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Microsoft's Real Problem: The Second Coming of Apple
It has been so long since Microsoft had anything real to worry about in these businesses that it's easy to take their perpetual domination for granted. Don't.
We've written frequently about the cloud computing threat: Google, Yahoo, Amazon, and other web-based services companies offering functionality and apps for free that Microsoft currently charges a boatload for. Microsoft is aware of this threat and is moving to try to combat it. But if it smoothly navigates a technology paradigm shift of this magnitude, it will be one of the first dominant technology vendors in history to do so. (Think IBM's transition from mainframes, DEC, etc.)
The second major threat, however, comes from a company that Microsoft once left on the edge of death: Apple (In fact, Microsoft actually helped save Apple once, by becoming a shareholder, so it could demonstrate to regulators that it did, in fact, have a competitor. At the time, it didn't). It has been so long since Microsoft had anything real to worry about in these businesses that it's easy to take their perpetual domina... more -
Add Laptop Location Tracking Security, for Free
A new open source project allows computer users to add surreptitious location tracking to their systems. Windows, Mac and Linux versions are available.
Adeona, from researchers at the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego, anonymously sends data to servers on a free storage system called OpenDHT. The data, which is encrypted, includes IP addresses, information about neighboring routers, and so forth. If your notebook ever gets stolen you can log into the system from another computer, access the data and notify authorities with it. Working with ISPs they should be able to locate it. The Mac version also uses a freeware program called isightcapture to take a picture of whoever is using the system.
Commercial versions of such products, such as CompuTrace's LoJack for Laptops, have been available for a long time. Typically they also offer a remote wiping function, which would seem to be a major advantage, at least for businesses.
It's not clear whether the location tracking information in the commercial products is any different from this free version. The ultimate version would use GPS hardware, but this is not typically included in notebook computers. Perhaps it should be.
A new open source project allows computer users to add surreptitious location tracking to their systems. Windows, Mac and Linux versio... more -
Microsoft Crashes Xp so you'll upgrade!
I can't find much information on this topic perhaps current can fix that.
Microsoft announces that it will discontinue support for Windows Xp. Up until now Windows Xp has been one of the most stable operating systems Microsoft has ever put out.
Soon after the announcement they release Windows Xp service pack 3. Xp operating systems all over the world suddenly collapse and cause massive IT headaches. The solution? Remove the new Service pack.
Next problem windows releases critical MS update KB951748. Suddenly Xp operating systems all over the world experience crashes, some cannot access the internet with their web browsers and more.
It may be just another conspiracy theory but I find it hard to believe that the software giant can release these code packages and have such wide spread mayhem just happen out of the blue. I'm sure they run tests on the code before they release it to the public at large. They have to know what's going to happen when users install it on their systems.
I have a large family with 10 computers in the house. We experienced identical problems on all systems running XP. 6 computers experience the same problem in one house. Multiply that nationally, then internationally.
If it's a coincidence then someone at Microsoft should be fired. If it's intentional then some one at Microsoft should be prosecuted. It's strange that suddenly when a new OS is on the way, that the most stable OS the giant has produced in years suddenly suffers critical failures and massive melt downs, only after having installed new code packages from the company.
Just a p.s. follow up note. 4 of our computers run Vista. Vista is virtually identical to Xp except for one critical feature..... It won't run on older hardware.....and you have to purchase it for up to $300 US.... Coincidence? I can't find much information on this topic perhaps current can fix that. ... more -
Will Microsoft be better once Bill Gates is gone?
On June 27th, Bill Gates steps aside at Microsoft. "Change is the only constant" is a favorite cliché among technology types. But for an industry that loves to talk about change, its leading lights don't do too much of it, at least not when it comes to turning over control of their companies. On June 27th, Bill Gates steps aside at Microsoft. "Change is the only constant" is a favorite cliché among technology types. But for ... more
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Nvidia unveils GeForce GTX 200 graphics processors
Graphics chip maker Nvidia on Monday introduced its new family of GeForce GTX 200 graphics processors. The new processors are featured in PC graphics cards that will be available later this month starting at US$399.
Nvidia claims the GeForce GTX 200 processors provide up to 50 percent faster gaming performance over the GeForce 8800 Ultra GPU, which is even faster than the top-end Nvidia graphics card available as an add-on board for today's Mac Pro systems. The GPUs also support Scalable Link Interface (SLI), a technology that enables more than one Nvidia card to work together in the same computer in parallel; PureVideo HD, video decoding and post-processing technology; and Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA), which enables programmers to offload processor-intensive tasks to the Nvidia graphics chip and card.
