Reviews and News » khey

iGoogle Gets a New Look, Boosts its Functions

khey — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:33:21 +0000

All feeds subscribers will love the new iGoogle. Just this Thursday, Google released their redesigned and updated version of their own personalized homepage offering. However, only U.S. users can enjoy the new look and the site’s new features, as it is still in its beta version.

One of the major improvements is the full canvas view that the website now sports. This new feature allows for full reading of your subscribed feeds, instead of just viewing the article’s title or the feed’s title then be directed to the original site that contains the piece. This makes everything simpler for blog followers all over.

There are no more tabs found at the topmost part of the iGoogle homepage too. Instead, it now has a sleek navigation bar. The new iGoogle also supports widgets, although they are called gadgets in this case. Customization of the page is a lot better now, compared to what it was before.

There are also specific gadgets that users can call. Right now, there were three choices – the one for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. You can virtually read three dailies in one go over your computer with iGoogle – all without going away from your personalized homepage.
What’s more, it is also possible to check your email right on iGoogle’s interface. You can also keep track of other important things, like your financial portfolio, the stocks market, weather, and other time-relevant information.

There are gadgets for entertainment and games too. As such, you could play Sudoku or any other games you love to while away time. It is also possible to watch YouTube videos on one side of the screen. Check movie trailers. Keep up with your followed TV shows. You can virtually do everything on one page now.

First Hi-Def LCD TV with Blu-ray Disc Player

khey — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:55:08 +0000

Technology is evolving. Now, the anticipated team up of LCD TV and Blu-ray discs had materialized. Sharp was ahead of the pack in the integration, as they release their very first LCD TV with a built-in Blu-ray disc player. However, you can’t buy the set right now. You would have to wait until November 20 for its official release. It’s going to be sold first in Japan, though. U.S. consumers would have to wait until December to have the product shipped to their shores.

There will be varying sizes for these television sets. The smallest would be the 26-inch version while the biggest is the cinematic 52-inch screen. Initial prices would be $1,700 to $5,000 in Japan. The prices may vary greatly in the U.S.

Called as the DX LCD TV series, this home entertainment system is Sharp’s last minute offering for the Christmas season. Hopefully, Christmas shoppers would not find the device a little too late for their shopping spree. It would certainly be a nice gift for the family.

With this new LCD TV, Sharp says that it is their response to the worldwide slumping economy, fierce competition, and adverse industry. We just hope that their offering is indeed timely – because otherwise, it could only mean loss for their company.

This new LCD TV from Sharp is also big on features as users can watch a channel while record an entirely different TV show simultaneously. The Blu-ray disc player the TV is equipped with is capable of burning using the MPEG4 format. One 25GB Blu-ray disc can hold as much as 11 hours of high definition video.

In Japan, TV’s like these can be considered as a bargain. Blu-ray discs add as much as $100 to $200 premium to buyers. Sharp expects that the worldwide electronics consumers would have the same attitude.

Switching to Digital Cable, Why and How soon ?

New MacBooks Finally Released

khey — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:44:29 +0000

After all the rumors and the ruckus, Apple finally made public their new set of Macbooks. The new Macs are an improvement indeed. The most notable change was the display surround installed in these functional devices. The new set of Macbooks has also improved in terms of look. They sport that black glass exterior similar to an iPhone.

The Macbooks have a newer case too. The seams can now be found at the bottom of the computer, which gives the device a seamless, unibody look. This also made access to the battery, memory, and hard disk a lot easier than before. The chassis is also stronger, meaning the whole device is now tougher.

Another notable improvement in this new line of Macbooks is the trackpad. It is bigger and better, so to speak. However, one of the major changes is really Apple’s decision to shift to NVIDIA. The move had made the new Macbooks more powerful in terms of graphics. Mac laptops are known to utilize Intel’s built-in graphic chips. But now that it uses NVIDIA, 3D acceleration becomes a walk in the park. What’s more, users can shift between using the heavy-duty graphics card or the discrete built-in one to save on battery.

However, the new system comes in only one look. If you don’t like the Macbook’s glossy exterior, you don’t really have much choice. No matte-finish models are created as an option this time around. The new machines also have aluminum edges. This means that there could be a problem with friction as you move your hands over the palm rest.

Rumors about the new Macbooks having blu-ray optical drives didn’t push through either. Maximum memory is 4GB, which is quite a disappointment to some. Also, the Macbooks are yet to support the ultra big 500 GB hard disk drives that were being manufactured today.

Overall, the experience is good but not the best – which is actually good in a way so that there’s something a little more to anticipate in the future.

Open Office Servers Crashes as Users Raced to Download the New Suite

khey — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:51:47 +0000

Open Office just recently released the newest version of their free, open-source office productivity suite, the Open Office 3.0. Needless to say, the launch was a hit. Several millions of users logged on to the company’s website to download the software. The result? Their web servers crashed.

