Thanks to Nekogal for posting this. If you downloaded the new iTunes 10 and hate the colorless look to the icons in the sidebar, there is a fix for it here.
Googling Friday #4
Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of Googling Friday. This week I will be talking about the Google Chrome browser. First, lets see what has been going on this week in the world of Google.
Google rolls out Priority Inbox
Google announced on Monday a new way filter Gmail that identifies priority email over regular email and places them in a Priority Inbox. If it makes a mistake in misidentifying priority email you can mark it as so and will learn as it goes along. Users should see it roll out this week.
Google purchases Angstro
In another move that shows Google is setting up to challenge Facebook in the social networking world, Google has bought Angstro and hired its founder to help out with its social networking product Google Me. Google Me…that sounds like something familiar.
Google Chrome browser
Now time for this weeks Google app review. Unlike other apps this one is not a web based application. Google Chrome is a desktop based web browser just like Firefox, Safari, and that one browser made by the evil empire from Redmond.
So what stands Google Chrome apart from the others? In a word…speed! The browser opens up fast and launches websites fast. When you think of Chrome vs Firefox, think of a cheetah racing against an elephant. I no longer use Firefox and just have Chrome and Safari on my Macs.
Another cool function is the extensions. Google Chrome has quite a selection of available extensions that sit to the right of your search/web address bar. Speaking of which when wanting to do a search in Google Chrome you use the web bar to search. It is smart enough to determine searches from web addresses.
When it comes to bookmarks, Google Chrome will sync them across multiple computers. This is great if you use Google Chrome at work and at home as whatever you bookmark on one, will be on the other as well.
So go check it out, I highly recommend Google Chrome and if you are using Firefox you will soon find you no longer need it.
Harmony Remote review
Little iPhone video I did on my new Logitech Harmony 300 remote and its features.
iTunes 10 vs Windows 7 logo
Not sure if Apple made this intentional but it certainly caught my eye today.
Tuesday Tech Talk – Apple Event Special
Greetings everybody, yes I’m back with an extra installment of Triple T. as I wanted to talk about the Apple Special Event today. So lets dive right into things. My comments are in italic. Please excuse the notes form of the post but I decided for the sake of a timely release it was best to just keep it the way I wrote my notes.
iOS 4.1
Proximity, Bluetooth, iPhone 3G bug fixes- Glad to see the proximity censor issue finally addressed here.
High Dynamic Range photos-uses algorithm to enhance photos So basically a built in software function to enhance photos
HD video upload over WiFi
TV show rentals
Game Center-Multi-player games Challenge friends, auto matching, Compare scores
Will be out next week for the iPhone and iPod touch
iOS 4.2 sneak peek iPad
Everything in 4.1 plus
Wireless Printing – Finally! This is going to be awesome and make working with Pages a whole lot easier
AirPlay- stream audio, photos, and video formerly called AirTunes
Out in November free update to iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch – Although I was hoping the iPad would have multitasking earlier, for wireless printing, I can wait.
iPods
Buttons and voiceover
Multiple Playlists
Genius mixes
15 hours of music
2GB available in 5 colors
$49
Smaller no wheel multitouch has a clip on the back to wear
24 hours of music battery life
Square looking
voice over
radio
Nike+
Pedometer
screen rotates
Photos
7 colors
$149 8 GB, $179 16 GB
Slightly thinner than the previous iPod touch
Retina display like in iPhone 4
Apple A4 chip also like in the iPhone 4
3-axis gyro
iOS 4.1
FaceTime with front and rear facing camera – This means if you have an iPod touch and a friend or family member has an iPhone 4 you can talk to each other using FaceTime. I’m guessing this will be tied via an email address since the iPod touch is not a phone.
HD video recording
40 hours battery life
8GB $229
32GB $299
64GB $399
Available next week
This is great if you wanted the iPhone features of HD video capture, FaceTime and the retina display but don’t want to sign up for an AT&T contract. They will sell a ton of these!
iTunes
iTunes 10 – dig the new logo…the CD is gone!
Ping- Social music discovery, see what your friends are listening to. Connect with your friends and favorite artists. I think MySpace has a problem!
available today Free
AppleTV
The new AppleTV is a fourth the size of the original AppleTV and it fits in your hand!
