Google+ unwrapping new features
http://bit.ly/udzoMR
Make sure you know how to connect with others this holiday season- see geeksoncall.com
Monday, December 19, 2011
New Google+ features: Customize your streams, and more
Touted in Google's official blog today, the enhancements are part of an ongoing effort to make Google+ more effective and more user friendly.
One of the tweaks will let you customize your Google+ stream. The more people you follow, the more cluttered your stream can become, increasing the odds of missing important posts. To help unclutter your stream, a slider at the top of a particular circle will let you control how posts from that circle should mesh into the overall stream.
The red notifications button at the top of your Google+ page tells you how many notifications are in the queue. But sometimes you need to click on a specific notification to get the full scoop on it. To reduce the time you spend clicking around, Google is adding "sneak previews" that quickly clue you in on what's new among your notifications.
Next on Santa's list for Google+ members are a range of changes to Google+ Pages. Since launching the business-oriented feature in early November, Google has been striving to improve it amidst some users complaints.
Tapping into one of the improvements to Pages, you'll be able to delegate up to 50 different managers to act as administrators for a certain page. A new "notification flow" will alert the managers to all activity on the page, ensuring that they stay abreast of the latest updates. And Google will show you a combined count of all the users who follow your page or +1 it, so that you can get a better sense of everyone who's connecting with it.
Finally, Google is tweaking its Google+ Photos feature. Clicking on a photo will display it in the Lightbox viewer, but now with better navigation and usability. A new photo tagging feature will let you more quickly tag individual people.
Google says that the new tweaks to Google+ will roll out over the next couple of days, just in time for the holidays. And the company is promising more in store for Google+ members with some resolutions for 2012.
One of the tweaks will let you customize your Google+ stream. The more people you follow, the more cluttered your stream can become, increasing the odds of missing important posts. To help unclutter your stream, a slider at the top of a particular circle will let you control how posts from that circle should mesh into the overall stream.
The red notifications button at the top of your Google+ page tells you how many notifications are in the queue. But sometimes you need to click on a specific notification to get the full scoop on it. To reduce the time you spend clicking around, Google is adding "sneak previews" that quickly clue you in on what's new among your notifications.
Next on Santa's list for Google+ members are a range of changes to Google+ Pages. Since launching the business-oriented feature in early November, Google has been striving to improve it amidst some users complaints.
Tapping into one of the improvements to Pages, you'll be able to delegate up to 50 different managers to act as administrators for a certain page. A new "notification flow" will alert the managers to all activity on the page, ensuring that they stay abreast of the latest updates. And Google will show you a combined count of all the users who follow your page or +1 it, so that you can get a better sense of everyone who's connecting with it.
Finally, Google is tweaking its Google+ Photos feature. Clicking on a photo will display it in the Lightbox viewer, but now with better navigation and usability. A new photo tagging feature will let you more quickly tag individual people.
Google says that the new tweaks to Google+ will roll out over the next couple of days, just in time for the holidays. And the company is promising more in store for Google+ members with some resolutions for 2012.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
How to set up an HDTV
http://bit.ly/usRZ87
get help with all your technology needs visit geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/usRZ87
get help with all your technology needs visit geeksoncall.com
How to set up an HDTV
cnet.com - 12/12/2011
Geoffrey Morrison
You found your perfect TV. You've driven/carried/dragged it home. You have this big cardboard box sitting in your living room. Now what?
Well, after you follow the instructions for getting the TV on its stand (if it isn't already), the real setup begins. There are countless settings, options, and potential issues between box and beautiful picture. This how-to guide should help you navigate the waters of TV technology.
Cables
If this is your first HDTV, you'll find that the cables have changed a lot since the last time you hooked up a TV (it also might be worth checking out our HDTV 101 Guide). Even if you're replacing an older HDTV, it's important to understand the HDTV cable of choice: HDMI.
HDMI cables carry high-resolution images and sound over one small cable. If you bought your HDTV at a store, you were likely pushed into buying expensive HDMI cables to go with your TV.
Expensive HDMI cables offer no benefit to the average consumer. If you paid more than $10 for your HDMI cables, you should consider returning them. Check out my article on why all HDMI cables are the same for more information. Then there's the follow-up Why all HDMI cables are the same, part 2.
HDMI cables are, however, vital to the overall performance of your television. There are only two ways to get an HD signal from your cable or satellite box to your TV: HDMI and component. Component cables are three attached cables identified with the colors red, green, and blue. Most are also labeled Y, Pb, and Pr. These only carry video. You'll need to add more cables for audio, most commonly a matched pair of analog audio cables.
The single yellow cable with white and red audio cables that comes with most products is not HD. Only VHS and the Wii can be hooked up with a yellow "composite" cable. DVD, Blu-ray, or cable or satellite boxes hooked up with a yellow cable will be significantly hampered in their performance.
If you haven't upgraded your other gear along with your new TV, component video is very common. If you've bought a new Blu-ray player or have a new cable/ or satellite box, HDMI may be all you can find.
Which brings us to...
Sources
If you haven't upgraded your other gear, make sure your DVD player is ready for your new TV. Go into its setup menus and make sure it's set to output a 16x9-pixel image. If it's an older player, it could be set to 4x3 pixels (like old TVs). Matching this aspect ratio to your new TV will greatly improve its performance.
The same is true for your cable or satellite box. Make sure you switch this to 16x9. If it's capable of HD, take this moment to set it to output 1080i.
Just because the cable box is capable of HD doesn't mean youre getting HD. You need to pay your provider for HD channels (unless they're included in your current package) and you need to tune to the specific HD channels. For example, with my provider, channel 2 is SD, whereas channel 1002 is HD.
As I discuss in my article on whether to upgrade your home theater gear, if you have a new HDTV, you owe it to yourself to get a Blu-ray player. Nothing offers the picture quality of Blu-ray. Even if you have an older HDTV, you won't believe how good it can look when you watch Blu-ray.
Settings
Once you have everything plugged in (see the slideshow above for images of typical inputs and outputs), take a moment to check your TV's settings. Most modern TVs will ask you upon initial start-up if the TV is being used in a home or a store. Pick the one most appropriate to your environment (hopefully "home"; I'm not sure why you'd be living in Best Buy).
I go into more detail in my article on HDTV settings, but here's the CliffsNotes version. The TV will be its most accurate (in other words, most realistic) in its Movie or Cinema picture mode. It will appear brighter in its Sports or Vivid mode. The Contrast control adjusts how bright the bright parts of the image are, and Brightness controls how dark the dark parts of the image are. Also check out CNET's HDTV setup tips and Five tips for a better HDTV picture.
The initial settings for modern TVs are largely quite good, but none is perfect. Some fine tweaking, either by eye or using one of the great setup Blu-ray discs, will be worth the time spent.
If you want to get every possible amount of performance out of your TV, consider having it calibrated.
Flat panel TVs are also more susceptible to reflections than CRTs.
get help with all your technology needs visit geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Geoffrey Morrison
You found your perfect TV. You've driven/carried/dragged it home. You have this big cardboard box sitting in your living room. Now what?
Well, after you follow the instructions for getting the TV on its stand (if it isn't already), the real setup begins. There are countless settings, options, and potential issues between box and beautiful picture. This how-to guide should help you navigate the waters of TV technology.
Cables
If this is your first HDTV, you'll find that the cables have changed a lot since the last time you hooked up a TV (it also might be worth checking out our HDTV 101 Guide). Even if you're replacing an older HDTV, it's important to understand the HDTV cable of choice: HDMI.
HDMI cables carry high-resolution images and sound over one small cable. If you bought your HDTV at a store, you were likely pushed into buying expensive HDMI cables to go with your TV.
Expensive HDMI cables offer no benefit to the average consumer. If you paid more than $10 for your HDMI cables, you should consider returning them. Check out my article on why all HDMI cables are the same for more information. Then there's the follow-up Why all HDMI cables are the same, part 2.
HDMI cables are, however, vital to the overall performance of your television. There are only two ways to get an HD signal from your cable or satellite box to your TV: HDMI and component. Component cables are three attached cables identified with the colors red, green, and blue. Most are also labeled Y, Pb, and Pr. These only carry video. You'll need to add more cables for audio, most commonly a matched pair of analog audio cables.
The single yellow cable with white and red audio cables that comes with most products is not HD. Only VHS and the Wii can be hooked up with a yellow "composite" cable. DVD, Blu-ray, or cable or satellite boxes hooked up with a yellow cable will be significantly hampered in their performance.
If you haven't upgraded your other gear along with your new TV, component video is very common. If you've bought a new Blu-ray player or have a new cable/ or satellite box, HDMI may be all you can find.
Which brings us to...
Sources
If you haven't upgraded your other gear, make sure your DVD player is ready for your new TV. Go into its setup menus and make sure it's set to output a 16x9-pixel image. If it's an older player, it could be set to 4x3 pixels (like old TVs). Matching this aspect ratio to your new TV will greatly improve its performance.
The same is true for your cable or satellite box. Make sure you switch this to 16x9. If it's capable of HD, take this moment to set it to output 1080i.
Just because the cable box is capable of HD doesn't mean youre getting HD. You need to pay your provider for HD channels (unless they're included in your current package) and you need to tune to the specific HD channels. For example, with my provider, channel 2 is SD, whereas channel 1002 is HD.
As I discuss in my article on whether to upgrade your home theater gear, if you have a new HDTV, you owe it to yourself to get a Blu-ray player. Nothing offers the picture quality of Blu-ray. Even if you have an older HDTV, you won't believe how good it can look when you watch Blu-ray.
Settings
Once you have everything plugged in (see the slideshow above for images of typical inputs and outputs), take a moment to check your TV's settings. Most modern TVs will ask you upon initial start-up if the TV is being used in a home or a store. Pick the one most appropriate to your environment (hopefully "home"; I'm not sure why you'd be living in Best Buy).
I go into more detail in my article on HDTV settings, but here's the CliffsNotes version. The TV will be its most accurate (in other words, most realistic) in its Movie or Cinema picture mode. It will appear brighter in its Sports or Vivid mode. The Contrast control adjusts how bright the bright parts of the image are, and Brightness controls how dark the dark parts of the image are. Also check out CNET's HDTV setup tips and Five tips for a better HDTV picture.
The initial settings for modern TVs are largely quite good, but none is perfect. Some fine tweaking, either by eye or using one of the great setup Blu-ray discs, will be worth the time spent.
If you want to get every possible amount of performance out of your TV, consider having it calibrated.
Flat panel TVs are also more susceptible to reflections than CRTs.
get help with all your technology needs visit geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Monday, December 12, 2011
Amazon responds to critics with Kindle Fire update
http://bit.ly/vRDnKt
need help updating your other systems... turn to geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/vRDnKt
need help updating your other systems... turn to geeksoncall.com
Friday, December 9, 2011
Windows 8 Store: 8 Ways It Beats Apple
http://bit.ly/tPGfTv
Windows 8 coming soon- we can help you make the switch- geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/tPGfTv
Windows 8 coming soon- we can help you make the switch- geeksoncall.com
Windows 8 Store: 8 Ways It Beats Apple
informationweek.com - 12/8/2011
Thomas Claburn
Microsoft on Tuesday said a public beta of Windows 8 will be released in February 2012 and provided details about its forthcoming Windows 8 Store, the mechanism within Windows 8 by which the company will sell and distribute Windows 8 Metro apps.
Windows 8 is the next version of Microsoft's operating system for personal computers, laptops, and tablets. It brings with it major changes, such as an integrated software store--similar in concept to Apple's Mac App Store--and support for ARM chips. Metro is the name of the new touch-centric user interface in Windows 8.
In Windows 8, Microsoft is following the trail blazed by Apple, a path that leads away from freedom and toward convenience and ostensible security. "We have seen the future of the PC and it looks a lot like a smartphone," said IDC program director of applications development software Al Hilwa in an e-mail.
Hilwa gives Microsoft credit for learning from the competition, notably in its revenue-sharing model and its consideration for enterprise features such as app sideloading and support for management tools. But he is less enthusiastic about the restrictions.
"I lament that the world of the touch PC is a much more controlled walled garden, but the smartphone world has prepared us for it and there are certainly advantages in app discovery and deployment for consumers with an app store model," he said. "Whether the new model leads to more-secure or higher- quality apps is hard to call because we have seen poorly regulated app stores like Android's that have had some of the same quality and security issues of the existing PC model."
At the same time, he sees Microsoft having a lighter touch than Apple with regard to accepting apps in its store.
"In the app approval process, Microsoft is walking the fine line to provide more openness, speed, and predictability than Apple and more control and supervision than Google," he said. "It will remain to be seen if the execution lives up to this balanced promise, but the formula sounds right."
Indeed, Microsoft has made its forthcoming platform more appealing than the competition in several ways, at least on paper.
1. Royalties. Microsoft's revenue share percentage is 30%, as it is in the iTunes App Store, the Mac App Store, Amazon's App Store, and Google's Android Market. But once an app reaches $25,000 in revenue, Microsoft drops its revenue share to 20% for all subsequent proceeds.
This revenue scheme will help only the most successful Windows 8 app developers. However, the percentage of Windows 8 developers generating more than $25,000 from their apps--thanks to business customers willing to pay more for apps--presumably will be higher than it is for iOS developers. About 75% of iOS developers have earned less than $25,000 in lifetime revenue, according to one survey of game developers.
The best deal around for revenue sharing, however, remains the Chrome Web Store. Google charges developers only 5% for selling Web apps through its online store.
2. Fees. For those wishing to submit Metro apps, Microsoft is charging individuals $49 a year and companies $99 a year. This is better than the annual $99 Apple charges individuals or companies for membership in its iOS Developer Program and for membership in its Mac Developer program. For companies wishing to create proprietary, in-house iOS apps, Apple charges $299 a year.
Amazon's App Store developer fee also is $99 a year, same as Apple. Google's Android Market is the most affordable: It charges developers a one-time $25 fee. It should be noted, however, that Google doesn't provide much in the way of app screening.
3. Reach. Microsoft's reach advantage is theoretical at the moment. The company claims to have 1.25 billion Windows users globally, some portion of whom can be expected to upgrade to Windows 8, eventually.
If Windows has 92% of the desktop PC operating system market, then Apple, with about 6% global market share via Mac OS, has an installed base of 80 million Macs. As of the end of the third quarter, Google said that total Android activations had surpassed 190 million. The iOS installed base is estimated to be about 250 million by the end of 2011.
Certainly today, the iOS market is more attractive to a developer than the nonexistent Windows 8 app market. But it's worth thinking about tomorrow, particularly if the Windows 8 users turn out to be more inclined to pay for apps than, say, Android users.
4. Freedom. Apple, according to the Software Freedom Law Center, uses its control of iOS and Mac OS "to exclude competition, squelch criticism, and censor content." Microsoft might have done as much in the past, but its trailing position in both the tablet and smartphone markets has translated into an evident effort to have more permissive platform rules. Apple tells iOS developers explicitly, "If you want to criticize a religion, write a book," and that only "professional satirists and humorists" are exempt from its ban on apps that are "defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harms way."
Microsoft has a similar prohibition, against apps that are "defamatory, libelous or slanderous, or threatening," but the wording of what's disallowed suggests more tolerance for apps that push the content envelope. A mean-spirited app that's not defamatory would be allowed by Microsoft but not Apple, or so the written rules suggest.
But really, there's no way to tell: Microsoft could turn out to be just as cautious and restrictive as Apple. The wording of rules also isn't nearly as important as how each company implements its rules. We will have to wait for an app that Apple rejects and Microsoft accepts to really weigh the restrictiveness of the rules imposed on developers by the two companies.
If freedom really matters, Android is even less burdened by rules. Defame away.
5. Transactions. If Microsoft's content rules look only slightly more flexible than Apple's, the company's position on payment systems is significantly better. Apple requires iOS and Mac OS X apps that sell content within the app to use its In App Purchase API, for which Apple collects 30% of in-app revenue.
Microsoft will provide Windows 8 developers with an in-app purchase system, but will also allow them to use their own in-app payment system. "We don't mandate a specific transaction engine and developers can use their own," explained Ted Dworkin, Microsoft partner program manager for the Windows 8 Store, in a blog post.
Android's terms suggest developers can use any authorized payment processor. But Google doesn't provide a list of authorized payment processors and there's a reason why: "Currently, Google Wallet is the only authorized payment option for Android," a Google spokesperson said in an email.
Nevertheless, there are Android apps that use PayPal for in-app purchasing. Developers that do this are asking for trouble, but asking Google anything can take a while owing to the company's limited support options.
6. Trials. Apple doesn't presently support free app trials, a feature that's particularly useful for apps that cost more than a dollar or two. Microsoft will support free app trials, though developers will have to use its transaction system to implement in-app upgrades.
7. Enterprise. Faced with the explosive popularity of the iPhone and iPad, Apple only recently has decided to cater to enterprise customers. The slack, to date, has been taken up by companies such as Aperian, Good Technology, and MobileIron.
For Microsoft, the enterprise market is more familiar. The company's Metro app store should be business friendly out of the gate. Microsoft plans to offer companies three ways to manage Metro style line-of-business apps: Group Policy, App Locker, and sideloading. These three technologies will help IT departments deploy and manage Metro apps in ways that are similar to how Windows 7 applications are managed.
8. Marketing. Microsoft has reduced the friction of Metro app installation, making it as easy as installing a Web app from the Chrome Web Store. Through Internet Explorer 10, Windows 8 users will be able to view Windows 8 Store pages on the Web and install those apps with a single click. Apple customers don't quite have it as easy. iPad apps found on the Web using a Mac require the user to launch iTunes, due to the separation between Mac OS X and iOS.
It's too early to tell whether Microsoft's concessions to the developer community will make Windows more relevant in the tablet market. But Microsoft's opening gambit--more comfortable handcuffs--looks like a good move.
Learn about Windows 8 coming soon- we can help you make the switch- geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Thomas Claburn
Microsoft on Tuesday said a public beta of Windows 8 will be released in February 2012 and provided details about its forthcoming Windows 8 Store, the mechanism within Windows 8 by which the company will sell and distribute Windows 8 Metro apps.
