Monday 28 December 2015

Apple set to slump in 2016?

Has Apple run out of products to launch? ...
Predictions are that Apple will have a year of consolidation in 2016 with few new products, if any, hitting the marketplace.

Apple sales set to slump in 2016 with no new products, analysts warn:

SpaceX Falcon 9's success

SpaceX successful launch and landing ...
Some interesting photos of the SpaceX launch and landing. See the full video at http://www.spacex.com/webcast/.

SpaceX releases close-up photos of Falcon 9's successful launch and landing | The Verge:

Google & Ford Self Drive Cars

Google setting up partnerships for self drive cars ...
Good idea to involve major car manufacturers like Ford to help with all the vehicle regulations from one country to the next.

Google And Ford Will Reportedly Team Up To Build Self-Driving Cars | TechCrunch:

Google, Facebook Top in Apps

Operating Systems and Apps in the US ...
Google Maps on iPhoneApple iOS enjoys nearly 43% market share in the US - very different to the rest of the world which is largely Android. Either way Microsoft hardly gets a look in!

Google, Facebook Have Most Popular Phone Apps – Nielsen | Re/code:

Microsoft's biggest problem

Microsoft needs some significant apps ...
top smartphone appsThis chart says it all as far as Microsoft is concerned!

Microsoft's biggest problem, in a single chart - Dec. 18, 2015:

Android Pay in Australia 2016

Australia - one of the first for Android Pay ...
mobilemoney3Another way to make purchases which will eliminate cash and cards.

Google to bring Android Pay to Australia next year - Gadget Guy Australia:

A brief history of USB

Useful history of the humble USB connection ...
History of the USB connection from what it replaced to next generation USB-C.

A brief history of USB, what it replaced, and what has failed to replace it | Ars Technica:

Google Fires At Sonos

Chromecast Audio get Sonos type enhancements ...
multiThis is great but I just wish Google would launch Chromecast Audio in Australia. Why such a delayed release to Australia and other countries?

Google Fires At Sonos, Adds Multi-Room Support To Chromecast Audio | TechCrunch:

OneDrive users keep 15GB

Microsoft losing its customer focus again? ...
Either this was a deliberate plan to achieve the end result whilst showing Microsoft users its was listening to its users OR it was just a bad decision which had to be retracted!

Microsoft is letting OneDrive users keep their 15GB of free storage after all | The Verge:

We won't have clothes

Certainly a new use case for drones ...
Think I will leave this one without a comment!

We won't have clothes in the future, just little drones with curtains | The Verge:

Google Photos Gets Easier

Google Photos makes photo sharing easier ... 
Google Photos just gets better all the time! Still plenty of opportunities for further enhancement like captions and allowing comments from those who you share with!

Google Photos Gets Easy-To-Use Shared Albums | TechCrunch:

Tim Cook bitter about Google

Apple being beaten at its own game ...
For years Apple has been infiltrating the classroom in the hope that once students use Apple hardware they will stay with it the rest of their lives! problem is that Chromebooks suit the job much better and are a LOT cheaper!

Tim Cook is bitter that Google is beating Apple in the classroom | The Verge:

Find Drive files easily

Google Drive improves search functionality ...
For those that lose files frequently(!) Google has improved the search functionality within Google Drive!

Google Drive Makes It Easier To Find The Files You’re Looking For | TechCrunch:

Sunday 27 December 2015

Ookla moves to HTM5

Speedtest by Ookla moves to HTML5 ...
Nice improvement to Speedtest.net coming after a suitable period of beta testing. Go to beta.speedtest.net to try it out!

The best way to check your internet speed is dropping Adobe Flash | The Verge:

Google Play family for $14.99

Like other streaming music but includes YouTube Red ...
A very competitive music streaming package for up to 6 people that includes ad free YouTube Red.

Google Play Music launches $14.99 family plan for up to six people | The Verge:

Calendar Gets Reminders

Useful new Google Calendar feature ...
Not full task management but a very useful feature for simple reminders. Already synchronizing between Google Keep, Google Now and Google Calendar on Android, I am really looking forward to when it eventually makes it's way to Google Calendar on the desktop!

Google Calendar Gets Reminders | TechCrunch:

Windows turns 30 - history

Useful history of Microsoft Windows so far ...
Windows turns 30: Lets look at 11 main versions of Windows so farWindows XP came out in October 2001, not that long ago, and yet it seems so old!

Windows turns 30: Lets look at 11 main versions of Windows so far | Zee News:

Hangouts with no Google A/C

Hangout participation without a Google account ...
A good idea to further Hangout conference calling. No longer a requirement that all participants need to have a Google account.