On the back:
HDMI
Optical audio
Ethernet
802.11n WiFI
Comes with a remote
streaming- no syncing so don’t have to worry about HD space
HD movie rental $4.99 for first run titles
HD TV shows 99 cents commercial free
ABC & FOX signed on to deliver content Please CBS sign on so I can get my NCIS episodes in HD since my local channels are not offered in HD by DirecTV yet.
Netflix – I finally got to see how Netflix streaming on a TV looks after going down to Hattiesburg and seeing it stream via the Nintendo Wii to my in-laws TV. I can’t wait to get this device.
YouTube – Love that my wife and I can browse our TV for YouTube content.
Flickr & MobileMe – Cool to show off pictures on the TV without hooking up a computer to it to do so
$99 Available in 4 weeks – Keep in mind it was $299 so they are dropping $200 on this and it does so much more now. I will be getting one!
Well, that is what Apple came out with today. Lot of cool stuff that made my eyes as big as saucers. What really stands out to me is the new AppleTV. I think the price point and its features is really going to turn it around in sales. Also the new iPod touch is going to be big for those that want the FaceTime and HD video shooting but not the expense of a 2 year AT&T contract.
Tuesday Tech Talk #59
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. For this edition of Triple T. I am writing it from my iPad using BlogPress. It was recently updated with the ability to insert links more easier.
For this edition of Triple T. I am going to deviate from the regular format. I wanted to share my initial review of my new Apple Bluetooth keyboard I am using with the iPad. Plus I will have a Triple T. extra out on Thursday regarding the Apple event on Wednesday.
Bluetooth keyboard Initial Review
I am using the Apple Bluetooth keyboard with my iPad to write this.
I went with the regular BT keyboard over the dedicated iPad keyboard incase I ever wanted to pair it up with my iPhone or one of my Mac’s. The benefit of using it on the iPad is it allows me to write more naturally like I would on my MacBook and less finger smudges on the iPad where I would type. The keyboard is so light, it makes it easy to carry around with my iPad (I carry them both around in my laptop bag).
So why not just use my MacBook? Well the iPad even with Bluetooth turned on, has an incredible battery life as compared to my 2+ year old MacBook. The newer MacBook’s do have a much better battery life but I am not in the market for one yet as my MacBook is running fine and quite honestly, the iPad probably puts a MacBook upgrade several more years down the road for me.
Pairing it up is a snap. Press the power button on the right hand side of the keyboard and open up the Bluetooth setting on the iPad to pair the 2 and type in a code using the keyboard and your off to the races.
It also gives you the ability to be away from the screen, so you can sit back in your chair for example holding the keyboard however you wish.
BlogPress 2.0
Now for the second half of the mobile blogging setup. BlogPress just updated to version 2.0 and it brings some much welcomed features with it. It has an HTML button in the right hand side that brings down a drop down menu that allows you to change fonts and colors, insert links, bold and italic, insert middle-line text, and insert quoted text.
It also allows you to set a time and date for the blog to be posted which is nice if like me, you blog a day or 2 ahead of the time it posts. It also works on the iPhone and iPod touch as well giving you the ability to blog right on the spot if you are away from an iPad or just don’t have one.
BlogPress sells for $2.99 and it is great. I am looking forward to when the iPad gets iOS 4.0 so I can switch apps to make it even easier to add in links.
Well that’s going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Look for a Thursday special edition where I will discuss what Apple announced on Wednesday.
Apple Rechargeable Battery Unbox
Little video I shot from my iPhone when I got the Apple rechargeable batteries this weekend.
Balanced Life Weekly #19
Greetings everyone and welcome to another edition of Balanced Life Weekly. I had a lot going on last week so please excuse me for the lack of an update for that week. So let’s dive right into things.
Healthy
I really do need to work on this part of my PABL plan. Slacked off on the fitness part, but the good news is I am finally waking up at my targeted wake up time of around 7am. I managed to achieve it 2 times last week so hopefully I can improve on that this week by adding an extra day or 2 on that goal.
Wealthy
On the job front I continue to apply at several jobs but no calls as of yet. The good news is Toyota is now taking applications for their plant opening here next year so I have applied for that as well.
Wise
Been catching up on podcasts over the last few days as my wife and I drove down south this past weekend. We listened to Family from the Heart with Cliff and Stephanie Ravenscraft, Catholic in a Small Town with Mac and Katherine Barron, and SaintCast by Dr. Paul Camarata among others. We had a great time seeing Kristen’s family this weekend so not being able to catch up on my readings was worth it for the time spent with them.
