I’ve thought for 5 minutes and can’t come up with a snappy title for this entry.

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I’ve just had a sudden thought that made me question everything I have been basing my life around for the past 5 or 6 months.  Up until now, I have been convinced the Google is going to rule the world in the near future.

The reason is that they do everything; or they have come up with programs that do everything.  I think I may have all of the information that has to do with my life logged somewhere in Google’s servers somewhere.  This doesn’t concern me very much.  I am not a very paranoid person.  But up until now I’ve always thought that eventually, Google would take the place of every company and just rule the world.

I read an article, however, that made me take pause. It discussed Google’s difficulties with it’s line of televisions software called Google TV.  Now, when it first came out, this software was supposed to be able to search your cable TV listings, DVR device, AND scour the internet for whatever you were in the mood for.  So, for instance, if I typed in “Kevin Bacon,” it would find Footloose playing on WGN at Saturday at 4pm, the “Inside the Actor’s Studio with Kevin Bacon” that I recorded a few days ago, and 500 “Kevin Bacon” impersonations on YouTube.  I could, then, choose which I wanted to watch.

It was ingenious.

The problem is, the network stations didn’t like that you would be able to access their webpages and view their streaming web TV shows from your television set.  I guess they still only want you to watch TV shows on the web from your computer.  They blocked their websites (along with HULU) from allowing Google TV to access them.  This made Google TV a glorified TV guide and YouTube search.

This wouldn’t be a big deal for the Google of the past; in the past, Google has released a product that didn’t necessarily work perfectly and slowly, over the course of a year or 2, improved it with the help of users and suggestions.  The problem is that Google couldn’t just put this product on the web and have people use it for free while they test it.  This was a device that had to be installed into televisions and sold to consumers who were expecting a finished product, not a test product.

This is where Google, if they are going to want to enter into people’s homes, is going to need to step up their game.  They’re not going to be able to release a product as soon as the idea is conceived and improve it over time.  They are going to have to create, flesh out and solidify their idea before going forth into the marketplace.  They are going to need to begin to rely on partnerships with other companies; they’re not going to be able to work within their own community, not talking to other manufacturers or developers. 

Technology is one arena where there seems to be more “flops” than “flys” in general, but if Google wants to have more “flys” in the consumer market, they’re going to have to start thinking of their customers as “consumers” and not “product testers.”

 

P.S.  This will be my last long-form post for the next week and a half.  I will be updating my technology twitter feed with short technology articles and links that I find interesting with my comments.  Follow me at @ianyoungopinion

Pop into Pop-Up Video

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Let’s go back in time.  A long time ago, around the year 2000, the internet was a very different place.  It was a land of bright, neon-colored, pieced-together websites.  It was a wild west.  It was disorganized. 

Well, compared to today, it was disorganized.  And it was messy.  At the tops of every webpage, it seemed, were advertisements, in a big block, about something having nothing to do with the website you were on.  And in addition to those, the pop-ups.  The dreaded pop-ups.  Sometimes, when entering a web space, there would suddenly be 8 advertisements competing for your attention like little children straining to be the first one to break the piñata at your next-door neighbors loud birthday party….phew.  Anyway.

It was miserable.  You NEVER clicked on the advertisements because you never WANTED anything they had to offer.

Recently, though, that has begun to change, thanks to cookies and internet sites’ abilities to cater the cookies to the needs of their website.  Let’s start with cookies.

Cookies are files that are stored on your computer.  When you visit, let’s say, Amazon, the website tells your computer to make a cookie file with certain information.  While you are at that site, they edit the file with information about your visit.  What products you looked at; what products you purchased; they even store an encrypted version of your password that only they have access to (if you ask them to).

This is done for almost all websites.  Recently, companies, such as Google, have started trying to look at the different cookies you have collected so that they can better cater their experience to what you may want or need.  If you’ve searched for kitchen appliances, you may want to go to Sears.  This is all done, in their words to try to make your experience more enjoyable and easy.

Recently, there has been talk at the FTC to introduce legislation requiring the installation of a “do not track” feature into your internet browser.  Many feel that these companies, since they do not ask your permission to place these cookies on your computer, are spying on you.  Many would say, they are basically acting like a person who follows you around the mall and sees what stores you go into, only to try to sell you something.

It seems to me that, in a country that seems to agree with a “smaller government” point of view (if only based on the last election), more enforcement by the FTC into the internet is the opposite of what we desire.  Many people enjoy that Amazon can recommend books you may like, based on what you’ve previously looked at.  I know I enjoy the advertisements I see that are actually relevant to me, instead of annoying pop-ups of the internet of yesteryear  And this isn’t even an issue that they NEED to enter into as you can delete the cookies or DISABLE cookies in Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera or Netscape Navigator.

Many people are want there to be a mandatory disabling of all tracking on the internet for all companies, but options available to individuals, we don’t need government intervention.  As this is a major way that companies can get advertisers to use their websites (and since all websites can’t just start charging more for usage), we’ll be back to advertisements that are random, annoying and do not help you find the things you really want on the internet. 

I understand people’s nervousness about tracking on the internet, but if you disable cookies and you’re still concerned, remember, websites can only track the information you give them.

A Cloud with Silver Lining

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A few years ago, I would hear talk of “the cloud.”  It would change the world.  The cloud was a concept where your personal files were stored on the internet, at another location in the world, in order to be accessed from any computer that had an internet connection.  For many people, the closest they’ve gotten to a “cloud computing” experience has been posting pictures on Facebook that you could view from a friend’s computer.  But this is changing.

