Sunday, June 05, 2005
Techtalker - end of IPod
Is it the end of IPod?
The cult model IPod may now be under threat, or at least Bill Gates thinks this way. Last week at the Mobile and Embedded DevCon (MEDC) at Las Vega, Gates announced the launching of the Windows Mobile 5.0 operation system, but a little later in an interview predicted that the cellphone with an embedded MP3 player would mark the end of the IPod dominance.
"I don't think the success of the iPod can continue in the long term, however good Apple may be," the chairman of Microsoft, was quoted as saying to the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Like the popularity of the Mac, this too would lose its position, he predicted. The IPod is today a cult model with an estimated 15 million pieces sold worldwide. The leading digital music player is something which has made Apple regain its stature (not that it was lost anytime) in the global market, with even music majors like Sony conceding that they failed to anticipate the digital music market.
According to Gates, things would change when cellphones come with embedded MP3 music players where you can download music from various online services. Off course there are cellphones that can play MP3 right now, but for sheer quantity and quality of music, the IPod has been reigning supreme.
Music playback in cellphones today is restricted to a few very high end models, and they too cannot store long hours like the IPod can. Some recent phones like the Samsung i300 which was unveiled at the MEDC though has a hard disc of 3 GB, though the MP3 player is missing.
But Gates did not predict the demise of IPod alone, but also talked of how his product would be better than Blackberry, which requires you to log on to another service to check your email.
IPod lovers would have none of this. The "macobserver" had guests blogging to say that they would never carry their cellphones for 24 hours a day, and would rather spend their weekend with their IPod rather than a cellphone where tele marketing guys make life miserable for you. Others opined that music lovers were different than computer buyers. And like the Mac, there is no dearth of IPod lovers.
So what do you think? Did Gates take a bite at the Apple, or did he chew more than he could digest?
The cult model IPod may now be under threat, or at least Bill Gates thinks this way. Last week at the Mobile and Embedded DevCon (MEDC) at Las Vega, Gates announced the launching of the Windows Mobile 5.0 operation system, but a little later in an interview predicted that the cellphone with an embedded MP3 player would mark the end of the IPod dominance.
"I don't think the success of the iPod can continue in the long term, however good Apple may be," the chairman of Microsoft, was quoted as saying to the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Like the popularity of the Mac, this too would lose its position, he predicted. The IPod is today a cult model with an estimated 15 million pieces sold worldwide. The leading digital music player is something which has made Apple regain its stature (not that it was lost anytime) in the global market, with even music majors like Sony conceding that they failed to anticipate the digital music market.
According to Gates, things would change when cellphones come with embedded MP3 music players where you can download music from various online services. Off course there are cellphones that can play MP3 right now, but for sheer quantity and quality of music, the IPod has been reigning supreme.
Music playback in cellphones today is restricted to a few very high end models, and they too cannot store long hours like the IPod can. Some recent phones like the Samsung i300 which was unveiled at the MEDC though has a hard disc of 3 GB, though the MP3 player is missing.
But Gates did not predict the demise of IPod alone, but also talked of how his product would be better than Blackberry, which requires you to log on to another service to check your email.
IPod lovers would have none of this. The "macobserver" had guests blogging to say that they would never carry their cellphones for 24 hours a day, and would rather spend their weekend with their IPod rather than a cellphone where tele marketing guys make life miserable for you. Others opined that music lovers were different than computer buyers. And like the Mac, there is no dearth of IPod lovers.
So what do you think? Did Gates take a bite at the Apple, or did he chew more than he could digest?
Techtalker - google outage
Google outage
Even the biggies slip up sometimes, and this time it was Google that faces a shutdown, albeit temporarily. For 15 minutes on Saturday evening, the world's most popular search engine was not available. Google officially described it as a DNS (Domain Name System) problem which had nothing to do with security or hacking. Blogs and discussion boards literally went overboard, since the search engine virtually caters to an estimated 200 million querries every day.
As is the case nowadays, blogs seemed to be the first to report the occurrence, with Google Blogoscoped witnessing a post which said, ``Google.com is down at the moment, at least from where I'm standing." Google news and Froogle was down as well, though Gmail was working. There were differing reactions to Google facing an outage. Some
described it as a day when Google went down. Another writer termed it the death and rebirth of Google, or the great vanishing trick.
Some pointed out that the pages are being redirected and suspected a hack. A screenshot of the redirected webpages was also posted at another blog. A little later, Google's David Krane released an official statement saying: "Google's global properties were unavailable for a short period of time earlier today. We've remedied
the problem and access to Google has been restored worldwide." They blamed it on a DNS issue.
The domain name system (DNS) is the way that Internet domain names are located and translated into Internet Protocol addresses. Though it was not related, on Wednesday the company launched its Web Accelerator service, which is aimed at increasing access speed to Web pages by offering cached or compressed copies of sites from Google's servers.
Even the biggies slip up sometimes, and this time it was Google that faces a shutdown, albeit temporarily. For 15 minutes on Saturday evening, the world's most popular search engine was not available. Google officially described it as a DNS (Domain Name System) problem which had nothing to do with security or hacking. Blogs and discussion boards literally went overboard, since the search engine virtually caters to an estimated 200 million querries every day.
As is the case nowadays, blogs seemed to be the first to report the occurrence, with Google Blogoscoped witnessing a post which said, ``Google.com is down at the moment, at least from where I'm standing." Google news and Froogle was down as well, though Gmail was working. There were differing reactions to Google facing an outage. Some
described it as a day when Google went down. Another writer termed it the death and rebirth of Google, or the great vanishing trick.