Faith
Of course I mentioned how we listened to several Catholic podcasts on our drive. I loved Mac and Katherine’s talk about their Pentecostal background before converting to Catholicism. Sunday we attended St. Thomas Aquinas church in Hattiesburg, MS. It was a fully packed church and was great to see. But we missed going to St. James so we look forward to being there Sunday and I’ll probably go to a few weekday Masses this week as well.
Well that is going to do it for this edition of Balanced Life Weekly. See you all next week.
Rob’s Rule #2. Never be afraid to make a career change if it is for the best interest of your family.
BlogPress 2.0 test
Just testing out the updated version of BlogPress on my iPad.
Googling Friday #3
Hello folks and welcome to another installment of Googling Friday. Lets look at some Google news before we dive into this weeks Google app review.
Google brings Google Voice to Gmail
Google announced on Wednesday the ability to dial a phone number from within Gmail. It will appear on the right hand side within the chat list. As shown below:
Course what this means is you will no longer have to visit the Google Voice page directly to make a call and you can now directly talk to someone right from your computer and don’t need it to dial one of your phones first.
Now for this weeks Google app review, Google Calendar
Google Calendar
With Google Calendar, you can view your events and tasks from any computer connected to the internet. Also BusyCal has a desktop based calendar application that can interface with Google Calendar, iPhone, and iPads. Google Calendar has pretty much replaced iCal for me as my default calendar application. It is pretty straight forward and is part of your Gmail account with its own link at the top of your Gmail page. So check it out, I really like it.
Well see you all next week for more cool stuff from Google!
Tuesday Tech Talk #58
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Thursday Tech Talk. I apologize for the late arrival this week but I was busy the early part of this week. Well lets see what is going on this week in technology.
Facebook says Places everyone
Last week Facebook introduced a new feature that allows you to check in at places on your mobile phone that has the Facebook app. The one feature of it I find questionable is the ability to tag others at that place. That being said it will alert that user if they have been tagged and gives them the option to remove the tag. The difference between it and Foursquare is you don’t get to be mayor of a place on Places like you do on Foursquare and Foursquare doesn’t have tagging.
Intel buys McAfee
News from out of the blue last week as the big chip maker purchased the anti virus software maker for $8 Billion! Wonder if AMD will now look for a dance partner?
Couple uses iPad to marry them
Ok as someone that loves both technology and marriage, this article caught my eye. A couple used the iPad to read their vows and the bride even used the iPad to compose her vows and then the wedding official (not a priest as the linked article states) read it as well to officiate it. All that being said, to each their own but no way would I have done that at my wedding in 2001 even if an iPad existed then. Full disclosure, I used Mac Office PowerPoint to propose to my wife back in 2000 on my beige G3 desktop that ran on a 266 MHz processor.
Verizon bringing FiOS TV to mobile devices, DISH goes online
The world of mobile TV viewing continues to evolve with Verizon announcing it will soon offer an app that will allow you to view FiOS programming on your iPad, Android, Blackberry Storm, and Windows Mobile 6.5 devices but ONLY from within the home. Which kind of makes no sense. I mean really the purpose of such an app would be if you are not at home. In other content provider news, DISH Network is bringing a handful of channels to its Dish Online service.
Western Digital introduces HomePlug device
Western Digital is making a plunge into home networking by allowing you to extend your WiFi connection to electrical outlets allowing you to connect your HDTV for example to the internet. The Livewire will sell for $140.
Apple negotiating $1 TV show rentals
Ahead of the expected AppleTV revamp next month, Apple is in negotiations with FOX, ABC, and CBS to allow consumers to rent TV shows for a 48 hour window for a dollar each episode.
Jail breaking your iPhone won’t send you to jail
I have never really felt the need to jail break my iPhone. Believe it or not I am a happy AT&T customer since 3G arrived in Tupelo. Don’t get me started with Comcast though. But if one wanted to, well #1 you are on your own if you want tech support from Apple but #2 it is legal.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
Madden NFL 11 ($12.99 iPad, $7.99 iPhone/iPod touch – I have to admit I have never really used my iPad or iPhone as a gaming device beyond using Farmville or Solitaire. But I am really enjoying playing Madden on my iPad. There is a learning curve to it especially on defense, but once you play a couple of games it gets pretty easy (hint: rush the quarterback on defense to force incomplete passes or even interceptions and the possible sack). I don’t have the iPhone version but my friend Dave does and he tends to love it. So far my Chargers are undefeated and winning by 35 or more points, I even beat the Seahawks 76-21…in Seattle.
