You didn't think Google would be satisfied with a place in your pocket, did you?
The world's
dominant search engine has displayed an impressive proclivity for the
big breakthrough in recent years, but until it announced its acquisition
of Boston Dynamics this weekend, it
was hard to say just what Big G's long-range strategy might be. Now we
know. Google wants to rule the world. It began with a search engine, but
it won't stop until the world runs on Google's technology.
Here's the
five-step plan that Larry and Sergey just put together that will take it
from garage start-up wunderkinds to the architects of the most
ambitious scheme for global corporate dominance since the days of
Standard Oil.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Friday, December 06, 2013
Monday, December 02, 2013
Amazon Prime Air
NEW YORK »
Amazon.com is already cracking same-day delivery. Next up: getting your
package delivered quicker than a pizza? The online retailer is working
on a way to get customers their goods in 30 minutes or less — by drone.
Amazon.com
said it's working on the so-called Prime Air unmanned aircraft project
in its research and development labs. But the company admits it will
take years to advance the needed technology and for the needed federal
Aviation Administration rules and regulations to be created.
The project was first reported Sunday by CBS' "60 Minutes."
Amazon
CEO Jeff Bezos said during the primetime interview that while the
octocopters look like something out of science fiction, there's no
reason they can't be used as delivery vehicles.
Bezos
said the drones can carry packages that weigh up to five pounds, which
covers about 86 percent of the items Amazon delivers. And the current
generation of drones that the company is testing has a range of about 10
miles, which Bezos noted could cover a significant portion of the
population in urban areas.
While
it's tough to say exactly how long it could take the project to get off
the ground, Bezos told "60 Minutes" that he thinks it could happen in
four or five years.
*** [2/25/14]
Netflix Drone2Home
*** [8/28/14] Google testing drones too
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc is developing airborne drones capable of flying on their own and delivering anything from candy to medicine, the Internet company said on Thursday.
The effort, which Google calls Project Wing, marks the company's latest expansion beyond its Web-based origins and could help Google break into lucrative markets such as commerce and package delivery, ratcheting up the competition with Amazon.com Inc.
Google, the world's largest Internet search engine, said it will take years of development to create a service with multiple vehicles flying multiple deliveries per day.
An early version of the drone, which Google showcased in a video on its website, has a 1.5 meter-(yard)wide wingspan and is capable of flying pre-programmed routes.
"These planes have much more in common with the Google self-driving car than the remote-controlled airplanes people fly in parks on weekends," Google said on its website, referring to the company's test fleet of automobiles that use sensors and radars to navigate city streets and freeways on their own.
The drone Google showed in the video Thursday was equipped with rotors to allow for vertical takeoff and landing, as well as a fixed wing for plane-like flying. The drone flew about 40 meters above the treeline, Google said, and dropped a package of chocolate bars to a farmer in Queensland, Australia.
*** [2/25/14]
Netflix Drone2Home
*** [8/28/14] Google testing drones too
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc is developing airborne drones capable of flying on their own and delivering anything from candy to medicine, the Internet company said on Thursday.
The effort, which Google calls Project Wing, marks the company's latest expansion beyond its Web-based origins and could help Google break into lucrative markets such as commerce and package delivery, ratcheting up the competition with Amazon.com Inc.
Google, the world's largest Internet search engine, said it will take years of development to create a service with multiple vehicles flying multiple deliveries per day.
An early version of the drone, which Google showcased in a video on its website, has a 1.5 meter-(yard)wide wingspan and is capable of flying pre-programmed routes.
"These planes have much more in common with the Google self-driving car than the remote-controlled airplanes people fly in parks on weekends," Google said on its website, referring to the company's test fleet of automobiles that use sensors and radars to navigate city streets and freeways on their own.
The drone Google showed in the video Thursday was equipped with rotors to allow for vertical takeoff and landing, as well as a fixed wing for plane-like flying. The drone flew about 40 meters above the treeline, Google said, and dropped a package of chocolate bars to a farmer in Queensland, Australia.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
new Google search algorithm
Google
has overhauled its search algorithm, the foundation of the Internet's
dominant search engine, to better cope with the longer, more complex
queries it has been getting from Web users.
Amit Singhal, senior vice president of search, told reporters on Thursday that the company launched its latest "Hummingbird" algorithm about a month ago and that it currently affects 90 percent of worldwide searches via Google.
"Hummingbird" is the company's effort to match the meaning of queries with that of documents on the Internet, said Singhal from the Menlo Park garage where Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin conceived their now-ubiquitous search engine.
Page and Brin set up shop in the garage of Susan Wojcicki -- now a senior Google executive -- in September 1998, around the time they incorporated their company. This week marks the 15th anniversary of their collaboration.
Amit Singhal, senior vice president of search, told reporters on Thursday that the company launched its latest "Hummingbird" algorithm about a month ago and that it currently affects 90 percent of worldwide searches via Google.
"Hummingbird" is the company's effort to match the meaning of queries with that of documents on the Internet, said Singhal from the Menlo Park garage where Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin conceived their now-ubiquitous search engine.
Page and Brin set up shop in the garage of Susan Wojcicki -- now a senior Google executive -- in September 1998, around the time they incorporated their company. This week marks the 15th anniversary of their collaboration.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Oceans storing heat
The oceans are becoming a repository for almost all of Earth’s excess
heat, driving up sea levels and threatening coastlines, according to a
leaked draft of the most comprehensive United Nations report addressing
climate science.
Temperatures in the shallowest waters rose by more than 0.1 degree Celsius (0.18 degree Fahrenheit) a decade for the 40 years through 2010, the study found. Average sea levels have increased worldwide by about 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) since 1901 and researchers said it’s “very likely” the system of ocean currents that includes the Gulf Stream will slow in the coming decades.
The findings are detailed in a 2,200-page report that will guide UN envoys as they devise a new treaty to fight climate change by 2015. It was obtained by Bloomberg from a person with official access to the report who declined to be further identified because it hasn’t been published. The UN declined to comment.
“The Earth is absorbing more heat than it is emitting back into space, and nearly all this excess heat is entering the oceans and being stored there,” the report’s authors wrote. “Changes have been observed in ocean properties of relevance to climate during the past 40 years, including temperature, salinity, sea level, carbon, pH and oxygen.”
It’s “extremely likely” mankind is responsible for more than half of the observed temperature rises since the 1950s and it’s “virtually certain” the global rate of sea-level rise has accelerated over the past two centuries, according to the summary document. Those main points are little changed from an earlier version that was leaked by the blogger Alec Rawls on the website www.stopgreensuicide.com in December.
The latest version of the summary includes a lower forecast for temperature rise from 2016 through 2035 of 0.3 degrees to 0.7 degrees Celsius, compared with 0.4 degrees to 1 degree in last year’s version. Both versions conclude that there’s “very high confidence” the Greenland Ice Sheet has lost mass and “high confidence” the same has happened to the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The two ice sheets contain more than 99 percent of the planet’s freshwater ice, according to the National Snow & Ice Data Center.
Temperatures in the shallowest waters rose by more than 0.1 degree Celsius (0.18 degree Fahrenheit) a decade for the 40 years through 2010, the study found. Average sea levels have increased worldwide by about 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) since 1901 and researchers said it’s “very likely” the system of ocean currents that includes the Gulf Stream will slow in the coming decades.
The findings are detailed in a 2,200-page report that will guide UN envoys as they devise a new treaty to fight climate change by 2015. It was obtained by Bloomberg from a person with official access to the report who declined to be further identified because it hasn’t been published. The UN declined to comment.
“The Earth is absorbing more heat than it is emitting back into space, and nearly all this excess heat is entering the oceans and being stored there,” the report’s authors wrote. “Changes have been observed in ocean properties of relevance to climate during the past 40 years, including temperature, salinity, sea level, carbon, pH and oxygen.”
It’s “extremely likely” mankind is responsible for more than half of the observed temperature rises since the 1950s and it’s “virtually certain” the global rate of sea-level rise has accelerated over the past two centuries, according to the summary document. Those main points are little changed from an earlier version that was leaked by the blogger Alec Rawls on the website www.stopgreensuicide.com in December.
The latest version of the summary includes a lower forecast for temperature rise from 2016 through 2035 of 0.3 degrees to 0.7 degrees Celsius, compared with 0.4 degrees to 1 degree in last year’s version. Both versions conclude that there’s “very high confidence” the Greenland Ice Sheet has lost mass and “high confidence” the same has happened to the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The two ice sheets contain more than 99 percent of the planet’s freshwater ice, according to the National Snow & Ice Data Center.
Friday, September 06, 2013
HECO could charge more for solar
Hawaii's solar energy boom has grown to the point where rooftop photovoltaic panels are providing all of the electricity consumed during some daylight hours in about 13 percent of Oahu neighborhoods, the Hawaiian Electric Co. said.
The high level of PV penetration, far beyond what is occurring anywhere on the mainland, is the result of a doubling of solar power generating capacity in Hawaii nearly every year since 2005. The rapid growth has put Hawaii at the forefront of an evolving effort by utilities nationally to accept greater amounts of intermittent solar energy into their electrical grids.
