Section: Computers, Security, Software / Applications  Imagine this scenario: sitting at work, when suddenly you get a message from the companies McAfee system that you have a virus and the computer is shutting down. Try to reboot, and the same message appears. Then you find out it’s not just your computer, but everybody else’s. It appears as if the entire company’s system is infected with the wecorl.a virus.
Unfortunately, this scenario has been playing out in many places today, and not because of an actual virus. The problem lies with the McAfee Anti-Virus corporate software, specifically the 5958 virus definition file (DAT). The problem is that the DAT is causing the software to delete the svchost.exe file, which is causing all the problems. “Infected” computers are only hose running Windows XP SP3 (though Engadget hears reports of some SP2 computer being affected). The DAT has since been removed, and will soon be replaced with a new version, so no more companies can be affected. The current fix going around the web involves manually fixing each individual computer, quite a task for larger companies. I have seen the update affect my college campus, though not every classroom desktop. Some machines have been receiving the error message, disrupting class presentations depending largely on PowerPoint. Others, however work just as they have any other day. The fallout from this should prove quite interesting, we’ll have to see how else McAfee and its corporate customers respond after they get back up and running again. Read [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking, Websites, Google  Previously, Google provided you with the best way to create and store your documents on the web. Google Docs was a free and very useful alternative to Microsoft Office or iWork that allowed you to create, store, and share documents through the internet. It provided an easy alternative to databases of Word documents or Excel files. As a result, Microsoft began to feel that blow as more and more of their users switched to Google Docs instead of Office. So to compete, they created Docs.com.
Docs.com just went live today (April 21st) and provides you the same benefits as Google Docs with a Microsoft flavor and a Facebook twist. From the looks of it, it is just Microsoft Office 2010, on the internet, available to you from any computer with an internet connection. But just that doesn’t really give Google users a reason to switch to Docs; it is the addition of Facebook integration that gives people reasons to switch. Now, you can create documents and share them right through Facebook. So instead of just relying on your own spelling abilities (or FireFox’s and Chrome’s spell checkers) as you type into just a plain old text field for your poems or rants, you can rely on good ol’ Microsoft Office. Now, social media provides a big role in all of this. Not only can you publish your documents onto Facebook, you can use Docs.com to check out all your friend’s published material and do your Facebook thing and comment on them. Docs blog does state however, that because this is in beta, only a limited amount of users will be able to create documents at a time. Don’t be scared away by the Facebook side of this, Docs does have a professional side as well. You are in no way required to publish every document to Facebook. You can in fact use it just like Google Docs and just utilize it as an alternative to the desktop version. Check back later to see a full review of Docs.com. Read [Docs Blog] Full Story » | Written by Greg Billetdeaux for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Computers, Mobile Computers  Apparently the New York Times in a loop with Microsoft. In an article discussing the various products that will respond to the iPad, said the following: Microsoft engineers have talked about getting the Courier out by early 2011, though no firm decision has been made to sell the product.
Now whether or not this is credible is, of course, debatable. But the idea that the Courier will be around to take on the iPad is quite interesting. Based on what I can see from some of the demo videos that “leaked” out, this is a device for the creative individual on the run. The two screens allow for a notebook style setup where navigation can still occur without losing sight of a project. The real interesting technological achievement will be in the batteries. Having two screens operating at all times will no doubt be a power monger. But, according the the Times’ article, this is something that the engineers at Microsoft have been working on, and is one of the major reasons for such delayed release. With the astounding success of Apple’s new app-hungry device, Microsoft, as well as the rest of manufacturers are playing catch-up. What will make or break the Couriers entrance into the market is timing. If Microsoft can launch the Courier right when the iPad becomes old news, they might have a shot at taking the market by storm with this wild and whimsical device. Read [New York Times] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation 
