Things, it has to be said, aren’t looking as good for microsoft as they were 5 years ago. Revolts over Vista and the sustained demand for XP service packs leaves one thinking that Vista was a bit of a failure. This was preceeded by the sudden popularity boost in macs, and the i-pod is one thing that Microsoft can’t compete with. Neithers the i-phone. Or the I-mac. Oh and they’re great new security system had to be abondoned due to EU regulations regarding fair trade. And then they watched as the intenet slipped away from them thanks to google, myspace, youtube and yahoo (to name just a few). So what does Microsoft do? Use what they have a lot of: money. And even that didn’t really work.
In attempt to battle Google’s domination of the internet, Microsoft put in a bid to buy Yahoo, which would get them back into the internet game. However eventually they were forced to walk away due to the stubbornness of Yahoo and try something else, and what better than Facebook?
Microsoft already own a stake in Facebook (approxamatly $240 million of the $15 facebook values itself at) and according to the wall steet journal Micosoft bankers have been making subtle signals to Facebook to see if it would be open to a full acquisition. Who knows how this will play out… but there’s only one way to find out!
Yesterday (Friday 15th) Microsoft announced plans to release a subscription service which has been codenamed Albany. It is a move that will put Microsoft on the ‘on demand’ map, and will allow access to Home and Student version of Microsoft Office 2007, the Windows Live OneCare security software and a variety of Microsoft’s other free software, including Live Mail and Messenger.
Unfortunately there are no details as to when this will be available, or as to what the cost will be, but it could well end up being a cheaper alternative to buying the software as you would only pay for it when you needed it. But again we will have to wait for more information but it does promise free updates, which would defiantly be an advantage.
Hailed as being a masterpiece of modern internet access that will revolutionize the way we use the internet, i figuered it was time to have a look at this little technology wonder and see whether it lived up to the hype.
When you first look at it you can’t help but notice the sleek design and the crisp finish that surrounds it. It looks pretty cool, and is thin and small enough to fit into a large pocket with ease. When you open up you also get a sleek welcome, and a keyboard that looks neat, an works well if you get used to it. It also has a very good battery life, which is important for some thing that it designed to be mobile, but unfortunately that is where the probems start.
PocketSurfer2 is advertised as being: Free, anytime, anywhere access. To be honest only one of those words is accurate, and that is ‘access’. Although it gives the impression of being free, Datawind (?) the people behind PocketSurfer2 have come up with a clever way of getting money off you. Firstly they use GPRS, which is cheap for them, which they have managed to speed up so it can render pages in 7 seconds, which isn’t bad. However they give you the first year free (probably covered by the hefty $350 price tag) before charging you $80 for the year after. Now am i just being stupid, or is $80 more than free? Also that only covers for 20 Hrs a month (thus making it not anytime, and if you want more? an extra $12 a month.
Also because it uses GPRS it has limited reception, so the claim that it can be used anywhere is also hollow.
Verdict: Taking into account that it is, really, just an ordinary internet surfer it is quite good, as it is easy to use and is relativly quick, but it is a bit of a let down considering what is promised, and for the money
you could get a better Epc, or even a low spec brand laptop.
Yup, replace the internet. That’s how theGlobal Grid Forum would have it. A while ago, I posted about the revolutionary Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. One tiny thing I forgot to mention is the incredible computing power needed to process endless data that the LHC will be churning out (said to be some peta-bytes of data annually, whatever would that be).
Solution: Invent a turbocharged internet that will connect supercomputers around the world. The whole thing is ominously called the Grid or the LHC Computing Grid. The specs include dedicated routing, fiber optics, servers, and, of course, supercomputers. Result: Download that’s 10000 times faster than broadband. That’s faster than Caltech’s Fast Transmission Control Protocol ( = 6000x faster). It turns out Caltech is involved in the Grid project.
However, the Grid is more than just fast downloads. It’s really about consolidating the world’s supercomputers to detect and analyze elusive sub-atomic particles (at this point).
And before I forget, the Grid is already online. It’s time to coin new terms, man! Where were you when I was plugged into the Matrix, er, the Grid? Still surfing? Haha!
Verdict: Said to download the Rolling Stones back catalogue from Britain to Japan in two seconds.
Revised verdict: Hints at the Matrix, Terminator 3, I Robot, and other overbearing meta-conscious AI.
In the world of ultra portable tablet pc’s this one just caught my attention. As stated in a previous post about the Nokia N810 I love mobile tablet pc’s for working, and surfing, when traveling short distances or out to the coffee shop. The Kohjinsha SR8KPO6S is a viable contender now for one BIG reason. An optical drive.
