Firefox 3.6 is set to come out today at 9:30 AM PT but if you just cant for it to come in as an update you can just go to the Firefox site and get it. Also I have screen shots up of the final release version of 3.6 if you wish to see that over in the gallery.
*UPDATE: You can now download Firefox 3.6 via the updater in Firefox.
The New York Times is not really something I look at allot. Heck I can say I have never even picked up a paper version of it ever. I didn’t start reading it until they came out with there iPhone app, and even then I just skim it unless I see something that catches my eye. So like many days when I wake up I sate down on the couch in the living room and opened the New York Times app on my iPod Touch and saw “The Times to Charge for Frequent Access to Its Web Site”. Then I proceeded to read it.
Apparently the New York Times is planning on trying to charge people for reading there site. Starting next year they will set a limit on how many story you can read before you have to pay a subscription fee. I should also note that every month the number will go back down to zero and you can read some story’s for free. If you already subscribe to the New York Times then this really wont effect you much all you will have to do is just login and your set.
Myself I almost never go to the New York Times Site, to me it just looks god offal. I can see what they were trying to go for, they wanted the site to look like a news paper. I for one think it is hard to navigate.
Luckily as of right now they have not said anything about this effecting people reading from the iPhone app. I'm sure it is just a matter of time before they do, but until they do I’ll keep skimming the Technology section.
All this will not take effect until early 2011. There is still time for the New York Times to come to there senses and not charge. If they do start charging that maybe the final nail in the coffin for the New York Times. I for one hope they can see the light of free and make it stay free some way.
There are a lot of things to think of about when you are looking for a new computer like do you want a desktop, a laptop, a netbook, or a desktop replacement. Then ask Mac or Windows? This choice will Borden or shorten the list of what you can get. But the biggest question you should ask your self is “what do I want to do with this computer?” this questing will pretty much determine what you will get overall.
I’ll ask the question then what do you want to do with your new computer? The most common answers are work, school, and home. If you are looking for work you may want a laptop mostly because a laptop now a days is powerful enough to run things like Microsoft Office, to browse the web, or whatever you need for work. Plus since it is a laptop you can easily travel with it. Maybe you don’t travel much and want the power of a desktop computer well there plenty of good desktop computers as well. They are a lot easier to upgrade if need be. Also desktop computers a little bit more powerful than a laptop for work things.
A student is most likely going to want some type of a laptop whether it is a normal laptop or a desktop replacement, maybe a desktop but if you did that you might want a netbook as well. The laptop would probably be the best fit it is easier to move around for getting to class to class, or friends place to friends place. Nice if you have a roommate so if you want to watch a movie and he or she is studying you can watch movies in bed just plug in your head phones. The only problem with the laptop is that the battery at some point is going to die probably when you need it most if you don’t charge it every night. A desktop replacement is going to let you do all the laptop dose except that is going to be a lot more heavier than the normal laptop.
A desktop along with a netbook would be a good hook up. The desktop is going to be powerful and you could get a nice size screen and use it as a TV by going to places like Hulu or TV.com. Then the netbook could be what you use to take your notes and do all your school works on. So the Desktop is for fun and the net book is for school.
Now comes the people who want it for home use (a family computer). Home uses are normally things like browsing the web, paying bills, school work, work things, and playing games. Most likely you are going to want a desktop. Why a desktop? Well a desktop computer is not mobile so there is less likely that little Johnny is going to drop it on the floor and lose all your data that way. Most new desktop computers are going to be power full enough to do gaming I mean it’s not going to look grate but you can play it. As far as work goes it should be fine for that depending on what it is you do for a living. School work it most likely should get though power points done. The desktop will have all the ports you need for plugging in your family camera to share photos with friends and family, and making little slide shows with thoughs photos.
Just keep in mind with the work computer it really dose depend on what is you do for a living as to whether or not a laptop or a desktop is right for you. Now I hope this answered the question of what do you want to do with the computer? Part 2 Mac or PC. If there are any questions feel free to leave a comment or email me.
Today Microsoft announced that they are going to delete IP addresses that correspond to search queries on Bing after six month instead of 18 months. This means unless you use Bing everyday they will have no record that you were ever using Bing (incase you were worried some one would find out).
So what is this, really? Well if I had to guess I would say this was just Microsoft's way of saying “if you don’t like Google following you then use Bing”. This could mean that in the EU BIng might become more popular with people. I still don’t think they could beat Google, but its a good try. Europeans like there privacy a little bit more then we do. If Microsoft can get people to see Bing as more of a privet search engine then maybe they could be a powerful number two in the search world.