Some pointed out that the pages are being redirected and suspected a hack. A screenshot of the redirected webpages was also posted at another blog. A little later, Google's David Krane released an official statement saying: "Google's global properties were unavailable for a short period of time earlier today. We've remedied
the problem and access to Google has been restored worldwide." They blamed it on a DNS issue.
The domain name system (DNS) is the way that Internet domain names are located and translated into Internet Protocol addresses. Though it was not related, on Wednesday the company launched its Web Accelerator service, which is aimed at increasing access speed to Web pages by offering cached or compressed copies of sites from Google's servers.
Techtalker - Tiger on the prowl
After the fox, here comes the tiger
What is the IT world coming to? After the fox, enter the tiger. With Firefox challenging Microsoft's Internet browser, IE, Apple is now challenging Microsoft's Windows with Tiger.
Though it is known as Mac OS X 10.4, the code name is tiger. Apple claims that the operating system has over 200 feature improvements. Spotlight is one, which indexes your entire hard disc so that searching becomes easier. Though it does not scan networked hard drives or remote shared folders. Something that Google search, or the
MSN and Yahoo beta searches are doing today. But amazingly, it indexes not just word files, but even items like shutter speed of the digital camera that clicked the picture which is now on your hard disc.
The killer application no doubt is iChat, which allows you upto four video chats and nine audio chats simultaneously. The simulation is good giving everyone the impression that they are sitting around a table while chatting. But for this you need a very powerful machine plus great broadband speeds as well.
There is an improved Quick Time for movie freaks, and some enhanced security features like a password generator. You can now tell your Mac to read your email with a voiceover feature. Safari, the web browser has an inbuilt RSS support so that you can scan news in a simple searchable list.
Off course Steve Jobs took a jibe at the Longhorn which is yet to be launched my Microsoft. "They're shamelessly trying to follow us," Jobs remarked last week at Apple's stockholder meeting, stating that Longhorn is yet to appear. "They can't even copy fast", he said. Longhorn is now scheduled in 2006, though it was originally supposed to appear in 2004.
Not all have loved the Tiger. Some crib about the time that one of its features, spotlight takes to run. Others doubt whether the Apple share would increase. The steep price is another dampener. The love that Apple has for the feline is legendary. After the Jaguar came the tiger.
Will it leap ahead of competition just like a tiger? Only time can tell.
What is the IT world coming to? After the fox, enter the tiger. With Firefox challenging Microsoft's Internet browser, IE, Apple is now challenging Microsoft's Windows with Tiger.
Though it is known as Mac OS X 10.4, the code name is tiger. Apple claims that the operating system has over 200 feature improvements. Spotlight is one, which indexes your entire hard disc so that searching becomes easier. Though it does not scan networked hard drives or remote shared folders. Something that Google search, or the
MSN and Yahoo beta searches are doing today. But amazingly, it indexes not just word files, but even items like shutter speed of the digital camera that clicked the picture which is now on your hard disc.
The killer application no doubt is iChat, which allows you upto four video chats and nine audio chats simultaneously. The simulation is good giving everyone the impression that they are sitting around a table while chatting. But for this you need a very powerful machine plus great broadband speeds as well.
There is an improved Quick Time for movie freaks, and some enhanced security features like a password generator. You can now tell your Mac to read your email with a voiceover feature. Safari, the web browser has an inbuilt RSS support so that you can scan news in a simple searchable list.
Off course Steve Jobs took a jibe at the Longhorn which is yet to be launched my Microsoft. "They're shamelessly trying to follow us," Jobs remarked last week at Apple's stockholder meeting, stating that Longhorn is yet to appear. "They can't even copy fast", he said. Longhorn is now scheduled in 2006, though it was originally supposed to appear in 2004.
Not all have loved the Tiger. Some crib about the time that one of its features, spotlight takes to run. Others doubt whether the Apple share would increase. The steep price is another dampener. The love that Apple has for the feline is legendary. After the Jaguar came the tiger.
Will it leap ahead of competition just like a tiger? Only time can tell.
Techtalker - Toll roads and GPS
Toll roads and mobiles
Off the many unique applications that technology, particularly mobile technology, is now offering is that of collecting toll tax on highways. It may sound a trifle far fetched, but the process is already operational in some parts of the world, particularly in German autobahns as well as Highway 407 in Canada.
Germany has introduced a new telematics-based road tolling scheme which does away with toll barriers, particularly turnpikes. The pike or the long stick has been symbolic of toll roads, and is held across the road, only to be raised when the traveler paid the toll.
Instead it uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) to track each truck that passes on its highways. The truck owner needs to install an On Board Unit, that is connected with the GPS system. It applies only to trucks of 12 tonnes gross and above, and so far is limited to autobahns. A system called ``Toll Collect'', which is owned jointly by Deutsche Telekom (45 per cent), DaimlerChrysler (45 per cent) and Cofiroute, a company involved in toll administration in France (10 per cent) runs the project.
Another system is on in Canada, at Highway 407, which is considered as one of the most technologically advanced toll highways in the world. With no toll booths, all vehicles are photographed when they enter and exit the highway. A monthly bill lands at your doorstep for usage of Highway 407.