Windows 8 is the next version of Microsoft's operating system for personal computers, laptops, and tablets. It brings with it major changes, such as an integrated software store--similar in concept to Apple's Mac App Store--and support for ARM chips. Metro is the name of the new touch-centric user interface in Windows 8.
In Windows 8, Microsoft is following the trail blazed by Apple, a path that leads away from freedom and toward convenience and ostensible security. "We have seen the future of the PC and it looks a lot like a smartphone," said IDC program director of applications development software Al Hilwa in an e-mail.
Hilwa gives Microsoft credit for learning from the competition, notably in its revenue-sharing model and its consideration for enterprise features such as app sideloading and support for management tools. But he is less enthusiastic about the restrictions.
"I lament that the world of the touch PC is a much more controlled walled garden, but the smartphone world has prepared us for it and there are certainly advantages in app discovery and deployment for consumers with an app store model," he said. "Whether the new model leads to more-secure or higher- quality apps is hard to call because we have seen poorly regulated app stores like Android's that have had some of the same quality and security issues of the existing PC model."
At the same time, he sees Microsoft having a lighter touch than Apple with regard to accepting apps in its store.
"In the app approval process, Microsoft is walking the fine line to provide more openness, speed, and predictability than Apple and more control and supervision than Google," he said. "It will remain to be seen if the execution lives up to this balanced promise, but the formula sounds right."
Indeed, Microsoft has made its forthcoming platform more appealing than the competition in several ways, at least on paper.
1. Royalties. Microsoft's revenue share percentage is 30%, as it is in the iTunes App Store, the Mac App Store, Amazon's App Store, and Google's Android Market. But once an app reaches $25,000 in revenue, Microsoft drops its revenue share to 20% for all subsequent proceeds.
This revenue scheme will help only the most successful Windows 8 app developers. However, the percentage of Windows 8 developers generating more than $25,000 from their apps--thanks to business customers willing to pay more for apps--presumably will be higher than it is for iOS developers. About 75% of iOS developers have earned less than $25,000 in lifetime revenue, according to one survey of game developers.
The best deal around for revenue sharing, however, remains the Chrome Web Store. Google charges developers only 5% for selling Web apps through its online store.
2. Fees. For those wishing to submit Metro apps, Microsoft is charging individuals $49 a year and companies $99 a year. This is better than the annual $99 Apple charges individuals or companies for membership in its iOS Developer Program and for membership in its Mac Developer program. For companies wishing to create proprietary, in-house iOS apps, Apple charges $299 a year.
Amazon's App Store developer fee also is $99 a year, same as Apple. Google's Android Market is the most affordable: It charges developers a one-time $25 fee. It should be noted, however, that Google doesn't provide much in the way of app screening.
3. Reach. Microsoft's reach advantage is theoretical at the moment. The company claims to have 1.25 billion Windows users globally, some portion of whom can be expected to upgrade to Windows 8, eventually.
If Windows has 92% of the desktop PC operating system market, then Apple, with about 6% global market share via Mac OS, has an installed base of 80 million Macs. As of the end of the third quarter, Google said that total Android activations had surpassed 190 million. The iOS installed base is estimated to be about 250 million by the end of 2011.
Certainly today, the iOS market is more attractive to a developer than the nonexistent Windows 8 app market. But it's worth thinking about tomorrow, particularly if the Windows 8 users turn out to be more inclined to pay for apps than, say, Android users.
4. Freedom. Apple, according to the Software Freedom Law Center, uses its control of iOS and Mac OS "to exclude competition, squelch criticism, and censor content." Microsoft might have done as much in the past, but its trailing position in both the tablet and smartphone markets has translated into an evident effort to have more permissive platform rules. Apple tells iOS developers explicitly, "If you want to criticize a religion, write a book," and that only "professional satirists and humorists" are exempt from its ban on apps that are "defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harms way."
Microsoft has a similar prohibition, against apps that are "defamatory, libelous or slanderous, or threatening," but the wording of what's disallowed suggests more tolerance for apps that push the content envelope. A mean-spirited app that's not defamatory would be allowed by Microsoft but not Apple, or so the written rules suggest.
But really, there's no way to tell: Microsoft could turn out to be just as cautious and restrictive as Apple. The wording of rules also isn't nearly as important as how each company implements its rules. We will have to wait for an app that Apple rejects and Microsoft accepts to really weigh the restrictiveness of the rules imposed on developers by the two companies.
If freedom really matters, Android is even less burdened by rules. Defame away.
5. Transactions. If Microsoft's content rules look only slightly more flexible than Apple's, the company's position on payment systems is significantly better. Apple requires iOS and Mac OS X apps that sell content within the app to use its In App Purchase API, for which Apple collects 30% of in-app revenue.
Microsoft will provide Windows 8 developers with an in-app purchase system, but will also allow them to use their own in-app payment system. "We don't mandate a specific transaction engine and developers can use their own," explained Ted Dworkin, Microsoft partner program manager for the Windows 8 Store, in a blog post.
Android's terms suggest developers can use any authorized payment processor. But Google doesn't provide a list of authorized payment processors and there's a reason why: "Currently, Google Wallet is the only authorized payment option for Android," a Google spokesperson said in an email.
Nevertheless, there are Android apps that use PayPal for in-app purchasing. Developers that do this are asking for trouble, but asking Google anything can take a while owing to the company's limited support options.
6. Trials. Apple doesn't presently support free app trials, a feature that's particularly useful for apps that cost more than a dollar or two. Microsoft will support free app trials, though developers will have to use its transaction system to implement in-app upgrades.
7. Enterprise. Faced with the explosive popularity of the iPhone and iPad, Apple only recently has decided to cater to enterprise customers. The slack, to date, has been taken up by companies such as Aperian, Good Technology, and MobileIron.
For Microsoft, the enterprise market is more familiar. The company's Metro app store should be business friendly out of the gate. Microsoft plans to offer companies three ways to manage Metro style line-of-business apps: Group Policy, App Locker, and sideloading. These three technologies will help IT departments deploy and manage Metro apps in ways that are similar to how Windows 7 applications are managed.
8. Marketing. Microsoft has reduced the friction of Metro app installation, making it as easy as installing a Web app from the Chrome Web Store. Through Internet Explorer 10, Windows 8 users will be able to view Windows 8 Store pages on the Web and install those apps with a single click. Apple customers don't quite have it as easy. iPad apps found on the Web using a Mac require the user to launch iTunes, due to the separation between Mac OS X and iOS.
It's too early to tell whether Microsoft's concessions to the developer community will make Windows more relevant in the tablet market. But Microsoft's opening gambit--more comfortable handcuffs--looks like a good move.
Learn about Windows 8 coming soon- we can help you make the switch- geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Changing Outlook's Navigation Pane
http://bit.ly/rp4aN1
Test out this quick tip and learn much more at geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/rp4aN1
Test out this quick tip and learn much more at geeksoncall.com
Changing Outlook's Navigation Pane
Changing Outlook's Navigation Pane
nytimes.com - 12/6/2011
J.D. BIERSDORFER
That column full of buttons (officially known as the Navigation Pane) on the left side of the Microsoft Outlook 2007 and 2010 window makes it easy to jump around among Mail, Contacts, Calendar and the other parts of the program. You are not stuck with the default version of the Navigation Pane, though, and if you like to put the buttons in your own preferred order, you can customize it.
To change the order, go to the bottom of the Navigation Pane, click the small black triangle and choose Navigation Pane Options from the menu. In the list for "Display buttons in this order," click the button you want to move, and click Move Up or Move Down to reposition it accordingly. You can tweak things further, by adding or removing buttons, changing the Navigation Pane’s font, or resizing the pane itself. Microsoft has full instructions on their website.
Test out this quick tip and learn much more at geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
nytimes.com - 12/6/2011
J.D. BIERSDORFER
That column full of buttons (officially known as the Navigation Pane) on the left side of the Microsoft Outlook 2007 and 2010 window makes it easy to jump around among Mail, Contacts, Calendar and the other parts of the program. You are not stuck with the default version of the Navigation Pane, though, and if you like to put the buttons in your own preferred order, you can customize it.
To change the order, go to the bottom of the Navigation Pane, click the small black triangle and choose Navigation Pane Options from the menu. In the list for "Display buttons in this order," click the button you want to move, and click Move Up or Move Down to reposition it accordingly. You can tweak things further, by adding or removing buttons, changing the Navigation Pane’s font, or resizing the pane itself. Microsoft has full instructions on their website.
Test out this quick tip and learn much more at geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
aming with young kids? Here's where to start
http://bit.ly/sHvt1B
Make safe/smart choices buying your kids tech. gifts- geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/sHvt1B
Make safe/smart choices buying your kids tech. gifts- geeksoncall.com
Gaming with young kids? Here's where to start
msnbc.com - 12/4/2011
Winda Benedetti
According to a recent study from the NPD Group market research company, 91 percent of kids in the U.S. between the ages of two and 17 are now gamers. But here is the surprising bit: The fastest growing group of young video game players is the toddler set -- between two and five years old.
While some parents worry about whether playing video games is good for young children, I've found that gaming -- when properly supervised and balanced with other activities -- can be a great pastime not only for kids but for parents' relationship with their kids. Playing video games with your child is an absolute blast! It's a fun way to bond with your kid, plus it's a superb way to teach children some teamwork and puzzle-solving skills without ever letting on that you're actually, you know, teaching.
It just so happens that I have my own young gamer -- my almost-five-year-old son Oz. He's been helping me test out some of the latest video games in an effort to find titles that are enjoyable and appropriate for kids four to 10. What you'll find below is a look at the pros and cons of seven games that are not only easy for young players to jump into, but are great for parents and kids to play together.
Kirby's Return to Dreamland – Wii - $50
Pros: Learning how to use video game controllers can be difficult for the youngest players, but this laid-back title -- starring Nintendo's famous pink protagonist -- is a fun, easy way to teach young hands to work buttons and a directional pad. The game is also downright adorable and relatively non-threatening for little players just trying to get the swing of things.
"Return to Dreamland" can be played by up to four people at a time which makes it a fantastic all-family game night option. Playing as Kirby and his pals, you and your children will need to use teamwork and cooperation as you to explore bright, colorful worlds and try to find the pieces of a lost spaceship that crash-landed on Kirby's planet, while fending off a host of relatively non-threatening foes in the process.
For this game, your child will turn Nintendo's Wii Remote controller on its side and use it as a traditional controller. And since this is a two-dimensional side-scrolling game, figuring out how to run, jump and fly the characters around the screen is fairly easy for kids to do. Meanwhile, the difficulty level ramps up veeery slowly, which means your child (and therefore you) won't get frustrated.
My son loves watching Kirby suck up his enemies to absorb their powers and is wowed by Kirby's new eye-popping, screen-filling Super Abilities. And when the going does get a bit tough, he can have his character jump onto my character's back for a piggy-back ride past the rough patches.
(It's worth noting that another excellent Kirby game to consider playing with young kids is last year's superb Wii game "Kirby's Epic Yarn")
Cons: There really isn't much of a downside to this game other than the fact that seasoned, grown-up gamers familiar with Kirby's history may find this particular installment a bit too easy. But then again, this isn't about us is it?
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster - Xbox 360 (Kinect required) - $50
Pros: "Once Upon A Monster" offers everything a conscientious parents wants from a video game -- non-violent gameplay that both activates the body and the mind. It also offers that delightful Sesame Street sensibility and, well, Elmo ... lots and lots of Elmo along with his adorable monster pals.
With the Kinect motion controller reading your child's body movements, this game acts as a kind of interactive story book throughout which your child meets various colorful characters and tries to help them solve the problems they're facing.
To cheer up an unhappy monster, your child will make music by flapping their hands to bang on virtual drums. To help clean up a flower creature's garden, they'll hurl balls of virtual garbage into virtual garbage cans (as if tossing basketballs). And since the game features easy drop-in/drop-out cooperative play, mom and dad can jump into the action at any time.
Cons: The Kinect controller is often pitched as the perfect device for allowing young children to interact with games and virtual environments. After all, there's no controller to hold in tiny hands and no buttons or sticks to struggle with. And yet, my son ran into more controller-related frustrations with this game than any other on this list.
The thing is, little kids have a hard time standing in one place. They jump and flail their arms when they're relaxing. "Once Upon a Monster" asks kids to perform some pretty specific movements but frequently seemed to have a hard time reading my son when he performed them.
Be sure to take the time to make sure the Kinect is perfectly calibrated to your child's size (the game will walk you through the process). Meanwhile, urge your wiggle-worm to hold still a bit and try to focus on the specific gestures they need to execute to interact with the game. It may take some practice and some patience but the little whippersnappers learn very quickly.
Kinect Disneyland Adventures - Xbox 360 (Kinect required) - $50
Pros: Imagine going to Disneyland -- but a Disneyland without all the crowds and lines and cost ... not to mention the parental misery created by all three.
Welcome to a little game called "Kinect Disneyland Adventures." Sure, the Disneyland you'll find here is merely a digital recreation. But it is a pretty impressive digital recreation and one that you and your child can jump into and explore at your own pace.
Almost all of the Disneyland grounds have been recreated within this game and are ready to explore. With the Kinect camera reading your child's body motions, your kid makes an avatar to look like him or herself and then steers that avatar around the Disneyland grounds by pointing where she would like to go. She can run up to Mickey and give him a high five or give Snow White a hug. And these characters will send your child on various quests that will have them exploring the famed park.
Meanwhile, the rides are where the gaming action comes in. Head over to Peter Pan's Flight, where you and your child can fly through the air collecting coins or sword fight with Captain Hook. Step into the Matterhorn where you'll race bobsleds or ski down snowy hills.
The $50 lifetime ticket for you and your family to enter this virtual park will seem downright cheap compared to the hundreds of dollars a trip to the real Happiest Place on Earth will run you.
Cons: If you're not a fan of the Disney marketing machine, then this game is not for you.
Rayman: Origins - PlayStation 3; Xbox 360; Wii - $50 to $60
Pros: One of the great joys of parenting is hearing your children laugh. And if you want to enjoy the sounds of your young gamer guffawing uproariously, then grab "Rayman: Origins."
Zany, crazy and hilarious not to mention utterly creative, "Rayman: Origins" is not only a delightful platforming game for up to four players, it is a gorgeous work of animated art.
My husband, son and I have been having an absolute blast playing this game together. Here Rayman and his friends have awoken a cranky granny and her minions with their snoring. And now you must run, jump, swing and fly through one surreal level after another, each filled with a colorful host of outlandish baddies to beat. My son unleashed the most splendid, unstoppable peals of laughter when we encountered the chicken-headed boss pictured above.
Kids will love this game because it is silly in all the best ways. Adults will love this game because each level is a cleverly constructed work of gaming art.
Cons: This game will grow more demanding for the very youngest players far more quickly than something like "Kirby's Return to Dreamland" and will have them facing down more intense challenges than some young kids may be ready for. But it's worth noting that, if a child fails to get past a particularly difficult part in the game while playing with a parent or older sibling, he or she will find his character popped into a bubble that floats safely along until another player pops him out to rejoin the action at a more manageable point.
Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest - PlayStation 3 (Move controls required) - $40
Pros: My son loves both skeletons and swashbuckling tales of sword fighting, so perhaps it's no wonder he's a huge fan of "Medieval Moves." This game puts young players in the role of the boy Prince Edmund who finds himself transformed into a skeleton and thrust into a battle against a nefarious sorcerer and his army of undead.
Skeletons? Army of undead? Well, yes. "Deadmund's Quest" may sound scary but it is cartoony as can be. The story of Prince Edmund-turned-Prince Deadmund is presented in comic-book-style cut scenes and the bad guys are more goofy than they are blood-curdling. Meanwhile, this is an "on rails" game, which means your child doesn't have to worry about maneuvering Deadmund around this world. Instead, the hero is whisked through the medieval-themed environments almost as if on a roller-coaster ride. All your young player has to do is focus on knocking out the bad guys.
Since this game uses the PlayStation 3's Move motion controllers, kids get to do battle with a host of skeletons by swinging the orb-topped wand controller like a sword, or drawing it out like they would a bow and arrow. And the Move controls here work superbly. They are highly responsive and my son found the gestures and button presses easy to get the hang of.
The Move controls really pull young players right into what is nothing short of a thrilling adventure. And the multiplayer modes mean that we parents can jump in and try our own sword-swinging, arrow-shooting skills alongside our young companions.
Cons: Each youngster is different and you should consider whether doing battle with skeletons -- no matter how bloodless and cartoony those battles are -- is something that will thrill your child ... or scare 'em. This game may be most appropriate for slightly older kids (think seven to 10).
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure - Xbox 360; PlayStation 3; Wii; Nintendo 3DS - $70
Pros: This title blends two things that kids love into one bright, enjoyable package. That is, it combines real-world toys with video gaming.
The starter pack comes with the game disc, three Skylander figurines -- Spyro, Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt -- and a plastic Portal of Power peripheral that you plug into the game console. Fire up the game disc and then pop an action figure onto the Portal of Power and suddenly an animated version of that action figure appears inside the game.
You and your child will take these characters on a colorful, humor-filled quest to save the Skylander world from the evil powers of Kaos. Each of the different action figures has unique powers and abilities and your child will need to think about how to best use these unique strengths to conquer the challenges and puzzles they face.
It really is pretty neat to swap these toys on and off the portal and see them pop into and out of the video game on the fly. Meanwhile, the more your child plays the game with a certain character, the more that character is upgraded with additional powers and abilities. And here's another cool bit: All those upgrades are uploaded to an RF chip in the matching action figure. What that means is, your kid can take their own action figures over to a friend's house and, even if that friend has the game on a different kind of game console, your child can pop their figurines onto their friend's Portal of Power and play the game with all their own characters' unique upgrades and customizations intact.
