https://sites.google.com/site/sitesample/thailand-top-smartphone-2016
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Top Thailand Smartphone in 2016
You can see the top 10 ranking of best value smartphone in Thailand 2016 through this link
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https://sites.google.com/site/sitesample/thailand-top-smartphone-2016
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Camera phones: Helpful or hurtful? (continued)
Camera mobile phone, the constant company, was also claimed as an anti-crime device. There were several moments Rodney King, with bystanders pulling out their cameras to record police activity Sketchy. A woman got hit by a flags from a New York subway, a photo which ended up on the cover of the New York Post the next day. There is also a mini-boom in sites to catch people who park like idiots, status too long, and mistreat your children. Think of it as a positive part of living in 1984.
More difficult question, who lurks outside the media glare, is how the camera cell phone is to change our private lives. The perceptive book Kodak and the Lens of nostalgia, Nancy Martha West writes how Kodak, with the introduction of the personal camera, taught Americans to conceive, both of their lives in terms of events remembered with love and to edit the unpleasant memories. In Victorian America, for example, arranging to take a photo of a dead relative was not uncommon part of the process of mourning. Under the reign of Kodak and advertising have become family history of happiness. Now that digital cameras have taken over, an old photo album is to give personal Flickr page, bringing with it a different set of assumptions of what this (photos a whole lot more, for beginners), and to - share it with.
Ubiquity of camera cell phone means that every moment in our lives is photographable. A consequence of this is a changed perception of the seriousness of our day to day routines. We are now more aware of ourselves as observers of "history". When a van catches fire in front of our house, we and our neighbors are now on the field recording. We e-mail that our friends, who testify to the enormity of the event, and then we all await the next sensation. This can be a positive momentum, but also fuels the increasingly destructive habit American oversharing. Snapshot speaks with one voice than I am alive and I saw that. Mobile phone camera or video image is a shout from the roof: Check this crazy that happened to me.
Photo sharing was also more aggressive in our statements that we feel unsafe, such as the presence of celebrities. Susan Sontag described the nature, essentially hostile to take pictures as a form of "soft" crime. At the age of mobile phones, the sensitivity of scalp-hunting is to achieve full of flowers. Suppose you are in Asbury Park and see Bruce Springsteen with his kids. Old impulse would be to ask Boss if you could take your picture with him. New impetus is a snap shot with a cell phone camera and sell it to a site like Scoopt. No wonder famous people do not want to stay with us.
So before taking the next racist comedian or cocaine-snorting supermodel, to put the video on Saddam in context. It is a strange echo of the Zapruder film, another piece of material that caught amateur death of a leader. Stark Differences are, of course. Kennedy Zapruder caught while standing in an open, sunlight-Dallas. Official videoed Saddam did so surreptitiously pointing the camera to the ground sometimes. But they both testify to the power of first-person witness, and how a digital copy of witnesses who can upend neat narratives and certainties. We see the best of things, we see the worst of things, we see everything.
More difficult question, who lurks outside the media glare, is how the camera cell phone is to change our private lives. The perceptive book Kodak and the Lens of nostalgia, Nancy Martha West writes how Kodak, with the introduction of the personal camera, taught Americans to conceive, both of their lives in terms of events remembered with love and to edit the unpleasant memories. In Victorian America, for example, arranging to take a photo of a dead relative was not uncommon part of the process of mourning. Under the reign of Kodak and advertising have become family history of happiness. Now that digital cameras have taken over, an old photo album is to give personal Flickr page, bringing with it a different set of assumptions of what this (photos a whole lot more, for beginners), and to - share it with.
Ubiquity of camera cell phone means that every moment in our lives is photographable. A consequence of this is a changed perception of the seriousness of our day to day routines. We are now more aware of ourselves as observers of "history". When a van catches fire in front of our house, we and our neighbors are now on the field recording. We e-mail that our friends, who testify to the enormity of the event, and then we all await the next sensation. This can be a positive momentum, but also fuels the increasingly destructive habit American oversharing. Snapshot speaks with one voice than I am alive and I saw that. Mobile phone camera or video image is a shout from the roof: Check this crazy that happened to me.
Photo sharing was also more aggressive in our statements that we feel unsafe, such as the presence of celebrities. Susan Sontag described the nature, essentially hostile to take pictures as a form of "soft" crime. At the age of mobile phones, the sensitivity of scalp-hunting is to achieve full of flowers. Suppose you are in Asbury Park and see Bruce Springsteen with his kids. Old impulse would be to ask Boss if you could take your picture with him. New impetus is a snap shot with a cell phone camera and sell it to a site like Scoopt. No wonder famous people do not want to stay with us.
So before taking the next racist comedian or cocaine-snorting supermodel, to put the video on Saddam in context. It is a strange echo of the Zapruder film, another piece of material that caught amateur death of a leader. Stark Differences are, of course. Kennedy Zapruder caught while standing in an open, sunlight-Dallas. Official videoed Saddam did so surreptitiously pointing the camera to the ground sometimes. But they both testify to the power of first-person witness, and how a digital copy of witnesses who can upend neat narratives and certainties. We see the best of things, we see the worst of things, we see everything.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Camera phones: Helpful or hurtful?
A decade ago, Philippe Kahn was walking around a hospital with a cell phone and a digital camera. Dadly's mission: to share pictures of his newborn girl. With assistance from Radio Shack, he linked the two devices together and e-mail photos with family and friends around the world. The next day, the twin birth of sorts for a camera cell phone camera and daughter Sophie.
Kahn regards his invention with paternal pride: "We built it to document the birth of my daughter. For us, it was always a good thing. So he was surprised recently when, with the Saddam-hanging video circling the world, compared with an interview with the inventor of the Kalashnikov. First there was Prince Harry's Nazi costume, then shaming of Kate Moss, and Michael Richards racist explosion, but for some, the hanging of Saddam Hussein marks the low point for the creation of Kahn. A camera on a phone only helped perverted, nosy, violent, and bored.
That's not quite right, but not exactly wrong, either. As Kahn told Wired in 2000: "With this type of device, go to see the best and the worst of things." The best would include photo caller ID, stresses amateur sports and fast citizen snaps taken on bombing London. However, despite the fun and dignity of occasional camera mobile phones, has launched a thousand jackasses. A representative example: sports Sean Salisbury was suspended by ESPN last month, reportedly for showing female co-workers cell phone photos of his equipment. "
When video technology was added to the phone (with little fanfare), the madness went to another level. Young English was designed like a game called "happy slapping" assault involving random strangers while recording all your colleagues. Happy slapping Craze spread throughout Europe last year, leading to OP-EDS outraged and calls to ban mobile phones from schools. While the phenomenon is marked by more than a touch of media hysteria, you can find the disturbing videos on YouTube. (French, of course, responded with "Streetkissing.") Were also news reports of graphic videos showing beatings and accidents, such as an unfortunate boy in Birmingham, United Kingdom, which he himself held in spike on his bicycle. Teenagers have employed cell phone cameras to old-fashioned humiliation also: Fight Parking is now captured on video and shared. To be an adult is to be grateful to have escaped digital Hazing school.
In glorious retrospect, it seems like a terrifically bad idea to give the world a spy camera that looks and functions as a cell phone. Peeping Toms quickly realized the potential of upskirt pics and souvenirs round room. Chicago tried to block mobile phones from gyms and a California legislator has proposed a law that requires cell phone to make a shutter snapping sound or flash a light when a picture is taken. We have trained ourselves to be cautious when a cell phone is pointed at us, but still creates problems inconspicuousness relative device. In Saudi Arabia, women have taken pictures of unveiled women at weddings and other e-mailing them matchmakers, a practice that has caused turmoil in a culture where any image can be due to loss of honor.
to be continue..
Kahn regards his invention with paternal pride: "We built it to document the birth of my daughter. For us, it was always a good thing. So he was surprised recently when, with the Saddam-hanging video circling the world, compared with an interview with the inventor of the Kalashnikov. First there was Prince Harry's Nazi costume, then shaming of Kate Moss, and Michael Richards racist explosion, but for some, the hanging of Saddam Hussein marks the low point for the creation of Kahn. A camera on a phone only helped perverted, nosy, violent, and bored.
That's not quite right, but not exactly wrong, either. As Kahn told Wired in 2000: "With this type of device, go to see the best and the worst of things." The best would include photo caller ID, stresses amateur sports and fast citizen snaps taken on bombing London. However, despite the fun and dignity of occasional camera mobile phones, has launched a thousand jackasses. A representative example: sports Sean Salisbury was suspended by ESPN last month, reportedly for showing female co-workers cell phone photos of his equipment. "
When video technology was added to the phone (with little fanfare), the madness went to another level. Young English was designed like a game called "happy slapping" assault involving random strangers while recording all your colleagues. Happy slapping Craze spread throughout Europe last year, leading to OP-EDS outraged and calls to ban mobile phones from schools. While the phenomenon is marked by more than a touch of media hysteria, you can find the disturbing videos on YouTube. (French, of course, responded with "Streetkissing.") Were also news reports of graphic videos showing beatings and accidents, such as an unfortunate boy in Birmingham, United Kingdom, which he himself held in spike on his bicycle. Teenagers have employed cell phone cameras to old-fashioned humiliation also: Fight Parking is now captured on video and shared. To be an adult is to be grateful to have escaped digital Hazing school.
In glorious retrospect, it seems like a terrifically bad idea to give the world a spy camera that looks and functions as a cell phone. Peeping Toms quickly realized the potential of upskirt pics and souvenirs round room. Chicago tried to block mobile phones from gyms and a California legislator has proposed a law that requires cell phone to make a shutter snapping sound or flash a light when a picture is taken. We have trained ourselves to be cautious when a cell phone is pointed at us, but still creates problems inconspicuousness relative device. In Saudi Arabia, women have taken pictures of unveiled women at weddings and other e-mailing them matchmakers, a practice that has caused turmoil in a culture where any image can be due to loss of honor.
to be continue..
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
iPad will coming on April 3rd, Start from $499
After nearly a decade of rumors and speculation, Apple's finally unveiled the iPad.
It's a half-inch thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds, with a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen IPS LCD display, and it's running a custom 1GHz Apple "A4" chip developed by the P.A. Semi team, with a 10-hour battery life and a month of standby. It'll come in 16, 32, and 64GB sizes, and it's got the expected connectivity: very little. There's a 30-pin Dock connector, a speaker, a microphone, Bluetooth, 802.11n WiFi and optional 3G, as well as an accelerometer and a compass.
