as important as web meetings with Chief Officers, it is particularly important you have someone on staff who knows how to lend a hand if something were to go wrong.
Windows 7 Awesome Tip : Preview Pane
Posted by: David
Enable your preview pane
With Windows 7, you probably aren't used to all of the changes. Perhaps one of the best things you can find in Windows 7 would be the preview pane.
While you are in the file explorer going through your long list of files whether it be images, code, word docs, or even videos hit ALT+P on your keyboard. Now, next to your list of files or icons for files you can see a preview of the file you have selected in the file explorer.
Not all file types will allow you to see a preview, but the video preview will even allow you to watch the video in the preview pane.
Apple is separating itself from tech industry
Posted by: David
The image of Apple is changing
10 years ago if you heard apple you thought "Oh sweet, I played Oregon Trail on one - heh, remember that game?". Now you can't go anywhere without seeing someone whip out their Apple iPhone or talk about some sweet app that they get on their iPhone. The point is that Apple used to be an afterthought with most people, now it is making itself much larger and bringing itself to the forefront of technology.
This change hasn't necessarily been welcome by some of the technology field, despite the fact that most people would have loved for someone to rival Microsoft. Even though Microsoft has been a "Monopoly" of the industry at times, I think that Apple could really try to become a bully after gaining more share in the market.
How is Apple separating itself?
Apple is separating itself from technology industries by being too much like a strict government on it's citizens. In this case the government is Apple, and the citizens of Apple are the developers and users, much like businesses and individuals. If you choose to live in Apple, aka buy one of their products, then you are subject to how they want their device to operate despite what your needs or wants may be. This isn't new, but Apple is taking this kind of control onto another level. Not even Microsoft is as stingy as Apple is being.
Here is a look at a few examples of how Apple is being more stingy than Microsoft and limiting what people can do on its phone.
- Locked with ATT - For now, the iPhone and other 3G models are locked with ATT in America. Apple only has one phone line, so unlike other companies that lock their phones down to a particular carrier they create other models that can be sold across carries. Apple, not so much.
- Developer Hell - Apple gets the final say on what apps can go into the app store, and thus decides what you can and can not have. The worst part is that there have been several instances where apps have been rejected from approval because of very little, or seemingly no reason. Also, apps have been taken off of the app store once they have been added, without even notifying the developers but a day before hand. To get the removed apps added again they have to be modified and subjected to the approval method all over.
- Flash - Apple won't have flash on it's iPhone or other similar devices because it thinks that HTML5 can do just the same thing, but with less battery being used. Because of this, you don't even get an option to use flash on your iPhone, you are stuck on waiting for people to develop on HTML5 instead of Flash. The sad part about this is I think this issue will actually cause a larger than expected increase in HTML5 design as opposed to Flash. Apple will change the web development game by not allowing someone to use Flash, and people don't want to miss out on the iPhone market so they will either develop in HTML5, develop in HTML5 and Flash, or miss out on the market.
Ending opinions
Apple could be heading down a road that will lead to more control over your wants than even Microsoft has now. Apple seems to have a mind of it's own and isn't always willing to do what the public wants. The key to Apple is that they make great products. If the iPhone wasn't great it couldn't survive all these little annoyances like Flash, limited developing and only being offered on one carrier. Now, as long as Apple makes the best products in an industry they will probably be able to say whatever they want.
Maybe Apple is just giving everyone a dose of their own medicine. Maybe they are just getting back at developers for never having developed on their computers because they chose not too, and now they just love telling developers that they can't, despite wanting too.
Apple is starting to become an elitist company that is trying to put off a young and hip image. These two things will clash at one point, but will people even care? It is hard to tell, most probably won't even notice, but for the rest of us - it gives you something to think about.
iPhone OS 4.0 to be announced Thursday
Posted by: David
What is OS 4.0?
OS 4.0 is the next new version of the iPhone Operating System. The difference between this release update and other release updates is that with a full version upgrade you can expect several large updates that can change many of the functions of the phone, where as small patches for the Operating System typically only fix bugs or issues or allow for small changes.
What to expect in OS 4.0
There is no way to know for sure what is coming in the newest operating system for the iPhone but if it is like past update it will be a large update. Here are some things many people are thinking just might be included.
- Multitasking - FINALLY. iPhone owners have been wanting this for a long time, and not long after the upgrade last year owners had to deal with the Palm Pre being released and offering something the iPhone couldn't. It is rumored to work like Mac's Expose. Now you might finally be able to listen to Pandora and read your e-mail or browse the web!
- Menu Control - Expect some better ability to navigate menus and the ability to know what you are supposed to do next in some cases. I can't tell you how many times I've been helping someone change their e-mail password over the phone and once they enter the password have no idea that the just needed to go back to the menu. There might be a save button there now, or the menus could be organized in a different way altogether.
- More Menu Options, More Control - Expect to have different ways to do things you have been doing or have completely new options in the menu. The settings app may be entirely different. I would like for the controls to be more integrated into the way you use the phone, such as having a touch option for wi-fi and landscape mode.
- Hiding Apps - No body uses the stock app. Well not unless you're very wealthy. Lets face it, you either use it or you don't. You shouldn't have to have it taking up space on your iPhone. I would like to think there would be an ability to at least hide such apps, if not allowing us to delete them. (They could always be free in the app store right?)
What not to expect
- Don't expect all of your apps will work fine after the OS upgrade. In most cases the apps will work fine, but it could be possible that an app no longer will work as intended. Pay attention to the app store for app updates when OS 4.0 is released.
- Don't expect your 3G S to be the newest model phone for very long. Apple has released a new iPhone each summer for the last three years. Don't expect this to be any different this year.
- Don't expect 4G. AT&T is too slow with adapting this technology. They may have the best 4G network when they release it, but they certainly wont have the first.
- Don't expect to be happy. Like most changes it will take time to grow on you. There is a decent chance this upgrade won't change the way your iPhone works completely, but OS upgrades are big. If something isn't how it was before, learn to like it or upload your iPhone backup.
Windows 7 NK2 file location
Posted by: David
The problem?
You don't know where the .NK2 file is for Outlook in Windows 7.
The solution
- Go to my computer.
- Click on the C: drive
- Click on Users
- Click on the account of the User who you want to find the .NK2 file for
- Open the AppData folder. If you can't find it, you will need to show hidden files and folders.
- Click on Roaming
- Click on Microsoft
- Click on Outlook
- You should now see the outlook file as such below.
Best Firefox add on that you must have!
Posted by: David
What is the best add on for Firefox?
The best add on for Firefox in the Kingpin's opinion is the Thumbnail expander.
What does it do?
This add on takes any thumbnail image and loads it in the background while you are hovering your mouse over it. Once the image has loaded, it will display above the thumbnail you are previewing. The best example of what it does is on the add on's site itself.
Here are two of the preview pictures.
The add on also embeds video when you click on links. It would be harder for me to explain this so I will just show you below what it does when you click on a video on youtube.com.
If you notice, when you click on one of the videos it will embed it into that page. If you want to go on to the video just click the video, if you want to get rid of the video you can hid the button just above the video to hide it.
How can you get it?
Go to this LINK and hit Add to Firefox.