Propounders of these systems argue that travelers dislike toll roads not only for the cost of the toll, but also for the delays that it causes. No doubt since millions of dollars worth of gadgetry is to be sold, conflicting views have emerged. The German example has had its share of criticism in the media with industry experts suggesting other low cost alternatives as well.
There have been cases of misreading of number plates in Ontario and tech experts in Germany pointed that users could find ways to jam the GPS devices as well so that their movement cannot be read by satellites.
In UK, all new electronic toll systems for buses and coaches are beginning to use satellite positioning, GSM-GPRS or 5.8 GHz microwave technology. But a new European service is being established, and from January 2008 all new tolling systems would have to use only satellite positioning and GSM-GPRS technologies, doing away with microwave technology, creating a conflict between proponents of different
technologies. This system shall be in place almost throughout Europe by 2012.
But if think nothing is hapenning in India, already many companies are using a similar technology to track their vehicles. ICICI Bank uses Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) systems on its vans to track the movement of the vehicles. This helps them know if a van is faces a robbery attempt. An SMS alert informs the administrator is one of the doors is left open. Another oil company receives a regular SMS on the quantity of oil being transported in its container, to stall the
possibility of pilferage en route. Reliance has launched a mobile vehicle tracking system which can be used by transporters to determine the exact location of their vehicles.
But so far there are no attempts at collecting tolls via GPS systems. For that first the entire database of vehicles would have to be computerised -- a fairly long haul.
The author can be contacted at techtalker at gmail dot com.
Off the many unique applications that technology, particularly mobile technology, is now offering is that of collecting toll tax on highways. It may sound a trifle far fetched, but the process is already operational in some parts of the world, particularly in German autobahns as well as Highway 407 in Canada.
Germany has introduced a new telematics-based road tolling scheme which does away with toll barriers, particularly turnpikes. The pike or the long stick has been symbolic of toll roads, and is held across the road, only to be raised when the traveler paid the toll.
Instead it uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) to track each truck that passes on its highways. The truck owner needs to install an On Board Unit, that is connected with the GPS system. It applies only to trucks of 12 tonnes gross and above, and so far is limited to autobahns. A system called ``Toll Collect'', which is owned jointly by Deutsche Telekom (45 per cent), DaimlerChrysler (45 per cent) and Cofiroute, a company involved in toll administration in France (10 per cent) runs the project.
Another system is on in Canada, at Highway 407, which is considered as one of the most technologically advanced toll highways in the world. With no toll booths, all vehicles are photographed when they enter and exit the highway. A monthly bill lands at your doorstep for usage of Highway 407.
Propounders of these systems argue that travelers dislike toll roads not only for the cost of the toll, but also for the delays that it causes. No doubt since millions of dollars worth of gadgetry is to be sold, conflicting views have emerged. The German example has had its share of criticism in the media with industry experts suggesting other low cost alternatives as well.
There have been cases of misreading of number plates in Ontario and tech experts in Germany pointed that users could find ways to jam the GPS devices as well so that their movement cannot be read by satellites.
In UK, all new electronic toll systems for buses and coaches are beginning to use satellite positioning, GSM-GPRS or 5.8 GHz microwave technology. But a new European service is being established, and from January 2008 all new tolling systems would have to use only satellite positioning and GSM-GPRS technologies, doing away with microwave technology, creating a conflict between proponents of different
technologies. This system shall be in place almost throughout Europe by 2012.
But if think nothing is hapenning in India, already many companies are using a similar technology to track their vehicles. ICICI Bank uses Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) systems on its vans to track the movement of the vehicles. This helps them know if a van is faces a robbery attempt. An SMS alert informs the administrator is one of the doors is left open. Another oil company receives a regular SMS on the quantity of oil being transported in its container, to stall the
possibility of pilferage en route. Reliance has launched a mobile vehicle tracking system which can be used by transporters to determine the exact location of their vehicles.
But so far there are no attempts at collecting tolls via GPS systems. For that first the entire database of vehicles would have to be computerised -- a fairly long haul.
The author can be contacted at techtalker at gmail dot com.
Techtalker - email addresses
Two things have prompted me to select the topic for this week's piece.The first is the judgment of a US court handing down a nine year jail term to a spammer. Jeremy Jaynes of Raleigh, N.C., was convicted in November for using false Internet addresses to send mass e-mail ads through an AOL server. And the second is repeated queries on the manner in which my email address is mentioned at the end of the piece. Surely, somebody writes a tech column should know how to write his
email address.
The reason is simple. If you write your email the traditional way say techtalker@gmail.com, you become a sitting duck for spammers. Chances are that your article would land up on the net in one form or the other. Say the newspaper is online, or a reader might like to post it somewhere, or even forward it to another friend. By doing this, the email address becomes open to abuse for spammers.
Spammers, and believe me, most of them are very smart, have designed grepping bots that keep of surfing the net and collecting email addresses from websites, blogs and even the usenet. The entire collection of emails then becomes a target for spamming. Some have gone a step ahead. They collect, say a million addresses, burn them on a CD and then sell it to bulk email marketing companies.
Believe me, there is nothing you can do about it. If there is an anti spamming law in the US, it may not be applicable in Russia. And the server through which the bulk email is routed could be located at a place where the anti spamming law does not work. So the best way is to write your email address in san encoded and non traditional form so that you can fool (or at least try to fool) the greppers.
First and foremost, give the @ sign a miss. so instead of techtalker@gmail.com, write techtalker at gmail.com, or better still techtalker (AT) gmail.com, or even techtalker at the rate of gmail.com. Even the .com can be written as dot com or point com or (dot) com. In fact you can be a little more creative here. you can write techtalker (yes techtalker) at the rate of gmail dot com. I will provide a few more examples, and leave you to try out other ideas.