There's also a keyboard dock, which connects underneath in the portrait orientation, support for up to 1024x768 VGA out and 480p composite out through new dock adapter cables, and a camera attachment kit that lets you import photos from your camera over USB or directly through an SD reader. The device is managed by iTunes, just like the iPhone -- you sync everything over to your Mac. As expected, it can run iPhone apps -- either pixel-for-pixel in a window, or pixel-doubled fullscreen -- but developers can also target the new screen size using the updated iPhone OS SDK, which is available today.
The 3G version runs on AT&T and comes with new data plans: 250MB for $14.99 and an unlimited plan for $29.99 a month contract-free. Activations are handled on the iPad, so you can activate and cancel whenever you want. Every iPad is unlocked and comes with a GSM "micro-SIM," so you can use it abroad, but there aren't any international deals in place right now -- Steve says they'll be back "this summer" with news on that front.
It starts at $499 for 16GB, 32GB for $599, and $699 64GB. Adding 3G costs a $130 per model, so the most expensive model (64GB / 3G) is $829.
You can Buy cheap Apple iPad at
http://astore.amazon.com/buy-the-cheap-apple-ipad-20
It's a half-inch thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds, with a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen IPS LCD display, and it's running a custom 1GHz Apple "A4" chip developed by the P.A. Semi team, with a 10-hour battery life and a month of standby. It'll come in 16, 32, and 64GB sizes, and it's got the expected connectivity: very little. There's a 30-pin Dock connector, a speaker, a microphone, Bluetooth, 802.11n WiFi and optional 3G, as well as an accelerometer and a compass.
There's also a keyboard dock, which connects underneath in the portrait orientation, support for up to 1024x768 VGA out and 480p composite out through new dock adapter cables, and a camera attachment kit that lets you import photos from your camera over USB or directly through an SD reader. The device is managed by iTunes, just like the iPhone -- you sync everything over to your Mac. As expected, it can run iPhone apps -- either pixel-for-pixel in a window, or pixel-doubled fullscreen -- but developers can also target the new screen size using the updated iPhone OS SDK, which is available today.
The 3G version runs on AT&T and comes with new data plans: 250MB for $14.99 and an unlimited plan for $29.99 a month contract-free. Activations are handled on the iPad, so you can activate and cancel whenever you want. Every iPad is unlocked and comes with a GSM "micro-SIM," so you can use it abroad, but there aren't any international deals in place right now -- Steve says they'll be back "this summer" with news on that front.
It starts at $499 for 16GB, 32GB for $599, and $699 64GB. Adding 3G costs a $130 per model, so the most expensive model (64GB / 3G) is $829.
You can Buy cheap Apple iPad at
http://astore.amazon.com/buy-the-cheap-apple-ipad-20
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The dark side of digital ‘love’
It's is a part of the high tech: the heart is injured, unbent his mind, the mouse that is easily clicked to damage and destroy others, or wandering voice mail messages laced with menace or despair. It is the dark side of "love" in the digital age.
Tiger Woods has become such a man with voice mail to his mistress in a common national, audio intact: "Hey, it's, uh, Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor. Um, can you please, uh, take your name from the phone. my wife went through my phone. And, uh, can you call ... "
Despite many optimistic stories of online games or romantic meetings via Facebook or e-mail, there are plenty of moral tales. They have high profile, TMZ-appeal the case Woods, but are devastating to victims, such as the cases, from just last month:
- In Wyoming, a woman former boyfriend is charged with claiming to be online, she and her rape by organizing a Craigslist ad said it was looking to play a fantasy "rape". A 26-year-old woman forced his way into the house, bound his hands and raped her at knifepoint, prosecutors say. Both ex-boyfriend and accused attacker faces life in prison if convicted.
- The 19-year-old Wisconsin, Anthony Stancl, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of using Facebook to blackmail sex dozens of colleagues. Stancl presents as a girl on Facebook and tricked more than 30 male colleagues send him naked photos of themselves, then using the photos to blackmail.
- In New York, Paul Franco, is accused of coercion and harassment for allegedly hijacking facebook account of his former lover, changing settings on page to show them that they are homosexual and demanding cash from her before he would change the settings back. "He changed all my details and said that I was interested in women. I have a lot of requests for relationships with women - and it was an acceptance of them," Zamora said Jessica Anderson of the New York Post.
"It used to be when stalked someone physically had to follow, you physically had to leave nasty notes on their door, break their windows," says Robert Morgester, a deputy attorney general of California, which is specializing in technology crime and identity theft cases.
"Technology has eliminated what I call moral" speed bumps. "Before, when someone came up, or doing a horrible act, had to decide to go out that front door and do it," he says.
"But what technology has allowed to do is sit in the privacy of your home and wreak havoc."
In particular, "we see an increase in people claiming other people online for a variety of different reasons, and to harm them with personal attacks", such as the above cases. He describes it as "prosecution by proxy."
Among the cases he prosecuted was that of a clerk Fresno, California court whose ex-boyfriend online fake profiles created it, including information about where he lived and worked, and posted messages saying he wanted men Contact her for sex.
Tiger Woods has become such a man with voice mail to his mistress in a common national, audio intact: "Hey, it's, uh, Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor. Um, can you please, uh, take your name from the phone. my wife went through my phone. And, uh, can you call ... "
Despite many optimistic stories of online games or romantic meetings via Facebook or e-mail, there are plenty of moral tales. They have high profile, TMZ-appeal the case Woods, but are devastating to victims, such as the cases, from just last month:
- In Wyoming, a woman former boyfriend is charged with claiming to be online, she and her rape by organizing a Craigslist ad said it was looking to play a fantasy "rape". A 26-year-old woman forced his way into the house, bound his hands and raped her at knifepoint, prosecutors say. Both ex-boyfriend and accused attacker faces life in prison if convicted.
- The 19-year-old Wisconsin, Anthony Stancl, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of using Facebook to blackmail sex dozens of colleagues. Stancl presents as a girl on Facebook and tricked more than 30 male colleagues send him naked photos of themselves, then using the photos to blackmail.
- In New York, Paul Franco, is accused of coercion and harassment for allegedly hijacking facebook account of his former lover, changing settings on page to show them that they are homosexual and demanding cash from her before he would change the settings back. "He changed all my details and said that I was interested in women. I have a lot of requests for relationships with women - and it was an acceptance of them," Zamora said Jessica Anderson of the New York Post.
"It used to be when stalked someone physically had to follow, you physically had to leave nasty notes on their door, break their windows," says Robert Morgester, a deputy attorney general of California, which is specializing in technology crime and identity theft cases.
"Technology has eliminated what I call moral" speed bumps. "Before, when someone came up, or doing a horrible act, had to decide to go out that front door and do it," he says.
"But what technology has allowed to do is sit in the privacy of your home and wreak havoc."
In particular, "we see an increase in people claiming other people online for a variety of different reasons, and to harm them with personal attacks", such as the above cases. He describes it as "prosecution by proxy."
Among the cases he prosecuted was that of a clerk Fresno, California court whose ex-boyfriend online fake profiles created it, including information about where he lived and worked, and posted messages saying he wanted men Contact her for sex.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Ways to boost your wireless network (continued)
6. Change your wireless channel
Wireless routers can broadcast on several different channels, similar to the way radio stations use different channels. In the United States and Canada, these channels are 1, 6 and 11. Just as you'll sometimes hear interference on one radio station while another is perfectly clear, sometimes one wireless channel is clearer than others. Try changing your wireless router's channel through your router's configuration page to see if your signal strength improves. You don't need to change your computer's configuration, because it'll automatically detect the new channel.
7. Reduce wireless interference
If you have cordless phones or other wireless electronics in your home, your computer might not be able to "hear" your router over the noise from them. To quiet the noise, avoid wireless electronics that use the 2.4GHz frequency. Instead, look for cordless phones that use the 5.8GHz or 900MHz frequencies.
8. Update your firmware or your network adapter driver
Router manufacturers regularly make free improvements to their routers. Sometimes, these improvements increase performance. To get the latest firmware updates for your router, visit your router manufacturer's Web site.
Similarly, network adapter vendors occasionally update the software that Windows uses to communicate with your network adapter, known as the driver. These updates typically improve performance and reliability.
9. Pick equipment from a single vendor
While a Linksys router will work with a D-Link network adapter, you often get better performance if you pick a router and network adapter from the same vendor. Some vendors offer a boost of up to twice the performance when you choose their hardware: Linksys has the SpeedBooster technology, and D-Link has the 108G enhancement.
10. Upgrade 802.11b devices to 802.11g
802.11b is the most common type of wireless network, but 802.11g is about five times faster. 802.11g is backward-compatible with 802.11b, so you can still use any 802.11b equipment that you have. If you're using 802.11b and you're unhappy with the performance, consider replacing your router and network adapters with 802.11g-compatible equipment. If you're buying new equipment, definitely choose 802.11g.
Wireless networks never reach the theoretical bandwidth limits. 802.11b networks typically get 2-5Mbps. 802.11g is usually in the 13-23Mbps range. Belkin's Pre-N equipment has been measured at 37-42Mbps.
Wireless routers can broadcast on several different channels, similar to the way radio stations use different channels. In the United States and Canada, these channels are 1, 6 and 11. Just as you'll sometimes hear interference on one radio station while another is perfectly clear, sometimes one wireless channel is clearer than others. Try changing your wireless router's channel through your router's configuration page to see if your signal strength improves. You don't need to change your computer's configuration, because it'll automatically detect the new channel.
7. Reduce wireless interference
If you have cordless phones or other wireless electronics in your home, your computer might not be able to "hear" your router over the noise from them. To quiet the noise, avoid wireless electronics that use the 2.4GHz frequency. Instead, look for cordless phones that use the 5.8GHz or 900MHz frequencies.
8. Update your firmware or your network adapter driver
Router manufacturers regularly make free improvements to their routers. Sometimes, these improvements increase performance. To get the latest firmware updates for your router, visit your router manufacturer's Web site.
Similarly, network adapter vendors occasionally update the software that Windows uses to communicate with your network adapter, known as the driver. These updates typically improve performance and reliability.
9. Pick equipment from a single vendor
While a Linksys router will work with a D-Link network adapter, you often get better performance if you pick a router and network adapter from the same vendor. Some vendors offer a boost of up to twice the performance when you choose their hardware: Linksys has the SpeedBooster technology, and D-Link has the 108G enhancement.
