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March 2012 Newsletter
 1.  Since late January 2012 there has been a good deal of press and Internet buzz concerning Apple's partnership with the three largest U.S. textbook publishers combined with the release of Apple's iBook 2 software and the new on-line Textbook store.  The Apple video at the link below is a marketing piece but provides an excellent summery, with great visual examples, of the power of touch screen tablet computers and how interactive textbooks can encourage and stimulate learning by students.  Apple and these three publishers are starting by first focusing on high school textbooks, where the need is greatest, but it will soon migrate to universities, middle schools and elementary schools.  Some universities and public school systems already have begun to move to digital textbooks on tablet computers (see the article included in the November 2011 Computer Newsletter).  This current move by the leading textbook publishers with Apple will accelerate the development of the end products and get them into the hands of teachers and students even sooner.  According to an article in the January 24, 2012 edition of the digital newspaper, The Daily, the immediate demand for these digital, iPad textbooks “is off to a roaring start.”  The Daily reported that in the first three days of sales, more than 350,000 digital textbooks had been purchased and downloaded.  Here is a link to the Apple video:  


 2.  Consumer Reports magazine has published an excellent article about “Caller ID Spoofing”, a scam designed to get personal information from you.  If you check caller ID when you receive a telephone call you are the target.  The scammers log onto one of a number of websites, pay a fee to open an account, then enter a name and telephone number that they want to pretend to be calling from.  The false information is displayed on a recipient’s caller ID device.  You may fall for the scam if your caller ID display says you are being called by your bank or credit card company, with the correct phone number.  What should you do?  Consumer Reports says “Never give personal information over the phone, and if someone claiming to be from a financial institution calls and asks for personal data, hang up, call the correct company number, and let a rep know what happened.”  Don’t violate this rule because your caller ID device says the call is from someone you know.  It may be a scam.
Source:  Consumer Reports, March 2012 issue, page 9, “Who’s calling, please.”

 3.  Are you ready to drive on Highway 101, I-280 or other California highways with driverless cars beside you, behind you or in front of you?  It may have already happened because driverless cars are already being tested on California highways.  General Motors, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Google are testing driverless cars now in locations already approved for such test, like the Bay Area.  Beyond testing, Nevada has already put a law on the books sanctioning driverless vehicles on all roadways in the state.  Hawaii and Florida have bills being worked on.  Why the interest?  The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) says there were 5,474 deaths from distracted driving in 2009.  The accident rate for driverless vehicles so far appears to be significantly lower and is expected to improve.  Soon you’ll be able to buy such a vehicle and read the newspaper, send e-mail or take a nap while you are driven by your car.  Read about it here:   http://mashable.com/2012/02/19/driverless-cars-infographic/
4.  In a 1965 paper, Gordon E. Moore, an Intel co-founder, said that the number of transistors that could inexpensively built on an integrated circuit would double about every two years.  Since then, this has proven to be true and become called Moore’s Law.  The latest Intel chip, Sandy Bridge, uses a manufacturing process to place 2.3 billion transistors 32 nanometers apart on a single chip.  Now, an international team of researchers at the University of New South Wales, Purdue University and the University of Melbourne has managed to produce a transistor that is made from a single atom that is just 0.1 nanometers across.  Use of such transistors would further significantly reduce the size of processors and allow Moore’s law to continue to hold true beyond 2020.  I guess we can expect to continue to see more and more powerful electronic devices, in smaller and smaller packages for the foreseeable future.
5.  The Associated Press reported that the federal government is cracking down on “robocalls,” those automated phone calls with the tendency to interrupt Sunday dinners and otherwise annoy consumers.  The Federal Communications Commission said that it will now require telemarketers to obtain written consent from people before placing a robocall. Written does not mean handwritten, though — electronic forms are OK.  The new rules also eliminate a loophole that allowed telemarketers to place robocalls if they had an “established business relationship” with the consumer.  Now, they will have to obtain consent even if they had previously done business with the person they want to call.  Telemarketers will also have to provide an automated way for people to revoke their consent to the robocall by pressing a few keys on their phone during the call.  If this happens, the new rules require telemarketer to add the person to the company’s “do not call” list.
6.  One of the main drivers of the amazing popularity of smartphones is the availability of software applications for the phones, called apps.  They are inexpensive (free or a couple of dollars, averaging less than $1 each), can be downloaded to the phone through the air in seconds and provide numerous services to the smartphone user.  Today, Apple alone has 500,000 apps for the iPhone.  When the Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile markets are added, there are 1.1 million apps available.  In 2011 there were 30 billion apps downloaded worldwide.  The San Francisco Chronicle reports that now there are new search engine apps available to help smartphone and tablet computer users find an app for a specific function from among the million plus available.  Two local firms, Palo Alto's Quixey and San Francisco's Chomp produced some of the latest tools to help people find the app that's right for them.  They scour the apps ecosystem - not just the titles and keywords, but ratings, reviews and other sources - to pinpoint the most appropriate match for the user.  Check them out.
7.  A number of our Computer Group members already have, or are considering buying, an Apple Mac computer.  This summer Apple will be releasing its newest operating system, OS X 10.8, code named Mountain Lion.  The current OS, Lion, brought iPhone and iPad features to Apple laptops and desktops.  The new release will bring all of these platforms even closer together so the look and feel is the same across all of them.  In combination with iCloud, action taken on one device, be it creating or editing a document, noting an appointment, adding a contact, taking a note, adding a photo, music or podcast or multiple other functions, can be instantly and wirelessly reflected across all of your devices.  The way that you access and use documents and applications will be the same across devices.  Here is a link to an article about Mountain Lion by New York Times technical reporter, David Pogue, that is worth reading whether you use an Apple device or not.
8.  On March 14, a N.Y. based company, Aereo, will let New York City residents watch over-the-air television channels, including major broadcast networks like CBS and NBC, on their computer or mobile device via a Web app and without a cable TV subscription.  The service, that cost $12 per month and is initially available in New York City only, also will include an Internet-powered DVR that lets viewers store up to 40 hours of programming in the cloud.  This programming can then be accessed from any Internet connection in the city.  The service will let users “cut the cord” as it will eliminate the need for expensive cable or satellite TV subscriptions.
http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/02/15/021512-tech-news-aereo/

9. The updated information is this:  Apple has just announced that it is rapidly approaching the download of the 25 Billionth app from the Apple App Store.  That's 25,000,000,000, which averages about 3.5 apps for every human on the earth.  Apple expects that the download will occur within the next 60 days.  Whoever downloads the 25 Billionth app will be automatically awarded a prize of $10,000.
 
"One of the main drivers of the amazing popularity of smartphones is the availability of software applications for the phones, called apps.  They are inexpensive (free or a couple of dollars, averaging less than $1 each), can be downloaded to the phone through the air in seconds and provide numerous services to the smartphone user.  Today, Apple alone has 500,000 apps for the iPhone.  When the Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile markets are added, there are 1.1 million apps available.  In 2011 there were 30 billion apps downloaded worldwide.  The San Francisco Chronicle reports that now there are new search engine apps available to help smartphone and tablet computer users find an app for a specific function from among the million plus available.  Two local firms, Palo Alto's Quixey and San Francisco's Chomp produced some of the latest tools to help people find the app that's right for them.  They scour the apps ecosystem - not just the titles and keywords, but ratings, reviews and other sources - to pinpoint the most appropriate match for the user.  Check them out.

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February 2012 Newsletter

 
1.  A January 22, 2012 New York Times article, at the link below, offers a fascinating view of why the manufacture of many products, particularly electronics, has moved from the U.S. to overseas locations.  The article centers on the engineering, production and manufacture of the Apple iPhone but provides insight into other companies, with specific examples, that produce supporting components like chipsets, glass screens, processors, etc. used throughout numerous industries.  The article offers material to support discussions of not only overseas manufacturing but the shift in the size of the American middle class, unemployment issues, the global economy, and many other subjects.  This is a rather lengthy article, but I strongly recommend that you take the time to read it as it is full of information that you can use in future conversations concerning not only technology but numerous other subjects of current interest.  Here is the link:   
 
2.  Over the last ten years, Apple has introduced products and services that have resulted in major changes and impact to several industries, with PC’s, tablet computers, mobile telephones, consumer electronic and music among them.  Tim Bajarin, the President of  Creative Strategies, Inc., a technology industry analysis and marketing intelligence firm in the Silicon Valley, has written an interesting article projecting the impact of Apple on major industries over the next three to five years.  His article was published TIME Techland, an online publication about technology.  He proposes that the industries that will be most impacted are Television, Automobile, Watches and Consumer Appliances.  You will find the article a very interesting read.  It is at this link: 
 
3.  Some mobile phone owners have a mobile telephone only for emergency use and not for everyday communications.  Many of these phones are kept in a car glove compartment or a drawer at home to be used only in an emergency.  They are rarely turned on or even recharged.  Will your emergency cell phone work if you need it?  Now a company, Xpal Power, has a new phone called “SpareOne” that is specifically designed to provide such emergency service.  SpareOne use a single AA battery, Alkaline, NiMH or Lithium.  If the phone is equipped with a lithium battery and stored for emergency use, it will maintain its charge for 15 years.  If the SpareOne is used it should provide about ten hours of talk time with a new lithium battery.  When used in an emergency, the SpareOne will provide you with voice communication while transmitting your caller ID and your GPS computed position so emergency responders can locate you.  The SpareOne was announced at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January 2012, will be available in the first quarter of the year and will cost $49.99.  Read about it and where to get one in this engadget article:
 
4.  During the week after Christmas, users of smartphones and tablet computers downloaded 1.2 billion applications (apps) to run on their devices - a record number.  Apps are the software programs that allow smartphones and tablets to perform all of the functions that these devices can support.  Almost all apps can be downloaded to the device wirelessly and many are free or cost only a dollar or two.  There are about a million different apps available today (Apple alone has more than 500,000) and more are available each day.  On Christmas day alone, 6.8 million new smartphones and tablet computers were activated and 242 million apps were downloaded.  Read about it in this San Francisco Chronicle article:
 
5.  Now technology is turning to something we all have but rarely think about - our home thermostat - a tool that has had little to no technical update in decades.  A former senior Apple engineer, Tony Faddel, has formed a new Silicon Valley start-up, Nest Labs, and their first product is a completely new, high tech, home thermostat called Nest.  The Nest will learn about activity in your home, and combined with your preferences, will heat and cool your home while saving you money on energy costs yet keeping you comfortable.  Nest also connects to the Internet, wirelessly, so you can control it while away through the Nest website or a free app running on your smartphone or tablet computer.  You can easily install the nest yourself with the tools and instructions that come with it, or have the Geek Squad from Best Buy install it for you.  Read all about the Nest in this Washington Post article.
 