Google Hangout Participants No Longer Need A Google Account For Work Meetings | TechCrunch:

Google 'streaming' apps

Interesting new app idea from Google ...
Google search results delivers apps and content within appsThis could confuse users even more! Do I have this app already?

Google lets you run apps on your phone without requiring a download | TechRadar:

Thursday 24 December 2015

​Cybercriminals net $1.2b

Australians lose $1.2b to cyber criminals in 2015 ...
Some timely reminders in this article from Computerworld. Make sure that you are not a victim of ransomware by having up-to-date backups of all your personal data (documents, photos etc). Make sure you do not leave your backup device connected to your PC otherwise your backup files will be encrypted along with your working copies.

Cybercriminals net $1.2b from Australians: Report - Computerworld:

Meet The New Google+

Google redesigns Google+ to meet the popular use ...
Having already removed Photos and Hangouts from Google+, Google has decided to move it away from a Facebook lookalike and concentrate on the the two areas that Google+ is popular, namely Communities and Collections. As it happens, these are the two areas of Google+ that I have used the longest!

Behind The +1: Meet The New Google+(Plus) | TechCrunch:

Release Phone Photo Storage

Google Photos helps to free up space on your phone ...
Google Photos gets smarter at releasing photo storage space once your photos have been automatically backed up from your phone.

Google Photos Will Now Help You Free Up Space On Your Phone | TechCrunch:

Google's $85 Chromebit

Chrome OS based computer on an HDMI stick ...
Google continues to develop amazingly cheap functional units that plug straight into your flat screen TV. This time partnering with ASUS to produce a Chrome OS based computer that can be plugged into any TV with a spare HDMI port! Add a mouse and and a keyboard and you can do anything you can do on a Chromebook!

Google And ASUS Launch The $85 Chromebit, A Chrome OS Desktop On An HDMI Stick | TechCrunch:

Voice Search Gets Smarter

Google Voice search gets even smarter ...
Answering consecutive questions based on the context is really getting very good. I still have a problem with voice search as you feel silly asking your phone questions in public!

Google Voice Search Gets Smarter, Now Understands Complex Questions And Their Meaning | TechCrunch:

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Easier Windows 10 activation

Easier Windows 10 activation in November update ...
At last, an easier way to perform a clean install of Windows 10 and then be able to legitimately activate the software.

The latest Windows 10 update makes activation way easier than before | The Verge:

Gmail warn Unencrypted Emails

Progress towards fully encrypted emails accelerating ...
Google's attention to security is a good example to ISPs that are not yet encrypting emails. 

Gmail Will Soon Warn Users When Emails Arrive Over Unencrypted Connections | TechCrunch:

Windows 10 November Update

Useful outline of the November Windows 10 update ...
Having now done this update several times, it is obvious it is basically a complete replacement for the Windows 10 version that was distributed on 29th July 2015! It takes about as long to update as going from Windows 8 to Windows 10!

Windows 10 November Update: features, fixes, and enterprise readiness | Ars Technica:

Google’s New “About Me” Page

Useful way of checking what is available publicly ...
To check your "About Me" page you need to go to https://aboutme.google.com/ when you are logged into your Google account.

Google’s New “About Me” Page Lets You Control What Personal Info Others Can See | TechCrunch:

Chrome ends XP support

Another nail in the Windows XP coffin ...
In April 2016 Google will end Chrome browser support for Windows XP. It had to come but at least they continued the support for 2 years after Microsoft had ceased support for the Operating System.

Chrome to end support for Windows XP, Vista, and OS X 10.8 on April 2016 | Ars Technica:

Google Maps Offline Nav

Google adds offline turn by turn navigation to Maps ...
This is a great facility that has been added to Google Maps. You can download a specific area so that it is always available whether you have an Internet connection or not!

Google Maps Gets Offline Navigation And Search | TechCrunch:

Monday 9 November 2015

Upcoming Windows 10 Update

What to expect in this week's Windows 10 update ...
Windows 10 Threshold 2 is being delivered this week and this article points out what it contains. Interesting change to installation procedure if you want a clean Windows 10 install.

New Windows 10 Insider build today expected to roll out to everyone next week | Ars Technica:

Booming crypto ransomware

Ransomware - a booming industry we don't want ...
Be very careful to NOT click on links or open attachments on emails from supposedly Fedex, Australia Post etc. If in doubt as to its origin just delete! Never leave you backup hard drive connected to your PC!!

Booming crypto ransomware industry employs new tricks to befuddle victims | Ars Technica:

Sunday 8 November 2015

Chrome OS and Android

Interesting perspective of Chrome OS vs Android ...
This is an interesting summary of the controversy over Chrome OS and Android's future.

