Yahoo’s new Tool(Bar)

Yahoo’s new Tool(Bar)

Author JoeDigital | 20.12.2008 | Category Computers, Telecommunications, World Wide Web

Yahoo takes a step forward with the new Yahoo Toolbar

Yahoo gave a sneak peak at its new toolbar that allows surfers to check their email while they surf the web. A toolbar is a simple program usually in the form of a bar that sits on top of the browser allowing easier access to some programs. Toolbars are offered by many companies, what makes yahoo’s new offering different is that users will be able to access the features without leaving the web page that they are currently on. The toolbar seen as a step forward in yahoos strategy towards making its products “third party” friendly.

The toolbar is part of a series of changes being introduced by Yahoo which include a new styled inbox which resembles a social networking page including the use of third party applications. Keeping with yahoo’s previous releases, the applications will be rolled out in phased manner for its estimated 275 million users rather than at once.

The company which is in the middle of a transition, with the resignation of its CEO Jerry Yang is pursuing its open strategy in the midst of a slowing economy. The company had recently announced that it would be laying off 1500 employees

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SeaDragon: Microsoft For Iphone

Author JoeDigital | 20.12.2008 | Category Consumer Electronics, Telecommunications, World Wide Web

Introducing Microsoft's Seadragon For iPhone

A move that doesn’t come as a total surprise to industry watchers, Microsoft has introduced a free photo viewing application for the Iphone. SeaDragon Mobile the application developed by Live Labs (the same guys behind Microsoft live) makes use of the Iphone’s powerful graphic processor and the multi touch screen to view giga pixel images at very high zoom providing an incredible level of detail to the user dubbed “deep zoom”

Seadragon comes preloaded with very large images that make good use of its capabilities, the program works in conjunction with photosynth another Microsoft program that stitches pictures to produce a faux 3d panorama. Panning and zooming are taken care of by the multi touch screen and provides additional content through RSS feeds like flickr.

It is however, uncertain when the application will be released for the windows mobile format, Microsoft’s own mobile platform. Another application by Microsoft for the Iphone is stated for release next year is a voice recognition/search program.

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Text Messaging Returns To Gtalk

Author JoeDigital | 19.12.2008 | Category Computers, Consumer Electronics, World Wide Web

Recalled soon after its introduction the SMS feature on Gtalk is now working again. The bugs, which surfaced soon after the release of the feature have now been removed and “texting” is now set to be a permanent feature on gtalk.

The texting feature, which allows users to send SMS messages through Gchat, maintaining the continuity of the conversation. The feature can be accessed by going into the “labs” and enabling SMS (default is off). After that it’s simply a matter of typing the phone number and hitting send. Text messages first go to the google servers and then to the cell phone and as such receivers receive messages from 406 area code. Spokespersons from google said that each phone has an individual 406 number and so replies will not be misplaced, the number can even be bookmarked for future messages to the same individual.

The feature is currently being offered only in the US markets where more than 200 Billion texts were sent during the third quarter making texting more popular than making calls.

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Don’t “;-)” at Me!

Author JoeDigital | 18.12.2008 | Category World Wide Web, world news

A russian entrepreneur has announced that he has trademarked the “wink” emoticon, and claims to have been the first to put it into use. But if you like to wink a lot when you send texts or email, don’t fret. This generous genius of “net speak” allows that non-commercial use will still be allowed, free of charge or license. Well now, isn’t that just great!

Corporations who use this emoticon, which is perhaps one of the best known character “faces” used in internet dommunications, will have to pay a yearly licensing free of approximately $10,000. Well, it is pretty easy to see how he justifies calling himself an entrepreneur, but foresee a long and expensive battle to secure such a widely used symbol. This is especially true when you consider that one of the definitions of a trademark is a symbol, word, or phrase which is used to represent a company or idea.

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The Better Browser Battle

Author JoeDigital | 15.12.2008 | Category Computers, World Wide Web

If news is to be believed, chrome will soon be coming out of beat and onto final release. In a letter to the chromium development site Google outlined its requirements and objectives. Though no timelines were mentioned it is clear that things should start happening soon.

Though firefox is tremendously popular is doesn’t have what it takes to be in a power struggle for market share and browser supremacy. Money, being the main requirement which firefox doesn’t really have, not like Microsoft and Google anyway. Everyone knows that the reason firefox got popular was because Google paid major $$ to anyone who would bundle Google toolbar along with firefox. Forefox never had the kind of money to have its software bundled on pc’s like dell and hp which are loaded with programs from companies with money to put them there.

So this would be the first time after the Microsoft-netscape battle that I.E has got a serious threat on its turf.

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Open Source = Open Market?

Author JoeDigital | 14.12.2008 | Category Computers, World Wide Web

There may be just one Android phone in existence right now, but the Open Handset Alliance – the Google-backed group behind Android – is already welcoming new faces.