Released yesterday at around 10 am, the servers crashed just a few hours after that. OpenOffice.org uses mirror sites to accommodate all download requests. Even so, their servers proved to be not so powerful enough even to redirect the users to such sites. Not that their web servers are sub-quality. It’s just that the Open Office 3.0 simply is the biggest download ever for the company. John McCreesh, Open Office’s marketing lead, confirmed the server crashing reports first heard from ZDNet.

Open Office 3.0 has some relevant upgrades to their software and those are the main reasons why people rushed to get the newest version. What’s good about the new suite is that it can now be installed on Mac OS X. It is also capable of reading .docx file extensions. The .docx files are OOXML or Office Open XML files created by Microsoft’s software, Office 2007. The new suite also offers a better range of extension integration.

However, the new Open Office still has its limitations. Currently, it isn’t possible to export OOXML documents to the new Open Office software. Users of Open Office can’t send documents to the users of Office 2007 either. The work around is to send the files in the old format.

The high demand for the new version of this free open source software is unprecedented. It only goes to show that people are going for the more viable solution for their office productivity software requirements. Currently, the OpenOffice.org’s website is on simple text layout, if only to accommodate everybody who are trying to get hold of their newest offering.

The New BlackBerry Pearl 8220 Flip Phone

khey — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:19:30 +0000

Smart Phones are here. The newest Blackberry phone is flip phone that is fully loaded with brisk features that you will certainly love. Released by T-mobile, this sleek phone can do everything you want and allows you to move closer to people, facts, and fun.

When all smart phones are resolved to look like the iPhone, the Blackberry Pearl 8220 dares to be different. As such, it is expected to appeal more to the business class rather than the teen population and the young professionals. The phone comes with two screens and both of which you can use to screen your calls and preview your text messages. The inner screen is fully loaded as it can display videos, maps, and almost everything else you can think of. The new Blackberry also comes with a larger keypad to allow typing with two thumbs.

But more than the basic features, this new smart phone from Blackberry is Wi-Fi capable that supports both 802.11b and g technologies. As such, you can log on to your favorite instant messaging service and even add photos to your profile in your choice of social networking site right from your phone. This phone is the first to deliver all of these in a clamshell form factor. The phone is also equipped with a camera that is capable of video recording. It can also stream video, install games, and play everything else on a widescreen view. The widescreen mode is made possible by the phone’s built-in software called the Roxio Media Manager.

The internal memory of the Blackberry phone can be enhanced by a microSD card. The phone is also 3g capable so you can use it for video calling. Currently, the phone is available through T-mobiles voice and data plans. With this new phone in hand, all you need in a mobile device is just a flip away.

Full-Length TV Shows Now Showing on YouTube

khey — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:30:36 +0000

If you spend a lot of time in front of your computer more than you ever do in front of your TV, you will delight in this new development by YouTube – free TV shows on your PC. Now, you can watch your favorite TV episodes right from your computer screen without paying any membership fees.

The YouTube blog says the test had already started and they are into playing full-length TV shows on their site. They are also handpicking only shows and episodes that are most requested by the users at the moment.

The TV shows can now be played on YouTube’s traditional player and on their new ‘theatre view’ media player. However, the best things in life are not totally free. YouTube’s TV show are not without advertisements as there will be 15-second ads played even before the video of your favorite TV show would come up. There would also be ads showing during playback, right after the show, and up above the player.

This new format is still in the testing stages though. There are also plans to embed ads in the videos of the episodes as well, very much like the commercial breaks on TV. The only downside of all of these is the fact that only U.S. residents can watch the videos for the time being. If YouTube would ever make the service available to the rest of the world, it is still too early to tell.

And currently, only old classic episodes are being uploaded. A good example is the 80′s hit series, McGyver. So if you are in the mood to reminisce old-time favorite TV shows, just log on to YouTube and try their newest offering. With enough support, it might just play the current episodes of Smallville and Prison Break pretty soon.

Zoho Mail Ready for your iPod

khey — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:08:51 +0000

Zoho mail is yet another email service and software provider. And it is currently passing the beta stages of its newest version, making it the perfect suite for all people who need to check their emails while on the go.

One of the major changes seen has something to do with the suite’s functionality. Now, users will be able to access their message offline. The new version also proves to work in with the iPhone. Beta test versions are still available to the public for them to try and install in their respective devices.

The offline access is actually helpful if you merely want to refer to your email. Before Zoho’s innovation you can never access your emails without connecting to a network. Using Google’s Gears technology, users can write and read emails even if there’s no network available.

When you open the software, it would automatically detect your network and switches to offline mode the moment it fails to connect to any. While offline, you can continue doing what you normally do. All the emails that you composed can be sent the moment you connect to a network.