But do not be so creative that nobody can make out your email address.
techtalkerATgmail!org (note the exclamation mark)
techtalker_A@T__searchlores.org (and below this write use "@" not "__A@T__")
techtalker[AT]gmail[POINT]com
techtalker(_AT_)gmail(_POINT_)com
techtalker(press SHIFT 2 on keyboard)gmail(POINT)com
But as I write this, I am told that some new grepper bots can
translate (at) and (dot) into working email addresses. So the hare and hound race against spammers continues.
email address.
The reason is simple. If you write your email the traditional way say techtalker@gmail.com, you become a sitting duck for spammers. Chances are that your article would land up on the net in one form or the other. Say the newspaper is online, or a reader might like to post it somewhere, or even forward it to another friend. By doing this, the email address becomes open to abuse for spammers.
Spammers, and believe me, most of them are very smart, have designed grepping bots that keep of surfing the net and collecting email addresses from websites, blogs and even the usenet. The entire collection of emails then becomes a target for spamming. Some have gone a step ahead. They collect, say a million addresses, burn them on a CD and then sell it to bulk email marketing companies.
Believe me, there is nothing you can do about it. If there is an anti spamming law in the US, it may not be applicable in Russia. And the server through which the bulk email is routed could be located at a place where the anti spamming law does not work. So the best way is to write your email address in san encoded and non traditional form so that you can fool (or at least try to fool) the greppers.
First and foremost, give the @ sign a miss. so instead of techtalker@gmail.com, write techtalker at gmail.com, or better still techtalker (AT) gmail.com, or even techtalker at the rate of gmail.com. Even the .com can be written as dot com or point com or (dot) com. In fact you can be a little more creative here. you can write techtalker (yes techtalker) at the rate of gmail dot com. I will provide a few more examples, and leave you to try out other ideas.
But do not be so creative that nobody can make out your email address.
techtalkerATgmail!org (note the exclamation mark)
techtalker_A@T__searchlores.org (and below this write use "@" not "__A@T__")
techtalker[AT]gmail[POINT]com
techtalker(_AT_)gmail(_POINT_)com
techtalker(press SHIFT 2 on keyboard)gmail(POINT)com
But as I write this, I am told that some new grepper bots can
translate (at) and (dot) into working email addresses. So the hare and hound race against spammers continues.
Techtalker - More space anyone?
How much more email space do you need? As gmail enters its first year,the company has decided to expand its mail box from 1GB to 2GB. Google says that as a part of their one year birthday, ``we are giving everyone one more gigabyte''. But why stop the party there, it asks. As needs of users increase, it also promises to increase its email space further.
So far, 2GB storages have more often than not been paid services, with both Microsoft and Yahoo offering it for a price ranging between 20-26 dollars a year. Barring omnilect and perhaps xasamail which has been providing users free 2GB space, most companies had imposed fairly stringent limits on inbox usage.
For 1GB email providers the list is now fairly long. An Israeli company Walla, which has the teasing trailer `walla me' (www.walla.com) is one. If you wish an Indian company, Rediff has been around for quite some. time. Similarly mailbavaria offers 10 different email addresses, and even a 5GB service for a price.
The major disadvantage with these mails was that they offer their services in English language only. Some options have now emerged, like in German www.gmx.de or www.maktoob.com in Arabic. www.katatudo.com.br is supposed to be free and unlimited, but since I do not Portuguese, I cannot vouch for that.
The list is long, and for those who need addresses of all those biggies, try gmailforums.com where users like you and me have added an entire list of big daddies of email.
But the big question remains? Why do you need such huge storage space?Surely not for writing letters.
As email has advanced, it has now acquired new utilities that goes beyond writing mails to each other. People are creating music folders in their email accounts and storing their music there. It is like a virtual IPod. Ditto with pictures as well.
Instead of text emails, things are moving towards voice emails and video emails. An enterprising user can still create a wav file, attach it to his text email and the user can hear you voice. Try a similar thing with moving video as well, though the 10MB limit on attachments could be a deterrent. In times to come, email is surely moving in this direction.
Instead of free webspace offered by webhosting companies, which was often not reliable, email services are turning into your online storage devices. The flip side is that since they are password protected (or are they?), the usage is restricted to the creator or if he decides to distribute the password to others. Webspace on the other hand is in public domain, and hence could be accessed by everyone unless you yourself decide to bar some users.
With greater free webspace being provided, you can be assured that full inboxes shall be an issue of the past. But new issues are cropping up, beginning with user privacy and reading your emails. After all, the question remains. If the service providers are not making money, why do they offer these services at all?
write to me at techtalker at gmail point com
So far, 2GB storages have more often than not been paid services, with both Microsoft and Yahoo offering it for a price ranging between 20-26 dollars a year. Barring omnilect and perhaps xasamail which has been providing users free 2GB space, most companies had imposed fairly stringent limits on inbox usage.
For 1GB email providers the list is now fairly long. An Israeli company Walla, which has the teasing trailer `walla me' (www.walla.com) is one. If you wish an Indian company, Rediff has been around for quite some. time. Similarly mailbavaria offers 10 different email addresses, and even a 5GB service for a price.