Though really I think Microsoft is trying to win a fight that Google already won long ago. Microsoft is kind of like the person that came way to late to the party and just wont go home. There is one good thing and that is that there is at least choice and good ones at that. Before Bing what would you use if you wanted to find something, Yahoo search?
Just a little note there is now a Twitter account for this blog and I think with in the hour Disqus will start working and you can use that for commenting form now on on this site. you can follow the site on twitter by clicking the mikesworldoftec button on the side.
Just so everyone knows today I made a twitter account for this site it is twitter.com/mikesworldotec also I'm working on trying to get disqus working on this blog so commenting will be easier for you all. If you have any questions please e-mail me. Thank you for reading =].
Just a little wile ago I was reading Techcrunch and they reported that they have received invitations to a Apple event on the 27th. This can really only mean one thing… the iSlate. The much talked about iSlate or Apple tablet. I’m sue there there will also be an iPhone update too (not 4.0). What dose this iSlate or apple need to be useful well I got a list.
This is just a little list of what I think the iSlate needs these things in order to stand out from the other tablets that have come out and the ones that are coming out. If anything they should rethink the name if it is really going to be called the iSlate. I’d like to know what you think the iSlate needs leave a comment.
I think at this point we all herd of, what im calling the grate NBC late night civil war. For thoughs that have not herd Lay Leno has a talk show at 10 PM and now NBC wants' to move him back to his 11:30 slot, but who has that now wile no other then Mr.Conan O’Brien and Conan will not move. Frankly I think he shouldn’t have to move for Leno. Conan did his waiting and Leno named Conan his replacement when Jay Leno said he was going to retire.
You might be thinking “how dose this have to do with tech?” Well today Revsion3 posted an open letter to Conan O’ Brien. Offering him a show on there IPTV network. This may just be a PR stunt for Revsion3 but they say they are serous about it. I must say if for some reason Conan dose switch from NBC to do a show on Revsion3 that would be HUGE!!! That would make Revion3 a big player in the IPTV world they would have a big time stare working for them. Revion3 is willing to do what ever it takes. Here's a quote form the letter:
“To sum up, Conan, you have the keys to the kingdom here at Revision3. You want to change our studio around? Done. Want to move any of our existing shows to 10pm Please do. Want to give Andy his own show so he can finally truly control the universe? Done. You name the game, we’ll make it happen.”
That truly sums it up. Though I do feel that there might be one problem with Conan going to Revsion3 and that is money. Could Revion3 pay Conan what NBC or other big TV networks could pay him. Really that what it boils down to for stares. Though if any IPTV network can pull off getting Conan O’ Brien to do a show for them it will be Revsion3.
If your with team Conan and would like to see it happen go to Digg and digg the story its already on the top dugg stories lets get it to number one by the end of the day. Maybe someone that works for Conan or Conan him self will see it and keep it in mind.
The iPhone came out about 3 years ago and blew everything that we thought a smart phone could be. The iPhone is a vary popular smart not they most popular, oddly that still belongs to Blackberry. I think it is no secret the Apple will latter this year come out with a new iPhone. But what dose this phone need to blow Android out of the water. Android may not be in the running to kill the iPhone just yet but it is getting closer with each now release of the OS. These are something's I think it needs to stay on top:
These are just some of what I think the next iPhone and OS need so that the iPhone can stay on top. If they only do little improvements again, Android phones my sneak up on them like Microsoft did to them on the desktop front.
At CES there was a lot of 3D TV’s being shown off. I think we all pretty much knew that it was going to be a theme. I have a question. Why do we want 3D TV’s? We have had 3D movie’s for a wile and there pretty much all the same doing the same old tricks so that you know its in 3D!
The biggest argument that I have herd form other people like me that do not think that 3D TV is a good idea is, I don’t want to ware 3D glasses wile I watch TV. In my case I would have to ware my normal glasses plus the 3D glasses. Another thing I just do not want to do when I watch TV. Normally when I watch TV I lay down and watch it, witch means that 3D glasses would be off and the screen would just look odd.
Robert Scoble gave me the argument that this is for sports fans and basically people who just like to say “oh you don’t have the money for that well I do”. Witch is fine, I see how sports fans would like to be able to watch foot ball and really feel like they are their at the game, and there will always be thoughs people that will be asshole’s and gloat that have something you don’t.