The cloud concept isn’t just being able to SEE files online, but to EDIT files online.  This has been done most visibly with Google Docs.  Google Docs allows you to open, edit and save your files into your own personal account online.  You can also give permission for other people to view, or even edit, those files online WHILE you are accessing them.  That means that if you are conferencing with them on the phone and decide to change anything in the file, they will be able to see your edits AS YOU DO THEM. 

This has been hugely productive for organizations with employees spread across the country.  But for people who use their computer for playing games, writing files or surfing the net, they have been largely left out of this “cloud computing concept.

Not anymore.

Last week, Google announced plans to release their Chrome OS (operating system).  This will be an operating system, like Windows or Apple, that is based in the cloud.  That means that you will, with any computer running this OS, be able to log into your OWN personal account (likely your Google Account) and the desktop, applications and files will be those that you have previously selected or worked on.  If you bought a copy of Bejeweled 3, typed up your doctoral thesis and like that wallpaper of a kitten hanging from a tree, that is what will show up on that computer. 

This is very helpful if you have more than one computer like a laptop, a desktop, a work computer or even smartphone.  You won’t have to keep a flash drive with you at all times with the files you need to have.  They will be stored on your online account.  All those bookmarked websites on your browser: stored; your music: stored; your pictures: stored; all of this accessible from any computer.

Now, Google Chrome OS will not be available until next Summer, but I have been using a Cloud OS on my laptop that I think will be similar to what the Chrome OS will be like.  It’s called Jolicloud and, while I don’t recommend you install the OS and go crazy without first knowing what you are doing, I recommend you check out the look of it.  The main layout reminds me of the iPad, with program icons and organization tabs.  It runs really well on my laptop and, maybe after more time playing with it, I’ll let you know my full thoughts.

In closing, I believe that “cloud computing” is here to stay and that you will be hearing more and more about it as time goes on; this is especially true with the release of Chrome OS next summer.  I imagine that I could enjoy living in a world where I don’t need to carry cd's, dvds or flash drives in my bag.

Is that Debit or Credit…or both?

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New technology is coming out that will make it easier on your wallet if you’re one of those people with more than one credit card.

A startup company, Dynamics, has released a concept credit card that would allow more than one account to be accessed by one card.  This would allow a credit card, debit card, store card, gas cards or even gift card to occupy one magnetic strip on one card.  A user would select which account they would want to use and the card would “change” the information on the magnetic strip.

There would be security for these cards, since you don’t want one person to have access to 5 accounts by stealing ONE card.  The card would digitally hide part of the account number and only reveal it after inputting a code into the card, almost like a pin.  You can see the card concept with the part of the cared number that would change and hide depending on which account you access.

This type of technology would be very convenient if, given there are enough security features, people could use the card as a drivers’ license, ID card, credit card, SS card or other options.  The ease of only having one card to carry around is something often discussed or used in science fiction texts and movies, but never fully realized in the real world. 

There would, of course, be real security concerns that I’m not addressing that WOULD need addressing, but I feel, as long as techniques like pin numbers are used, these can be solved easily.

Below, you can see a video of a representative from the company giving an overview of the possibilities of the card.

No Crowds, No Bandwidth…WHAT TO DO?

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The Friday after Thanksgiving is commonly referred to as Black Friday, where people go insane and destroy each others’ bodies in order to procure deals on Christmas presents.  The Monday after Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is referred to as Cyber Monday, where people put off their jobs by going online and trying to find deals without the danger of bodily injury.

As much as we may feel tempted to be participants in this “herd behavior,” the Cyber Monday concept is no longer relevant.  A little history:

Cyber Monday was coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation.  They discovered that in 2004, online sales had risen 74%, and decided that creating a marketing day where sales could be had for online retailers would give them a little extra income.  There has been an online “Cyber Monday” established every year since.

But do not feel as if you’re missing out if you neglected to sneak onto Amazon.com during work today.  People actually started using the Monday after holiday to shop online at work because, in 2005, fast broadband internet wasn’t very common in most households.  Most people found it easier to use their company’s faster connections to do their shopping.

Since then, internet access has soared in the United States.  Approximately 77% of people in the United States have internet service.  Because of this, online retailers, hoping to stem the problem of their site crashing because of too much traffic, started online sales last Monday, and it doesn’t look like their going to start increasing prices drastically in the next couple days.  The same goes with most “free shipping” deals.

So, don’t worry if you missed the deals today.  There are many retailers still having deals on their sites and most offer free delivery for Christmas until December 15.  Two weeks, but remember to breathe.

And you can find links to my favorite online retailers on the right column of this blog

Don’t listen to those commercials on Fox News

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Often on Fox News, I see commercials warning viewers that if their computer is running slow, they may have TONS of viruses.  While this may be true in some cases, a more likely one is that you have dozens of programs starting when your computer boots up.  These programs usually run in the background, without your knowledge, using valuable memory that could make programs you actually want to use run slower.

A free solution that I found is Soluto: Anti-Frustration Software.  This product allows you to see all of the programs that start up when your computer boots.  It offers three categories for these applications: No-Brainer (things you can usually remove from the boot sequence), Potentially removable (which is only suggested for ‘advanced users’) and Cannot be removed with Soluto (which are things you should stay away from). 