10. Upgrade 802.11b devices to 802.11g
802.11b is the most common type of wireless network, but 802.11g is about five times faster. 802.11g is backward-compatible with 802.11b, so you can still use any 802.11b equipment that you have. If you're using 802.11b and you're unhappy with the performance, consider replacing your router and network adapters with 802.11g-compatible equipment. If you're buying new equipment, definitely choose 802.11g.
Wireless networks never reach the theoretical bandwidth limits. 802.11b networks typically get 2-5Mbps. 802.11g is usually in the 13-23Mbps range. Belkin's Pre-N equipment has been measured at 37-42Mbps.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
How to boost your wireless network
If Windows ever notifies you about a weak signal, it probably means your connection isn't as fast or as reliable as it could be. Worse, you might lose your connection entirely in some parts of your home. If you're looking to improve the signal for your wireless network, try some of these tips for extending your wireless range and improving your wireless network performance.
1. Position your wireless router (or wireless access point) in a central location
When possible, place your wireless router in a central location in your home. If your router is against an outside wall of your home, the signal will be weak on the other side of your home. Don't worry if you can't move your router, because there are many other ways to improve your connection.
2. Move the router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects (such as file cabinets)
Metal, walls and floors will interfere with your router's wireless signals. The closer your router is to these obstructions, the more severe the interference, and the weaker your connection will be.
3. Replace your router's antenna
The antennas supplied with your router are designed to be omnidirectional, meaning they broadcast in all directions around the router. If your router is near an outside wall, half of the wireless signals will be sent outside your home, and much of your router's power will be wasted. Most routers don't allow you to increase the power output, but you can make better use of the power. Upgrade to a high-gain antenna that focuses the wireless signals in one direction. You can aim the signal in the direction you need it most.
4. Replace your computer's wireless network adapter
Wireless network signals must be sent both to and from your computer. Sometimes, your router can broadcast strongly enough to reach your computer, but your computer can't send signals back to your router. To improve this, replace your laptop's PC card-based wireless network adapter with a USB network adapter that uses an external antenna. In particular, consider the Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless USB network adapter, which adds an external, high-gain antenna to your computer and can significantly improve your range.
Laptops with built-in wireless typically have excellent antennas and don't need to have their network adapters upgraded.
5. Add a wireless repeater
Wireless repeaters extend your wireless network range without requiring you to add any wiring. Just place the wireless repeater halfway between your wireless access point and your computer, and you'll get an instant boost to your wireless signal strength. Check out the wireless repeaters from ViewSonic, D-Link, Linksys and Buffalo Technology.
1. Position your wireless router (or wireless access point) in a central location
When possible, place your wireless router in a central location in your home. If your router is against an outside wall of your home, the signal will be weak on the other side of your home. Don't worry if you can't move your router, because there are many other ways to improve your connection.
2. Move the router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects (such as file cabinets)
Metal, walls and floors will interfere with your router's wireless signals. The closer your router is to these obstructions, the more severe the interference, and the weaker your connection will be.
3. Replace your router's antenna
The antennas supplied with your router are designed to be omnidirectional, meaning they broadcast in all directions around the router. If your router is near an outside wall, half of the wireless signals will be sent outside your home, and much of your router's power will be wasted. Most routers don't allow you to increase the power output, but you can make better use of the power. Upgrade to a high-gain antenna that focuses the wireless signals in one direction. You can aim the signal in the direction you need it most.
4. Replace your computer's wireless network adapter
Wireless network signals must be sent both to and from your computer. Sometimes, your router can broadcast strongly enough to reach your computer, but your computer can't send signals back to your router. To improve this, replace your laptop's PC card-based wireless network adapter with a USB network adapter that uses an external antenna. In particular, consider the Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless USB network adapter, which adds an external, high-gain antenna to your computer and can significantly improve your range.
Laptops with built-in wireless typically have excellent antennas and don't need to have their network adapters upgraded.
5. Add a wireless repeater
Wireless repeaters extend your wireless network range without requiring you to add any wiring. Just place the wireless repeater halfway between your wireless access point and your computer, and you'll get an instant boost to your wireless signal strength. Check out the wireless repeaters from ViewSonic, D-Link, Linksys and Buffalo Technology.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Flashing your firmware
How easy it is to flash the firmware depends on the type of device and the kindness of the manufacturer. A few scenarios are illustrated here, but the specific technique you'll use depends on what your device’s creator provides to you.
The easiest way to update your motherboard's firmware is to use the manufacturer’s Windows-based software-flashing application, which handles the process for you. If your manufacturer offers such a program (and that's a big if), just follow its instructions.
If the device maker doesn't offer such a program, instead it might provide a bootable CD in the form of a downloadable .iso file (a CD or DVD image). There's a good chance that double-clicking that file will launch your disc-authoring software and prompt you to insert a CD. On the other hand, if Windows doesn't know what to do with the .iso file, download and install the freeware application ImgBurn and then double-click the file. Reboot your computer with the newly burned CD in the optical drive; the firmware-flashing process should start immediately.
Unfortunately, not all manufacturers give you something that easy to use. Some offer only a DOS-based flashing utility that you're supposed to run from a bootable floppy disk. Once you prepare the floppy, you reboot your PC with the disk in your floppy drive, run the flash utility and then remove the floppy and reboot again. If your computer is less than a few years old, you're probably asking, "What floppy drive?" If spending money on an external floppy drive for a single firmware update isn’t your cup of tea, you’ll have to get creative if you want that update to work.
In place of a floppy drive, you'll have to create a bootable flash drive. To do so, grab a utility called USB Disk Storage Format. You'll also need the HPUSBFW_BOOTFILES.zip archive. You might be able to find it at 4shared; if you can't, track it down by typing the file name in a search engine.
Unzip and run the USB Disk Storage Format utility (if Windows refuses to run this program because it requires administrator rights -- even though you're logged on as the administrator -- right-click the file and select Run as administrator). Select your flash drive as the device and pick the option to format it as a FAT32 file system. Click the check box that says Create a DOS Bootable Disk and select the folder containing the unzipped files of the HPUSBFW_BOOTFILES.zip archive. Once the utility is done, drag and drop whatever files the manufacturer of your device wants you to put on the "floppy.”
The flash drive is ready to boot, but is your PC ready to boot it? To find out, leave the flash drive plugged in while you reboot your PC. If Windows comes up normally, you'll have to tell your PC to boot from the flash drive. To do so, restart your PC and watch for an on-screen message (it will be one of the first things to appear) telling you which key to press for your computer’s boot menu, or which key to press for setup. Press that key immediately. (If you see both, immediately press the boot-menu key.) If you get a boot menu, set it to boot from your PC's USB ports. If you press the key that calls up the setup screen, hunt in the resulting menu for a section called Boot Options or Boot Order; there, you want to make sure that USB devices are listed before your hard drive in the boot order. Save the settings and reboot your PC.
When you boot from the flash drive, watch the screen -- you might have to press a button on your keyboard to activate the boot from your USB device.
Fortunately, NAS boxes, routers and mobile devices are much easier to update than motherboards. On most network devices, for example, you’ll just have to access your device’s configuration screen by typing its IP address into your Web browser. Once there, you should be able to locate the screen's built-in firmware-updating option; it’ll probably be accompanied by a large browse button. Click that, select the firmware file you downloaded and click to update. It couldn’t be simpler.
We could fill an entire PC World print issue with instructions were we to try listing the exact means for flashing half the devices open to firmware updates. Though they all follow the same general principles, each manufacturer can support different methods. What’s more important is the safety of your devices. Remember to save your settings and, whenever possible, follow your manufacturer’s instructions to the letter, using the correct firmware for your device. Take these steps to prevent anything unfortunate from occurring and you’ll quickly find that updating firmware can be one of the easiest -- and best -- upgrades you could possibly make.
From - PC world
The easiest way to update your motherboard's firmware is to use the manufacturer’s Windows-based software-flashing application, which handles the process for you. If your manufacturer offers such a program (and that's a big if), just follow its instructions.
If the device maker doesn't offer such a program, instead it might provide a bootable CD in the form of a downloadable .iso file (a CD or DVD image). There's a good chance that double-clicking that file will launch your disc-authoring software and prompt you to insert a CD. On the other hand, if Windows doesn't know what to do with the .iso file, download and install the freeware application ImgBurn and then double-click the file. Reboot your computer with the newly burned CD in the optical drive; the firmware-flashing process should start immediately.
Unfortunately, not all manufacturers give you something that easy to use. Some offer only a DOS-based flashing utility that you're supposed to run from a bootable floppy disk. Once you prepare the floppy, you reboot your PC with the disk in your floppy drive, run the flash utility and then remove the floppy and reboot again. If your computer is less than a few years old, you're probably asking, "What floppy drive?" If spending money on an external floppy drive for a single firmware update isn’t your cup of tea, you’ll have to get creative if you want that update to work.
In place of a floppy drive, you'll have to create a bootable flash drive. To do so, grab a utility called USB Disk Storage Format. You'll also need the HPUSBFW_BOOTFILES.zip archive. You might be able to find it at 4shared; if you can't, track it down by typing the file name in a search engine.
Unzip and run the USB Disk Storage Format utility (if Windows refuses to run this program because it requires administrator rights -- even though you're logged on as the administrator -- right-click the file and select Run as administrator). Select your flash drive as the device and pick the option to format it as a FAT32 file system. Click the check box that says Create a DOS Bootable Disk and select the folder containing the unzipped files of the HPUSBFW_BOOTFILES.zip archive. Once the utility is done, drag and drop whatever files the manufacturer of your device wants you to put on the "floppy.”
The flash drive is ready to boot, but is your PC ready to boot it? To find out, leave the flash drive plugged in while you reboot your PC. If Windows comes up normally, you'll have to tell your PC to boot from the flash drive. To do so, restart your PC and watch for an on-screen message (it will be one of the first things to appear) telling you which key to press for your computer’s boot menu, or which key to press for setup. Press that key immediately. (If you see both, immediately press the boot-menu key.) If you get a boot menu, set it to boot from your PC's USB ports. If you press the key that calls up the setup screen, hunt in the resulting menu for a section called Boot Options or Boot Order; there, you want to make sure that USB devices are listed before your hard drive in the boot order. Save the settings and reboot your PC.
When you boot from the flash drive, watch the screen -- you might have to press a button on your keyboard to activate the boot from your USB device.