There were many other kool TV’s at CES like LG had one that you could make Skype calls from. I don’t know about all you but I would much rather have a TV that I can make calls from then a TV that throws balls at me. Maybe that's just me. What I really think this whole push for 3D TV is that the TV studios are trying to give people a reason to watch things on TV then on the internet. I think that there scared of IPTV and this there way of saying “we have no more good Ideas for TV shows so lest distract them form that with 3D”. But any who 3D TV’s are coming soon to a living room near you. Hopefully they wont suck.
Today seems like it will be a Google day fist Google talks about attacks that happen last month to Google, and also they are coming out with there 2009 4th quarter results latter today. This is not not about that, this is about the attacks on Google last month, and what they intend to do.
Google did some investigating of the attack and it turned out that the attacks were coming form China (Surprise Surprise). It also turns out that it was not just Google that got attacked a number of other sites got attacked as well. They say they are in the process of contacting these other sites that were attacked as well.
According to Google the attack was aimed at access Gmail accounts of chine's human rights activists. Form what Google sees is that they were unsuccessful for the most part. Google say’s that only two accounts were accessed put it was not due to a flaw on there end. The accounts were most likely hacked by either a phishing scam or spyware on the user’s computers.
Google said that they are trying to work with the Chine's government to try and work out something that will make both Google and the Chine's government happy as well. Google did state in there post
“These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.”
What could this mean if Google were to shutdown Google China? I mean other then people losing there jobs. Well will have to wait in see. Like I said earlier Google will be holding there 4th quarter results, there maybe talk of this and more of an idea what will happen to Google and China.
*UPDATE: I missed read. Google is not announcing there 4th quarter results until the January 21, 2010. I'm sorry if this has caused any problems.
Microsoft and HP today have decided to work together to make IT more simple and easer and cheaper for smaller businesses to afford. They also are going to implement Azure in with all this. You can read more about this over at the Microsoft News Center (there is video that explain it all if your like me and just want to gist of it).
When I upgraded to Windows 7 I kind of just pushed home group a side. But recently I have found that home group might just be useful for me. If you have no idea what I’m talking a bout home group was something Microsoft put into Windows 7 to make sharing files between computers in your house a lot more simple. You may have even seen this ad:
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Like I said I pushed it a side I didn’t think I would need it but there are times when I’m working on something and I need a file from my desktop but I'm in the living room on my laptop. Yes I could get up find a flash drive copy and past what I need on to it and walk back to the living room. File sharing is just a little bit easier and home group makes its easier. With home group I just click the user name and go to the library that has what I want in it, and just copy and past over to my laptop. Here is how you get started:
Go to the windows logo orb (Start) and click control panel.
Now go to Home Group and select the files you want to share hit save then go back again and click view or print home group password, so you can see what it is write it down print it so you have it when you go to the other computer or computers you want in your home group.
Ok now its time to join the home group that you made. This is simple just go to Windows Orb (start) again and go to Control Panel.
Then go to Networking and Sharing Center.
You should see your network what ever you called it and below it should be something that says home group and join underlined.
That should take you to the home group wizard witch then will ask you for the password that you got from you other computer just type that in and your good to go.
When you want to see what is on your other computers Libraries just go to the Windows Explorer icon on your tool bar and go to home groups there should be a list of users and there Libraries.
I hope this useful to some people out there if there is something I missed leave a comment or E-mail.
Early this morning Stéphane Richard from France Telecom confirmed that there will be a apple tablet and it will have a web cam. This might give merit to the roomer that the tablet is gesture based. I’m sure by the end of the day France Telecom will come out with a stament saying there is no tablet or Apple will do it. If you wish to see the video of the conversation and a translation there is one over at Techcrunch.
*Update: Orange has said that they did not confirm that there is a Apple tablet (just like I said they would). See the Full story here.
Hey Mike here just wanting to let you know that I put up of some screen shots of Ubuntu 9.10 over in the screen shot gallery. Enjoy!
Last Friday I did a post about the Office 2010 prices. When I was looking at thought prices I saw two things, one no upgrade prices, and two Product Key Card prices. When I first saw that I thought “oh cool there doing separate prices for download only versions of word.” this was not the case.