After you first install the program, it will ask you to reboot your computer so that it can analyze all the programs that start.  After it analyzes (which can sometimes take a few minutes depending how slow your computer is and how many programs boot up), it will show you a list of the categories of programs.

For each of the applications in each of the categories, the program will give you a description of the program, a recommendation and advice about what OTHER users did for THEIR computers.  Under “advanced,” it will give you more information, if you’re curious. 

Now, I check my boot applications every month or so, but even so, I found that I was able to trim 20 seconds off of my boot time.  If you haven’t done something like this, and find your computer being slower than it used to be, try this and let me know how it helped.

You can leave me a Google Voice message by clicking on the link to the right, or email me at ianchristopheryoung@gmail.com to let me know if it helped, if you have any questions or suggestions about the blog.

P.S.  This program will run every time you reboot your computer as it controls what applications run and don’t run.  Don’t worry. 

Just a short reminder to start the week:

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With news like THIS being released, during this holiday season, make sure that any retail website that you input credit card information or personal information has an “HTTPS” at the beginning of the web address. 

This is a notification to you that your information is being encrypted and kept safe from hackers by professional security companies. 

No one wants to wake up Christmas morning with a charge from Milan for a week-long stay in a bungalow they did not get to experience.

Why you should care if someone took a shower

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As an early adopter of Twitter, I’ve often been asked why I would care to know when my friends take showers or go to the bathroom, or if I really think people care what type of sandwich I make for lunch.  It’s at those moments when I simply smile, say something about “the future of technology” and tell myself that I am so much smarter than they are.

People who don’t use Twitter, still think of it as the social network it was when it was born in the summer of 2006.  In those four years, it has turned into one of the number one product promotions utilities on the web.  From airlines to retail stores, companies are using Twitter more and more to let their most devoted consumers know about deals, discounts and sales on all types of products.  If you think Twitter is for self-obsessed weirdoes, you’re the one missing out.

Since 2006, Twitter has gone from “narcissistic message tack board” to “company announcement billboard.”  The great thing about Twitter, is the requirement to create short, “to the point” messages that can be read quickly by “followers.”  For a company promoting a day-long sale, new product, or “last minute meet-up,” this is a great way of letting the people who WANT to know, know.

For example, last March JetBlue announced that they would be giving out 1000 free round-trip tickets to three destinations, if their Twitter followers met them at a location in Manhattan.  Walmart frequently announces daily specials multiple times a day to their followers.  Using their official Twitter account, the FDA lets followers know about any product recalls that they are announcing.

Organizations are frequently seeing the benefits that this direct connection can have with their customers.  Comcast has a dedicated team of 15 people who answer concerns and problems brought to their attention by customers over Twitter.  There are even CEOs of companies who, while not necessarily responding to your tweets directly, allow their customers to develop what seems to be a more personal relationship with the company and upper management.

Twitter even allows emergency workers, researchers and news agencies to understand and respond to natural disasters and armed conflicts through analysis of multiple Twitter users, location and timestamps.  By analyzing multiple Twitter messages that are posted, scientists can understand how an earthquake may have damaged certain areas of a city or where an armed conflict may have started or begun spreading to.

Mostly for the casual user of Twitter, it can help with finding deals and products that you may need or want; this is especially true for the holiday season.  So, my suggestion is to create an account for yourself, “follow” the Twitter accounts of favorite stores or product companies, and wait for the deals to roll in.  Because in an economy like we are in right now, companies are looking for any way to get your attention.

Don’t repair that 6 month old product, just buy a new one…

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In years, decades and centuries past, the products that humanity made were able to be repaired, when broken.  A toy stopped working: you replaced the batteries; clothes had a hole: get a patch and sew them up; lawn mower not running: you most likely fiddled with the carburetor.  Even if a product couldn’t be repaired by yourself at home, the owner had options of where to get it repaired: officially at the retailer, or at an independent shop owned by someone who knew what they were doing. 

When my car breaks down, there are still independently owned businesses that can look at it and fix it (usually for cheaper than the dealer).  If I have a watch that stops working, I know that I would never be able to change the battery myself, so I go to an independent jeweler.  The same goes for almost any other type of product; the thing I do not do, however, is just throw it away and buy a new one.

That rule does not apply for our current, and approximately last 2 or 3, generation of technology products.

Now, I understand that much of the technology that we use these days is WAY too complicated to tinker with and fix by the home user.  Most are circuit boards and solder that I would NEVER get my fingers CLOSE to touching.  BUT, many of these products have storage devices, memory devices and batteries installed in them.  These devices should be EASY for someone to be able to switch and replace.

Instead, devices like MP3 players, cellular phones and tablet computers do not allow their owners to swap devices for larger capability.  This is ESPECIALLY the case for Apple products.

I have an Apple iMac computer for recording music.  It was the EASIEST computer to set up.  The problem with these products is that they are NOT easy to upgrade. 

Think of an iPhone. 

The “owner” is not able to replace the battery themselves.  The owner is not able to expand the storage space of the device.  If the owner needs to replace the battery, they can take it in to an Apple store and the device will be available in 3 days if you pay $83 for a battery that costs $30 online.  If the owner does it themselves, at home or at a third-party provider?  If you tinker with your device by opening or trying to open the device, Apple will void your warranty and will not look at your product for any repair afterwards.