The major disadvantage with these mails was that they offer their services in English language only. Some options have now emerged, like in German www.gmx.de or www.maktoob.com in Arabic. www.katatudo.com.br is supposed to be free and unlimited, but since I do not Portuguese, I cannot vouch for that.
The list is long, and for those who need addresses of all those biggies, try gmailforums.com where users like you and me have added an entire list of big daddies of email.
But the big question remains? Why do you need such huge storage space?Surely not for writing letters.
As email has advanced, it has now acquired new utilities that goes beyond writing mails to each other. People are creating music folders in their email accounts and storing their music there. It is like a virtual IPod. Ditto with pictures as well.
Instead of text emails, things are moving towards voice emails and video emails. An enterprising user can still create a wav file, attach it to his text email and the user can hear you voice. Try a similar thing with moving video as well, though the 10MB limit on attachments could be a deterrent. In times to come, email is surely moving in this direction.
Instead of free webspace offered by webhosting companies, which was often not reliable, email services are turning into your online storage devices. The flip side is that since they are password protected (or are they?), the usage is restricted to the creator or if he decides to distribute the password to others. Webspace on the other hand is in public domain, and hence could be accessed by everyone unless you yourself decide to bar some users.
With greater free webspace being provided, you can be assured that full inboxes shall be an issue of the past. But new issues are cropping up, beginning with user privacy and reading your emails. After all, the question remains. If the service providers are not making money, why do they offer these services at all?
write to me at techtalker at gmail point com
Techtalker - Fox on fire
It is a fox that is threatening to set the net on fire. It has registered 25 million downloads in the first 99 days ot its release, and is supposed to be the biggest challenge posed to Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), ever since the decline (or should we call it demise) of Netscape.
From the time that Netscape lost its market share to IE, the browser has had no challenges and maintained an undisputed supremacy as the gatekeeper of the internet. Netscape officionadoes tweaked their browser, inserted some add ons, but nothing seemed to help. Till one bright morning, they decided to reveal their `source code' to the public. So that everyone and anyone could look at the code and modify it to create a new browser.
A dedicated pack decided to do away with Netscape, and create a new browser. If can't improve on the old one, start from scratch, they thought. As the mozilla browser came in its first avatar at http://www.mozilla.org/, those looking for an alternative to IE lapped it up. But the major thrust came with the launch of Firefox, the superfast and sleek browser from the mozilla foundation.
For long hackers have been claiming that IE has too many holes, and that Mozilla offers a good bet. Firefox literally spread like fire in the cyber community.
With its foxy assets, the latest version (1.0.2) is very light, and offers greater protection against hacking attempts and viral infections. You can easily create toolbars by dragging and dropping icons, or type Google search queries on the address bar itself. Advanced settings allow use of XML, CSS and JavaScript.
There are few estimates of the popularity of Firefox, though everyone agrees that it is galloping at a fast pace. Last month it recorded a 34 per cent increase. But given the dominance of IE, it is still long long away from dethroing the ruler, which hovers around over 90 per cent of net users.
Firefox also derives a loyalty which thrives from the countless hours spent by people like you and me, who worked to create a product that would be distributed free. Being an open source product, its source code is available to all and sundry. Unlike IE, there is no secrecy involved. So young programmers sat down on their machines trying to built a new product, continously interacting with each other so that the net could be a better place for browsers and seekers.
No wonder they came with one of the smartest browsers available on the planet. One of the smartest, you ask? Why not the smartest? Well, you haven't tried Opera. Have you?
More on Opera later but keep writing at techtalker at gmail yes gmail dot com.
From the time that Netscape lost its market share to IE, the browser has had no challenges and maintained an undisputed supremacy as the gatekeeper of the internet. Netscape officionadoes tweaked their browser, inserted some add ons, but nothing seemed to help. Till one bright morning, they decided to reveal their `source code' to the public. So that everyone and anyone could look at the code and modify it to create a new browser.
A dedicated pack decided to do away with Netscape, and create a new browser. If can't improve on the old one, start from scratch, they thought. As the mozilla browser came in its first avatar at http://www.mozilla.org/, those looking for an alternative to IE lapped it up. But the major thrust came with the launch of Firefox, the superfast and sleek browser from the mozilla foundation.
For long hackers have been claiming that IE has too many holes, and that Mozilla offers a good bet. Firefox literally spread like fire in the cyber community.
With its foxy assets, the latest version (1.0.2) is very light, and offers greater protection against hacking attempts and viral infections. You can easily create toolbars by dragging and dropping icons, or type Google search queries on the address bar itself. Advanced settings allow use of XML, CSS and JavaScript.
There are few estimates of the popularity of Firefox, though everyone agrees that it is galloping at a fast pace. Last month it recorded a 34 per cent increase. But given the dominance of IE, it is still long long away from dethroing the ruler, which hovers around over 90 per cent of net users.
Firefox also derives a loyalty which thrives from the countless hours spent by people like you and me, who worked to create a product that would be distributed free. Being an open source product, its source code is available to all and sundry. Unlike IE, there is no secrecy involved. So young programmers sat down on their machines trying to built a new product, continously interacting with each other so that the net could be a better place for browsers and seekers.
No wonder they came with one of the smartest browsers available on the planet. One of the smartest, you ask? Why not the smartest? Well, you haven't tried Opera. Have you?
More on Opera later but keep writing at techtalker at gmail yes gmail dot com.
Techtalker - Let's Wiki
Let's Wiki
This is a project that involves 16,000 contributors and close of five hundred thousand articles. In multiple languages and over a million entries already, and it is interactive. Move over blogs, wiki is here.