Fortunately, NAS boxes, routers and mobile devices are much easier to update than motherboards. On most network devices, for example, you’ll just have to access your device’s configuration screen by typing its IP address into your Web browser. Once there, you should be able to locate the screen's built-in firmware-updating option; it’ll probably be accompanied by a large browse button. Click that, select the firmware file you downloaded and click to update. It couldn’t be simpler.
We could fill an entire PC World print issue with instructions were we to try listing the exact means for flashing half the devices open to firmware updates. Though they all follow the same general principles, each manufacturer can support different methods. What’s more important is the safety of your devices. Remember to save your settings and, whenever possible, follow your manufacturer’s instructions to the letter, using the correct firmware for your device. Take these steps to prevent anything unfortunate from occurring and you’ll quickly find that updating firmware can be one of the easiest -- and best -- upgrades you could possibly make.
From - PC world
Friday, July 24, 2009
The benefits of new firmware
What can you update with new firmware? It varies. Few devices receive zero firmware updates over the course of their lifetime -- CPUs benefit from motherboard firmware updates, but are not upgradable themselves. Components such as hard drives and optical drives are open to firmware updates, but the device manufacturers tend not to release fixes unless they correct a specific, disastrous problem. At least, that’s what happened with Seagate’s launch of its Barracuda 7200.11 1.5TB hard drives: Users reported freezing and intermittent hangs when accessing the drive, and Seagate released a firmware update to correct the issue.
You’ll find the real meat of firmware upgrading in three areas: your motherboard, your networking devices and your portable media devices. But what will you get for your meddling? In all three cases, firmware upgrades can provide access to additional features and stability that don’t exist out of the box. You could potentially increase ability (and stability) for overclocking your motherboard, integrate advanced utilities such as BitTorrent downloading into your network-attached storage or, in the case of a device like Apple’s iPhone, improve the response times and signal strength of your mobile gear. Firmware updates might not revolutionize your digital experience, but they will improve it, and they're often necessary for new driver updates or additional device compatibility.
Before you hit your search engine of choice and start downloading every firmware update you can find, it’s important to consider a few points. For starters, although firmware upgrading isn’t very difficult to do, it has the potential to cause catastrophic damage if you fail to follow the instructions that the manufacturer provides. A firmware update isn’t like a device driver -- you can't just uninstall it and reinstall it at a whim. Compared with driver installation, rolling back your firmware if your initial installation gets botched is much more difficult.
Check, double-check and triple-check that you’re grabbing the correct firmware for your device. Some companies make that easy -- plug your iPhone into your computer, for instance and Apple will automate the entire process for you.
Other companies, namely motherboard manufacturers, might force you to wade through drop-down menus of their entire product line to find your product’s unique ID. Most devices won’t let you install a different product’s firmware, but in the off chance that yours does, the last thing you want to do is flash your product -- the technical term for upgrading firmware -- with the wrong file.
Finally, firmware upgrades can act as a reset switch for your devices. While some flash utilities give you the option to save and restore your settings before and after the update, a typical firmware update will cause your device to revert back to its factory-default settings. That might not be the biggest concern for the average user, but if you’ve spent a lot of time setting up custom networking configurations on your router, you’ll want to save those settings prior to a firmware update.
Unless your router offers some kind of settings-backup functionality (check the menus and the manual to find one), you should copy your pertinent settings (such as port forwards, access controls and wireless network configurations) into a text document.
From: PC World
You’ll find the real meat of firmware upgrading in three areas: your motherboard, your networking devices and your portable media devices. But what will you get for your meddling? In all three cases, firmware upgrades can provide access to additional features and stability that don’t exist out of the box. You could potentially increase ability (and stability) for overclocking your motherboard, integrate advanced utilities such as BitTorrent downloading into your network-attached storage or, in the case of a device like Apple’s iPhone, improve the response times and signal strength of your mobile gear. Firmware updates might not revolutionize your digital experience, but they will improve it, and they're often necessary for new driver updates or additional device compatibility.
Before you hit your search engine of choice and start downloading every firmware update you can find, it’s important to consider a few points. For starters, although firmware upgrading isn’t very difficult to do, it has the potential to cause catastrophic damage if you fail to follow the instructions that the manufacturer provides. A firmware update isn’t like a device driver -- you can't just uninstall it and reinstall it at a whim. Compared with driver installation, rolling back your firmware if your initial installation gets botched is much more difficult.
Check, double-check and triple-check that you’re grabbing the correct firmware for your device. Some companies make that easy -- plug your iPhone into your computer, for instance and Apple will automate the entire process for you.
Other companies, namely motherboard manufacturers, might force you to wade through drop-down menus of their entire product line to find your product’s unique ID. Most devices won’t let you install a different product’s firmware, but in the off chance that yours does, the last thing you want to do is flash your product -- the technical term for upgrading firmware -- with the wrong file.
Finally, firmware upgrades can act as a reset switch for your devices. While some flash utilities give you the option to save and restore your settings before and after the update, a typical firmware update will cause your device to revert back to its factory-default settings. That might not be the biggest concern for the average user, but if you’ve spent a lot of time setting up custom networking configurations on your router, you’ll want to save those settings prior to a firmware update.
Unless your router offers some kind of settings-backup functionality (check the menus and the manual to find one), you should copy your pertinent settings (such as port forwards, access controls and wireless network configurations) into a text document.
From: PC World
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Should you update your PC's firmware?
Did you know that you can update your hardware without having to buy anything new? An easy-to-perform firmware update can add functionality, stability and features.
Utter the word “firmware” to the average PC user and you'll likely elicit a blank stare in return. But the concept isn't really that hard to understand, and once you have this knowledge, you can quickly improve your PC and any number of other devices, making them faster, more stable and supplemented with features that didn’t come in the box.
Firmware is a set of permanent instructions on a piece of hardware, stored in the device’s read-only memory. It’s analogous to a driver file that’s embedded in the device, providing the hardware identical information each time it powers up. While you can modify the hardware’s interaction with your operating system via software drivers, certain lower-level functions of a device remain constant and unchangeable. That’s firmware.
But even though we call it "unchangeable," it isn't necessarily so. Some firmware, located in the device’s PROM or EPROM (programmable read-only memory or erasable programmable read-only memory), can be altered, or "flashed." You do this by running software applications from the device’s manufacturer; such programs load new firmware onto the device to extend its feature set, life span or performance, as well as to correct significant errors.
Firmware isn't a PC-only concept. You can (and should) update the firmware in external devices such as network-attached and external storage hubs, as well as wireless routers and portable media players. You can even upgrade the firmware on your phone, depending on the model. (That's how people hack the iPhone -- and how Apple tries to outsmart them. Firmware updates from Apple overwrite the customized firmware that some people use to jailbreak and unlock the devices, sending hackers back to the drawing board to search for a new, deployable approach.) Other products in your house -- like Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which gained features such as native 1080p HD support and a new user interface via a single download -- can also benefit from firmware updates.
The frequency of a device’s firmware updates varies by manufacturer and product. Though you shouldn’t expect to find updates on a weekly basis, you should perform a firmware search for all of your PC’s devices at least once per quarter. Manufacturers often stress that you should ignore firmware updates unless you’re having a problem with your hardware; but we recommend that you run your hardware on the most up-to-date firmware you can find, since the increased stability (as well as the potential to gain new features) is worth it.
Unless you're an expert, you probably don't want to use third-party firmware like the iPhone hacks mentioned above. Such offerings are typically more complicated to install -- and more likely to cause problems -- than are normal, manufacturer-supplied firmware updates. They can also void a warranty. Unless you know what you're doing and you don't mind the risks, stick to official firmware.
Utter the word “firmware” to the average PC user and you'll likely elicit a blank stare in return. But the concept isn't really that hard to understand, and once you have this knowledge, you can quickly improve your PC and any number of other devices, making them faster, more stable and supplemented with features that didn’t come in the box.
Firmware is a set of permanent instructions on a piece of hardware, stored in the device’s read-only memory. It’s analogous to a driver file that’s embedded in the device, providing the hardware identical information each time it powers up. While you can modify the hardware’s interaction with your operating system via software drivers, certain lower-level functions of a device remain constant and unchangeable. That’s firmware.
But even though we call it "unchangeable," it isn't necessarily so. Some firmware, located in the device’s PROM or EPROM (programmable read-only memory or erasable programmable read-only memory), can be altered, or "flashed." You do this by running software applications from the device’s manufacturer; such programs load new firmware onto the device to extend its feature set, life span or performance, as well as to correct significant errors.
Firmware isn't a PC-only concept. You can (and should) update the firmware in external devices such as network-attached and external storage hubs, as well as wireless routers and portable media players. You can even upgrade the firmware on your phone, depending on the model. (That's how people hack the iPhone -- and how Apple tries to outsmart them. Firmware updates from Apple overwrite the customized firmware that some people use to jailbreak and unlock the devices, sending hackers back to the drawing board to search for a new, deployable approach.) Other products in your house -- like Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which gained features such as native 1080p HD support and a new user interface via a single download -- can also benefit from firmware updates.
The frequency of a device’s firmware updates varies by manufacturer and product. Though you shouldn’t expect to find updates on a weekly basis, you should perform a firmware search for all of your PC’s devices at least once per quarter. Manufacturers often stress that you should ignore firmware updates unless you’re having a problem with your hardware; but we recommend that you run your hardware on the most up-to-date firmware you can find, since the increased stability (as well as the potential to gain new features) is worth it.
Unless you're an expert, you probably don't want to use third-party firmware like the iPhone hacks mentioned above. Such offerings are typically more complicated to install -- and more likely to cause problems -- than are normal, manufacturer-supplied firmware updates. They can also void a warranty. Unless you know what you're doing and you don't mind the risks, stick to official firmware.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
All of Windows 7 security software providers
If you're using Windows 7 , I recommend that you install security software to help protect your computer from viruses and other security threats, and that you keep your security software up to date.
The companies listed below provide security software that is compatible with Windows 7. Just click the company name to see the Windows 7 -compatible product they offer.
Important: Before you install antivirus software, check to make sure you don't already have an antivirus product on your computer. If you do, be sure to remove the product you don't want before you install the new one. It can cause problems on your computer to have two different antivirus products installed at the same time.
Microsoft is actively working with these partners and additional security independent software vendors (ISVs) to provide security software solutions tested on the Windows 7 Beta.
The companies listed below provide security software that is compatible with Windows 7. Just click the company name to see the Windows 7 -compatible product they offer.
Important: Before you install antivirus software, check to make sure you don't already have an antivirus product on your computer. If you do, be sure to remove the product you don't want before you install the new one. It can cause problems on your computer to have two different antivirus products installed at the same time.
