Friday 30 November 2012

Desktop ebook Readers

Desktop versions of ebook readers ...
Interesting look at desktop ebook readers. Personally I would rather use a Tablet or Smartphone ebook reader but I guess if you are a journalist you must have to read a lot more books than I do!

Five easy to use desktop ebook readers: Jack Wallen reveals his picks for desktop versions of ebook readers - one is bound to suit your needs.

Energy Efficient TVs

Some interesting figures quoted in this article ...

The award-winning energy efficient TVs that can save you hundreds per year:
tvenergystarTVs that can save consumers hundreds of dollars a year because of their increased energy efficiency have been recognised by national awards. Samsung and LG both won SEAD (Super Efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment Global Efficiency) awards for producing the most energy efficient products. Samsung actually won two awards for its 8-star TV in the small and medium size categories while LG won its award for its 46-inch LM6700 7-star TV in the large category.

Monday 19 November 2012

Apple iPad v MS Surface

The first 'head to head' comparison ...
Kevin Johnson kindly sent me this article from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Apple iPad v Microsoft Surface | Tablet Review | Photos:

Sunday 18 November 2012

Hands-on Surface Review

Interesting hands-on review of the Microsoft Surface RT ...
The mixed Surface RT user interface seems to be most reviewer's main concern.

Hands-on with Microsoft’s Surface tablet, part 1Patrick Gray takes a close look at Microsoft’s Surface tablet. Find out what he thinks about the device hardware.

Hands-on with Microsoft's Surface tablet, part 2: Patrick Gray is impressed with Microsoft's Surface tablet hardware, but find out why he thinks it's lacking on the software front.

Microsoft Touch Mouse

A touch mouse for Windows 8 is the way to go ...
Windows 8 is really going to be a new learning experience in more ways than one!

Discover the benefits of the Microsoft Touch Mouse in Windows 8: Greg Shultz has gained a new appreciation for the Microsoft Touch Mouse features now available in Windows 8. Perhaps you will too.

Webcam Security System

For those who like to play around with Webcams ...
This is a comprehensive tutorial if you have a spare webcam and PC to play with!

Tutorial: How to set up a webcam security system: Tutorial: How to set up a webcam security system
The price of computer hardware might be crashing through the floor, but that doesn't make it any less attractive to your neighbourhood criminal. No matter what the specs, a shiny looking laptop sat in the front room is still going to look attractive to a would-be thief peeking through the curtains when you're out.

You'll need this…

1. ISPY CONNECT Available for free from here, this is an open source project that was originally designed to capture images of ghosts and UFOs. Yes, really!
2. 24/7 PC SYSTEM You'll need a low-end laptop or server running constantly to monitor the webcams, send alerts and run the recognition software.
3. WEBCAM AND CABLES The main use for iSpy Connect is as a security system that monitors security cameras, so you'll need at least one as well as suitable cables.

Saturday 17 November 2012

MS Surface Wi-Fi problems

Something to be aware of ...
I don't think the Microsoft Surface is the only tablet with this problem. From experience, some tablets and e-readers seem to struggle when trying to connect to Wi-Fi. I have found that Wi-Fi Router settings can have a bearing on this as well. Whilst the channel and security settings worked fine for laptops you may need to adjust them for reliable tablet and e-reader connection.

Microsoft Surface users complain about Wi-Fi problems: Some users of Microsoft's new Surface tablet are complaining about connectivity issues that are preventing them from getting on the Internet, according to posts on Microsoft's Surface support forum.

Ten Cool Chrome Tricks

For power Google Chrome users ...
Some very useful tips in this article for those who are really into Google Chrome! I knew most of them but was unaware of shortcuts for extensions or the pining of tabs.

Ten cool Chrome tricks you can use right now: Google Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world. Learn some tricks for using it more efficiently and also have some fun along the way.

Where to get ebooks

A must read for anyone planning to buy an E-Reader ... 
Understanding the file formats is the key!

Ask us: where to get ebooks - Tablets & E-readers computers:

Windows 8 Clean Install

For the keen nerds wanting a clean Windows 8 install ...

The complete guide to a Windows 8 clean installation: Greg Shultz documents the entire Windows 8 clean install procedure so we have a roadmap to follow and know what to expect.

Mobile Malware

Not yet a huge problem but watch this space ...
No need to be paranoid yet but worth knowing the basics!

Mobile malware: Cheat Sheet: Should you be worried about mobile malware? Here's what you need to know and some tips on how to protect yourself from getting infected.

