February 15, 2010
WINDOWS PHONE 7 SERIES
If you read gadget sites like Engadget or Gizmodo, then you already know that the world changed today when Microsoft unveiled the “Windows Phone 7 Series,” the next generation of its software for cell phones and a serious attempt to break up the iPhone monopoly on cool handheld devices. Readers of those sites found out that western civilization has finally reached its fruition and mankind is likely to evolve into a higher form of life.
The attention span on those web sites runs about three weeks, so chances are they’ll be distracted by something else shiny […] continued
February 9, 2010
MICROSOFT FLOUNDERS
Windows 7 is a staggering achievement. Microsoft delivered exactly the right product at the right time and will completely dominate desktop computing for the foreseeable future.
Microsoft shows no signs of being able to do anything similar in any of the other areas that will be important to consumers and small businesses in the next ten years.
At some point in the next few months, Microsoft will roll out revamped versions of its Windows Live family – Hotmail, Messenger, Skydrive, and the main Windows Live portal. Some screenshots have leaked but very little information has been […] continued
January 25, 2010
FIREFOX 3.6
Mozilla has released Firefox version 3.6, with increased security, faster display of web pages and Javascript, and some new features for add-ins and themes. Here’s a description of the new release and a video demonstrating some of the new features.
If you are running Firefox, you can get the new version by clicking on Help / Check for updates. Presumably it will soon be offered automatically when you launch Firefox.
Switching from IE is easy: start at this page and you’ll be given lots of information about what to expect. Firefox imports favorites and passwords from IE […] continued
January 20, 2010
UPDATES
I’ve prepared a list of computer safety tips for years. Over time, the advice to keep critical programs up to date has moved to the top spot on the list. You don’t have to spend all your time reading technology news but you do have to be able to identify which reminders are legitimate when they pop up from the system tray.
There’s a weird news story to illustrate why updates are important: the entire network of computers at the University of Exeter has been locked down and taken offline for days because a virus has […] continued
January 16, 2010
GOOGLE AND CHINA
The technical side of Google’s blowup in China is shaping up as an explosive story about technology and hacking. Keep an eye on this one!
On Tuesday Google announced that it would no longer comply with Chinese censorship demands and might cease operating in China altogether. As I understand it, Google has set up a separate search page that operates within China and censors some search results as requested by the Chinese government. I believe Google also cooperates with the government in blocking access to Google.com. Update: Apparently Google.com can be reached from Chinese computers but search results are […] continued
January 13, 2010
ACCESS ONLINE FILES WITH GOOGLE DOCS
Google announced today that you will soon be able to store any kind of file online in Google Docs, which until now has been basically limited to text and spreadsheets. Anyone with a Google Account will be able to store 1Gb of files online and access them from any computer.
If you’ve been following along, then this sounds like old news. Microsoft has let you store files online for free using Windows Live Skydrive since 2008, with a current storage limit of 25Gb, not a paltry 1Gb. There are some differences – Google will allow […] continued
January 7, 2010
PASSWORDS: GOOGLE ACCOUNTS AND WINDOWS LIVE ID
Previously:
Passwords: computer login
Passwords: e-mail
Google and Microsoft have created single sign-on systems where a master password provides access to a broad range of free services. When you sign in to your Google account and Windows Live ID, the companies’ online services will act like an extension of your computer, giving you seamless access to your online files, your pictures, social networks, messaging, games, file sharing and syncing, and many more ways to interact with your friends […] continued
December 7, 2009
UPDATES TO NEW YORK TIMES, GOOGLE
Two recent announcements.
The New York Times officially added “Times Skimmer” to its family of web sites, with an attractive interface for browsing through news stories without scrolling. Here’s the announcement, and here’s more information about Times Skimmer. Make sure you’re also familiar with the standalone New York Times Reader, an even better way to read the news on a computer.
Google rolled out a minor change to its home page, adding an effect that initially displays an almost bare page with a search box. The other menus and links will fade in […] continued
November 20, 2009
GOOGLE TESTS SEARCH OPTIONS
Google built its reputation on its streamlined, minimalist home page and search results, but it may change that design to add more information soon. A small number of people will randomly begin to see “Google Search Options” displayed on the left of the search results as Google runs tests to expose useful features and make results more predictable. Here’s an article with details about the tests and comments by Google’s design diva Marissa Mayer.
If you do a search today on Google, the search results are laid out this way.
Across the top are links that […] continued
October 16, 2009
GOOGLE’S ABANDONED LIBRARY
The Google Book initiative is a huge undertaking. Google is digitizing tens of millions of books and promising to make them available to the world forever. Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, wrote an impassioned editorial for the New York Times a few days ago, citing the destruction of the library at Alexandria as evidence of how important it is to preserve books for the ages, which Google promises to do.
Google gives away enough of its services that it takes an effort to remember that Google makes fourteen kajillion dollars every day and there are […] continued
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