Facebook IPO Big Winners
When Facebook launches it initial stock offering, a few people who placed their bets a while back are about to get very rich. The list of big winners in the Facebook stock fall out might surprise you with everyone from characters in the movie The Social Network to one of the other giants in the [...]
> MoreSuper Bowl Super Command Center
The biggest sporting event of the year draw nearly 11 million viewers and hundreds of thousands of Tweets, Facebook postings and more. An official Super Bowl Media Center is open for business during football’s holy grail moment staffed by 50 people. They will be looking out for terrorists and the way to find the best [...]
> MoreApple’s Piggy Bank Explodes!
Maybe next year we should let whoever is running Apple deliver the State of the Union Address because their state is certainly solvent and has more cash than the good old US of A! During the 4th quarter of 2011 alone The Boys from Cupertino hustled 37+ million iPhones following the introduction of the iPhone [...]
> MoreReady or Not Here Comes Timeline
When Timeline first appeared on Facebook it created a big backlash. Looks like none of that matters to Mark Z and his minions because we are all going to get to like it, like it or not. By early February we will all look the same (in terms of general layout) on FB. Sure you [...]
> MoreDownload King Collared in His “Safe” Room
The head of Megaupload was cornered by New Zealand Police inside his armed fortress. The FBI has accused Kim “Dotcom” of earning $42 million from pirated material in 2010 alone. ”New Zealand police said two firearms and several luxury cars were removed from Dotcom’s mansion.” according to the Wrap. The license plates on the cars [...]
> More“Greedy and Evil”= Apple new iBook License
Blogger Ed Bott makes a business of reading EULA’s (End User License Agreement). You know, the things that pop up when you install software and you automatically click “agree” without reading a word!? According to Bott, Apple’s license for its new iBooks publishing software essentially says that it owns whatever is published with it!
> MoreiBooks 2.0 A New Apple for Teachers
Jan. 17th Apple unveiled their next move toward world domination…OK this time the target is the world of academics. iPads are immensely popular among students and teachers alike and now Apple is providing the tools to bring the stuffy world of academia into the interactive 21st Century.
> MoreRiots Postpone Apple iPhone4S Sales in China
Irate scalpers rioted outside the Beijing Apple store shortly before the doors were to open for sale of the iPhone 4S. Apple declared that it was just trying to protect its salespeople and other customers from the wealthy thugs who gobble up the phones and sell the prestigious smartphones for big ¥’s! Here’s a video [...]
> MoreConsumer Electronics Show Preview 2012
Here’s a preview of CES 2012, traditionally THE event for launching new tech products. This year, however will be the swan song for Microsoft at the big Vegas show. More and more big tech companies are eschewing the ginormous costs of exhibiting in favor of their own Developer’s Conferences.
> MoreTop 10 Tech Breakthroughs of 2011
Science raced ahead at ever quickening pace in 2011. Check out this list of the 10 most exciting discoveries of the past year which will impact our lives for years to come. Extreme Tech Slide Show.
> MoreBill Gates Says Yes… He Won’t Be Back
The founder of Microsoft put to rest the rumors that he was going to be returning to take the helm of his corporation. Seems Bill and his wife are just fine, thank you , handling their charitable concerns even though many have opined that MS would find its direction again in Mr. Gates returned. Full [...]
> MoreHP Makes webOS Open Source
Technology company Hewlett-Packard says it’s making its webOS mobile software available as open-source software that any developer can use and modify freely.
> MoreBad Week in Court for Apple
The company Steve Jobs founded may be riding high on sales right now but there were a few big bites taken out of his Apple this week. China ruled that the iPad may not be sold under the Apple trademark in that massive Asian market. But , heck, with all the counterfeit Apple products being [...]
> MoreAT&T Customer Service Worst for 2nd Year
If you are an AT&T customer this may not be breaking news. Consumer Reports has once again named AT&T as the very worst communication company for customer service. Consider the irony of the fact that AT&T is fighting the FCC ruling that it can’t gobble up T-Mobile which has been noted as one of the [...]
> MoreLook Who’s Tops on Cyber Monday Sales
It’s not likely a surprise to anyone, but on-line activity in the retail category has increased year-after-year and this year was no exception, according to a Brand Keys survey. Cyber Monday got off to a turbo-charged start with an increase of traffic of nearly 25%, which translated to nearly $1.25 billion in sales. According to [...]
> MoreFree Desktop Connect For Mac’s AND PC’s
Need to connect to and control a Mac from your PC? One quick and easy solution can be found in Google’s Chrome Remote Desktop feature.
> MoreBell Ringers Go Digital for Salvation Army
One of the most revered traditions of the holiday season is getting an upgrade. Salvation Army bell ringers have braved the cold for decades ringing their tiny bells to raise support for the charities efforts. Now donors can come in from the cold and give online as well.
> MoreThai Floods Threaten the Cloud
Floods of the century have ravaged Thailand devastating cities and ruining the economy. One of the unintended victims may be the Cloud, the place where more and more computing is done. Full Story
> MoreHP Pins Its Hopes On Slate2 Win 7 Tablet for Enterprise
Hapless HP has high hopes..that a new version of its proven Win 7 Slate tablet can attract business users. This may be a winning move since the device uses both pen input and a touch screen technology along with an operating system that is a proven winner in enterprise and a favorite among windows users. [...]