Apple's iPad Mini Margins

Apple continues to pocket huge margins ...
Quoting from an article by Steven Russolillo of the Wall Street Journal - "The Silicon Valley juggernaut’s stock closed up 2.6 per cent, giving it a market capitalisation of $US623.5 billion ($596.8 billion). The previous historical record for top market cap belonged to Microsoft, whose market value topped out at $US616.3 billion in December 1999, according to Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices." - Like Microsoft, it helps if you are the only one making the product!

Apple's iPad Mini margins run between 40% and 55%: The new iPad Mini costs Apple just under $200 in materials and manufacturing, an analyst said today, putting an exclamation point on the company's devotion to high profit margins.

Friday 16 November 2012

Google Chrome Commands

One for the real Geeks among you ...
This is for those of you who love to fiddle and learn something new about software you possibly use every day like Google Chrome which, by the way, is now reputed by some to be the most popular browser!

12 Most Useful Google Chrome Browser chrome:// Commands:

Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Offer

An important article if you have just bought a Windows 7 PC ...
I intend to take advantage of this offer when I receive my new ThinkPad Edge E530 laptop complete with Windows 7 Home Premium. I will register for the Microsoft offer, download the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade software but may not install it until after February 2013!

Take advantage of the $15 Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Offer: Greg Shultz shows us all of the steps involved in using the $15 upgrade offer to download Windows 8 Pro and burn it to a DVD.

Gmail edges Hotmail out

Gmail takes the lead ...
Quite a milestone really since Hotmail started in 1996 and Gmail only moved from Beta version (2007) to the final version in 2009!

Gmail edges Hotmail out as world's top email service: No more disputes over which service is number one; ComScore has said that Google's Gmail has taken the global lead over Microsoft's Hotmail.

Windows RT falls short

Another warning about Windows RT ...
I know this is a bit of a "hobby horse" of mine but I cannot resist posting yet another warning about the Windows RT Surface that is currently on sale. The full Windows 8 version of the Surface will not be available for another 3 months but I am not at all sure that the buying public understand the difference. With Christmas coming up I think there may be many caught out!

Exclusive: Intel: Windows RT falls short of full Windows 8 experience: Exclusive: Intel: Windows RT falls short of full Windows 8 experience
Intel believes that Windows RT falls short of the full Windows 8 experience, with a senior executive telling TechRadar that compatibility with old software and peripherals will remain a key issue for the ARM-based version of Microsoft's new operating system. For the first time, Microsoft has made its Windows OS available on a platform not based on Intel's longstanding x86. And to rub salt in the wounds, Microsoft has opted to make its own tablet that uses ARM architecture and Windows RT, with the Surface a key new player in the market.
However, speaking to TechRadar, Karen Regis – Intel's director for Ultrabook marketing strategy – explained why the chip giant was comfortable that more people would opt for Windows 8 than Windows RT. "With Windows 8 you're going to be able to take your whole library of software that you have invested in over the years and port it over to your new system," said Regis. "You're going to have full functionality and compatibility with your peripherals. "Microsoft made a claim about 420 million devices worked with RT but I think a lot of those are going to have class drivers only, so your printer might work but will you be able to select the number of copies or two sided printing or print quality? "With [Windows 8 on x86 machines] you know you are going to be able to."

No ARM in trying

TechRadar asked Regis how she felt about ARM's growing influence, and whether the competition was welcome. "I don't know if I would say it's welcome competition," she responded, "but we feel pretty good about the fact that you are going to get full PC compatibility and functionality out of our devices. "There are going to be a lot of Atom devices as well which will offer the same kind of compatibility with applications and you will not have to give up on your library of iTunes content that can come with you. "There's a lot of goodness that you are going to get on the i8 based systems that we think make it a much better experience for Windows 8 than the competition."

Windows 8/RT Touch

So we all in for some re-training ...
Interesting recommendation in this article about NOT using the Surface keyboard and trackpad until you have mastered the new Windows 8/RT interface.

Windows 8/RT touch interface confuses, frustrates early users: Some early users of Microsoft's Surface RT tablet say they are confused or frustrated by the touch interface on the 10.6-in. display and are relying instead on the attachable keyboard with its more conventional track pad and arrow keys to input commands.

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Windows 8 vs Apple & Google

Yet another perspective on Windows 8 ...
I think the main drift of this article only holds true if you are comparing the Android and iPad tablets with tablets running the full Windows 8 software not Windows RT. Tablets running the full Windows 8 software may cost around $1,000 when they are available so a decent laptop at around $700 may prove to be a better buy, even if a bit heavier!