And this is not just Apple.  Most technology companies have stickers on their devices that are placed over the screws to open it that say that by removing this sticker, you are voiding any warranty that the device has and it will not be serviced by the company.  So, if you change your own battery, then months later your screen won’t turn on, they won’t look at it.

Why do they do this?  Well, if you can’t upgrade or replace yourself, you will be more likely to purchase another one.  But that will be when prices for the device have come down to a normal range…BUT WAIT!  A NEW and IMPROVED device (with features that really SHOULD have been on the last version) is available for $200 more than the replacement, plus it has all the newer features.

Do you see?  You get a brand new product instead of buying replacement parts for the old, the company gets you to buy the new device at “new product prices” and…meh, recycling, trash, environmental waste?  Who cares.  I live in America.  I don’t want last year’s version; people will think I’m a dork.

And the world turns.

Some Important Information for Uninformed Parents about What Information Your Kids Should Share Online

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I’ve never truly understood parents who get upset that their kids are putting all their personal information on Facebook, when they allow their children to have computers in their bedrooms.  Parents: FAMILY computers should be in family areas where everyone has access and in full view of the family.  Not in household “offices,” where the doors can be locked; not in your kids’ bedrooms.  And they shouldn’t have internet on their phones, either.  I’m just saying.

Now that I’ve spouted out my pet peeves, today iKeepSafe and the organization, Connect Safely, released A PARENTS' GUIDE TO FACEBOOK.  In it, they go into detail about what Facebook is, why it’s so popular, if it’s ‘safe’ and how to optimize Facebook for children.

KEEP IN MIND: IF YOUR CHILD IS ON FACEBOOK AND THEY ARE YOUNGER THAN 13, THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW.  THEY HAVE LIED TO THE COMPANY ABOUT THEIR AGE AND THAT IS A VIOLATION OF THE CONTRACT YOUR CHILD “AGREES” TO.  IF YOU SIGNED YOUR OWN CHILD UP FOR FACEBOOK AND THEY ARE YOUNGER THAN 13, YOU ARE A BAD EXAMPLE.

Since the guide above is around 35 pages (it offers great information and I truly suggest you sit down and read it if you’re uninformed about Facebook.  Heck, read it if you know EVERYTHING about Facebook), they offer a very convenient SHORT GUIDE with suggested settings for teenagers and even for adults who want to know how to keep their information private.

I VERY STRONGLY suggest that anyone look it over.  Especially for young teens, but even for adults, in this day and age, we want our friends to know about our lives.  It connects us to each other.  However, we must realize that in some instances, we don’t want our fellow employees and employers to know everything we do outside of the office.  The internet should allow us to be able to be more honest with each other, but it shouldn’t take away our privacy.

The Merging of Products

I’m sorry that I have been sporadic in my postings, lately.  I have been feeling run down and have had some bad days the last few weeks.  I am hoping that, as I have been feeling a ton better as of late, I will be more consistent.

As I recently purchased a new phone, I was looking into the features found in certain phones.  (Full disclosure, I purchased a Google phone, the DroidX)  I had a Zune music player, GPS unit and phone that I had to carry in and out of my house every time I went somewhere.  After my GPS was stolen, I wanted to consolidate some products.

The great thing about current phones is that they can take the place of most music players, laptops, schedulers and, recently, GPS units.  Many phones come with online directions through MapQuest or Google Maps.  Recently, however, Google has released a Beta version of a product called Google Navigation.

As opposed to most phone map applications, which offer step-by-step directions to a destination, Google Navigation offers real-time, turn-by-turn directions, just like current GPS units.  That is the main reason why I switched from my Blackberry phone to Google, and I couldn’t be happier.

So, my advice these days is, if you are in the market for a GPS unit, music player or phone to look into combining them into one unit.  I would have told you to get individually devoted products a few years ago, but phone technology is getting so that music and GPS technology in phones is getting as good as that in individual products.

Now we see how these issues impact the real world...

In a related story to my "online television" article from earlier in the week, an argument is happening between News Corporation and Cablevision, a cable provider in New York. The argument is this:

News Corporation is charging more money so that Cablevision can air channels that News Corporation owns like Fox Sports, Fox News and local fox affiliates (as most metro-Detroiters know it as Fox2). Cablevision doesn't see this as fair, one reason among many being that you can watch Fox2 over the air for Free with an antenna. Recently, with a few companies buying up a lot of channels, there are some companies that own MANY channels, thus think they can charge more to air on different cable providers. Then we have cable providers wanting to be cheap and using their customers as leverage.

This has happened in New York City. Cablevision and News Corporation have stopped airing their channels for customers; during a time that the New York Yankees are in the Championship series and during New York Giant's season. There is also fear that Cablevision will not be able to air Fox shows like HOUSE and GLEE. I imagine that as we continue on this course, this type of situation will not just become routine for New York every time a cable company has to renegotiate contracts with channel providers, but for our area, as well.

I view that as a positive for online video. If my cable company stops airing Fox channels, I can still access FOX.COM online to view their shows. But there becomes a problem with network neutrality if my internet company starts blocking FOX.COM or any other websites.

That's why these issues are important.

An exciting new frontier in Entertainment

The exciting thing about our new faster internet is the ability to watch video in real-time. What I mean by real-time is that it doesn't have to "buffer" or doesn't stop in the middle of viewing to "catch up."