> MoreDebt Agencies: Target cellphones
If you thought that replacing your home phone with a cell phone would keep the bill collectors away, think again. Eileen Ambrose of the Baltimore Sun wrote an in depth article on the legislative battle going on over keeping debt collectors from hounding us everywhere we go on our portable phones. The full article appeared [...]
> MoreGov. Snyder Sees Broadband Essential for Michigan’s Revitalization
By Wil Payton, Communications Specialist,Connected Nation “From government and schools to hospitals and private industry, our cyber networks are integral to Michigan’s infrastructure, economic growth, and quality of life.” Connect Michigan applauds Governor Rick Snyder for recognizing broadband as a vital component for revitalizing Michigan’s declining infrastructure. “Broadband is one of the infrastructures of the [...]
> MoreStuxnet 2.0 New Version of Super Virus Spotted
Top malware researchers are sounding the alarming. An upgraded version of the Stuxnet virus which was so deadly accurate in its attack on Iranan nuclear facilities has been discovered in the wild. So far no targets have been identified but the the virus seems to be mainly reconnoitering key sites like Certificate Authority and industrial sites [...]
> MoreAmazing New Camera Allows Focusing AFTER Shooting!
A new camera was launched this week that may help those of us who are all thumbs with cameras absolute pros! The Lytro is a weirdly shaped little camera with a tiny LCD screen that lets you mess with the focus after you have finished taking the pictures. The should take care of about 50% [...]
> MoreMichigan Launches Cyber Command Center
Following a national gathering on cyber security, Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan has established a center for Cyber Security in Ypsilanti, MI near the heart of two great universities and the Metro Detroit area.
> MoreState Of Michigan Wins 5 IT Awards, Most Of Any State In Nation
The State of Michigan won five awards in information technology, more than any other state, at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers in Denver, Colorado. Michigan Tech News
> MoreSteve Jobs Dead at 56: A Genius Passes
Apple officially announced the death of its co-founder, Steve Jobs, who passed peacefully at his home surrounded by family. Perhaps this was Steve’s last “one more thing…” a favorite phrase he used at the end of length Apple product launches to announce the most innovative “next big thing” in computing. Jobs has suffered for many [...]
> MoreMicrosoft Kills Google Chrome Browser!
Under the guise of protecting computers from a password stealing Trojan, Microsoft security software killed Google’s Chrome browser on thousands of computers earlier this week. Redmond was soon back-pedaling furiously trying to change the anti-virus software that targeted one of its most aggressive competitors in the browser wars. That’s one way of handling the competition: [...]
> MoreCitizen Scientists Make Two Huge Discoveries
Ordinary folks have made some extraordinary discoveries. First a group of online gamers solved an HIV puzzle that has baffled scientists for years. Then a volunteer Web group collaborated to discover two new planets. Remarkable what happens when we work together. Wonder what would happen if Congress could do the same thing!
> MoreFacebook gets a Facelift and Many Hate the New Look
Outrage, amusement and confusion seem to top the list of reactions to the huge changes in Facebook. One has to wonder about the timing of Google+ in opening its doors to everyone just as Facebook is changing just about everything. Right now outrage seems to be the sentiment of the day on my Facebook page. [...]
> MoreEveryone’s Invited to Google+
Now we’re all special. Google+ is open to one an all. Google’s attempt to challenge Facebook has been a closed party that required an “invitation” while it was in beta. That has all changed as Google+ shifts into high gear. Give it a try but we predict that it is going to be hard to [...]
> MoreAT&T Launches First 4G LTE Networks
Without much fanfare, the number two cell carrier in the nation announced that it is launching its first 4G LTE networks in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio. AT&T has been scrambling to catch up to Verizon, T-Mobile…well, just about everybody else in the telcom world! Don’t expect any blazing speeds yet partly because no one [...]
> MoreWindows 8 Unveiled for Developers
This is the big dance for Microsoft. Tuesday the boys from Redmond took the wraps off Windows 8 at their developers conference hoping to entice attendees to get on board the band wagon for their newest operating system. Is it for tablets or for PC’s? Where is the Microsoft version of iPad? Lots of questions are [...]
> MoreLightning Strikes Twice: iPhone 5 Prototype Lost in SF Bar
It’s like a bad remake of Ground Hog Day and Apple can’t wake up to make this nightmare go away. Unbelievably another Apple employee left a prototype of the top secret iPhone 5 in a San Francisco watering hole. The owner of the Cava22 bar in San Francisco jokingly said that he might have to start [...]
> MoreiPad is Shaking Up the Entire Computer Market
Steve Jobs was famous for declaring his products game changers. Looks like even the former Apple CEO may not have even imagined the kind of revolution his tablet would create. This little beauty is turning the whole IT industry upside down and transforming a niche market into the next big thing in computing.
> MoreLong Live the King: Steve Jobs Steps Down
One of the most creative visionaries of our time and moulder of culture through his products has called it quits. Steve Jobs officially resigned from Apple as its CEO today citing his inability to do his job. Full Story “Mr. Jobs will become chairman, a position that did not exist before. Apple named Tim Cook, [...]
> MoreHP Drops the Bomb: No more WebOS
HP stunned the computing world today by announcing that it is dropping its recently announced TouchPad and the WebOS that runs it. Looks like a lot of people have a less expensive but now abandoned TouchPad. Here’s the whole story.