6.  Technology in all forms continues to march forward.  31% of all US warplanes are now unmanned, or drone, vehicles according to a Wired article.  The military prefers to call most of these vehicles “remotely piloted” rather than “drone” as most of them are in fact controlled by a human pilot who is not onboard the vehicle.  The military now has 7,500 drones but we hear about only a very small number of the most sophisticated and most expensive.  Many military drones are very small, like the 5,346 intelligence gathering drones operated by the Army.  Read more about these vehicles here: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/drone-report/
 
7.  Laptop and desktop computer sales have slowed over the last year with the growth in sales of tablet computers, smartphones and a thin, light laptop introduced by Apple.  The January International Consumer Electronics Show saw the introduction of numerous new devices called “Ultrabooks”.   An Ultrabook is a very thin, very light laptop computer built with a new low-power chip and solid-state storage that replaces the bulkier mechanical hard drive.  Some of these devices have 13 inch screens, are only 0.59 of an inch thick and weigh less than three pounds.  An article at the link below reports that some predict more than 70 Ultrabooks to be introduced in 2012 with products from all of the major PC manufacturers.  Keep your eye on this market as the entire PC industry is betting that Ultrabooks will be the next hot item.  Here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/16/technology/ultrabooks-embraced-by-pc-makers-at-ces.html?emc=eta1
 
8.  You know the scenario: You’re fiddling with your cellphone or smartphone near a sink, the toilet, or a swimming pool when you lose your grip and your phone is now worthless.  The digital newspaper, The Daily, published an article about a company named Liquipel that will completely waterproof your phone, inside and out, with an invisible coating that is a thousand times thinner than a human hair.  The cost is far less than cost of replacing your smartphone.  Be sure to watch the video in the article at this link: http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/01/12/011212-tech-video-liquipel/

January 2012 Newsletter

1.  We all have passwords to protect computer files and documents, bank accounts and many other things from access by others.  We want to select passwords that provide maximum security but are easy to remember - two goals that conflict, because if it is easy to remember it is easy for an unauthorized person to guess.  A company named SplashData, that offers password security solutions, has published a list of the 25 worst, but most commonly used passwords in 2011.  Here they are:
 password -123456 - 12345678 - qwerty - abc123 - monkey - 1234567 - letmein - trustno1 - dragon - baseball - 111111 - iloveyou - master - sunshine - ashley - bailey - passw0rd - shadow - 123123 - 654321 - superman - qazwsx - michael - Football
 
A good password includes different characters, upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters, in a random order and the longer the better.  There are software programs available that help you manage multiple passwords and protect them in an encrypted file behind a single good master password that you can remember.  Search for password management software and you will find many choices.  Time magazine published an article based on the SplashData information.  It is at the link.  Check it out.  http://techland.time.com/2011/11/22/the-25-most-popular-and-worst-passwords-of-2011/#ixzz1hwUiRvCP
 
2.  Many of us have learned to carry a laptop computer with us when we travel to keep in touch with family, friends and the world around us while using it as a today’s age tool to do both personal and business work while on the road.  Time Techland has published an interesting article weighing the pro’s and con’s of electing to carry a smaller and lighter Apple iPad 2 tablet computer instead of a laptop.  If you have a tablet computer, or are considering purchasing one, you will find this article interesting and informative. http://techland.time.com/2011/12/26/how-the-ipad-2-became-my-favorite-computer/
 
3.  Each year David Pogue, a NY Times technology reporter publishes a report covering the best technology ideas for the year.  The list, called the Pogie Awards, is not a list of the best products but the best ingenious ideas that have made it into actual products.  Examples include a 16 gigabyte USB flash drive that is about the size of a dime.  It is so small that you can leave it plugged into a laptop to increase your storage space while barely knowing it is there.  The price: $25.  How about a $5 app that runs on Apple or Android smartphones and tablets that can turn pages and set timers on the device by voice command when your hands are dirty, wet or sticky.  Or an LED light bulb, that you screw into any socket and in addition to light it also is a high quality speaker to deliver music, wirelessly, from an iPod, MP3 or CD player.  Instant speakers anywhere in your home.  Read about these items and others at:
 
4.  The invention of the smartphone has created a world where millions of people stroll through life constantly staring into a mobile device.  Sometimes these people trip, fall, walk into a wall or worse.  Even so, we are not going to put these devices down.  Every day there will be more people using such devices to remain connected.  The NY Times recently reported that both Apple and Google have secret development efforts to refine wearable computers.  Such devices may clip to, or be built into the users clothing, or include screens that wrap around the users wrist, or project an image for the user through a pair of glasses, contact lenses or some type of headset.  They will probably be controlled by voice instead of touching the device.  If you want to keep up with technology ideas that are coming you should read this article.
 
5.  For some time Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) has been the leading global browser for access to the Internet.  Second position has been held by Firefox.  Now the Washington Post reports that second place has been taken over by the Google developed Chrome browser, at the expense of both IE and Firefox.  Google reported that Chrome had 70 million active users in 2010 but had grown to 200 million active users by October 2011.  Read the Washington Post article at:
 
6.  In November 2011 Adobe announced that it was terminating development of Flash for mobile browsers and operating systems in favor of focusing development on the open HTML5 platform.  The Flash player is widely used to deliver Internet content, particularly video and animation.  Flash has become increasingly less relevant in mobile, most notably because it was publicly excluded from the Apple operating system, iOS, by none other than the late Steve Jobs himself.  Jobs said he would never support Flash because it was proprietary, not secure, a drain on battery life and not designed for mobile.  He favored an open platform like HTML5.  Apple’s position of not supporting Flash provided fuel for vendors advertising competitive smartphones and tablet computers running other OS’s, particularly Google’s Android OS.  Now, Adobe’s announcement indicates that Apple won this battle.  Here is the Washington Post/Bloomberg article about Adobe Flash.
 
7.  Smartphones include a camera that can often take not only still but also video pictures.  These cameras have become so good and so small and easy to carry that the use and sales of point and shoot cameras have fallen to record lows.  Now, there a numerous small and inexpensive attachments for smartphones to further enhance the ability of users to produce high quality photographic images.  If you are into photography and you have a smartphone, or are considering one, you should read the NY Times article at this link.