Cons: The $70 price tag for the starter kit is steep to begin with, but you may end up spending even more money than that. While the "Skylanders" game can be won with just the three initial characters, there are actually 32 Skylander figurines in all to collect (i.e. buy for around $8 a piece) and these additional characters unlock additional challenges and additional areas within the game.
My son was perfectly happy with the initial three action figures, but that doesn't mean every kid will feel the same. The more your child delves into this "Skylanders" adventure, the more you may hear them beg "I want more."
Fruit Ninja Kinect - Xbox 360 (Kinect required) - $10 download via Xbox Live
Pros: I cannot tell you the joy that "Fruit Ninja Kinect" has brought to our household ... and to our son's bedtime routine. Simply put: There is no better way to wear out your kid to the point that he or she has no strength left to fight sleep.
"Fruit Ninja Kinect" takes the gameplay found in the hit smartphone/tablet game and puts it up on your TV via Xbox Live and Kinect. Rather than swiping your finger across a touchscreen to slash fruit that's tossed up into the air, the Kinect camera keeps track of your body movements as you swing your arms and legs to cut down pineapple, kiwi, bananas and other nefarious foods.
This game was not made specifically for children, but it certainly brings out the child in everyone who plays it. More importantly: It's easy for children to jump into and I can promise you, their enthusiasm for the fruit-slashing ninja arts is a joy to behold.
The multiplayer mode is especially enjoyable to play with young kids. Sure, you can play it competitively, but there's also a cooperative mode that allows you to work together as you slash your way to a joint high score. And there's nothing like conquering evil fruit to bring you closer to your adorable rugrat.
Cons: The menu screens are very sensitive to motion and can be difficult for wiggly children to navigate, so you might need to help them get things started. Meanwhile, the difference in an adult's height and a small child's height can make it so the Kinect camera has a difficult time fully reading both players' movements. I suggest you have Kinect calibrate to your child (giving them the best game experience) and then play on your knees beside them.
Also be absolutely sure you give each other enough room when you play together -- otherwise, with all those flailing arms, someone is liable to get a karate chop to the nose.
Make safe/smart choices buying your kids tech. gifts- geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Winda Benedetti
According to a recent study from the NPD Group market research company, 91 percent of kids in the U.S. between the ages of two and 17 are now gamers. But here is the surprising bit: The fastest growing group of young video game players is the toddler set -- between two and five years old.
While some parents worry about whether playing video games is good for young children, I've found that gaming -- when properly supervised and balanced with other activities -- can be a great pastime not only for kids but for parents' relationship with their kids. Playing video games with your child is an absolute blast! It's a fun way to bond with your kid, plus it's a superb way to teach children some teamwork and puzzle-solving skills without ever letting on that you're actually, you know, teaching.
It just so happens that I have my own young gamer -- my almost-five-year-old son Oz. He's been helping me test out some of the latest video games in an effort to find titles that are enjoyable and appropriate for kids four to 10. What you'll find below is a look at the pros and cons of seven games that are not only easy for young players to jump into, but are great for parents and kids to play together.
Kirby's Return to Dreamland – Wii - $50
Pros: Learning how to use video game controllers can be difficult for the youngest players, but this laid-back title -- starring Nintendo's famous pink protagonist -- is a fun, easy way to teach young hands to work buttons and a directional pad. The game is also downright adorable and relatively non-threatening for little players just trying to get the swing of things.
"Return to Dreamland" can be played by up to four people at a time which makes it a fantastic all-family game night option. Playing as Kirby and his pals, you and your children will need to use teamwork and cooperation as you to explore bright, colorful worlds and try to find the pieces of a lost spaceship that crash-landed on Kirby's planet, while fending off a host of relatively non-threatening foes in the process.
For this game, your child will turn Nintendo's Wii Remote controller on its side and use it as a traditional controller. And since this is a two-dimensional side-scrolling game, figuring out how to run, jump and fly the characters around the screen is fairly easy for kids to do. Meanwhile, the difficulty level ramps up veeery slowly, which means your child (and therefore you) won't get frustrated.
My son loves watching Kirby suck up his enemies to absorb their powers and is wowed by Kirby's new eye-popping, screen-filling Super Abilities. And when the going does get a bit tough, he can have his character jump onto my character's back for a piggy-back ride past the rough patches.
(It's worth noting that another excellent Kirby game to consider playing with young kids is last year's superb Wii game "Kirby's Epic Yarn")
Cons: There really isn't much of a downside to this game other than the fact that seasoned, grown-up gamers familiar with Kirby's history may find this particular installment a bit too easy. But then again, this isn't about us is it?
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster - Xbox 360 (Kinect required) - $50
Pros: "Once Upon A Monster" offers everything a conscientious parents wants from a video game -- non-violent gameplay that both activates the body and the mind. It also offers that delightful Sesame Street sensibility and, well, Elmo ... lots and lots of Elmo along with his adorable monster pals.
With the Kinect motion controller reading your child's body movements, this game acts as a kind of interactive story book throughout which your child meets various colorful characters and tries to help them solve the problems they're facing.
To cheer up an unhappy monster, your child will make music by flapping their hands to bang on virtual drums. To help clean up a flower creature's garden, they'll hurl balls of virtual garbage into virtual garbage cans (as if tossing basketballs). And since the game features easy drop-in/drop-out cooperative play, mom and dad can jump into the action at any time.
Cons: The Kinect controller is often pitched as the perfect device for allowing young children to interact with games and virtual environments. After all, there's no controller to hold in tiny hands and no buttons or sticks to struggle with. And yet, my son ran into more controller-related frustrations with this game than any other on this list.
The thing is, little kids have a hard time standing in one place. They jump and flail their arms when they're relaxing. "Once Upon a Monster" asks kids to perform some pretty specific movements but frequently seemed to have a hard time reading my son when he performed them.
Be sure to take the time to make sure the Kinect is perfectly calibrated to your child's size (the game will walk you through the process). Meanwhile, urge your wiggle-worm to hold still a bit and try to focus on the specific gestures they need to execute to interact with the game. It may take some practice and some patience but the little whippersnappers learn very quickly.
Kinect Disneyland Adventures - Xbox 360 (Kinect required) - $50
Pros: Imagine going to Disneyland -- but a Disneyland without all the crowds and lines and cost ... not to mention the parental misery created by all three.
Welcome to a little game called "Kinect Disneyland Adventures." Sure, the Disneyland you'll find here is merely a digital recreation. But it is a pretty impressive digital recreation and one that you and your child can jump into and explore at your own pace.
Almost all of the Disneyland grounds have been recreated within this game and are ready to explore. With the Kinect camera reading your child's body motions, your kid makes an avatar to look like him or herself and then steers that avatar around the Disneyland grounds by pointing where she would like to go. She can run up to Mickey and give him a high five or give Snow White a hug. And these characters will send your child on various quests that will have them exploring the famed park.
Meanwhile, the rides are where the gaming action comes in. Head over to Peter Pan's Flight, where you and your child can fly through the air collecting coins or sword fight with Captain Hook. Step into the Matterhorn where you'll race bobsleds or ski down snowy hills.
The $50 lifetime ticket for you and your family to enter this virtual park will seem downright cheap compared to the hundreds of dollars a trip to the real Happiest Place on Earth will run you.
Cons: If you're not a fan of the Disney marketing machine, then this game is not for you.
Rayman: Origins - PlayStation 3; Xbox 360; Wii - $50 to $60
Pros: One of the great joys of parenting is hearing your children laugh. And if you want to enjoy the sounds of your young gamer guffawing uproariously, then grab "Rayman: Origins."
Zany, crazy and hilarious not to mention utterly creative, "Rayman: Origins" is not only a delightful platforming game for up to four players, it is a gorgeous work of animated art.
My husband, son and I have been having an absolute blast playing this game together. Here Rayman and his friends have awoken a cranky granny and her minions with their snoring. And now you must run, jump, swing and fly through one surreal level after another, each filled with a colorful host of outlandish baddies to beat. My son unleashed the most splendid, unstoppable peals of laughter when we encountered the chicken-headed boss pictured above.
Kids will love this game because it is silly in all the best ways. Adults will love this game because each level is a cleverly constructed work of gaming art.
Cons: This game will grow more demanding for the very youngest players far more quickly than something like "Kirby's Return to Dreamland" and will have them facing down more intense challenges than some young kids may be ready for. But it's worth noting that, if a child fails to get past a particularly difficult part in the game while playing with a parent or older sibling, he or she will find his character popped into a bubble that floats safely along until another player pops him out to rejoin the action at a more manageable point.
Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest - PlayStation 3 (Move controls required) - $40
Pros: My son loves both skeletons and swashbuckling tales of sword fighting, so perhaps it's no wonder he's a huge fan of "Medieval Moves." This game puts young players in the role of the boy Prince Edmund who finds himself transformed into a skeleton and thrust into a battle against a nefarious sorcerer and his army of undead.
Skeletons? Army of undead? Well, yes. "Deadmund's Quest" may sound scary but it is cartoony as can be. The story of Prince Edmund-turned-Prince Deadmund is presented in comic-book-style cut scenes and the bad guys are more goofy than they are blood-curdling. Meanwhile, this is an "on rails" game, which means your child doesn't have to worry about maneuvering Deadmund around this world. Instead, the hero is whisked through the medieval-themed environments almost as if on a roller-coaster ride. All your young player has to do is focus on knocking out the bad guys.
Since this game uses the PlayStation 3's Move motion controllers, kids get to do battle with a host of skeletons by swinging the orb-topped wand controller like a sword, or drawing it out like they would a bow and arrow. And the Move controls here work superbly. They are highly responsive and my son found the gestures and button presses easy to get the hang of.
The Move controls really pull young players right into what is nothing short of a thrilling adventure. And the multiplayer modes mean that we parents can jump in and try our own sword-swinging, arrow-shooting skills alongside our young companions.
Cons: Each youngster is different and you should consider whether doing battle with skeletons -- no matter how bloodless and cartoony those battles are -- is something that will thrill your child ... or scare 'em. This game may be most appropriate for slightly older kids (think seven to 10).
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure - Xbox 360; PlayStation 3; Wii; Nintendo 3DS - $70
Pros: This title blends two things that kids love into one bright, enjoyable package. That is, it combines real-world toys with video gaming.
The starter pack comes with the game disc, three Skylander figurines -- Spyro, Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt -- and a plastic Portal of Power peripheral that you plug into the game console. Fire up the game disc and then pop an action figure onto the Portal of Power and suddenly an animated version of that action figure appears inside the game.
You and your child will take these characters on a colorful, humor-filled quest to save the Skylander world from the evil powers of Kaos. Each of the different action figures has unique powers and abilities and your child will need to think about how to best use these unique strengths to conquer the challenges and puzzles they face.
It really is pretty neat to swap these toys on and off the portal and see them pop into and out of the video game on the fly. Meanwhile, the more your child plays the game with a certain character, the more that character is upgraded with additional powers and abilities. And here's another cool bit: All those upgrades are uploaded to an RF chip in the matching action figure. What that means is, your kid can take their own action figures over to a friend's house and, even if that friend has the game on a different kind of game console, your child can pop their figurines onto their friend's Portal of Power and play the game with all their own characters' unique upgrades and customizations intact.
Cons: The $70 price tag for the starter kit is steep to begin with, but you may end up spending even more money than that. While the "Skylanders" game can be won with just the three initial characters, there are actually 32 Skylander figurines in all to collect (i.e. buy for around $8 a piece) and these additional characters unlock additional challenges and additional areas within the game.
My son was perfectly happy with the initial three action figures, but that doesn't mean every kid will feel the same. The more your child delves into this "Skylanders" adventure, the more you may hear them beg "I want more."
Fruit Ninja Kinect - Xbox 360 (Kinect required) - $10 download via Xbox Live
Pros: I cannot tell you the joy that "Fruit Ninja Kinect" has brought to our household ... and to our son's bedtime routine. Simply put: There is no better way to wear out your kid to the point that he or she has no strength left to fight sleep.
"Fruit Ninja Kinect" takes the gameplay found in the hit smartphone/tablet game and puts it up on your TV via Xbox Live and Kinect. Rather than swiping your finger across a touchscreen to slash fruit that's tossed up into the air, the Kinect camera keeps track of your body movements as you swing your arms and legs to cut down pineapple, kiwi, bananas and other nefarious foods.
This game was not made specifically for children, but it certainly brings out the child in everyone who plays it. More importantly: It's easy for children to jump into and I can promise you, their enthusiasm for the fruit-slashing ninja arts is a joy to behold.
The multiplayer mode is especially enjoyable to play with young kids. Sure, you can play it competitively, but there's also a cooperative mode that allows you to work together as you slash your way to a joint high score. And there's nothing like conquering evil fruit to bring you closer to your adorable rugrat.
Cons: The menu screens are very sensitive to motion and can be difficult for wiggly children to navigate, so you might need to help them get things started. Meanwhile, the difference in an adult's height and a small child's height can make it so the Kinect camera has a difficult time fully reading both players' movements. I suggest you have Kinect calibrate to your child (giving them the best game experience) and then play on your knees beside them.
Also be absolutely sure you give each other enough room when you play together -- otherwise, with all those flailing arms, someone is liable to get a karate chop to the nose.
Make safe/smart choices buying your kids tech. gifts- geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Amazon Kindle Fire owners reporting Wi-Fi bug
http://bit.ly/vncKzf
Having problems with your tablet or pc? we can help! geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/vncKzf
Having problems with your tablet or pc? we can help! geeksoncall.com
Monday, December 5, 2011
Amazon Kindle Fire owners reporting Wi-Fi bug
cnet.com - 12/5/2011
Lance Whitney
Just three weeks after the debut of the Kindle Fire, some users are complaining of problems accessing Wi-Fi networks and the Internet.
Noted by tech enthusiast site Electronista, some Firetablet owners are saying they can't connect to their Wi-Fi networks, while others say they can connect to their routers but can't access the Internet.
Among the 175 posts about the subject in Amazon's ownkindle forum several frustrated users described the problem.
One posted that "my Kindle Fire is not connecting to my network either. It recognizes my router but once I enter the security key it attempts to connect and fails. Another said: "Have just opened Kindle Fire. Can connect to wifi but no internet. All other wireless devices in home are working fine connecting to internet."
One person said that he spoke with Amazon's customer support, who told him it was a "known issue" and one that would be resolved in a few hours. The support rep reportedly promised to e-mail or call back but failed to follow up. And a few hours later, Internet connectivity was still down.
On a positive note, many forum posters were apparently able to fix the glitch by installing the latest software update for the Fire. Initially version 6.1 and now 6.2, the update makes no specific reference to Wi-Fi bug fixes. But several users who installed the 6.1 update via a USB port and rebooted their routers were then able to get online. However, others who installed 6.1 said their Wi-Fi or Internet access was still down.
Kindle Fire users who continue to have trouble connecting after installing version 6.1 may want to try the new 6.2 update since Amazon does describe this latest software upgrade as providing "improvements to the operation of your Kindle Fire."
Electronista reported that "Amazon has yet to publicly acknowledge problems with Wi-Fi connectivity." Amazon did not immediately return CNET's request for comment.
Are you having problems with your tablet or pc? we can help! geeksoncall.com
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Lance Whitney
Just three weeks after the debut of the Kindle Fire, some users are complaining of problems accessing Wi-Fi networks and the Internet.
Noted by tech enthusiast site Electronista, some Firetablet owners are saying they can't connect to their Wi-Fi networks, while others say they can connect to their routers but can't access the Internet.
Among the 175 posts about the subject in Amazon's ownkindle forum several frustrated users described the problem.
One posted that "my Kindle Fire is not connecting to my network either. It recognizes my router but once I enter the security key it attempts to connect and fails. Another said: "Have just opened Kindle Fire. Can connect to wifi but no internet. All other wireless devices in home are working fine connecting to internet."
One person said that he spoke with Amazon's customer support, who told him it was a "known issue" and one that would be resolved in a few hours. The support rep reportedly promised to e-mail or call back but failed to follow up. And a few hours later, Internet connectivity was still down.
On a positive note, many forum posters were apparently able to fix the glitch by installing the latest software update for the Fire. Initially version 6.1 and now 6.2, the update makes no specific reference to Wi-Fi bug fixes. But several users who installed the 6.1 update via a USB port and rebooted their routers were then able to get online. However, others who installed 6.1 said their Wi-Fi or Internet access was still down.
Kindle Fire users who continue to have trouble connecting after installing version 6.1 may want to try the new 6.2 update since Amazon does describe this latest software upgrade as providing "improvements to the operation of your Kindle Fire."
Electronista reported that "Amazon has yet to publicly acknowledge problems with Wi-Fi connectivity." Amazon did not immediately return CNET's request for comment.
Are you having problems with your tablet or pc? we can help! geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Friday, December 2, 2011
Apple iOS is safer than Android, McAfee says
http://bit.ly/tEXxXK
Make informed choices as you make your holiday purchases- geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/tEXxXK
Make informed choices as you make your holiday purchases- geeksoncall.com
Apple iOS is safer than Android, McAfee says
cnet.com - 12/2/2011
Lance Whitney
In the fight against malware, Apple's iOS outshines Android as a safer environment, but no mobile device is free from risk, says a new report from McAfee
Apple has so far done a good job of securing its devices, according to the report, noting that there have been no known cases of malware affecting iPhones, at least those that haven't been jailbroken. One reason iOS is more secure is because Apple restricts the way users can download apps.
iOS device owners can only download apps through Apple's App Store or through Mobile Device Management, which gives IT departments control over the Apple devices in their organizations. But even the Mobile Device Management requires approval from Apple.
Apple's single App Store is also tightly controlled, leading to a safer and more secure environment.
In contrast, Google's method of distributing software is more open, but with that openness comes risks. Though Google controls its own Android Market, users can download Android apps from third-party sites just as easily, which may not have the necessary security in place.
And even Android Market has proven vulnerable to threats. As just one example, Google had to get rid of a number of malicious apps in March after they were infected by a nasty bit of malware dubbed DroidDream In total, the company removed 58 malicious apps both from the market and from mobile devices where users had downloaded them.