While HECO is taking steps to integrate more solar energy, that could result in added costs for some new solar customers. If HECO determines improvements are needed in a certain area to accommodate additional amounts of solar energy, new solar customers may have to bear the cost.
This week HECO began contacting its Oahu customers planning on installing PV systems, as well as PV contractors, to make sure the customers are informed of any equipment upgrades they may have to pay for.
The upgrades to the Oahu grid are necessary, HECO says, because of the rapid growth in solar installations.
The latest numbers from HECO, unthinkable just a few years ago, show that solar energy provides all of the minimum daytime power needs for 54 circuits, or neighborhoods, out of the 416 circuits on Oahu. The threshold has been reached on 26 out of Maui's 132 circuits and 17 of 143 circuits on Hawaii island.
"Those are impressive figures. Saturation on some of those circuits is higher than any other area in the country," said Tim Lindl, attorney for the nonprofit Interstate Renewable Energy Council based in Latham, N.Y.
Roughly 5 percent of HECO's customers on Oahu and Maui, and 4 percent of its customers on Hawaii island, have installed PV systems, according to data from the utility. That compares with about 1.5 percent of the customers served by California's two largest electric utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison.
*** [10/19/13]
The high level of PV penetration, far beyond what is occurring anywhere on the mainland, is the result of a doubling of solar power generating capacity in Hawaii nearly every year since 2005. The rapid growth has put Hawaii at the forefront of an evolving effort by utilities nationally to accept greater amounts of intermittent solar energy into their electrical grids.
While HECO is taking steps to integrate more solar energy, that could result in added costs for some new solar customers. If HECO determines improvements are needed in a certain area to accommodate additional amounts of solar energy, new solar customers may have to bear the cost.
This week HECO began contacting its Oahu customers planning on installing PV systems, as well as PV contractors, to make sure the customers are informed of any equipment upgrades they may have to pay for.
The upgrades to the Oahu grid are necessary, HECO says, because of the rapid growth in solar installations.
The latest numbers from HECO, unthinkable just a few years ago, show that solar energy provides all of the minimum daytime power needs for 54 circuits, or neighborhoods, out of the 416 circuits on Oahu. The threshold has been reached on 26 out of Maui's 132 circuits and 17 of 143 circuits on Hawaii island.
"Those are impressive figures. Saturation on some of those circuits is higher than any other area in the country," said Tim Lindl, attorney for the nonprofit Interstate Renewable Energy Council based in Latham, N.Y.
Roughly 5 percent of HECO's customers on Oahu and Maui, and 4 percent of its customers on Hawaii island, have installed PV systems, according to data from the utility. That compares with about 1.5 percent of the customers served by California's two largest electric utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison.
*** [10/19/13]
Two weeks
ago, this column covered concerns on the part of consumers that had
contracted to install solar systems and on the part of industry
leadership. In the meantime, the state Legislature held an informational
hearing during which it questioned HECO about its procedural
changes and also heard testimony from the Interstate Renewable Energy
Council, the Hawaii Solar Energy Association and the Hawaii PV
Coalition, ending with a directive to work on a solution and report back
next month.
HECO
acknowledged that the transition to new procedures on Sept. 6 left many
customers that had followed all the company's rules in what the
solar industry calls "solar limbo." This then caused a significant
slowdown for many solar installers.
HECO
announced on Sept. 6 that consumers wanting to install solar systems
first had to get HECO to confirm that the grid in their
neighborhood could handle the added solar power. HECO said if the grid
needed an upgrade to handle more solar power, the consumers
installing new solar systems would have to pay for those upgrades.
This
week, I had the opportunity to interview Peter Rosegg, a spokesman for
HECO. He said that at the informational hearing, all parties
agreed that safety cannot be compromised. Responsible solar installers
also acknowledged the utility's statement that too much solar on a
circuit without proper protective equipment risks the safety of
customers and utility crews and damage to customer electronics and
utility equipment such as lines, transformers and substations. Still,
many solar industry leaders are skeptical, saying that HECO is
heavily overplaying concerns about safety, reliability and grid
penetration.
Delays
both for HECO customers and the solar industry are frustrating and costly. The impact of the changed procedures, from the solar
industry's point of view, include 30 percent to 75 percent of their jobs
postponed; "millions" lost in revenue; "millions" in commitments
to vendors; warehouses full; lost hours for employees; continued payment
so as not to lose skilled and hard-to-find electrical journeymen;
and six weeks of confusion.
In
response, and in an effort to work with the Hawaii Solar Energy
Association and PV Coalition, HECO has pledged to try to help some
1,000 customers who may have committed to bank loans, obtained building
permits and ordered solar equipment but had not yet notified the
utility in advance as is now required.
While
HECO is a major reason for the slowdown, the solar industry is also in
the midst of an inevitable industry consolidation. The combination
of federal and state tax credits together with bonus depreciation in
recent years has fueled a dramatic, unsustainable proliferation in
the number of companies in the market. Concurrently, as the Great
Recession resolves, investment capital, once vying for solar
projects, may be pulling back in favor of other competing opportunities.
During
the last legislative session, strong consideration was given to reducing
state credits now in place. It didn't happen. Legislators should
let it go. Federal credits begin to phase down at the end of 2016.
Tapering state credits now while HECO is also in transition on its
policies and its grid is a dangerous prospect. The phasing out of
additional federal Safe Harbor and bonus depreciation benefits
together with industry consolidation portend substantial headwinds for
solar.
The big
picture is that modern civilization is quickly realizing that the health
of the planet and its inhabitants is, in part, dependent on our
collective ability to move beyond petroleum toward a consortium of
clean, renewable energy options including not only solar, but also
wind, geothermal and hydroelectric sources. HECO's ability to support
this transition to the maximum extent possible is a critical step.
The task is huge, but essential. As a society, we will get there in
time.
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
arranging facebook photos
For some reason, facebook is not allowing me to arrange the photos in my albums.
In the past, I could just go to photos/Albums/ then to whatever album I wanted to edit. Once there, I could click-drag the photo to where I wanted it to go.
But now it drags, but the photo doesn't stay there. (This is on firefox, btw. I think the problem also occurs on the other browsers, but I didn't check them all.)
Anyway I found a way that seems to get it working.
What you do is put the cursor on the picture you want to move and click the star icon (highlight) on the top right. That hulks up the picture to a bigger size. Then click it again to restore the picture to the original size.
For some reason, that seems to set facebook back to where you can drag the picture and it'll stay there.
In the past, I could just go to photos/Albums/ then to whatever album I wanted to edit. Once there, I could click-drag the photo to where I wanted it to go.
But now it drags, but the photo doesn't stay there. (This is on firefox, btw. I think the problem also occurs on the other browsers, but I didn't check them all.)
Anyway I found a way that seems to get it working.
What you do is put the cursor on the picture you want to move and click the star icon (highlight) on the top right. That hulks up the picture to a bigger size. Then click it again to restore the picture to the original size.
For some reason, that seems to set facebook back to where you can drag the picture and it'll stay there.
updating Netflix Queue (My List) on iPad
The Netflix Instant Queue has become My List, but forgive me if I refer it to the queue since it's faster to type. (Well, it's still Instant Queue on the Roku.)
Anyway, I built up my queue to nearly 500 items. The problem is that it would take a long time to update on the ipad and sometimes it just wouldn't show up.
The queue seems buggy on the app. Sometimes adding an item doesn't appear. And deleting an item doesn't remove it. [And sometimes it does.]
Plus you can't rearrange the items in the queue in the app.
So I generally do my searches and adds/deletes on the computer. But again, the changes made on the computer doesn't mirror automatically on the ipad. However it does update fairly quickly (within a minute it seems) on the Roku.
I thought maybe I had too many items in the queue and overloaded the app. So I deleted the items and started added some back one by one. But same problem (though the list wouldn't stall and lock up
Closing the app and restarting it didn't work. However closing the app and totally shutting down and restarting the ipad worked.
But here's what I found seems to work the easiest. Go to kids mode, then exit kids mode. And that seems to update the queue!
I see there's a few apps that allow you to arrange the queue on the ipad. Maybe I'll be trying one of those one of these days.
Anyway, I built up my queue to nearly 500 items. The problem is that it would take a long time to update on the ipad and sometimes it just wouldn't show up.
The queue seems buggy on the app. Sometimes adding an item doesn't appear. And deleting an item doesn't remove it. [And sometimes it does.]
Plus you can't rearrange the items in the queue in the app.
So I generally do my searches and adds/deletes on the computer. But again, the changes made on the computer doesn't mirror automatically on the ipad. However it does update fairly quickly (within a minute it seems) on the Roku.
I thought maybe I had too many items in the queue and overloaded the app. So I deleted the items and started added some back one by one. But same problem (though the list wouldn't stall and lock up
Closing the app and restarting it didn't work. However closing the app and totally shutting down and restarting the ipad worked.