> MoreMacGroup Detroit Celebrates 25th Anniversary
The premiere Apple/Macintosh support group in Michigan and one of the largest in the country will celebrate a quarter century of tinkering with all things Apple. The meeting is held at The Birmingham Temple, Sunday, 3:00 PM, August 21, 2011. Click here for directions. There will be a special guest speaker and loads of prizes for members to win. Don’t [...]
> MoreAug. 12, 1981 The IBM Personal Computer Arrives
That’s right on this day in history one of the most critical tools in our modern lives was unveiled by IBM:The PC (Personal Computer). The 21-pound PC cost $1,565, boasted 16K of memory (Hey, that’s about as much as one of the cheaper Mac Book Airs!) Could anyone have imagined a world filled with tablet computers, [...]
> MoreBing Beats Google At Searching!
According to this article from Information Week if you want more accurate results in our searches, use Microsoft’s Bing search engine. Personally I like to compare them side by side every now and then to compare them. One tip for better searching is to use a complete phrase rather than just one word. Despite the [...]
> MoreThe Ten Best Anti-Virus Program for Macs
Ok, so we admit that Macs aren’t virus-proof! Happy? Here is a collection the ten best anti-virus programs for Macs. Thanks to Steve Yuhasz for contributing this.
> MoreIBM PC Celebrates 30th Anniversary
No one c0uld have imagined the revolution that a handful of IBM engineers, working under the strict corporate radar, would do when they invented the IBM Personal Computer 5150 on Aug. 12, 1981. This article contains the fascinating history of a world-changing technology that happened because 12 engineers decided to think outside the box. Full [...]
> MoreOakland County Recognized Nationally for Digital Prowess
Oakland County was named number four in the nation for its use of technology in helping its citizens meet their needs. Nice to see that Technology Alley is not just a slogan but the real thing in Oakland County. Congratulations L. Brooks Patterson and company! The survey was conducted by The Center for Digital Government.
> MoreGoogle Flags Malware On Searches
Not all Google news is bad news. As mentioned on our program this past weekend, Google as found a way of alerting pe0ple who use their search engine (that’s most of us) when their is malware trying to download on our computers. Here is what the warning looks like:
> MoreGoogle+ Deletions: Death Wish?
All hell broke loose the weekend of July 23 when Google abruptly started throwing people overboard on Google+. No one is safe; celebrities like Arriana Huffington, ex-Google employees and people who preferred using a pseudonym rather than their real name to protect their privacy found themselves out in the cold. The problem is once more, [...]
> MoreGoogle Grrrl Power!
Three outstanding young women were named top prize winners in Google’s inaugural Science Fair. The search giant combed through 7,500 entries from 91 countries before naming Lauren Hodge, Shree Bose and Naomi Shah for their outstanding projects. These bright young ladies make up for a lot of sad headlines and make you really believe [...]
> MoreGoogle + Hits 10,000,000 Users as of July 12, 2011
Google Buzz was a bust but Google + looks like a must. One analyst predicted that by the end of day, July 12, 2011 Google+ would have 10 million users. Could Facebook have finally found its match? Think of all the things that Google can integrate with Google+: immensely popular Gmail and Google Apps, which [...]
> MoreMicrosoft Office 365: Ready for Prime Time?
Microsoft announced the release of its contender for Office in the Cloud with the release of Office 365 Beta. Reviews are mixed and there is a lot of very direct comparing going on between Google Apps and the incredibly complex pricing arrangement of Office 365 not to mention its convoluted structure. In all fairness, this [...]
> MoreGoogle+ is here. Has Facebook met its match?
Google+ arrived now the question is: Did Google get social right this time or this just another run at beating Facebook at being the social networking king? Check out this demo of the Google+ Project.
> MoreDomain Name Explosion?
ICANN the international agency charged with controlling domain names, like .com, .edu., .org etc. has opened up a pandoras box of new domain names. Some fear that it could create utter chaos as well open up wonderful opportunities for businesses to brand their own domains, e.g. .apple, .microsoft or .ms etc., etc. Domain names can end in [...]
> MoreGoogle Voice to the Desktop!
For those of you who have used Google Voice on your smartphones, we don’t have to “sell” you on the value of just talking to the Google app and having it look up an address, find a store or other location for you. It is a whole lot less deadly than texting while driving and [...]
> MoreFour Key Takeaways from Apple’s New Strategy
This past Monday Steve Jobs and Apple announced a three fold plan for the future that will affect not only Apple products but, if the iPad and iPhone are any indication, the rest of the electronics industry. Commentator Mark Sigal has four interesting insights into the implications of the new Apple Lion OS, iOS 5 [...]
> MoreOnline Technologies Shines in the Cloud
Online Technologies has hosted the Internet Advisor since our first show more than 13 years ago and their CEO Yan Ness will be our guest on Sat. June 11. We are proud to announce that they received recognition for their participation in World IPv6 Day this past week and were listed among the Top 25 [...]
> MoreHere Kitty, Kitty…Apple to Launch new OS Lion next week
At their Worldwide Developers Conference Apple has announced that it will be launching its new Operating System called Lion and the next iOS version for its iPad and iPhone. Full Story
> MoreWindows 8 Touch Oriented OS
Windows unveiled their new operation system Windows 8 this week. Full Story
> MoreSkype Posts Bug Fix
Skype was down for a better part of day this week because of a buggy update (so what’s new?!) They have released a simple update for Windows users and Mac and Linux fixes are on the way. Guess who is getting blamed?! Microsoft!