December 2011 skipped

November 2011 Newsletter

1.  Has Apple just introduced a completely new way to interact with your computer and mobile device?  Apple just announced the new iPhone 4S.  Some were disappointed as they expected the announcement of a completely different device with the name iPhone 5.  The announced iPhone 4S, appears almost identical to the already available iPhone 4, but it is very different on the inside.  The iPhone 4S has a faster processor, a new camera, a longer lasting battery and HD video recording, but the most significant change is the inclusion of what may be the next big revolution in how we interact with our gadgets.  This is a software interface called “Siri”, an “intelligent assistant.” that is nothing short of amazing.  Siri can listen to your “natural language” questions or requests (that is, words spoken as you would to another human, not a computer) and respond like a human secretary.  It’s not just that Siri listens, either.  The software is capable of understanding the context of what you’re talking about.  If you ask, “do I need a raincoat today?”, Siri knows you are asking about the weather.  Because the phone knows where you are, Siri responds with something like “Probably - the forecast is for rain beginning before noon today.”  The bottom line is that you just talk to the iPhone 4S, like you would to a human assistant, and Siri answers like a human, not like a computer.  You can ask Siri to set an appointment and it will check for conflicts, ask for guidance if appropriate, and set the appointment on your calendar.  Siri is connected to both Yelp and Wolfram Alpha (search engines focused on content not websites) so you can ask for facts like currency exchange rates or how many cups are in a gallon.  As we’ve seen with the Apple iPad, and frankly the entire focus of Apple over the past few years, the company wants the desktop computer to disappear and something else to take its place.  Siri looks like it’s going to be a big part of that disappearing act.  Read about this amazing interface in the article at the link below and/or check the Apple website (www.apple.com) for several videos to see Siri in action.  Here is the link to the article:
(Update Note:  Customer acceptance of the new iPhone 4S appears high as Apple announced more than one million units were pre-ordered in the first 24 hours of availability, breaking the record set by any earlier iPhone model.  At a base price of $200 each, this exceeds $200,000,000 in retail revenue on the first day.)
2.  The Indian government is introducing a new tablet computer that cost $35.  The 7-inch touchscreen device, known as Aakash (“sky” in Hindi), is made by tech company DataWind.  Running an Android 2.2 operating system, the tablet offers a very basic feature set of word processing, Web browsing and video conferencing along with two USB ports and 256 megabytes of RAM.  The device cost DataWind $45 to manufacture but a $10 government subsidy lowers the price to $35 in an effort to reach up to 220 million school age children in families with an average monthly income of 3000 rupees, or about $61.  DataWind can produce 100,000 units per month, so without additional production, it will take more than 183 years to reach all of the school children.
3.  If you have a smartphone, running either the Apple or Android operating system, and you enjoy astronomy, you can get observation advice from applications (apps) available for your phone.  You can watch coming meteor showers and other astronomical phenomena if your smartphone is loaded with Meteor Shower Guide ($1 on Apple) or Meteor Shower Calendar (free on Android), and two great star-viewing apps, StarWalk ($3 on iPhone; $5 on iPad) and Google Sky Map (free on an Android device).  See, that smartphone in your pocket is much, much more than a phone.  If you are interested you should read the article at this link:
4.  One of the Nation’s leading school systems and the largest in the Washington DC area, Fairfax County, is beginning the process of changing all text books to digital instead of printed books.  After testing digital books last year in 18 schools the decision was made to begin the transition.  Beginning this fall, all Fairfax County middle and high school students will be using on-line books in social studies.  The high school book being replaced is 1,052 pages and weighs 5.6 pounds.  It will no longer be weighing down every students backpack.  The system will adopt new math, language arts and science textbooks over the next few years.  Within five years digital will overtake print in county schools, and students will travel to class not with a bulging backpack but with a single laptop, netbook or tablet computer that will serve as a portal to textbooks and other digital resources.  The online books are generally cheaper than their hard-copy cousins and look similar, but they’ve been souped up with interactive maps and links to primary sources and History Channel video clips.  Unlike printed books, which the system purchases about every six years, the online versions can be updated regularly to correct errors and reflect current events.  Students can take notes in the margins, highlight important ideas and prompt the computer to read passages aloud.  Students today are very comfortable in our digital world and should be using tools in school like what they are already using outside of school and at home.  Read more here:
5.  At the link is a report that is a very good argument FOR keeping your cell phone with you and turned ON when you are driving or riding in a car.  One man is alive today because his family was able to get help to track the location of his cell phone and thus find him alive in his wrecked car.  The second man had a cell phone, but it was turned off, and he was not found in time to still be alive.  Here is the link:
6.  A good example of the power of computers can be seen in the gargantuan AlphaDog, the latest quadruped robot to be built for the U.S. military.  The robot was developed and built by a team of engineers and scientists at Boston Dynamics.  The program is funded for $32 million, by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Marine Corps, as a prototype of a “robotic mule” that could haul military gear in a war zone.  AlphaDog is designed to travel autonomously, using computer vision to follow a human leader or a GPS system to reach a given destination on its own.  Video of the creature, at the link below, was just publicly released for the first time. http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/10/01/100111-news-alpha-dog-1-2/
7.  In the past few weeks, Microsoft has slowly allowed a stream of details to trickle out to get consumers, analysts and the press excited about Windows 8, the next version of its flagship product, which it promises will work across desktops, tablets and smartphones.  Microsoft sees the Apple iPad as its main rival.  Few $500 non-iPad tablets have sold well so far, including RIM’s BlackBerry Playbook, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab or HP’s now-defunct webOS TouchPad.  Microsoft acknowledges that today any consumer willing to spend $500 on a tablet will most likely purchase an iPad.  Microsoft plans to call on hardware partners to build devices that are less expensive but not cheaply made.  The company is willing to take a hit on revenue from Windows 8 tablets in order to get as many devices into people’s hands as possible.  To accomplish this, Microsoft is looking at a certification program for Windows 8 devices that are code-named “Primed for Windows.”   Microsoft will handle the majority of marketing and advertising for these “Primed” devices.  This will allow manufactures to focus solely on manufacturing more cost-effective products without taking on marketing and advertising costs.  These less-expensive devices are the only ones that will get the “Primed” certification.  It remains to be seen if there will be “Certified for Windows 8” tablets at a higher price point.  Microsoft believes it can own the tablet space within three years, and it plans to do so by pushing more Windows desktops, laptops and phones into the market.  In other words, Microsoft will bleed money to make Windows 8 successful.
8.  Patients at a Newport Beach, CA doctor’s office are no longer given a clipboard upon arrival.  Instead, they’re handed an Apple iPad, where they tick off symptoms and allergies with the touch of a finger.  A nurse uses her own iPad to plug in vital signs.  In the exam room, the doctor summons appropriate data by tapping on his tablet and is aided by a list of likely diagnoses for, say, abdominal pain.  After the visit, the doctor dictates his notes about the patient straight into the iPad, where they’re instantly transcribed and stored with other records.  Lured by new technologies and financial incentives from the U.S. government, doctors are throwing out stacks of paper and replacing them with handheld computers.  The law offers doctors up to $63,750 over five years to help pay for the change if they can prove they’re making “meaningful use” of the systems by, say, submitting prescriptions electronically. Through August 2011, about 90,000 of the roughly 530,000 eligible Medicare and Medicaid providers—hospitals, clinics, and private practices—had registered to participate, with about 7,000 receiving initial payments for demonstrating meaningful use of digital records.    
It is estimated that spending on electronic systems by health providers could grow to $32 billion by 2015.  Read more at:

October 2011 Newsletter

1.  You probably don’t think of General Motors as a technologically nimble company. But deep in the G.M. archipelago of cars, parts and wholly owned subsidiaries there sits a  technological gem: OnStar.  Now, OnStar is available as a rearview mirror that goes on almost every car, not just those from GM.  You can buy OnStar, and have it installed for example, at Best Buy, for $374.  It is called OnStar FMV.  The replacement mirror looks good, with just a few buttons on the mirror frame that allow you to communicate with OnStar.  OnStar is a seamless brew of cellular, Bluetooth, GPS, microphone, speakers and human operators.  Its feature list includes both safety and convenience elements. For example, if you crash, sensors wirelessly alert a 24-hour call center staffed by 2,000 OnStar operators. They immediately talk to you over the built-in speaker. If you don’t respond, or if you say something like, “My legs are broken in six places,” they automatically send an ambulance. They know exactly where to send it; they can see where you are, and they know what kind of car you’re driving.  David Pogue of the New York Times has tested OnStar FMV, installed on a Toyota Camry.  He highly recommends it.  If you have interest you should read his article at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/technology/personaltech/onstar-fmv-offers-premium-but-costly-service.html?emc=eta1

2.  If you want to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive in your email box you have been told for years to never respond and don’t try to unsubscribe because that just confirms to the sender that they reached a valid, in use email address.  Now, the thinking about unsubscribe is changing.  There are two things you can do.  First, continue to use your existing email address as the “public” address that it is.  Public means this is the email address that you use when you fill it in on forms, give it to firms that send you catalogs, pay bill you on line, fill in surveys, etc.  Then, get a second email address that you  provide only to your personal corrispondents and never provide to a company or fill in on any form, application or request, etc.  Second, when you see “SafeUnsubscribe” at the bottom of a junk mail message, Click it.  You will land on a Web page that basically says, “OK, that’s it.  We have taken you off ALL mailing list.”  SafeUnsubscribe is a service of a company named Constant Contact and they have 370,000 companies signed up and paying for their service.  It really works.  Now, don’t think that you can ever unsubscribe from email sent by companies that sell Viagra or promise bigger body parts.  You can’t unsubscribe from them.  Don’t try.  Here is the link if you want to read the whole article:  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/rethinking-the-never-unsubscribe-rule-for-spam/?emc=eta1
3.  You may be aware that Google frequently changes the Google corporate logo on its homepage.  The company has a department of 10 people with the job of designing the logos that are called Google Doodles.  Some require months to develop.  The Doodles honor people, nations, important events, birthdays, holidays from around the world, etc.  The Doodle team has created and used over 1000 Doodles since the first one in 1998.  You can see past Google Doodles on the Google website.  You can select groups you would like to see by year and date.  Check it out.  It’t fun.  Here is the link to get you started:  http://www.google.com/logos/
4.  The noted author of “Getting Things Done”, David Allen, has sold hundreds of thousands of copies of his book recommending organizing your life with folders and labels to assists in finding things in the future.  For your future reference do you save e-mail messages in folders or just keep them in your inbox?  There may be better ways to manage the hundreds, or even thousands, of messages that you may need in the future.  If the message(s) you what are in a folder and you can’t remember which folder, you may miss it or be unable to find it.  A recent New York Times article suggest “5 Easy Steps to Stanch the E-mail Flood.”
First, Stop Organizing and Start Searching:  Today’s computer operating systems (Windows 7 and Apple OS-X) and most modern e-mail programs include extremely powerful search capability.  You can find any and all appropriate messages by searching on a word, a phrase, a date, a subject, a senders name or company, or any text in the message body, etc.
Second, Be Ruthless About Blocking:  Organizing your e-mail is much easier if you do the front end work to reduce and eliminate ever getting unwanted e-mail.  Block what you can.
Third, Build a Digital Nag:  We often save messages because we want to take some action, not now, but at some future time.  If you leave the message in your inbox it may be forgotten as it is pushed down by new messages that continue to arrive.  Today there are small software programs, called plug-ins, that can make an e-mail message reappear in your inbox as a new message on a future date that you select for that message.  A few of those plug-ins are Nudgemail (http://www.nudgemail.com/), Followup, (http://www.followup.cc/)http://, Followupthen, (www.followupthen.com/) and Boomerang, (http://www.baydin.com/).
Fourth, Use Your Inbox as an Address Book:  If you save your e-mails you already have a searchable address book of everyone who has ever sent you an e-mail.  If you use MS Outlook, download a plug-in called Xobni, (http://www.xobni.com/), that will completly automate your address book every time you get a new e-mail.
Fifth, Make Your Peace:  The four steps above are not bulletproof.  No system is.  Don’t beat yourself up about organizing your e-mail.  Relax.
Here is a link to the full NY Times article:
5.  In last month’s Newsletter there was an item about the dramatic slowing of PC sales as sales of mobile devices like tablet computers and smartphones are rapidly growing.  PC’s are not going away and their industry does not need saving.  The problem is that most of consumer interest is with mobile devices and for PC’s it is focused on Apple systems.  Companies like Acer, Intel, Microsoft, Dell, HP and whoever gets the HP spinoff PC business do not have a strong presence in these growth catagories.  If PC growth has stalled it affects them greatly.  As a result, a new catagory, the UltraBook, has appeared in an effort to win back market share with something new.  UltraBook is a name for a computer that is super light and super thin, like the extreamly popular Apple MacBook Air.  Several UltraBooks are already on the market; from Acer, Samsong and Toshiba.  The whole PC industry recognizes that Apple is on to something and wants to confront the MacBook Air with UltraBooks.  You can read more detail and see some pictures of UltraBooks at the link. http://techland.time.com/2011/09/12/can-ultrabooks-save-the-pc-industry/
6.  Windows 8 is coming and it will be a complete change from any previous Windows operating system (OS) you have ever used since it was first introduced in 1985.  Beta copies of the new software are already available and being downloaded by developers.  The name “Windows 8” is the product development working codename - another name may appear when the OS is released to the public in mid to late 2012.  The new version of Windows is not about just improving on the past, as all previous versions have been.  It is about completly departing from the past.  Windows 8's defining feature is its new user interface which looks nothing like Windows 7, Apple's OS X Lion or anything else anyone's ever seen on a personal computer.  Nearly all of the clutter of Windows' traditional interface is gone, including the Start button.  It dispenses with windows, menus and dialogues and uses touch as its primary means of input.  It can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse, but it's going to shine on PCs with touchscreens.  It's extremely finger-friendly, and as you use it, screens and other elements swoop around with a balletic grace that rivals that of the iPad.  It is — this is not a word usually applied to Microsoft products — beautiful.  You’ll want to read all about it at:

September 2011 Newsletter

 
1.  Each year TIME Magazine publishes a list of the 50 Best Websites for that year.  They are fun and useful to check out.  The link below will take you to TIME's article and the list for 2011.  The websites are in categories of Music &Video, Family & Kids, Sports, News & Info, Financial & Productivity, Shopping & Travel, Health & Fitness, Social Media, Games and Education.  Additionally, the site has links to other lists - prior year 50 Best Websites, YouTube's 50 Best Videos, Top 10 Internet Blunders, Best iPhone Apps, etc.  Look around and have fun.  Here is the link:
 
2.  If you are planning to purchase a mobile device - a smartphone or a tablet computer - the device will have an operating system and your selection should be based in part on that operating system.  As mobile devices have rapidly become very widely used they have begun to draw the attention of hackers and the producers of malware and viruses.  The mobile device operating systems available today are iOS, used on Apple devices; Android, used by several manufacturers; BlackBerry, used on  BlackBerry devices built by RIM; WebOS, used on Palm and HP devices; Symbian, on Nokia and some Samsung devices and J2ME used on several devices in conjunction with another OS.  Interestingly, the operating system most frequently attacked by hackers and malware is the Android OS.  It is believed that this is because the Google developed Android Os is open source software and available to anyone at no cost.  A hacker can get the base OS for free and dig deeply into the source code to develop a hack to attack the operating system.  Here is an New York Times article that discusses this in more detail:
 
3.  Seven weeks after it first went on sale, HP killed its new TouchPad tablet computer, HP's competition to Apple's iPad.  In 2007, Palm announced it's first tablet, the Foleo, but 120 days later it killed the product and it was never sold.  Today, a product must be a hit, and a big hit, when it is first introduced or it will not be kept on the market.  A number of other products have suffered similar fates and in the future more can expect the same.  If you would like to read an interesting article on this rapidly moving technology marketplace here is a link:
 
4.  The editors of major newspapers each day select what they believe to be the biggest news item for that day and it appears on the newspaper's "page one, above the fold".  On Sunday, August 21, 2011, the San Jose Mercury News published the following headline on page one, above the fold:  A Turbulent END to the PC Era. The article stresses that two things were important.  First, we have officially moved from the PC era to the age of mobile computing.  And second, a massive upheaval looms for the industry that built Silicon Valley.  Although it seemed unthinkable a year ago, the shift away from PC's to mobile devices promises  to scramble the hierarchy of technology companies, "creating new winners and losers, and propelling all sorts of partnerships and deals."  We live next to the Silicon Valley and many of us are invested in its firms, so you should read this article.  Here is the link http://m.mercurynews.com/sjm/db_259613/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=54eL537P&full=true#display
 
5.  So, you are going to read a book.  In todays world of technology you have a wide range of choices of just how you read your book.  Are you going to read it printed on paper?  How about on the screen of your desktop or laptop PC?  Why not in PDF format on your PC or printed on paper from your home printer?  Read it on an Amazon Kindle, an Apple iPad, a Windows powered smartphone, an Android powered phone or tablet, an Apple iPhone, or a Barns & Noble Nook?  What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of the choices?  Must you purchase the book or is it available for free or can you borrow it from a library?  What does it cost?  Read all about it here:
 
6.  David Einstein, of the San Francisco Chronicle, had an excellent article describing the power of smartphones in the August 8, 2011 edition.  Parts of his article are quoted here:
Q. There is a commercial on TV of a young American trying to communicate with an older Italian man.  The young man speaks a sentence into his smartphone and it is translated into Italian for the older man to hear.  Does such a thing exists?
A.  Sure.  The young man probably is using Google Translate, a free app that includes speech to speech translation between any two languages.  After speaking a word, phrase or sentence into the phone, you see a translation on the screen.  Press a speaker icon and the phone utters the translation in the second language.  Translation can go both ways.  It is pretty cool and fairly accurate, and best of all it's free.  The one possible drawback is that you need mobile data service for it to work.  There are other similar apps - Talk to Me and Jibbigo.  Jibbigo can get around the required data connection by letting you install the language pair dictionaries in your phone memory, at $5.00 per pair of languages.   

August 11, 2011

1.  Not too long ago we stored backup computer data and information we wanted to share on diskettes.  Then we shifted to using CD's and later to DVD's.  Now we use flash drives, or thumb drives.  Each of the devices we used in the past had a life expectancy that we were warned not to exceed at the risk of the loss of our data and records.  So, what is the life expected for a flash drive?  At least one expert says a flash drive may have 10,000 to a million data-write cycles before the drive begins to give error messages.  With proper care a flash drive could last for years.  The message is - keep track of all devices that you use to store data - and backup important things so they are not lost.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/qa-the-lifespan-of-a-flash-drive/?emc=eta1
2.  It may seem to you that as the speed of the introduction of technology products increases the products themselves seem to be less ready for prime time - some just don't work.  That observation may be correct.  A TIME Mobile News article says there are three main culprits in technology products being available to consumers before they are ready.  First - the increasing release of products in "beta" versions.  "A world in which anything can be a beta is a world in which no product must be complete."  Second - Easy updates.  Companies can easily use the Internet to push out upgrades to product users is a strong temptation to ship products before they are complete.  Third - The rush to be first and beat the other guys.  We have seen this in the multitude of tablet computers that have been released to compete with the highly successful Apple iPad, with every one of them failing to be a hit because they lacked capability that consumers wanted.  The TIME article is at http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2085630,00.html?artId=2085630?contType=article?chn=bizTech  

3.  Each one of us keeps a calendar of some sort to keep track of appointments, business and social events, birthdays, etc.  Our calendar may be kept in a calendar book, on scraps of paper, in a computer, on a smartphone or cell phone or written on the palm of our hand.  Today there are many voices telling you that you should move from using paper to using some electronic means to keep track of your life.  Before you even considering using only an electronic calendar you should read the article at the link below.  There is room in our lives for both paper and electronic means of being on time and not missing appointments. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/fashion/calendar-wars-pit-electronics-against-paper.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

 4.  Forty years ago, Gordon Moore, a founder of Intel, predicted that the number of transistors that could be nestled comfortably and inexpensively on an integrated circuit chip would double roughly every two years, bringing exponential improvements in consumer electronics.  His prediction, called Moore's Law, has proven to be true.  Now, however, researchers fear that this extraordinary acceleration is about to meet its limits. The problem is not that they cannot squeeze more transistors onto the chips — they surely can — but instead, that all those transistors could require too much power to run economically. They could overheat, too.  Lots of people are looking for a solution, including such things as shutting down individual transistors on a chip when they are not in use. The issue is that as consumers, the Next Big Thing may take longer to get here than we have grown to expect. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/01/science/01chips.html?emc=eta1

5.  Is a library without any paper books still a library?  Drexel University in Philadelphia just opened a new library with 170 million electronic items and not a single bound item.  Stanford University removed all but 10,000 printed items from its new engineering library that opened last year.  The University of Texas at San Antonio engineering library removed all printed documents in exchange for all electronic material when it opened in 2010.  The question being asked is "When all its books disappear, does a library lose its definition?" http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2079800,00.html?artId=2079800?contType=article?chn=us

6.  Imagine a doctors office without filing cabinets and clipboards.  Doctors would see patients, write records, prescribe medication, file insurance claims, order lab tests and schedule future appointments with the touch or swipe of a finger on a tablet computer.  If the US government has its way you could soon be seeing this in your doctors office.  The US Department of Health and Human Services has just certified the first electronic health records platform.  It is approved to run only on the Apple iPad.  Drchrono is the health care iPad application that won the certification.  Doctors who adopt it's use become eligible for up to $44,000 in federal incentives.  There may be a large number to sign up as four out of five doctors recently surveyed by a health marketing company said they plan to purchase an iPad in the next year.  http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/07/29/072911-biz-drchrono/ 