The Kohjinsha’s SR8KPO6S is a very sleek looking tablet pc with a CD/DVD drive and can write DVD’s up to 8x and CD’s up to 24x speeds. Thank you Kohjinsha!
This UMPC also features 1Gb of memory and a 60Gb harddrive. It runs Microsoft Vista on a 7″ Wide TFT Color LCD (LED Back light) with Touch Screen Resolution (standard display) WSVGA (1024×600).
A few other goodies include…
Intel® processor A110(800MHz)
Bluetooth Ver,2.0+EDR
CD/DVD Drive
Wireless LAN： IEEE802.11 b/g
Camera: 1.3 Million Pixels
3 in 1 Media Slot: SD Card (SDHC/SDIO) / Memory Stick / MMC Card compatible, CF Card Slot (Type-II) x 1
Approx 1.1kg (with Standard Battery)
The Kohjinsha SR8KPO6S can disable the CD/DVD drive to save power and with a full charge can get up to 7 hours of life.
The debate rages on… ultra small laptop or tablet pc? What say you?
The new WiMAX network is really causing quite a stir today. People are excited about the opportunity to be able to have blazing internet speed for up to 10 miles of mobile computing. I know I am.
And Siemens looks like it can’t wait for the new technology either. Even before the WiMAX network is available Siemens has made available their Gigaset SE68 WiMAX ExpressCard. The SE68 is based on the IEEE 802.16-2005 standard and complies with Wave 2 specifications (including MIMO A / B), and supports beamforming.
When the network is in place we can expect speeds of up to 20Mbps. The summer of 2008 is going to rock with this baby sticking out of laptops everywhere! But, of course you can always get your hands on a WiMAX ready internet tablet too.
I’m always on the lookout for the next “small” thing to come out that will enable me to work while on the road. Nokia has just answered my prayers.
At the recent CTIA 2008, Nokia has just given us a reason to smile again. Unveiling the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition, Nokia has sent a signal to the world… Apple isn’t the only revolutionary company on the planet.
The newest Internet Tablet PC to hit the market features a big 4.13-inch touchscreen (gotta love a touchscreen), a built-in webcam for video calls (yeah for Qik users), slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a Mozilla browser, integrated GPS , 2GB of internal memory and a microSD expansion slot. Sweet!
I’ve been looking for an alternative to carrying around a laptop while on the road. Of course, if I was going on an extended trip I would carry my Air, but for short trips a small tablet PC, loaded with features to make writing possible is exactly what is needed. I have a feeling that when the Nokia N810 is released later this summer I’ll be looking into it.
A major plus is that is going to include WiMAX.
WiMAX is a wireless digital communications system, also known as IEEE 802.16, that is intended for wireless “metropolitan area networks”. WiMAX can provide broadband wireless access (BWA) up to 30 miles (50 km) for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles (5 - 15 km) for mobile stations. In contrast, the WiFi/802.11 wireless local area network standard is limited in most cases to only 100 - 300 feet (30 - 100m). via wimax.com
That’s going to be a major plus that will make WiFi obsolete. Why operate within confines of a few hundred feet when you can go miles while staying connected?
You heard it. The Sinulator obviously simulates sin. The package includes a transmitter, a vibrator and a receiver. You download the application from Sinulator.com, connect the transmitter to a USB port, attach the dildo to the receiver, and switch on. How cold.
I don’t know. It’s teledildonics/cybersex/remote interaction technology at its best. Cybersex may be blamed for infidelity but Sinulator once got a lot of hoopla on TechTV.
The way Sinulator.com promotes the whole thing is actually not that cold: “The most fun you can get when you are apart … It installs in minutes and is easy to use. No web site or web cam is required. All you need is a PC and an Internet connection. Anyone can do it!
“All your partner needs is access to the Internet. The controls will work on just about anything (Mac, PC, Linux, Palm, WebTV, airport kiosk, etc.). Within minutes - you’ll be able to call or email anyone anywhere and let them control your sex toy over the internet.”
Verdict: Promotes social isolation from real 3D humans.
TubeTilla is a free application that downloads YouTube videos and converts them to a playable format in 3 easy steps.Convert YouTube videos to WMV, MP4, and MP3. These formats are playable on your PSP, iPod, iPhone, Zune, Windows Media Player.
My Review: Very quick and easy set-up, about 5 minutes max waiting time.
Very cool stuff. Just copy + paste the URL in the top of the “Video URL” section and hit download… Then choose whichever format you want it to be converted to. Simple, painless, and very easy. Hands down a wonderful product.
TubeTilla is a free application that downloads YouTube videos and converts them to a playable format in 3 easy steps.Convert YouTube videos to WMV, MP4, and MP3. These formats are playable on your PSP, iPod, iPhone, Zune, Windows Media Player.