Microsoft is actively working with these partners and additional security independent software vendors (ISVs) to provide security software solutions tested on the Windows 7 Beta.
- Panda
- McAfee
- AVG
- Trend Micro
- Kaspersky
- F-Secure
- Symantec [Norton]
- Webroot
- Gdata
- BullGuard
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Windows 7 Pre-Order Offer, Windows 7 upgrade prices announced.
Windows 7 is coming on October 22, 2009.
Here's an easy way to get it fast and save a bunch: Pre-order a Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49** or a Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $99.**
That's about half off the estimated retail prices. This offer is available through participating retailers. Pick one below and pre-order today. They'll tell you how to get your copy when Windows 7 is available.
Click on the link below for special offers
Pre-order Windows 7 upgrade from Amazon.com
There is a catch: Upgrades are only available to people who buy a new PC from a participating manufacturer, and it or a retailer could charge a small fee. The upgrade program will run through Jan. 31.
Windows 7 is Microsoft's attempt to mitigate poor response to its previous operating system, Vista, which was released in 2007. Windows 7 is largely based off the Vista engine, but is reported to run more smoothly and clean up a lot of the loose ends users complained about.
"We have literally had millions of customers downloading, using and giving feedback on our beta and (test) product, more than any other version of an operating system that we've done in the history of Microsoft," Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Marketing, said in a publicity video.
The Windows 7 pre-order pricing is as follows:
Unit Retail price Pre-order price Cost diff.
Home Premium $119.99 $49.99 -$70
Professional $199.99 $99.99 -$100
Here's an easy way to get it fast and save a bunch: Pre-order a Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49** or a Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $99.**
That's about half off the estimated retail prices. This offer is available through participating retailers. Pick one below and pre-order today. They'll tell you how to get your copy when Windows 7 is available.
Click on the link below for special offers
Pre-order Windows 7 upgrade from Amazon.com
There is a catch: Upgrades are only available to people who buy a new PC from a participating manufacturer, and it or a retailer could charge a small fee. The upgrade program will run through Jan. 31.
Windows 7 is Microsoft's attempt to mitigate poor response to its previous operating system, Vista, which was released in 2007. Windows 7 is largely based off the Vista engine, but is reported to run more smoothly and clean up a lot of the loose ends users complained about.
"We have literally had millions of customers downloading, using and giving feedback on our beta and (test) product, more than any other version of an operating system that we've done in the history of Microsoft," Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Marketing, said in a publicity video.
The Windows 7 pre-order pricing is as follows:
Unit Retail price Pre-order price Cost diff.
Home Premium $119.99 $49.99 -$70
Professional $199.99 $99.99 -$100
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The mobile Internet makes its way into cars
Just as radios evolved from hulking home consoles into expected accessories in virtually all cars, so may Wi-Fi Internet access break free to become a commonplace automotive feature. That’s the hope of Autonet Mobile, a company that supplies in-car Wi-Fi routers that let passengers use laptops and other mobile devices in their vehicles.
By 2016, consumers will consider such Internet connectivity as important as traditional features such as safety and fuel economy, said Thilo Koslowski, vice president of the Automotive Manufacturing Industry Advisory Service at market researcher Gartner, Inc.
Autonet Mobile sells its $499 routers through Chrysler and Cadillac dealers as manufacturer-endorsed, dealer-installed options for those cars, branded as Uconnect Web and Cadillac Wi-Fi, respectively. Its routers can also be added to any car after a vehicle is purchased.
Potential customers were skeptical of Wi-Fi in vehicles, but have recently become more in favor of the idea, according to Autonet Mobile CEO Sterling Pratz. With the stamp of approval from car makers, Autonet Mobile’s sales have grown 50 percent every month since November, he said.
However, even with that kind of growth, Pratz would characterize the company’s customer base as numbering “in the thousands.” He said 90 percent of consumers surveyed in a company poll said they would rather have Internet access in their cars than have DVD video players.
By 2016, consumers will consider such Internet connectivity as important as traditional features such as safety and fuel economy, said Thilo Koslowski, vice president of the Automotive Manufacturing Industry Advisory Service at market researcher Gartner, Inc.
Autonet Mobile sells its $499 routers through Chrysler and Cadillac dealers as manufacturer-endorsed, dealer-installed options for those cars, branded as Uconnect Web and Cadillac Wi-Fi, respectively. Its routers can also be added to any car after a vehicle is purchased.
Potential customers were skeptical of Wi-Fi in vehicles, but have recently become more in favor of the idea, according to Autonet Mobile CEO Sterling Pratz. With the stamp of approval from car makers, Autonet Mobile’s sales have grown 50 percent every month since November, he said.
However, even with that kind of growth, Pratz would characterize the company’s customer base as numbering “in the thousands.” He said 90 percent of consumers surveyed in a company poll said they would rather have Internet access in their cars than have DVD video players.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Battle of the Bluetooth headsets
New cell phone headsets promise to reduce background noise and improve clarity -- but not always both.
Forget the smartphone wars. The Bluetooth market is heating up with a showdown between cell phone headsets that reduce background noise and those that pledge to make inbound calls sound clearer than ever.
Aliph, maker of the popular Jawbone, and Plantronics unveiled new high-end headsets in April. Aliph's latest entry, Jawbone Prime, incorporates new sensor technology to filter noise from honking cars, barking dogs and howling winds. Plantronics' new Voyager Pro also packs noise-canceling and wind noise reduction features, but it is particularly focused on improving what the company calls inbound audio, i.e., the person on the other end of the line.
Thanks in part to the increasing ubiquity of cell phones, the Bluetooth accessories market is holding up despite the economic slowdown. ABI Research analyst Jonathan Collins estimates that 1.5 billion Bluetooth radios will ship this year. Most of those units (more than 60 percent) are built into cell phones themselves. Headsets make up the next largest group, at just under 20 percent.
Plantronics says it will draw consumers' attention to the differences between the two headsets in a marketing campaign. It has already recorded audio files that represent conversations made on the Voyager Pro and competing Jawbone products. Aliph, in turn, says the Prime trumped devices from Plantronics, Motorola and BlueAnt in recent tests.
Plantronics is the country's No. 2 wireless cellular headset maker after Motorola, according to the NPD Group, whose data don't include sales from carrier stores. Aliph ranks No. 4, after Jabra.
Better headsets are on the way. A faster type of Bluetooth, commonly referred to as Bluetooth 3.0, is expected to crop up in gadgets by the end of the year or early 2010. Though primarily geared toward data applications, 3.0 should improve headset use by improving power management and reducing dropped connections, says Collins. Like Wi-Fi and mobile broadband, Bluetooth is also making its way into other devices and applications, including notebooks and cars.
Forget the smartphone wars. The Bluetooth market is heating up with a showdown between cell phone headsets that reduce background noise and those that pledge to make inbound calls sound clearer than ever.
Aliph, maker of the popular Jawbone, and Plantronics unveiled new high-end headsets in April. Aliph's latest entry, Jawbone Prime, incorporates new sensor technology to filter noise from honking cars, barking dogs and howling winds. Plantronics' new Voyager Pro also packs noise-canceling and wind noise reduction features, but it is particularly focused on improving what the company calls inbound audio, i.e., the person on the other end of the line.
Thanks in part to the increasing ubiquity of cell phones, the Bluetooth accessories market is holding up despite the economic slowdown. ABI Research analyst Jonathan Collins estimates that 1.5 billion Bluetooth radios will ship this year. Most of those units (more than 60 percent) are built into cell phones themselves. Headsets make up the next largest group, at just under 20 percent.
Plantronics says it will draw consumers' attention to the differences between the two headsets in a marketing campaign. It has already recorded audio files that represent conversations made on the Voyager Pro and competing Jawbone products. Aliph, in turn, says the Prime trumped devices from Plantronics, Motorola and BlueAnt in recent tests.
Plantronics is the country's No. 2 wireless cellular headset maker after Motorola, according to the NPD Group, whose data don't include sales from carrier stores. Aliph ranks No. 4, after Jabra.
Better headsets are on the way. A faster type of Bluetooth, commonly referred to as Bluetooth 3.0, is expected to crop up in gadgets by the end of the year or early 2010. Though primarily geared toward data applications, 3.0 should improve headset use by improving power management and reducing dropped connections, says Collins. Like Wi-Fi and mobile broadband, Bluetooth is also making its way into other devices and applications, including notebooks and cars.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Blog or website -- what's the difference?
Here’s the skinny on the exploding world of blogs: First, the word ‘blog’ is a confluence of two words – ‘web’ and ‘log,’ as in, a ‘log’ or journal that sits on the web. Think “Captain’s Log, Star Date 50 jillion.”
Here’s the image you should keep in mind: I went to London once when I was a kid, and I was stunned to come upon a bunch of people standing on milk crates, all over a public park, talking loudly. Some of the people shouting their opinions from the top of their crates were surrounded by huge crowds. Others were surrounded by pigeons. The quality of the talk varied widely. Either way, everybody had something to say.
That’s a blog, only, your milk crate is online. It’s a personal space created by someone to voice his or her opinions or update people on his or her goings-on. Like a web site, it can be found by people using a browser, it uses regular URL addresses, and it may have advertising attached to it.
So to answer your question, a blog really is a website, but it’s often updated more often (something the search engines of the world notice, meaning you can get on their radar faster) and is designed to make it easy for people to post their comments, videos, pictures, and so on.
Finally, a blog is better designed than a web site for two-way communication, meaning visitors can easily leave feedback in the form of notes, pictures or video. If you want to set a blog up yourself and talk to the world (or the pigeons) about whatever you want, you can do it in minutes, for free. One easy site is at blogspot.com, but I’d welcome any other suggestions.
Here’s the image you should keep in mind: I went to London once when I was a kid, and I was stunned to come upon a bunch of people standing on milk crates, all over a public park, talking loudly. Some of the people shouting their opinions from the top of their crates were surrounded by huge crowds. Others were surrounded by pigeons. The quality of the talk varied widely. Either way, everybody had something to say.
That’s a blog, only, your milk crate is online. It’s a personal space created by someone to voice his or her opinions or update people on his or her goings-on. Like a web site, it can be found by people using a browser, it uses regular URL addresses, and it may have advertising attached to it.
So to answer your question, a blog really is a website, but it’s often updated more often (something the search engines of the world notice, meaning you can get on their radar faster) and is designed to make it easy for people to post their comments, videos, pictures, and so on.