It sounds like a match made in Heaven: GPS device meets cell phone. Only now, even very inexpensive cell phones come with a GPS chip allowing mobile GPS navigation. So how does a GPS expert transform their brand into a cell phone? The answer is the new Garminfone. Nuvifone? Garmin took what seemed ages to bring Nuvifone to market. Groundbreaking when announced, the Nuvifone turned common while Garmin watched the iPhone gain GPS as well as countless other phones as part of the evolution of GPS navigation. Now, Garmin (along with their partner, Asus) have adopted Android as the OS and are launching the Garminfone with T-Mobile this spring. According to T-Mobile, “The Garminfone brings together two increasingly popular devices in one state-of-the-art package, delivering a rich, unique experience that no other smartphone or standalone navigation device can offer," said George Harrison, vice president, marketing product innovation, T-Mobile USA
What you need to know: As you’d expect, the device features GPS-specific apps. Things like find your parked car, simple clicking on an address to navigate to it, navigate to geotagged images, nifty but not too far out of the ordinary. GPS navigation is taken right from top-of-the-line Garmin standalone devices. What is new is Garmin Studio. This nifty Android app allows users to record and share their own voice directions. “Look kids, over there is where I met your father.” I am not sure how important this feature is but it sounds fun. Before you start thinking the Garminfone has strayed too far from the Nuvifone, all the business-focussed compatibility is there with Exchange so it seems the target audience is still the same: business folk. Read release: [BusinessWire] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile It looks like the latest version of Facebook (1.2) has gone live in the App Catalog. Those sporting a webOS device can head on over to the “Updates” app on their phone, which will allow you to download and install the update. As to what you can expect—notifications. Well, notifications and more. The notifications means that you will now receive your Facebook updates in the nice webOS style—easy to see and unobtrusive in nature. Other changes and additions in the latest version of Facebook for webOS include keyboard shortcuts, bug fixes, the ability to upload video from the app, ability to filter news, a mark all read option and more. In short, if you are using Facebook on a Pre or Pixi then this is most likely an update you will want. Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile It looks like a new BlackBerry handset has recently been revealed, and as you can likely seem from the images it has a clamshell style design. The phone is the BlackBerry 9670 and it is CDMA-based. Other features include; - 480 x 360 display
- 5 megapixel camera
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- Optical Trackpad
- microSD card slot
- OS 6.0
- CDMA
- Full QWERTY keyboard
No word on an actual release, but due to the CDMA nature, it can be expected to arrive with either Sprint or Verizon here in the US or Bell and Telus up in Canada. Also, WES 2010 is just around the corner now, so maybe we will see/hear something official come then. In the meantime, hit the link below to check out the full BlackBerry 9670 image gallery… Via [BGR] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Computers, Peripherals, Mice / Keyboards It feels like we have been waiting for ever to see the Asus Eee Keyboard come available, and while we are not quite there yet we do have a tiny bit of forward progress. It seems that Amazon has added a listing where you can pre-order the Eee Keyboard, and of course that means the pricing was revealed—$599. As for what the $599 will get you, the specs look to be including a 5 inch 800 x 480 multi-touch display, an Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB SSD, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, Ethernet, HDMI out, VGA out, three USB 2.0 ports and running Windows XP Home. Other specs include a measurement of 16.7 x 5.7 x 1 inches and a weight of 2.4 pounds. Best news of all, the Eee Keyboard is expected to start shipping soon—on April 23, 2010. Product [Amazon] Via [Netbooked]  Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Apple  A 56 year old Colorado man was mugged shortly after buying an iPad, but lost more than the highly sought after tablet. When the thief ripped the Apple Store bag out of his hand, his finger went with it. Bill Jordan said he had the cord of the bag wrapped around his hand due to the weight of its contents and when the thief attacked, he yanked it again and again until his finger paid the price.
“He kept pulling until something had to give, and it wound up being my finger,” Jordan said in an interview Tuesday. “There was nothing but bone showing on the whole back of the pinky, The skin was just gone.”
Doctors were forced to amputate most of it. Police are searching for the suspect and have the tape from the mall’s security tape to help. Since the iPad’s release a few weeks ago there have been a rash of thefts.This is the first one that cause serious physical harm. Apple has recorded the serial number of the stolen iPad so the thief-or more likely the hapless person he sells it to, will probably not be able to enjoy it very much. Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Netbooks, Software / Applications, Web, Google  The world of business in technology is a competitive one. It is always a race to see who can invent that innovative idea before the other. In the end, though, it almost always boils down to who has the most money.