> MoreGoogle Wallet and Pay Pal Lock Horns
Google barely had the wraps off its new mobile payment service when long time online pay service PayPal brought suit against it. Full story
> MoreMicrosoft Buys Skype for $8.5 Billion
No sooner had rumors begun about a fight for Skype between Microsoft, Google and Facebook, than Remond, WA biggest business announced victory…but an expensive one, $8.5 billion for a company valued at $2-3 billion. One author sees this as an expensive game of “keep away” for Microsoft. What do you think?
> MoreHow to Change Your Facebook Settings to HTTPS
Here is how you make sure that you are secure when you are using Facebook but don’t forget that using common sense is probably the best defense you can have. 1.) Go to Account in the upper right corner 2.) Account Settings 3.) Account Security 4.) Check first box under Secure Browsing (https) Check the [...]
> More13 Features of Office 365
Microsoft has a new cloud based version of Office called Office 365 designed for businesses. Here are 13 outstanding features of this new virtual Office setup.
> MoreMS Office 365
Here is something to consider if you don’t need MS Office very much and certainly don’t want to pay for it. Office 365 is cloud based. Gary Baker
> MoreThe top 15 innovative mobile apps to watch in 2011
Taken from CIO magazine. These are the apps to watch as various tablet platforms take off this year. Gary Baker
> MoreIs the iPad Really Eating into PC Sales?
Mike Elgan is a blogger with a flair for the dramatic and a year ago he brought nearly the whole blogosphere down on his head for predicting that the iPad spelled the end of the PC dominate era. His most recent reflections are well worth the read as one analyst after another re-calibrates the impact that the [...]
> MoreNew FireFox Browser is a Powerhouse
Browser was are the new battle field for tech companies and the new open source FireFox has thrown down the gauntlet to Microsoft’s sleek and speedy IE9.
> MoreAmazon Unleashes Mighty Music Cloud Power
I am right now loading my Cloud Drive with all the music on my computer. When it is done (in a couple of hours) all my legally obtained music will be stored in the cloud (aka. Amazon’s server) and I will be able to stream any of my music to any device or computer I [...]
> MoreVote for Your Favorite Team in the Imagine Cup
March 23 kicks off another milestone for the Imagine Cup student technology competition. Right now, the People’s Choice Awards are live. You can check out the finalists, view videos of their projects and vote for your favorite team, including LifeCode. The Software Design and Game Design teams with the most votes will be crowned champions [...]
> MoreLifeCode Team Makes US Finals of Imagine Cup
The LifeCode Team from Wayne State University has made it to the US finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup again! LifeCode uses sensors attached to a person’s body which capture vital information, uses Bluetooth technology to transmit the data to their Windows 7 phone which in turn sends the data to “the cloud” (remote data storage servers) where [...]
> MoreMicrosoft Takes Out Huge Botnet
The folks in Redmond do more than develop software, they hunt down botnets and kill them! Witness the demise of Rustock, a botnet that at one point contained over 2 million zombie computers responsible for sending 30 billion pieces of spam a day.
> MoreRun a Website or Blog? You Can Help Japan Quake Survivors.
“If you run your own site — and we know lots of you do — you can use your pageviews and influence to help Japanese people struggling to recover from yesterday’s devastating natural disasters. All you need is a couple lines of code from the Hello Bar. Mashable News
> MoreLibya Finds New Way to Strangle the Net
While mid eastern users have found ways around other dictator’s attempts to block the Internet, Col. Moammar Gadhafi, Libya’s dictator, seems to be shutting down the Net for everyone but himself. His son Muhammad Gadhafi just happens to own one of the country’s largest ISP’s which would explain the level of skill needed to do this, but [...]
> MoreiPad 2 Launches
Apple threw down the gauntlet today to the horde of tablet computers that are barking at its heels by showing off iPad 2. It’s slimmer, more powerful, has two cameras and costs just the same as the first version. Ships March 11; let the games begin!
> MoreAnti-trust time for Apple’s Subscription Plan?
Looks like Apple’s announcement this week that it was going to take 30% cut of any new subscribers to apps from within iTunes (e.g. news magazines, newspapers etc.) AND not allow their subscribers to go back out to the app’s homepage and subscribe there instead. This has caused a firestorm from Sony and music subscription [...]
> MoreBroadband Boom Coming to the Boondocks?
This Saturday our good friend Charlie Hopper of in the upper, Upper Peninsula of Michigan (i.e. the beautiful Keweenau Peninsula) will talk about President Obama’s recent visit to Marquette to talk about expanding broad band to more parts of our country specifically rural areas. Charlie and his crew have been doing that for nearly 15 years and we [...]
> MoreHP Unveils Three Devices Running webOS
HP unveiled three new devices to challenge the smartphone and tablets that are already on the market with a new operating system: webOS. Is this too little, too late or could webOS be their secret sauce.
> MorePresident Obama’s Address at Northern Michigan University
> MoreGoogle Releases “Honecomb” OS
Wed., Feb 2, Google launched its eagerly awaited Android 3.0 operating system, nicknamed Honeycomb. This sweet new system has been optimized to work on the landslide of new tablets like the Motorola Xoom that debuted at CES in January and now are slowly starting to roll out. The comparisons with Apple’s iOS mobile operating system [...]