However, you can’t really reply to the messages directly as an error message about not being a part of a network would pop out. What you do instead is you compose your emails and then save it on the drafts folder. When you know that you’re online, you go back to the drafts folder and send the composed messages stored in there accordingly.

It would be nicer though if you can directly reply on the messages you received while offline and not compose a new one. They should also be sent automatically whenever your device detects a wireless network. However, these things may mean further tweaks on the existing Zoho software. Until then, let’s just enjoy what’s available to us.

Apple to Release New Laptops?

khey — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:25:32 +0000

The buzz is loud around the computer industry that Apply is going to unveil new computer models next week. While Apple is known to create ground-breaking firsts in terms of technology and design, it is going to be different this time around. The company is set to create a laptop that is going to set the lowest price in their line of products. So users can expect its going to be a rather economical computer with all the Mac functionalities intact.

However, the buzz is still a buzz. There’s no confirmation to this report yet. Nobody knows what Mac is up in its sleeve. All we have for a fact now is the invitation issued to media and technology analysts for an event to be held on Tuesday. The invitation contained Apple’s logo on a laptop computer. What’s sure right now is that the new announcement would definitely be related to Mac’s portable computer line.

Right now, the Apple spokesperson is mum about all of it and said that everybody can wait until Tuesday for the official announcement. However, rumors are so strong that Mac is finally coming up with a laptop that would cost lower than a thousand dollars. Even so, that’s still a first in the Apple history. Analysts even say that the new Apple laptop may cost a mere $800 or even lower. If that happens, then Apple is back in the ball game, as the rest of the players in the industry are slashing their prices down – probably because of the birth of mini computers.

If the rumors were true, then this could be Apple’s answer to its dwindling stocks. Statistics have shown that their stocks had lowered as much as 25% since the latter part of September. This could also be due to the unstable economy in itself. Well, as for the new Mac, we just have to wait and see.

A New Interface for the Xbox 360

khey — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:09:46 +0000

Microsoft is cooking something good for the Xbox. And everybody will have a taste of it come November 19. Microsoft announced the new design that the Xbox will sport right from Tokyo. Called as the New Xbox Experience, the launch will happen simultaneously in 26 countries and 19 languages.

Aside from the base Xbox interface, the Marketplace is going to be different too. It will have better screenshots, descriptions, and information available to users. And even if you are not in front of your device, you can still go through the same site through the internet. The goal is to keep the Xbox connected to the internet and the internet to the Xbox.

One notable improvement on the interface is the removal of the blade look. Now, users will see the all the windows fully spread out on the screen. It is quite easier to find the information that you need. Before, the windows are stacked on top of each other. As such, navigation is a little too tricky.

The avatar on the new Xbox interface is much better now too. Each of the little people on the screen is uniquely dressed, has its own hair style, skin color, and fashion accessories. Customize your avatar the way you want it. These cute characters do add fun to the whole gaming experience.

The new interface would also allow multiple users to chat and talk to each other at the same time. Sending text messages to groups is possible too. You can also access the profile of your friends through the interface. Check out what they’re playing at the moment and join in.

To get the new look, all a user has to do is to update the firmware of their system. However, for those who would want to keep the original interface, they can skip doing this step. They might not be able to play the newer games available though.

Google Unveiled Adsense for Games

khey — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:41:34 +0000

For everyone else who had raked in a great amount of money from their website through Google Ads, here is yet another way to add on to your profits. Just recently, Google unveiled Adsense for Games, Google’s newest attempt to divert a player’s attention from his online game and into the ads.

Google’s recent venture in the online and video game territory can be regarded a little too late, but it’s still a great move nonetheless. Yahoo had already implemented such a campaign years ago. But even so, that didn’t stop Google from releasing their own beta version on Wednesday.

The goal is to incorporate relevant ads into web-based online games that are very popular among kids, teens, and adults alike. However the targets will mostly be young men and young professionals engaged in sports-related games, action, and movie-based role playing adventures. The ad videos would play in several instances throughout the game such as before the game loads, after completing a level, and at the end of the game. This may look like an ad overload but if it’s a free game, users would simply like to think it’s a sponsored-type of an agreement and they’d let it go.

Google had acquired Adscape Media in 2007 primarily for this purpose. But apparently, it took them a full year before making the plan happen. In fact, Google’s acquisition of Adscape Media happened earlier than Microsoft’s inception of Massive Inc. Yet Microsoft was the first in the implementation process.

Aside from Microsoft and Yahoo, Google’s chief rivals in this game-based advertising venture are NeoEdge and Fusion. However, with the name Google currently enjoys, it isn’t much of a surprise if their service becomes the more preferred one in the industry. Maybe it is their competitors that have to be wary of this new development.

Reviews and News » khey

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