Nvidia's newest GTX 200 series cards can help improve graphics and general processing performance. While no Mac-specific announcement has been made by Nvidia, the company uses a unified driver architecture across its product line. That enables the new Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to work on the Mac if Apple decides it's worth the effort. As it stands now, Nvidia has announced that several of its manufacturing partners are creating boards based on the new design, including ASUS, a fabricator that Apple also uses for some of its manufacturing.
Graphics chip maker Nvidia on Monday introduced its new family of GeForce GTX 200 graphics processors. The new processors are featured... more -
ADDIO FILI: DA OGGI IL CELLULARE (E NON SOLO!) ME LO RICARICO VIA WIRELESS!!
Addio cari vecchi caricabetterie. Addio fili. Avete mai pensato come sarebbe più facile e comodo muoversi, viaggiare senza dover pensare a spine da trovare per attaccare i caricabatteria, o, all’estero, preoccuparsi di adattatori necessari per ricaricare i nostri cellulari, i nostri pc portatili?
Bene, da oggi potrebbe essere possibile.
I ricercatori del MIT hanno proposto un modo per dire addio ai normali caricabatterie a filo che ogni giorno siamo costretti ad usare. In pratica la ricarica dei dispositivi portatili potrebbe avvenire senza la presenza di cavi ma tramite una tecnologia di irradiazione: siamo dinanzi ad un vero e proprio sistema di ricarica wireless.
I ricercatori del Mit hanno lavorato per dar vita ad un sistema teorico per il trasferimento senza fili di energia che carichi dispositivi nel raggio di un paio di metri da una 'stazione energetica'. Il fenomeno alla base di questa idea è quello dell'accoppiamento induttivo che avviene quando una corrente elettrica passa attraverso un normale cavo: intorno ad esso si forma un campo magnetico e a sua volta questo induce corrente bel cavo vicino.
Per creare un raggio più vasto, i ricercatori propongono uno schema nuovo: un stazione energetica collegata alla rete elettrica emette una radiazione elettromagnetica a bassa frequenza tra i 4 e i 10 megahertz. L’indubbio vantaggio dei sistemi di alimentazione wireless è quello della universalità, potendo caricare con un solo dispositivo attaccato alla rete elettrica un’ampia gamma di dispositivi, senza dover ricorrere al trasformatore proprietario, come ogni accade anche troppo spesso.
Ma dopo la teoria del Mit, arriva sul mercato il dispositivo creato dai ricercatori dell'Università della Florida, capace di trasferire fino al 70% dell'energia assorbita dalla rete ai dispositivi posti sulla superficie attiva. Nel frattempo, Epson e MuRata hanno stertto un accordo per arrivare allo sviluppo di un caricabatterie wireless che utilizza la tecnologia denominata AirTrans, che fornisce ebnergia nel modo più sicuro possibile con sistemi di riconoscimento e autenticazione. Intanto Powercast adotta la tecnologia teorizzata dal Mit.
Uno dei primi problemi che i ricercatori dovranno presto risolvere se si vorrà davvero avere la tanto agognata universalità, è quello di sviluppare un’elettronica per imparare a gestire le combinazioni diverse della vita reale.
Keep in touch!
Fabio 31183
CREATIVE VIDEO PRODUCER Addio cari vecchi caricabetterie. Addio fili. Avete mai pensato come sarebbe più facile e comodo muoversi, viaggiare senza dover pensa... more -
Silicon insider: is the PC doomed?
With the rush to add cool features to the iPhone, the PC may get left behind. The best way to find out is to keep an eye on next week's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). For the first time ever, this conference has sold out – and that means it won't be just Mac software developers showing up, but a whole new generation of companies designing for the iPhone … including a bunch of outfits that have never considered working with Apple before.
At a time when the feud between Gates and Ballmer is hitting the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and erstwhile partner AT&T is all but forcing iPhone users to hack their devices (and thus free Apple, with full deniability, from that partnership), all Jobs & Co. have to do right now is just stay the course and not screw up.
Of course, Apple has much bigger plans than that. With the rush to add cool features to the iPhone, the PC may get left behind. The best way to find out is to keep an eye on next week... more -
"Mac or PC" rap music video
If you are a computer geek, you'll love this video.