Further, because Android is a more fragmented operating system, many handset makers tweak Google's open-source code and often modify certain security-related features, says McAfee. That approach also increases the time it takes for OS updates to reach Android users because some of those updates have to be customized for different devices.
And since almost all mobile malware infections come from app stores, Android has become the riskier environment. Though Nokia's Symbian is historically still the most popular mobile platform for malware writers, Android took on that dubious role in the second quarter of the year, attracting 63 percent of all malware infections at that time.
Finally, McAfee sees a different approach between Apple and Google in combatting malware.
"Apple's approach is proactive and focused on prevention," the report noted. "Google's plan is apparently to encourage the creation of apps and deal with the problems as they occur, in a reactive fashion. Google's may be a sensible move to generate a large volume and wide variety of apps, but from the security perspective it creates exactly the kind of environment in which malware gangs feel comfortable."
Both iOS and Android are based on Unix/Linux, according to McAfee, making them somewhat inherently secure. Instead, the vulnerabilities arise from manufacturers and developers who fail to make security a priority and sometimes rush to the market with new drivers and apps that aren't fully tested. Updates to the operating system and firmware may also be flawed, undermining the the strength of the core OS.
Virtually all smartphones and mobile devices face security risks now and increasingly so down the road, says McAfee. Most of the malware that threatens PCs is also possible on mobile devices. Plus, the security vendor believes that new kinds of threats not yet seen on PCs may hit smartphones.
Even if the overall number of threats were to decline, mobile devices are more vulnerable simply because they're always on, usually connected, and often hold some type of personal data.
Citing one example, McAfee pointed to a device's GPS capability, which can reveal the user's location. One piece of malware called GPS Spy, or TapSnake, has been found to use a device's GPS to send a person's location to a third party.
As another example, malware writers can exploit weaknesses in a mobile OS to control a device's camera or microphone, letting them spy on the users. McAfee said it has already detected Trojans that were able to record phone conversations and send the recordings to a third party.
On a positive note, McAfee noted that security for mobile operating systems is progressing, making certain types of malware impossible. But the company still expects mobile malware to increase as a result of the difficulties in filtering it. Ultimately, protecting users will require the industry to better secure its mobile platforms along with its mobile devices.
Make informed choices as you make your holiday purchases- geeksoncall.com
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Lance Whitney
In the fight against malware, Apple's iOS outshines Android as a safer environment, but no mobile device is free from risk, says a new report from McAfee
Apple has so far done a good job of securing its devices, according to the report, noting that there have been no known cases of malware affecting iPhones, at least those that haven't been jailbroken. One reason iOS is more secure is because Apple restricts the way users can download apps.
iOS device owners can only download apps through Apple's App Store or through Mobile Device Management, which gives IT departments control over the Apple devices in their organizations. But even the Mobile Device Management requires approval from Apple.
Apple's single App Store is also tightly controlled, leading to a safer and more secure environment.
In contrast, Google's method of distributing software is more open, but with that openness comes risks. Though Google controls its own Android Market, users can download Android apps from third-party sites just as easily, which may not have the necessary security in place.
And even Android Market has proven vulnerable to threats. As just one example, Google had to get rid of a number of malicious apps in March after they were infected by a nasty bit of malware dubbed DroidDream In total, the company removed 58 malicious apps both from the market and from mobile devices where users had downloaded them.
Further, because Android is a more fragmented operating system, many handset makers tweak Google's open-source code and often modify certain security-related features, says McAfee. That approach also increases the time it takes for OS updates to reach Android users because some of those updates have to be customized for different devices.
And since almost all mobile malware infections come from app stores, Android has become the riskier environment. Though Nokia's Symbian is historically still the most popular mobile platform for malware writers, Android took on that dubious role in the second quarter of the year, attracting 63 percent of all malware infections at that time.
Finally, McAfee sees a different approach between Apple and Google in combatting malware.
"Apple's approach is proactive and focused on prevention," the report noted. "Google's plan is apparently to encourage the creation of apps and deal with the problems as they occur, in a reactive fashion. Google's may be a sensible move to generate a large volume and wide variety of apps, but from the security perspective it creates exactly the kind of environment in which malware gangs feel comfortable."
Both iOS and Android are based on Unix/Linux, according to McAfee, making them somewhat inherently secure. Instead, the vulnerabilities arise from manufacturers and developers who fail to make security a priority and sometimes rush to the market with new drivers and apps that aren't fully tested. Updates to the operating system and firmware may also be flawed, undermining the the strength of the core OS.
Virtually all smartphones and mobile devices face security risks now and increasingly so down the road, says McAfee. Most of the malware that threatens PCs is also possible on mobile devices. Plus, the security vendor believes that new kinds of threats not yet seen on PCs may hit smartphones.
Even if the overall number of threats were to decline, mobile devices are more vulnerable simply because they're always on, usually connected, and often hold some type of personal data.
Citing one example, McAfee pointed to a device's GPS capability, which can reveal the user's location. One piece of malware called GPS Spy, or TapSnake, has been found to use a device's GPS to send a person's location to a third party.
As another example, malware writers can exploit weaknesses in a mobile OS to control a device's camera or microphone, letting them spy on the users. McAfee said it has already detected Trojans that were able to record phone conversations and send the recordings to a third party.
On a positive note, McAfee noted that security for mobile operating systems is progressing, making certain types of malware impossible. But the company still expects mobile malware to increase as a result of the difficulties in filtering it. Ultimately, protecting users will require the industry to better secure its mobile platforms along with its mobile devices.
Make informed choices as you make your holiday purchases- geeksoncall.com
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Thursday, December 1, 2011
Tens Of Millions Of Smartphones Come With Spyware Preinstalled
http://bit.ly/urdz3Y
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http://bit.ly/urdz3Y
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Tens of Millions of Smartphones Come With Spyware Preinstalled, Security Analyst Says
Over 100 million smartphones are tracking their owners' every step, Android developer Trevor Eckhart claimed, thanks to software that comes preinstalled on phones from most major carriers.
During a security demonstration revealed on Monday, Eckhart showed how software developed by CarrierIQ tracks virtually everything a user does -- going as far as logging individual keystrokes and button presses. The company claims it helps its customers improve quality and performance "by counting and measuring operational information in mobile devices." Security experts call it spyware.
"I assume that when I SMS my wife on the phone, no one is intercepting that message," Chet Wisniewski of security firm Sophos told FoxNews.com. He called the whole ordeal is a "serious invasion of privacy."
"Why do they need to know when I'm logging into Bank of America, when I'm accessing my password? It's a different level of snooping," he said.
Developed as a mobile analytics platform, Carrier IQ's software can be found on most Android, BlackBerry and Nokia phones -- over 140 million phones in total, the company's website boasts. Some reports suggest Apple iPhones may carry the software as well.
The company has flat out denied that its software records keystrokes, a claim Eckhart's latest video seems to refute.
"Every button you press in the dialer before you call," Eckhart says in his latest video, "it already gets sent off to the IQ application."
Eckhart did not return FoxNews.com phone calls, and Carrier IQ declined to comment on his claims. A statement on the company's website reiterates the company's claims that its software does not track customers or record keystrokes.
"This information is used by our customers as a mission critical tool to improve the quality of the network, understand device uses and ultimately improve the user experience," the company said. By evaluating these metrics, Carrier IQ aims to help with issues such as "dropped calls and battery drain."
In videos showing Carrier IQ at work, Eckhart showed it going beyond such utilitarian monitoring. He showed Carrier IQ's software monitoring entire text messages, a Google search, and his location, even during sessions protected by HTTPS, a security protocol that encrypts communications for sensitive transactions nline banking.
Sprint has acknowledged using Carrier IQ's software, but denies having access to personal data.
"Carrier IQ provides information that allows Sprint, and other carriers that use it, to analyze our network performance and identify where we should be improving service," Sprint told CNET earlier this month. "We collect enough information to understand the customerexperience with devices on our network and how to address any connection problems, but we do not and cannot look at the contents of messages, photos, videos, etc., using this tool," Sprint continued.
While Wisniewski understands the needs for data and metrics, he believes carriers must be more forthcoming about how they are monitoring their users, what data they are collecting, and how they are protect that data.
"If you're going to collect that kind of information from people, you have to meet a different standard," Wisniewski told FoxNews.com.
But for now, most users are stuck, unable to even turn off or uninstall the program.
"The Carrier IQ application is embedded so deeply in the device that it can't be fully removed without rebuilding the phone from source code," Eckhart wroteon his website.
"Even where a device is out of contract, there is no off switch to stop the application from gathering data."
Get your other devices scaned now! geeksncall.com
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During a security demonstration revealed on Monday, Eckhart showed how software developed by CarrierIQ tracks virtually everything a user does -- going as far as logging individual keystrokes and button presses. The company claims it helps its customers improve quality and performance "by counting and measuring operational information in mobile devices." Security experts call it spyware.
"I assume that when I SMS my wife on the phone, no one is intercepting that message," Chet Wisniewski of security firm Sophos told FoxNews.com. He called the whole ordeal is a "serious invasion of privacy."
"Why do they need to know when I'm logging into Bank of America, when I'm accessing my password? It's a different level of snooping," he said.
Developed as a mobile analytics platform, Carrier IQ's software can be found on most Android, BlackBerry and Nokia phones -- over 140 million phones in total, the company's website boasts. Some reports suggest Apple iPhones may carry the software as well.
The company has flat out denied that its software records keystrokes, a claim Eckhart's latest video seems to refute.
"Every button you press in the dialer before you call," Eckhart says in his latest video, "it already gets sent off to the IQ application."
Eckhart did not return FoxNews.com phone calls, and Carrier IQ declined to comment on his claims. A statement on the company's website reiterates the company's claims that its software does not track customers or record keystrokes.
"This information is used by our customers as a mission critical tool to improve the quality of the network, understand device uses and ultimately improve the user experience," the company said. By evaluating these metrics, Carrier IQ aims to help with issues such as "dropped calls and battery drain."
In videos showing Carrier IQ at work, Eckhart showed it going beyond such utilitarian monitoring. He showed Carrier IQ's software monitoring entire text messages, a Google search, and his location, even during sessions protected by HTTPS, a security protocol that encrypts communications for sensitive transactions nline banking.
Sprint has acknowledged using Carrier IQ's software, but denies having access to personal data.
"Carrier IQ provides information that allows Sprint, and other carriers that use it, to analyze our network performance and identify where we should be improving service," Sprint told CNET earlier this month. "We collect enough information to understand the customerexperience with devices on our network and how to address any connection problems, but we do not and cannot look at the contents of messages, photos, videos, etc., using this tool," Sprint continued.
While Wisniewski understands the needs for data and metrics, he believes carriers must be more forthcoming about how they are monitoring their users, what data they are collecting, and how they are protect that data.
"If you're going to collect that kind of information from people, you have to meet a different standard," Wisniewski told FoxNews.com.
But for now, most users are stuck, unable to even turn off or uninstall the program.
"The Carrier IQ application is embedded so deeply in the device that it can't be fully removed without rebuilding the phone from source code," Eckhart wroteon his website.
"Even where a device is out of contract, there is no off switch to stop the application from gathering data."
Get your other devices scaned now! geeksncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Easiest way to watch for Amazon price drops
http://bit.ly/uQoZSd
Get your system up to speed for online shopping- visit geeksoncall.com now
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Easiest way to watch for Amazon price drops
msnbc.com - 11/29/2011
Rosa Golijan
If you're prone to using Amazon for your holiday shopping needs, you're probably aware that the online retailer frequently -- and often quietly -- drops prices on its products. That's great, but how do you keep an eye on the items you intend on buying as soon as they're just a little bit cheaper -- without putting in too much effort?
If you use Google's Chrome browser, then you can let a free extension called That Is Worth do the hard work.
All you have to do is download the extension through the Chrome Web Store, install it, and forget about it -- until you want to start tracking a product on Amazon (or another supported online retailer such as Direct2Drive or Steam).
In order to tag an item for tracking, visit a product page on a supported retailer, then click on the That Is Worth icon which will appear by your URL bar. It will prompt you to enter a target price -- what you want to pay.
You can peek at your tracked products page at any given moment by clicking the button, to see how close to the target pricing your items are getting. Once the product's price drops to (or below) the target, you'll receive a little alert in the corner of your screen.
That's it! Minimal effort, few thrills, and plenty of convenience. What more could you want?
If you're prone to using Amazon for your holiday shopping needs, you're probably aware that the online retailer frequently -- and often quietly -- drops prices on its products. That's great, but how do you keep an eye on the items you intend on buying as soon as they're just a little bit cheaper -- without putting in too much effort?
If you use Google's Chrome browser, then you can let a free extension called That Is Worth do the hard work.
All you have to do is download the extension through the Chrome Web Store, install it, and forget about it -- until you want to start tracking a product on Amazon (or another supported online retailer such as Direct2Drive or Steam).
In order to tag an item for tracking, visit a product page on a supported retailer, then click on the That Is Worth icon which will appear by your URL bar. It will prompt you to enter a target price -- what you want to pay.
You can peek at your tracked products page at any given moment by clicking the button, to see how close to the target pricing your items are getting. Once the product's price drops to (or below) the target, you'll receive a little alert in the corner of your screen.
That's it! Minimal effort, few thrills, and plenty of convenience. What more could you want?
Get your system up to speed for online shopping- visit geeksoncall.com now
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Rosa Golijan
If you're prone to using Amazon for your holiday shopping needs, you're probably aware that the online retailer frequently -- and often quietly -- drops prices on its products. That's great, but how do you keep an eye on the items you intend on buying as soon as they're just a little bit cheaper -- without putting in too much effort?
If you use Google's Chrome browser, then you can let a free extension called That Is Worth do the hard work.
All you have to do is download the extension through the Chrome Web Store, install it, and forget about it -- until you want to start tracking a product on Amazon (or another supported online retailer such as Direct2Drive or Steam).
In order to tag an item for tracking, visit a product page on a supported retailer, then click on the That Is Worth icon which will appear by your URL bar. It will prompt you to enter a target price -- what you want to pay.
You can peek at your tracked products page at any given moment by clicking the button, to see how close to the target pricing your items are getting. Once the product's price drops to (or below) the target, you'll receive a little alert in the corner of your screen.
That's it! Minimal effort, few thrills, and plenty of convenience. What more could you want?
If you're prone to using Amazon for your holiday shopping needs, you're probably aware that the online retailer frequently -- and often quietly -- drops prices on its products. That's great, but how do you keep an eye on the items you intend on buying as soon as they're just a little bit cheaper -- without putting in too much effort?
If you use Google's Chrome browser, then you can let a free extension called That Is Worth do the hard work.
All you have to do is download the extension through the Chrome Web Store, install it, and forget about it -- until you want to start tracking a product on Amazon (or another supported online retailer such as Direct2Drive or Steam).
In order to tag an item for tracking, visit a product page on a supported retailer, then click on the That Is Worth icon which will appear by your URL bar. It will prompt you to enter a target price -- what you want to pay.
You can peek at your tracked products page at any given moment by clicking the button, to see how close to the target pricing your items are getting. Once the product's price drops to (or below) the target, you'll receive a little alert in the corner of your screen.
That's it! Minimal effort, few thrills, and plenty of convenience. What more could you want?
Get your system up to speed for online shopping- visit geeksoncall.com now
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The best tech deals this Black Friday
http://bit.ly/sIza4y
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http://bit.ly/sIza4y
Let your favorite tech setup your new holiday purchase for you! geeksoncall.com
The best tech deals this Black Friday
msnbc.com - 11/22/2011
msnbc
Whether you're already in line for a Black Friday sale or still figuring out what you'll do with Thursday's leftover turkey, now's a good time to review the best offers of this shopping season. We're here to help with handpicked tech deals.
A few things to note:
•These deals are Black Friday offers -- promised for Friday, Nov. 25 -- so don't panic if you don't see them in stores or on retailer's websites with the prices listed below right this minute.
•The deals in this list were selected by considering a combination of factors such as value, savings, product quality, features and brand reputation.
•Most offers are limited in quantity, so be quick if you've got your eye on something specific.
•The cellphone offers listed below typically require you to sign a two-year service agreement.
•You should read the detailed descriptions of each offer carefully before buying -- msnbc.com is not responsible for the duration or integrity of individual deals, though we do our best to check the all.
•If you're looking for a gigantic list of Black Friday deals instead of some handpicked deals, take a peek at the Black Friday Cheat Sheet compiled by our friends at Gizmodo. If you prefer an alternative pile of hand-selected offers, then check out what the folks at Lifehacker picked out.
Got all that? Great! Here are some of our favorite deals for Black Friday 2011.
We will be updating this list in the days and hours before Black Friday, so feel free to check back often.
Televisions:
I aimed to pick a variety of size options here and definitely kept value in mind. Samsung came out as one of the best bets for this shopping season -- as far as TVs go, at least.
•22-in. Samsung LED HDTV (1080p) for $198 (Normally $250) -- at Best Buy
•32-in. Emerson LCD TV for $188 (Normally $300) -- at Walmart
•40-in. Samsung LED HDTV (1080p) for $497 (Normally $700) -- at Best Buy
•40-in. Samsung LED Smart HDTV (1080p) for $728 (Normally $1,100) -- at Best Buy
•47-in. LG LED (1080p) for $700 (Normally $1,000) -- at Best Buy
•60-in. Samsung LED Smart HDTV (1080p) for $1398 (Normally $2,800) -- at Best Buy
•60-in. Samsung 3D LED HDTV (1080p) for $3300 (Normally $4,200) -- at Best Buy
Gaming:
If you're looking for a gaming console, you should probably make Walmart one of your stops on Black Friday. It's got some of the better overall deals.