But here's what I found seems to work the easiest. Go to kids mode, then exit kids mode. And that seems to update the queue!
I see there's a few apps that allow you to arrange the queue on the ipad. Maybe I'll be trying one of those one of these days.
Friday, August 30, 2013
diary of a cable TV cord cutter
I noticed a PlayOn ad (which mentioned a cnet review) on facebook and googled cord cutting PlayOn cnet.
And came across these series of articles. Though the articles are nearly three years old, they still seem mostly relevent (and kind of fun to read).
Day 1 - OTA (over the air)
Week 1
Week 2
Final Entry
Recap
And came across these series of articles. Though the articles are nearly three years old, they still seem mostly relevent (and kind of fun to read).
Day 1 - OTA (over the air)
Week 1
Week 2
Final Entry
Recap
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Netflix comings and goings
[10/12/13] Ah hah. Monk is now on Hulu Plus.
[9/24/13] Hmm. Monk leaving on 10/1/13. Maybe I'll have to get the DVDs after all.
[8/27/13] James Bond movies leaving Netflix on September 2, 2013.
And here it seems I just added those movies a couple of weeks ago (apparently 26 days ago). So I guess this was a one month deal.
Apparently this has happened before. So maybe they'll come back one of these months.
I wonder if they'll head to Hulu?
[9/24/13] Hmm. Monk leaving on 10/1/13. Maybe I'll have to get the DVDs after all.
[8/27/13] James Bond movies leaving Netflix on September 2, 2013.
And here it seems I just added those movies a couple of weeks ago (apparently 26 days ago). So I guess this was a one month deal.
Apparently this has happened before. So maybe they'll come back one of these months.
I wonder if they'll head to Hulu?
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Google could kill cable TV
If you haven't heard, Google (GOOG +0.50%)
and the National Football League are in some form of communication
regarding the NFL Sunday Ticket rights that will be up for grabs
beginning with the 2015 NFL season.
At this point, the story isn't so much about Google or the NFL. It's about something much bigger that has to have cable companies very nervous.
The media has made a big deal of a story that isn't much of one -- at least right now.
According to AllThingsD, the NFL and Google are engaging in "informal talks" that could potentially bring the NFL's Sunday Ticket package to YouTube. If you're not a hard-core football fan, the Sunday Ticket, in its current form, allows fans to view out-of-market games produced by Fox (FOXA +2.00%) and CBS (CBS +3.72%).
Currently, DirecTV (DTV +1.08%) owns the rights and offers it over the internet, on some tablets and smartphones, as well as on Sony's (SNE +0.25%) PlayStation and JetBlue (JBLU +1.28%) flights.
According to the story, the NFL is meeting with multiple Silicon Valley companies on a range of topics -- the Sunday Ticket being only one. Contrary to the attention its receiving from the media, it's not much of a story, especially given the fact that DirecTV is reported to be ready to fight to keep the rights.
The real story in this is bigger than the NFL or Google. First, we're seeing evidence that the sports world, which hasn't been quick to adopt new media strategies, is ready for change and appears to see the need to adopt new formats to attract the next generation of viewers.
During the PGA Championship, we reported that Fox Sports would broadcast the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and the U.S. Senior Open from 2015 to 2026. Fox has never televised a golf event but what seemed to sway the United States Golf Association was the idea that Fox would bring a fresh perspective to the events.
But this deal would be even more disruptive and cable companies would hate it. With the Time Warner Cable (TWC +0.75%) versus CBS war still showing no signs of a resolution, there's concern that the deadlock could continue into the NFL season.
This would be disastrous for CBS and the NFL. Even now, watching the events unfold (or not unfold), the NFL has to be thinking that it's time to consider new ideas. Google has more than enough cash on hand to not only buy the rights but also build out a robust infrastructure. The Chromecast could put the NFL on the TV sets of every broadband customer furthering the "cord-cutting" push that cable companies fear.
Netflix (NFLX -0.23%) is producing award-winning content, Google wants a piece of the NFL, and don't be surprised if Apple (AAPL +0.12%) doesn't get it on a deal like this.
Bottom line -- there's more than enough cash in the bank accounts of these companies to make cord cutting a reality and the more deals like these happen, the less we'll all need traditional cable.
At this point, the story isn't so much about Google or the NFL. It's about something much bigger that has to have cable companies very nervous.
The media has made a big deal of a story that isn't much of one -- at least right now.
According to AllThingsD, the NFL and Google are engaging in "informal talks" that could potentially bring the NFL's Sunday Ticket package to YouTube. If you're not a hard-core football fan, the Sunday Ticket, in its current form, allows fans to view out-of-market games produced by Fox (FOXA +2.00%) and CBS (CBS +3.72%).
Currently, DirecTV (DTV +1.08%) owns the rights and offers it over the internet, on some tablets and smartphones, as well as on Sony's (SNE +0.25%) PlayStation and JetBlue (JBLU +1.28%) flights.
According to the story, the NFL is meeting with multiple Silicon Valley companies on a range of topics -- the Sunday Ticket being only one. Contrary to the attention its receiving from the media, it's not much of a story, especially given the fact that DirecTV is reported to be ready to fight to keep the rights.
The real story in this is bigger than the NFL or Google. First, we're seeing evidence that the sports world, which hasn't been quick to adopt new media strategies, is ready for change and appears to see the need to adopt new formats to attract the next generation of viewers.
During the PGA Championship, we reported that Fox Sports would broadcast the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and the U.S. Senior Open from 2015 to 2026. Fox has never televised a golf event but what seemed to sway the United States Golf Association was the idea that Fox would bring a fresh perspective to the events.
But this deal would be even more disruptive and cable companies would hate it. With the Time Warner Cable (TWC +0.75%) versus CBS war still showing no signs of a resolution, there's concern that the deadlock could continue into the NFL season.
This would be disastrous for CBS and the NFL. Even now, watching the events unfold (or not unfold), the NFL has to be thinking that it's time to consider new ideas. Google has more than enough cash on hand to not only buy the rights but also build out a robust infrastructure. The Chromecast could put the NFL on the TV sets of every broadband customer furthering the "cord-cutting" push that cable companies fear.
Netflix (NFLX -0.23%) is producing award-winning content, Google wants a piece of the NFL, and don't be surprised if Apple (AAPL +0.12%) doesn't get it on a deal like this.
Bottom line -- there's more than enough cash in the bank accounts of these companies to make cord cutting a reality and the more deals like these happen, the less we'll all need traditional cable.
Monday, August 19, 2013
DIY recycling bins
Well, it's about time.
The city and county of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services has not only embraced the concept of DIY (do-it-yourself) recycling bins, but is inviting schools, community groups and volunteers to help make and install them at district parks, beaches and bus stops.
The city's goal is to install 1,000 of the HI-5 recycling bins around the island this year.
This month, Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai‘i was one of the first groups to step up to the plate and partner with the city for the project. B.E.A.C.H. brought together volunteers to learn how to make the wire recycling bins that they will install around Oahu while educating the public about the city's new no-smoking rules.
The wire recycling HI-5 bins were actually the original idea of University of Hawaii professors Gaye Chan and Nandita Sharma as part of their non-profit Eating In Public project.
Read their blog at www.eating-in-public.blogspot.com.
They first made the bins in 2006, installing the first one in front of their home. The simple wire mesh bins come with a sign that says "HI-5/ Take, Leave, Whatevas..." The idea caught on and they were invited to give workshops.
The self-serve bins attach to existing trash containers to help keep recyclables separate. The city will not be picking up the recyclables.
The city and county of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services has not only embraced the concept of DIY (do-it-yourself) recycling bins, but is inviting schools, community groups and volunteers to help make and install them at district parks, beaches and bus stops.
The city's goal is to install 1,000 of the HI-5 recycling bins around the island this year.
This month, Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai‘i was one of the first groups to step up to the plate and partner with the city for the project. B.E.A.C.H. brought together volunteers to learn how to make the wire recycling bins that they will install around Oahu while educating the public about the city's new no-smoking rules.
The wire recycling HI-5 bins were actually the original idea of University of Hawaii professors Gaye Chan and Nandita Sharma as part of their non-profit Eating In Public project.
Read their blog at www.eating-in-public.blogspot.com.
They first made the bins in 2006, installing the first one in front of their home. The simple wire mesh bins come with a sign that says "HI-5/ Take, Leave, Whatevas..." The idea caught on and they were invited to give workshops.
The self-serve bins attach to existing trash containers to help keep recyclables separate. The city will not be picking up the recyclables.
Friday, August 16, 2013
the death of cable?
Will the cable set-top box go the way of the horse and buggy? Perhaps one day.
The alliance between Sony (SNE +0.60%) and Viacom (VIA +0.24%) that has been reported by The New York Times and others shows that day may be coming sooner than many expect. Viacom has "tentatively agreed" to allow its cable channels such as Nickelodeon and Comedy Central to be part of an Internet-based TV service that Sony is developing. This is big news for several reasons.