Finally, a blog is better designed than a web site for two-way communication, meaning visitors can easily leave feedback in the form of notes, pictures or video. If you want to set a blog up yourself and talk to the world (or the pigeons) about whatever you want, you can do it in minutes, for free. One easy site is at blogspot.com, but I’d welcome any other suggestions.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
How to get started on Twitter (part2)
How do I start?
It's easy to install on twitter. Visit the web site, and click Start, click Join. Sign up is quick, but two things to consider:
If you have a web-mail, twitter can go and get the names from your contact list so you can see if any of your contacts on twitter. You may be uncomfortable with this, so read the safety message.
You must decide whether you want to be determined by your real name or user name, the latter makes it difficult for friends to find you, but reduces your visibility.
Once your account is created, you can log in and go to "Settings" to customize your profile, add pictures and so on. You'll have your own twitter page where you can send and receive tweets. It will address: http://twitter.com/your-username
Following and followers
Assuming that you are using twitter to connect with friends and family, you want them to follow you and receive tweets. One way to achieve this is to follow them. You can search by name or e-mail, and add them to the list of people go. Once you have that they will receive email notification that you have for them and, ideally, would choose to follow you. Thus, their tweets may appear on your twitter page and / or phone, and you will appear to them.
You can also follow the famous (and infamous) people - from President Barack Obama with Jimmy Eat World. Just do not expect them to follow you!
Also worth mentioning: You can lock followers - a convenient, given the public nature of twitter.
Posting tweet
Now you have followers, and prepared for shipment the first chirp. You'll see a box that you enter in your email address at the top of the chirp on the question: "What are you doing?" How do you know that some are taking the question literally and chatter about what they actually do, from watching "The Simpsons", to run the marathon. Others use it to broadcast everything that is of their kind.
A few notes about the sending of messages to specific people:
If you put "@" followed by the individual user name at the beginning of the message, it indicates that the tweet is designed for a specific person. But all of your followers can still see it.
To send a personal tweet, put "D", followed by individual user name in front of the message. ( "D" is intended to direct.)
Based
As you explore the chirp on the site do not forget to check:
The state deadline - a snapshot of what the random people around the world doing it. From your twitter page, click on "All" in the sidebar.
Celebrity users - some make it a popularity contest for the most followers. You can join the Fray, clicking on "Find people" and then "the user" tab.
Third-party applications - there is money from the fund, aimed at improving your twitter experience.
It's easy to install on twitter. Visit the web site, and click Start, click Join. Sign up is quick, but two things to consider:
If you have a web-mail, twitter can go and get the names from your contact list so you can see if any of your contacts on twitter. You may be uncomfortable with this, so read the safety message.
You must decide whether you want to be determined by your real name or user name, the latter makes it difficult for friends to find you, but reduces your visibility.
Once your account is created, you can log in and go to "Settings" to customize your profile, add pictures and so on. You'll have your own twitter page where you can send and receive tweets. It will address: http://twitter.com/your-username
Following and followers
Assuming that you are using twitter to connect with friends and family, you want them to follow you and receive tweets. One way to achieve this is to follow them. You can search by name or e-mail, and add them to the list of people go. Once you have that they will receive email notification that you have for them and, ideally, would choose to follow you. Thus, their tweets may appear on your twitter page and / or phone, and you will appear to them.
You can also follow the famous (and infamous) people - from President Barack Obama with Jimmy Eat World. Just do not expect them to follow you!
Also worth mentioning: You can lock followers - a convenient, given the public nature of twitter.
Posting tweet
Now you have followers, and prepared for shipment the first chirp. You'll see a box that you enter in your email address at the top of the chirp on the question: "What are you doing?" How do you know that some are taking the question literally and chatter about what they actually do, from watching "The Simpsons", to run the marathon. Others use it to broadcast everything that is of their kind.
A few notes about the sending of messages to specific people:
If you put "@" followed by the individual user name at the beginning of the message, it indicates that the tweet is designed for a specific person. But all of your followers can still see it.
To send a personal tweet, put "D", followed by individual user name in front of the message. ( "D" is intended to direct.)
Based
As you explore the chirp on the site do not forget to check:
The state deadline - a snapshot of what the random people around the world doing it. From your twitter page, click on "All" in the sidebar.
Celebrity users - some make it a popularity contest for the most followers. You can join the Fray, clicking on "Find people" and then "the user" tab.
Third-party applications - there is money from the fund, aimed at improving your twitter experience.
Monday, May 18, 2009
How to get started on Twitter (part1)
So the heck it is about Internet route Twitter.com saw that the number of visitors to the site more than doubled, to 9.3 million people in just one month earlier this year?
In response to this, you better see for yourself. On many levels, that escape the social networking phenomenon that has attracted celebrities, politicians, grandparents and their grandkids call explanation. Is it for you? Read this short primer on some indexes, and then try to send a "tweet," or two. There are no costs, not an obligation - and many feel strangely addictive.
So, that is exactly?
Chirp is part of the social networks of micro-blogging and instant messaging of all rolled into one free service. When he started in 2006, was touted as a way to friends to stay connected through short text messages, which you can send and receive at Twitter.com or to your mobile phone. In the messages you send are called tweets.
Why would I use it?
This is a legitimate question, considering all the messages in this most of us already have - from e-mails and instant messages on Facebook, and mobile phones has been said before. But here are a couple things to set chirrup, except:
Tweets are short and sweet. A tweet can not exceed 140 characters. The proposal, which you're reading now exactly 140 characters, so you can see this is not the place for the Pack, many details in the tweet.
What can you giggle greet and meet. Not only you can quickly send a tweet to all your friends - or twitter-speak, "followers" - but you can also put it to the total consumption. For example, if you are tweeting in support of a political issue, you can attract followers who share your feelings.
Here are some examples of how twitter can fit into your daily life:
Your child-Sitter canceled at the last minute, and you suddenly got a pair of concert tickets may not be used. Send a chirp that if any friends want them to (or willing to baby-sitting).
Writing is not your thing, but you want to keep abreast with my friends and family. With twitter, you can not write much in the same tweet - and no one expects eloquence.
You are looking at a strange city and suddenly hungry Indian food. Send a request to chirp recommendations.
Are you a hairdresser, and someone just canceled the appointment later in the day. Send a chirp that if someone of your standing wish.
In response to this, you better see for yourself. On many levels, that escape the social networking phenomenon that has attracted celebrities, politicians, grandparents and their grandkids call explanation. Is it for you? Read this short primer on some indexes, and then try to send a "tweet," or two. There are no costs, not an obligation - and many feel strangely addictive.
So, that is exactly?
Chirp is part of the social networks of micro-blogging and instant messaging of all rolled into one free service. When he started in 2006, was touted as a way to friends to stay connected through short text messages, which you can send and receive at Twitter.com or to your mobile phone. In the messages you send are called tweets.
Why would I use it?
This is a legitimate question, considering all the messages in this most of us already have - from e-mails and instant messages on Facebook, and mobile phones has been said before. But here are a couple things to set chirrup, except:
Tweets are short and sweet. A tweet can not exceed 140 characters. The proposal, which you're reading now exactly 140 characters, so you can see this is not the place for the Pack, many details in the tweet.
What can you giggle greet and meet. Not only you can quickly send a tweet to all your friends - or twitter-speak, "followers" - but you can also put it to the total consumption. For example, if you are tweeting in support of a political issue, you can attract followers who share your feelings.
Here are some examples of how twitter can fit into your daily life:
Your child-Sitter canceled at the last minute, and you suddenly got a pair of concert tickets may not be used. Send a chirp that if any friends want them to (or willing to baby-sitting).
Writing is not your thing, but you want to keep abreast with my friends and family. With twitter, you can not write much in the same tweet - and no one expects eloquence.
You are looking at a strange city and suddenly hungry Indian food. Send a request to chirp recommendations.
Are you a hairdresser, and someone just canceled the appointment later in the day. Send a chirp that if someone of your standing wish.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
'Star Trek' game veers away from movie
LOS ANGELES - The players will not be able to survive JJ Abrams' highly anticipated "Star Trek" reboot on consoles and PCs.
The only video game released in conjunction with the film premiering May 8 - "Star Trek: CORPS" - This is a simple downloadable arcade-style space shooter that allows players to join either the Federation or the Romulan force and take part in the battles of galactic online.
"We made a conscious choice, with a game that we're not going to retell the story of the film," said lead designer Tarek Soliman. "The movie is Awesome. This is a new take on` Trek ". This is fresh. This is exciting, and he appealed to a much wider audience, I think, than any other `Trek 'movie may have in the past. We wanted to capture that sensibility in this game. "
In the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC game does take a few signals from his big screen counterpart. "Star Trek: D.A.C." Features film composer Michael Giacchino initial assessment. Three Federation and Romulan starships, which players can captain in Deathmatch, assault and conquest of scuffles were inspired by the film structures, including businesses.
"There is a great sense of responsibility, especially in the name of the type of` Star Trek ", said Solimon. "You want to stay loyal to the brand. You do not want to go too far there.
The only video game released in conjunction with the film premiering May 8 - "Star Trek: CORPS" - This is a simple downloadable arcade-style space shooter that allows players to join either the Federation or the Romulan force and take part in the battles of galactic online.
"We made a conscious choice, with a game that we're not going to retell the story of the film," said lead designer Tarek Soliman. "The movie is Awesome. This is a new take on` Trek ". This is fresh. This is exciting, and he appealed to a much wider audience, I think, than any other `Trek 'movie may have in the past. We wanted to capture that sensibility in this game. "
In the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC game does take a few signals from his big screen counterpart. "Star Trek: D.A.C." Features film composer Michael Giacchino initial assessment. Three Federation and Romulan starships, which players can captain in Deathmatch, assault and conquest of scuffles were inspired by the film structures, including businesses.
"There is a great sense of responsibility, especially in the name of the type of` Star Trek ", said Solimon. "You want to stay loyal to the brand. You do not want to go too far there.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Popular game is a huge flop for Nintendo
Is there a market for mature-rated games on the platform of Nintendo? Judging by the sales performance of the latest in a Grand Theft Auto series, perhaps not.
GTA: China Wars, the first Grand Theft Auto game will be released on the DS, sold only 89,000 copies in a few weeks after his release in March. This is part of the projections of industry analysts who had expected to see a total of 200000 to 400000 range.
This is despite the ravings of critics, who have already led to the game in the aggregate review score 94% on metacritic.com - making it the highest rated Nintendo DS games are released.