We Rule (FREE) – I have heard Fr. Roderick, Cliff Ravenscraft and Leo Laporte all mention this app so I finally downloaded it. The best way to describe it is English village meets Farmville. You have a castle that you can expand the more levels you go up and plant crops, collect taxes from the citizens, and continue to expand your landscape as you advance in levels. My username is tupelogeek if you want to add me as a neighbor.
Well that is going to do it for this edition of Triple T. See you all next week back on our regular schedule.
Googling Friday #2
Hello folks and welcome to another installment of Googling Friday. Last week I was quite busy so I do apologize for not having one out. Let’s get into this week’s Google news and review.
Google to launch Chrome OS-based tablet on 11/26
Looks like HTC is making a tablet similar to an iPad but based on the Google Chrome OS. It will be sold by Verizon with an on-sale date of November 26th aka Black Friday. Below is an artist rendering of what it may look like.
Chrome Web Store in October
Google’s Chrome based web store will be rolling out in October. It will allow users to purchase web apps from the store using Google Checkout and Google will only take a 5% of revenue from the apps sold in contrast to the industry standard 70/30 split (developer/store operator).
Now for this weeks Google web app review
Google Reader
I have been reading RSS feeds for a few years now using different applications. For a long time I used NetNews Wire as a desktop app until they decided to synchronize with Google Reader which I started to check out. Ever since then, I have not used the NNW desktop and strictly use the Google Reader web app as one of my tabs on my browser. I do use the NetNews Wire app on the iPhone and iPad though and the layout on them is very professional, more than I can say for an app like Reeder. Using Google Reader you can create folders for your different subscriptions for example Sports, Tech, News, etc. If you see something you like and want to save for future reference say like something to include in a blog post, you can star the article. Also if you have an Instapaper account, you can save the articles there for later reading. I will have more about Instapaper in the next edition of Triple T.
So if you are looking for something to streamline your RSS feeds on I would really recommend Google Reader. It works great with third party apps like the ones mentioned above.
Balanced Life Weekly #18
Greetings everyone! Apologies for the delay on this edition of Balanced Life Weekly but had a lot going on yesterday.
Healthy
Biggest thing on the health front this week is I am trying to establish a sleep schedule. With my previous job being a second shift that ended at 11pm, my body got used to going to bed around 1 or 2 am. The new goal is getting to bed by 11, no later than Midnight and getting up by 7am. It has been quite the challenge thus far. I can go to bed at 11 but can’t fall asleep until 2ish. If anyone has any hints on how to establish a sleep pattern, let me know.
Wealthy
Still doing good on this front but in terms of a job, I really have nothing new to report on that front. I know that God has a job in mind for me so I am not discouraged at all right now.
Wise
I have decided to setup some rules to live by. I got the idea from watching NCIS and the rules Special Agent Gibbs is quoting a lot. At the conclusion of this post I will share my first rule.
Faith
Last week I received some awesome news. I am going to be an RCIA sponsor this year for a candidate coming into the Church. I am excited about this opportunity to share my faith and knowledge with someone coming into the Catholic faith as I back in 2001 was also a candidate that joined the Church.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Balanced Life Weekly. See you all next week!
Rob’s Rule #1. Never be too arrogant to admit when your wrong.
Tuesday Tech Talk #57
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Triple T. Quite a few diverse things going on this week so lets dive right into things.
Star Wars goes Blu-ray in 2011
YES!! Last week George Lucas announced that all 6 Star Wars movies will be available next year in a single pack. Start saving your money now kids (young and old). Keep in mind it will only be the special edition of the movies not the original due to cost.
Booking flights through Facebook…on Delta
If you travel a lot on Delta and are a Facebook user then your in luck. You can now book your flight with them without even leaving Facebook. Now lets see how soon Southwest and AirTran jump on board.
What happened to Yahoo?