First, any deal between Sony and Viacom could lay the groundwork for similar pacts with other content creators such as Time Warner (TWX -0.57%) and 21st Century Fox (FOXA +0.41%). Moreover, it may lead producers to sign deals with Google (GOOG -0.32%) and Intel (INTC -0.52%), which are developing offerings similar to Sony's.
"Analysts say cable delivered through the Internet could give households many more choices -- if the new services give customers more for their money and if cable incumbents don't smother the services," according to The Times.
The bad side to these types of arrangements is that they'll make it harder for consumers to avoid "the bundle." If these nascent services want access to popular channels, they're going to have to take less popular ones as well. Cable and satellite providers have done this for years, which forces consumers to shell out big bucks for shows they never watch.
Cablevision (CVC -1.07%) filed suit against Viacom over its channel-bundling practices earlier this year calling them "anti-consumer and wrong." New York-based Viacom, not surprisingly, rejects those arguments.
Here's one of the few issues where content creators and the pay-TV industry agree: If consumers are allowed to buy only the channels they actually watch, it would create a fiscal Armageddon for both of their industries. But as the number of cord-cutters rise, they may be forced to change their tune regarding what's known as a-la-carte pricing.
Consumers have to wonder how much choice they will have from services such as Sony's, which will be similar to the cable and satellite services they already use. And for people who think that quitting cable TV will deal a mortal blow to companies such as Comcast (CMCSA -1.08%), remember: You'll have to stream your videos over something. More likely than not, it will be an Internet connection from Comcast or one of its rivals.
***
So this is another small step forward, "live" TV over the internet. Though Viacom's programs aren't likely live. And there's already a lot of a la carte TV via Hulu, Netflix, and the various websites.
The big step will come when they have anti-bundled channels. If they ever unbundle ESPN, it's over. (or not?)
The alliance between Sony (SNE +0.60%) and Viacom (VIA +0.24%) that has been reported by The New York Times and others shows that day may be coming sooner than many expect. Viacom has "tentatively agreed" to allow its cable channels such as Nickelodeon and Comedy Central to be part of an Internet-based TV service that Sony is developing. This is big news for several reasons.
First, any deal between Sony and Viacom could lay the groundwork for similar pacts with other content creators such as Time Warner (TWX -0.57%) and 21st Century Fox (FOXA +0.41%). Moreover, it may lead producers to sign deals with Google (GOOG -0.32%) and Intel (INTC -0.52%), which are developing offerings similar to Sony's.
"Analysts say cable delivered through the Internet could give households many more choices -- if the new services give customers more for their money and if cable incumbents don't smother the services," according to The Times.
The bad side to these types of arrangements is that they'll make it harder for consumers to avoid "the bundle." If these nascent services want access to popular channels, they're going to have to take less popular ones as well. Cable and satellite providers have done this for years, which forces consumers to shell out big bucks for shows they never watch.
Cablevision (CVC -1.07%) filed suit against Viacom over its channel-bundling practices earlier this year calling them "anti-consumer and wrong." New York-based Viacom, not surprisingly, rejects those arguments.
Here's one of the few issues where content creators and the pay-TV industry agree: If consumers are allowed to buy only the channels they actually watch, it would create a fiscal Armageddon for both of their industries. But as the number of cord-cutters rise, they may be forced to change their tune regarding what's known as a-la-carte pricing.
Consumers have to wonder how much choice they will have from services such as Sony's, which will be similar to the cable and satellite services they already use. And for people who think that quitting cable TV will deal a mortal blow to companies such as Comcast (CMCSA -1.08%), remember: You'll have to stream your videos over something. More likely than not, it will be an Internet connection from Comcast or one of its rivals.
***
So this is another small step forward, "live" TV over the internet. Though Viacom's programs aren't likely live. And there's already a lot of a la carte TV via Hulu, Netflix, and the various websites.
The big step will come when they have anti-bundled channels. If they ever unbundle ESPN, it's over. (or not?)
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
just plain pasting
When you copy text from any source,
programs will usually copy any formatting that comes with it. To paste
this as plain text, press CTRL + Shift + V instead of the standard CTRL +
V, and the system will paste unformatted text. Note that many programs
follow this rule (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) but not all, particularly
Microsoft programs like Word or Outlook. For those there's a couple
alternatives: A) CTRL + ALT + V will show a 'paste special' dialog box.
B) CTRL + Spacebar will remove formatting in already pasted text.
-- via Retrevo
[I wonder if this will work when copying and pasting from Google Drive to Yahoo Groups? I'll try it next time. Right now, I'm copying and pasting from Google Drive to EditPad, then from EditPad to Yahoo Groups, since Yahoo Groups doesn't translate the Google Drive formatting well.]
-- via Retrevo
[I wonder if this will work when copying and pasting from Google Drive to Yahoo Groups? I'll try it next time. Right now, I'm copying and pasting from Google Drive to EditPad, then from EditPad to Yahoo Groups, since Yahoo Groups doesn't translate the Google Drive formatting well.]
Monday, July 29, 2013
watching hulu on TV
I've been using Freemake to download hulu videos (so I can download Good Dog! and play it on plex over my roku). It's the first software I've seen that can do this. (I forget where I first saw it.)
I've also noticed that hulu videos are also uploaded to dailymotion. But they don't appear on the dailymotion app on the roku. Must be filtered out.
Now I wonder if I can download the dailymotion videos without using software. Noticed this tip of the week from Retrevo about deturl.com which is supposed to be able download youtube videos easily and also supports dailymotion and vimeo. Let's see.
Look up a Good Dog! video. Say this one (which is episode one).
Copy and paste url into deturl.com.
It takes me to this link.
Putting in the video there gets a message No Preset. This video is not available because. OK I guess it's blocked.
I wonder there are other sites to download dailymotion videos?
Keepvid.com is the first google link to come up.
Doesn't seem to be working in firefox. Let's switch to IE.
Hmm. Doesn't seem to be working.
Try a youtube video. OK that works (the download links came up). I guess dailymotion is doing a good job blocking it. How about a non-hulu dailymotion video. Nope.
OK, it ain't that easy. I wonder if freemake will do it?
Nope, says "failed to obtain video info".
Another one is catchvideo.net.
Dailymotion ain't working. Youtube ain't working either.
Next. How about this free dailymoton downloader from apowersoft?
seemed to hang up in firefox. switch to I.E.
sorry, currently we could not find any download link.
OK, I guess dailymotion ain't that easy.
*** 3/19/14
darn. Freemake not working on hulu now. I guess hulu must have changed their format.
I've also noticed that hulu videos are also uploaded to dailymotion. But they don't appear on the dailymotion app on the roku. Must be filtered out.
Now I wonder if I can download the dailymotion videos without using software. Noticed this tip of the week from Retrevo about deturl.com which is supposed to be able download youtube videos easily and also supports dailymotion and vimeo. Let's see.
Look up a Good Dog! video. Say this one (which is episode one).
Copy and paste url into deturl.com.
It takes me to this link.
Putting in the video there gets a message No Preset. This video is not available because. OK I guess it's blocked.
I wonder there are other sites to download dailymotion videos?
Keepvid.com is the first google link to come up.
Doesn't seem to be working in firefox. Let's switch to IE.
Hmm. Doesn't seem to be working.
Try a youtube video. OK that works (the download links came up). I guess dailymotion is doing a good job blocking it. How about a non-hulu dailymotion video. Nope.
OK, it ain't that easy. I wonder if freemake will do it?
Nope, says "failed to obtain video info".
Another one is catchvideo.net.
Dailymotion ain't working. Youtube ain't working either.
Next. How about this free dailymoton downloader from apowersoft?
seemed to hang up in firefox. switch to I.E.
sorry, currently we could not find any download link.
OK, I guess dailymotion ain't that easy.
*** 3/19/14
darn. Freemake not working on hulu now. I guess hulu must have changed their format.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Chromecast
Google is taking another swing at commanding the television with its
new Chromecast, a low-cost accessory that plugs into a TV and allows
users to stream video, share tabs from the Google Chrome browser, or
play music from their smartphones, tablet or computer on the big screen.
The big selling point? The Chromecast lets users can do that streaming or sharing while also allowing the devices to do other tasks.
With the Chromecast, analysts said, Google appears to have learned a lesson from some of its own missteps and those of its competitors. The small device, which fits into a TV’s HDMI port, eliminates some of the usual frustrations with TV streaming.
For example, while Apple TV and, to a lesser extent, the Xbox allow users to beam some content from their mobile devices to the television, the mobile devices then can’t be used for anything else at the same time. Google says that the Chromecast will enable multitasking on the laptop, tablet or other device without interrupting what’s streaming on the TV.
Chromecast also comes with built-in support not only for Google devices but also for Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Chrome browser on Macs and PCs. That means that nearly every television can now get a Google upgrade — a major shift for the competitive landscape, analysts said.
Now, said James McQuivey, a principal analyst at Forrester, “it’s not a war of smart versus dumb TVs — it’s a war of which smart TV.”
And, finally, there’s the price. Apple TV and Roku are both priced to move with their newest models starting at $99. Chromecast costs $35.
That lower price, McQuivey said, draws a sharp line between Google and competitors such as Apple and Microsoft and shows that the company has a different vision for how to make money off the television. Apple, he explained, aims for profit from the sale of its popular devices and won’t take a run at a new product unless it believes it can make money off the sales of that hardware. Microsoft is splitting the difference by packaging multimedia entertainment in a dedicated device of its own, the Xbox One.
But for Google — which hasn’t made much inroad with its own TV devices — the motivations are now completely different.
“Google doesn’t care about making any money on the device,” McQuivey said. “The future is about software.”
This new strategy doesn’t even focus so much on selling the content, he noted. It’s aimed more at gathering information on consumer habits — data that Google could combine with search and other data from its services to expand its user profiles.
“This is a deep, deep relationship built with you,” he said. “It opens potential for them to do much more for you than they could before.”
The big selling point? The Chromecast lets users can do that streaming or sharing while also allowing the devices to do other tasks.
With the Chromecast, analysts said, Google appears to have learned a lesson from some of its own missteps and those of its competitors. The small device, which fits into a TV’s HDMI port, eliminates some of the usual frustrations with TV streaming.
For example, while Apple TV and, to a lesser extent, the Xbox allow users to beam some content from their mobile devices to the television, the mobile devices then can’t be used for anything else at the same time. Google says that the Chromecast will enable multitasking on the laptop, tablet or other device without interrupting what’s streaming on the TV.
Chromecast also comes with built-in support not only for Google devices but also for Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Chrome browser on Macs and PCs. That means that nearly every television can now get a Google upgrade — a major shift for the competitive landscape, analysts said.
Now, said James McQuivey, a principal analyst at Forrester, “it’s not a war of smart versus dumb TVs — it’s a war of which smart TV.”
And, finally, there’s the price. Apple TV and Roku are both priced to move with their newest models starting at $99. Chromecast costs $35.
That lower price, McQuivey said, draws a sharp line between Google and competitors such as Apple and Microsoft and shows that the company has a different vision for how to make money off the television. Apple, he explained, aims for profit from the sale of its popular devices and won’t take a run at a new product unless it believes it can make money off the sales of that hardware. Microsoft is splitting the difference by packaging multimedia entertainment in a dedicated device of its own, the Xbox One.
But for Google — which hasn’t made much inroad with its own TV devices — the motivations are now completely different.
“Google doesn’t care about making any money on the device,” McQuivey said. “The future is about software.”
This new strategy doesn’t even focus so much on selling the content, he noted. It’s aimed more at gathering information on consumer habits — data that Google could combine with search and other data from its services to expand its user profiles.
“This is a deep, deep relationship built with you,” he said. “It opens potential for them to do much more for you than they could before.”
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Netflix
Well finally decided to pay up the $8 a month and get Netflix. Well, actually I haven't paid anything yet as you get a free 30 day trial. My impetus was selling a portion of my NFLX stock which has increased 5-fold from the low, though still not quite back to the $300 high where it was. So that's in effect paying for the subscription.
So how is it?
First of all, lots (and lots) of content. No more searching through Crackle or Popcorn Flix to find a movie that I might want to watch. And not only movies, lots of TV shows too.
In fact, that's probably what I'm going to use it most for, TV shows.
Right off the bat, there's Everybody Loves Raymond which is not on hulu. I was afraid of whether I would be able to see subtitles, but there's an option where you can turn it on and off and I can't imagine why older models of Roku wouldn't be able to support this.
There's also the Dick Van Dyke Show, Family Ties, Cheers, the Andy Griffith Show, Leave It To Beaver.
But they don't have everything though. No Three Stooges, I Love Lucy, Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, Green Acres, Mary Tyler Moore Show, All In The Family, Sanford and Son, Bob Newhart Show, Welcome Back Kotter, Taxi, Seinfeld, King of Queens.
Some of these are on hulu though: I Love Lucy, Green Acres, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bob Newhart Show. And Three Stooges is on youtube (illegally) with some on crackle.
What else is on? Hercules, Xena, Charmed, Monk, Columbo. So no real need to keep the DVDs I have (well maybe Columbo since Netflix doesn't have all the episodes). One nice thing is that the Hercules and Xena shows have subtitles, which the original Anchor Bay DVD sets didn't have.
Netflix has 13 episodes of Dog Whisperer. There are much more (currently 109) on hulu (but not hulu+). Oddly the subtitles didn't work on the Roku, but did work on my iPad and computer. Maybe that's what they meant by subtitles not working on older version on the roku. And not all the shows have subtitles, though most of them do. Coach was one show that didn't, though the website says it does.
Another one was Ken Burns' Baseball series (which I was suprised to see on there). The old DVD set (which I have) has closed caption for TV, but no DVD subtitles. However I think the newer remastered series does have subtitles. [12/9/13 - Netflix has updated the series with subtitles and the 10th Inning episodes.]
And lots of movies. I was surprised to see The Avengers on there. Also Captain America and Thor. But no Iron Man or Hulk or X-Men.
Using the universal Roku search (for actor names for axample), there's actually a lot more movies not on, then on. But what do you expect for $8?
They do have all the Star Trek TV series (also on hulu+ except for the animated series). But not all of the movies (just Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, Insurrection, Nemesis).
*** [8/30/13]
Here's one minor gripe about Netflix. Yes, they have subtitles for the majority of the shows, but they don't look very good on my Roku, mainly because they are sometimes hard to read overlaid over the picture. On the other hard, they look fine to me on my iPad, partly because the iPad has a 4:3 screen, so the subtitles are partly display below the picture. And they also look OK on my computer on the 16:9 LCD screen. I wonder if it's because I have a Roku HD instead of a Roku 2 or Roku 3. [I would think unlikely.]
[12/9/13 - The subtitles look different depending on the player. For example, the subtitles are yellow on the Windows 8 app, but white while playing on a browser. They also look bigger on the Roku.]
[1/14/14 - yep Netflix subtitles on Roku appear as pale yellow even on the Roku 3. Evidently the subtitles look better on Apple TV. Reading further, evidently the new Netflix app on the Roku 3 has more readable subtitles. So maybe I should get a Roku 3. Or an Apple TV. Or just wait to see if the new Netflix app will eventually come to my Roku HD. Or just hook up my laptop to the PC.]
*** [4/15/14]
Cool. Netflix is now showing the Roku captions instead of their own on my Roku HD. Don't see that the Roku app was updated, so I'd have to deduce that the Roku firmware was updated. And somehow it connected to the Netflix app. Another clue is that there is an option to set opacity to 50% whereas before it wasn't there (they just went from 25% to 75%). So one less reason to upgrade to a Roku 3. However Hulu Plus still is locking up and using their own caption style. And still no YouTube. VideoBuzz works, but doesn't support captions. I have my doubts that captions would work on Roku YouTube anyway, as it doesn't work on the Apple TV.
Apparently captions have to be in SMPTE Timed Text format and was added in software build 4.9 in December 2012. Looking now, I my Roku is on software version 5.4.
So how is it?
First of all, lots (and lots) of content. No more searching through Crackle or Popcorn Flix to find a movie that I might want to watch. And not only movies, lots of TV shows too.
In fact, that's probably what I'm going to use it most for, TV shows.
Right off the bat, there's Everybody Loves Raymond which is not on hulu. I was afraid of whether I would be able to see subtitles, but there's an option where you can turn it on and off and I can't imagine why older models of Roku wouldn't be able to support this.
There's also the Dick Van Dyke Show, Family Ties, Cheers, the Andy Griffith Show, Leave It To Beaver.
But they don't have everything though. No Three Stooges, I Love Lucy, Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, Green Acres, Mary Tyler Moore Show, All In The Family, Sanford and Son, Bob Newhart Show, Welcome Back Kotter, Taxi, Seinfeld, King of Queens.
Some of these are on hulu though: I Love Lucy, Green Acres, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bob Newhart Show. And Three Stooges is on youtube (illegally) with some on crackle.
What else is on? Hercules, Xena, Charmed, Monk, Columbo. So no real need to keep the DVDs I have (well maybe Columbo since Netflix doesn't have all the episodes). One nice thing is that the Hercules and Xena shows have subtitles, which the original Anchor Bay DVD sets didn't have.
Netflix has 13 episodes of Dog Whisperer. There are much more (currently 109) on hulu (but not hulu+). Oddly the subtitles didn't work on the Roku, but did work on my iPad and computer. Maybe that's what they meant by subtitles not working on older version on the roku. And not all the shows have subtitles, though most of them do. Coach was one show that didn't, though the website says it does.
Another one was Ken Burns' Baseball series (which I was suprised to see on there). The old DVD set (which I have) has closed caption for TV, but no DVD subtitles. However I think the newer remastered series does have subtitles. [12/9/13 - Netflix has updated the series with subtitles and the 10th Inning episodes.]
And lots of movies. I was surprised to see The Avengers on there. Also Captain America and Thor. But no Iron Man or Hulk or X-Men.
Using the universal Roku search (for actor names for axample), there's actually a lot more movies not on, then on. But what do you expect for $8?
They do have all the Star Trek TV series (also on hulu+ except for the animated series). But not all of the movies (just Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, Insurrection, Nemesis).
*** [8/30/13]
Here's one minor gripe about Netflix. Yes, they have subtitles for the majority of the shows, but they don't look very good on my Roku, mainly because they are sometimes hard to read overlaid over the picture. On the other hard, they look fine to me on my iPad, partly because the iPad has a 4:3 screen, so the subtitles are partly display below the picture. And they also look OK on my computer on the 16:9 LCD screen. I wonder if it's because I have a Roku HD instead of a Roku 2 or Roku 3. [I would think unlikely.]
[12/9/13 - The subtitles look different depending on the player. For example, the subtitles are yellow on the Windows 8 app, but white while playing on a browser. They also look bigger on the Roku.]
[1/14/14 - yep Netflix subtitles on Roku appear as pale yellow even on the Roku 3. Evidently the subtitles look better on Apple TV. Reading further, evidently the new Netflix app on the Roku 3 has more readable subtitles. So maybe I should get a Roku 3. Or an Apple TV. Or just wait to see if the new Netflix app will eventually come to my Roku HD. Or just hook up my laptop to the PC.]
*** [4/15/14]
Cool. Netflix is now showing the Roku captions instead of their own on my Roku HD. Don't see that the Roku app was updated, so I'd have to deduce that the Roku firmware was updated. And somehow it connected to the Netflix app. Another clue is that there is an option to set opacity to 50% whereas before it wasn't there (they just went from 25% to 75%). So one less reason to upgrade to a Roku 3. However Hulu Plus still is locking up and using their own caption style. And still no YouTube. VideoBuzz works, but doesn't support captions. I have my doubts that captions would work on Roku YouTube anyway, as it doesn't work on the Apple TV.
Apparently captions have to be in SMPTE Timed Text format and was added in software build 4.9 in December 2012. Looking now, I my Roku is on software version 5.4.
Sunday, July 07, 2013
video game consoles: the eighth generation
Did you know that we are already in the eighth generation of video game consoles? The eighth generation started with the Wii U and will include the PlayStation 4 and XBox One.
Here are some highlights of each generation.
Generation One: Pong
Generation Two: Atari 2600, Intellivision, Atari 5200, Colecovision
Generation Three: Atari 7800, Sega Master System, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Generation Four: Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, Neo-Geo, Super Nintendo (SNES)
Generation Five: Atari Jaguar, Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn, 3DO, Nintendo 64
Generation Six: Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Gamecube, Playstation 2, Microsoft XBox
Generation Seven: Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, XBox 360
Generaton Eight: Wii U, Ouya, Playstation 4, Xbox One
The full list is at wikipedia.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
are electric cars a failure?
Last month, the electric-car industry passed a small but important
milestone. There are now more than 100,000 electric cars on America's
roads, including those that operate as plug-in hybrids. That's happened
in just two and a half years, as electric-vehicle sales have only been
tallied independently since the last month of 2010, when a mere 345 were
first parked in customer garages.
Despite this milestone, there's plenty of pessimism to go around regarding the adoption rate of the plug-in EV, which have thus far made up only half of 1% of all cars sold in the U.S. this year. My fellow Fool -- and resident Foolish auto expert -- John Rosevear offered a succinct overview of that pessimism a couple of months ago, which I'll sum up as this: There's no charging infrastructure, and the batteries make EVs cost more than is justifiable.
Does that mean EVs are a failure?
The American auto industry effectively began in 1896 with a 13-vehicle production run at the Duryea Motor Wagon plant (or garage, as the case might well be). Three years later, just before the start of the 20th century, there were roughly 8,000 cars on what passed for American roads -- virtually nothing was paved for vehicle travel. There were 8,000 EVs on the road after eight months of tracking. That's not really fair, though, because there are more than three times as many people in the U.S. as there were at the turn of the 20th century. Adjusted for population growth, there should have been 33,000 EVs on the roads after three years. That happened after 19 months, and we're now approaching three times that number midway through the third year of tracking.
Why compare EVs with the earliest cars? The "motor wagons" of the late 1800s faced similar challenges to those often attributed to EVs: minimal supporting infrastructure and a high price tag relative to the dominant (horse-drawn) transportation of the day.
The first gas stations wouldn't even be built until almost a decade after the Duryeas built the first 13 cars in America, and they had no drive-up pumps -- that innovation didn't arrive until 1913. There are already more than 6,000 publicly accessible EV charging stations in the country. This doesn't count interesting infrastructure developments such as Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) battery-swap stations or its growing network of "superchargers" scattered across the United States. It's also worth noting that EVs, unlike early internal-combustion vehicles, can get recharged in most owners' garages.
EVs have to overcome an entrenched culture, just as early motor wagons did -- but today's car culture is far more deeply embedded in the national psyche than horses ever were. There's one automobile on American roads for every 2.3 Americans today, compared with one horse for every 3.5 Americans in 1900. The average person traveled about 340 miles per year in 1900, compared with 16,000 miles per year in cars and airplanes today. Despite facing one of the most entrenched opponents in the history of capitalism, EVs are already outperforming the puttering internal-combustion pioneers in terms of market penetration, price, and infrastructure deployment at a similar point after introduction.
Will EVs continue to outperform the original auto pioneers in the face of stiffer competition? I can't say. However, early results are indeed more promising than many pessimistic commentators would you like to believe. Just as autos replaced horses en masse once their technological superiority was undeniable, EVs will have to be objectively better than internal-combustion vehicles to justify widespread adoption. There are bound to be some bumps and bankruptcies along the way. After all, more than 1,000 automakers of all sizes were founded between 1896 and the mid-1920s. How many of them are still around?
*** [8/28/13]
Why aren't there more electric cars? (the conspiracy)
Despite this milestone, there's plenty of pessimism to go around regarding the adoption rate of the plug-in EV, which have thus far made up only half of 1% of all cars sold in the U.S. this year. My fellow Fool -- and resident Foolish auto expert -- John Rosevear offered a succinct overview of that pessimism a couple of months ago, which I'll sum up as this: There's no charging infrastructure, and the batteries make EVs cost more than is justifiable.
Does that mean EVs are a failure?
The American auto industry effectively began in 1896 with a 13-vehicle production run at the Duryea Motor Wagon plant (or garage, as the case might well be). Three years later, just before the start of the 20th century, there were roughly 8,000 cars on what passed for American roads -- virtually nothing was paved for vehicle travel. There were 8,000 EVs on the road after eight months of tracking. That's not really fair, though, because there are more than three times as many people in the U.S. as there were at the turn of the 20th century. Adjusted for population growth, there should have been 33,000 EVs on the roads after three years. That happened after 19 months, and we're now approaching three times that number midway through the third year of tracking.
Why compare EVs with the earliest cars? The "motor wagons" of the late 1800s faced similar challenges to those often attributed to EVs: minimal supporting infrastructure and a high price tag relative to the dominant (horse-drawn) transportation of the day.
The first gas stations wouldn't even be built until almost a decade after the Duryeas built the first 13 cars in America, and they had no drive-up pumps -- that innovation didn't arrive until 1913. There are already more than 6,000 publicly accessible EV charging stations in the country. This doesn't count interesting infrastructure developments such as Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) battery-swap stations or its growing network of "superchargers" scattered across the United States. It's also worth noting that EVs, unlike early internal-combustion vehicles, can get recharged in most owners' garages.
EVs have to overcome an entrenched culture, just as early motor wagons did -- but today's car culture is far more deeply embedded in the national psyche than horses ever were. There's one automobile on American roads for every 2.3 Americans today, compared with one horse for every 3.5 Americans in 1900. The average person traveled about 340 miles per year in 1900, compared with 16,000 miles per year in cars and airplanes today. Despite facing one of the most entrenched opponents in the history of capitalism, EVs are already outperforming the puttering internal-combustion pioneers in terms of market penetration, price, and infrastructure deployment at a similar point after introduction.
Will EVs continue to outperform the original auto pioneers in the face of stiffer competition? I can't say. However, early results are indeed more promising than many pessimistic commentators would you like to believe. Just as autos replaced horses en masse once their technological superiority was undeniable, EVs will have to be objectively better than internal-combustion vehicles to justify widespread adoption. There are bound to be some bumps and bankruptcies along the way. After all, more than 1,000 automakers of all sizes were founded between 1896 and the mid-1920s. How many of them are still around?
*** [8/28/13]
Why aren't there more electric cars? (the conspiracy)
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Google game console?
Google Inc. is developing a videogame console and wristwatch powered by its Android
operating system, according to people familiar with the matter, as the
Internet company seeks to spread the software beyond smartphones and
tablets.
With the game machine and digital watch, Google is hoping to combat similar devices that Apple Inc. may release in the future, according to the people.
Google is also preparing to release a second version of an Android-powered media-streaming device, called Nexus Q, that was unveiled last year but not sold to the public, these people said.