"We believe that the name of the effectiveness of ... not because of any misexecution Take-two parts," analyst Doug Creutz told Gamasutra. "Either the demography is more complicated than we thought, or the main players did not consider the title as the most important purchase because of the nature of the platform," he said.
GTA: China Wars' disappointing performance reflected Mature-rated Wii release MadWorld, which boasts hard-edged, over-on-top graphical style, and sold a modest 66,000 copies last month. M-rating games are rare on the Nintendo platforms, as compared to the PSP, PS3 and Xbox 360, and the performance of this pair of perfect games is an indicator of the market as a whole, it is not difficult to understand why.
GTA: China Wars, the first Grand Theft Auto game will be released on the DS, sold only 89,000 copies in a few weeks after his release in March. This is part of the projections of industry analysts who had expected to see a total of 200000 to 400000 range.
This is despite the ravings of critics, who have already led to the game in the aggregate review score 94% on metacritic.com - making it the highest rated Nintendo DS games are released.
"We believe that the name of the effectiveness of ... not because of any misexecution Take-two parts," analyst Doug Creutz told Gamasutra. "Either the demography is more complicated than we thought, or the main players did not consider the title as the most important purchase because of the nature of the platform," he said.
GTA: China Wars' disappointing performance reflected Mature-rated Wii release MadWorld, which boasts hard-edged, over-on-top graphical style, and sold a modest 66,000 copies last month. M-rating games are rare on the Nintendo platforms, as compared to the PSP, PS3 and Xbox 360, and the performance of this pair of perfect games is an indicator of the market as a whole, it is not difficult to understand why.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
25 computer products that won't die (17-25)
After Dark
What it was: Berkeley Systems’ screensaver for Macs and PCs, introduced in 1989 and most famous for its iconic flying toasters. Ask anyone to mention a specific screensaver, and the odds are 99.9999 percent that this is the one they’ll mention. It spawned multiple sequels and spinoffs such as neckties and boxer shorts.
What happened: I’m not sure if I know, exactly, but I suspect the inclusion of fancy screensavers in the Mac OS and Windows and the availability of gazillions of free ones didn’t help the market for commercial screensavers. (I still treasure my autographed copy of Berkeley Breathed’s Opus 'n Bill screensaver, though -- it includes a scene in which Bill the Cat shoots down flying toasters, which prompted a lawsuit.) Also, the theory that you needed a screensaver to prevent your monitor from burning in turned out to be hooey. Anyhow, Berkeley Systems’ last After Dark outing was something called After Dark Games, in 1998; it wasn’t even a screensaver.
Current whereabouts: Berkeley Systems is no more, but Infinisys, a Japanese company, sells a modern OS X version of After Dark. But not too modern: It doesn’t work on Intel Macs.
Harvard Graphics
What it was: The first popular presentation-graphics program, released back in 1986 when many of the slides it produced really did end up as slides. For years, it was the flagship product of Software Publishing Corporation, which was forced to run disclaimers explaining that the product had nothing to do with the university of the same name.
What happened: Harvard Graphics was far better than PowerPoint for a long time. Little by little, though, PowerPoint narrowed the gap. In the 1990s, being a only little better than a Microsoft application was a recipe for disaster -- especially if your product was a standalone application that competed against one that was part of Microsoft Office. In 1994, SPC laid off half its staff; in 1996, it merged with Allegro New Media; in 1998, it released Harvard Graphics 98, its last major upgrade.
Current whereabouts: In 2001, British graphics software developer Serif acquired Harvard Graphics -- cheaply, I’ll bet -- and has kept it kept alive. But it’s on life support: Harvard Graphics 98 is still for sale, along with a few other variants. There’s no mention of when any of them last got an upgrade, but the fact that Windows Vista isn’t mentioned in their hardware requirements isn’t a great sign. Nor is the the lack of any reference to the Harvard line in the list of products on Serif’s own site.
AltaVista
What it was: A research project at legendary computer company Digital Equipment Corp. that became the first widely popular Web search engine soon after its launch in December 1995.
What happened: Digital was a strange parent for a search engine, but it did a great job with AltaVista. In 1998, however, it was acquired by Compaq -- also a strange parent for a search engine -- which tried to turn AltaVista from a search specialist into a Yahoo-like portal. In 2000, Compaq sold it to dot-com investment firm CMGI, which later sold it to Overture Services (the former GoTo.com). In 2003, Overture itself was acquired by Yahoo. By then, AltaVista had lost most of its personality and its users -- and Google had grown into a behemoth by being really good at the stuff that AltaVista had pioneered before there was a Google.
Current whereabouts: There’s still an AltaVista.com, but its traffic is minimal and it seems to be nothing more than a reskinned doppelganger of part of Yahoo (compare this AltaVista query to this Yahoo one). The site that started as a great piece of technology from one of the world’s great technology companies is now just a name. Sniff.
Webvan
What it was: A grocery-delivery dot-com service that was famous, at first, for the ambition of its plans, the enormous size of their expense, and the impressive résumés of its management team. It was also pretty darn beloved by more than a few folks I know, who loved the quality of its service.
What happened: Spending more than a billion dollars to build cutting-edge warehouses turned out to be an investment that couldn’t possibly pay off quickly enough. After a string of other questionable business decisions (when its CEO was ousted, his golden parachute included a $375,000 payment -- annually, for life), Webvan declared bankruptcy in 2001.
Current whereabouts: I didn’t realize until I began work on this story that Webvan.com still sells groceries -- but only nonperishable ones -- as an outpost of the Amazon.com empire. Strangely, Amazon has another site, Amazon Fresh, which specializes in delivering stuff that is perishable. Meanwhile, most Americans seem content to get their foodstuffs the old fashioned way, by trudging the aisles of a supermarket with a cart.
CompuServe
What it was: The first online service. Starting in 1979, it offered message boards, news and information, e-commerce and other Weblike features -- long before there was a Web, and even before there was an AOL.
What happened: Well, the rise of AOL in the early 1990s left CompuServe as the second-largest online service, which was probably a lot less fun than being the biggest. Shortly thereafter, CompuServe had to deal with the Internet. Like other proprietary services, it became a not-very-satisfying not-quite-an-ISP. And as consumers flooded the Web, CompuServe’s once-bustling message boards started to feel deserted. In 1997, AOL bought CompuServe, and while CompuServe’s robust international network helped bolster AOL’s infrastructure, the CompuServe community dwindled away.
Current whereabouts: Like Netscape, CompuServe became a nameplate that AOL attaches to slightly embarrassing projects. It’s now a bargain-priced ISP and a half-hearted portal site; its boilerplate copy calls CompuServe a “key brand” and touts CompuServe 7.0 as “the newest version” without mentioning that it’s eight years old. (Weirdly, CompuServe’s home page also carries the logo of Wow, a faux-AOL that the company shuttered within months of its 1996 release -- I can’t believe that anyone misses it or is looking for it.) For those of us who were CompuServe users back when its user IDs consisted of lots of digits and a mysterious comma, it’s a depressing fate.
Prodigy
What it was: A joint venture of Sears Roebuck and IBM that launched an extremely consumery online service in 1990 -- a more mainstream alternative to CompuServe before AOL became a phenomenon. Geeks sneered at it (some called it “Stodigy”), but it managed to sign up a sizable number of users in an era when the typical American had never laid eyes on a modem.
What happened: Within a few years of Prodigy’s debut, the Internet made proprietary services like it (and CompuServe, Delphi, Genie, and, eventually, AOL) look like antiques. Prodigy started adding Internet features, and in 1997 it relaunched itself as a full-blown ISP. (It also shut down the original Prodigy service rather than fixing its Y2K bugs.) It did OK as an ISP, at least for awhile -- in 1998, it was the country’s fourth largest. But in 2001, SBC (now AT&T) bought Prodigy and retired the brand name.
Current whereabouts: Down south! In Mexico, Telmex, the dominant telecommunications company, owns the Prodigy name and still uses it. Here it is on a video site, and on a portal that’s co-branded with MSN (!). And don’t hold me to this, but I suspect that there are still some stateside SBC customers who retain Prodigy.net e-mail addresses -- just as I maintained a Mindspring one for years after that ISP was acquired by EarthLink.
VCR Plus+
What it was: Remember all those jokes about VCRs that permanently flashed 12:00? Starting in the early 1990s, the redundantly named VCR Plus+ (which was built into VCRs and available as an add-on in the form of a special remote control) simplified programming a video recorder by letting you punch in codes that appeared in TV listings in newspapers and TV Guide. (In fact, VCR Plus+ inventor Gemstar Development bought TV Guide in 1999 for $9.7 billion.)
What happened: VCR Plus+’s fortunes were dependent on the fortunes of the VCR. As the 1990s wore on, consumers spent less time futzing with recording tapes at all, and more time renting and buying tapes -- and, eventually, renting and buying DVDs. By the end of the decade, TiVo and ReplayTV allowed TV fans to record hours of shows without dealing with tapes at all. Meanwhile, Gemstar founder Henry Yuen was fired after an accounting scandal -- and then went missing.
Current whereabouts: VCR Plus+ is now owned by Macrovision, a company more famous for technologies that prevent people from recording entertainment than ones that help them do so. The codes are available on TVGuide.com and VCRPlus.com, and in newspaper TV listings. (Of course, in an era of 500 channels and on-screen guides, newspaper TV listings are even more anachronistic than newspapers in general.) But you know what? I’m not sure whether anyone’s still making VCRs with VCRPlus+.
Circuit City
What it was: A chain of consumer-electronics superstores with roots that went back to 1949. For a time in the 1990s, it was the most high-profile technology merchant in America.
What happened: Two words: “Best” and “Buy.” Plus misguided decisions like laying off experienced salespeople and replacing them with cheaper, clueless newbies. Not to mention the fact that almost every major electronics retailer eventually falls on hard times and liquidates itself -- it seems to go with the territory.
Current whereabouts: Up north! In the U.S., Circuit City is now a nationwide chain of large, empty storefronts, but its Canadian subsidiary, The Source by Circuit City, remains a 750-store powerhouse. (Confusingly -- at least for us Yanks -- the chain is the former RadioShack Canada.) Recently, Bell Canada agreed to buy The Source; it says it’ll keep the name, but I’m guessing it wasn’t referring to the “by Circuit City” part. But even if it deletes it, Circuit City may not be utterly dead: The home page for its currently closed site says it hopes to restore some sort of online presence.