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Visualizzare le anteprime delle finestre nella barra di sistema di Windows XP
Su Windows Vista, se ti soffermi, per qualche secondo, con il mouse sul pulsante di una finestra o di un programma nella barra di sistema, appare automaticamente una comodissima anteprima della stessa finestra o programma.
Devi sapere che esiste un programma totalmente gratuito che permette di utilizzare questa utilissima funzione anche su Windows XP. E’ molto facile da utilizzare e non richiede alcuna installazione. Ecco come usarlo.
Collegati sul sito Internet di Visual Tooltip e fai click sulla voce Visualtooltip 2.2 ( zip 400 Ko) per scaricare il programma. Al termine dello scaricamento, fai doppio click sull’archivio appena scaricato ed estraine il contenuto in una cartella qualsiasi del tuo computer.
Avvia il programma VisualToolTip.exe e seleziona Italiano dal menu a tendina nella finestra appena comparsa. Adesso, spostati nella scheda Miniature ed imposta, tramite le apposite barre, le dimensioni che vuoi far assumere alle anteprime delle finestre.
Nella scheda Display, spunta la voce Avvia all’apertura di Windows per fare avviare il programma ad ogni avvio di Windows. Una volta completata la configurazione di Visual Tooltip, non ti resta che cliccare sul pulsante OK e goderti il programma in funzione.
Se adesso provi a posizionarti con il mouse per qualche secondo su uno dei pulsanti della barra di sistema di Windows XP, vedrai infatti comparire le anteprime delle finestre, proprio come accade su Windows Vista. Su Windows Vista, se ti soffermi, per qualche secondo, con il mouse sul pulsante di una finestra o di un programma nella barra di sist... more -
Game Review- Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance (PC)
This is a clip from Season 2 of Video Masters TV. Here, Jason reviews the PC game, Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance.
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Is Obama a Mac and Clinton a PC?
NY Times contributor Noam Cohen compares the two democratic candidates' websites. His semiotic analysis seems to point at the conclusion that Obama is a Mac and Clinton is a PC.
"Mr. Obama’s site is more harmonious, with plenty of white space and a soft blue palette. Its task bar is reminiscent of the one used at Apple’s iTunes site. It signals in myriad ways that it was designed with a younger, more tech-savvy audience in mind — using branding techniques similar to the ones that have made the iPod so popular.
In contrast, Mrs. Clinton’s site uses a more traditional color scheme of dark blue, has sharper lines dividing content and employs cookie-cutter icons next to its buttons for volunteering, and the like."
NY Times contributor Noam Cohen compares the two democratic candidates' websites. His semiotic analysis seems to point at the conclusi... more -
The HP Blackbird 002: a look inside
Rahul Sood and Mark Solomon give an in depth walkthrough of the Blackbird 002
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Mac versus PC: the experts declare a winner
Popular Mechanics says there is a clear victor when comparing the common PC against the Mac.
For their test, the magazine matched a Gateway One PC against an iMac.
They logged boot-up and shutdown times; the time it took for each computer to rip a CD; made each computer play Saving Private Ryan; and in a grueling test made each computer play three video sources, DivX encoding, instant messaging, Word, Adobe Acrobat and a spyware scan simultaneously.
But the most interesting aspect was which computer ran MS Vista the best. Popular Mechanics says there is a clear victor when comparing the common PC against the Mac. ... more -
Windows XP Will Soon Be Gone
By June, the XP OS will be off shelves, while support will end in April 2009. Macs never looked more attractive.
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Apple vs. ...Psystar? Revenge of the Nerds!
New tech company Psystar plans to see their new $400 OpenComputer PC with Apple's Leopard software pre-installed. The pun is that... Apple can't do anything about it! New tech company Psystar plans to see their new $400 OpenComputer PC with Apple's Leopard software pre-installed. The pun is that... A... more
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Should you build or buy that next gaming system?
Game Guru Chris takes you through the crucial gaming decision of build it or buy it.
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Unboxing of Blackbird 002
Greg "TheVede" Vederman,former Editor-in-Chief of PC Gamer magazine, unboxes a Blackbird 002.
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HP & Voodoo @ CES
I'm here checking out the great gear from HP & Voodoo at CES.
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Buzz Cloud
Checking out HP Voodoo's Buzz Cloud at their CES booth.
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CES Sneak Peek
I've arrived early to get a sneak peek at how a booth comes together at CES!
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