Today the organization announced that 14 new companies had joined the consortium, with an eye to supporting Android and contributing to the group’s open mobile standards:

The new members are: AKM Semiconductor Inc., ARM, ASUSTek Computer Inc., Atheros Communications, Borqs, Ericsson, Garmin International Inc., Huawei Technologies, Omron Software Co. Ltd, Softbank Mobile Corporation, Sony Ericsson, Teleca AB, Toshiba Corporation and Vodafone.

The addition of ARM – which provides chips for most of the mobile market – is massively important, as is the addition of Vodafone, which has huge global reach for an operator. Along with existing members like HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Broadcam, Qualcomm and others, that means there aren’t big names groups which aren’t part of the OHA.

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Chrome Versus Firefox

Author JoeDigital | 13.12.2008 | Category Computers, World Wide Web

Google Chrome vs. Mozilla Firefox

On Tuesday, Mozilla released Firefox 3.1 beta 2 and Google released Chrome 0.4.154.33, so it’s time for the latest installment of JavaScript performance testing.

Here’s the highlight: Though Firefox remains the leader on the SunSpider test, with a score of 2,110, Chrome edged very close with 2,140. A lower score is better; because of some variation in results, the numbers I quoted are an average of several runs.

Firefox beats out Google Chrome-- by a small margin

Firefox and Chrome aren’t the only browsers out there, but they’re interesting to compare for a few reasons. First, they’re both open-source projects launched to shake up the establishment with new ideas about the browsing experience. Second, given that philosophical alignment, they’re likely to appeal to the same early-adopter crowd. Finally, both have new JavaScript engines, Chrome’s V8 and Mozilla’s TraceMonkey, which in the new beta is switched on by default.

JavaScript is used to build sophisticated Web sites such as Gmail or Google Docs, but it’s also widely used for more ordinary operations, so faster JavaScript performance is desirable. One interesting possibility Google has raised for Web applications though is to bypass JavaScript altogether and use Google’s new Native Client software, a research project that lets Web-based software run closer to the speeds of regular software on a computer.

Results of Chrome/Friefox Javascript comparison

The usual caveats: your mileage may vary. JavaScript is only one aspect of Web browsing performance, and indeed of browsers overall. Also, this software is still in beta, Chrome in particular a developer beta.

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America Considers Free Internet

Author JoeDigital | 06.12.2008 | Category Computers, World Wide Web

The topic has bubbled up in the news before and lately it has returned: auction airwaves to the highest bidder with the stipulation that 25 percent of those airwaves are used for free internet access.

Free internet sounds like a great deal, but some, mostly cell phone companies, don’t like the idea. T-Mobile, for instance, claims the free-access airwaves would somehow interfere with its own spectrum. Kevin Martin, an FCC chairman, says this would not be an issue.

Martin’s proposal has another factor that has free speech advocates cringing: he wants to censor the free internet by blocking porn and other content deemed offensive.

While many like the idea of free internet access, it is unlikely the proposal will pass. Even so, America can cling to hope that a Martin and other at the FCC will continue to push for free internet.

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Personalize Your Google Search

Author JoeDigital | 05.12.2008 | Category Computers, World Wide Web

Google is offering account holders another great feature to add to the impressive collection already available. Google search users now have the ability to personalize their search results when using SearchWiki, launched by Google on November 20^th. According to a Google blog, you can “customize search by re-ranking, deleting, adding, and commenting on search results.” If you often search for the same topic, you can rearrange the results list, even adding personal notes to remind you what you did or did not like about a site.

Within the search results, users will notice small images (buttons) that allow you to move a result up or down, and another that will let you add comments about the site.

This feature is only available to users when logged in to their Google account. The details of your SearchWiki are saved within your account, and as with most Google features, it travels with you if you use more than one computer. While the changes you make only apply to your account, a community is available that allows you to see notes from other users on different SearchWikis.

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Internet is GOOD for kids

Author JoeDigital | 02.12.2008 | Category Telecommunications, World Wide Web

Back then parents, especially those that fall in the really older generation get so worked up with television, radio, videogames and other forms of media and how they can supposedly affect their children’s behavior and social development. Basically the said problem is supposedly caused by addiction which later on prevents kids and teenagers from engaging in more productive activities.

Fortunately, a $3.3 million three year study the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation says that the internet is actually good for children and teenagers alike. According to the study, those seemingly wasted hours of surfing the internet or chatting with friends actually help its young surfers develop social both social and technical skills that will later on be of use to them in the future.

Considering the fact that many significant networks are being formed online as they are offline, and that most activities today involve online integration, the use of the internet can actually help kids get accustomed to the fields where they are most likely going to find success.

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