7.  Over the last several months there has been a fascinating battle for ownership of technology patents, focused on mobile devices and computing, with most of the major players in that space engaged.  Technology patents have become the ammunition regularly used in corporate efforts to control space in the marketplace.  The players with the most ammunition often win.  There have been many news reports and articles published as this battle unfolded.  When combined these articles would make an excellent case study at any major business school.
 This drama began in 2009 when the huge Canadian firm, Northern Telecommunications Networks (Nortel), filed for liquidation after previously declaring bankruptcy.  The last remaining Nortel assets were 6,000 telecommunications patents.  On April 4, 2011, in an unsolicited bid, called a stalking horse bid, Google bid $900 million for the patents.  The Canadian courts monitoring the Nortel liquidation decided not to accept Google's bid as final until they conducted a bidding auction for the patents.  Other players asked to participate.  The approved bidders were Google (bidding under the name Ranger), Apple, Intel (who in the middle of the bidding joined Google in Ranger), Norpax (an affiliate of RPX Corporation) and a consortium called Rockstar Bidco that included RIM (the Blackberry manufacturer), EMC, Ericsson, Sony and Microsoft.
 The bidding started.  Norpax did not bid in round three and was removed.  In the fifth round Rockstar Bidco did not bid.  This resulted in just three bidders - Google, Apple and Intel.  Apple then decided to stake Rockstar Bidco and bid under that consortium name.  This is when Intel joined Google in Ranger.  The bidding continued until in the 19th round, Apple in partnership with Rockstar bid $4.5 billion.  Ranger (Google + Intel) did not bid.  The consortium of Apple, Microsoft, RIM, EMC, Ericsson and Sony was declared the winner of the 6,000 Nortel patents.  The deal was approved at the end of July by both Canadian and US courts.
 Why would Microsoft want to participate in this patent bidding war?  Although all of the bidders have business in the mobile device market there are only two major players who develop operating systems (OS) for mobile devices (think smartphones and tablet computers) - Apple, with iOS and Google, with Android.  Microsoft attempted to enter this market space  last year with their Windows Mobile OS and was quickly driven into extinction by devices running Google's Android OS.  Now, Microsoft is on the verge of releasing their first devices running the all new Windows Phone 7.  Google does not charge its OEM partners that manufacture hardware running the Android OS.  Microsoft has sued several of these Google partners to charge patent fees (for patents Microsoft already owns) for patent violations in Google's Android OS.  Google would have been much better able to protect itself and it's OEM partners had Google won the 6,000 Nortel patents.  Now Apple + Microsoft, and their partners, own the patents and are in a much better position to defeat Google in court.  The cost to win this position - $4.5 billion.  Won't the coming battle be interesting?      
follow-up article       http://m.mercurynews.com/sjm/db_259613/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=wcsqY0fZ

July 13, 2011
 

1.  As we get older, some of us and/or our spouses, find sleeping more difficult.  Technology can come to our rescue with a large number of noise canceling devices that are not expensive and are very effective.  The article at the link is an excellent summary of what these devices do, what brands make sense (with links to their websites) and how much they cost.  Some of these devices are stand alone while others run on computers, tablet devices and smartphones.  Check out the article - you'll find it quite interesting and maybe helpful.
 
2.  We have all seen airline pilots carry those 40 pound black bags through airports.  They contain safety checklist, their aircraft operating manuals, logbooks, navigation charts, weather information and airfield approach and departure charts.  Now the FAA is approving pilot use of the 1.5 pound Apple iPad loaded with all that is in that 40 pound bag, plus much additional information.  American Airlines and Alaska Airlines already have FAA approval and have begun the transition.  Charter airlines and private pilots are also rapidly adopting the technology.  Read all about it here:   http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/business/05pilots.html?emc=eta1
 
3.  New technology is rapidly emptying our pockets of a number of items - replaced with your smartphone.  Now keys are disappearing as smartphones can unlock your office, your home, your car and your hotel room.  Several lock manufactures are offering lines of door locks that use the technology.  A number of hotels now issue a code to the guest smartphone instead of a room key or keycard.  Auto manufacturers are working to eliminate physical keys and even individual electronic key fobs in favor of a code on your phone to lock, unlock and start your car.  I guess we all better start running if we want to keep up - technology is gaining on us.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/04/technology/04key.html?emc=eta1
 
4.  Reading the three items above might lead you to believe that the items you have today have become obsolete.  This view is reinforced when Silicon Valley executives tell us the PC as we now know it is dead - to be replaced by a smartphone and a tablet computer.  It is not necessarily so.  Here are a two excellent articles that will make you feel better.  The first counters the idea that the PC is dead.  http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/07/06/070611-apps-accesspoint-pc-1-2/
The second addresses the fallacy of single use products being obsolete in favor of multi-function products, like smartphones.  The author uses examples of Cisco's recent killing of the Flip camcorder in favor of the video capture capability of todays smartphones and the fact that the multi-function Swiss Army knife does not replace the kitchen knives in your drawer at home.  This is an excellent read.  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/how-to-design-a-hot-product/?emc=eta1
 
5.  An increasing number of companies are moving their employees away from Microsoft's Office Suite (Word, Excel. Powerpoint, Access, Outlook, etc.) and to cloud based solutions like those available from Google.  The Intercontinental Hotel Group is moving 6,000 employees to Google cloud apps.  Microsoft is attempting to counter the trend by releasing Office 365 that runs its suite of office applications in the cloud instead of using licensed software running on PCs.  The battle is engaged.
 

 

JUNE 8 2011

1.  Have you ever had a document file, video file, music file or picture file that you wanted to convert to another file format?  How do you do that?  Where is a website that can help me?  How much will it cost?  Rick Dusine has come upon a jewel of a site that can convert these file - for FREE.  You should try this out and maybe bookmark it for future use.  http://www.online-convert.com/
 

2.  Every one of us has seen someone do something with technology and say, "I didn't know that!". Well now you will know.  David Pogue of the New York Times wrote the article at this link.  It covers ideas for Cell Phones, Cameras, Smart Phones, the Web, Editing Text and special tricks for Windows and Mac users.  For example:  When typing a URL on the address bar of Internet Explorer you don't need to type the http:// and just tap Ctrl+Enter instead of typing .com.  Tap Ctrl+Shift+Enter for .org.  Here is the link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/technology/personaltech/19pogue.html?_r=1&emc=eta1


3.  In a second article under the heading, "I didn't know that!", David Pogue provides more ideas, tips and shortcuts under headings for Screenshots, E-mail, Editing Text, iPhone, other Cell Phones, the Web and Computers.  For example, if you have a file that is too big to transmit as an e-mail attachment you can use a free intermediary parking space at yousendit.com or transferbigfiles.com to get your file on the way.  Read all the other good ideas at:  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/25-more-tech-tips-and-tricks/?emc=eta1


4.  In 2008 David Pogue published a similar list of good ideas, tips and shortcuts.  Here is a link to that article:  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/tech-tips-for-the-basic-computer-user/?emc=eta1


5.  You may want to reconsider that earlier decision you made not to buy a new e-book reader and keep purchasing books printed on paper.  Since April 2011, Amazon, the worlds largest bookseller reports that it is selling more e-books than paper books - specifically, 105 electronic books for every 100 paper books.  This milestone was reached sooner than anyone, including Amazon projected.  Here is an article on the subject:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/technology/20amazon.html?emc=eta1


6.  When we were younger we paid for purchases at a store cash register ("point of sale") with cash or by writing a check.  Later individual store brand credit cards were added.  Next came national credit cards followed by national debit cards.  Coming on fast is payment with your smart phone or cell phone.  How that phone transaction is handled, processed and billed is still being debated because a lot of players have money in the game.  Be assured, point of sale payment using your phone is coming.  It is already being widely used in Asia.  If you want to understand some of the technology and the financial issues of this debate here are two articles that will give you some of that information:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/technology/27google.html?emc=eta1
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/technology/24pay.html?emc=eta1

MAY 11 2011

1.  Lately there is an ever increasing amount of discussion about "cloud computing."  We even had a speaker spend time explaining cloud computing and how it could make your computing life easier.  Now the Washington Post has published an excellent article on the subject that is available at the link.  I believe that you will find it most interesting.  The article ends by saying that "the future of personal computing is cloudy, with occasional storms."  Here is the link:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/cloud-computing-an-old-idea-with-a-promising-future-thanks-to-the-internet/2011/04/26/AFYHBDdF_story.html
2.  In 2006 a company named Jitterbug launched a new cell phone, called Jitterbug, that was aimed at the rapidly growing senior market.  The Jitterbug had large type on the display, very limited features, easy operator assistance to make telephone calls and even dial tone like a land line phone.  Jitterbug sold very well.  But seniors are rapidly becoming more tech savvy and are asking for more features like those available on smartphones.  The newer Jitterbug J now includes Bluetooth, text-messaging, customizable screen colors and the ability to add functions like calendar plus internet connection to get weather, stocks and sports stats.  Here is a link to an article on this subject:  http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/05/02/050211-biz-senior-tech-1-2/
3.  Technology marches on.  The URL link in the item above about Jitterbug cell phones is linking to an article from a new daily newspaper, called "The Daily", published since February 2011 by the Rupert Murdoch News Corp.  The Daily is a full featured daily newspaper with sections for news, entertainment, culture, opinion, gossip, technology and sports - even a daily crossword puzzle.  The paper is unique as it distributed only electronically, only by subscription, and only to users of the Apple iPad.  The daily is not available in print, on the Internet or to users of other tablet or portable devices.  The paper includes many interactive features that are supported by the iPad, like embedded video, scrolling left, right, up and down and easy flipping through the pages to sections of interest.   Subscribers can select individual articles in The Daily and email a link to someone who can use the link to see that individual article but not the whole published issue.  Take the time to have a look at The Daily when you see an iPad who's owner is a subscriber.  It is quite a good newspaper.
4.  A group of high-ranking officials are pushing hard for the military to adopt technologies that are already popular with consumers, like smartphones, video games and virtual worlds.  The goal is to provide engaging training tools for soldiers who have grown up using sophisticated consumer electronics.  In a time of shrinking budgets, these tools are viewed as relatively inexpensive supplements to larger, costlier training equipment while providing a surprisingly realistic training experience.  Video games and other similar technologies are being used today by our Armed Forces with expansion continuing.  To find out more, check out the full story at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/technology/02wargames.html?emc=eta1
5.  Around the world, players, young and old, are staying up late to play a new game that is sweeping the globe.  The game phenomenon, Angry Birds, from the Finnish company Rovio, has 75 million paid downloads and 40 million active users.  The game is being played on Tablet computers and smartphones, mostly by males who are young men, their fathers and their grandfathers.  If you haven't played Angry Birds yet give it a try.  It is very easy to learn yet difficult to master and fun to play.  The perfect mix for a game.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/fashion/01ANGRY.html?emc=eta1
6.  Most retailers have websites and almost all of them allow customers to place orders on these websites.  Today those very same customers are placing orders from their mobile devices, mostly smartphones, instead of from their computers.  Retailers have seen a drop in Internet business as customers have shifted to mobile platforms as their interface device.  Retailers now understand that these devices use mobile browsers, have smaller screens and smaller keyboards.  If the customer is uncomfortable on the retailers website they will take their order somewhere else.  So, retailers are rapidly modifying their websites to be optimized for interaction with mobile devices.  Amazon is among the leaders as it started developing mobile websites in 2006, before there were any smartphones.  Some major retailers like Bed Bath and Beyond, Coach, Dillard's, and Ann Taylor still do not have sites specifically designed for mobile phones.  By mid-2010 only 12 percent of the top 500 U.S. online retailers had sites compatible with mobile browsers.  Many have lots of catchup work to do.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/technology/18mobile.html?emc=eta1
7.  Young people are losing the ability to write in cursive handwriting.  The growth of computer keyboards, smartphones and other portable devices and overhead projectors instead of blackboards is eliminating the art of handwriting.  Many today print when they have to write something and have no keyboard.  What will happen as these people mature and want to read historic documents?  Will fine hand motor skills be lost?  Will signatures become more unreadable?  Is anyone doing anything to correct this problem?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/us/28cursive.html?emc=eta1

April  13 2011
 

1.  On March 30th Google announced that it will build an ultra high-speed Internet network in Kansas City, KS in a test aimed at demonstrating new uses of the Internet at speeds 100 times faster than existing technologies.  Kansas City was selected from more than 1,100 cities of between 50,000 and 500,000 residents that applied to Google's request for interested cities.  The jump from dial-up to today's broadband has led to streaming online video, digital music and video conferencing over the Web.  Google wants to demonstrate how faster access can lead to even more innovative Internet services, such as live 3-D video lectures and streaming medical imagery.  Kansas City consumers will be able to buy the service from Google and other providers that will be licensed to sell the service.  Have you got any thoughts of services that could become available with Internet connections 100 times faster than today?

2.  The computer manufacturer Acer has a new laptop offering called Iconia that is one of the most bizarre products to ever make it to production.  The Iconia, when closed, looks like a laptop.  When opened, however, it is actually two 14-inch touchscreens joined in a hinge.  Open this link and you can see the Iconia and read about it.  Interesting.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/acers-iconia-is-the-craziest-laptop-of-all-time/?emc=eta1

3.  We are all "retired" so we have lots of time to do many of the things that we have been meaning to do all during our working lives.  One of those things is to compile a complete inventory of all the things we own and keep it up to date and safe.  Such an inventory can be invaluable for insurance purposes and for our families when we pass away.  Today there are a number of  computer applications, called "apps", that run on PC's, Mac's, smart phones, and tablet devices, that can assists you in building and maintaining such an inventory.  Here is an article from the NY Times that summarizes a number of these apps.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/garden/31hometech.html?emc=eta1

4.  The use of Smartphones continues to grow with thousands more entering service around the world every day.  Why?  A number of recent studies and articles have focused on this question and all have come to the same conclusions.  Smartphones with a single device that is easy to use, can be carried in your pocket and replaces a number of devices at less cost.  Additionally, a smartphone provides a platform that can be loaded with hundreds of software applications, at little to no cost, that will be of use to the specific owner of the smartphone.  Here is one article (at the link) that tells why people are turning to smartphones.  It shows examples of the costs savings without even considering the value of applications that might be installed on the smartphone.  Do you really want to be the last guy on the planet without a smartphone?  Are you still using two tin cans and a string plus a large bag full of all those individual gadgets that play music, take pictures and videos, find your destination, deliver email, tell the time, do calculations, play movies, deliver books, magazines and newspapers and record voice memos?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/weekinreview/27grobart.html?emc=eta1
5.  Next we have a new use for smartphones - replacing all those credit and debit cards that we carry in our wallets.  Today, much of the world uses technology already available to smartphones and cell phones.  Instead of digging in your wallet for the correct card and swiping it, you simply wave your phone over a sensor at the point of sale or on a vending machine to pay for the transaction.  We are behind in the U.S. because the corporate infighting continues about who will get the transaction fees that are now collected by the card issuers.  The new technology brings telephone line and Internet providers into the equation, at the expense of the credit card companies and banks.  When the dust settles, that thick wallet in your back pocket will be thinner as the pile of plastic you carry will disappear.  As a matter of fact, some experts are predicting that customers who insists on continuing to use plastic cards will be charged a small fee for each card use transaction.  Read all about it here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/technology/24wallet.html?emc=eta1
6.  In item #4 above we discussed smartphones replacing a number of gadgets and services.  Technology itself causes us to accumulate technical gadgets.  Every now and then we should review the items and services we hold on to and reevaluate which ones we keep and which ones we dump.  Here is an interesting article that looks at this question and gives reasons for keeping or dumping the following - Desktop computer, High speed Internet at home, Cable TV, Point and shoot camera, Camcorder, USB thumb drive, Digital music player, Alarm clock, GPS unit and Paper books.  Before you click the link, think about what you would decide, keep or dump, for each of these items.  Here is the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/technology/personaltech/24basics.html?emc=eta1
7.  We don't have to wait for results from the Google ultra high speed network in Kansas City discussed earlier.  Locally, Google and Sonic.com will be installing an experimental deployment of an ultra high speed network to 850 faculty and staff homes in a Stanford University subdivision.  The service, operating at 1000 megabits per second, is called Gigabit Service.  Google says the cost of the service will be competitive, but what might that mean?  The municipal electric utility in Chattanooga, Tenn. recently introduced gigabit service to its fiber-to-home Internet customers.  It charges $349.99 a month  and currently has only 20 customers.  But, it doesn't have to be expensive.  Gigabit service has been available for some time to any resident in Hong Kong for $26 per month.  Here is an article with all the details:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/business/06digi.html?emc=eta1

 

Mar 9 2011

 

1:  The speaker at our Branch 90 monthly luncheon in February was Pierre Vachon, a senior engineer at Cisco, who spoke about Cloud Computing.  I have had some very positive feedback about his presentation.  Any of our Computer Club members who have comments or questions should bring these up in our discussion.  Here is a NY Times article with some suggestions for data storage in the cloud.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/technology/personaltech/27basics.html?emc=eta1

 

2:  On February 22, 2011, Microsoft released the first major update for their newest operating system, Windows 7.  The update, Windows 7 SP1, is a free download that should automatically load on your Windows 7 PC if you subscribe to automatic updates.  If you have not received SP1 go to the Windows Update site and download and install the update.  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2011/02/windows_7_sp1_set_to_land_toda.html?referrer=emaillink

3:  On February 24, 2011, Apple announced a refresh upgrade of its MacBook Pro line of laptops.  The upgrade includes a faster processor, more powerful graphics, a built-in HD camera and, most interestingly, a new port for a new technology that Apple calls “Thunderbolt”.  Thunderbolt is the implementation of a joint effort between Intel and Apple to create a new high speed data and display port that would be adaptable to existing connection standards.  The performance specs of Thunderbolt are striking: At 10 Gbps, it’s twice as fast as USB 3.0, 12 times as fast as FireWire 800 and 20 times faster than USB 2.0.  A Thunderbolt connection can transfer a full-length high-definition movie in 30 seconds.  The MacBook Pros are the first computers to feature the technology, but it will roll out across other manufacturers and other devices during the next year.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/apple-announces-new-macbook-pros/?emc=eta1

4:  We are at the leading edge of a rapidly growing group of graying population.  As the huge bubble of baby boomers move into their 60’s the purchasing power of this growing group is finely getting the attention of many industries.  The movies are one.  Suddenly in the last few months an older audience has made a startling reassertion of its movie multiplex power. “True Grit,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter,” “Black Swan” — all movies in contention for a clutch of Oscars last Sunday — have all been surprise hits at the box office.  Their drive to the top has been propelled by movie goers older than 50.  Hollywood has noticed.  Here is a NY Times article about our power:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/26/business/media/26moviegoers.html?emc=eta1  M.I.T. researchers have designed a suit called Agnes to help product designers and marketers better understand older adults and create innovative products for them.  This study is most interesting.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/business/06aging.html?emc=eta1

5:  IBM’s computer named Watson won the Jeopardy contest against the two top human players in the games history.  What does this kind of computer power mean for our future or our grandchildren’s future?

6:  The DVR rocked the world of television by letting viewers skip commercials and build their own home viewing schedules. Now a handful of Web services and applications are starting to do much the same thing to online publishers.  While making your life easier, these applications are driving discussions with publishers who want to make sure their income is protected as content in what they publish is altered.  Interesting,  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/technology/01read.html?emc=eta1

Feb 9 2011

 

1.  The ABC television program “Jeopardy” will feature a three day contest between the two highest dollar winners in Jeopardy history and a new IBM computer named “Watson”, after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson.  The Watson computer is powered by 10 racks of IBM servers, running the Linux operating system and the size of 10 refrigerators.  . It is not connected to the Internet but has digested encyclopedias, dictionaries, books, news, movie scripts and more and has access, in it’s internal storage, to the equivalent of 200 million pages of information.  Watson knows how to answer in the form of a question, a requirement of Jeopardy contestants.  The broadcast will be on Monday – Wednesday, February 14-16, at 7:00-7:30 PM on ABC.  You can read about it at:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/13/AR2011011300871.html?referrer=emailarticle

Watson has a website at http://ibmwatson.com that includes a number of interesting videos explaining the development, manufacture and training of a computer that can listen to a spoken question, determine what is required, search for the answer, formulate the response, decide to buzz in and be first to indicate being first with an answer and then respond correctly, by voice.