With this development, many television studios and channels have begun offering entire episodes of their current shows to view for free from their websites. This is wonderful for the person who accidentally forgot to record desired program, or doesn't have a recording device for their cable service. This is even MORE convenient for the person who chooses to not have a cable service at all in their home.

The problem is that viewing television shows from a computer in an office is not as relaxing as a living room. Well, why not connect your computer to your television screen?

Most mid-level HDtvs come with inputs for PC video and PC audio. It's only a matter of connection. With a PC connected to your television and a wireless keyboard and mouse, you can use websites like HULU, TV.COM, ABC.COM, NBC.COM, CBS.COM, FOX.COM and many others to catch your favorite television shows. For those of you who need your cable news fix, but don't want to pay for the cost of cable, CNN, FOX NEWS and MSNBC have many of their daily and weekly shows online for viewing, as well.

Now, granted, most television shows aren't usually able to be seen until the day or week after being aired, but if you're like me and don't usually end up watching your shows on the day they air, this is a great cheap way of getting a basic cable experience for the cost of a computer you have lying around. All you need extra is a wireless keyboard and mouse.

In the coming posts, I'll let you in on a few secrets to getting the full experience out of a PC television or a Home Theater PC (HTPC).

Subscription vs. Ownership

Subscription vs. ownership: is there even an argument? Wouldn't ownership trump subscription every day? You OWN it. The devil is in the details, though. There are benefits for each.

Lets use the example of music. Let's use the two main examples of the subscription and purchase method: Apple iTunes and the Microsoft Zune Marketplace. (Did you really think that this wouldn't come down to a fight between Apple and Microsoft?)

iTunes is probably the most well-known digital music store. Usually for around 99 cents, you can purchase any song you wish, as long as it is in their catalog. This will allow you to download that file, place it on any computer you want, any music device you want or burn it to as many music cds as you want. If you have $14 in October, you can purchase 14 songs and have those songs in November and December even if you have no more money, because you OWN them.

On the other hand, we have the Zune Marketplace. Zune is Microsoft's version of the iPod, and the marketplace is their version of the iTunes store. Microsoft, though, offers ownership for around 80 cents a song, but they also offer a subscription service for $14 a month. With that $14, the subscriber can download as many songs as they want that are available on the Marketplace, listen to those songs on up to 3 computers and listen to them on their Zune music players. So, instead of having 14 songs, you could have thousands.

There is an asterisk, though. You do not own the music with the subscription service. The way the music files are programmed, you DO download them to your computer, but if you do not pay your subscription cost, the music file no longer works for you. So, if you have $14 in October, you can download a thousand songs, but NOT have those songs in November and December if you can't pay the monthly subscription fee.

Is this a stupid way of doing business? Not if you're a person who likes to download new music and songs recommended by friends without first listening to it. Myself, I am something of a music-hoarder, who tries to listen to every new song, band or genre of music. It's difficult for me in an environment like iTunes, because I want to listen to EVERY song and it's hard for me to choose ONE new album. For others, they may only WANT one album a month, or listen to one or two artists, so that $14 a month would be wasted. Also, there are problems: if you have an iPod, it will not work with Zune Marketplace and the other way around. So, before you think about which music device to purchase, think about the options for your music collection.

Are you a music hoarder like me, or a little more restrained and specific about your music choices? The answer may help you decide between iTunes and Zune.


P.S. There are many other subscription services like Rhapsody and even subscription RADIO services that are cheaper, like Pandora. You can also purchase music from Amazon, very easily.

Kindle vs. iPad

Over the past year, I have used the Kindle as my sole device for books and newspapers. Over the course of this time, people have stopped me to ask how I like the device. "I love it," I'll say. But recently people have been asking if I've thought about getting an iPad instead. There are several reasons why I have not thought seriously about getting an iPad yet. As we're going down the pros and cons, keep in mind, entry cost for Kindle is $139 and entry cost for iPad is $499.

The Kindle and iPad differ in one very large and specific way: the screen that is used to display text: Kindle uses E-ink technology, and iPad uses a standard LCD screen. An LCD screen is just like your computer screen, a pixel is shown a certain color and a light shines behind it to illuminate it. This allows you to see multiple colors and read the screen in the dark. In contrast, the Kindle uses e-ink which uses pixels (same as the iPad) that only have two sides, white and black. This allows the page to "change" but keep the same "visual texture" as a real book. No light is shined behind the pixel, so external light (like a lightbulb) is needed.

A benefit of having the iPad screen is that you can read it in the dark, but, like a computer monitor, if you read it a long time, your eyes can get strained by the light. If you want to read longer, the Kindle replicates a book perfectly and allows a user to read for as long as they would normally for a book. The only catch: you need to have a light.

Now, I use my Kindle for books and newspaper subscription. The kindle comes with a 3g internet subscription with AT&T (which is free) that allows you to download books from the online store wherever you may be. In addition to buying books, if you have a newspaper subscription, a new edition of the paper is delivered wirelessly every morning to your device. It is very convenient. Most books are $9.99, including books that are only out in hardcover. If you think that most hardcover books are $25, this is a great deal.

The iPad's bookstore also sells books mostly for $9.99. For magazines or papers that use more diagrams and color pictures, the iPad is better for these circumstances. The iPad is also a great device for internet browsing and things besides reading.