Opinion: Five reasons why Windows 8 has Apple and Google beaten: Opinion: Five reasons why Windows 8 has Apple and Google beaten
Microsoft is onto something. With Windows 8 it's better positioned than both Apple and Google to ride the coming laptop-tablet convergence wave. It might even eventually give Microsoft a shot at the all-important smartphone market. To understand why, let's count the ways in which Windows 8 is best.

1. Tablet-laptop convergence

Laptops and tablets are converging. And only Microsoft has an OS that's fit for that coming unification of devices. Apple has no convergence strategy at this time. That's because it fiercely guards product-specific profit streams and just doesn't go in for making things that cannibalise its own sales. So, Mac Mini is hobbled to protect iMac. iMac is hobbled to protect Mac Pro. And iPad isn't allowed to wander into MacBook's territory.
Microsoft Surface
Likewise, Chrome OS isn't a fully viable notebook OS. And nor is Android. Windows 8 is the only OS that's a genuine goer for both tablets and laptops.

2. Superior user interface

The interface formerly known as Metro and now labelled 'Modern' is quite literally the most modern of touchscreen UIs. It's not perfect. But it's fresh. It's contemporary. And it's polished.
It combines the responsiveness of Apple's iOS with the power and configurability of Google Android. And it looks better than both.
Windows 8

3. ARM and x86 CPU support

You can argue the toss over the advantages of ARM vs x86 processors. Will ARM continue to have a power efficiency edge? Will the raw power of Intel's x86 chip eventually win the day?
It doesn't matter because with Windows 8, Microsoft now supports both. OK, there's an x86 compatible version on Android out there, too. But for now it's more of an experiment than a serious play in the market. Meanwhile, when it comes to ultramobile operating systems, Apple's iOS is ARM-only..

4. Multi-tasking

Multi-tasking is something that Windows has always nailed, from thread management at the kernel level to the way the UI presents presents multiple apps. Now it's even better than ever thanks to a choice between old-school task bar application management on the desktop and app "snapping" in the Modern UI.
Windows 8
Microsoft has also added some gesture-driven app switching to the Modern UI. Put simply, Windows 8 is miles ahead of iOS and Android for multi-tasking and app switching.

5. Backwards compatibility

OK, this bit only applies to the regular x86 version of Windows 8 and not the ARM-compatible Windows RT, flavour. But only Windows 8 offers you a fully contemporary, touch-enabled ultramobile OS that also supports the huge ecosystem of legacy PC applications and delivers powerful multi-tasking. It really is one OS to rule them all.
Windows 8

It's not all good news

Windows 8 isn't perfect. Limitations abound, including the peculiarly neutered desktop mode in Windows RT. Then there's the pitiful number of touch-enabled apps compared with Android and iOS. But there's plenty of time to get forensic with Windows 8's shortcomings. For now, let's focus on the fact that it's a huge step forward for MS. For you, it means the prospect of genuine device consolidation. Tablet and laptop combined in one device that's more than the sum of its parts. If merit counts for anything, here's hoping Windows 8 will make a tangible dent in both Android and iOS.

Windows RT Headache

Windows RT - "the elephant in the room for Windows 8" ...
I think this a great article! I have been hammering the difference between Windows RT and full Windows 8 at every opportunity but I totally agree with Dan Grabham that there are going to be a lot of disappointed Windows RT purchasers when they find out that Windows RT will not run legacy Windows software. The link at the bottom of this post under "Related stories" is also well worth a read.

Opinion: Windows 8 launch disappoints, Windows RT still a headache: Opinion: Windows 8 launch disappoints, Windows RT still a headache
The shame of the Windows 8 launch was that there was a lot of pizzazz and not an awful lot of news. No big-name app announcements, nothing new demonstrated and no previously unheralded hardware for the assembled journalists to paw over. I hate to say it, but in terms of the launch, it was more Vista than 7. More style than substance. The lack of app announcements is nothing short of baffling. Where's Facebook, for example – a company, lest us not forget, that Microsoft owns a stake in. And what about Twitter? Or Spotify? Or countless others? A corporation of this influence should have been able to rope some decent accomplices in. We did have the Microsoft-owned Skype and New York Times, but these were announced before the Windows 8 launch event and were thought to be the prelude to something bigger. Microsoft should have done more here, primarily because it's doing the Windows Store (and Microsoft's self-styled 'reimagining' of Windows) a disservice. We've seen some decent if not stunning apps so far from the likes of eBay, Wikipedia, the Telegraph, Sky News, Netflix and more, but this story needs to continue to get people enthused about Windows 8 – and decent apps will be far more powerful than a launch event in Times Square.