 

2.  You may have a pile of remote controls to operate TV, amplifier, DVD player, CD player, cable or satellite box, etc.  You already may have, or be considering, one of the universal remotes that are available.  Here is an article to bring you up to speed on this subject.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/garden/20hometech.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1295744410-yX/+pK3+fK0b7Qsum/u2pg

 

3.  Distracted driving seems to be an ever growing problem with the increased use of electronic devices, especially mobile telephones.  There are efforts underway to develop solutions that will prevent drivers from using devices that will distract them without denying use by passengers or in emergencies.  Read about it:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/technology/21distracted.html?emc=eta1

 

4.  Some students returning to class have been carrying brand-new Apple iPads in their backpacks, given not by their parents but by their schools.  A growing number of schools across the nation are embracing the iPad as the latest tool to teach their students.  Your grandchildren or great grandchildren may be among these students so you need to know how these new tablet computers are being used.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/education/05tablets.html?emc=eta1

 

5.  The promise of technology is connectedness.  We can now connect to people all around the world by using numerous technical devices.  But could modern gadgetry be making us more lonely than ever?  Newsweek magazine has an interesting article on this question.  http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/11/sherry-turkle-looks-at-technology-and-relationships-in-alone-together.html

 

6.  Amazon is one of the world’s largest and most successful retailers.  The online retailer has quietly patented a way for people to return gifts before they receive them, allowing consumers to keep an online list of lousy gift-givers whose choices would be vetted by the intended recipient before anything ships.  Now, instead of returning that lousy gift you can exchange it for something else before Amazon ever ships the lousy gift to you.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/26/AR2010122601836.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

7.  On January 19th, Starbucks began accepting payment by scanning the screen on the smartphone of the customer.  The service opened in 6800 Starbucks stores and an additional 1000 outlets in Target stores.  Computer technology makes your life easier again.  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2011/01/starbucks_mobile_payments_debu.html?wpisrc=nl_tech

 

 Jan 12 2011

 

1:  Many of us of the age to be a SIR member approach new technology with care.  We are often slow to adopt these new technologies despite the fact that they are proven, safe, free or inexpensive, and already widely in use by people younger than us.  Here are 10 things you can do to improve your technological life.  Each suggestion tells “Why” you should do it and “How” to get it done.  They all are easy and (mostly) free.  Altogether, they should take about two hours.  If you do them, those two hours will pay off handsomely in both increased free time and diminished anxiety and frustration. You can do it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/technology/personaltech/30basics.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

 

2:  We are discussing technology at the beginning of a new year, a time when list of the “best of” the last year are published.  Here is a list of the Best Ideas of the 2010, from the NY Times technology editor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/technology/personaltech/30pogue.html?emc=eta1

 

3:  Ok, but what technology ideas should we be looking for in the new year, 2011?  Time Magazine has published some ideas that include new tablet computers, next generation operating systems, superphones, etc.  Here are Time’s thoughts.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2039783,00.html?artId=2039783?contType=article?chn=bizTech

 

4:  You bought a new computer.  Before you donate the old one to the Good Will how do you make sure that all your data is removed from the computer?  Here is how.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/26/AR2010122600009.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

5:  Now that you have dealt with your old computer, you can move on to the new computer.  Be it a new Windows or Apple machine, how do you remove “junk” software that the manufacturer or dealer installed on your new computer?  How do you update the software you want to retain?  Here’s how.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/23/AR2010122302059.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

6:  More and more, we're using browser-based services instead of traditional software, and storing documents, photos, and other data online rather than on our own computer hard disks.  It's a red-hot trend known as cloud computing.  Google, one of the strongest supporters of cloud computing has already introduced a web browser named Chrome.  Now Google is introducing a new operating system (OS), named Chrome OS, that is further focused on using the cloud.  Here is a Time article that will give you a good background on cloud computing and Google’s Chrome OS.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2039282,00.html?artId=2039282?contType=article?chn=bizTech

 

8:  Signs you’re an old fogey: You still watch movies on a VCR, you listen to vinyl records, you shoot photos on film and you enjoy using e-mail.  Today, people are more often communicating using faster and easier methods like chat and text messaging instead of e-mail and even phone calls.  Your children and grandchildren are regularly communicating in these ways.  Don’t get left behind – read the article at this link and after that reconsider the first item in this message about adopting new technology.  Here’s the link.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/technology/21email.html?emc=eta1

 

 DEC 8 MEET   2010

1.  All of us were teenagers to young adults during the 1950’s.  All of us regularly read Playboy Magazine, for the articles of course.  Now you can buy digital versions of every Playboy issue, from the first in 1953 through 2009, pre installed on a portable hard drive.  Each month’s copy of Playboy is displayed in its entirety - including the advertisements that ran in each issue.  The entire set is browsable and searchable.  The Playboy content takes up only 20GB of the 250GB portable drive so there is lots of room for future updates and backups you want to store.  See, now you have a reason to buy that drive for backups.  The cost?  Just $300.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/every-playboy-issue-no-brown-wrapper-required/?emc=eta1

2.  The San Francisco Chronicle (11/30/2010) reports that, as a result of capable cell phones and pressure from children and grandchildren, more and more seniors are sending text messages.  Text messages are short written messages sent from one mobile phone to another.  They are an excellent way to communicate.  In the United States, in June 2010 alone, there were 173.2 billion text messages sent.  Don’t miss out on text messaging – it’s fun.  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/30/BU8G1GJ1A4.DTL

3.  Now that the crazy Black Friday shopping day has passed Time Magazine has published a few tips for getting Black Friday–like savings, minus the frenzy.  These tips are easy to understand and do with the bottom line that you will save money and have fun doing the shopping that we all do at this time of year.  Read the short article at:  http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2033538,00.html?artId=2033538?contType=article?chn=bizTech

4.  If you have an e-reader for electronic books you probably already know that in addition to e-books that you buy (for less than paper books) there are also a number of sources of free e-books to add to your library.  One such source is Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org).  Free books are in the public domain, usually are older and often are classics.  Now it appears that some public domain books are being sold by Amazon, for its e-reader the Kindle, while the same e-books are available for free from Gutenberg.     http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2010/11/amazon_charges_kindle_users_fo.html?referrer=emaillink

5.  The phone book - or at least the residential white pages - is going the way of the rotary telephone and the phone booth. Not to mention vinyl records, typewriters and tape recorders.  Verizon, the largest provider of landline phones in the Washington region, is asking state regulators for permission to stop delivering the residential white pages in Virginia and Maryland.  Verizon and AT&T, the nation's two dominant landline carriers, say that most people search for numbers online and store frequently used numbers in their cellphones rather look than look them up in the white pages.  On line sources and a CD ROM directory will be available.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/16/AR2010111605653.html?referrer=emailarticle

6.  The Washington Post's consumer technology expert tells you nine technology things to add to your wishlist - and one that's a waste of money.  Make your holidays even happier.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/15/AR2010111502156.html?referrer=emailarticle

7.  Skipping a collage class or sleeping through a lecture is something most of us know something about.  Here is an article you may want to print out and share with your college bound grandchildren.  Technology now is used in the classroom to check attendance and compute grades with records of student answers to questions asked in class.  Bottom line - you better show up for class and know your material when you do.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/education/16clickers.html?emc=eta1

 

 Nov 10 meet

should we move to 3rd wed for meet

1.  Just in case you want to video call your grandma to say hello when you finally reach the peak of Mount Everest, you're in luck!  Now 3G mobile phone service has reached the top of Everest.  Yes, we can hear you now, even from way up there.  A Nepalese telecom group Ncell, a subsidiary of Swedish phone giant TeliaSonera, says people can make voice and video calls and surf the Internet on their mobile phones, thanks to a high-speed phone base station at an altitude of 17,000 feet near Gorakshep village in the Everest region.  Previously, climbers had to rely on satellite phone calls to brag about their ascent.

2.  Have you ever wanted to be able to accept credit card payment when you sell some item or have a garage sale or an estate sale?  Now you can, with no contract, set up fee, monthly charge, no minimum amounts and no fees.  Here are two links:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/technology/personaltech/30pogue.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2010-10-22-squareapp22_ST_N.htm?csp=usat.me

 

3.  Question: Is it possible to print documents on both sides of the paper with an inkjet printer, or do I need a laser printer?  If so, how do I do it?

Answer: The ability to automatically print on both sides of the paper (also called duplex printing or double-sided printing) usually depends on the printer and its capabilities, but many inkjet models can handle the job. Check the printer’s manual or manufacturer’s Web site for specific information and instructions.

If the printer does not support automatic double-sided printing, it can be done manually without special equipment. Just print the odd-numbered pages of a document first, flip the pages over, reload the paper into the printer and print the even-numbered pages.

Depending on the printer, you may need to experiment, especially if the machine shoots out pages face-up and in reverse order. In this case, try setting the odd-numbered pages in normal order before you flip the stack and print out the even-numbered pages in reverse order.

Like other printer manufacturers, Hewlett-Packard has a guide to manual two-sided printing on its Web site at http://h71028.www7.hp.com/hho/cache/548309-0-0-225-121.html.  If a document has a lot of large graphics, pictures and other ink-hogging elements, you may want to use slightly thicker paper or print in a low-ink draft mode to help prevent saturation, wrinkling and smudging. Waiting for each side to dry before printing the other side can also help prevent frustration.