I have thought about purchasing an iPad for my kitchen as a recipe device. Video recipes and color pictures of herbs and spices would really work for my uses, I think. Right now, though, most of my internet browsing can be done easily with my computer or my smart phone, so those uses are redundant with an iPad. I also can't get past the perfect size of the Kindle for reading; the iPad is almost 33% bigger than my Kindle.

The Kindle is a perfect device for those who want to use it just for reading. If you want more internet accessibility and applications for other uses, the iPad would be more of your taste. But remember, for reading in the sun, the iPad has terrible glare; for reading at night, the Kindle needs a light.

Oh, it's the Blu-Ray

For those of you thinking about investing in a Blu-Ray player, there are things you need to consider. Blu-Ray players not only play Blu-Ray discs, some offer the opportunity to download updated special features for your movies, stream movies from online sources and play files from an external hard drive. These features are dependent upon which blu-ray player you desire to purchase for the price.

A great basic blu-ray player is Panasonic's DMP-BD45. This player has basic blu-ray playback with DVD upconverting. (For those of you who don't know, dvds are usually at a resolution of 480p. HD video is 1080p. Upconverting makes your dvds look better on your HDTV) It has surround sound output and only costs around $150.

For those of you who want more features with your blu-ray player, LG's BD590 can be had for $350. Along with a blu-ray player, this player comes with access to Youtube, Picasa web picture album, Netflix, Pandora, Vudu and includes a 250GB hard drive for any movie files you want to add directly to it. It comes with a USB drive so you can access any videos on an external hard drive. Except for the PS3, this is my recommendation for people who want it all.

Lastly, though, is the PLAYSTATION 3. For the cost and features, this is truly the deal. For the smaller hard drive (160GB), the device is only $300. In additon to playing Netflix, Youtube, CNN video, Comedy Central and many other videos that you can find online, this is the only video gaming device that can play blu-ray discs. So, for $300, not only do you get a wonderful blu-ray player, but you have the ability to play the newest and most advanced video games to come out on a console.

Am I biased? I do only own one of the three options I wrote about above, but I understand some of the needs that a consumer may have. I also know that not everyone NEEDS to have all the bells and whistles. Hopefully, I have provided a little information about some of the options that are available to you for blu-ray devices. I have provided a link below for the best blu-ray players for certain situations, if you desire to look more.

And please, if you have any ideas or questions about something you'd like me to explain for you involving technology, let me know. I would be more than happy to spout off!





FOR MORE IDEAS, CLICK HERE

Online Storage

Now, for those of you who are afraid of LOSING a physical storage device, or worry about a house fire but don’t want to buy a firebox to protect your priceless digital memories, online storage, or cloud storage, is for you.

Cloud storage is where you send your digital files to servers (a bunch of computers in a network) that are somewhere else. If one of those computers are destroyed or shut down, your information is still stored on the other computers in the network. It is safe storage AWAY from you. You can download your files or upload your files onto the computers at any time. Some companies do this for free; some have more protection for a monthly cost.

A quick word about security: you can be sure that any company you interact with online is going to treat your files with an air of security. When you sign up for their product, even if you don’t agree to a terms and services page or read the fine detail, there is a provision in the law that, by using their product, you:
1. Are expecting to get your property back and
2. Do not wish anyone without your access to view or manipulate your documents.

I’ve talked to my lawyer friend and he tells me that this is enough to protect you in court if anything should happen to your media. But to make sure, always check online about any company you are looking at. A good thing to type in to GOOGLE is: “is (name of company) a safe company to store information with?” Very simple…

Now, I am not going to get too much into subscription services with the lofty protection except to say that, in my experience, MOZY has the best service for the value: 4.95/month, 54.95/year or 103.95/2years for unlimited space. If you have loads of music, financial documents or family photos, this is the place to be sure you have solid storage.

A couple good sites for free storage are ADRIVE and Microsoft SKYDRIVE. ADrive offers 50 GB of storage for free with their handy-dandy editing tool that allows you to edit your documents and spreadsheets while they are online. It even gives each file a unique link that you can use in emails so you don't have to add large attachments to messages to family. Skydrive, on the other hand, allows 25 GB of storage, with the ability to drag-and-drop files from your computer into your online storage drive. Although it is a smaller amount, Skydrive is very convenient and you can be sure that Microsoft, even though it is a free product, has made sure that security is tight. For ADrive, you need to create an account and for Microsoft, if you don’t have one already, you will need to create a Windows Live account.

Now, I am not even getting into the fact that you COULD create a Facebook picture album and make it so only YOU can see it. That takes care of the security and Facebook doesn’t have a limit for how many pictures you upload. Play around, search around, make sure that you trust the site you use, and your storage problem should be solved.

STORAGE

These days, with so much digital information (pictures, music, budget and bank information) lying around on our computers, and the risk of those computers to somehow stop working, it becomes necessary to make back-ups of the information. There are many options that you have, both physical and virtual.

When most people think of physical back up, they think of CDs or DVDs. Well, HOW VERY EARLY 2000s OF YOU! These days, it is very inexpensive to purchase flash drives or external hard drives to keep back-ups of all your information.

First things first: having your information in two places does NOT mean it is backed up. Your information is only backed up if you have it stored in a place that is not USED every day. If I have my music on my music player AND my computer, it is not backed up. I am actively using both devices and neither are protected from accidental deletion. One of your storage devices must be disconnected and STORED for it to be considered ‘backed-up.’