In computing, the two top dogs are Microsoft and Apple both of which have highly competitive products that deserve much praise. Microsoft appeases to our sense of familiarity and its high business appeal. Apple waves the simplicity card in its favor along with its excellent level of hardware stability. Though Windows systems are steadily cheaper than one running Macintosh, the cost of upgrading to a new version of Windows is atrocious. With Apple, it is just the opposite; you can upgrade your system for much cheaper, but buying one is a stretch. But no business can hold its reign forever. Microsoft rules the land right now, and unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll ever see a time where Apple will take their place. Apple products are great, sleek, and simple but they are just downright expensive for what you are getting. But don’t worry Apple fan-boys, I don’t think Microsoft will hold its spot much longer either. No, I see a third company rising and taking the title right out from under both of them. You are all very familiar with them. I’m sure many of you use it in its verb form everyday. Its name, is Google. You may be thinking, “Greg! How would Google become top dog? Their most successful product is a search engine!” And I’d agree to that statement, to an extent. Google made it self famous through that still revolutionary search engine. That search engine made Google a verb in everyday language. Whenever someone asks you a question you don’t have an answer for, don’t you just say Google it? But that isn’t why they will prevail; Google is slowly making advances in many different markets to seal its success. And the way things are going, Microsoft and Apple may be too late to stop the onslaught that is Google. We’ll start off with Google docs, probably the most widely known product besides their .com. Recently, docs has become more and more like a real productivity package. No longer do you need to keep files on a separate drive or email it to yourself if you want to transport it. Google makes your documents accessible and editable by any computer with an internet connection. It also allows you to share it with anyone you want. As docs becomes more and more like Microsoft Office and iWork, it will make them obsolete. One as an equal, web-based alternative to them and two as a free, easily accessible alternative to them as well. We’ll skip our way over to Android now. Android has become a very popular and widely used mobile OS. It came out of nowhere to become the iPhone OS’s biggest competitor. Having an app store just like Apple, a vastly growing developer base, a more accessible SDK, and a wider selection of phones, Android is probably going to be the iPhone killer. But not only is Android a mobile OS, it has been used in many other devices as well. Examples would include TV’s, tablets, eReaders, netbooks, and one microwave. It is becoming the most flexible OS out there and gives Google a strong business OS to build off of. Keeping on the topic of OS’s, we’ll go over to Chrome OS, Google’s first OS meant for computers. Chrome was designed to become the perfect netbook OS with a simplistic design. It is a web-based OS which means it is basically a browser with added functionality for the file system and other small things. Google Docs is its primary form of productivity package, which as stated earlier, allows you to access your files on your new netbook with hardly effort at all. Chrome OS is still under development but it currently planned to be used in a few tablets and netbooks in the future. These two OS’s, Android and Chrome, allow Google to access both sides of the market in terms of computers. Android is a strong OS that has support for developers allowing it to become a powerful business OS. Chrome OS is perfect for the casual computer user who doesn’t need much more functionality than browsing the web. Those three things there cover basically all of Microsoft’s biggest assets in the computing world. Obviously Microsoft Office is more powerful than Google Docs but the fact that Google’s is free and growing at a substantial rate will make up for it. And as Microsoft tends to do, I’m sure they’ll develop a Office for Chrome if Google does become that big, just like the did with Mac. I’m not saying that is all that Windows comprises of, their are many other hoops that will take a while for Google to jump through but I have no doubt that Google will do it. But Apple still has one thing to hold it self up that Microsoft doesn’t have and I haven’t covered yet. It is the fact that Apple manufacturer’s its own computers, unlike Microsoft. In fact, Apple pretty much has a monopoly on the Macintosh world whereas Microsoft outsources Windows to many many different companies to make their devices for them instead. But Google does show signs of following Apple with the Nexus One and with the Google tablet rumors. Google currently sells its own phone through its website and I believe they will do the same with their tablet. Unlike Apple though, instead of $1300 for its computer, Google is saying they will cost around $400. I would compare Google’s tablet to the iPad, but they are two completely different devices in terms of their use. Google’s will be a Chrome OS driven tablet which makes more like a computer than the iPad is. Google will rise. These above reasons are just a small portion of my proof for this. I never even touched Wave, Buzz, Gmail, Voice, and Maps which will turn your tablet into a social media device in itself. Don’t take these claims in the wrong way and think that I am saying Apple and Microsoft will fail. Apple has a strong foothold right now with a dedicated fan-base that will keep it up there. Microsoft is also so widely used that it would take a lot for it to go under all together. They will both still be in existence, I am just saying that Google is going to come up from the dirt and rise to the top. Give me your thoughts. Will Google become the next power in computing? Or will Apple be top dog? Read [Wikipedia] and [Google Phone] and [Android] Full Story » | Written by Greg Billetdeaux for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
More Recent Articles | 
No comments:
Post a Comment