If you have not herd yet Microsoft has made deals with OEM’s to have Office 2010 pre-installed on new PC’s. So now when you get a new PC form Dell you probably get a trial of Office 2007 and you get the full version of Microsoft Works. Once Office 2010 is out you will get full use of Office, for a price. In order for you to get to use the version of Office that comes with your computer you have to buy a product key card at a store or I would assume at time of purchase with the OEM. Which then you have to type in to get Office 2010 to work. I like this except the part that there is no physical media. The problem I have is what if the drive on the computer goes well unless you have a image of the drive then your copy of Office is gone. At least if you had a DVD, CD, or even a flash drive with the setup on it you could just reinstall it.
Personally I would buy the physical media, but I just always think what if. I know not everyone dose and that is ok. I just hope that Microsoft will tell us more soon about how the product key card process will work a little bit more clearly soon.
The Office 2010 price have been revealed and they seem quite reasonable. They also talked about that there will be a family pack for Office 2010, and just like the Windows 7 family pack it will let you install on up to three computers. Now the pricing is not that revolutionary but I think its better then in the past.
The pricing looks like this:
|
Home and Student |
Office Home Business |
Office Professional |
Office Professional Academic |
|
Physical Media |
Physical Media $279 |
Physical Media $499 |
Physical Media $99 |
| Product Key Card $119 |
Product Key Card $199 |
Product Key Card $349 |
Product Key Card N/A |
Office Professional Academic is Professional but it is specially priced for teachers.
Tomorrow Google will be announcing something and we think that is the Google Nexus phone. Now we don’t know that but hope fully that is what they are going to be talking about. Later this month we think apple will be having announcement about the rumor iSlate. Also CES is this week and who knows something there could blow both these announcements out of the water.
For now let’s look at what we know will be announced and make some guesses. First up the Google Nexus phone. We know it was design by Google and made by HTC. This phone is rumored to be available by invite only. How does this make since you might ask. Well if they just said they were going to sell this phone or knowing Google make it supper cheap they now don’t truly under mind there partners that sell Android phones because not everyone can get one. Which makes me think if you are getting an invite for this phone does it mean that maybe you get the phone free? Well obviously the first people to get them were Google employees, then press will be next, but after that who will be next? Also the better question will be how do you get an invite? Will it be like Wave or Google Voice ware you just leave a e-mail address and just hope they pick your name? Hopefully we will know that tomorrow as well.
The other thing happening this month is Apple will be announcing something as well. Most think that what they will be announcing is the iSlate. I think it will be a safe bet to say that the iSlate will be priced at $500 or more. Now most say that people won’t buy a tablet unless it is $300 or less but I think if anyone can sell them it will be apple. Another rumor is that the iSlate will work with existing iPod Touch application. I feel this won’t be true, the iSlate will have its own app’s they might make it through easy to move iPhone and iPod Touch applications over to the iSlate if it even dose applications.
Well will know tomorrow what the deal is with the new Google phone and how we may be able to get it. Apples announcement won’t come until the 26th. CES is also this week so there will be plenty of announcements coming from there and I will try to report on them or at the very least link you to the story’s on twitter.
On Sunday Leo Laporte asked people what they thought was the most important story of the decade. This got me thinking what it would be, there people on the show that said the iPhone, youtube, and some that said withering of Microsoft. I thought that the most important story of the decade was Google’s suite of cloud applications like Gmail, Google Docs, Google Reader, and Google Calendar.
These cloud applications have given people the choice of deciding between paying hundreds of dollars for Microsoft Office or just going with Google. Now there has always been other choices to Microsoft Office like Open Office, Star Office, or even iWork. The problem with things like Open Office or Star Office is that they don’t have much ad power behind them so no one really knows that they are out there. iWork has the problem that it is only available on OS X. Google Doc’s is online and although it isn’t the best Office suite it is good enough for most people to type out an easy for school or do a small spreadsheet. Also its Google pretty much everyone has used Google at this point and has probably seen the Google docs link at the top of the page or the Gmail link.
Hopefully in 2010 these cloud applications get better because there is still allot of room for improvement. For now they are good enough to ware I can say I really don’t need Microsoft Office anymore. I could go fully Google for what I use Microsoft Office for in my daily life. Now this is just what I think, I would like to hear what you think as well leave me comment or send an E-mail. Also the video of TWIT that got me thinking is at the bottem of the page here. Happy new years eve everyone.
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I just thought I should share that I’m seeing updates from Mashable to the New York Times pop and saying they have gotten invites to a Google press event on January 5th. From what they are saying Google has not said what is going to be talked about, but i think it is safe to assume that it will be about the Nexus one (a.k.a the Google Phone). Here is the link to the New York Times talk about it.
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