Egghead Software
What it was: A nationwide chain of software stores with an odd name and an even odder mascot (Professor Egghead, an Albert Einstein-lookalike anthropomorphic egg -- or was he a normal human cursed to live his life with an egg for a noggin?).
What happened: Like most tech retailers, Egghead eventually fell on hard times; in 1998, it shuttered its stores and went online only. In 2001 it declared bankruptcy and closed the site, too (bad publicity after hackers broke into its customer database apparently speeded its demise).
Current whereabouts: Even after the business collapsed, the Egghead name was worth something -- $6.1 million, which is what Amazon.com paid for it in 2001. The e-tailing giant continues to sell software at Egghead.com. It’s basically the software section of Amazon’s own site, but it does sport an Egghead logo, just in case any loyal customers are out there who aren’t aware that Egghead folded eight years ago. Sadly, the professor is nowhere to be seen.
What it was: Berkeley Systems’ screensaver for Macs and PCs, introduced in 1989 and most famous for its iconic flying toasters. Ask anyone to mention a specific screensaver, and the odds are 99.9999 percent that this is the one they’ll mention. It spawned multiple sequels and spinoffs such as neckties and boxer shorts.
What happened: I’m not sure if I know, exactly, but I suspect the inclusion of fancy screensavers in the Mac OS and Windows and the availability of gazillions of free ones didn’t help the market for commercial screensavers. (I still treasure my autographed copy of Berkeley Breathed’s Opus 'n Bill screensaver, though -- it includes a scene in which Bill the Cat shoots down flying toasters, which prompted a lawsuit.) Also, the theory that you needed a screensaver to prevent your monitor from burning in turned out to be hooey. Anyhow, Berkeley Systems’ last After Dark outing was something called After Dark Games, in 1998; it wasn’t even a screensaver.
Current whereabouts: Berkeley Systems is no more, but Infinisys, a Japanese company, sells a modern OS X version of After Dark. But not too modern: It doesn’t work on Intel Macs.
Harvard Graphics
What it was: The first popular presentation-graphics program, released back in 1986 when many of the slides it produced really did end up as slides. For years, it was the flagship product of Software Publishing Corporation, which was forced to run disclaimers explaining that the product had nothing to do with the university of the same name.
What happened: Harvard Graphics was far better than PowerPoint for a long time. Little by little, though, PowerPoint narrowed the gap. In the 1990s, being a only little better than a Microsoft application was a recipe for disaster -- especially if your product was a standalone application that competed against one that was part of Microsoft Office. In 1994, SPC laid off half its staff; in 1996, it merged with Allegro New Media; in 1998, it released Harvard Graphics 98, its last major upgrade.
Current whereabouts: In 2001, British graphics software developer Serif acquired Harvard Graphics -- cheaply, I’ll bet -- and has kept it kept alive. But it’s on life support: Harvard Graphics 98 is still for sale, along with a few other variants. There’s no mention of when any of them last got an upgrade, but the fact that Windows Vista isn’t mentioned in their hardware requirements isn’t a great sign. Nor is the the lack of any reference to the Harvard line in the list of products on Serif’s own site.
AltaVista
What it was: A research project at legendary computer company Digital Equipment Corp. that became the first widely popular Web search engine soon after its launch in December 1995.
What happened: Digital was a strange parent for a search engine, but it did a great job with AltaVista. In 1998, however, it was acquired by Compaq -- also a strange parent for a search engine -- which tried to turn AltaVista from a search specialist into a Yahoo-like portal. In 2000, Compaq sold it to dot-com investment firm CMGI, which later sold it to Overture Services (the former GoTo.com). In 2003, Overture itself was acquired by Yahoo. By then, AltaVista had lost most of its personality and its users -- and Google had grown into a behemoth by being really good at the stuff that AltaVista had pioneered before there was a Google.
Current whereabouts: There’s still an AltaVista.com, but its traffic is minimal and it seems to be nothing more than a reskinned doppelganger of part of Yahoo (compare this AltaVista query to this Yahoo one). The site that started as a great piece of technology from one of the world’s great technology companies is now just a name. Sniff.
Webvan
What it was: A grocery-delivery dot-com service that was famous, at first, for the ambition of its plans, the enormous size of their expense, and the impressive résumés of its management team. It was also pretty darn beloved by more than a few folks I know, who loved the quality of its service.
What happened: Spending more than a billion dollars to build cutting-edge warehouses turned out to be an investment that couldn’t possibly pay off quickly enough. After a string of other questionable business decisions (when its CEO was ousted, his golden parachute included a $375,000 payment -- annually, for life), Webvan declared bankruptcy in 2001.
Current whereabouts: I didn’t realize until I began work on this story that Webvan.com still sells groceries -- but only nonperishable ones -- as an outpost of the Amazon.com empire. Strangely, Amazon has another site, Amazon Fresh, which specializes in delivering stuff that is perishable. Meanwhile, most Americans seem content to get their foodstuffs the old fashioned way, by trudging the aisles of a supermarket with a cart.
CompuServe
What it was: The first online service. Starting in 1979, it offered message boards, news and information, e-commerce and other Weblike features -- long before there was a Web, and even before there was an AOL.
What happened: Well, the rise of AOL in the early 1990s left CompuServe as the second-largest online service, which was probably a lot less fun than being the biggest. Shortly thereafter, CompuServe had to deal with the Internet. Like other proprietary services, it became a not-very-satisfying not-quite-an-ISP. And as consumers flooded the Web, CompuServe’s once-bustling message boards started to feel deserted. In 1997, AOL bought CompuServe, and while CompuServe’s robust international network helped bolster AOL’s infrastructure, the CompuServe community dwindled away.
Current whereabouts: Like Netscape, CompuServe became a nameplate that AOL attaches to slightly embarrassing projects. It’s now a bargain-priced ISP and a half-hearted portal site; its boilerplate copy calls CompuServe a “key brand” and touts CompuServe 7.0 as “the newest version” without mentioning that it’s eight years old. (Weirdly, CompuServe’s home page also carries the logo of Wow, a faux-AOL that the company shuttered within months of its 1996 release -- I can’t believe that anyone misses it or is looking for it.) For those of us who were CompuServe users back when its user IDs consisted of lots of digits and a mysterious comma, it’s a depressing fate.
Prodigy
What it was: A joint venture of Sears Roebuck and IBM that launched an extremely consumery online service in 1990 -- a more mainstream alternative to CompuServe before AOL became a phenomenon. Geeks sneered at it (some called it “Stodigy”), but it managed to sign up a sizable number of users in an era when the typical American had never laid eyes on a modem.
What happened: Within a few years of Prodigy’s debut, the Internet made proprietary services like it (and CompuServe, Delphi, Genie, and, eventually, AOL) look like antiques. Prodigy started adding Internet features, and in 1997 it relaunched itself as a full-blown ISP. (It also shut down the original Prodigy service rather than fixing its Y2K bugs.) It did OK as an ISP, at least for awhile -- in 1998, it was the country’s fourth largest. But in 2001, SBC (now AT&T) bought Prodigy and retired the brand name.
Current whereabouts: Down south! In Mexico, Telmex, the dominant telecommunications company, owns the Prodigy name and still uses it. Here it is on a video site, and on a portal that’s co-branded with MSN (!). And don’t hold me to this, but I suspect that there are still some stateside SBC customers who retain Prodigy.net e-mail addresses -- just as I maintained a Mindspring one for years after that ISP was acquired by EarthLink.
VCR Plus+
What it was: Remember all those jokes about VCRs that permanently flashed 12:00? Starting in the early 1990s, the redundantly named VCR Plus+ (which was built into VCRs and available as an add-on in the form of a special remote control) simplified programming a video recorder by letting you punch in codes that appeared in TV listings in newspapers and TV Guide. (In fact, VCR Plus+ inventor Gemstar Development bought TV Guide in 1999 for $9.7 billion.)
What happened: VCR Plus+’s fortunes were dependent on the fortunes of the VCR. As the 1990s wore on, consumers spent less time futzing with recording tapes at all, and more time renting and buying tapes -- and, eventually, renting and buying DVDs. By the end of the decade, TiVo and ReplayTV allowed TV fans to record hours of shows without dealing with tapes at all. Meanwhile, Gemstar founder Henry Yuen was fired after an accounting scandal -- and then went missing.
Current whereabouts: VCR Plus+ is now owned by Macrovision, a company more famous for technologies that prevent people from recording entertainment than ones that help them do so. The codes are available on TVGuide.com and VCRPlus.com, and in newspaper TV listings. (Of course, in an era of 500 channels and on-screen guides, newspaper TV listings are even more anachronistic than newspapers in general.) But you know what? I’m not sure whether anyone’s still making VCRs with VCRPlus+.
Circuit City
What it was: A chain of consumer-electronics superstores with roots that went back to 1949. For a time in the 1990s, it was the most high-profile technology merchant in America.
What happened: Two words: “Best” and “Buy.” Plus misguided decisions like laying off experienced salespeople and replacing them with cheaper, clueless newbies. Not to mention the fact that almost every major electronics retailer eventually falls on hard times and liquidates itself -- it seems to go with the territory.
Current whereabouts: Up north! In the U.S., Circuit City is now a nationwide chain of large, empty storefronts, but its Canadian subsidiary, The Source by Circuit City, remains a 750-store powerhouse. (Confusingly -- at least for us Yanks -- the chain is the former RadioShack Canada.) Recently, Bell Canada agreed to buy The Source; it says it’ll keep the name, but I’m guessing it wasn’t referring to the “by Circuit City” part. But even if it deletes it, Circuit City may not be utterly dead: The home page for its currently closed site says it hopes to restore some sort of online presence.
Egghead Software
What it was: A nationwide chain of software stores with an odd name and an even odder mascot (Professor Egghead, an Albert Einstein-lookalike anthropomorphic egg -- or was he a normal human cursed to live his life with an egg for a noggin?).
What happened: Like most tech retailers, Egghead eventually fell on hard times; in 1998, it shuttered its stores and went online only. In 2001 it declared bankruptcy and closed the site, too (bad publicity after hackers broke into its customer database apparently speeded its demise).
Current whereabouts: Even after the business collapsed, the Egghead name was worth something -- $6.1 million, which is what Amazon.com paid for it in 2001. The e-tailing giant continues to sell software at Egghead.com. It’s basically the software section of Amazon’s own site, but it does sport an Egghead logo, just in case any loyal customers are out there who aren’t aware that Egghead folded eight years ago. Sadly, the professor is nowhere to be seen.
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