The first choice you have is a flash drive. Flash drives are the size of a package of gum and contain no moveable parts on the inside of the device, meaning they can be dropped, or shaken with no damage to the information they contain. They are very convenient, as they can be plugged into your USB port, filled with files, unplugged and stored. They are very easy to carry around and work on any computer. They ARE small and, if storing for a long time, may get lost; so they must be kept track of. Also, they are usually small storage sizes (4 to 8 gigabyte, or GB) with the high end (and costly) being 32 GB. For more large scale storage, we are going to have to focus on external hard drives.

External hard drives are just like the hard drives that are in your computer, except they are able to be transported and carried easily outside the computer. They connect by USB or firewire (Apple’s version of faster USB) and usually require an external power supply. These devices are usually higher capacity (320-500 GB are normal) and can store as much as 2 tb (1tb is 1000 GB). The problems with these are that they are larger (about the size of a book) and have moveable parts inside of them that, if dropped or shaken, can stop working. I’ve had this happen to me, and there is nothing as soul-crushing as realizing that all your music is gone because they hard drive stopped working. But that was because I was continuously using the device and not using it for storage.

In addition to CDs and DVDs, these are the two main options for physical storage of your valuable documents and files. Next, we’ll talk about ways of storing your information virtually, online, so that you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection.

You Can't Scratch a Digital File

My dad always asks me if I know of any way to take a CD he has and rip the music files to his hard drive. “Ripping” is taking the music from the CD and changing it into an MP3 file on your computer so you can put it on an MP3 player or make your own playlist CD. I keep reminding him that I’ve shown him how to do it several times.

If you don’t want to download and use iTunes, (which, if you’re not going to use it for your music collection, just takes up valuable memory on your computer) you can use a program called CDex. Once you’ve DOWNLOADED and installed the program, open the program, click on the “options” button and click on “settings.” Once the options window is open, click on “Remote freedb” under CD Database and type your email address where it says “Your E-mail address.” While you’re here, click on “Directories & files.” Next to “Recorded Tracks,” click on the three dots and select your desktop or your Local Music folder. Click OK. (Don’t worry, they will not email you spam)

Once you place the music CD that you want to rip into your CD drive, you’ll notice that CDex calls the music tracks “Audio Track 01…02…03…etc.” To change those songs to the real names, click on the magnifying glass, as shown below:


Once you have found and selected which album you have, you can then click the icon that says “Extract CD tracks to Compressed Audio Files” as shown below:


I’ve found that, after the initial installation, this is the easiest way to convert all of your CDs to MP3 files. Even if your CD has a couple scratches, the program works with them to try to make your music skip-proof.

After your music is all “digitized,” you’ll need to back it up. We’ll talk about computer “back-ups” next.

Blu-ray VS. DVD

One question I keep getting asked is, “Why bother with BLU-RAY? I have a DVD player.” Many people don’t see a reason to plop down 150 or $200 for a new disc player if they don’t need it. What’s the point in switching over to a more expensive media to watch movies?

The main advantage of the blu-ray disc is that it has a lot more space for information or “video”. A normal DVD has about 7.5 gigabytes of space and a normal blu-ray has 44 gigabytes: around 6 times the space. This allows the video to be a lot clearer, audio to be a lot more detailed and the disc to provide a lot more extra features. Since blu-ray players can connect to the internet, many blu-ray discs have extra features that can be accessed online with social networks and the film studios.

If a viewer has a larger sized HDTV (around 46” and larger), they will definitely notice the difference in clarity and detail of the video, especially in films heavy with science-fiction CGI and computer animation. The same difference you see when watching the standard definition channel for Fox2 vs. their high definition channel. Viewers with a surround setup of five speakers will definitely notice the difference in audio, especially in action or fantasy films. And those viewers who love the behind the scenes special features that come with standard DVDs will love the (sometimes) added features that come with the blu-ray films.

DVDs, however, are not going anywhere fast. With a little less than half of the US population having HDtvs in their homes, it leaves a large portion of the population only getting a benefit from DVDs. Just like during the 90s when VHS tapes were still in stores even after DVDs had become standard, stores will still carry DVDs for many years to come. And with the revolution of On Demand video streaming on COMCAST and NETFLIX online streaming, many people wonder if the age of actual video discs is coming to an end.

So, if you’re a person who loves the experience of the theatre, and want to relive it in your home, I recommend trying blu-ray. If you love film mostly for the stories they tell, you may be fine to stay with the more inexpensive DVD videos.

Next week, I’ll go over some options that consumers have for blu-ray players, if you decide that is the path for you.

Network Neutrality: Pros and Cons

So, now that we know the situation that brought about the issue of network neutrality and legislation deal with it, we want to find out the positives and negatives behind the issue so that you, as an individual, can decide which side you want to take. As with all the issues I will deal with on this site (unless clearly stated)I will be totally unbiased and show both sides equally. If any inequality exists, it will be that I am starting with the positive sides of network neutrality. Sorry.