The Internet giant hopes to design and market the devices itself and release at least one of them this fall, they added.
A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.
The hardware plans are the latest sign of Google's determination to build on the success of Android, the software it launched in 2008 that powered 75% of all smartphones and 57% of tablets shipped globally in the first quarter, according to the research firm IDC.
Games that run on Android software have proved particularly popular, and they are growing more quickly than games made for the big-name consoles supplied by Microsoft Corp., Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. The appeal of such games has prompted the development of new devices aimed specifically for Android by other hardware companies.
Sony and Microsoft have recently unveiled new versions of their PlayStation and Xbox game consoles, which are expected to go on sale later this year. Together with Nintendo, sales of the games for these devices accounted for most of the $24.9 billion spent world-wide last year on console games, according to market researcher PwC.
The people briefed on the matter said Google is reacting in part to expectations that rival Apple will launch a videogame console as part of its next Apple TV product release.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
Google has also been watching the efforts of Ouya Inc., a startup that this week began selling a $99 Android-based console and game controller, one of these people said.
With the game machine and digital watch, Google is hoping to combat similar devices that Apple Inc. may release in the future, according to the people.
Google is also preparing to release a second version of an Android-powered media-streaming device, called Nexus Q, that was unveiled last year but not sold to the public, these people said.
The Internet giant hopes to design and market the devices itself and release at least one of them this fall, they added.
A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.
The hardware plans are the latest sign of Google's determination to build on the success of Android, the software it launched in 2008 that powered 75% of all smartphones and 57% of tablets shipped globally in the first quarter, according to the research firm IDC.
Games that run on Android software have proved particularly popular, and they are growing more quickly than games made for the big-name consoles supplied by Microsoft Corp., Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. The appeal of such games has prompted the development of new devices aimed specifically for Android by other hardware companies.
Sony and Microsoft have recently unveiled new versions of their PlayStation and Xbox game consoles, which are expected to go on sale later this year. Together with Nintendo, sales of the games for these devices accounted for most of the $24.9 billion spent world-wide last year on console games, according to market researcher PwC.
The people briefed on the matter said Google is reacting in part to expectations that rival Apple will launch a videogame console as part of its next Apple TV product release.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
Google has also been watching the efforts of Ouya Inc., a startup that this week began selling a $99 Android-based console and game controller, one of these people said.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Ouya
Last year, Ouya raised almost $8.6 million on Kickstarter to develop a gaming console powered by Google's (GOOG +0.86%) open-source Android operating system. Now the product is flying off retailers' shelves.
According to Mashable, Ouya was sold out Tuesday on Amazon.com (AMZN) just hours after it went on sale in the U.S., Canada and U.K. The consoles were temporarily unavailable Wednesday, too. Consumers were also out of luck if they tried Best Buy (BBY +2.02%) or Target (TGT -0.01%), according to their respective websites.
What's the fuss about?
First is the price. The Ouya console sells for a rock-bottom $99. In contrast, Best Buy is taking preorders for Sony's (SNE +2.16%) PlayStation 4, which isn't going to be released officially until November, for $399.99. Microsoft (MSFT) is taking preorders for the Xbox One Day One Edition for $499.99 ahead of its planned on-sale date later this year. (Microsoft owns and publishes moneyNOW, an MSN Money site.)
Although Ouya games aren't as complex as those offered for the PlayStation and Xbox, they may be good enough for many gamers, particularly casual ones, according to some reviews. Games, which can cost as much as $70 on other systems, are all free to try. Thousands of people who donated to the company's Kickstarter campaign got a free console as well.
Early reviews have been mixed, though a few have been scathing. Tech Radar's Alex Roth said Ouya won't become the "third superpower" alongside PlayStation and XBox, but it "has a good shot at carving out its own niche market amongst atypical systems like the Wii U and Nvidia's (NVDA) Project Shield."
The CBC's Peter Nowak complained about the system's poor responsiveness. "In just about every game I tried, there was a noticeable lag between pressing the button and seeing the corresponding action on screen," he wrote. At PC Magazine, Will Greenwald wrote "unless you're dedicated and technically savvy, it's just not worth it."
Of course, Ouya is still in its infancy and may get better over time. Then again, its rivals probably will as well.
According to Mashable, Ouya was sold out Tuesday on Amazon.com (AMZN) just hours after it went on sale in the U.S., Canada and U.K. The consoles were temporarily unavailable Wednesday, too. Consumers were also out of luck if they tried Best Buy (BBY +2.02%) or Target (TGT -0.01%), according to their respective websites.
What's the fuss about?
First is the price. The Ouya console sells for a rock-bottom $99. In contrast, Best Buy is taking preorders for Sony's (SNE +2.16%) PlayStation 4, which isn't going to be released officially until November, for $399.99. Microsoft (MSFT) is taking preorders for the Xbox One Day One Edition for $499.99 ahead of its planned on-sale date later this year. (Microsoft owns and publishes moneyNOW, an MSN Money site.)
Although Ouya games aren't as complex as those offered for the PlayStation and Xbox, they may be good enough for many gamers, particularly casual ones, according to some reviews. Games, which can cost as much as $70 on other systems, are all free to try. Thousands of people who donated to the company's Kickstarter campaign got a free console as well.
Early reviews have been mixed, though a few have been scathing. Tech Radar's Alex Roth said Ouya won't become the "third superpower" alongside PlayStation and XBox, but it "has a good shot at carving out its own niche market amongst atypical systems like the Wii U and Nvidia's (NVDA) Project Shield."
The CBC's Peter Nowak complained about the system's poor responsiveness. "In just about every game I tried, there was a noticeable lag between pressing the button and seeing the corresponding action on screen," he wrote. At PC Magazine, Will Greenwald wrote "unless you're dedicated and technically savvy, it's just not worth it."
Of course, Ouya is still in its infancy and may get better over time. Then again, its rivals probably will as well.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Dumb Ways to Die
Saw this was the app of the week on Apple Byte on CNET.
It's kind of fun even though I'm not very good at it and haven't even figured out how to tie the string to the balloon.
The youtube video has had over 50 million views. So I suppose it's popular.
Oh, that's how you do it!
It's kind of fun even though I'm not very good at it and haven't even figured out how to tie the string to the balloon.
The youtube video has had over 50 million views. So I suppose it's popular.
Oh, that's how you do it!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
dwarf planets
In 2006 the organization responsible for classifying celestial bodies, the International Astronomical Union, decided that a new class of objects was needed. The solar system's erratic ninth planet, Pluto, was assigned to the new “dwarf planet”
category along with four other bodies, all tinier than Earth’s moon.
Some astronomers expect there may be as many as 50 dwarf planets in the solar system.
-- via BrianK
-- via BrianK
Monday, June 17, 2013
The Five Most Important Tech Breakthroughs of the last five years
The following list will take you through five of the top new
technological breakthroughs that have become the biggest hits with
consumers. You'll probably be familiar with them all, but the sheer
speed at which they've captured the public's imagination (and its
spending money) might surprise you.
5. Electric cars
4. Motion sensing
3. Tablets
2. Android
1. Apps
5. Electric cars
4. Motion sensing
3. Tablets
2. Android
1. Apps
antennas for free TV
In my quest to simplify, one day I want to get rid of cable TV and put up an antenna to catch free TV over the air.
[If it's supposed to free, why don't they just broadcast it over the internet? Free TV was supported by advertising, so I would think you would want to widen your exposure to attract advertisers. That's why I don't understand why they cut out the commercials on the few live signals you can see over the internet. Like Bloomberg TV or Hawaii News Now for example. Must be some legal thing. I would think the advertisers wouldn't complain. So who's doing the complaining?]
Anyway I remember seeing a full page advertisement in the staradvertiser last week (I think) for a Clear Channel antenna. Googling, I see the ClearStream2 Antenna gets good ratings from lifehacker and amazon.com. Don't think this was the same antenna that was advertisers.
There's also this pieplate antenna I saw on youtube.
Not sure if I can get a signal in my location, because I remember I tried to help Mr. Fong across the street with his antenna from Radio Shack (or was it Best Buy?) and it didn't get very good results.
The FCC has a pretty neat site and the TV stations in your area. Other sites are TV Fool and AntennaWeb.
Maybe I should just downgrade to the basic cable which is pretty cheap and I'll get the over the air channels plus a bunch of others in standard def. The major drawback of cutting the cable is no ESPN and in my case no OCSports (for UH Sports). Or TNT or NBA-TV (for NBA in HD). Or NatGeoWild. Now if KFVE or somebody gets back the rights for UH Sports, then I might start thinking twice.
Then again, it's not like I can't afford the $3 or so per day for cable TV (for now anyway).
Friday, June 14, 2013
TWIT
stands for This Week in Tech and is a cool tech talk/news show on the internet. It was started by Leo LaPorte (who started with the Atari 400).
The site also has a bunch of other interesting shows too. It's also available on the Roku with its own channel as well as on Nowhere TV. There's a few differences between the Roku channels with Nowhere TV still carrying some of the older shows but not some of the newer ones. The Roku channels only carry about 10 of the most recent episodes of each show. The web site has them all.