•Xbox 360 4G console (with Kinect and "Kinect Adventures") for $200 (Normally $300) -- at Walmart
•Xbox Kinect (with "Kinect Adventures") for $100 (Normally $175 -- at Walmart
•PlayStation 3 160GB console (with "Little Big Planet 2" and "Rachet and Clank 4") for $200 (Normally $250) -- at Walmart
•Nintendo Wii console (Limited Edition Blue) for $100 (Normally $150) -- at Walmart
•Nintendo 3DS console with "Super Mario 3D Land" for $180 (normally $209) -- at Target
•Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Mega Pack for $80 (Normally $110) -- Best Buy
•Xbox Live Gold (3-month membership) for $13 (Normally $24) -- at GameStop
•Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360) for $40 (Normally $59) -- at GameStop
•FIFA Soccer 12 (Xbox 360/PS3) for $40 (Normally $59) -- at GameStop
•Maden NFL 12 (Xbox 360/PS3) for $40 (Normally $59) -- at GameStop
Monitors:
After carefully interrogating friends and colleagues about their monitor choices, I've realized that Acer's the crowd favorite due to its reputation and value. And there are definitely a handful of those monitors to be found on sale come Friday.
•20-in. Acer LED widescreen monitor for $90 (Normally $130) -- at Best Buy
•20-in. LG LED widescreen monitor for $110 (Normally $160) -- at Best Buy
•23-in. Acer LED widescreen monitor for $160 (Normally $200) -- at Best Buy
Desktops:
It's rough to make recommendations when it comes to desktops simply because individual priorities differ a great deal when it comes to these particular gadgets, so I went with a handful of decent deals for the average shopper.
•18.5-in. HP AMD dual-core 3GB DDR3 500GB HD desktop for $298 (Normally $429) -- at Walmart
•20-in. HP 320-1034 AMD dual-core 4GB DDR3 1TB HDD all-in-one desktop for $400 (Normally $700) -- at Best Buy
•24-in. Dell XPS 8300 Core i7 16GB RAM 1.5TB HDD desktop for $1000 (Normally $1500) -- at Costco
•24-in. Sony Intel Core i3 4GB RAM 1TB HDD touch-screen desktop for $900 (Normally $1079) -- Staples
Laptops:
Like desktops, laptops are a finicky topic when it comes to Black Friday shoppers. I decided to select a product I'd recommend personally -- the MacBook Air -- and two low cost solutions.
•10.1-in. Gateway LT2811U netbook (1.66MHz/1GB RAM/250GB HDD) for $149 (Normally $450) -- at Best Buy
•13.3-in. MacBook Air (1.7GHz/4GB RAM/128 SSD) for $1099 (Normally $1299) -- at Best Buy
•15.6-in. HP 2000-329WM laptop (1.60GHz/3GB RAM/320 GB HDD) for $248 (Normally $400) -- at Walmart
Cameras:
A DSLR and a low-cost point-and-shoot. What more could you ever want to pick up in the camera department on Black Friday?
•Nikon Coolpix S3100 camera (14MP/720p video) for $99 (Normally $139) -- at Best Buy
•Canon Rebel T3 DSLR for $480 (Normally $550) -- at Target
Tablets:
There's no getting around it -- the tablet category was a popularity contest.
•Apple iPad 2 (16GB with Wi-Fi) for $455 (Normally $500) -- at Best Buy
•Amazon Kindle Keyboard 3G with "Special Offers" for $85 (Normally $99) -- at Target
•Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch for $79 (Normally $99) -- at Barnes & Noble
Cellphones:
While some other options are listed, your best bet when it comes to cellphones on Black Friday is Amazon. Nearly every phone you can think of is available for just a penny -- assuming you sign a two-year service agreement -- and you get a bonus $100 gift card.
•AT&T Samsung Infuse for $0 (Normally $100) -- at Best Buy
•AT&T LG Thrill for $0 (Normally $100) -- at Best Buy
•Verizon Droid Incredible 2 for $0 (Normally $200) -- at Best Buy
•Verizon HTC Thunderbolt for $0 (Normally $150) -- at Best Buy
•Almost any phone you can think of (plus a $100 Amazon gift card) for $.01 (Normal prices vary) -- at Amazon.com
GPS devices:
A solid GPS device, a lifetime of maps, and a decent price? No brainer.
•4.3-in. Magellan GPS device with lifetime maps and traffic updates for $99 (Normally $149) -- at Best Buy
Software
OfficeMax is one of the spots with the best software deals on Friday, so head there if you're looking to feed your computer some new apps.
•Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 for $55 (Normally $100) -- at OfficeMax
•Dragon Naturally Speaking (Home Edition) for $45 (Normally $90) -- at OfficeMax
•Microsoft Office Home for Mac for $80 (Normally $120) -- at OfficeMax
Miscellaneous odds and ends:
Dyson products. On sale. This doesn't happen often, folks. Take advantage of it.
•Dyson DC 28 full-size bagless upright vaccuum for $479 (Normally $649) -- on Dyson.com
•Dyson Hot fan/heater for $299 (Normally $399) -- on Dyson.com
•Dyson Air Multiplier AM 03 fan for $349 (Normally $449) -- on Dyson.com
•iCade iPad arcade cabinet for $60 (Normally $100) -- on ThinkGeek.com
•HP C410a Color Inkjet Photosmart Premium wireless all-in-Oone printer/fax for $100 (Normally $300) -- at OfficeMax
•Most items on Panasonic's website for whatever discounted price Panasonic employees would pay (Normal prices vary) -- on Panasonic.com
Let your favorite tech setup your new holiday purchase for you! geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
msnbc
Whether you're already in line for a Black Friday sale or still figuring out what you'll do with Thursday's leftover turkey, now's a good time to review the best offers of this shopping season. We're here to help with handpicked tech deals.
A few things to note:
•These deals are Black Friday offers -- promised for Friday, Nov. 25 -- so don't panic if you don't see them in stores or on retailer's websites with the prices listed below right this minute.
•The deals in this list were selected by considering a combination of factors such as value, savings, product quality, features and brand reputation.
•Most offers are limited in quantity, so be quick if you've got your eye on something specific.
•The cellphone offers listed below typically require you to sign a two-year service agreement.
•You should read the detailed descriptions of each offer carefully before buying -- msnbc.com is not responsible for the duration or integrity of individual deals, though we do our best to check the all.
•If you're looking for a gigantic list of Black Friday deals instead of some handpicked deals, take a peek at the Black Friday Cheat Sheet compiled by our friends at Gizmodo. If you prefer an alternative pile of hand-selected offers, then check out what the folks at Lifehacker picked out.
Got all that? Great! Here are some of our favorite deals for Black Friday 2011.
We will be updating this list in the days and hours before Black Friday, so feel free to check back often.
Televisions:
I aimed to pick a variety of size options here and definitely kept value in mind. Samsung came out as one of the best bets for this shopping season -- as far as TVs go, at least.
•22-in. Samsung LED HDTV (1080p) for $198 (Normally $250) -- at Best Buy
•32-in. Emerson LCD TV for $188 (Normally $300) -- at Walmart
•40-in. Samsung LED HDTV (1080p) for $497 (Normally $700) -- at Best Buy
•40-in. Samsung LED Smart HDTV (1080p) for $728 (Normally $1,100) -- at Best Buy
•47-in. LG LED (1080p) for $700 (Normally $1,000) -- at Best Buy
•60-in. Samsung LED Smart HDTV (1080p) for $1398 (Normally $2,800) -- at Best Buy
•60-in. Samsung 3D LED HDTV (1080p) for $3300 (Normally $4,200) -- at Best Buy
Gaming:
If you're looking for a gaming console, you should probably make Walmart one of your stops on Black Friday. It's got some of the better overall deals.
•Xbox 360 4G console (with Kinect and "Kinect Adventures") for $200 (Normally $300) -- at Walmart
•Xbox Kinect (with "Kinect Adventures") for $100 (Normally $175 -- at Walmart
•PlayStation 3 160GB console (with "Little Big Planet 2" and "Rachet and Clank 4") for $200 (Normally $250) -- at Walmart
•Nintendo Wii console (Limited Edition Blue) for $100 (Normally $150) -- at Walmart
•Nintendo 3DS console with "Super Mario 3D Land" for $180 (normally $209) -- at Target
•Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Mega Pack for $80 (Normally $110) -- Best Buy
•Xbox Live Gold (3-month membership) for $13 (Normally $24) -- at GameStop
•Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360) for $40 (Normally $59) -- at GameStop
•FIFA Soccer 12 (Xbox 360/PS3) for $40 (Normally $59) -- at GameStop
•Maden NFL 12 (Xbox 360/PS3) for $40 (Normally $59) -- at GameStop
Monitors:
After carefully interrogating friends and colleagues about their monitor choices, I've realized that Acer's the crowd favorite due to its reputation and value. And there are definitely a handful of those monitors to be found on sale come Friday.
•20-in. Acer LED widescreen monitor for $90 (Normally $130) -- at Best Buy
•20-in. LG LED widescreen monitor for $110 (Normally $160) -- at Best Buy
•23-in. Acer LED widescreen monitor for $160 (Normally $200) -- at Best Buy
Desktops:
It's rough to make recommendations when it comes to desktops simply because individual priorities differ a great deal when it comes to these particular gadgets, so I went with a handful of decent deals for the average shopper.
•18.5-in. HP AMD dual-core 3GB DDR3 500GB HD desktop for $298 (Normally $429) -- at Walmart
•20-in. HP 320-1034 AMD dual-core 4GB DDR3 1TB HDD all-in-one desktop for $400 (Normally $700) -- at Best Buy
•24-in. Dell XPS 8300 Core i7 16GB RAM 1.5TB HDD desktop for $1000 (Normally $1500) -- at Costco
•24-in. Sony Intel Core i3 4GB RAM 1TB HDD touch-screen desktop for $900 (Normally $1079) -- Staples
Laptops:
Like desktops, laptops are a finicky topic when it comes to Black Friday shoppers. I decided to select a product I'd recommend personally -- the MacBook Air -- and two low cost solutions.
•10.1-in. Gateway LT2811U netbook (1.66MHz/1GB RAM/250GB HDD) for $149 (Normally $450) -- at Best Buy
•13.3-in. MacBook Air (1.7GHz/4GB RAM/128 SSD) for $1099 (Normally $1299) -- at Best Buy
•15.6-in. HP 2000-329WM laptop (1.60GHz/3GB RAM/320 GB HDD) for $248 (Normally $400) -- at Walmart
Cameras:
A DSLR and a low-cost point-and-shoot. What more could you ever want to pick up in the camera department on Black Friday?
•Nikon Coolpix S3100 camera (14MP/720p video) for $99 (Normally $139) -- at Best Buy
•Canon Rebel T3 DSLR for $480 (Normally $550) -- at Target
Tablets:
There's no getting around it -- the tablet category was a popularity contest.
•Apple iPad 2 (16GB with Wi-Fi) for $455 (Normally $500) -- at Best Buy
•Amazon Kindle Keyboard 3G with "Special Offers" for $85 (Normally $99) -- at Target
•Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch for $79 (Normally $99) -- at Barnes & Noble
Cellphones:
While some other options are listed, your best bet when it comes to cellphones on Black Friday is Amazon. Nearly every phone you can think of is available for just a penny -- assuming you sign a two-year service agreement -- and you get a bonus $100 gift card.
•AT&T Samsung Infuse for $0 (Normally $100) -- at Best Buy
•AT&T LG Thrill for $0 (Normally $100) -- at Best Buy
•Verizon Droid Incredible 2 for $0 (Normally $200) -- at Best Buy
•Verizon HTC Thunderbolt for $0 (Normally $150) -- at Best Buy
•Almost any phone you can think of (plus a $100 Amazon gift card) for $.01 (Normal prices vary) -- at Amazon.com
GPS devices:
A solid GPS device, a lifetime of maps, and a decent price? No brainer.
•4.3-in. Magellan GPS device with lifetime maps and traffic updates for $99 (Normally $149) -- at Best Buy
Software
OfficeMax is one of the spots with the best software deals on Friday, so head there if you're looking to feed your computer some new apps.
•Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 for $55 (Normally $100) -- at OfficeMax
•Dragon Naturally Speaking (Home Edition) for $45 (Normally $90) -- at OfficeMax
•Microsoft Office Home for Mac for $80 (Normally $120) -- at OfficeMax
Miscellaneous odds and ends:
Dyson products. On sale. This doesn't happen often, folks. Take advantage of it.
•Dyson DC 28 full-size bagless upright vaccuum for $479 (Normally $649) -- on Dyson.com
•Dyson Hot fan/heater for $299 (Normally $399) -- on Dyson.com
•Dyson Air Multiplier AM 03 fan for $349 (Normally $449) -- on Dyson.com
•iCade iPad arcade cabinet for $60 (Normally $100) -- on ThinkGeek.com
•HP C410a Color Inkjet Photosmart Premium wireless all-in-Oone printer/fax for $100 (Normally $300) -- at OfficeMax
•Most items on Panasonic's website for whatever discounted price Panasonic employees would pay (Normal prices vary) -- on Panasonic.com
Let your favorite tech setup your new holiday purchase for you! geeksoncall.com
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Home for the Holiday Tech Support
http://bit.ly/sXNAeP
Can't solve the problem yourself? Schedule a tech today- visit geeksoncall.com now!
http://bit.ly/sXNAeP
Can't solve the problem yourself? Schedule a tech today- visit geeksoncall.com now!
Home for the Holiday Tech Support
themorningnews.org - 11/22/2011
Nozlee Samadzadeh
When the annual trip home becomes a customer-service visit to "fix the internet," sometimes even bourbon can't save the day. We gathered a half-dozen of our favorite tech writers and editors to help anticipate the headaches of 2011.
This week and through December, anyone who is computer-savvy will appreciate the following scenario: Your family gathers for a holiday meal. Your older sibling, the one with twins, has a slideshow of baby pictures that everyone wants to see, but he can't remember which online photo-sharing service he used to upload them. Also, mom's wifi network is down. And she forgot the password. And dad says the computer is dead anyway, in no part due to the nine antivirus packages that he half-installed. Now can you sort all of that out by dessert, please?
To share in the miseries and pleasures of holiday tech-support, we gathered six of our favorite technology writers and editors to share their war stories, anticipate this year's unique miseries (Kindle Fire flambe, anyone?), and single out the products and services that can help bring harmony to dinner tables nationwide.
Paul Ford is a writer who programs computers. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Brian Lam runs The Wirecutter.
Peter Rojas is the co-founder of gdgt, Engedget, and Gizmodo.
Jason Snell is the vice president and editorial director at Macworld.
Gina Trapani is a Project Director at Expert Labs, where she builds software that confuses her relatives.
Christina Warren is the entertainment editor at Mashable.
What new product or service is going to require the most tech support this holiday season?
Gina Trapani: Oh God, phones. I anticipate an array of new Android handsets flashing with preinstalled NASCAR apps. My brother will ask me what rooting actually does and my cousins will demand to know why they can't get Facebook on their phones.
Brian Lam: It's always computers. They're a nightmare for parents.
Jason Snell: Kindle Fire. Its low price and Amazon's brand name mean that Amazon will sell a whole bunch of them. But the Kindle Fire is a little complicated. The touchscreen interface is a bit hard to navigate. It's not an iPad or an Android tablet, not really, nor is it like any of the other Kindle hardware devices Amazon has made. In the end I think Amazon will have success with the Fire or its successors, but I suspect that this first device is going to cause a lot of headaches.
Christina Warren: I usually say anything wireless, but looking at the direction that gadgets are going I'd say connected TVs and set-top boxes. DLNA is cool stuff, but getting it all to play nice together rarely works (a high profile gadget maker failed repeatedly at showing off tablet and TV integration at their flagship store in New York City--it was an embarrassing demo for them and I had to stifle a laugh).
It's amazing how stuff gets more complex over time. My parents still have trouble turning on the surround sound and their cable box. I'm not sure I could ever explain how to get video from a Mac or PC to the TV or Blu-ray player.
Paul Ford: It's not the actual products but the remote support questions for computers hundreds of miles away. "When I click the mouse it turns blue? And then the whole thing shakes? What is that? Pass the stuffing." Or: "What software do I need?" ("For what?" "For my computer.")
Peter Rojas: I want to say "everything," but you probably don't want me to hear that, so I'll settle on smartphones. Even iPhones, which have a reputation for being easy for anyone to use, can be surprisingly complicated for non-technical types. My mom didn't realize for an entire year that her iPhone had wifi until I suggested that her Skype calls might be clearer if she switched from 3G to wireless.
Tell us the story of the most frustrating--or heartwarming--tech support experience you provided for a loved one.
BL: I don't really do tech support for loved ones without a fair amount of annoyance. I'm like the accountant who has unbalanced checkbooks or the chef who eats hot dogs at home.
JS: Nothing is more frustrating than hearing "it doesn't work" on the other end of a phone line. It's so hard to troubleshoot something when you can't see it, and that's magnified when the problem is being described by someone who doesn't understand what they're seeing or doesn't have the terminology to explain it to you. These days, fortunately, there's a lot less of that--"screen sharing" services and software exist so that you can actually take control of someone else's computer and show them what's wrong, or fix it for them. I use iChat to fix things on my parents' and in-laws' computers, for example, and it has helped a lot. Spending half an hour trying to fix something that's actually not broken, all because of a misunderstanding of terminology, is about as frustrating as it gets.
PF: A few years ago I sat down with an older person who hadn't touched a typewriter in 30 years (he dictated into a tape recorder) to teach him how to use a computer. After about a half-hour of talking about word-processing and how to drag-and-drop icons onto applications in order to open them, he looked at me and said: "Where is the dragon?"
That said, my dad just called and said he wants to root the tablet he bought at Walgreens. So there's a spectrum.
CW: Two years ago, my uncle bought an expensive Windows laptop and proceeded to force me to spend Thanksgiving helping him install a non-trial version of Office, manage the multiple antivirus packages he installed (which I subsequently had to uninstall), and find a way to access all the photos in his Yahoo! email account.
Needless to say, I needed bourbon by the end and vowed to never do Windows tech support for extended family again.