Wikipedians have now threatening to turn the world upside down, at least for sourcing their knowledge. People are already preferring the wikipedia enclyclopeadia rather than traditional sources of knowledge. This amazing development is courtesy a style of program called Wiki software that allows people to author and edit web documents. An entire online encyclopedia has been created by people like you and me.
For a feel try the www.wikipedia.org. This is an encyclopedia that anyone and everyone can edit. If you consider yourself as an expert on any subject, go to the wiki site, and write whatever you want. This is published to the net immediately and is ready for people to read and see. Another person could edit your piece or make alterations. Off course there are controls, like some wikis may ban your entry if you abuse your system. Incorrect entries are notified by alert wiki users and can be modified by them as well. If you persist with your machinations, IP bans can be resorted to.
But so popular is the concept that wikis are sprouting every day. Apart from the wiki encyclopedia, web hosts now offer wiki software for you to install on your server. For creating an online resource where you want others to contribute, just install the wiki software and let people write on your website.
Wikis move ahead of blogs in many manners, they manage to create communities. If this article is published on a wiki site, you could edit it, add to it and even mutilate it. Unlike a blog, where the only luxury you are allowed is to post your comments on this article. What has made wiki a net phenomenon is that both the student and the teacher now work as equals. Some wikis are amusing, others are
provocative. If a mainstream encyclopedia does not have enough content about your area of interest, just because it is too obscure, wikis welcome you with open arms.
Wiki has now moved into new areas. Wikinews is already there. So is wiktionary, a combination of your dictionary and theasarus. There are wikibooks, wikiquotes.
Incidently wiki comes from a Hawain term which means `quick' and `superfast'. So what stops you. Let's wiki right away.
you can contact me at techtalker at gmail dot com.
This is a project that involves 16,000 contributors and close of five hundred thousand articles. In multiple languages and over a million entries already, and it is interactive. Move over blogs, wiki is here.
Wikipedians have now threatening to turn the world upside down, at least for sourcing their knowledge. People are already preferring the wikipedia enclyclopeadia rather than traditional sources of knowledge. This amazing development is courtesy a style of program called Wiki software that allows people to author and edit web documents. An entire online encyclopedia has been created by people like you and me.
For a feel try the www.wikipedia.org. This is an encyclopedia that anyone and everyone can edit. If you consider yourself as an expert on any subject, go to the wiki site, and write whatever you want. This is published to the net immediately and is ready for people to read and see. Another person could edit your piece or make alterations. Off course there are controls, like some wikis may ban your entry if you abuse your system. Incorrect entries are notified by alert wiki users and can be modified by them as well. If you persist with your machinations, IP bans can be resorted to.
But so popular is the concept that wikis are sprouting every day. Apart from the wiki encyclopedia, web hosts now offer wiki software for you to install on your server. For creating an online resource where you want others to contribute, just install the wiki software and let people write on your website.
Wikis move ahead of blogs in many manners, they manage to create communities. If this article is published on a wiki site, you could edit it, add to it and even mutilate it. Unlike a blog, where the only luxury you are allowed is to post your comments on this article. What has made wiki a net phenomenon is that both the student and the teacher now work as equals. Some wikis are amusing, others are
provocative. If a mainstream encyclopedia does not have enough content about your area of interest, just because it is too obscure, wikis welcome you with open arms.
Wiki has now moved into new areas. Wikinews is already there. So is wiktionary, a combination of your dictionary and theasarus. There are wikibooks, wikiquotes.
Incidently wiki comes from a Hawain term which means `quick' and `superfast'. So what stops you. Let's wiki right away.
you can contact me at techtalker at gmail dot com.
Techtalker _Mac Daddy
"Employee Number 31" was how he was referred to. And over the years,the ``Father of the Mac'' or ``Mac Daddy" as he was widely known remained committed to his lifetime goal of making computers simpler for the users.
Jef Raskin, widely regarded as the man behind the Macintosh, died of pancreatic cancer last week. As the cyber world debated over his legacy, some of which was disputed, none denies the enormous impact that Raskin had over the computer world.
Ironically, Jef left Apple before the Mac was launched, and that is why few identify him with the revolutionary creation. He was uncharitable towards Apple chief Steve Jobs, and some doubt his claim to be the father of the Mac.
During one such bout of claims, Jef wrote ``I do not claim to have invented the Macintosh. As I have written many times, it was the work of many people. All sources agree that I created the project, and it is only in the sense that Edison is the inventor of the light bulb and the phonograph, though he built neither but set others who worked with him on the right path, that I am the inventor of the
Mac.''
No wonder, Andy Ihnatko of Macworld described him as ``the guy who's become famous as the guy who isn't famous for having created the Mac'' Prior to Jef, computer interfaces were large text based, and you could not work on a computer unless you knew the commands. Jef convinced the world, particularly in Apple that computers should be both easy and elegant. He is credited with bringing graphical interfaces to computers, apart from a host of other innovations. In 2000, he wrote the book ``The Human Interface'', which is a standard text for those trying to demystify computers. During his last years, he was working on a new project called Archy, which according to his website "doesn't work like anything else on this or nearby planets" .
His son, Aza Raskin, will continue to develop the project, a preview version of which is due out later this year, his family said in the statement.Details about Jef are available at his website www.jefraskin.com, and Archy is described in greater detail at www.raskingcenter.org.