Why Google is committed to Chrome OS - Computerworld:

Chromebook sales up & away

Google's Chromebook allows diversification for OEMs ...
Pixel3Other Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have been looking for an alternative Operating System to offset the decline in the PC sales over the last couple of years. Chrome OS offered that opportunity with most now offering a Chromebook product.

Google and PC makers are teaming up to take on Microsoft and Apple | Business Insider:

Unlimited OneDrive gone

Microsoft pulls back on unlimited OneDrive storage ...
It is not just the unlimited offer to Office 365 users will be pulled back to 1 TB but that users with the free 15 GB will be pulled back to just 5 GB. Google Drive is now the clear leader!

Microsoft drops unlimited OneDrive storage after people use it for unlimited storage | Ars Technica:

Chrome OS Is Here To Stay

Despite reports Google says Chrome OS here to stay ...
Can't help thinking the reports of Android taking over Chrome OS may have been extrapolated thinking based on some chance remarks! Google would be stupid to kill off Chrome OS when it is doing so well!

Google: Chrome OS Is Here To Stay | TechCrunch:

Microsoft pushes Windows 10

Microsoft to get more aggressive with Windows 10 ...
There is a fine line between encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 10 and downright bullying! The latter may well steer consumers away from Windows permanently!

Microsoft planning to automatically offer Windows 10 to existing PCs | The Verge:

No Edge extensions till 2016

Microsoft Edge is still only a very basic application ...
Microsoft is still delivering Windows 10 and this continue well into 2016. After that we can look forward to continuous feature enhancements!

Microsoft Edge won’t get Chrome-like extensions until 2016 | Ars Technica:

Next Windows 10 update

Threshold 2 Update for Windows 10 in early November ...
Microsoft Surface Book with Windows 10Possibly a really big update to Windows 10 coming in the November Patch Tuesday (Wednesday for Australia). 

The next major Windows 10 update could arrive this week | TechRadar:

Google Photos 100 M users

Google really hit the jackpot with this product ...
This photo storage product from Google has really taken the lead with unlimited storage for photos up to 16 megapixels in size.

Google Photos hits 100 million monthly users after five months | The Verge:

Google Calendar A Trash Can

Time saver for those deleted calendar entries that ...
Google Calendar now has a Bin (Trash) that holds deleted calendar entries for 30 days! It works very well!

Google Calendar For The Web Gets A Trash Can | TechCrunch:

Chrome mutes individual tabs

A useful new Feature in Google Chrome ...
Auto playing adverts are a real pain when you have multiple tabs open but Chrome is making it easier to handle.

Chrome now lets you mute individual tabs | The Verge:

Windows 10 Optional Update

Microsoft admits error making Windows 10 an optional update ...
Is this just because they got caught and the backlash was doing them too much damage?

Windows 10 upgrade installing automatically on some Windows 7, 8 systems | Ars Technica:

Dropbox Announces Paper

Coming soon to your Dropbox account ...
Looks like Dropbox is trying to muscle in on Google Docs and Office Online!

Dropbox Announces Paper, A Google Docs Competitor | TechCrunch:

“USB Killer” flash drive

Now here's something to put you off flash drives ...
Watch those flash drives that you get for free and not in a packet from a reputable manufacturer. Another reason to use the 'Cloud' for backing up and transferring data!

“USB Killer” flash drive can fry your computer’s innards in seconds | Ars Technica:

Best free video converters

A worthwhile collection of free video converters ...
Seems strange that a very popular one called Handbrake is not included in this collection!

7 of the best free video converters | TechRadar:

HTTP-HTTPS mixed content

A worth noting change to Chrome Browser ...
Seems that more and more websites are going https but it is a long process!

Chrome finally kills off the HTTP-HTTPS “mixed content” warning | Ars Technica:

Saturday 7 November 2015

Apple most valuable company?

Interesting comparison with some other giants ...
Apple has certainly got the lead at the moment (largely dependent on the iPhone) but it needs to check in its rear vision mirror more often! Blackberry, Nokia and Kodak know how it feels!

Apple is the world’s most valuable company, but for how long?:

Why does Microsoft exist?

An interview with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella ...
Undoubtedly, Satya Nadella is the best thing to happen at Microsoft for years! Microsoft is now climbing right into Apple's space with its own hardware (laptops, tablets, phones, wrist bands, HoloLens, XBox and Azure Cloud) BUT with all devices running the one Operating System Windows 10, not two (OS X and iOS). Hardware prices will be similar, but Apple can't turn an iPhone into a desktop (yet)!

Why does Microsoft exist? An interview with CEO Satya Nadella | The Verge:

Microsoft Launch - 9 minutes

Now this is a very different Microsoft ...
There is some real innovation coming out of Microsoft these days! Just watch this 9 minute video! You had better start moving Apple!

Take 9 minutes to watch Microsoft's best product unveiling in years | The Verge: