microsoft surface

microsoft surface

Author ColGlobe | 31.10.2008 | Category Computers, Innovation, Technology

By Laying a digital device on the Surface, you can exchange information

Most people don’t know it, but Microsoft actually has a computer on the market.  But don’t get excited, unless you have a lot of extra money laying around, because these aren’t the economic models we’ve gotten used to seeing.

Play games using touch, without mice or keyboards

The Microsoft Surface combines hardware and software to create a unique user experience. Aimed at commercial applications, the Surface is a “table” style computer, much like the table video games of days gone by, which looked something like an end table. But the Surface differs from those old game machines in that it is both mouse and keyboard free, but packed with cutting edge technology that allows multiple users to interact with the unit at once.

Mircosoft Surface Touch Table

One neat feature of the Surface is its ability to recognize certain digital devices by simply placing them on the tabletop, and promises such retail uses as drag and drop ringtones, and cell phone applications. AT&T provded the first test of the Surface, with future applications intended for hotels and other commercial applications.

When good websites turn bad users revolt

Author JoeDigital | 30.10.2008 | Category Canada, World Wide Web

Anyone in Canada knows when searching for a new home to use http://www.mls.ca. Well, they did, until the recent changes that have been made to “enhance” the site. But now, many of their previously dedicated users are turning elsewhere, with valid complaints about the new features that have replaced standards people have been using for years. Kludgy maps are the predominant complaint, but a look around the site reveals other changes that have been made recently which also detract from the user experience.

Recent changes to the website’s design and usability has virtually rendered the site useless leading to the revolt of many users to switch to http://www.realtylink.org . Has the internet and usability factor become so disconnected that designers and companies no longer go through user testing or beta testing? to me this is becoming more common place to see good websites take a turn for the worse. Further more is there no accountability for a site so widely used by the general public for a market that is literally worth billions of dollars?

Stereoscopic Computer Vision - Open Source Solution

Author ColGlobe | 30.10.2008 | Category Computers, Robotics, cameras

A plug in camera module and open source software and you've got stereo-vision!

Have you been considering building your own robot? Me neither. But Stanford University has a key device for doing it.. a plug in device to give stereovision to robotic contraptions.  The concept is really quite simple,, build a basic hardware configuration, and then create customizable software instead of building the vision system in an hard-wired mode.

So the controls reside in a PC, and all that’s left is to tie the coding to the device, which turns stereoscopic vision into little more than a conventional I/O routine. And to keep the idea going strong, the University has released the basic code as Open Source, which allows anyone to make the changes necessary to bend the stero vision hardware to their own needs.

Surveyor Corporation has even stepped in to make the hardware part of the combination, building a stereoscopic vision module that plugs into the robot, and is accessed wirelessly by the programmer/controller.

Windows 7 Coming Soon

Author JoeDigital | 28.10.2008 | Category Computers, Windows, World Wide Web

Windows 7 is Coming soon!

Microsoft has announced that initial testing for Windows 7 will begin early 2009, setting back the beta release date from its original october 2008 projection. For consumers, it means that there is a little longer to wait before XP can be left behind and Vista swept under the rug. The good news for everyone is that Windows 7 is promising some features that seem competitive in todays OS marketplace.

One example of this si that Windows 7 will be able to operate in today’s new geneteration of small footprint ultra miniature personal computers, a feat that is far beyond the scope of vista for any but the most scaled down uses. In fact, Windows 7 promises to provide interaction between the host computer and internet services in a hitherto unexpected way.

Another tantalizing tidbit for the next generation of Windows products are the Windows 7 versions of of Microsoft’s productivity suite of applications.  Sources report that web-based versions of Word, Exce, and Powerpoint will become available, and provide collaborative work possibilities without geographic constraints, as multiple people are able to work on a document in progress. 

Many of the suggested features of Windows 7 look very promising, but it is easy to see where Microsoft is competing with non-traditional rivals such as Google.  Only time will tell whether Microsoft is able to bridge to gap from proprietary offerings to open and available modulization, but it is nice to see the company taking strides in the right direction.

US EPA Says Dell Has Gone Green

Author ColGlobe | 27.10.2008 | Category Computers, world news

Dell is listed as running effectively on full green!

You may remember that we reported a while back that Dell had met their Carbon reduction goal 5 months ahead of time? Well, they are back in the news again, this time being recognized by the United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aas a company that has effectively achieved a zero carbon emissions footprint.

The most recent EPA Fortune 500 Green Power Challenge ranks show that the company improved its standing to No. 3, from No. 12 backin July. This putss Dell far ahead of many competitors in the Green Computing race, including HP, Apple and IBM.

In addition to reducing their own carbon footprint, Dell invests in green strategies and technologies, and even provides assistance for clients who wish to reduce their own carbon footprint and make the world a greener one. Intel ranks No. 1, and if followed by PepsiCo, a beverage manfacturing company.

Oprah Winfrey Praises Amazon Kindle

Author ColGlobe | 26.10.2008 | Category Consumer Electronics, World Wide Web

Opray Winfrey has high praise for the Kindle eBook reader

Remember the Kindle we talked about a while back, from amazon.com? It’s a state of the art eBook reader, designed to simulate actually turning pages as you read an electronic book.

Oprah Winfrey is speaking out in favor of the Kindle, claiming it is perhaps the best gadget she’s ever seen. And she’s doing it on television, in front of millions of fans who hang on everything Opray has to say.

And it even gets a little better! By typing in a code at the checkout, Oprah is giving you a $50 discount when you buy a new Kindle.  And amazon.com is recprocating the gesture, by offering 10% off on the book The Story of Edgar Sawtelle to people who take advantage of this offer.  It’s a win-win situation for anyone who has been looking for an excuse to try out electronic books the way you’ve heard about in science fiction for years.

When purchasing a Kindle from amazon.com enter this easy to remember code at checkout to get the $50 discount:

 OPRAHWINFREY

5 Disadvantages of the G1

Author ColGlobe | 26.10.2008 | Category Consumer Electronics, Technology, Telecommunications

Last time, we offered a look at one reviewer’s list of advantages that Google and T-Mobile had over Apple. Very good points were made, but there are disadvantages to the new G1 as well, and this time around we’ll take a look at that same review, to see what the 5 biggest disadvantages might be.

1. G1 is not a media player
2. G1 is less compact than iPhone
3. G1 is not ‘multi-touch’
4. The headphone jack is proprietary
5. Very low internal memory

Media Player

On the surface, this may seem to be a valid complaint, considering the focus Apple has placed on media with the iPhone. But remember, Google Android is an Open Source OS, and developers either have or will develop applications that are similar to what you’d expect from a laptop, including the ability to handle media files.

Less compact

The G1 is a bit larger than an iPhone. But it also has a slide out style keyboard, rather than being confined to the touch screen.

Multi Touch Screen

This isn’t exactly true. By default, G1 has multi-touch capability disabled, but it can be activated. And Android gets around the multi-touch by using a “sticky” approach to navigating that is also intuitive and effective.

Headphone Jack

This is one of two of these disadvantages that seems to have some merit. It seems a bit oxymoronish to create an open source operating system and that restrict access to it to proprietary connections.  As a hard-wired problem, we can only hope that adapters are released soon to compensate for this oversight.

Very Little Memory

This is perhaps the most important disadvantage, since it directly affects the operation benefits discussed as advantages. And even though you can easily us SD memory, getting a respectable sized card is going to as much as double the price of investment for the G1. But again, we should keep in mind that the G1 is meant to be an internet interactive device, and the use of web-based applications put very little demand on the device itself. By way of reference, many of the cutting UMPCs on the market have small amounts of onboard memory, but are more than capable when using applications that are not entirely based on them.

5 Advantages of the G1 and Google Android

Author ColGlobe | 25.10.2008 | Category Consumer Electronics, Telecommunications

The G1, using Google Android, offers some distinct advantages

The G1 is now on the market, and it has been eagerly awaited by many. But is it better than an iPhone? That’s a tough question to answer, as it is up against strong competition, not just from Apple, but even from the Windows Mobile OS produced by Microsoft. But we did find a review that lists five distincuishing advantages, which we will list here.

1. Keyboard
2. Expandable 
3. Compass and GPS
4. Offline Integration
5. Multitasking

Keyboard

The iPhone is super cool with its touchscreen keypad, no doubt about that. But having a real keyboard to work with is still the preferred method of data entry for most of us. The G1 comes through in tht respect, with it’s small but perfectly functional keyboard.

Expandable

A huge drawback for the iPhone is it’s inability to quickly swap batteries. The G1takes the path of a majority of cellphones, and allows the easy swapping of batteries, which can be a lifesaver if you have work to do but no available power source for recharging.  Likewise, G1 doesn’t come with a great deal of onboard RAM, but it uses SD flash memory technolgy, and that means you can add memory and storage capacity by plugging in an inexpensive card. 

Compass and GPS

GPS is not new to smartphones, or even to ordinary cellphones. But when you couple GPS with a built-in compass, and add the ability to see your location on Google Maps, new possibilities come to light. The compass allows you to orientate yourself to the maps, and getting a visual of your suooundings will make it much easier to KNOW you are looking at the right map, and how best to proceed from there.

Offline Integration

Using Google Apps, you can integrate the work you do when you are not connected with the files and data you need to access online. This is a bold and innovative step forward in mobile computing, and can go a long way towrds improving your productivity. The iPhone offers similar features, but falls far short of the integration thaat the G1 provides.

Multitasking

It has been a strange fact that Apple, which pioneered desktop multitasking, has not kept the features available at scale with the iPhone. Google’s Android, however, is a full featured operating system, and turns your mobile device into something very akin to a mini-computer. In all fairness, though, we should note that this functionality will be severely affected by the amount of memory available, and the nature of the multitasking being used.