PR: We don't watch that much TV anymore, so I canceled our cable TV service earlier this year and felt very satisfied to be saving $100 a month. A couple of months later I was flying to California for a trip and was logged into the in-flight wifi when I got an IM from my wife. She wanted to watch The Tudors on Netflix. We use the Netflix app on the Xbox 360, which she had never actually used herself, so to watch something meant I needed to explain:
1.How to get the receiver and TV set to the right inputs.
2.How to turn on the Xbox 360.
3.How to use the Xbox 360 controller to navigate and find the Netflix app.
After much back-and-forth--and remember, I'm on an airplane--I managed to successfully walk her through the first two of these steps, but somehow I could not explain over IM how to get through the Xbox 360's menus to get to the Netflix app. After twenty minutes we finally gave up.
GT: My 92-year-old Grandpa-in-law had a serious email overload problem. His friends constantly forwarded to his inbox everything from proof President Obama wasn't born in the U.S. to kitten photos. He'd get tired of going through it all himself, so every Sunday he'd invite us over to watch 60 Minutes and have what he liked to call "a delete party." Sitting at the computer together, dialed into his Juno account, I'd read subject lines and the first few sentences of each message to him. More often than not he'd call out "Delete!" and I'd trash the message. Once in awhile he'd say "Keep" and I'd move onto the next one.
One fine Sunday during our delete party, I opened an email with an interesting photo attachment: a topless woman with the most enormous breasts I've seen in my life. Eyebrows raised, I glanced over at Grandpa beside me. He leaned in for a closer look, grinned, and said "Keep."
We're in the nth year of a recession and iPhones aren't getting cheaper. Do you see more friends and family choosing new products for their price instead of their quality?
JS: Actually, iPhones are getting cheaper. You can get an iPhone 3G for free now, with a two-year contract. (The iPhone originally cost $499.) And cellphone carriers know that to sell smartphones to a broader audience, they've got to do something about their rate plans. That's why you're seeing companies such as AT&T and T-Mobile offer cheaper 250MB data plans targeted at value-conscious people who just don't want to pay for gigabytes of data if they can try to use wifi a lot and save $20/month on their phone bills.
I think many people are conscious of the tradeoff between price and quality. You can argue that in a tough economy people want to save money, but you could also argue that in a touch economy people want to find value and longevity. Some people are always going to pay as little as possible for a product that disappoints them, but the more savvy people become about technology, the more they see through the low prices and start looking for higher-priced items that provide a whole lot more value.
CW: I think that price definitely plays a bigger role in purchasing decisions than it did even a year or two ago. The Kindle Fire--a device I quite like--is inferior to the iPad 2 in every way but one: price. Yet that price difference is what will likely drive sales.
That said, I think that as tech in general gets cheaper--for example, the Samsung Focus Flash is a fantastic Windows Phone and is just $50--the trade-off between price and quality is less important. An iPhone 4 is $99. A 3GS is free. The economy might mean spending less but that doesn't always mean getting inferior goods.
GT: Amazon had the right idea. For my friends and family, this holiday season is about the cheaper Kindles, not the iPad.
PF: I'm amazed that everyone has awesome phones. Even cheap phones do everything. It bothers me that people are anxious; they've been told that they need Apple products in order to be fully engaged with society. I asked Siri about this and she agrees.
PR: Always seems like it's been a mix of both. People are always value-conscious, but I feel like a lot of gadgets are moving from the luxury category to the necessity category, and so it seems easier to spend a bit more money on them.
BL: It's always been like this for the majority of the country. Tech writers aren't price-sensitive enough because they live in this bubble of free test units. Except me.
Pretend I'm your grandmother. You love me, but you hate updating the security software on my 2004 Dell Dimension desktop. Give me a reason to upgrade. Be sweet, dearie.
PR: Hackers.
CW: Upgrading to a newer, faster machine will not make the pains of updating software less frustrating--it will give you a more stable and enjoyable system. A lot of people forget what a fast, stable system is suppose to feel like. Rather than struggling to load email or photos, upgrade to something newer. You can spend very little and get a big upgrade over your current computer--often with a better monitor to boot.
BL: Trick question--doesn't matter if grandma's computer has viruses because she never does anything but play solitaire on her computer, so no big deal if it gets hacked. Once it does, buy a her MacBook Air.
JS: Grandma, you know what? You don't need a computer. All you do is read email and the web, and you keep complaining about how hard it is to find a large-print edition of that latest book from the nice fellow you watch every weekday on Fox News. So I'll tell you what: It's time to get an iPad. It doesn't need any security software or anything like that. You can use it anywhere in your house, not just at that desk. You don't even need a computer to set it up or back it up--it will do all that over your wireless connection. You'll be able to check e-mail and without worrying about the roller in that old mouse getting stuck. You can buy books from iBooks or Amazon and crank up the font size, so any book can be a large-print book! And there's a camera on front so that we can do video calls so that you can see (and talk to) your great-grandchildren.
GT: I don't give Grandma a reason to upgrade her computer. I just arrive at her house with a better model, plug it in, and lie about it. "Guess what, Grammy? Work just bought me a new computer so that means I don't need this one anymore. Let's donate your old one to the local school. It's a tax write-off!"
PF: We stopped upgrading Grammy a few years ago, after she hit EOL.
What single product or service would help the most to establish harmony in your holiday season?
PR: I suspect everyone would be happier if I looked at my phone a lot less. Is there an app that would temporarily lock me out of my phone?
JS: For harmony's sake, let's give everybody some device--any device--that uses wifi and gets them on the internet. Then they can stop asking me to Google stuff on my iPhone.
CW: I'd say an iPad. I got my mom an iPad for her birthday in 2010 and she loves it. She's not afraid of it, which is huge. She can get online, watch me appear on TV (or on a podcast), send emails, read my Mashable articles, and even print from it. The best part of the iPad is that it has made my mom less afraid of technology and more open to exploring new things.
GT: A speedy, reliable internet connection. That way any one of us can retreat to a safe virtual space when Uncle Harry's eggnog-fueled political tirades get out of hand.
What single product or service should be banned to make you and your loved ones' holiday season more harmonious?
JS: Let's ban that feature that takes a standard-definition TV picture and stretches it out across a widescreen TV. I go to the houses of relatives and suddenly everyone on TV is 30 pounds fatter and pixelated. Let's get rid of standard-def in general, but more specifically, if you're watching a standard-def picture on a widescreen TV, just embrace the black or gray bars on the sides. It does not make the football game better if those 300-pound linemen look like they weigh 700 pounds and are playing on one of the moons of Jupiter.
GT: If I can get through the holiday season without troubleshooting a family member's problem with their printer or wireless router, it will be a Christmas miracle.
CW: Windows. In a former life, I was a PC Tech. I've diagnosed and repaired hundreds of Windows machines, including my parents' various computers. No more. I made my mom get a Mac last year and refuse to service my dad after he voluntarily installed fake antivirus programs.
The amount of hair-pulling required to get Windows to reliably work with multiple wireless printers was enough that I insist my mother get a Mac. She's happier and I don't have to do tech support calls from New York City.
BL: Not sure. Everything, when used properly, is pretty helpful. I appreciate a lot of technology these days.
PF: I think sometimes technology is the symptom, not the root cause.
Can't solve the problem- schedule a tech today. Visit Geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Nozlee Samadzadeh
When the annual trip home becomes a customer-service visit to "fix the internet," sometimes even bourbon can't save the day. We gathered a half-dozen of our favorite tech writers and editors to help anticipate the headaches of 2011.
This week and through December, anyone who is computer-savvy will appreciate the following scenario: Your family gathers for a holiday meal. Your older sibling, the one with twins, has a slideshow of baby pictures that everyone wants to see, but he can't remember which online photo-sharing service he used to upload them. Also, mom's wifi network is down. And she forgot the password. And dad says the computer is dead anyway, in no part due to the nine antivirus packages that he half-installed. Now can you sort all of that out by dessert, please?
To share in the miseries and pleasures of holiday tech-support, we gathered six of our favorite technology writers and editors to share their war stories, anticipate this year's unique miseries (Kindle Fire flambe, anyone?), and single out the products and services that can help bring harmony to dinner tables nationwide.
Paul Ford is a writer who programs computers. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Brian Lam runs The Wirecutter.
Peter Rojas is the co-founder of gdgt, Engedget, and Gizmodo.
Jason Snell is the vice president and editorial director at Macworld.
Gina Trapani is a Project Director at Expert Labs, where she builds software that confuses her relatives.
Christina Warren is the entertainment editor at Mashable.
What new product or service is going to require the most tech support this holiday season?
Gina Trapani: Oh God, phones. I anticipate an array of new Android handsets flashing with preinstalled NASCAR apps. My brother will ask me what rooting actually does and my cousins will demand to know why they can't get Facebook on their phones.
Brian Lam: It's always computers. They're a nightmare for parents.
Jason Snell: Kindle Fire. Its low price and Amazon's brand name mean that Amazon will sell a whole bunch of them. But the Kindle Fire is a little complicated. The touchscreen interface is a bit hard to navigate. It's not an iPad or an Android tablet, not really, nor is it like any of the other Kindle hardware devices Amazon has made. In the end I think Amazon will have success with the Fire or its successors, but I suspect that this first device is going to cause a lot of headaches.
Christina Warren: I usually say anything wireless, but looking at the direction that gadgets are going I'd say connected TVs and set-top boxes. DLNA is cool stuff, but getting it all to play nice together rarely works (a high profile gadget maker failed repeatedly at showing off tablet and TV integration at their flagship store in New York City--it was an embarrassing demo for them and I had to stifle a laugh).
It's amazing how stuff gets more complex over time. My parents still have trouble turning on the surround sound and their cable box. I'm not sure I could ever explain how to get video from a Mac or PC to the TV or Blu-ray player.
Paul Ford: It's not the actual products but the remote support questions for computers hundreds of miles away. "When I click the mouse it turns blue? And then the whole thing shakes? What is that? Pass the stuffing." Or: "What software do I need?" ("For what?" "For my computer.")
Peter Rojas: I want to say "everything," but you probably don't want me to hear that, so I'll settle on smartphones. Even iPhones, which have a reputation for being easy for anyone to use, can be surprisingly complicated for non-technical types. My mom didn't realize for an entire year that her iPhone had wifi until I suggested that her Skype calls might be clearer if she switched from 3G to wireless.
Tell us the story of the most frustrating--or heartwarming--tech support experience you provided for a loved one.
BL: I don't really do tech support for loved ones without a fair amount of annoyance. I'm like the accountant who has unbalanced checkbooks or the chef who eats hot dogs at home.
JS: Nothing is more frustrating than hearing "it doesn't work" on the other end of a phone line. It's so hard to troubleshoot something when you can't see it, and that's magnified when the problem is being described by someone who doesn't understand what they're seeing or doesn't have the terminology to explain it to you. These days, fortunately, there's a lot less of that--"screen sharing" services and software exist so that you can actually take control of someone else's computer and show them what's wrong, or fix it for them. I use iChat to fix things on my parents' and in-laws' computers, for example, and it has helped a lot. Spending half an hour trying to fix something that's actually not broken, all because of a misunderstanding of terminology, is about as frustrating as it gets.
PF: A few years ago I sat down with an older person who hadn't touched a typewriter in 30 years (he dictated into a tape recorder) to teach him how to use a computer. After about a half-hour of talking about word-processing and how to drag-and-drop icons onto applications in order to open them, he looked at me and said: "Where is the dragon?"
That said, my dad just called and said he wants to root the tablet he bought at Walgreens. So there's a spectrum.
CW: Two years ago, my uncle bought an expensive Windows laptop and proceeded to force me to spend Thanksgiving helping him install a non-trial version of Office, manage the multiple antivirus packages he installed (which I subsequently had to uninstall), and find a way to access all the photos in his Yahoo! email account.
Needless to say, I needed bourbon by the end and vowed to never do Windows tech support for extended family again.
PR: We don't watch that much TV anymore, so I canceled our cable TV service earlier this year and felt very satisfied to be saving $100 a month. A couple of months later I was flying to California for a trip and was logged into the in-flight wifi when I got an IM from my wife. She wanted to watch The Tudors on Netflix. We use the Netflix app on the Xbox 360, which she had never actually used herself, so to watch something meant I needed to explain:
1.How to get the receiver and TV set to the right inputs.
2.How to turn on the Xbox 360.
3.How to use the Xbox 360 controller to navigate and find the Netflix app.
After much back-and-forth--and remember, I'm on an airplane--I managed to successfully walk her through the first two of these steps, but somehow I could not explain over IM how to get through the Xbox 360's menus to get to the Netflix app. After twenty minutes we finally gave up.
GT: My 92-year-old Grandpa-in-law had a serious email overload problem. His friends constantly forwarded to his inbox everything from proof President Obama wasn't born in the U.S. to kitten photos. He'd get tired of going through it all himself, so every Sunday he'd invite us over to watch 60 Minutes and have what he liked to call "a delete party." Sitting at the computer together, dialed into his Juno account, I'd read subject lines and the first few sentences of each message to him. More often than not he'd call out "Delete!" and I'd trash the message. Once in awhile he'd say "Keep" and I'd move onto the next one.
One fine Sunday during our delete party, I opened an email with an interesting photo attachment: a topless woman with the most enormous breasts I've seen in my life. Eyebrows raised, I glanced over at Grandpa beside me. He leaned in for a closer look, grinned, and said "Keep."
We're in the nth year of a recession and iPhones aren't getting cheaper. Do you see more friends and family choosing new products for their price instead of their quality?
JS: Actually, iPhones are getting cheaper. You can get an iPhone 3G for free now, with a two-year contract. (The iPhone originally cost $499.) And cellphone carriers know that to sell smartphones to a broader audience, they've got to do something about their rate plans. That's why you're seeing companies such as AT&T and T-Mobile offer cheaper 250MB data plans targeted at value-conscious people who just don't want to pay for gigabytes of data if they can try to use wifi a lot and save $20/month on their phone bills.
I think many people are conscious of the tradeoff between price and quality. You can argue that in a tough economy people want to save money, but you could also argue that in a touch economy people want to find value and longevity. Some people are always going to pay as little as possible for a product that disappoints them, but the more savvy people become about technology, the more they see through the low prices and start looking for higher-priced items that provide a whole lot more value.
CW: I think that price definitely plays a bigger role in purchasing decisions than it did even a year or two ago. The Kindle Fire--a device I quite like--is inferior to the iPad 2 in every way but one: price. Yet that price difference is what will likely drive sales.
That said, I think that as tech in general gets cheaper--for example, the Samsung Focus Flash is a fantastic Windows Phone and is just $50--the trade-off between price and quality is less important. An iPhone 4 is $99. A 3GS is free. The economy might mean spending less but that doesn't always mean getting inferior goods.
GT: Amazon had the right idea. For my friends and family, this holiday season is about the cheaper Kindles, not the iPad.
PF: I'm amazed that everyone has awesome phones. Even cheap phones do everything. It bothers me that people are anxious; they've been told that they need Apple products in order to be fully engaged with society. I asked Siri about this and she agrees.
PR: Always seems like it's been a mix of both. People are always value-conscious, but I feel like a lot of gadgets are moving from the luxury category to the necessity category, and so it seems easier to spend a bit more money on them.
BL: It's always been like this for the majority of the country. Tech writers aren't price-sensitive enough because they live in this bubble of free test units. Except me.
Pretend I'm your grandmother. You love me, but you hate updating the security software on my 2004 Dell Dimension desktop. Give me a reason to upgrade. Be sweet, dearie.
PR: Hackers.
CW: Upgrading to a newer, faster machine will not make the pains of updating software less frustrating--it will give you a more stable and enjoyable system. A lot of people forget what a fast, stable system is suppose to feel like. Rather than struggling to load email or photos, upgrade to something newer. You can spend very little and get a big upgrade over your current computer--often with a better monitor to boot.
BL: Trick question--doesn't matter if grandma's computer has viruses because she never does anything but play solitaire on her computer, so no big deal if it gets hacked. Once it does, buy a her MacBook Air.
JS: Grandma, you know what? You don't need a computer. All you do is read email and the web, and you keep complaining about how hard it is to find a large-print edition of that latest book from the nice fellow you watch every weekday on Fox News. So I'll tell you what: It's time to get an iPad. It doesn't need any security software or anything like that. You can use it anywhere in your house, not just at that desk. You don't even need a computer to set it up or back it up--it will do all that over your wireless connection. You'll be able to check e-mail and without worrying about the roller in that old mouse getting stuck. You can buy books from iBooks or Amazon and crank up the font size, so any book can be a large-print book! And there's a camera on front so that we can do video calls so that you can see (and talk to) your great-grandchildren.
GT: I don't give Grandma a reason to upgrade her computer. I just arrive at her house with a better model, plug it in, and lie about it. "Guess what, Grammy? Work just bought me a new computer so that means I don't need this one anymore. Let's donate your old one to the local school. It's a tax write-off!"
PF: We stopped upgrading Grammy a few years ago, after she hit EOL.
What single product or service would help the most to establish harmony in your holiday season?
PR: I suspect everyone would be happier if I looked at my phone a lot less. Is there an app that would temporarily lock me out of my phone?
JS: For harmony's sake, let's give everybody some device--any device--that uses wifi and gets them on the internet. Then they can stop asking me to Google stuff on my iPhone.
CW: I'd say an iPad. I got my mom an iPad for her birthday in 2010 and she loves it. She's not afraid of it, which is huge. She can get online, watch me appear on TV (or on a podcast), send emails, read my Mashable articles, and even print from it. The best part of the iPad is that it has made my mom less afraid of technology and more open to exploring new things.
GT: A speedy, reliable internet connection. That way any one of us can retreat to a safe virtual space when Uncle Harry's eggnog-fueled political tirades get out of hand.
What single product or service should be banned to make you and your loved ones' holiday season more harmonious?
JS: Let's ban that feature that takes a standard-definition TV picture and stretches it out across a widescreen TV. I go to the houses of relatives and suddenly everyone on TV is 30 pounds fatter and pixelated. Let's get rid of standard-def in general, but more specifically, if you're watching a standard-def picture on a widescreen TV, just embrace the black or gray bars on the sides. It does not make the football game better if those 300-pound linemen look like they weigh 700 pounds and are playing on one of the moons of Jupiter.