> More“The Daily” for iPad launched
Can this collaborative effort between Newsday and Apple keep newspapers relevant vs. online instant news? Would you subscribe to The Daily or just use free news feeds?
> MoreLoss of Steve Jobs: Impact on Apple now and future.
Bloomberg News has created an in-depth look at one of the most influential men of our time, Steve Jobs. Love him or loathe him, Steve’s vision of Apple computers and the recent wave of consumer products like the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad have revolutionized not just computing but our entire way of life. Watch this insightful [...]
> MoreChrysler Foundation Awards Grants to 15 Southeast Michigan FIRST Robotics Teams
Since 1989 Chrysler Foundation has been inspiring students in engineering and technology through their grants to FIRST robotics teams. This year more than $110,000 will be disbursed to 15 teams from 19 high schools in Southeast Michigan. Read the full story here and the complete list of teams.
> MoreThe Verizon iPhone is Official
The other shoe has finally dropped: The CDMA iPhone for Verizon Wireless will be available on Feb. 10, though existing customers can pre-order beginning Feb. 3. Pricing is set at $200 for a 16 GB model and $300 for the 32 GB device and you’ll have to sign a two-year contract. Unfortunately, the Verizon iPhone [...]
> MoreTV Maker Gets into Tablet and Smartphone Business
Vizio is best known for its TV’s but recent publicity may mean that they plan on jumping into the tablet wars of 2011. The tablet and smartphone shown in the article will be unveiled at the upcoming CES.
> MoreSkype Adds Video Chat to iPhones!
Holy Bandwidth, Batman, if you thought network congestion was bad on AT&T before, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet”! With just one day left before the new year, Skype releases an upgrade that allows its iPhone/iPad app to do video calls. You will NOT need Apple’s FaceTime function to make this work; any old 3G network [...]
> MoreFacebook: King of the Web
Facebook has dethroned Google as the most visited website on the Internet as well as the most searched term. Next: Reach 1 billion users mark in 2011!
> MorePostal Trucks to Provide Rolling Data Network
This may be the only way to save the failing US Postal System: Turn all their trucks into rolling data gathering network. (Ed Rudel)
> MorePower failure may cost Toshiba 20% of its Flash Memory Inventory
.07 seconds power glitch and Toshiba may lose 20% of it Flash drive (NAND chip production) for 2011. Full Story
> MoreDeath of VGA in 2010
VGA has long been the standard for video displays but no longer in high definition world. Adios VGA.
> MoreNew iPhone App Tells You Where Your Product Is…in the Store!
No this isn’t just about finding the right store in the city where they sell what you want. This is about arriving at select stores and having an iPhone app that will tell you the precise shelf in the store where the product is located. This is be a boon for late shopping husbands and [...]
> MoreAcer Unveils Awesome Line Up of Computers
One of my first computers was an Acer and this line up has me looking over my shoulder again. Acer’s incredibly diverse line up of everything from 7 inch tablets to a laptop with two touch screens may turn Black Friday into a technological Fourth of July! Full Story
> MoreSkype 5.0 for Mac Big and Buggy ;-(
Skype has made a complete overhaul of its interface for Apple products and added a new look that fits the Mac OS better but there are lots of complaints about the amount of screen real estate that the Skype interface takes up. Ecamm did release an updated Recorder software but even they warn not to [...]
> MoreFacebook Adds New Messaging System
It isn’t quite email, but Facebook thinks that its new messaging system, Titan, is the wave of the future for digital messaging and considering that they now daily host over 375 million message/day, they could change the way we communicate. Don’t think that those of us who use email will necessarily give up our current [...]
> MoreA New Twitter is Coming!
What could it be?! Click more and watch the YouTube preview.
> MoreApple Releases Massive OS X Update
Apple released a monstrous package of fixes for 134 vulnerabilities in OS X 10 (Snow Leopard) software. To put this in perspective, Microsoft, which release a monthly package of fixes would have to combine the last six months to come close. Someone at MS is having a little chuckle and Mac users better wipe that [...]
> MoreThank you to all who have served in our Armed Services!
We salute all who have selflessly served their country and ensured the freedom we enjoy today! Tweet
> MoreBad Week for Blackberry Enterprise
First it was Dell announcing that they are going to switch 25,000 of their employees over from Blackberries to Windows 7 Phones. Then to pour a little more salt in the wound, Citibank and Bank of America said that they were going to ditch the Crackberry in favor of Apple’s iPhone. Rats jumping ship?
> MoreDetroit Free Press, now there’s an ap for that!
The Detroit Free Press is stepping into the 21st Century finally by publishing aps for iPhones and Blackberry phones. Compared to other news sites, this works pretty well on the iPhone and right now it’s free! Good time to try it.
> MoreWorld’s Tallest Mountain Gets WiFi!
This is really going to chafe those of you who are still on dial up: Mt. Everest now has its own 3G network to help climbers communicate with the outside world!
> MoreChina Claims World’s Fastest Supercomputer
Maybe it’s because the HPC 2010 Conference is being held in Beijing, China, but it looks like the Sleeping Dragon has leapfrogged the US in Supercomputing capacity. China claims that the Tianhe-1A, unveiled Thursday, set a performance record of 2.507 petaflops, easily surpassing the current record holder, the Cray XT5 Jaguar.