 

4.  What is too much PC?  A PC World reader spent $2000 on a new PC and asked if he had spent too much.  Here is the answer:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/22/AR2010102203900.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

5.  According to TIME Magazine, Apple appears to be headed in a completely new direction with the October 20th announcement of the new MacBook Air.  All solid state flash storage instead of a hard drive, multi-touch glass track pad instead of touch screen, long battery life, very light yet a full keyboard.  Interesting!  http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2027526,00.html?artId=2027526?contType=article?chn=bizTech

 

6.  Is your once-speedy PC taking many minutes to boot up, days to display the printer menu and what seems like eons to get to a Web site?  Well, limber up your sluggish PC.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/technology/personaltech/28basics.html?emc=eta1

 

7.  The next mobile phone you get will surely be a “Smart Phone”.   You have a number of choices – an Apple iPhone, several models using the Google Android operating system, several from HP Palm using Web OS, several RIM Blackberry models, and now, the brand new Microsoft Windows Phone 7.  Here is a review of this newest entry into this market.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/technology/personaltech/28pogue.html?emc=eta1

 

8.  All versions of Windows contain a utility called Task Manager that can be used to force an exit from a program that is not performing properly.  Task Manager is called up by pressing three keys at the same time – Control, Alt, Delete.  Unfortunately, even Task Manager doesn’t always work and advises “the Program is Not Responding.”  Now there is a free, small executable file, ProcessKO, which will work.   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/20/AR2010102007076.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

9.  Here is an excellent article that list the “25 Worst High-Tech Habits and How to Fix Them”.  Every SIR member who has a computer should read this item and take whatever corrective action is recommended if you have any of these worst habits.  Here is the link:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/31/AR2010103105286.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

October 13 meet

Something to think about.  Are my friends getting spam email from me?  Am I sending spam?  Check this out.
 Here is the link.         http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/27/AR2010092703062.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

1.  A PC World Magazine article, reprinted by the Washington Post, “12 Ways the Tech Industry Is Screwing You (and How to Fight Back)” is full of interesting suggestions and subjects for discussion.  Here is the link:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/06/AR2010090604358.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

2.  Computers once filled entire rooms, then sat in the closet, moved to our desks, and now nestle in our pockets.  Soon, the computer may become invisible to us, hiding away in everyday objects.  Read all about it:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/weekinreview/05markoff.html?emc=eta1

 

3.  Will the software I now run on my Windows XP computer work on a new Windows 7 computer that I plan to buy?  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/27/AR2010082702798.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

4.  If you buy a new Windows PC or upgrade to a current version of Internet Explorer you may find that your default search software is now set to be Microsoft BING.  If this happens, and you want to turn off BING and set some other software, like Google, to be your search engine, you will want to follow the steps in this article:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/09/AR2010090900205.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

5.  Every day more readers are shifting to electronic books (called e-books), e-magazines and e-newspapers.  What hardware will prevail to support this new technology trend?  Will it be dedicated readers like Amazon’s Kindle, the Sony Reader, the Nook, etc. or will it be tablet computers like the Apple iPad and the plethora of tablets that are due to flood the market over the coming months?  Here is a projection of what will happen: http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/09/03/e-readers-are-dead-meat-in-the-face-of-the-ipad-and-samsung-tab/  Other studies, focused on textbooks reach interesting and similar conclusions at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19Essays-textbooks-t.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

 

6.  Each one of us should have a current will.  If you don’t have one, get this fixed TODAY.  In an effort to save cost to produce a will you may consider using one of the numerous will making software programs available.  A look at wills produced by four of the leading software programs – Quicken Willmaker Plus 2011, Legacywrighter, Legalzoom and Buildawill – shows that it is a good idea to have the software generated will reviewed by a good estate attorney.  Here are the details:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/your-money/11money.html

 

7.  Application programs, called “apps”, that launch specific tasks, activities or services without having to use a Web browser - are revolutionizing the way people interact with the Internet.   Millions of developers worldwide are trying to cash in.  Most of these apps run on the numerous portable devices - smart phones, tablet computers, netbooks, laptops, etc. - that are becoming more popular every day.  As an example, there are 259,000 different apps currently available in the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad users, with 512 new apps submitted to the store every day.  Global app business revenue is expected to grow from $4.1 billion in 2009 to $17.5 in 2012 with apps downloaded growing from 7 billion in 2009 to 50 billion in 2012.  Want to know more?  Read it here:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/13/BUHT1FBTSJ.DTL

 

8.  Microsoft has mandated that computer manufacturers stop offering “factory downgrades” for new computer sales, thus ending the reign of Windows XP and making Windows 7 the operating system (OS) of choice.  Dell became the first, but not the last manufacturer, to bid adieu to Windows XP when it stopped offering that OS in late September.

 

9.  What might the WEB know about you?  Open the link below, select the appropriate tab (name, e-mail, phone) , enter the information for you or someone else and click “SEARCH”.  This is but one tool being used today by marketing and sales people to learn about customers and clients.  Have fun!  http://www.spokeo.com/name?g=name_gs_spokeo01&gclid=CIjzgLnTnaQCFQlm7AodjFNqEA

             September 8 meet

1.  Google shook up the data world when it offered Gmail with gigabytes of free storage to every user instead of a few megabytes.  Now Google does it again, offering free telephone calls to any number in the U.S. and Canada and very low rates, often 2 cents a minute, to international numbers.  The free service is Google Voice.  We’ll discuss it.  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/google-shakes-it-up-again-with-free-phone-calls/?emc=eta1

 

2.  TIME Magazine just published a list of 2010's best websites. From the helpful to the distracting, the big hitters to the unknowns, TIME offers a road map to the best of the Web.  Also see the second list of sites for mobile devices.  Both lists are full of real gems and worth paging through the descriptions one at a time.  Go to the link, then click the “Next” button to page through descriptions of the sites.  Also look for the link to the mobile sites list.  http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2012721_2012728,00.html?xid=newsletter-daily?artId=2012721?contType=article?chn=specials

 

3.  If you are buying a new High Definition TV (HDTV) what are the things you should be looking for?  Should you buy a plasma set, an LED set or an LCD set?  Why?  This article will help.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/19/AR2010081907133.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

4.  What is a Hard Drive Crash?  Do they still happen?  Read all about it.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/20/AR2010082003383.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

5.  Instead of filling cars with lots of new electronics that will grow outdated, the Mercedes designed Smart USA car will be using the Apple iPhone and its applications for its electronic wizardry.  It's even adding some unique touches.  "We're bringing high-tech telematics (GPS system, Internet radio, Bluetooth calling, etc.) into the vehicle using the iPhone as the platform," says spokesman Rick Bourgoise.

Case in point:  The Smart people have an iPhone application to guide you to your Smart car in a crowded parking lot.  Sure, the little car stands out anyway.  But this is a handy idea that would be great for any car.  It's called "Car Finder" and it works like this:  The iPhone marks the vehicle location via GPS automatically as soon as the phone is lifted from the cradle.  The phone will then pinpoint the car's location on a map when you return.  With Apple's iPhone apparently here to stay, Smart has also developed a dashboard mount for the iPhone.

"In terms of uniqueness, we're claiming to be one of the first automotive brands to develop its own iPhone drive app.  The developers from Mercedes-Benz R&D North America worked closely with Apple to create the app."

 

6.  Each fall new classes enter college for the first time.  The class of 2014 is entering this fall.  Several universities and collages publish information to their staff’s so the “old” university professors and staff clearly understand the backgrounds of the new entering students.  Remember, most members of the class 2014 were born in 1992.  As an example, the class of 2014, won’t understand that you are asking for the time by pointing to your wrist.  They don’t wear watches because they tell time from their cell phone screens.  Bloit College (Wisconsin) calls this information the “Mindset List.”  Enjoy their whole list here:  http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2014.php  How old have we become?

 

7.  We have all become more likely to carry our mobile phone whenever we travel.  If you travel abroad and are not careful you can end up with a huge cell phone bill when you return home.  Here are some helpful ideas on how to avoid that large phone bill.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/travel/01prac.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

 

8.  Why are HP and Dell fighting so hard to buy 3Par?  The fight may be over by the time our Computer Club meets but the question is still valid.  Here is the status today.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/28/technology/28storage.html?th&emc=th

     August 11 meet

We will go around the table for discussion of appropriate computer/technology subjects and questions of interest to each of our members.  To that end I have included some subjects below that I have found or were suggested by members.  Where appropriate I have included an Internet link to an article on the subject that you may want to click to read additional detail on the subject.

 

1.  Here is a portable projector, the size of two chocolate bars, which can be attached to your laptop or smart phone with the supplied cables to project a 60 inch display of your pictures or full length feature movie.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/a-portable-movie-theater/?emc=eta1

 

2.  India has shown a $35 tablet computer for spreading technology to students and teachers.  If you visit the link be sure to watch the short video.  http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/india.thirty.five.dollar.laptop/index.html?hpt=T2

 

3.  Microsoft has retired Windows 2000 and Windows XP (through SP-2).  If you want to keep running them you are on your own – no more software fixes or technical support from Microsoft.  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2010/07/microsoft_retires_windows_2000.html?referrer=emaillink

 

4.  Most of us check Snopes.com on occasion to confirm the rumors that show up in our e-mail, particularly before we forward such information to others.  Here is an interview of the Snopes founder by David Pogue, the technology editor of the New York Times.  This is worth your time to read.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/technology/personaltech/15pogue-email.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

 

5.  Amazon.com announced that it is now selling more electronic books (e-books) than hard cover books.  Technology continues to change the way we live our lives.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/technology/20kindle.html?emc=eta1

 

6.  Here is an interesting opinion of how the U.S. Postal Service might save itself as technology changes the mix of information on paper and electronic transmission.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/22/AR2010072204241.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

7.  Nuance, the company that makes Dragon NaturallySpeaking for Windows, is in a pretty sweet position:  It’s essentially a monopoly.  One by one, its competitors in the speech-recognition business have either left the market (Philips), gone out of business (Lernout & Hauspie) or turned over its product to Nuance (I.B.M.).  Even the sole Mac speech-recognition program, MacSpeech Dictate, can no longer be considered a kind of rival; Nuance bought it this year.  Here is an article about their newest upgrade that, in the $100 Home version, you might want to consider.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/technology/personaltech/29pogue.html?emc=eta1

 

8.  We SIR members and our spouses continue to live to older and older age in part because of the healthy eating we do at our monthly Computer Club meeting at IHOP.  As we age it is beneficial for us to maintain our independence and not have to move into an assisted living facility or a nursing home.  Maintaining that independence can be helped if our adult children can be kept informed that we are healthy and up and about in our normal living.  The article at the link is about technology that is available today to assists us in addressing the concerns of our adult children for our well being.  Worth the read.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/garden/29parents.html?emc=eta1