Macworld forums had an interesting quote following his death,``Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan". But a rare compliment came from the search engine, Google, which modified its home page to include a link to Jef Raskin immediately after his death.
Jef Raskin, widely regarded as the man behind the Macintosh, died of pancreatic cancer last week. As the cyber world debated over his legacy, some of which was disputed, none denies the enormous impact that Raskin had over the computer world.
Ironically, Jef left Apple before the Mac was launched, and that is why few identify him with the revolutionary creation. He was uncharitable towards Apple chief Steve Jobs, and some doubt his claim to be the father of the Mac.
During one such bout of claims, Jef wrote ``I do not claim to have invented the Macintosh. As I have written many times, it was the work of many people. All sources agree that I created the project, and it is only in the sense that Edison is the inventor of the light bulb and the phonograph, though he built neither but set others who worked with him on the right path, that I am the inventor of the
Mac.''
No wonder, Andy Ihnatko of Macworld described him as ``the guy who's become famous as the guy who isn't famous for having created the Mac'' Prior to Jef, computer interfaces were large text based, and you could not work on a computer unless you knew the commands. Jef convinced the world, particularly in Apple that computers should be both easy and elegant. He is credited with bringing graphical interfaces to computers, apart from a host of other innovations. In 2000, he wrote the book ``The Human Interface'', which is a standard text for those trying to demystify computers. During his last years, he was working on a new project called Archy, which according to his website "doesn't work like anything else on this or nearby planets" .
His son, Aza Raskin, will continue to develop the project, a preview version of which is due out later this year, his family said in the statement.Details about Jef are available at his website www.jefraskin.com, and Archy is described in greater detail at www.raskingcenter.org.
Macworld forums had an interesting quote following his death,``Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan". But a rare compliment came from the search engine, Google, which modified its home page to include a link to Jef Raskin immediately after his death.
Techtalker - PDA Phones
those amazing pda phones
In the beginning was the digital diary. Those who had a high end version would boast of a cable that connected the diary to the PC. A bit clumsy, and something that never really worked. Then came the PDA (personal digital assistant); those palms that you loved to flaunt. The cellphones that arrived had a memory of 300 telephone numbers, nothing more.
But real convergence arrived with the pdaphones, a phone that could double up like a computer or vice versa. A phone where you could upload software, or a palmtop which could double up as a phone. Among the first breakthroughs came through the Handspring visor pdas. They had a modem, so that the pda could be connected to send data. Visor phones came next, but it was the Treo models that created a flutter. Along with the Nokia communicators, they created frenzy among gizmo freaks. Today all major cellphone companies manufacture pdaphones.
Today the 33 Mhz processor or 16 MB RAM of the initial pdaphones look outdated, but you can still run enormous applications on them. The web browsers and email clients come inbuilt with the phones. A hotsync facility means you can transfer all your pda data into a computer, and even load software from your computer to the pda.
Today, pdaphones have inbuilt cameras, keyboards, even MP3 players, bluetooth connectivity and memory sticks. There are special pda phones for the visually impaired as well, like the ALVA MPO, but it costs over 4000 $.
Some have keyboard attachments, while others prefer the stylus operated graffiti. Some prefer mobile phones that can store say 50,000 telephone numbers, while others prefer palms they can occasionally use as a phone. Blackberry is a current rage in the US, though there are others who swear by the Motorola Razer. Imate gives your 128MB RAM and an Intel 400Mz processor in your phone, something that many of us don't have in our PC as well. Sony Ericcson P900 has MPEG video Your choice of the phone also depends on the operating system that the pda uses, as linux is already here as well. Microsoft has now announced a new palm os, called peabody.
As far as I am concerned, I still carry the Treo 180 with me. It has a monochrome screen, minus a MP3 or video player. But with the inbuilt keyboard, I can type whatever I want. And yes, make phone calls as well.
what is your choice of a pdaphone. write to me at techtalker at the
rate of gmail dot com
In the beginning was the digital diary. Those who had a high end version would boast of a cable that connected the diary to the PC. A bit clumsy, and something that never really worked. Then came the PDA (personal digital assistant); those palms that you loved to flaunt. The cellphones that arrived had a memory of 300 telephone numbers, nothing more.
But real convergence arrived with the pdaphones, a phone that could double up like a computer or vice versa. A phone where you could upload software, or a palmtop which could double up as a phone. Among the first breakthroughs came through the Handspring visor pdas. They had a modem, so that the pda could be connected to send data. Visor phones came next, but it was the Treo models that created a flutter. Along with the Nokia communicators, they created frenzy among gizmo freaks. Today all major cellphone companies manufacture pdaphones.
Today the 33 Mhz processor or 16 MB RAM of the initial pdaphones look outdated, but you can still run enormous applications on them. The web browsers and email clients come inbuilt with the phones. A hotsync facility means you can transfer all your pda data into a computer, and even load software from your computer to the pda.
Today, pdaphones have inbuilt cameras, keyboards, even MP3 players, bluetooth connectivity and memory sticks. There are special pda phones for the visually impaired as well, like the ALVA MPO, but it costs over 4000 $.
Some have keyboard attachments, while others prefer the stylus operated graffiti. Some prefer mobile phones that can store say 50,000 telephone numbers, while others prefer palms they can occasionally use as a phone. Blackberry is a current rage in the US, though there are others who swear by the Motorola Razer. Imate gives your 128MB RAM and an Intel 400Mz processor in your phone, something that many of us don't have in our PC as well. Sony Ericcson P900 has MPEG video Your choice of the phone also depends on the operating system that the pda uses, as linux is already here as well. Microsoft has now announced a new palm os, called peabody.