> MoreNetflix Gobbling Up Bandwidth
Used to be that we were concerned with all those rascals bit-torrenting and taking up all the bandwidth. Turns out that legitimate download site Netflix is taking up 20% of all available bandwidth! Check out this interesting report on Internet usage around the world.
> MoreFirst Impressions of New MacBook Air
Here is the firsthand report from the folks at CNET after 24 hours playing with Apple’s newest laptop. This was probably the biggest part of the Apple announcement this week. Look for more in depth comments both from Erik Anderson’s Mac Minute and the new Internet Advisor Tech Roundtable coming soon.
> MoreNew Rumor: iPhone for Verizon by December
Like a sighting of Big Foot, the rumors about the iPhone appearing on Verizon have surfaced again with one big difference: the source is the venerable Wall Street Journal. Gary Baker
> MoreNew Super Virus Attacks Power Plants.
A new smarter, more deadly virus called Stuxnet has targeted power plants in Iran. The virus is particularly powerful and has already launched itself against power plants in India and Russia. According to some reports, power systems have been held hostage for ransom and in one case may be responsible for a death. Agencies that [...]
> MoreBye Bye Open Office???
No more Open Office, the free alternative to Microsoft office developed by enthusiastic coders using Sun Microsystems development tools. The volunteers that develop and promote the free office software severed ties with Oracle on Tuesday and formed an independent group called The Document Foundation and may call the office suite, LibreOffice. Full Story Ed Rudel
> MoreRIM Introduces Next iPad Contender
Welcome to the Blackberry Playbook a smaller, business focused contender in the ever widening battle of the tablet/slate computers. Interestingly RIM is running the tablet on its own hybrid OS and included two cameras, bluetooth and WiFi connectivity…no 3G. Release date is set for early 2011.
> MoreNo iPhone for Verizon
No I-phone for Verizon, anytime soon. Apple wants a 4G network. Does this mean Sprint is a contender for Christmas, 2010? Full Story Ed Rudel
> MoreFCC Opens “Super Wi-Fi” TV Bands
FCC has opened up unused TV signals (the white noise between channels) for Internet broadband use. The Super Wi-Fi” technology may start to appear within a year. Full Story Ed Rudel
> MoreInternet Explorer 9 Beta Launches
Microsoft’s premier browser commands one in three visits to the Internet but in recent years has steadily lost ground to feisty competitors like Mozilla’s Firefox or Google’s lightning fast Chrome (both of which have Apple flavors while IE doesn’t!) September 15 Microsoft announced the launch of its newest Internet Explorer 9. Catch Ina Fried’s commentary on [...]
> MoreScientists Invent Super Capacitor…Your Battery on Steroids!
It’s the Onion Capacitor – when combined with today’s slow charging Lithium Ion batteries, are capable of powering a Laptop for days at a time and cell phone for Weeks. A Capacitor can be charged in seconds and then, in turn, charge the slow Lithium-Ion batteries used to power most portable electronics. Read the entire [...]
> MoreNew Kindle Released with 3G
Amazon is heating up the ereader market with the introduction of the newest Kindle that now contains 3G connectivity and not just WiFi. Wonder which carrier will benefit the most from this and what this means for future functions on the Kindle? Full Kindle Review
> More10 Things the Internet Has Killed or Ruined (and 5 Things It Hasn’t)
For good or for bad the Internet has had an incredible impact on things that we thought we would never see the end of like Yellow Pages! Find out who the victims and victors are in this interesting article from PC World. (Ed Rudel)
> MoreIntel to Buy MacAfee Security Firm
The giant of the chip making world has announced that it is buying one of the larger security firms for nearly $8 Billion dollars. Mediocrity pays off big!?!? MacAfee has taken some big hits recently for underperforming but that may have been just the thing that put them at a price point for Intel to [...]
> MoreMunicipalities Buy iPads to Save on Paper
The iPad has primarily been recognized as a consumer media device and not as a business tool. That is slowly changing as people in all walks of life are finding ways of using their iPads in their daily pursuits. One such case could save a small town nearly $18,000 in paper costs. Read full [...]
> MoreSelf-publish anything
Think you have the next great American novel in you but don’t know where to do to publish it? Here is an article that will help you to get just about anything published. Full Story
> MoreCompanies doing business on the iPad
Who says the iPad is just a consumer fad? Businesses are finding ways of using this computing platform to get work done more efficiently and perhaps kill a few less trees. Full story
> MorePay Per Click Club Meeting Aug. 3 in Livonia
On the Internet Advisor 7/24 program Meaghan McCann mentioned a free seminar on helping to get your website advertising to work better for you. Here is the information on the upcoming meeting. The website is www.payperclickclub.com Date: August 3, 2010 Time: 6:00 – 900 pm Place: EMU-Livonia, Room 425 Who: Any small business owner who [...]
> MoreThe Facebook Effect
The world’s largest social networking site just logged its 500 millionth user. Facebook has launched a site that lets people tell how it has impacted people’s lives. Maybe your story should be told there. Take a look at some of the other impressive statistics about Facebook. Full story in eweek.com
> MoreNew Michigan Broadband Coverage Map
If Michigan is going to compete in a global marketplace, we need to have strong, available access to high speed internet connections. Connect Michigan has just released its first interactive map that shows where high speed internet access has progressed in Michigan. Connect Michigan was commissioned by the Michigan Public Service Commission in conjunction with [...]
