Webinars – What, When and How Long? With today’s multitasking work styles and short attention spans, it’s essential to plan meetings and presentations so you grab and hold your audience’s attention. You need to allow enough time for each section, as well as for the entire event. This is especially important to avoid those “drop outs” who become bored quickly. It’s your job to make your event interesting and interactive, with enough breaks to keep the energy high. Before we give you some proven ClickMeeting tips and tricks, let’s check out… What the Experts Say. We asked Marta Eichstaedt, webinar expert, business coach/consultant, and certified online trainer, how she determined the proper length. This is what she advised us: “The length of a webinar depends on the goal we want to achieve. There are, however, some rules and techniques that apply. In general, when used as marketing tools, webinars should last between 30 and 60 minutes. This length should take into account time for interaction with your audience. Training events can last longer. For example, I organize online workshops for trainers who want to run their own online training series. These workshops take 90 minutes and the whole course includes 7 meetings. The attendee group is really small (maximum 6 people) and there is a lot of interaction and activities performed by the attendees themselves. However, even with highly interactive workshops, I wouldn’t recommend exceeding two hours per session. Another example is an extended conference like the Social Media Success Summit which comprises 4 weeks of training in weekly or biweekly webinars, each lasting about 45 minutes. They hold three webinars a day, with 20-minute breaks. The whole event is about 20 different webinars altogether and this format turns out to work best for this topic and audience.” After hearing from the experts and, based on our own experience, we can conclude that webinars typically last around 60 minutes – about the length of an installment of your favorite TV series. This also makes it easy to fit in most of your attendees’ calendars. What should a webinar include The crucial thing is to plan your content so that it’s interesting and allows enough time to cover the essential topics and activities. And practice! Here are some tips to consider: Polling. This tool provides both feedback and interaction. And the best thing is you can continue speaking while your attendees answer the questions, then quickly sum up and present the results with an animated chart. Alternate tabs. Use tabs to quickly switch between content (just make sure to upload the documents etc. before the webinar). This will keep your audience entertained without wasting your time (and there’s nothing worse than making your attendees wait until your PowerPoint uploads). Pace yourself. Don’t rush, making it difficult for the attendees to follow you. Try to find that perfect balance whereby you cover all the material, capture feedback, and make some decisions. Now this may take some practice. But it’ll be worth it. Hold a Q&A session at the end. Wrap up at least 15 minutes early to let people ask questions. Don’t forget to put this in the meeting agenda as this is a popular item with attendees. Then they’ll be sure to stick around till the end. When to schedule a webinar? There are as many date/time preferences as there are people, so it’s best to use your own judgment and follow a few common-sense rules. And always think about your audience first. Think of when you like to attend webinars – Monday is usually when people are busiest after the weekend and a lot of unexpected projects pop up. The same can be said about Fridays, plus you have the “TGIF” factor. So sometime around the middle of the week is probably best but, as I said, this is not a strict rule. As for time of day, one factor to keep in mind is that if your audience is international, you obviously need to pick a time when the greatest number will be able to attend, regardless of time zone. Of course this, again, depends on your audience so the best thing to do is place yourself in their shoes. If you run a series of webinars, you can always poll your attendees or prepare an online survey and ask your audience what days and times they prefer. This is likely to be true for other people who might join your webinar, too.
Friday
Click Meeting
Webinars – What, When and How Long? With today’s multitasking work styles and short attention spans, it’s essential to plan meetings and presentations so you grab and hold your audience’s attention. You need to allow enough time for each section, as well as for the entire event. This is especially important to avoid those “drop outs” who become bored quickly. It’s your job to make your event interesting and interactive, with enough breaks to keep the energy high. Before we give you some proven ClickMeeting tips and tricks, let’s check out… What the Experts Say. We asked Marta Eichstaedt, webinar expert, business coach/consultant, and certified online trainer, how she determined the proper length. This is what she advised us: “The length of a webinar depends on the goal we want to achieve. There are, however, some rules and techniques that apply. In general, when used as marketing tools, webinars should last between 30 and 60 minutes. This length should take into account time for interaction with your audience. Training events can last longer. For example, I organize online workshops for trainers who want to run their own online training series. These workshops take 90 minutes and the whole course includes 7 meetings. The attendee group is really small (maximum 6 people) and there is a lot of interaction and activities performed by the attendees themselves. However, even with highly interactive workshops, I wouldn’t recommend exceeding two hours per session. Another example is an extended conference like the Social Media Success Summit which comprises 4 weeks of training in weekly or biweekly webinars, each lasting about 45 minutes. They hold three webinars a day, with 20-minute breaks. The whole event is about 20 different webinars altogether and this format turns out to work best for this topic and audience.” After hearing from the experts and, based on our own experience, we can conclude that webinars typically last around 60 minutes – about the length of an installment of your favorite TV series. This also makes it easy to fit in most of your attendees’ calendars. What should a webinar include The crucial thing is to plan your content so that it’s interesting and allows enough time to cover the essential topics and activities. And practice! Here are some tips to consider: Polling. This tool provides both feedback and interaction. And the best thing is you can continue speaking while your attendees answer the questions, then quickly sum up and present the results with an animated chart. Alternate tabs. Use tabs to quickly switch between content (just make sure to upload the documents etc. before the webinar). This will keep your audience entertained without wasting your time (and there’s nothing worse than making your attendees wait until your PowerPoint uploads). Pace yourself. Don’t rush, making it difficult for the attendees to follow you. Try to find that perfect balance whereby you cover all the material, capture feedback, and make some decisions. Now this may take some practice. But it’ll be worth it. Hold a Q&A session at the end. Wrap up at least 15 minutes early to let people ask questions. Don’t forget to put this in the meeting agenda as this is a popular item with attendees. Then they’ll be sure to stick around till the end. When to schedule a webinar? There are as many date/time preferences as there are people, so it’s best to use your own judgment and follow a few common-sense rules. And always think about your audience first. Think of when you like to attend webinars – Monday is usually when people are busiest after the weekend and a lot of unexpected projects pop up. The same can be said about Fridays, plus you have the “TGIF” factor. So sometime around the middle of the week is probably best but, as I said, this is not a strict rule. As for time of day, one factor to keep in mind is that if your audience is international, you obviously need to pick a time when the greatest number will be able to attend, regardless of time zone. Of course this, again, depends on your audience so the best thing to do is place yourself in their shoes. If you run a series of webinars, you can always poll your attendees or prepare an online survey and ask your audience what days and times they prefer. This is likely to be true for other people who might join your webinar, too.
Thursday
Expanding your mobile world with Windows Phone 7
Would you like to have the latest technology when it comes to smartphones? Windows Phone 7 is turning a lot of heads as its new software has been 2 years in the making and hasn't failed to disappoint.
Right now smartphones make up about 23% of the mobile phone market but this is continuing to grow are the costs are starting to drop and more people want to have internet access, email, facebook, and other apps right in their pocket.
The new software will make it's debut with AT&T on November 9 and then it will become available for the rest of the wireless provides in 2011. The first phones to have the new technology will run about $200 each and so far there are about 3 phones that will be sold with more expected to come soon as 6 additional phones have already been announced. The phones are designed to offer variety based on the users preferences. Some of the phones will be touchscreen while other smartphones will feature keyboards.
Windows Phone 7 is designed to be in competition with every other smartphone out there, notebaly the phones making a big impact like the Blackberry and iPhone. Microsoft has failed to impress mobile users as most of their designs have failed or been pulled off the market. Earlier in 2010 Microsoft sent the Kin to the stores but after dismal sales and embarrassment, it was pulled within a few weeks.
Microsoft is recovering from the embarrassment by placing more attention on the Windows Phone 7, which has seen its ups and downs as the iPhone was launched and caused some serious setbacks for Microsoft. The Windows Phone 7 is designed to be user friendly and made to satisfy the user in every possible way, giving the user full control over the look and feel of the phone. It allows for automatic updates to go on without taking away from the users other applications as they are using the phone.
The smartphone that will see the biggest competition from the windows Phone 7 is the Andriod. So what can you expect when you get the Windows Phone 7 in your hands? When you first turn it on you will see several icons that you can choose from that include music files, pictures, contacts, etc. Touch on the icon you want or you can choose to scroll from top to bottom to view the different apps that are available.
When you click on a program you will be directed to it but a top heading will stay at the top of each screen, telling you where you are at. This sub-menu is really unique and very clever and sure to wow a lot of people.
Like the Blackberry and Andriod it will collect the information provided by your friends on social networking sites. This allows you to gather information from facebook and twitter so you can continue fueling your social media addiction. With multitouch web-browsing and a smooth touch-screen, it is very easy to get around online and it was designed for the web.
The apps work differently on Windows Phone 7 as they are integrated right into the operating system. This makes it so they aren't like having separate programs as you see with so many other smartphones. The screen is also much larger from other smartphones, making it very easy to read and you do have the option of using a keyboard that locks behind the phone if you aren't a fan of touchscreen.
Windows Phone 7 doesn't sport the HotSpot technology like Andriod and other phones on the market but it is very impressive with other programs like Zune along with video content. There is even talk of video games that can be played on the Windows Phone 7 and integrated with your Xbox 360.
Cisco is going to change the internet forever
Cisco has been claiming they will "change the internet forever" and their impact on individuals, governments, and businesses will be revolutionary. While Cisco is making these claims, what exactly are they doing that is so monumental that it will change the internet and the way in which we browse online?
Cisco announced a new networking router that is going to be top-of-the-line and transform the internet. This revolutionary product is known as the Cisco CRS-3 Routing System. This new router is setting the standard for all future growth of the internet, especially for video growth to occur. It has about 12 times more traffic capacity from other systems. It transfers about 322 terabits per second, which is absolutely amazing compared to other systems.
How fast is it really? Well according to Cisco you can download the entire Library of Congress in about a second. Pretty impressive right? The internet is going to keep growing and advancing and users are demanding faster service, better download capabilities, and better online browsing. It looks as though Cisco is listening to these demands and they are trying to meet the expectations of customers.
Cisco announced a new networking router that is going to be top-of-the-line and transform the internet. This revolutionary product is known as the Cisco CRS-3 Routing System. This new router is setting the standard for all future growth of the internet, especially for video growth to occur. It has about 12 times more traffic capacity from other systems. It transfers about 322 terabits per second, which is absolutely amazing compared to other systems.
How fast is it really? Well according to Cisco you can download the entire Library of Congress in about a second. Pretty impressive right? The internet is going to keep growing and advancing and users are demanding faster service, better download capabilities, and better online browsing. It looks as though Cisco is listening to these demands and they are trying to meet the expectations of customers.
Wednesday
Study at London School of Business & Finance
Overview of Programmes
Postgraduate Programmes
As the destination of choice for a world-class education in business, finance and marketing, we specialise in delivering innovative, industry-focused degree programmes that reflect the modern global economy. Our MBA and specialised Master’s degrees in Finance, Marketing and International Business develop highly marketable skill sets that raise your profile with employers, helping you to meet your career objectives.
Learn more about Postgraduate Programmes
Professional Qualifications
LSBF offers a comprehensive portfolio of professional qualification programmes in Accountancy (ACCA and CIMA), Finance (CFA®) and Marketing (CIM). Professional qualifications are universally recognised industry standards that help to set you apart in the job market. You’ll develop professional skills that translate easily into the workplace, giving you the experience that modern employers are looking for and helping to fast-track your career progress.
Learn more about Professional Qualifications
Dual Programmes
We’re committed to helping our students to stay ahead of the field, and our pioneering Dual Programmes combine academic excellence with real-world practical skills for that vital competitive edge. Studying your MBA or Master’s programme in conjunction with any of our professional qualifications saves time, increases your career opportunities and and gives you the skills and knowledge you need to stand out from the crowd.
Learn more about Dual Programmes
Online Study
Our ground-breaking online study platform InterActive redefines distance learning offering complete flexibility without compromising on quality. InterActive gives you the same syllabus, the same lecturers, and the same top-quality educational experience wherever you are. With real-time interactive classrooms, forums and a library of studio-quality recorded lectures, you can manage your own time and workload and take control of your studies.
Learn more about Online Study
Undergraduate Programmes
A launch pad for your career, our undergraduate programmes offer more than just an education, giving you all the benefits of a leading business school with great networking opportunities and valuable contacts. Our Bachelor in International Business (BIB) develops a solid foundation of business concepts increasing your experience and helping you to speak the same language as major players in the global economy.
Learn more about Undergraduate Programmes
Postgraduate Programmes
As the destination of choice for a world-class education in business, finance and marketing, we specialise in delivering innovative, industry-focused degree programmes that reflect the modern global economy. Our MBA and specialised Master’s degrees in Finance, Marketing and International Business develop highly marketable skill sets that raise your profile with employers, helping you to meet your career objectives.
Learn more about Postgraduate Programmes
Professional Qualifications
LSBF offers a comprehensive portfolio of professional qualification programmes in Accountancy (ACCA and CIMA), Finance (CFA®) and Marketing (CIM). Professional qualifications are universally recognised industry standards that help to set you apart in the job market. You’ll develop professional skills that translate easily into the workplace, giving you the experience that modern employers are looking for and helping to fast-track your career progress.
Learn more about Professional Qualifications
Dual Programmes
We’re committed to helping our students to stay ahead of the field, and our pioneering Dual Programmes combine academic excellence with real-world practical skills for that vital competitive edge. Studying your MBA or Master’s programme in conjunction with any of our professional qualifications saves time, increases your career opportunities and and gives you the skills and knowledge you need to stand out from the crowd.
Learn more about Dual Programmes
Online Study
Our ground-breaking online study platform InterActive redefines distance learning offering complete flexibility without compromising on quality. InterActive gives you the same syllabus, the same lecturers, and the same top-quality educational experience wherever you are. With real-time interactive classrooms, forums and a library of studio-quality recorded lectures, you can manage your own time and workload and take control of your studies.
Learn more about Online Study
Undergraduate Programmes
A launch pad for your career, our undergraduate programmes offer more than just an education, giving you all the benefits of a leading business school with great networking opportunities and valuable contacts. Our Bachelor in International Business (BIB) develops a solid foundation of business concepts increasing your experience and helping you to speak the same language as major players in the global economy.
Learn more about Undergraduate Programmes
Tuesday
Make Free Calls Anywhere in the World
FREE Video Calls - to PC and iPhone. - FREE Calls - HD quality calls to all your Nimbuzz contacts
Nimbuzz 2.0.1
FREE Video Calls - to PC and iPhone. - FREE Calls - HD quality calls to all your Nimbuzz contacts. - Unlimited free Chat - with friends on mobile and PC. - Cheap International Calls - Call mobile and landline phones for as low as 2c/min. - SIP VoIP accounts – Connect to any of our existing SIP partners or to any other SIP provider. - All in one - Connect to your other accounts (Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, AIM, ICQ, GoogleTalk, Facebook, MySpace and Hyves) and have all your friends in one list. - Easy file sharing – share photos, documents and music with your friends across all supported communities. How to make cheap international calls from PC? Buy NimbuzzOut credits and make cheap internationals calls to landlines and mobile phones anywhere in the world right from your PC.
Simply download, install and connect for free with Nimbuzz for PC!
Download
http://www.brothersoft.com/nimbuzz-download-60016.html
Nimbuzz 2.0.1
FREE Video Calls - to PC and iPhone. - FREE Calls - HD quality calls to all your Nimbuzz contacts. - Unlimited free Chat - with friends on mobile and PC. - Cheap International Calls - Call mobile and landline phones for as low as 2c/min. - SIP VoIP accounts – Connect to any of our existing SIP partners or to any other SIP provider. - All in one - Connect to your other accounts (Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, AIM, ICQ, GoogleTalk, Facebook, MySpace and Hyves) and have all your friends in one list. - Easy file sharing – share photos, documents and music with your friends across all supported communities. How to make cheap international calls from PC? Buy NimbuzzOut credits and make cheap internationals calls to landlines and mobile phones anywhere in the world right from your PC.
Simply download, install and connect for free with Nimbuzz for PC!
Download
http://www.brothersoft.com/nimbuzz-download-60016.html
Saturday
Anything But iPod MP3 Player Reviews
Sony Z1000 Android media player announced in Japan
This time for real: The Cowon i10 is out
Creative Zen X-Fi3 unveiled
Cowon iAudio 10 cryptically announced/teased
Microsoft changes the Zune Music Pass in Europe, video remains unaffected
Microsoft has announced that it is decreasing the number of licensed Zune Music Pass devices for customers Europe. The announcement was made in an email to European subscribers on Tuesday, informing them of the change.
The current Zune Music Pass offering allows customers to license up to three PCs and three mobile devices–be it Zune or Windows Phone–for all-you-can-eat music streaming. But starting September 13, 2011, subscribers will only be allowed to license one PC and a combination of any three PCs or devices.
Microsoft has yet to provide an official reason for this change, but we suspect that it’s due to deals with music labels. The Zune Music Pass has been around for almost five years in the US, but it is less than a year old in Europe. Music deals vary from country to country, so it’s possible that the European publishers have demanded that Microsoft decrease the number of licensed devices.
This move is certainly more limiting, but the Zune Music Pass was originally intended for a single user or, unofficially, a family. Restricting the streaming collection to a single PC (or more, if you feel like sacrificing some of your devices) should help keep the subscription for users in the same household.
This time for real: The Cowon i10 is out
Creative Zen X-Fi3 unveiled
Cowon iAudio 10 cryptically announced/teased
Microsoft changes the Zune Music Pass in Europe, video remains unaffected
Microsoft has announced that it is decreasing the number of licensed Zune Music Pass devices for customers Europe. The announcement was made in an email to European subscribers on Tuesday, informing them of the change.
The current Zune Music Pass offering allows customers to license up to three PCs and three mobile devices–be it Zune or Windows Phone–for all-you-can-eat music streaming. But starting September 13, 2011, subscribers will only be allowed to license one PC and a combination of any three PCs or devices.
Microsoft has yet to provide an official reason for this change, but we suspect that it’s due to deals with music labels. The Zune Music Pass has been around for almost five years in the US, but it is less than a year old in Europe. Music deals vary from country to country, so it’s possible that the European publishers have demanded that Microsoft decrease the number of licensed devices.
This move is certainly more limiting, but the Zune Music Pass was originally intended for a single user or, unofficially, a family. Restricting the streaming collection to a single PC (or more, if you feel like sacrificing some of your devices) should help keep the subscription for users in the same household.
Corel MotionStudio 3D
Meet MotionStudio 3D, Corel's inaugural entry into the animation and motion graphics software category. Geared more toward novices and prosumers than professionals, this capable newcomer lets you create 3D text and titles, lathe objects, and a variety of animations with relative ease.
MotionStudio's interface is intuitive, which should be comforting to motion graphics novices. The Edit Window displays your project as you work, and can
reflect changes in near real-time--with virtually no
waiting for rendering. Also, you can drag objects directly within the Edit Window for a more tactile way to customize basic aspects like position, rotation, and size.
Download Now
http://dw.com.com/redir?edId=3&siteId=4&oId=3000-2186_4-
The Timeline Window spans the bottom of the interface, and is relatively simple to navigate. Here is where you set the key frames that guide your animation. And with each property having its own independent timeline, it's easy to choreograph several different animated elements to work in concert.
The EasyPalette contains all of the preset effects available, and can be supplemented by plug-in effects. Here you'll find 3D Models, Text Objects, Lathe Objects, Shapes, and even simple extrusion effects. MotionStudio makes it simple to click around, experiment with these effects, and undo when necessary.
On top of its basic 3D titling and text animation capabilities, MotionStudio also includes a realistic particle effects tool that recreates the appearance and movement of elements like bubbles, fire, smoke, and snow. The tool even lets you make minor adjustments to the particles' properties such as texture, density, color, rotation, and more. Powerful, yet simple features like this are sure to attract casual users who aren't necessarily motion graphics wizards. The program also includes tons of animation presets, and lets you manipulate light sources, mimic motion blur, and adjust depth of field among other aspects.
And for the prosumers out there, MotionStudio 3D also boasts some rather powerful import and export capabilities. It can handle vector and raster graphics, and lets you easily work with files from other 3D applications. Meanwhile, it can output to a wide variety of video and still image formats including GIF and Flash (SWF) for the Web. And as expected, MotionStudio lets you easily output projects as 3D anaglyphs viewable with 3D glasses, or as side-by-side images playable on compatible 3D TVs--all with a single click.
Overall, we think Corel MotionStudio 3D provides a nice, affordable entry into the world of motion graphics. With its array of presets, powerful, yet simple features, and intuitive interface, it's a fantastic choice for newcomers and experienced motion graphics artists alike. But, if you're looking to get extremely granular in your animations, and you need a more professional level of control, then MotionStudio 3D might not be what you're looking for. If that's the case, then be prepared to spend a lot more money on your software.
Read more: Corel MotionStudio 3D - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/Corel-MotionStudio-3D/3000-2186_4-75572928.html#ixzz1YqsW4bTD
MotionStudio's interface is intuitive, which should be comforting to motion graphics novices. The Edit Window displays your project as you work, and can
reflect changes in near real-time--with virtually no
waiting for rendering. Also, you can drag objects directly within the Edit Window for a more tactile way to customize basic aspects like position, rotation, and size.
Download Now
http://dw.com.com/redir?edId=3&siteId=4&oId=3000-2186_4-
The Timeline Window spans the bottom of the interface, and is relatively simple to navigate. Here is where you set the key frames that guide your animation. And with each property having its own independent timeline, it's easy to choreograph several different animated elements to work in concert.
The EasyPalette contains all of the preset effects available, and can be supplemented by plug-in effects. Here you'll find 3D Models, Text Objects, Lathe Objects, Shapes, and even simple extrusion effects. MotionStudio makes it simple to click around, experiment with these effects, and undo when necessary.
On top of its basic 3D titling and text animation capabilities, MotionStudio also includes a realistic particle effects tool that recreates the appearance and movement of elements like bubbles, fire, smoke, and snow. The tool even lets you make minor adjustments to the particles' properties such as texture, density, color, rotation, and more. Powerful, yet simple features like this are sure to attract casual users who aren't necessarily motion graphics wizards. The program also includes tons of animation presets, and lets you manipulate light sources, mimic motion blur, and adjust depth of field among other aspects.
And for the prosumers out there, MotionStudio 3D also boasts some rather powerful import and export capabilities. It can handle vector and raster graphics, and lets you easily work with files from other 3D applications. Meanwhile, it can output to a wide variety of video and still image formats including GIF and Flash (SWF) for the Web. And as expected, MotionStudio lets you easily output projects as 3D anaglyphs viewable with 3D glasses, or as side-by-side images playable on compatible 3D TVs--all with a single click.
Overall, we think Corel MotionStudio 3D provides a nice, affordable entry into the world of motion graphics. With its array of presets, powerful, yet simple features, and intuitive interface, it's a fantastic choice for newcomers and experienced motion graphics artists alike. But, if you're looking to get extremely granular in your animations, and you need a more professional level of control, then MotionStudio 3D might not be what you're looking for. If that's the case, then be prepared to spend a lot more money on your software.
Read more: Corel MotionStudio 3D - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/Corel-MotionStudio-3D/3000-2186_4-75572928.html#ixzz1YqsW4bTD
Current and Upcoming Tablets ipod
The tablet market is like that kid in school who, at first, no one really noticed. Then, a year later he starts the school year a foot taller, with a new wardrobe, and suddenly everyone wants to be his friend. But, does he deserve his newfound popularity?
I really don't know. Personally, I've yet to purchase a tablet, and I've still not seen a compelling reason to do so. Still, millions feel differently and have already dived full on into the tablet sector.
Yet, every day there seems to be a new announcement of another manufacturer's plans to release a tablet. Today is no different, with the announcement of the iPad 2. It's getting confusing and a little crazy out there, and we at CNET wanted to provide you with a snapshot of not only the current tablet landscape, but a look into the near future and how it's evolving.
We've compiled a list of all the major current tablets interwoven with all the tablets yet to be released. This list will focus on non-Windows tablets only for now. Enjoy, and if there's any other information you'd like to see on this list, let us know in the comments or via e-mail.
Look for this post to be updated and evolve throughout the coming months.
Name
OS
Price
Release date
Screen size
4G support confirmed?
Wifi-only version confirmed?
Acer Iconia Tab A100
Honeycomb
$330-$350
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Acer Iconia Tab A500
Honeycomb
$400
Available now
10-inch
No
Yes
Amazon Tablet 10-inch
Unknown
Unknown
2011
10-inch
No
No
Amazon Tablet 7-inch
Unknown
Unknown
2011
7-inch
No
No
Apple iPad
iOS
$430-$530
Available now
9.7-inch
No
Yes
Apple iPad 2
iOS
$500-$830
Available now
9.7-inch
No
Yes
Archos 70
Android 2.2
$310
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Archos 101
Android 2.2
$260
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Archos G9 80
Honeycomb
$300-$370
September 2011
8-inch
No
Yes
Archos G9 101
Honeycomb
$370-$470
September 2011
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Asus Slider
Honeycomb
$500-$800
September
10.1-inch
Unannounced
Yes
Asus Transformer
Honeycomb
$400
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Asus Transformer 2
Honeycomb
n/a
Q4 2011
10.1-inch
No
No
Asus MeMO
Honeycomb
$500-$700
2012
7-inch
Unannounced
No
Coby Kyros
Android 2.2
$200
Available now
8-inch
No
Yes
Dell Streak 5
Android 2.2
$550
Available now
5-inch
No
No
Dell Streak 7
Android 2.2
$200-$450
Available now
7-inch
Yes
No
HP TouchPad
WebOS 3.0
$600
Available now
9.7-inch
Yes
Yes
HTC Evo View 4G (Sprint)
Android 2.3
$400
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
HTC Flyer
Android 2.3
$500
Available now (at Best Buy only)
7-inch
No
Yes
HTC Jetstream
Honeycomb
$700-$800
September 4, 2011
10.1-inch
Yes
No
Lenovo IdeaPad A1
Android 2.3
$250
Unannounced
7-inch
No
Yes
Lenovo IdeaPad K1
Honeycomb
$500
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet
Honeycomb
$500-$670
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Maylong Universe M-150
Android 2.2
$100
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Motorola Xoom
Honeycomb
$600-$800
Available now
10.1-inch
Yes
Yes
RIM Blackberry Playbook
BlackBerry Tablet OS
$600
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Samsung Galaxy Note
Android 2.3
Unannounced
Unannounced
5.3-inch
No
No
Samsung Galaxy Tab
Android 2.2
$150-$550
Available now
7-inch
No
No
Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi
Android 2.2
$350
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7
Honeycomb
Unannounced
Unannounced
7.7-inch
No
No
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9
Honeycomb
Unannounced
August
8.9-inch
Yes
Yes
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Honeycomb
$500
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE (Verizon)
Honeycomb
$530-$630
Available now
10.1-inch
Yes
No
Sony S
Honeycomb
$500-$600
Fall 2011
9.4-inch
No
Yes
Sony P
Honeycomb
n/a
Fall 2011
5.5-inch (dual-screen)
Yes
No
T-Mobile G-Slate
Honeycomb
$800
Available now
8.9-inch
Yes
No
Toshiba AT200
Honeycomb
Unannounced
2011
10.1-inch
Unannounced
Yes
Toshiba Thrive
Honeycomb
$380-520
Available now
10.1-inch
Unannounced
Yes
Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet
Android 2.2
$200
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Viewsonic Viewpad 7
Android 2.2
$415-470
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Viewsonic ViewPad G Tablet
Android 2.2
$370
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
ViewPad 10pro
Android 2.3 (and Windows 7)
$600-$700
August
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Vizio Tablet VTAB1008
Android 2.3
$359
Available now
8-inch
Unannounced
No
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20037960-1/cnet-looks-at-current-and-upcoming-tablets/#ixzz1YqrOFEHv
Honeycomb
$330-$350
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Acer Iconia Tab A500
Honeycomb
$400
Available now
10-inch
No
Yes
Amazon Tablet 10-inch
Unknown
Unknown
2011
10-inch
No
No
Amazon Tablet 7-inch
Unknown
Unknown
2011
7-inch
No
No
Apple iPad
iOS
$430-$530
Available now
9.7-inch
No
Yes
Apple iPad 2
iOS
$500-$830
Available now
9.7-inch
No
Yes
Archos 70
Android 2.2
$310
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Archos 101
Android 2.2
$260
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Archos G9 80
Honeycomb
$300-$370
September 2011
8-inch
No
Yes
Archos G9 101
Honeycomb
$370-$470
September 2011
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Asus Slider
Honeycomb
$500-$800
September
10.1-inch
Unannounced
Yes
Asus Transformer
Honeycomb
$400
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Asus Transformer 2
Honeycomb
n/a
Q4 2011
10.1-inch
No
No
Asus MeMO
Honeycomb
$500-$700
2012
7-inch
Unannounced
No
Coby Kyros
Android 2.2
$200
Available now
8-inch
No
Yes
Dell Streak 5
Android 2.2
$550
Available now
5-inch
No
No
Dell Streak 7
Android 2.2
$200-$450
Available now
7-inch
Yes
No
HP TouchPad
WebOS 3.0
$600
Available now
9.7-inch
Yes
Yes
HTC Evo View 4G (Sprint)
Android 2.3
$400
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
HTC Flyer
Android 2.3
$500
Available now (at Best Buy only)
7-inch
No
Yes
HTC Jetstream
Honeycomb
$700-$800
September 4, 2011
10.1-inch
Yes
No
Lenovo IdeaPad A1
Android 2.3
$250
Unannounced
7-inch
No
Yes
Lenovo IdeaPad K1
Honeycomb
$500
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet
Honeycomb
$500-$670
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Maylong Universe M-150
Android 2.2
$100
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Motorola Xoom
Honeycomb
$600-$800
Available now
10.1-inch
Yes
Yes
RIM Blackberry Playbook
BlackBerry Tablet OS
$600
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Samsung Galaxy Note
Android 2.3
Unannounced
Unannounced
5.3-inch
No
No
Samsung Galaxy Tab
Android 2.2
$150-$550
Available now
7-inch
No
No
Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi
Android 2.2
$350
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7
Honeycomb
Unannounced
Unannounced
7.7-inch
No
No
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9
Honeycomb
Unannounced
August
8.9-inch
Yes
Yes
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Honeycomb
$500
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 4G LTE (Verizon)
Honeycomb
$530-$630
Available now
10.1-inch
Yes
No
Sony S
Honeycomb
$500-$600
Fall 2011
9.4-inch
No
Yes
Sony P
Honeycomb
n/a
Fall 2011
5.5-inch (dual-screen)
Yes
No
T-Mobile G-Slate
Honeycomb
$800
Available now
8.9-inch
Yes
No
Toshiba AT200
Honeycomb
Unannounced
2011
10.1-inch
Unannounced
Yes
Toshiba Thrive
Honeycomb
$380-520
Available now
10.1-inch
Unannounced
Yes
Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet
Android 2.2
$200
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Viewsonic Viewpad 7
Android 2.2
$415-470
Available now
7-inch
No
Yes
Viewsonic ViewPad G Tablet
Android 2.2
$370
Available now
10.1-inch
No
Yes
ViewPad 10pro
Android 2.3 (and Windows 7)
$600-$700
August
10.1-inch
No
Yes
Vizio Tablet VTAB1008
Android 2.3
$359
Available now
8-inch
Unannounced
No
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20037960-1/cnet-looks-at-current-and-upcoming-tablets/#ixzz1YqrOFEHv
Apple targeted by Samsung, S3 in new suits
Apple this week is once again the target of new lawsuits from companies with which it's already entangled in separate legal battles.
The first salvo comes from Samsung. Bloomberg reports that Samsung filed four suits against the company this week, with the first related hearing in the cases to kick off early next week.
A court representative did not tell the news outlet what the Netherlands suits were about, though Samsung has taken aim at Apple in the U.S., Europe, and other countries for allegedly infringing on its patents, with lawsuits targeting the tech giant's portable devices.
Separately, S3 Graphics filed a suit yesterday against Apple for allegedly infringing on two of its patents covering 3D rendering and VGA controller circuitry. Both patents were issued in the 1990s. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, takes aim specifically at Apple's iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, along with Apple's desktop and notebook computers, as infringing.
The new S3 suit is of special note given that the two companies had previously been engaged in a legal spat with the U.S. International Trade Commission. That led to the government group issuing a partial ruling against Apple, saying that Mac OS X was violating S3's patents. HTC, which sued Apple in separate suits earlier this month and last month, announced plans to buy S3 from Via Technologies in July.
How to run Windows 8 in VirtualBox: Some Easy Step To Run Windows 8
Windows 8 marks a major departure from any other version of the OS and it behooves any geek to get out on the front lines of such an introduction. Even so, you might not have an extra computer lying around to install the young operating system on. Virtualization to the rescue.
Before getting started, we should keep in mind that virtualization isn’t exactly the optimum solution for testing. It’ll get the job done, but in all likelihood you won’t get a feel for the full speed or smoothness of Windows 8. Your virtualized machine probably won’t have a touchscreen either, so you’ll be missing out there as well. That said, it’s a free operation that isn’t too difficult to set up, so it’s worth the time if you are at all curious about Win8.
For this tutorial we’ll be using VirtualBox, Oracle’s free virtualization software. It’s quite accessible given how complicated the work it’s doing actually is, and it’s easier to work with than VMWare Player. Plus, reports from around the web indicate that VirtualBox plays more nicely with Windows 8 than VMware Player 3.x. VMware Workstation 8 does seem to getting along with Windows 8 well enough, but you’ll have to shell out some cash for that — and VMware Player 4 does seem to be capable of running Win8 but you need Workstation 8 to get that.
Follow these steps and you should have your computer running Windows 8 in no time:
- Download Windows 8 and VirtualBox
16 essential Android apps for IT pros
16 essential Android apps for IT pros
These apps can connect to servers, monitor systems, and scan networks, turning your Android device into an on-the-job dynamo
There are hundreds of thousands of Android apps, including many that are useful for IT professionals on the job. These apps can help connect to servers, monitor computers, access databases, analyze the airwaves, scan networks, and serve as a reference. Here are 16 of these apps, most of them free.
These apps can connect to servers, monitor systems, and scan networks, turning your Android device into an on-the-job dynamo
mLearning and the Global Classroom
Adults and adolescents with Atopic Dermatitis in the USA, expectant mothers in Ghana, young teachers in Finland and pharmacists in Uganda all have one thing in common, they are part of the growing mobile learning community, or mLearning. Educators use cell phones, PDAs, laptops, and other mobile devices to reach students who are mobile, are isolated, lack internet access, or have limited resources for travel but have a mobile phone. mLearning in action. When 90% of the world’s population has access to a mobile phone, according to the International Telecommunication Union, it is no surprise that educators have already realized the potential of mobile devices to enhance and extend the classroom.
Friday
Facebook builds tighter integration with music, TV
Facebook unveiled new ways for users to listen to music and watch TV, offering tie-ups with the likes of Spotify and Hulu, as it attempts to make media an integral part of its social networking service.
The features, which Facebook unveiled at its annual f8 developers' conference in San Francisco on Thursday, will vastly expand the types of activities that users of the social networking service can notify their friends about, from the news articles they read to the title of each song they listen to throughout the day.
Facebook users will also be able to listen along to whatever song a friend is listening to, provided they both subscribe to the supported third-party streaming music services, such as Spotify.
The media push comes as Facebook faces fresh competition from Google, which in June launched a rival social networking service, Google+. In recent weeks, Facebook, which counts more than 750 million users, has rolled out a bevy of changes to its service.
"Facebook is positioning itself as not just your social graph online, but your life online," said Forrester Research analyst Sean Corcoran.
"These changes not only help trump rival Google but will open up new opportunities," he said. "But concerns around privacy and immaturity in how to do these things effectively will make it a slow go."
Dressed in a gray T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, Zuckerberg said the music companies partnering with Facebook, including Rhapsody and Turntable.fm, were reinventing the music industry and the business models that underlie the industry.
"They believe that the key to making the music business work isn't trying to block you from listening to songs you haven't bought," said Zuckerberg.
"It's trying to help you discover so many songs that you end up buying even more content than you ever would have otherwise," he said.
Joining Zuckerberg on stage was Netflix Chief Executive and Facebook board member Reed Hastings, who said he was excited to offer tighter integration with Facebook but did not give details.
The Washington Post Co. unveiled its Social Reader, which lets people read and share stories from the newspaper within Facebook.
For Facebook, a deeper integration of music, movies and other media into its service makes it more likely that users will spend more time on its site, enabling the company to generate more advertising dollars.
The company, which generated $1.6 billion in revenue in the first six months of 2011 according to a source familiar with the matter, is being closely watched by investors hoping for an initial public stock offering next year.
Facebook also introduced an overhaul of users' personal profiles on Thursday which arranges past photos and other information into a rich, magazine-like layout. Dubbed "Timeline," the new profile serves as a sort of diary of a person's life, organized by each year they've been on Facebook.
With Thursday's new features, Facebook users will have new ways to flag content beyond the now familiar "like" button which people click to endorse various items on the Web, from news articles to running shoes.
Software developers whose services connect with Facebook will be able to customize the types of notifications that are broadcast to a Facebook user's friends, with terms like "watched" a video, "read" an article or even "ate" a certain dish.
All that extra information could be a boon for advertisers.
"With Facebook now able to collect more data in terms of what people are watching, reading, running, doing, that's more metadata which is now going to feed into what brands and marketers target," said Hussein Fazal, the CEO of AdParlor, a firm that runs Facebook advertising campaigns for companies including Groupon.
The features, which Facebook unveiled at its annual f8 developers' conference in San Francisco on Thursday, will vastly expand the types of activities that users of the social networking service can notify their friends about, from the news articles they read to the title of each song they listen to throughout the day.
Facebook users will also be able to listen along to whatever song a friend is listening to, provided they both subscribe to the supported third-party streaming music services, such as Spotify.
The media push comes as Facebook faces fresh competition from Google, which in June launched a rival social networking service, Google+. In recent weeks, Facebook, which counts more than 750 million users, has rolled out a bevy of changes to its service.
"Facebook is positioning itself as not just your social graph online, but your life online," said Forrester Research analyst Sean Corcoran.
"These changes not only help trump rival Google but will open up new opportunities," he said. "But concerns around privacy and immaturity in how to do these things effectively will make it a slow go."
Dressed in a gray T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, Zuckerberg said the music companies partnering with Facebook, including Rhapsody and Turntable.fm, were reinventing the music industry and the business models that underlie the industry.
"They believe that the key to making the music business work isn't trying to block you from listening to songs you haven't bought," said Zuckerberg.
"It's trying to help you discover so many songs that you end up buying even more content than you ever would have otherwise," he said.
Joining Zuckerberg on stage was Netflix Chief Executive and Facebook board member Reed Hastings, who said he was excited to offer tighter integration with Facebook but did not give details.
The Washington Post Co. unveiled its Social Reader, which lets people read and share stories from the newspaper within Facebook.
For Facebook, a deeper integration of music, movies and other media into its service makes it more likely that users will spend more time on its site, enabling the company to generate more advertising dollars.
The company, which generated $1.6 billion in revenue in the first six months of 2011 according to a source familiar with the matter, is being closely watched by investors hoping for an initial public stock offering next year.
Facebook also introduced an overhaul of users' personal profiles on Thursday which arranges past photos and other information into a rich, magazine-like layout. Dubbed "Timeline," the new profile serves as a sort of diary of a person's life, organized by each year they've been on Facebook.
With Thursday's new features, Facebook users will have new ways to flag content beyond the now familiar "like" button which people click to endorse various items on the Web, from news articles to running shoes.
Software developers whose services connect with Facebook will be able to customize the types of notifications that are broadcast to a Facebook user's friends, with terms like "watched" a video, "read" an article or even "ate" a certain dish.
All that extra information could be a boon for advertisers.
"With Facebook now able to collect more data in terms of what people are watching, reading, running, doing, that's more metadata which is now going to feed into what brands and marketers target," said Hussein Fazal, the CEO of AdParlor, a firm that runs Facebook advertising campaigns for companies including Groupon.
Facebook Changes Again: Everything You Need To Know
Facebook introduced some of the most profound changes seen on Facebook since its inception. So many changes, in fact, that it can be hard to keep track. So here’s a handy-dandy guide.
1. You’re going to get a Timeline — a scrapbook of your life. In a complete overhaul of its ever-evolving profile page, Facebook is introducing Timeline. This is a stream of information about you — the photos you’ve posted, all your status updates, the apps you’ve used, even the places you’ve visited on a world map — that scrolls all the way back to your birth. It encourages you to post more stuff about your past, such as baby pictures, using Facebook as a scrapbook.
The further back in Timeline you go, the more Facebook will compress the information so that you’re only seeing the most interesting parts of your history. You can customize this by clicking on a star next to a status, say, or enlarging a picture.
Timeline is in beta now, and will be opt-in to start. In the long run, it will become the new default profile page.
2. You don’t have to just Like something — now you can [verb] any [noun]. Remember when all you could do to something on Facebook — a video, a comment, a product, a person — was Like it? Pretty soon that’s going to seem laughably antiquated. The social network has launched Facebook Gestures, which means that Facebook’s partners and developers can turn any verb into a button.
So you’ll start seeing the option to tell the world you’re Reading a particular book, for example, or Watching a given movie, or Listening to a certain tune. In turn, as many observers have pointed out, this is likely to lead to an explosion of oversharing — and far more information on your friends’ activities showing up in your news feed than you probably cared to know.
How to Make Your Internet Connection Faster, Better
OpenDNS to the Internet Connection Performance Rescue
Have you ever pointed your browser to a Web site and had to wait an inordinately long time for the page — or at least the full page — to load? This kind of slow browsing experience can be traced to a variety of causes, but among the most common are problems with the servers that are responsible for actually locating all the sites you visit, your DNS (Domain Name Service) servers.
A free service called OpenDNS can not only help your browser display Web pages faster it also offers some useful fringe benefits such as address typo correction and phishing protection, plus site blocking, content filtering and more. Before we delve into how to use OpenDNS, let's briefly outline how the DNS system works for those who may not be familiar with it.
What's the Deal with DNS?
Every time you type a Web site address like www.practicallynetworked.com into your browser, that "friendly" address needs to be translated into the actual IP address for the computer hosting that site. The job of the DNS server is to take the text address you type in, look it up against a database of IP addresses, and then return the correct address to your browser so that the site can be accessed.
The DNS database is actually distributed across countless servers all over the Internet, but the specific DNS server(s) you use are generally provided by your ISP. When your router obtains its IP address information from your ISP (usually through DHCP), the addresses for the DNS servers are provided as well. These DNS server addresses are in turn passed along to each of your computers via DHCP on your own network so that they all know where to go to look up Internet addresses.
Long story short: If DNS servers get overloaded or experience other technical problems, they may take a long time to respond to lookup requests or they may not respond at all. Some ISPs are better than others when it comes to maintaining their DNS servers, but problems are not at all uncommon. Sometimes when your Internet connection seems to be down, it may be fine but simply appear down because your ISP's DNS isn't working properly.
But you don't necessarily need to use your ISP's DNS servers, which brings us back to OpenDNS. OpenDNS, which has been around for about 18 months, is a free DNS service anyone can use, and is more than likely faster and more reliable than the one you're using now. (I've been using it for almost a year now and like many others have found the performance to be excellent.)
How to Use OpenDNS
So how can you take advantage of OpenDNS? All you need to do is go is update your router's DNS settings via its administrator control panel. After you've logged into your router, look for settings related to DNS — the exact location will vary depending on your router, but you'll often find it under the LAN heading or sometimes even on the first settings page you see.
When you find the DNS configuration area, you'll probably see that it's set to automatically obtain DNS servers from your ISP. Select the option that allows you to specify your own DNS server addresses, and then enter 208.67.222.222 as the primary DNS and 208.67.220.220 as the secondary DNS (as you might guess, the secondary is used if the primary isn't available).
Your router may or may not reboot itself once you apply the new DNS settings, but in order to make sure each of your computers is using the OpenDNS servers, you should manually obtain a new DHCP address for each of them. An easy way to do this in XP is to right-click your network connection's tray icon and select Repair. In Vista, you can verify that a particular system is using OpenDNS if you see "You're using OpenDNS" message when you browse to welcome.opendns.com.)
After some time spent using OpenDNS, you should notice that your browser generally takes less time to find and display Web sites. Even if you don't see a perceptible increase in performance, you'll still be able to benefit from several security and convenience features. For starters, OpenDNS can fix typos in the URLs you type, so if you accidentally type www.practicallynetworked.cmo — or .co, or .cm — you'll still be taken to the site you intended instead of being greeted by error message, or worse, an ersatz site from Cameroon (which owns the .cm domain).
If you happen to type a nonexistent site name, instead of a not found error you'll see an OpenDNS Guide page with suggested alternate links (as well as some sponsored ones, which help keep OpenDNS free). For example, I sometimes inadvertently try to access the PracticallyNetworked.com site by typing in "pracnet.com" (PracNet is an internal nickname for the site), and when I do, PracticallyNetworked.com is first among the OpenDNS suggested links. Last but not least, using OpenDNS also gets you automatic phishing protection, so if the site you want to go to is known for phishing, OpenDNS won't take you there.
Have you ever pointed your browser to a Web site and had to wait an inordinately long time for the page — or at least the full page — to load? This kind of slow browsing experience can be traced to a variety of causes, but among the most common are problems with the servers that are responsible for actually locating all the sites you visit, your DNS (Domain Name Service) servers.
A free service called OpenDNS can not only help your browser display Web pages faster it also offers some useful fringe benefits such as address typo correction and phishing protection, plus site blocking, content filtering and more. Before we delve into how to use OpenDNS, let's briefly outline how the DNS system works for those who may not be familiar with it.
What's the Deal with DNS?
Every time you type a Web site address like www.practicallynetworked.com into your browser, that "friendly" address needs to be translated into the actual IP address for the computer hosting that site. The job of the DNS server is to take the text address you type in, look it up against a database of IP addresses, and then return the correct address to your browser so that the site can be accessed.
The DNS database is actually distributed across countless servers all over the Internet, but the specific DNS server(s) you use are generally provided by your ISP. When your router obtains its IP address information from your ISP (usually through DHCP), the addresses for the DNS servers are provided as well. These DNS server addresses are in turn passed along to each of your computers via DHCP on your own network so that they all know where to go to look up Internet addresses.
Long story short: If DNS servers get overloaded or experience other technical problems, they may take a long time to respond to lookup requests or they may not respond at all. Some ISPs are better than others when it comes to maintaining their DNS servers, but problems are not at all uncommon. Sometimes when your Internet connection seems to be down, it may be fine but simply appear down because your ISP's DNS isn't working properly.
But you don't necessarily need to use your ISP's DNS servers, which brings us back to OpenDNS. OpenDNS, which has been around for about 18 months, is a free DNS service anyone can use, and is more than likely faster and more reliable than the one you're using now. (I've been using it for almost a year now and like many others have found the performance to be excellent.)
How to Use OpenDNS
So how can you take advantage of OpenDNS? All you need to do is go is update your router's DNS settings via its administrator control panel. After you've logged into your router, look for settings related to DNS — the exact location will vary depending on your router, but you'll often find it under the LAN heading or sometimes even on the first settings page you see.
When you find the DNS configuration area, you'll probably see that it's set to automatically obtain DNS servers from your ISP. Select the option that allows you to specify your own DNS server addresses, and then enter 208.67.222.222 as the primary DNS and 208.67.220.220 as the secondary DNS (as you might guess, the secondary is used if the primary isn't available).
Your router may or may not reboot itself once you apply the new DNS settings, but in order to make sure each of your computers is using the OpenDNS servers, you should manually obtain a new DHCP address for each of them. An easy way to do this in XP is to right-click your network connection's tray icon and select Repair. In Vista, you can verify that a particular system is using OpenDNS if you see "You're using OpenDNS" message when you browse to welcome.opendns.com.)
After some time spent using OpenDNS, you should notice that your browser generally takes less time to find and display Web sites. Even if you don't see a perceptible increase in performance, you'll still be able to benefit from several security and convenience features. For starters, OpenDNS can fix typos in the URLs you type, so if you accidentally type www.practicallynetworked.cmo — or .co, or .cm — you'll still be taken to the site you intended instead of being greeted by error message, or worse, an ersatz site from Cameroon (which owns the .cm domain).
If you happen to type a nonexistent site name, instead of a not found error you'll see an OpenDNS Guide page with suggested alternate links (as well as some sponsored ones, which help keep OpenDNS free). For example, I sometimes inadvertently try to access the PracticallyNetworked.com site by typing in "pracnet.com" (PracNet is an internal nickname for the site), and when I do, PracticallyNetworked.com is first among the OpenDNS suggested links. Last but not least, using OpenDNS also gets you automatic phishing protection, so if the site you want to go to is known for phishing, OpenDNS won't take you there.
Windows 7: A Complete Survival Guide
Yet questions still remain about upgrading to the new OS, how Windows 7 works compared to Vista, and whether there will be any serious compatibility issues once Windows 7 is finally installed on computers across the United States.
There are a lot of questions out there about Windows 7, and I have answers. I've gone through the PC World vault to find all the information you need about upgrading, the pros and cons of buying a new system, Windows 7 security, and more. With this handy guide at your side, you'll be able to embrace everything Windows 7 has to offer.
Upgrade to Windows 7
Upgrading to a new Windows OS is always filled with questions, like which version of Windows 7 is for me? How much does it cost? Should I even bother upgrading at all?
Check out our Windows 7 Upgrade FAQ to read up on the numerous editions of the OS, and to find pricing information. But you may want to hold off on upgrading since Windows 7 upgrade fees could go down in the near future.
If you're still trying to decide whether the new OS is for you, here is why you should upgrade to Windows 7, and reasons why you shouldn't bother. We also have information about an online tool that tells you if your PC is upgrade-ready.
But if you're ready to make the switch, be sure you go through PC World's Windows 7 upgrade checklist, and the installation how-to guide. They can help ease you through the process. If you're a business owner, you should also read over these four tips for smooth upgrades to Windows 7.
Windows XP users may find the upgrade process too difficult, but we've got an XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade guide to make it easier. Netbook owners should also check out how you can get from XP to Windows 7 in just 30 minutes. But even if you decide to stick with XP, that doesn't mean you can't have some of the great new functionality in Windows 7. See how you can get Windows 7 features on an XP or Vista system.
Should I Buy a New System?
When Vista was released, it was clear that most users were going to need a new system to handle the OS. Windows 7, however, is supposedly designed to run on anything, and was even found to be a little bit faster than Vista in PC World's performance tests. So you may not need a new computer after all, but if you're running XP or finding the upgrade path a little too scary, maybe you should splurge on that new laptop you've had your eye on.
IT manager and PC World blogger Michael Scalisi has a great FAQ to help you through the big decision, but the Tech Inciter, David Coursey, says forget about upgrading and just buy a new computer already.
If you do decide to invest in a new machine, or even if you've upgraded, PC World's David Murphy has some tips to help you optimize your Windows 7 system.
Features, Features, Features
Windows 7 is loaded with new features and interface changes. Some you may find intuitive, while others are going to take some time getting used to. Check out Harry McCracken's list of the 10 Best Features of Windows 7, which includes Jump Lists, a better Windows Media Player, and the new taskbar. Rick Broida tells you about one-click Wi-Fi, DeviceStage, and HomeGroup. Then join Tony Bradley for his list of the best features in Windows 7. If you need more feature frenzy, how about a slideshow of the best and worst of Windows 7 and Windows 7 Server.
Windows 7 Security
Any Windows user knows you have to watch out for viruses, spyware, and worms, but Vista's security features were widely panned for being annoying. Windows 7 has toned down the warnings, but it's still got some big security features. In fact, Windows 7 may be the safest Windows OS yet. PC World's Business Center has an extensive guide to Windows 7 security like user Account Control, Fingerprint Scanner Support and data encryption. You can also check out a video tour of the improvements with Senior Editor Robert Strohmeyer.
The Best of the Rest
If you've got multiple computers in your house, then you'll want to read up on how you can take advantage of Windows 7's networking features to connect all the computers in your home. PC World also has a networking video tour taken at its Windows 7 launch party.
There's also a guide to the wide range of keyboard shortcuts in Windows 7 for quick access to common actions. If you're tired of both the mouse and the keyboard, Windows 7 also has a serviceable speech recognition tool worth checking out.
PC World also has a rundown of the good, the bad, and the unknown in Windows 7, and check out Nick Mediati's guide to how they test Windows 7 for performance speeds.
Finally, Windows 7 gives a lot in terms of new features, security improvements, and user interface tweaks, but it also demands a lot from your computer. Check out how to mitigate the seven deadly sins of Windows 7.
Not enough Windows 7 information for you? Be sure to check out PC World's Windows 7 section for more Windows-related tips, news and tweaks.
4 reasons to synchronize your phone with your PC
Think about how much you do—or could do—with your phone: make phone calls and send and receive email, IM, and text messages. You probably download TV shows, movies, and music to your phone. And of course, you take, send, and receive photos. It's truly amazing—anywhere you go, you're connected. So here's the question. If you already have everything on your phone, why sync it with your PC?
Because synchronizing your phone with your PC is the best way to transfer information, settings, and files. You keep all your information up to date. And you have it at home and at work.
Keep appointments
We're all overbooked. If you've entered an appointment or meeting into your PC and haven't synced with your phone, you could miss the appointment. If you’re scheduling appointments away from home on your phone and your phone's not synced with the up-to-date schedule on your computer, you may miss the appointment and have to call the dentist, piano teacher, or doctor to reschedule. Often, you have to pay for those missed appointments. Plus, you go through the hassle of rescheduling.
Saturday
Intel runs PC on CPU powered by solar cell
Intel shows an experimental chip that can run at under 10 milliwatts
Intel on Thursday showed an experimental low-power processor the size of a postage stamp that could run PCs on solar power.
The concept processor, code-named Claremont, can run light workloads on solar power by dropping energy consumption to under 10 milliwatts, said Justin Rattner, chief technology officer at Intel, during a keynote address at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. That is low enough to keep a chip running on a solar cell the size of a stamp.
This CPU, also called near-threshold voltage processor, may not become a commercial product, but the research could be integrated into future processors and other circuitry, Rattner said. It is part of a project in Intel Labs to reduce energy consumption five-fold on chips and to bring always-on capability to computing devices. It also will help Intel reach goals to drop power consumption when running parallel processing applications.
The chip is an experimental Pentium CPU and ran on a PC with the Linux operating system. The CPU worked in conjunction with concept DDR3 memory developed by Micron called Hybrid Memory Cube, which is seven times more power-efficient than current DDR3 memory.
The postage-stamp chip was also demonstrated on Tuesday at Intel CEO Paul Otellini's keynote at IDF. Otellini said Intel wanted to drive down power consumption of chips, and an Intel engineer demonstrated a computer running a small animation powered by a solar panel. After the solar source -- a lamp -- was blocked from the chip, the computer froze.
Today's CPUs operate several times higher than the threshold, said Shekhar Borkar, an Intel researcher, during the on-stage demonstration. At low thresholds, the CPU dropped not only power consumption, but also performance. On full power, the CPU operated 10 times faster.
The company's goal is to deliver a 300-fold improvement in energy efficiency in high-performance computing over 10 years. To illustrate the point, Borkar said that today's servers need about 200 watts of power for 100 gigaflops of performance. The company wants to drive the power consumption down to 2 watts.
Beyond fine-grained power management and efficient memory, extreme-scale computing will require better software and programming models to achieve the goal, and Intel will continue research in those areas, Borkar said.
Intel on Thursday showed an experimental low-power processor the size of a postage stamp that could run PCs on solar power.
The concept processor, code-named Claremont, can run light workloads on solar power by dropping energy consumption to under 10 milliwatts, said Justin Rattner, chief technology officer at Intel, during a keynote address at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. That is low enough to keep a chip running on a solar cell the size of a stamp.
This CPU, also called near-threshold voltage processor, may not become a commercial product, but the research could be integrated into future processors and other circuitry, Rattner said. It is part of a project in Intel Labs to reduce energy consumption five-fold on chips and to bring always-on capability to computing devices. It also will help Intel reach goals to drop power consumption when running parallel processing applications.
The chip is an experimental Pentium CPU and ran on a PC with the Linux operating system. The CPU worked in conjunction with concept DDR3 memory developed by Micron called Hybrid Memory Cube, which is seven times more power-efficient than current DDR3 memory.
The postage-stamp chip was also demonstrated on Tuesday at Intel CEO Paul Otellini's keynote at IDF. Otellini said Intel wanted to drive down power consumption of chips, and an Intel engineer demonstrated a computer running a small animation powered by a solar panel. After the solar source -- a lamp -- was blocked from the chip, the computer froze.
Today's CPUs operate several times higher than the threshold, said Shekhar Borkar, an Intel researcher, during the on-stage demonstration. At low thresholds, the CPU dropped not only power consumption, but also performance. On full power, the CPU operated 10 times faster.
The company's goal is to deliver a 300-fold improvement in energy efficiency in high-performance computing over 10 years. To illustrate the point, Borkar said that today's servers need about 200 watts of power for 100 gigaflops of performance. The company wants to drive the power consumption down to 2 watts.
Beyond fine-grained power management and efficient memory, extreme-scale computing will require better software and programming models to achieve the goal, and Intel will continue research in those areas, Borkar said.
Friday
Intel, Google team to optimize Android for smartphones
Intel and Google announced Tuesday that they would partner to optimize future versions of the Android OS for smartphones and other mobile devices using Intel chips.
Intel CEO Paul Otellini demonstrated a smartphone with the upcoming Medfield chip running on Android during a keynote at the Intel Developer Conference being held in San Francisco. However, Otellini didn't mention the version of Android running on the smartphone.
Intel wants to make x86 the architecture of choice for smartphones, and porting Android will provide a larger opportunity to the chip maker in the smartphone market, Otellini said.
"This is a significant step forward to bring Intel phones to market," Otellini said.
Intel doesn't have a presence in the smartphone market yet, but Otellini said a smartphone based on the chip would reach the market in the first quarter next year. Medfield includes a low-power Atom processor. A smartphone with the chip was due in the third quarter this year, but has been delayed multiple times. Intel also is holding a technical session at IDF to show Medfield running on tablets.
Intel and Google will work on optimizing "all" future Android releases for Intel mobile chips at the kernel level, and also in specific areas such as memory management and graphics, said Andy Rubin, senior vice president for mobile at Google, in an on-stage appearance.
Download and Install Windows 8 On a New Partition
So you want to try out Windows 8. Excellent! But you're not foolhardy enough to try using a developer preview build as your main work/play operating system--you just want to dabble. We'll show you how to download and install the Windows 8 developer's preview on to a separate partition (or separate hard drive, if you have a spare). If you don't feel like mucking your hard drive with another partition, read How To Download and Install Windows 8 to a Virtual Machine for a less intrusive way to get Windows 8 up and running on your PC.
If you have a spare hard drive lying around, this process is pretty easy: Download the appropriate Windows 8 ISO from the Microsoft Developer Network site, burn it to a DVD, turn off your PC, slap the hard drive in your case, and connect it up to your motherboard. Then you just turn your system on and either press the key that allows you to access your motherboard's boot menu (or change the boot options in the BIOS so your optical drive is recognized before your main hard drive), and you should boot off your new Windows 8 disk. From there, just fire up the Windows 8 installer, and install the operating system to your new drive.
10 best new features of Windows Server 8
If you're a large shop struggling to manage hundreds of Windows servers, Windows Server 8 should ease the job. If you're a small shop trying to squeeze high-end capability from a low-end budget, Windows Server 8 has plenty for you, too. With Windows Server 8, everything from server deployment to high availability becomes smoother and more automated.
In fact, there's so much of note in the new OS, it's almost a crime to stop at the top 10, listed below in no particular order. Believe it or not, data deduplication for production file servers, native PowerShell support in Hyper-V, and virtual Active Directory didn't even make the list. Look at it this way: There will be even more surprises in store when you finally get your hands on a Windows Server 8 beta.
Multiserver management. Server Manager not only gets a face-lift in Windows Server 8, donning the superclean Metro look, but opens the management horizon to the entire server environment. Pull in new servers (physical or virtual) to manage through Active Directory or DNS lookup, and Server Manager will inventory the server and add a new tile to the dashboard displaying its state. Other tiles roll up aggregates of information across multiple servers by server role and various attributes.
Views are search driven, so it's easy to pull up matching values across all rows. Search filters can be saved, so it's easy to create personalized dashboards or standard views for selected sets of machines. Instead of reaching across the screen to ye olde Task pane (RIP), you perform all actions directly on specific elements, by right-clicking and choosing from a contextual menu. Naturally, all of this remote, multiserver management goodness is built on PowerShell and WMI (Windows Management Interface). Considering Microsoft's boasts of 2,300 new PowerShell cmdlets, wizards should become more commonplace throughout the Windows Server ecosystem.
Tuesday
SPEEDING UP YOUR COMPUTER
Dealing with a slow computer can impact your business activities along with other things like your day-to-day internet browsing and saving some of your valuable files like pictures. If you have ever dealt with system freezes or those annoying messages that report errors when a program freezes, it is time to clean up your computer and make it run faster.
Whenever you are running the computer, make sure you don't have too many programs open. Having too many programs open at the same time will cause the computer to run slower than normal. Another reason why it may be running slower is because it may have defective hardware or it could be infected with a virus.
A simple way to make your computer run faster is to disable some of the programs on the StartUpmenu. This way the programs will remain stationary until you click on them and activate them. Another easy way to make your computer run faster is to add more RAM to it. RAM is short for Random Access Memory. This is what your computer will use to temporarily store files to keep all the open programs running properly. Having too many programs open at once will use up all your RAM, especially if you use some of the larger programs on your system like Adobe Pagemaker. Adding extra RAM to your computer will speed it up almost instantly. Adding more RAM to your system will allow the computer to have more areas to store the temporary files, allowing it the opportunity to run faster.
If you don't have enough RAM, the computer will start using your hard disk to store the data it needs. When the computer switches to the hard disk, you will have problems. Memory blocks often occur here because the computer cannot access the hard drive temporary files as quickly as it can with the RAM files. Try to keep all your programs on RAM memory versus the hard disk because the computer will need to swap back and forth from the hard drive to the RAM files, causing it to work twice as hard. When a computer is being pushed too hard, system crashes will occur and you can lose everything. Most people can get by with an extra 1 GB of RAM, but for the internet users that like to have multiple pages open at once, 2 GB of RAM is a smart decision.
Several computers run slower because of the overwhelming amount of junk files and programs that are stored on them. Most computers will come with antivirus software, but if you download your own software, you need to delete the other program or else it will just use up some of the memory you have available. Temporary internet files (cookies) can use up a lot of your extramemory and cause your system to run a lot slower. Temporary files will clutter the hard drive and cause windows to run a lot slower. If you have a virus or spyware on your computer, you can actually lose control of your Windows system.
Whenever you are running the computer, make sure you don't have too many programs open. Having too many programs open at the same time will cause the computer to run slower than normal. Another reason why it may be running slower is because it may have defective hardware or it could be infected with a virus.
A simple way to make your computer run faster is to disable some of the programs on the StartUpmenu. This way the programs will remain stationary until you click on them and activate them. Another easy way to make your computer run faster is to add more RAM to it. RAM is short for Random Access Memory. This is what your computer will use to temporarily store files to keep all the open programs running properly. Having too many programs open at once will use up all your RAM, especially if you use some of the larger programs on your system like Adobe Pagemaker. Adding extra RAM to your computer will speed it up almost instantly. Adding more RAM to your system will allow the computer to have more areas to store the temporary files, allowing it the opportunity to run faster.
If you don't have enough RAM, the computer will start using your hard disk to store the data it needs. When the computer switches to the hard disk, you will have problems. Memory blocks often occur here because the computer cannot access the hard drive temporary files as quickly as it can with the RAM files. Try to keep all your programs on RAM memory versus the hard disk because the computer will need to swap back and forth from the hard drive to the RAM files, causing it to work twice as hard. When a computer is being pushed too hard, system crashes will occur and you can lose everything. Most people can get by with an extra 1 GB of RAM, but for the internet users that like to have multiple pages open at once, 2 GB of RAM is a smart decision.
Several computers run slower because of the overwhelming amount of junk files and programs that are stored on them. Most computers will come with antivirus software, but if you download your own software, you need to delete the other program or else it will just use up some of the memory you have available. Temporary internet files (cookies) can use up a lot of your extramemory and cause your system to run a lot slower. Temporary files will clutter the hard drive and cause windows to run a lot slower. If you have a virus or spyware on your computer, you can actually lose control of your Windows system.
THE DEMAND FOR TABLET PCS
Apple released the iPad 2 and it has been on backorder for weeks since the release. Consumers hoping to purchase it at a retail store are certainly out of luck as it's not going to be there for weeks either. Right now market reports are saying the tablet PC industry is likely to surpass sales of 260 million or more.
USING INTERACTIVE VIDEO CONFERENCING IN SCHOOLS
TECHNOLOGYS able to connect people all over the world and thanks to interactive video conferencing programs schools are able to talk to one another in completely different countries. No longer will you have just a "pen pal" anymore you will actually end up with a virtual message from them and you are able to make friends clear on the other side of the planet. Thanks to technology students are truly able to see the rest of the world and to be able to connect with other cultures and to see actual places that they are studying and learning about.
There are so many amazing advantages to what video conferencing is providing to schools. Here are a just a few of the many advancements interactive video conferencing is able to provide:
There are so many amazing advantages to what video conferencing is providing to schools. Here are a just a few of the many advancements interactive video conferencing is able to provide:
- Additional course offerings. For students that have been able to excel at their current grade the video conferencing can help to provide them with advanced learning. They can use the program to learn outside of their day to day classroom learning in order to shadow college professionals and many other things. It is a great way to add more learning methods and programs to your child's education if they are not being challenged enough.
Sunday
Positive Effects of Technology on Society
Technology runs in the veins of society. It is the fuel that drives our lives. It is an integral part of daily life. It has definitely benefited society. It has brought luxury in the life of the common man. The automation brought about by technology has saved human effort and time to a large extent. It has brought distant places closer and simplified information access. Let us look at some of the important areas, where technology has brought about a positive change.
Positive Effects of Technology on Society
Technology has automated many of the critical processes in the industry as well the household. The electronic gadgets that have entered the homes of the common man have saved him from the daily household work.
The automobile industry and technology are almost interwoven. Times have witnessed this industry evolve from mechanical scooters to automated aircrafts. Animals were the only modes of transport in the olden days. Technology was the driving force behind the creation and design of the modern-day automobiles. Bicycles evolved into scooters and sports bikes. The idea of having four-wheeled modes of transport gave rise to the creation of cars. Modes of air and water transport came up, thanks to technology.
Machines have automated many of the crucial industrial processes. Machines are now taking up many of the mundane jobs that were once executed by human workers. Technology has evolved to an extent where machines can perform tasks that are physically inaccessible to man. The use of advanced technologies like robotics and artificial intelligence has proved helpful in life-risking tasks like mining and space exploration.
The computer technology, needless to say, has changed the face of the world. Computers can store, organize and manage huge amounts of data. They can process large amounts of information. Computers have given rise to the software industry, one of the most progressive industries of the world. The Internet that seeded from the computer networking concepts is the most effective communication platform and the largest information base existing today.
The Internet has brought an important positive change to the entertainment and advertising industry. Advertisements can reach the masses within seconds over the Internet. The entertainment media has progressed only because of the advancements in technology.
The digitization of information has made it possible for us to store it in a compact form. Digitization enriches the quality of information storage. Digital voice and digital images are of a higher quality. Digital cameras and digital television provide their users with an enriched picture quality, thus bettering their experience with technology.
Cellular communication has revolutionized the communication industry. The conventional telephone, also a piece of technology, was one of the earliest technological developments in communication. Mobile phones have broadened the horizons of communication by enabling convenient long-distance calling.
Satellite communication is another important dimension of technology. Satellite TVs and satellite radios have eased the broadcasting of events across the globe.
These were only a few of the fields influenced by technology. It is almost impossible to enlist all the positive effects of technology on society. This was just a glimpse of the real big picture.
Positive Effects of Technology on Society
Technology has automated many of the critical processes in the industry as well the household. The electronic gadgets that have entered the homes of the common man have saved him from the daily household work.
The automobile industry and technology are almost interwoven. Times have witnessed this industry evolve from mechanical scooters to automated aircrafts. Animals were the only modes of transport in the olden days. Technology was the driving force behind the creation and design of the modern-day automobiles. Bicycles evolved into scooters and sports bikes. The idea of having four-wheeled modes of transport gave rise to the creation of cars. Modes of air and water transport came up, thanks to technology.
Machines have automated many of the crucial industrial processes. Machines are now taking up many of the mundane jobs that were once executed by human workers. Technology has evolved to an extent where machines can perform tasks that are physically inaccessible to man. The use of advanced technologies like robotics and artificial intelligence has proved helpful in life-risking tasks like mining and space exploration.
The computer technology, needless to say, has changed the face of the world. Computers can store, organize and manage huge amounts of data. They can process large amounts of information. Computers have given rise to the software industry, one of the most progressive industries of the world. The Internet that seeded from the computer networking concepts is the most effective communication platform and the largest information base existing today.
The Internet has brought an important positive change to the entertainment and advertising industry. Advertisements can reach the masses within seconds over the Internet. The entertainment media has progressed only because of the advancements in technology.
The digitization of information has made it possible for us to store it in a compact form. Digitization enriches the quality of information storage. Digital voice and digital images are of a higher quality. Digital cameras and digital television provide their users with an enriched picture quality, thus bettering their experience with technology.
Cellular communication has revolutionized the communication industry. The conventional telephone, also a piece of technology, was one of the earliest technological developments in communication. Mobile phones have broadened the horizons of communication by enabling convenient long-distance calling.
Satellite communication is another important dimension of technology. Satellite TVs and satellite radios have eased the broadcasting of events across the globe.
These were only a few of the fields influenced by technology. It is almost impossible to enlist all the positive effects of technology on society. This was just a glimpse of the real big picture.
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