I read a great article on why Yahoo stalled while Google surpassed it as the lead search engine. It is a great read from a Yahoo insider on what went wrong. I personally don’t use many Yahoo features these days. The only one I do use from time to time is Yahoo Messenger and that is to chat with mom. With Facebook having chat most of my friends that were on Yahoo are now on Facebook chat.
New iPods in September?
More speculation pointing to an iPod refresh next month. One of the items mentioned is an iPod touch with 2 cameras similar to the iPhone 4 and would offer FaceTime. This makes perfect sense as FaceTime as of now is only available over WiFi and the touch is strictly a WiFi device. We shall see though.
Majority of Verizon customers would buy iPhone
According to a recent survey, 51% of Verizon customers said they would have an interest in buying an iPhone if it was available on the CDMA based carrier. Things may get interesting if per the rumors the iPhone becomes available on Verizon in January.
Certain Pink Floyd albums disappear from iTunes and Amazon
Per the terms of the contract between the band and EMI, certain albums by the British based rock band are no longer available. Most notably The Wall and Wish You Were Here.
Well that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk, see you here next week.
Tuesday Tech Talk #56
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. I have quite a few things to talk about this week and not all of them are Apple related so hope you enjoy!
Google Wave shutdown
Google announced last week it will be ceasing updates to Google Wave and will shut it down at the end of the year. For those that don’t know, Google Wave is a online collaboration web application that had a lot of buzz initially but faded fast. I haven’t used it in months.
Android update
There appears to be an update on the way to the Android OS in early September. While I’m on the subject of Android, I’m not getting into the whole iPhone vs Android “battle” anymore. You have 2 great mobile OS’s that are NOT using Windows and that is a win for almost everyone.
Microsoft Office for Mac release date
Microsoft has finally set a release time for Office 2011 for Mac. It will become available in late October and will be available in 3 flavors. A Student & Home edition for $119 which will include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Messenger, a Home & Business edition for $199 ($279 for a 2 computer install) that will include all the above plus Outlook, and an Academic version for $99 that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Messenger but will only be available in authorized academic channels and from Microsoft directly.
Verizon to get iPhone in January?
Stop me if you heard this one before. According to a source Apple has apparently ordered millions of Qualcomm CDMA chips from a January launch. What I don’t understand though and correct me if I’m wrong but the CDMA doesn’t allow you to both talk and use data at the same time so to me a CDMA based iPhone would lack the feature found in the GSM based iPhone available from AT&T. Personally I would love to see it happen, this is America and the iPhone should not be tied down to a single carrier.
Google now allowing switching between multiple accounts
If you happen to have more than 1 Google account, you can now switch between them without having to log out and log in. Yes I do admit, I have 2 Google accounts. Why? Because their free and why not.
Bill Gates on the future of education
Bill Gates has some interesting ideas on how in the future the dynamic of learning will be turned on its head. No longer would there be an X amount of students in a classroom, instead students for free will be able to watch lectures online. He envisions higher learning as not place based and how no matter how you learn you should get credit for it i.e., watching an online lecture.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
Instapaper ($4.99) – This app which works for both the iPad and the iPhone and iPod touch allows you to read stories you choose to read later off websites. The cool thing about it is you can read them while offline. Here are a couple of screenshots.
Vonage Mobile for Facebook (FREE) – This awesome app allows you to talk for free with other Facebook friends who have the app on their iPhone, iPod touch, and Android devices (iPad coming soon). I tried it out with my friend Dave in California and the quality was excellent! Dave lives in an area where his 3G is not the best so a lot of times his calls will drop or fade but with the WiFi connection on the Vonage Mobile app it was excellent. Which leads to my next point with Vonage and Skype having apps for the iPhone, how soon until Apple allows the Google Voice app into the store?
CellTower ($2.99) – This handy little app will show on a map the nearest cell towers to you and who owns them. So if you are ever in an area with low bars, now you can find out why that is.
Friendly ($3.99) – This is a nice iPad based Facebook browser. Although for the price I would like to see a few more features like chat and attaching links with a status post. That being said there is a 2.0 version coming soon so hopefully it will offer such features.
TuneIn Radio ($1.99) – My friend Jeremy was telling me about this app. It allows you to listen to radio stations all over the country on your iPhone or iPod touch. It also allows you to record them within the app as well.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Triple T. Tune in Friday for another Googling Friday post about all things Google. Take care!
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