> MoreApple Responds to iPhone 4 Problems
Steve Jobs stepped up to the platform on Friday with a fancy slide show and basically confirmed what we all knew: the iPhone 4 has some serious antenna problems. The good news for iPhone 4 users is that Apple will give them a free wrap around guard that will solve the problem…if only they can [...]
> MoreIs This Apple’s “Toyota” Moment?
Consumer’s Report has recommended against the iPhone because of its antenna problems. Could it be that this is the PR disaster that may just knock Steve Jobs and Apple off their high horse the way that Toyota suffered when it repeatedly ignored or denied safety problems? Verizon is delighted with Apple’s problems as it gets [...]
> MoreMidwest Geek Vacation Hot Spots
Even geeks like to get out from behind the glow of their monitors every now and then. Eweek recently published a list of places to visit that should please even the most avid techno-nut in your family. Happy trails…and may you find open WiFi everywhere you go! LOL Geek Vacation Hotspots Cal Carson
> MoreGuess what this is!
Hint: picture was taken in 1956… It’s a hard disk drive back in 1956… with 5 MB of storage. In September 1956 IBM launched the 305 RAMAC, the first ‘SUPER’ computer with a hard disk drive (HDD). The HDD weighed over a ton and stored a ‘whopping’ 5 MB of data. Do you appreciate your 8 GB memory [...]
> MoreWorld Cup 2010…There’s an App for that!
I don’t know how many of you are soccer fans but I am a fanatic. I played a little in college and have grandchildren who are very good at it. I would rather watch a 0-0 soccer match like France vs. Uruguay on Friday than most other American sports except perhaps hockey because my wife [...]
> MoreCongratulations Lauren Baker
This coming Saturday Gary Baker will miss the show for a very good reason. He and his family will celebrate the graduation from high school of his oldest child, Lauren, who just also happens to be our Teen Tech Advisor (we will have to search for a much more sophisticated title in the near future! [...]
> MoreThe New Apple iPhone Released
Even Apple computer haters have to admit to intense curiosity when Steve Jobs trots out a new device or, as in this case, a rather remarkably updated version of an already popular Apple device. Monday, June 14, the president and guiding light behind Apple unveiled the newest version of the world’s arguably most popular smart [...]
> MoreFoster’s Caringbridge Blog
You are invited to visit Foster’s CaringBridge blog to follow his treatment until he returns later this summer.
> MoreMighty MacAfee Mess
A recent MacAfee Security update caused untold damage to Windows XP computers around the world. Hope yours wasn’t part of the mess. This goof wiped out entire business enterprises operations when it hit earlier this week. Full Story
> MoreOn the other hand: Israel Bans iPads!
Apple haters will love this. The nation of Israel is prohibiting travels from bringing iPads into the Mideast nation claiming that they will interfere with too many other products. This is highly suspicious behavior from a country noted for producing some of the highest level technology devices and components in the world. Full Story
> MoreiPad Keeps Country Running Remotely
The Icelandic volcano has paralyzed travel across much of Europe as the ash cloud slowly disperses. This has stranded many people including Norway’s prime minister. No problem, Jens Stoltenberg just whipped out his iPad and got down to the business of state from the airport! Full Story
> MoreIt’s official: iPhone coming to Verizon and Sprint
This week the Wall Street Journal reported that AT&T’s exclusive deal with the iPhone is over. Possibly by this summer, you could see iPhones showing up on the huge Verizon system and on Sprint. I will be interesting to see what they do with their red maps vs. blue maps of coverage battle!
> MoreFacebook Co-founder is back in start up business
Chris Hughes, the Facebook co-founder, has a new enterprise called Jumo, which soft launches today. “Jumo”–a Yoruba (African) word meaning “together in concert”–is a non-profit that aims to help people find ways to help the world. “We’ll be matching people based on their skills and interests with organizations around the world that need their input. [...]
> MoreFacebook users – Beware of email requesting you change your password
On March 17th 2010, McAfee sent out the warning concerning a facebook, password stealing email. If you receive and email telling you to reset your Facebook password, ignore it. The bad guys want steal your passwords and empty your bank accounts. Remember, Facebook will not send you an email forcing you to change your password. [...]
> MoreAnn Arbor Wants to Be Test Case for Google High Speed Net
Google recently put out a request for information to communities all across the country. It plans to use the information it receives to determine where to build its new fiber network. Ann Arbor city officials are anxious to have its citizens be some of the first in the country to benefit from this super fast [...]
> MoreTwitter Knows Where You Are
Look out, your next Twitter post could be letting the whole world know exactly where you are. The good news is that you can opt out of this new feature. Full Story
> MoreeBay app for Android now available
eBay continues to expand its mobile commerce presence with the latest addition to its application suite – the eBay application for Android. Bringing a streamlined eBay experience to Android phones everywhere, the eBay application lets on-the-go shoppers search, buy, pay, and check status of their eBay activity no matter where they are. The app is [...]
> MoreSelling Detroit by the Square Inch
An enterprising Detroiter is selling square inches of Southwest Detroit to people all over the globe. Jerry Paffendorf owns some property near Vernor Highway and has nearly 600 “inchvestors” from around the globe who want to put up mailboxes, create miniature cities and otherwise artful projects on the land. Jerry intends on installing a solar [...]