Positives:
1. With network neutrality legislation, internet sevice providers(ISPs), e.g. AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon, won't be able to discriminate against certain internet content. Right now, the internet is open. You can watch videos, listen to music and send emails on the same internet connection. Some may pay more money for the faster connection, but within those brackets, all content moves at the same speed. With network neutrality, companies won't be able to charge you more for watching Hulu than using email.
2. With network neutrality legislation, cable companies and ISPs won't be able to charge companies or websites a toll for access to their networks. This would create and environment where companies could block competitor web sites and services, or even carve out faster bandwidth for their own services (Comcast is currently looking to purchase NBC. If that happens and there are no net neutrality laws, Comcast COULD block ABC and CBS video and only allow NBC video to their customers. But that is a BIG Could!). In addition to blocking services, it might be that smaller individuals with websites or small companies with innovative web services wouldn't be able to pay these "fees" and that would cripple innovation and public access on the internet. The days of having your own, free blog would be over, in theory.

Those are the 2 main arguments for having network neutrality legislation in place. Major advocates for network neutrality are consumer advocates and internet application companies like Yahoo!, Ebay, Amazon and (for the most part) Google. Even Cogent Communications, an international Internet Service Provider is in favor of network neutrality.

Negatives:
1. Some companies, such as Verizon, have argued that they will have no incentive to make investments in high speed networks if they are unable to charge access fees to companies wishing to use those services. With the money made by charging these fees, ISPs say that they will be able to invest more in broadband access to more areas of the country.
2. Some argue that the internet is ALREADY not neutral, as large companies can have better performance by paying for better machines to run their applications from. If prices were to DROP for lower levels of access, internet usage would be MORE neutral for companies wishing to use those lower tiers of service.
3. A main argument by ISPs is that certain companies and services use more bandwidth than others and should pay more. Websites like Hulu and Youtube, and other websites that offer free video content, use a lot of bandwidth, on small networks, can run slow as well as cause other services to slow.

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Some people view network neutrality as a non-issue. They say that writing legislation would put the government in charge of something that isn't a problem. Many ISPs and cable companies say that if they DID start tiered services, and people didn't like it, people would simply stop using their service and go to another company. Thus the network neutrality issue would be solved without government intervention. Others say that without government regulation, ALL internet service providers will move to a tiered service plan and there won't BE other options for consumers. Thus the internet will no longer be neutral and there will be nothing to be done to take us back to the era we are in now.

Network neutrality is a complex issue that has many interesting, exciting and scary points on each side. Hopefully, ISPs, internet companies, government and citizens can come together to create legislation that, while stoking the flames of innovation and creating a healthy environment for independent use, can allow incentives for creating a larger, more robust network for the country's use.

Because, really, the internet isn't going anywhere.

Network Neutrality: What is it?

Network neutrality is a phrase that has been used more and more frequently in the newspaper and television news programming. Reading and listening to the particiipants on both sides of the issue, one can see that it is an issue of importance (at least to these people), but can never quite understand what the big deal is. What is it?

These days, people use the internet for many services that, in the past, required physical means of transfer; text needed paper, video needed tape, music needed cds. These days, we can READ ANY NEWSPAPER in the world, DOWNLOAD AND PURCHASE ENTIRE BOOKS or WRITE LETTERS to our friends, families or colleagues. We can RENT MOVIES directly to our televisions, WATCH TELEVISION SHOWS and MUSIC VIDEOS, and SHARE HOME MOVIES with our friends and families. In addition to text and video, people can DOWNLOAD ENTIRE ALBUMS of music and even MAKE PHONE CALLS across the country for free on the internet. With all these "home uses," we also have to remember that businesses use the internet to protect and back-up their information, while also downloading updates for their systems. The internet is being used in ways that make our lives so much easier, but there are also concerns that the internet may be getting "crowded."

Many people are afraid that some of these activities are slowing down the internet for other uses. (Video requires a lot of "internet space" or bandwidth to be sent back and forth, while clicking on a news article does not.) If I want to read a couple articles online, and there are 5 households in my neighborhood with high definition movies being sent to their televisions, does that mean my page won't load as fast? Or if I want to see my niece across the country on webcam, will my video quality suffer because a neighbor is downloading an album on iTunes?

It is with these concerns in mind that the issue of "Net Neutrality" have come to the front of politician and technology geeks' minds. Net neutrality is a principle that promotes no restrictions for the internet by the government and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), like AT&T or Comcast. It basically advocates for ONE INTERNET, where all activites and applications are in the same "space." Is this a good idea or bad idea?

We'll go deeper into the pros and cons of Net Neutrality next week.

Sit back, relax...

Technology.

It seems that it has seperated generations since the invention of the phonograph. The generation before never quite understands the point or purpose of these "new-fangled doo-dads." With the radio, kids were neglecting listening to LIVE music and LIVE shows; television took kids away from the outdoors; and the internet has destroyed this generation's chances for meaningful personal communication.

I don't see it that way. With any technology, there can be misuse and abuse. There can also be purposeful integration of this technology with our lives to make them easier, calmer and more efficient. The problem with current trends in technology, however, is that it all seems to be advancing too fast for any person with a life to keep up.

Luckily, I HAVE NO LIFE. I hope to show you new technologies, explain them in a way that you don't need a degree to understand, and give you helpful ways and reasons to incorporate it into your life. Think of me as the Nerd Guardian Angel, sent to make you life a little easier. And if I can help you discover a way to watch movies that is easier than driving down to Blockbuster (you DID hear the rumor that they were DECLARING BANKRUPTCY THIS MONTH RIGHT?), I will walk away a happy man.

Here's to our time spent together. I hope we both learn some things. But I especially hope you do.

NEXT POST: Net Neutrality: Who CARES?