Windows RT still a headache

True, we did also have Microsoft Surface. But Windows RT remains a total mess – when I wrote a year ago that the lack of legacy app support on RT was the "elephant in the room for Windows 8" I thought Microsoft would have at least thought out a strategy by now for telling people about the lack of desktop app support. Instead, it seems to be pinning its hopes on point-of-sale material and people seeking out more information about the device. The fact there is no Windows 8 Pro-toting Surface as yet only confuses matters. As I wrote in September 2011 "We're all used to buying a Windows PC and sticking all and sundry on it. If people can't do this with an ARM-based Windows tablet but you can with an Intel-based Windows tablet, confusion will reign. So how will Microsoft tell people and help them to work out what's what?" The simple fact is that it hasn't. Quite incredible for something which represents such a gamble for the corporation. Surface's price is decent at £399/$US499/AUD$559 for the 32GB model. That compares favourably with the iPad. But people will still think they're getting full Windows 8 for that. Despite the RT branding, Windows RT and Windows 8 look the same on screen. And Microsoft's insistence that it will tell people about Windows RT's lack of desktop capabilities at every point of purchase falls apart on its own Surface page about Windows RT. See anything here that makes things clear? Windows is now a two-tier operating system – and there will be some very unhappy customers out there who buy Windows RT devices over the coming months. No wonder Apple is laughing.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

MS Surface RT - First Look

Sounds good but not cheap ...
Only first impressions at this stage not a full review. Prices are higher than a good laptop!

Microsoft Surface RT: First impressions: We finally go hands-on with the Surface RT. Here's our first impressions.

Sunday 4 November 2012

Windows XP Turns 11

Many will mourn the passing of Windows XP ...
I for one will miss Windows XP! Working on a daily basis with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, I still think that Windows XP is the most intuitive User Interface (UI) and the easiest OS to get running smoothly and efficiently on 756MB of RAM. Vista and 7 both do some much work in the background that is not easy to control or optimise. 

Windows XP turns 11, still not dead yet: On the same day Microsoft loudly proclaims Windows 8 in New York, the aging-but-still-going Windows XP today quietly celebrated its 11th birthday.

Apple's Walled Garden

Walled Gardens are becoming a real discussion point ...
Obviously this is Microsoft's view but it is still quite interesting.

Microsoft: Apple's walled garden isn't its main app issue: Microsoft: Apple's walled garden isn't its main app issue
Microsoft's coroporate VP for Windows web services has told TechRadar that he believes that is not Apple's walled garden that upsets consumers, but the Cupertino-based giant's decision to not allow apps that compete with its own products on its store. Speaking at a round-table, Antoine LeBlond was asked by TechRadar is the decision of Microsoft to have its own store would bring criticisms of creating its own walled garden. But LeBlonde insisted that it was important to dig a little deeper into what people expect from their app stores.

Walled gardens

"The funny thing is that I think you have to dig a little bit into the walled garden argument because there are a lot of different parts to it," he said. "There really, truly is a pure philosophical point of view that says 'I should be able to create and distribute an app that has all kinds of horrible things in it no matter how horrible they are' and I don't really know what to say about that." "I think what frustrates people with Apple's model in particular is that they have carved out some specific things for their own ownership, so the fact that you can't build an app that sells music, you can't distribute a competing browser [although this is actually possible], you can't distribute a mail app - those are the things that become frustrating to people. "There's that and then there's the economic side of it that says you can't distribute an app where you acquire subscriptions without sharing 30 per cent of fees with Apple. "It's a pretty drastic constraint on developers."

Microsoft Store

LeBlond believes that Microsoft has avoided these pitfalls with its own offering, as Windows 8 makes its long-awaited public debut. "We've taken a very different approach to this," he added. "We're happy with having stores in our store, we're happy having mail apps, browser apps. "If you read our terms and policies we're not carving places out for ourselves."

Apple Lightning Connector

Another money spinner for Apple ...
I like the bit about the in-built processor also checks that the cable is an authentic Apple product!

Explained: Apple Lightning connector: what you need to know: Explained: Apple Lightning connector: what you need to know

Apple Lightning connector explained

Apple's Thunderbolt connectors have a smaller sibling: Lightning, which replaces the familiar Dock connector on the iPhone 5, the iPad 4, iPod touch, iPod nano and iPad miniIt's significantly smaller than the outgoing Dock, but it's received a bit of a mixed reaction from people who've splashed out on Dock-connecting accessories and cables and don't fancy paying for expensive adaptors. Is it a genuine step forward?
Here's what you need to know…