As far as I am concerned, I still carry the Treo 180 with me. It has a monochrome screen, minus a MP3 or video player. But with the inbuilt keyboard, I can type whatever I want. And yes, make phone calls as well.
what is your choice of a pdaphone. write to me at techtalker at the
rate of gmail dot com
Techtalker -RFID
Like the ubiquitous cellphone, these tiny chips seem set to invade our world. Tech enthusiasts call it the ultimate efficiency devices, while privacy advocates term as the biggest intrusion in your personal life.
Only last week, a California school which was using this technology to implement an attendance monitoring system, called it off sparking a huge debate all over the world.
Called RFID, of the Radio Frequency Identification, it is a tiny computer chip smaller than a grain of sand which continously emits radio signals. The signal is tracked by a central monitoring system which is able to identify its exact location. And it seeks to replace barcodes all over the world.
So where can it be put to use? Everywhere you wish, say nerds. Like every library book can have a RFID pasted inside it. So even if the book is misplaced among the numerous shelves, the central computer can pinpoint its exact location.
Great for inventory management, like the one used by retailing giant Marks and Spencer. It conducted a two-month trial on select men's suits, shirts, and ties in April 2003, and followed it with a more extensive six store trial followed in June last. So while it helps them keep track of all their goods, and helps them create databases on say which shirt or which size is more popular. To allay fears, the
company says that customers can remove the tags after they purchased a product.
But privacy advocates are not impressed. It means that companies will have a record of everything that you ever buy. You eating habits, your reading habits, your drinking habits, your clothes, and even the condoms you use -- everything is being tracked. As someone jokes,walking on the street, your undergarment would be emitting a radio signal and others could know your chest size as well.
Declan McCullagh, CNET correspondent recently termed it as ``big brother in small packages''. Others exprss the fear about hidden cameras being installed in RFID devices. And how about human tracking, they ask. Will the office track you through RFID i-cards, as was the case of California school monitoring its students.
It is different from bar codes in many ways. Unlike bar codes, it emits radio signals. While the barcode on chocolate you purchase today only has the batch number, the RFID would give every chocolate its unique number. If the chocolate has worms, the company knows which one of its products is infected.
As technology advances, more powerful RFID devices are likely to appear. You could track your car, and be assured that it is never stolen. Even keep track of the movements of your children, if you wish. Criminals with RFID embedded devices could never escape, provided law allows it use on humans.
In a report released last week, IT research firm Burton Group said that RFID has promise for keyless access to buildings, gates and autos; cashless payments;tracking of high-value goods; highway toll collection; and identifying pets. Already larger companies are placing bigger orders of RFID devices. Gillette recently placed an order for up to 500 million RFID tags from a company called "Alien Technology", says the Spychips website. In India, Infosys is already announced its intention to go ahead with RFID research.
But the debate goes on. Would you purchase RFID products?
Write to me at techtalker at the rate of gmail.com.
Only last week, a California school which was using this technology to implement an attendance monitoring system, called it off sparking a huge debate all over the world.
Called RFID, of the Radio Frequency Identification, it is a tiny computer chip smaller than a grain of sand which continously emits radio signals. The signal is tracked by a central monitoring system which is able to identify its exact location. And it seeks to replace barcodes all over the world.
So where can it be put to use? Everywhere you wish, say nerds. Like every library book can have a RFID pasted inside it. So even if the book is misplaced among the numerous shelves, the central computer can pinpoint its exact location.
Great for inventory management, like the one used by retailing giant Marks and Spencer. It conducted a two-month trial on select men's suits, shirts, and ties in April 2003, and followed it with a more extensive six store trial followed in June last. So while it helps them keep track of all their goods, and helps them create databases on say which shirt or which size is more popular. To allay fears, the
company says that customers can remove the tags after they purchased a product.
But privacy advocates are not impressed. It means that companies will have a record of everything that you ever buy. You eating habits, your reading habits, your drinking habits, your clothes, and even the condoms you use -- everything is being tracked. As someone jokes,walking on the street, your undergarment would be emitting a radio signal and others could know your chest size as well.
Declan McCullagh, CNET correspondent recently termed it as ``big brother in small packages''. Others exprss the fear about hidden cameras being installed in RFID devices. And how about human tracking, they ask. Will the office track you through RFID i-cards, as was the case of California school monitoring its students.
It is different from bar codes in many ways. Unlike bar codes, it emits radio signals. While the barcode on chocolate you purchase today only has the batch number, the RFID would give every chocolate its unique number. If the chocolate has worms, the company knows which one of its products is infected.
As technology advances, more powerful RFID devices are likely to appear. You could track your car, and be assured that it is never stolen. Even keep track of the movements of your children, if you wish. Criminals with RFID embedded devices could never escape, provided law allows it use on humans.
In a report released last week, IT research firm Burton Group said that RFID has promise for keyless access to buildings, gates and autos; cashless payments;tracking of high-value goods; highway toll collection; and identifying pets. Already larger companies are placing bigger orders of RFID devices. Gillette recently placed an order for up to 500 million RFID tags from a company called "Alien Technology", says the Spychips website. In India, Infosys is already announced its intention to go ahead with RFID research.
But the debate goes on. Would you purchase RFID products?
Write to me at techtalker at the rate of gmail.com.
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