GT: If I can get through the holiday season without troubleshooting a family member's problem with their printer or wireless router, it will be a Christmas miracle.
CW: Windows. In a former life, I was a PC Tech. I've diagnosed and repaired hundreds of Windows machines, including my parents' various computers. No more. I made my mom get a Mac last year and refuse to service my dad after he voluntarily installed fake antivirus programs.
The amount of hair-pulling required to get Windows to reliably work with multiple wireless printers was enough that I insist my mother get a Mac. She's happier and I don't have to do tech support calls from New York City.
BL: Not sure. Everything, when used properly, is pretty helpful. I appreciate a lot of technology these days.
PF: I think sometimes technology is the symptom, not the root cause.
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Monday, November 21, 2011
Scam alert: Bogus flight confirmations from 'Delta'
http://bit.ly/seJuBF
Make sure your system is secure with our help- geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/seJuBF
Make sure your system is secure with our help- geeksoncall.com
Scam alert: Bogus flight confirmations from 'Delta'
msnbc.com - 11/15/2011
Harriet Baskas
If you received an email today from Delta Air Lines confirming your round-trip flight from New York's JFK International Airport to San Francisco for the week of Nov. 26, don't drop everything to start packing your bags.
In fact, do not click on any part of that message.
The email is bogus and has apparently been sent to many Delta customers.
"We have received reports from customers of fraudulent emails claiming to be from Delta," said Delta Air Lines spokesman Paul Skrbec via email. "We have updated delta.com with an advisory and continue to work with our customers regarding these claims."
Skrbec would not say how many customers may have received the bogus email, only that "we continue to investigate these reports from customers."
Delta's website alert warned that the fake emails were "phishing," a scam by which someone tries to get financial or other confidential information, typically by sending an e-mail that appears legitimate.
Delta said on its website: "These emails claim that you have purchased a Delta ticket, a credit card has been charged and/or an invoice or receipt is attached to the email. If you receive one of these emails, do not open the attachment as it may contain potentially dangerous viruses or harm your computer."
The company says that customers' credit cards have not been charged as a result of the emails. "These emails did not originate from Delta, nor do we believe that any personal information that you provided us was used to generate these emails," Delta says. "We will continue to post updates on this page as additional information becomes available."
In the meantime, though, the airline recommends that anyone receiving the phishing email message change their SkyMiles account PIN immediately and monitor their account for any misuse.
Earlier this month, Delta also posted an advisory about fraudulent postcard offers for two tickets anywhere on Delta's system and/or 3 days/2 nights hotel and vacation packages. The airline notes that similar postcards are also circulating using Northwest Airlines trademarks, and is telling customers that "Delta does not market in this manner, has no affiliation with these promotions, and is working to identify and stop the parties responsible."
Make sure your system is secure with our help- geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Harriet Baskas
If you received an email today from Delta Air Lines confirming your round-trip flight from New York's JFK International Airport to San Francisco for the week of Nov. 26, don't drop everything to start packing your bags.
In fact, do not click on any part of that message.
The email is bogus and has apparently been sent to many Delta customers.
"We have received reports from customers of fraudulent emails claiming to be from Delta," said Delta Air Lines spokesman Paul Skrbec via email. "We have updated delta.com with an advisory and continue to work with our customers regarding these claims."
Skrbec would not say how many customers may have received the bogus email, only that "we continue to investigate these reports from customers."
Delta's website alert warned that the fake emails were "phishing," a scam by which someone tries to get financial or other confidential information, typically by sending an e-mail that appears legitimate.
Delta said on its website: "These emails claim that you have purchased a Delta ticket, a credit card has been charged and/or an invoice or receipt is attached to the email. If you receive one of these emails, do not open the attachment as it may contain potentially dangerous viruses or harm your computer."
The company says that customers' credit cards have not been charged as a result of the emails. "These emails did not originate from Delta, nor do we believe that any personal information that you provided us was used to generate these emails," Delta says. "We will continue to post updates on this page as additional information becomes available."
In the meantime, though, the airline recommends that anyone receiving the phishing email message change their SkyMiles account PIN immediately and monitor their account for any misuse.
Earlier this month, Delta also posted an advisory about fraudulent postcard offers for two tickets anywhere on Delta's system and/or 3 days/2 nights hotel and vacation packages. The airline notes that similar postcards are also circulating using Northwest Airlines trademarks, and is telling customers that "Delta does not market in this manner, has no affiliation with these promotions, and is working to identify and stop the parties responsible."
Make sure your system is secure with our help- geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Top-10 must-have gadgets - CNET Reviews http://bit.ly/vpLzLg
Get more ideas from our techs before starting holiday shopping- geeksoncall.com
Get more ideas from our techs before starting holiday shopping- geeksoncall.com
Top-10 must-have gadgets
cnet.com - 8/20/2011
cnet
CNET has top products lists for each of the categories we cover--they're listed on the left--but this list brings the cream of the crop together in one place. For November, new additions include the iPhone 4S, the Droid Razr, and the Roku 2 XS streaming video box. Rather than trying to compare gadgets across multiple categories, we present them in alphabetical order, because when you get right down to it, we think they're all must-haves.
Apple iPad 2 (16GB, Wi-Fi)
The iPad 2 refines an already excellent product. Its easy-to-use interface, vast app catalog, and marathon battery life bolster Apple's claim to being the king of tablets.

Apple iPhone 4S
The iPhone 4S isn't the king of cell phones, but it's part of the royal family nonetheless. Even without 4G and a giant screen, this phone's smart(ass) voice assistant, Siri, the benefits of iOS 5, and its spectacular camera make it a top choice for anyone ready to upgrade.
Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Summer 2011)
This year's 11-inch MacBook Air improves on last year's model in several significant ways and is by far the fastest ultraportable you're likely to find, though some users will consider the limited flash storage space to be a hindrance.
Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Reader (Wi-Fi)
The new touch-screen Nook is a major advancement over its predecessor and offers some real advantages over the 2010 Kindle.
HTC Sensation 4G (T-Mobile)
Its excellent design and user experience, coupled with its solid performance, make the HTC Sensation 4G one of the best Android phones yet and a top pick for T-Mobile customers.
Kodak Playsport
The Kodak Playsport is an excellent minicamcorder that can take some rough treatment and capture solid HD video.
Logitech Harmony 650
The Logitech Harmony 650 is one of the best universal remotes you can buy for less than $100.
Motorola Droid Razr (Verizon Wirless)
With its razor-thin design, jam-packed features, and blazing speed, the Motorola Droid Razr is easily one of the year's top Android smartphones.
Roku 2 XS
Thanks to a varied range of content offerings--including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Crackle, and Pandora--that beats the Apple TV, the Roku 2 XS is the best all-around streaming-media box you can get for less than $100.
Sonos Play:3 (black)
While it doesn't sound quite as good as the larger Play:5, the Sonos Play:3 delivers a superior streaming-audio experience that you can control from any iOS device or Android smartphone.
Get more ideas from our techs before starting holiday shopping- geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity
cnet
CNET has top products lists for each of the categories we cover--they're listed on the left--but this list brings the cream of the crop together in one place. For November, new additions include the iPhone 4S, the Droid Razr, and the Roku 2 XS streaming video box. Rather than trying to compare gadgets across multiple categories, we present them in alphabetical order, because when you get right down to it, we think they're all must-haves.
Apple iPad 2 (16GB, Wi-Fi)
The iPad 2 refines an already excellent product. Its easy-to-use interface, vast app catalog, and marathon battery life bolster Apple's claim to being the king of tablets.

Apple iPhone 4S
The iPhone 4S isn't the king of cell phones, but it's part of the royal family nonetheless. Even without 4G and a giant screen, this phone's smart(ass) voice assistant, Siri, the benefits of iOS 5, and its spectacular camera make it a top choice for anyone ready to upgrade.
Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Summer 2011)
This year's 11-inch MacBook Air improves on last year's model in several significant ways and is by far the fastest ultraportable you're likely to find, though some users will consider the limited flash storage space to be a hindrance.
Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Reader (Wi-Fi)
The new touch-screen Nook is a major advancement over its predecessor and offers some real advantages over the 2010 Kindle.
HTC Sensation 4G (T-Mobile)
Its excellent design and user experience, coupled with its solid performance, make the HTC Sensation 4G one of the best Android phones yet and a top pick for T-Mobile customers.
Kodak Playsport
The Kodak Playsport is an excellent minicamcorder that can take some rough treatment and capture solid HD video.
Logitech Harmony 650
The Logitech Harmony 650 is one of the best universal remotes you can buy for less than $100.
Motorola Droid Razr (Verizon Wirless)
With its razor-thin design, jam-packed features, and blazing speed, the Motorola Droid Razr is easily one of the year's top Android smartphones.
Roku 2 XS
Thanks to a varied range of content offerings--including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Crackle, and Pandora--that beats the Apple TV, the Roku 2 XS is the best all-around streaming-media box you can get for less than $100.
Sonos Play:3 (black)
While it doesn't sound quite as good as the larger Play:5, the Sonos Play:3 delivers a superior streaming-audio experience that you can control from any iOS device or Android smartphone.
Get more ideas from our techs before starting holiday shopping- geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity
Mobile app helps clean up your Facebook image -
http://bit.ly/vlrGwk
our techs can show you the best privacy settings- visit geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/vlrGwk
our techs can show you the best privacy settings- visit geeksoncall.com
Mobile app helps clean up your Facebook image
cnet.com - 11/11/2011
Elinor Mills
Programmer Michael Devine was looking for a job earlier this year and realized that not all potential employers would appreciate his Facebook posts as much as his friends do. So he wrote a mobile app that allowed him to clean up his potentially off-color and political posts and comments.
"I'm an impulsive guy," Devine said in a recent phone interview with CNET. "I like making people laugh and I also have strong political views. Given that, you can imagine the kinds of things I post on Facebook. So I wanted to clean up my own profile and thought others might want this as well."
Devine's Android app, called Exfoliate, allows you to delete batches of posts based on how long they've been up. For instance, you can have it remove posts that are older than three months and various time periods up to three years. You can clean just your Wall, or also remove posts from friends' Walls. And the kind of content you can select for removal includes your posts, comments and likes.
Facebook wants us to keep all of our content up on the site and is even planning to launch a Timeline feature that will serve as a digital version of "This is Your Life." But Devine says many people don't necessarily want an archive of their spontaneous day-to-day musings, which can ultimately come back to haunt them.
"When you really think about it, it becomes clear that there's actually no reason to leave anything (on Facebook) after a certain point in time because no one sees it or they rarely see it," he said. "It just sits there waiting for someone to see it out of context and then it can cause you trouble."
Devine said more advanced filtering is coming, so people can be more selective about what they choose to remove or keep. For instance, soon you will be able to select specific friends' profiles to include or exclude from a purge.
"So you could run Exfoliate from a friend's page to remove your comments on their Wall right before de-friending them," he said with a fiendish giggle. "It's the ultimate break-up tool!"
But what about removing items based on subject, like "Tea Party" or "drugs"?
"Handling keywords is a tough problem because if I put a comment in the middle of a thread, computationally it would overburden a mobile device to do an analysis of all the content in that thread," Devine said.
Exfoliate users will eventually be able to keep their friends from leaking their comments to the outside world. Devine said he is adding the ability to delete items based on how visible it is. "If you post on a friend's Wall you are at the mercy of their Wall (privacy) settings," he said. "So, if they make comments on their posts visible to the world your comment becomes public."
An iPhone version is expected in a few weeks, according to Devine. The app costs $2.99.
There are a couple of things to remember about Exfoliate. It's a bandwidth hog, so you would want to let it run for a few hours when it is plugged in at home on your Wi-Fi network.
And the actions are permanent. There's no changing your mind and restoring the data. So, think before you purge.
Our techs can show you the best privacy settings- visit geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Elinor Mills
Programmer Michael Devine was looking for a job earlier this year and realized that not all potential employers would appreciate his Facebook posts as much as his friends do. So he wrote a mobile app that allowed him to clean up his potentially off-color and political posts and comments.
"I'm an impulsive guy," Devine said in a recent phone interview with CNET. "I like making people laugh and I also have strong political views. Given that, you can imagine the kinds of things I post on Facebook. So I wanted to clean up my own profile and thought others might want this as well."
Devine's Android app, called Exfoliate, allows you to delete batches of posts based on how long they've been up. For instance, you can have it remove posts that are older than three months and various time periods up to three years. You can clean just your Wall, or also remove posts from friends' Walls. And the kind of content you can select for removal includes your posts, comments and likes.
Facebook wants us to keep all of our content up on the site and is even planning to launch a Timeline feature that will serve as a digital version of "This is Your Life." But Devine says many people don't necessarily want an archive of their spontaneous day-to-day musings, which can ultimately come back to haunt them.
"When you really think about it, it becomes clear that there's actually no reason to leave anything (on Facebook) after a certain point in time because no one sees it or they rarely see it," he said. "It just sits there waiting for someone to see it out of context and then it can cause you trouble."
Devine said more advanced filtering is coming, so people can be more selective about what they choose to remove or keep. For instance, soon you will be able to select specific friends' profiles to include or exclude from a purge.
"So you could run Exfoliate from a friend's page to remove your comments on their Wall right before de-friending them," he said with a fiendish giggle. "It's the ultimate break-up tool!"
But what about removing items based on subject, like "Tea Party" or "drugs"?
"Handling keywords is a tough problem because if I put a comment in the middle of a thread, computationally it would overburden a mobile device to do an analysis of all the content in that thread," Devine said.
Exfoliate users will eventually be able to keep their friends from leaking their comments to the outside world. Devine said he is adding the ability to delete items based on how visible it is. "If you post on a friend's Wall you are at the mercy of their Wall (privacy) settings," he said. "So, if they make comments on their posts visible to the world your comment becomes public."
An iPhone version is expected in a few weeks, according to Devine. The app costs $2.99.
There are a couple of things to remember about Exfoliate. It's a bandwidth hog, so you would want to let it run for a few hours when it is plugged in at home on your Wi-Fi network.
And the actions are permanent. There's no changing your mind and restoring the data. So, think before you purge.
Our techs can show you the best privacy settings- visit geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Pogoplug Cloud adds 5GB of free online storage
http://bit.ly/vM4OIH
Need more memory? We can help maximize your space visit geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/vM4OIH
Need more memory? We can help maximize your space visit geeksoncall.com
Pogoplug Cloud adds 5GB of free online storage
msnbc.com - 11/14/2011
Rosa Golijan
Pogoplug, the company behind popular data storage solutions, has added a new product to its lineup: Pogoplug Cloud. As the name suggests, it's a way of getting your data into a magical server cluster in the sky so that you can access it from any device.
Yes, it's yet another cloud-based storage solution to add to a growing pile which includes services from Apple, Amazon, Google, Dropbox, and so on. But it's decent, comes from a company with a good reputation, and can be set up completely on the go -- right from your mobile device.
In order to use Pogoplug Cloud, you'll have to sign up for a free account from your phone or tablet. Head to the Pogoiplug site, enter a few details, and then download Pogoplug Mobile, the corresponding app. (You can get the Pogoplug Mobile app through the Apple App Store or the Android Market.)
Once you've taken care of those details, you'll be able to freely enjoy 5GB of free cloud storage. (If you need more space than that, you can purchase 50GB or 100GB for $10/month or $20/month, respectively.)
Pogoplug Mobile can automatically upload photos and videos from your device, sync miscellaneous files, and keep things easily accessible. It can also be used to stream videos or music to your mobile device and to quickly share files through email or a variety of social media services.
The app doesn't feel quite as polished as some similar solutions that also offer online storage -- such as Dropbox or Apple's iCloud -- but it's perfectly usable. And who am I to complain about an extra 5GB of cloud storage for on-the-fly data backups?
Need more memory? We can help maximize your space visit geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Rosa Golijan
Pogoplug, the company behind popular data storage solutions, has added a new product to its lineup: Pogoplug Cloud. As the name suggests, it's a way of getting your data into a magical server cluster in the sky so that you can access it from any device.
Yes, it's yet another cloud-based storage solution to add to a growing pile which includes services from Apple, Amazon, Google, Dropbox, and so on. But it's decent, comes from a company with a good reputation, and can be set up completely on the go -- right from your mobile device.
In order to use Pogoplug Cloud, you'll have to sign up for a free account from your phone or tablet. Head to the Pogoiplug site, enter a few details, and then download Pogoplug Mobile, the corresponding app. (You can get the Pogoplug Mobile app through the Apple App Store or the Android Market.)
Once you've taken care of those details, you'll be able to freely enjoy 5GB of free cloud storage. (If you need more space than that, you can purchase 50GB or 100GB for $10/month or $20/month, respectively.)
Pogoplug Mobile can automatically upload photos and videos from your device, sync miscellaneous files, and keep things easily accessible. It can also be used to stream videos or music to your mobile device and to quickly share files through email or a variety of social media services.
The app doesn't feel quite as polished as some similar solutions that also offer online storage -- such as Dropbox or Apple's iCloud -- but it's perfectly usable. And who am I to complain about an extra 5GB of cloud storage for on-the-fly data backups?
Need more memory? We can help maximize your space visit geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Firefox 8 cracks down on add-ons
http://bit.ly/tiBoZD
For more ways to protect yourself talk to our techs today or visit geeksoncall.com
http://bit.ly/tiBoZD
For more ways to protect yourself talk to our techs today or visit geeksoncall.com
Firefox 8 cracks down on add-ons
cnet.com - 11/8/2011
Stephen Shankland
Mozilla released Firefox 8 today, a version that weeds out some add-ons and that will shoulder more responsibility for the organization's new fast-development process.
Giving the user control over the Web experience has been a longstanding Mozilla priority, and Firefox 8 takes a new step here. With earlier versions, third-party software could extend Firefox with new features--Skype's tool for highlighting phone numbers for easy online calling, for example. With Firefox 8, though, third-party add-ons will be disabled by default.
