July 13, 2010
WINDOWS LIVE SYNC AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Microsoft is finalizing a new version of Windows Live Sync, its free software for syncing files among different computers. The new version replaces the two overlapping programs available from Microsoft for the last few years, Windows Live Sync and Live Mesh, combining features from both of them.
This should be good news. Microsoft has declared that the entire resources of the company are being devoted to moving us to the cloud. The file syncing program could have been an important part of that transition to a new way of working with our files that is less tied to […] continued
June 21, 2010
MAGCLOUD
Here’s a service that might help you with an upcoming occasion or give you a new creative outlet.
MagCloud was put together by HP Labs to demonstrate what can be done with high speed printers that can handle small jobs as easily as big ones. It takes files that you create and upload and turns them into magazines for twenty cents a page, regardless of whether you order one copy, a hundred copies, or a thousand copies. The magazines are printed on heavy glossy paper, with high-resolution photos and perfect color reproduction.
HP designed the service for fledgling […] continued
May 13, 2010
VISUAL SEARCH WITH GOOGLE GOGGLES
As I said last month, each of you might find one or two apps for a smartphone that get you all excited – the apps that you show people to demonstrate how cool your new phone is.
I found mine. Google Goggles amazes me. If you’ve got an Android phone, you’ve got to check this out. It’s a free download from the Android Marketplace. (There have been vague hints that it will eventually be ported to iPhones and other platforms but don’t hold your breath for that.)
Google Goggles lets you use pictures taken with […] continued
April 25, 2010
J RIVER MEDIA CENTER 15
Long time readers know that periodically I mention J River Media Center, the program I’ve used for many years to organize my embarrassingly large music library. If you’re not familiar with the program, then please go read my write-up a few months ago, where I tried to make it clear who it might appeal to – and more importantly, who should not consider it. Anything that touches your music library, your photos and your videos should not be taken lightly!
Development has begun on J River Media Center 15, as the company continues to add […] continued
April 22, 2010
SENDING PHOTOS ONLINE WITH WINDOWS LIVE PHOTO GALLERY
Last month I described one way to move photos online with Microsoft’s free photo program, Windows Live Photo Gallery, using the built-in option to publish photos on Skydrive.
It turns out that Windows Live Photo Gallery can also send photos online to a number of other services, making it even more flexible than I realized. It takes a moment to install a connector to some of the services, which then appear on the “Publish” button in Photo Gallery.
Here’s a page that lists the plug-ins for Photo Gallery. The Big Four:
- FACEBOOK LiveUpload to
[…] continued
March 25, 2010
PHOTO SHARING ON SKYDRIVE
For many people, Windows Live Photo Gallery is the best program for displaying, tagging, and doing light editing of photos. It’s free, attractive, and helps you do simple photo chores without the mind-numbing complexity of Adobe Photoshop Elements. Sure, serious photo junkies will use Photoshop, Lightroom, or other programs, but Windows Live Photo Gallery is just right for the rest of us.
When you log in with your Windows Live ID, you can share photos online directly from Windows Live Photo Gallery. It’s an alternative to Photobucket, Flickr or Picasa with a nice online presentation (see […] continued
February 4, 2010
WHO WILL BUY THE APPLE iPAD?
Who’s going to buy an Apple iPad?
Well, not you or me, anyway – not this version, not at $600-800.
It’s not going to revolutionize anything, it’s not going to replace netbooks, but it will find large and devoted audiences, particularly after the price drops and some features get added. It’s easy to imagine version 2 or 3 with the built-in camera that ought to have been there all along, and with the GPS receiver that is driving the most interesting uses of the iPhone. More importantly, a couple of years from now the low-end version of the […] 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
July 9, 2009
BING AND SEARCH RESULTS
Bing is Microsoft’s new service for Internet searches. As I wrote last month, its search results are more or less comparable to Google and it has some nice design touches that can make it easier to use than Google. You may want to give it a look, especially if you’re doing searches in the categories of travel, shopping, health, or local business information – Bing has particular strengths for those searches to help you narrow in on useful information.
New York Times columnist David Pogue just wrote a column about the comparison between Bing and Google and the […] continued
May 20, 2009
ON-DEMAND PUBLISHING
Today Amazon began selling a book of photographs and essays about Barack Obama’s campaign for the presidency and his first 100 days in office. It’s not the first book like that but this one has an interesting twist, and the publishing industry is hoping you find it compelling – or if not this one, then another one that uses the same technology.
You see, this one can include some of your own photos and words, interspersed throughout the book. Maybe you have some photos related to the inauguration, or you want to turn it into a personal statement about […] continued