> MoreNew WJR App for iPhone and Blackberry
WJR is now available “live” on your iPhone or certain models of Blackberry, thru the WJR APP. To learn more you can go to WJR.com T he APP is free…and works better than ever. The audio is from the WJR.com streaming feed. Or if you have an APP search engine on your device, you can [...]
> MoreCould AT&T’s Success Be Its Undoing?
Not everyone jumped for joy when Steve Jobs announced that the revolutionary iPad device would be serviced soley through AT&T. The telecom giant has suffered severe customer backlash over dead spots, poor customer service and network congestion. How does adding a whole new category of bandwidth sucking devices help? And what about those brutally pointed [...]
> MoreIt’s an iPad!…Apple launches touch screen tablet!
It was the most expected surprise in recent memory, but Wednesday morning in San Francisco, Apple launched what some feel will be the next “game changing” device, the iPad starting at $500 for the 16 Gig base model (there are a total of 6 models some of which will run 3G and all will connect [...]
> MoreErik Anderson Grabs MAB Awards for OU!
We are very proud to announce that Erik Anderson (aka Big Red, Mac Boy etc.) our very own producer, helped Oakland University take home an unprecedented FOUR Michigan Association of Broadcaster Awards for 2009. Erik’s crew at WXOU helped garner: 1st place in News, 2nd place in Sports Play-by-play, 2nd place in Station Activities for [...]
> MoreNorton Security Suite Now Free to Comcast Customers
Starting, Jan 20th 2010, Comcast high-speed Internet customers can download Norton Security for free at www.comcast.net/security on a PC or Mac. Commercial customers can also download Norton Security Suite Business Edition at businessclass.comcast.net. The residential package is valued at $160 while the business offering usually sells for $490. Comcast has removed McAfee as parts of its Comcast [...]
> MoreText Messages From Haiti Quake Survivors Still Buried
CNN reports that text messages from deep inside the rubble of a bank brought searchers back to the building to look for the lost amid the rubble. Elsewhere “lower tech” ham radios are serving as vital link to the outside world when more cutting edge Internet connections are down. Ed Rudel
> MoreDetroit Auto Show Opens to the Public Through Jan. 24
It’s Detroit’s annual moment in the spotlight and this year there is a hopeful buzz surrounding the show. Visit this site for daily updates. This week the world’s auto pundits will weigh the recovery and the future of Detroit’s once proud auto industry.
> MoreGoogle Launches Nexus One Superphone
Pity poor Google. They are just the 500 lb. gorilla of the Internet and when they try and launch a cool new smartphone, the Nexus One, they look like the local high school sophomore chemistry class trying to explain a really cool experiment they did! Oh well, we can’t all be as cool as Apple [...]
> More2009: Year of the Social Networks
You know the game is changing when grandpa asks to “friend” you on Facebook! Social networking sites are not just expanding in shear numbers but are also growing more mature because of a broader and more sophisticated group of users spanning wider and wider age gaps. Ironically the paper and pen generation may be bringing [...]
> MoreApple is a Good Pick
Seems that Santa had something very nice for Apple stock holders this year: Amid speculation about a forthcoming tablet computer, the company’s shares have risen 145% this year. he stock surged $6.94, or 3.4%, on Thursday to close at a record high of $209.04. That topped the previous closing high of $207 on Nov. 17. [...]
> MoreBig Search Engines Not Immune to Scammers
A recent experiment showed that Yahoo and Microsoft’s Bing search engines could be suckered into giving high search rankings to scammers. Google didn’t fall for the ploy but admitted that the hackers are getting really clever at fooling search engines along with faking other websites. Moral of the story: Never give up your personal information [...]
> More10 Best Websites of the Last Decade
There was a lot of lively discussion around this topic during our marathon show Dec. 5. Check out this article from About.com and see what you think of their choices. We had a few extras thrown in during the Dec. 5 show and you can hear them throughout the podcasts of the show. Vince Chmielewski [...]
> MoreComcast Wants to Buy NBC/Universal
There goes the neighborhood. Comcast, the nation’s largest cable provider, has just announced its intentions to buy a controlling interest in NBC/Universal Studios. What will be the consequences of a single provider controlling both the content and the delivery of that content to millions of Americans? Serious concerns are being raised that a critical barrier [...]
> MoreNew AVG 9.0 Free Version Arrives
Long time listeners to the Internet Advisor know that Gary, Ed and Foster have all used AVG free anti-virus protection to keep their systems clean for years. AVG has just released its newest version of its respected free anti-virus but beware: it’s part of a huge security suite. Free doesn’t pay the rent so it’s [...]
> MoreSeattle Team Takes Home $900K Prize for "Space Elevator"
Space elevators are envisioned as a way to reach space without the risk and expense of rockets.
Instead, electrically powered vehicles would run up and down a cable anchored to a ground structure and extending thousands of miles up to a mass in geosynchronous orbit — the kind of orbit communications satellites are placed in to stay over a fixed spot on the Earth.
20 Goofy USB Gadgets & Gizmos You'll Love
This is what your IT department does when no one is looking! LOL Everything USB you’ve ever wanted, from stink-busters to toasters that print the morning news on your breakfast.
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