"These add-ons installed by third parties present a number of problems: they can slow down Firefox start-up and page loading time, they clutter the interface with toolbars that often go unused, they lag behind on compatibility and security updates, and most importantly, they take the user out of control of their add-ons," said Mozilla programmer Justin "Fligtar" Scott in a blog post about the feature.
Mozilla also is working to make sure that people really want the add-ons that already are installed. A dialog box will appear once after the new browser is installed that lets people select which add-ons to enable or disable. Those the user installed will be enabled by default, but those installed by third parties will be disabled by default.
Add-ons have long been a competitive asset for Firefox, but Safari, Chrome, and Opera now have their own versions of the technology. And add-ons can be a disadvantage, too, if they aren't updated at the same pace as Mozilla now updates Firefox or that aren't covered by Mozilla's automatic compatibility testing system.
The rapid-release process, pioneered by Google's Chrome and in use with Firefox since earlier this year, yields a new browser every six weeks. Among the implications: Differences from one version to the next are smaller, new features can be brought to users without waiting a year or more; delaying a feature carries a lower penalty and doesn't hold up other features; and slow-moving business customers and add-on programmers have had a harder time keeping up.
The rapid-release transition caused a lot of indigestion, but Mozilla is committed to it. A major course correction, though, appears likely with the proposal of the Extended Support Release version that's updated every 30 weeks.
Updating Firefox rapidly is a priority in part because new Web features developing rapidly and the browser market is arguably more competitive than ever. Firefox's previously steady growth in usage has plateaued with the arrival of Chrome, and Mozilla is at a grave disadvantage in the mobile browser market, where Firefox isn't installed anywhere by default.
A lot of Firefox users remain on version 3.6, which predated the rapid-release era. That's likely to change, though: On November 17, Mozilla plans to flip the switch for recommending Firefox 3.6 users update. Since many people typically follow the upgrade recommendation, that'll mean Firefox 8 will be the introduction many Firefox users will have to the rapid-release philosophy.
Mozilla isn't ceasing support of Firefox 3.6 yet, though. Today, it also plans to release the latest maintenance version 3.6.24
What else will they see when they arrive? A number of new features are coming in Firefox 8, according to release notes and other sources:
• Twitter is now an option for firefox's search bar, letting people more easily find Twitter hashtags (keywords beginning with the "#" character, such as fail) and Twitter usernames. Initially, the new feature is availalble only with English, Portuguese, Slovenian, and Japanese versions, though.
• Firefox now supports a new HTML feature that lets Web developers easily add context menus to their Web sites and Web apps--the options that appear when a person right-clicks with a mouse, for example. It's a technology that helps Web apps more easily match what native desktop apps can do today.
• Tabs get a tune-up, too. The animations should look better when people reorder tabs, and Firefox gets a new option to load tabs on restart only when a person makes those tabs active. Today, when people restart Firefox, the browser often becomes sluggish as it tries to reconstitute all the tabs it must reopen. The new option loads only the selected tab, leaving the others blank until a person selects that tab. It can be useful to get your main tab working fast, but it could be improved if it just deferred tab reloads until the computer had some attention to spare so the other tabs would still arrive automatically at some point.
• The Android version of Firefox 8 has a feature called master password to protect saved usernames and passwords. "This will help your private info stay private if you ever share or lose your Android device," Mozilla said. Grander changes are in the wings, though: a version of Firefox that uses Android's native interface for faster loading and better performance.
• The 3D graphics technology called WebGL has a new feature called cross-domain textures developed to work around a security problem. In a related move, ANGLE--a translation technology developed initially by Google to wire up OpenGL commands to DirectX equivalents for computers that don't have OpenGL support--is now available for Firefox on 64-bit Windows.
• And as usual, the Firefox 8 gets a lot of bug fixes, including several with the important new Web Socket interface for high-speed communications between browsers and servers.
Through the cascading development process, Firefox 9 is entering beta testing now, Firefox 10 is arriving as the rougher Aurora version of Firefox, and the developer-only Nightly build becomes Firefox 11. Firefox 9 is due December 20.
For more ways to protect yourself talk to one of our techs today or visit geeksoncall.com
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Stephen Shankland
Mozilla released Firefox 8 today, a version that weeds out some add-ons and that will shoulder more responsibility for the organization's new fast-development process.
Giving the user control over the Web experience has been a longstanding Mozilla priority, and Firefox 8 takes a new step here. With earlier versions, third-party software could extend Firefox with new features--Skype's tool for highlighting phone numbers for easy online calling, for example. With Firefox 8, though, third-party add-ons will be disabled by default.
"These add-ons installed by third parties present a number of problems: they can slow down Firefox start-up and page loading time, they clutter the interface with toolbars that often go unused, they lag behind on compatibility and security updates, and most importantly, they take the user out of control of their add-ons," said Mozilla programmer Justin "Fligtar" Scott in a blog post about the feature.
Mozilla also is working to make sure that people really want the add-ons that already are installed. A dialog box will appear once after the new browser is installed that lets people select which add-ons to enable or disable. Those the user installed will be enabled by default, but those installed by third parties will be disabled by default.
Add-ons have long been a competitive asset for Firefox, but Safari, Chrome, and Opera now have their own versions of the technology. And add-ons can be a disadvantage, too, if they aren't updated at the same pace as Mozilla now updates Firefox or that aren't covered by Mozilla's automatic compatibility testing system.
The rapid-release process, pioneered by Google's Chrome and in use with Firefox since earlier this year, yields a new browser every six weeks. Among the implications: Differences from one version to the next are smaller, new features can be brought to users without waiting a year or more; delaying a feature carries a lower penalty and doesn't hold up other features; and slow-moving business customers and add-on programmers have had a harder time keeping up.
The rapid-release transition caused a lot of indigestion, but Mozilla is committed to it. A major course correction, though, appears likely with the proposal of the Extended Support Release version that's updated every 30 weeks.
Updating Firefox rapidly is a priority in part because new Web features developing rapidly and the browser market is arguably more competitive than ever. Firefox's previously steady growth in usage has plateaued with the arrival of Chrome, and Mozilla is at a grave disadvantage in the mobile browser market, where Firefox isn't installed anywhere by default.
A lot of Firefox users remain on version 3.6, which predated the rapid-release era. That's likely to change, though: On November 17, Mozilla plans to flip the switch for recommending Firefox 3.6 users update. Since many people typically follow the upgrade recommendation, that'll mean Firefox 8 will be the introduction many Firefox users will have to the rapid-release philosophy.
Mozilla isn't ceasing support of Firefox 3.6 yet, though. Today, it also plans to release the latest maintenance version 3.6.24
What else will they see when they arrive? A number of new features are coming in Firefox 8, according to release notes and other sources:
• Twitter is now an option for firefox's search bar, letting people more easily find Twitter hashtags (keywords beginning with the "#" character, such as fail) and Twitter usernames. Initially, the new feature is availalble only with English, Portuguese, Slovenian, and Japanese versions, though.
• Firefox now supports a new HTML feature that lets Web developers easily add context menus to their Web sites and Web apps--the options that appear when a person right-clicks with a mouse, for example. It's a technology that helps Web apps more easily match what native desktop apps can do today.
• Tabs get a tune-up, too. The animations should look better when people reorder tabs, and Firefox gets a new option to load tabs on restart only when a person makes those tabs active. Today, when people restart Firefox, the browser often becomes sluggish as it tries to reconstitute all the tabs it must reopen. The new option loads only the selected tab, leaving the others blank until a person selects that tab. It can be useful to get your main tab working fast, but it could be improved if it just deferred tab reloads until the computer had some attention to spare so the other tabs would still arrive automatically at some point.
• The Android version of Firefox 8 has a feature called master password to protect saved usernames and passwords. "This will help your private info stay private if you ever share or lose your Android device," Mozilla said. Grander changes are in the wings, though: a version of Firefox that uses Android's native interface for faster loading and better performance.
• The 3D graphics technology called WebGL has a new feature called cross-domain textures developed to work around a security problem. In a related move, ANGLE--a translation technology developed initially by Google to wire up OpenGL commands to DirectX equivalents for computers that don't have OpenGL support--is now available for Firefox on 64-bit Windows.
• And as usual, the Firefox 8 gets a lot of bug fixes, including several with the important new Web Socket interface for high-speed communications between browsers and servers.
Through the cascading development process, Firefox 9 is entering beta testing now, Firefox 10 is arriving as the rougher Aurora version of Firefox, and the developer-only Nightly build becomes Firefox 11. Firefox 9 is due December 20.
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Tuesday, November 8, 2011
8 Things You Need To Know About The New Gmail http://bit.ly/tDACnY
Want to learn a new computer skill? We can help- visit geeksoncall.com !
Want to learn a new computer skill? We can help- visit geeksoncall.com !
8 Things You Need to Know About the New Gmail
foxnews.com - 11/2/2011
Leslie Meredith
Gmail announced Nov. 1 it is rolling out a redesigned interface that users may preview as soon as they see the "Switch to the new look" on their Gmail homepage. Gmail designers have opted for Google's trademark stripped-down interface along with new ways to customize the layout based on how an individual uses the free email service. The redesign is just that: you'll have a new layout to learn, but no new features.
Ready to switch? Here are eight key changes that users will experience in the new Gmail. Familiarize yourself now, so that the switch won't come as a shock.
1. Gmail automatically resizes itself to fit into any sized window. That means that when you adjust the size of a viewing window or use Gmail on different devices with different screen sizes, Gmail will adjust itself for a seamless experience from one display to another.
2. You can adjust display density settings. Choices range from "comfortable," to show the minimum number of lines, to "cozy" and "compact." This could be helpful when you change devices, such as reading email on a big-screen laptop, then switching to s maller-screen tablet. The density control is found in the Settings menu located under the gear icon.
3. Adjust the size of the label and chat panes to suit your use. For instance, if you're an organizer who uses labels for mail folders in addition to the standard Inbox, Starred and Sent, you can make that pane larger and hide Chat altogether. Alternately, chatterers can expand the size of their Chat list to show more contacts and fewer labels.
4. The labels themselves have more prominence in the new layout. They're placed in the front of the subject line to make follow-up more efficient. Labels go beyond Google's star system and can be created to group emails by topic or to indicate an action such as "To Do."
5. Gmail has added new themes that include high-resolution imagery supplied by iStockphoto for HD displays. If you've been using a theme background, your old theme will be imported when your account is moved to the new design. Themes can be viewed under the Settings menu.
6. Conversation threads have been reorganized for improved readability. Instead of stacking emails in a thread making identification impossible until the user opens the stack, Gmail has redesigned conversations in a visible, horizontal format, which could be the most useful redesign element in the new Gmail.
7. Each email in a thread also displays the sender's profile photo whenever available. This feature makes it quicker to identify different participants in a thread.
8. Gmail now boasts an all-in-one advanced search box. The box contains the same features as the old Gmail advanced serach, but laid out in a vertical format that fits with the new design. Users can also create a mail filter within the advanced search box, eliminating the need to open an additional window.
Bottom line: Change always takes some getting used to. The redesign should be available to Gmailers over the next several days. How long that window of choice will remain is unknown, but at some point Google will flip the switch for stragglers. Better to turn on the new format sooner than later-- you'll have more time to adjust.
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Leslie Meredith
Gmail announced Nov. 1 it is rolling out a redesigned interface that users may preview as soon as they see the "Switch to the new look" on their Gmail homepage. Gmail designers have opted for Google's trademark stripped-down interface along with new ways to customize the layout based on how an individual uses the free email service. The redesign is just that: you'll have a new layout to learn, but no new features.
Ready to switch? Here are eight key changes that users will experience in the new Gmail. Familiarize yourself now, so that the switch won't come as a shock.
1. Gmail automatically resizes itself to fit into any sized window. That means that when you adjust the size of a viewing window or use Gmail on different devices with different screen sizes, Gmail will adjust itself for a seamless experience from one display to another.
2. You can adjust display density settings. Choices range from "comfortable," to show the minimum number of lines, to "cozy" and "compact." This could be helpful when you change devices, such as reading email on a big-screen laptop, then switching to s maller-screen tablet. The density control is found in the Settings menu located under the gear icon.
3. Adjust the size of the label and chat panes to suit your use. For instance, if you're an organizer who uses labels for mail folders in addition to the standard Inbox, Starred and Sent, you can make that pane larger and hide Chat altogether. Alternately, chatterers can expand the size of their Chat list to show more contacts and fewer labels.
4. The labels themselves have more prominence in the new layout. They're placed in the front of the subject line to make follow-up more efficient. Labels go beyond Google's star system and can be created to group emails by topic or to indicate an action such as "To Do."
5. Gmail has added new themes that include high-resolution imagery supplied by iStockphoto for HD displays. If you've been using a theme background, your old theme will be imported when your account is moved to the new design. Themes can be viewed under the Settings menu.
6. Conversation threads have been reorganized for improved readability. Instead of stacking emails in a thread making identification impossible until the user opens the stack, Gmail has redesigned conversations in a visible, horizontal format, which could be the most useful redesign element in the new Gmail.
7. Each email in a thread also displays the sender's profile photo whenever available. This feature makes it quicker to identify different participants in a thread.
8. Gmail now boasts an all-in-one advanced search box. The box contains the same features as the old Gmail advanced serach, but laid out in a vertical format that fits with the new design. Users can also create a mail filter within the advanced search box, eliminating the need to open an additional window.
Bottom line: Change always takes some getting used to. The redesign should be available to Gmailers over the next several days. How long that window of choice will remain is unknown, but at some point Google will flip the switch for stragglers. Better to turn on the new format sooner than later-- you'll have more time to adjust.
want to learn a new computer skill? We can help- visit geeksoncall.com now
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
Friday, November 4, 2011
Amazon creates Kindle double standard
http://bit.ly/tuCxwx
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http://bit.ly/tuCxwx
Let us help you make your next technology purchase- see GeeksOnCall.com to today
Amazon creates Kindle double standard
msnbc.com - 11/2/2011
Wilson Rothman
Today, Amazon announced that Kindle owners with Prime membership would be able to borrow books at no extra cost, every month, with no due dates. It's awesome news, but it suggests a new double-standard, one that will no doubt grow. Simply put, people who own Amazon hardware will get more stuff.
Until now, Amazon has been kind enough to treat e-book customers equally, whether they own a Kindle device, use the free app available on most smartphone and tablet platforms -- or both. That's what's awesome about Kindle books, and what makes them so competitive. Despite being locked down with digital rights management, you could "buy them once, and read them anywhere," to borrow Amazon's own phrasing.
When it comes to media, Amazon has been a little more strict. Though it has long allowed people to stream video over a computer or online device, it doesn't have an app for iPhone and iPad. Its streaming music service is Android friendly, though even that app couldn't be described as "lovely."
We knew the Kindle Fire would further concentrate Amazon's video and music offerings -- it only makes sense that you'd be able to stream content to that device, and there's no precedent for accessing that content via other mobile devices. But keeping the new lending program from iPhone, iPad and Android users, many of whom happily pay $80 per year for Prime service, is a change in course for Amazon's e-book strategy. Even the public library service launched earlier this year is available to users of the free app.
I've asked Amazon if there was an explanation for the new program's owner limitation, and will let you know if I hear back. It certainly doesn't seem like a technical limitation, as any generation of Kindle is eligible for the program.
In the meantime, I read this as Amazon's way of consolidating its audience, pulling an Apple, and tying hardware, software and services together in an increasingly lucrative fashion, and let's face it, one that won't be too bad for customers either. (The strategy sure as heck didn't hurt Apple.) I just wanted to point it out, alerting people to look for more closure of this nature, and let the people who really oppose closed systems to sound off.
Update: Amazon confirmed to me that this was a move to build Kindle ownership: "We built this service to make owning a Kindle device even more attractive," said a representative.
Let us help you make your next technology purchase- visit GeeksOnCall.com to today
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Wilson Rothman
Today, Amazon announced that Kindle owners with Prime membership would be able to borrow books at no extra cost, every month, with no due dates. It's awesome news, but it suggests a new double-standard, one that will no doubt grow. Simply put, people who own Amazon hardware will get more stuff.
Until now, Amazon has been kind enough to treat e-book customers equally, whether they own a Kindle device, use the free app available on most smartphone and tablet platforms -- or both. That's what's awesome about Kindle books, and what makes them so competitive. Despite being locked down with digital rights management, you could "buy them once, and read them anywhere," to borrow Amazon's own phrasing.
When it comes to media, Amazon has been a little more strict. Though it has long allowed people to stream video over a computer or online device, it doesn't have an app for iPhone and iPad. Its streaming music service is Android friendly, though even that app couldn't be described as "lovely."
We knew the Kindle Fire would further concentrate Amazon's video and music offerings -- it only makes sense that you'd be able to stream content to that device, and there's no precedent for accessing that content via other mobile devices. But keeping the new lending program from iPhone, iPad and Android users, many of whom happily pay $80 per year for Prime service, is a change in course for Amazon's e-book strategy. Even the public library service launched earlier this year is available to users of the free app.
I've asked Amazon if there was an explanation for the new program's owner limitation, and will let you know if I hear back. It certainly doesn't seem like a technical limitation, as any generation of Kindle is eligible for the program.
In the meantime, I read this as Amazon's way of consolidating its audience, pulling an Apple, and tying hardware, software and services together in an increasingly lucrative fashion, and let's face it, one that won't be too bad for customers either. (The strategy sure as heck didn't hurt Apple.) I just wanted to point it out, alerting people to look for more closure of this nature, and let the people who really oppose closed systems to sound off.
Update: Amazon confirmed to me that this was a move to build Kindle ownership: "We built this service to make owning a Kindle device even more attractive," said a representative.
Let us help you make your next technology purchase- visit GeeksOnCall.com to today
Keywords: geeksoncall, geeks on call, geeksoncall.com, 800-905-geek, computer repair, computer service, home computer repair, home computer service, information technology, business network service, virus removal, network, wireless network, facebook, safety, analyze computer, internet explorer, malware, gmail, productivity...
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