The (vast majority of the) shows are also available on youtube. The shows used to all be on the twit channel, but now they all have their own youtube channel.
Here's a list of the shows (and whether they're on NowhereTV and/or the dedicated Roku channel)
Active Shows
All About Android N R
Before You Buy N R
Floss Weekly N R
Frame Rate N R
Ham Nation N R
Home Theater Geeks N R
iFive for iPhone R
iPad Today N R
Know How R
MacBreak Weekly N R
NSFW N R
OMGCraft R
Radio Leo
Security Now N R
Tech News Today N R
The Giz Wiz N R
The Social Hour N R
The Tech Guy N R
This Week in Computer Hardware N R
This Week in Enterprise Tech R
This Week in Google N R
This Week in Law N R
This Week In Tech N R
This Week in Youtube R
Triangulation N R
Twit Live Specials N R
Windows Weekly N R
Retired Shows
Abby's Road
Current Geek Weekly
Dr. Kiki's Science Hour N
FourCast N
Futures in Biotech N
Game On! N
Green Tech Today
Jumping Monkeys
MacBreak
MaxWell's House
Munchcast
net@night
Roz Rows the Pacific
Science News Weekly N
Tech History Today
The Laporte Report
this WEEK in FUN
This Week in Radio Tech N
Trey's Variety Hour N
TWIT Photo N
So as you can see, the standalone channel has all of the active shows (except for Radio Leo which sort of shouldn't count since it's just the audio portion of his video shows). In comparison, the Nowhere channel is missing of few of the recent shows while retaining a number of the retired shows.
The site also has a bunch of other interesting shows too. It's also available on the Roku with its own channel as well as on Nowhere TV. There's a few differences between the Roku channels with Nowhere TV still carrying some of the older shows but not some of the newer ones. The Roku channels only carry about 10 of the most recent episodes of each show. The web site has them all.
The (vast majority of the) shows are also available on youtube. The shows used to all be on the twit channel, but now they all have their own youtube channel.
Here's a list of the shows (and whether they're on NowhereTV and/or the dedicated Roku channel)
Active Shows
All About Android N R
Before You Buy N R
Floss Weekly N R
Frame Rate N R
Ham Nation N R
Home Theater Geeks N R
iFive for iPhone R
iPad Today N R
Know How R
MacBreak Weekly N R
NSFW N R
OMGCraft R
Radio Leo
Security Now N R
Tech News Today N R
The Giz Wiz N R
The Social Hour N R
The Tech Guy N R
This Week in Computer Hardware N R
This Week in Enterprise Tech R
This Week in Google N R
This Week in Law N R
This Week In Tech N R
This Week in Youtube R
Triangulation N R
Twit Live Specials N R
Windows Weekly N R
Retired Shows
Abby's Road
Current Geek Weekly
Dr. Kiki's Science Hour N
FourCast N
Futures in Biotech N
Game On! N
Green Tech Today
Jumping Monkeys
MacBreak
MaxWell's House
Munchcast
net@night
Roz Rows the Pacific
Science News Weekly N
Tech History Today
The Laporte Report
this WEEK in FUN
This Week in Radio Tech N
Trey's Variety Hour N
TWIT Photo N
So as you can see, the standalone channel has all of the active shows (except for Radio Leo which sort of shouldn't count since it's just the audio portion of his video shows). In comparison, the Nowhere channel is missing of few of the recent shows while retaining a number of the retired shows.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
transferring photos from RZR to computer
I still use a Motorola RZR V3 phone. Works fine for me.
But now t-mobile is shutting down their album service at the end of this month. So I figured I better transfer my photos from my phone to the album and then download them to my computer before the time was up.
However, when I go to the album, I get a blank screen.
I figured maybe it's blank because they removed my photos from there and if I send the photos again from my phone it would appear.
But when I tried to send the photos, I got a failure message.
So how to get the photos off the phone?
Well, this site says I could use a usb cable or bluetooth.
Well, I don't have any usb cable that fits my phone. The one for my camera doesn't fit. And neither does the one for my printer.
Then I tried using bluetooth, which I have never tried before. Turned on bluetooth on my ipad mini and then fiddled around and turned on bluetooth for the phone. The iPad actually saw the phone for a little while but then said the connection was not compatible or something.
So I was about to give up.
But then while looking at the photos, I noticed a send option. This is normally to send to another phone. There's was an option to create new email address. So evidently you could send it to an email address. Well selecting new email address did nothing. So what I did was create a phone entry for me with just my email address. And then I sent the picture to that entry. And it worked!
I could even get the picture on my ipad that way. Sending it to the camera roll actually send five images which are headings and junk, so you need to delete the extraneous images. But it works!
Well, one picture worked. I'll do the rest later as my battery was low and I had to recharge it.
But now t-mobile is shutting down their album service at the end of this month. So I figured I better transfer my photos from my phone to the album and then download them to my computer before the time was up.
However, when I go to the album, I get a blank screen.
I figured maybe it's blank because they removed my photos from there and if I send the photos again from my phone it would appear.
But when I tried to send the photos, I got a failure message.
So how to get the photos off the phone?
Well, this site says I could use a usb cable or bluetooth.
Well, I don't have any usb cable that fits my phone. The one for my camera doesn't fit. And neither does the one for my printer.
Then I tried using bluetooth, which I have never tried before. Turned on bluetooth on my ipad mini and then fiddled around and turned on bluetooth for the phone. The iPad actually saw the phone for a little while but then said the connection was not compatible or something.
So I was about to give up.
But then while looking at the photos, I noticed a send option. This is normally to send to another phone. There's was an option to create new email address. So evidently you could send it to an email address. Well selecting new email address did nothing. So what I did was create a phone entry for me with just my email address. And then I sent the picture to that entry. And it worked!
I could even get the picture on my ipad that way. Sending it to the camera roll actually send five images which are headings and junk, so you need to delete the extraneous images. But it works!
Well, one picture worked. I'll do the rest later as my battery was low and I had to recharge it.
Monday, June 10, 2013
blogger errors
For a while, I kept getting error messages when accessing or creating posts on blogger. But the error codes kept changing.
After a while, I noticed that it happened on only some of my blogs.
It appears that the problem occurred with the blogs that used the old template. So what I've done is update to a new design (which loses the hand-coded customizations) then revert to the old template (which restores the customizations).
So it still looks the same (as far as I can tell), but without the error messages.
After a while, I noticed that it happened on only some of my blogs.
It appears that the problem occurred with the blogs that used the old template. So what I've done is update to a new design (which loses the hand-coded customizations) then revert to the old template (which restores the customizations).
So it still looks the same (as far as I can tell), but without the error messages.
Stanley and Harriet's HDMI
They keep getting problems with their HDMI hookup. It works for a while, then they have trouble. And wind up swapping their cable box. They have a Oceanic HD DVR hooked up to a big screen Sony LCD TV.
This time, it was working until a few days ago. The HDMI wouldn't work though it would work via the coax out going to channel 3.
I confirmed that it wasn't working. Even after resetting the box, switching HDMI ports, switching the HDMI cable.
However in the process, I did get an HDCP not-compliant message. Not sure if that's coming from the TV or the cable box.
Called Oceanic. Told me to turn off the cable box and turn off the TV.
But I pulled out the power to the cable box instead.
Took a while to boot up and get the time back.
Still didn't work and noticed the response was rather slow.
The tech guy asked why I had both the coax and the HDMI plugged in. Told him in case one don't work. But I pulled out the coax anyway. Nope, still don't work.
Then he asked if I had another HDMI cable. So I swapped it. Nope, still don't work.
So he said it's probably the cable box and to swap it.
But then suddenly it started working. The configuration was the original (not the Oceanic) HDMI cable plugged into the HDMI4 input. And the cable box was more responsive.
Don't know what happened, but I'm not going to touch it if it's working.
We'll see how long it lasts this time.
I got a feeling that their Sony TV is marginal with HDCP outputs (despite this statement).
[9/7/15 update] after having sporadic problems with their cable box hooked up to their Sony TV over the last couple of years, the Oceanic tech hooked them up via component some months ago. Problem solved. The picture might not be quite as good as HDMI in theory, but it's hard to tell the difference.
This time, it was working until a few days ago. The HDMI wouldn't work though it would work via the coax out going to channel 3.
I confirmed that it wasn't working. Even after resetting the box, switching HDMI ports, switching the HDMI cable.
However in the process, I did get an HDCP not-compliant message. Not sure if that's coming from the TV or the cable box.
Called Oceanic. Told me to turn off the cable box and turn off the TV.
But I pulled out the power to the cable box instead.
Took a while to boot up and get the time back.
Still didn't work and noticed the response was rather slow.
The tech guy asked why I had both the coax and the HDMI plugged in. Told him in case one don't work. But I pulled out the coax anyway. Nope, still don't work.
Then he asked if I had another HDMI cable. So I swapped it. Nope, still don't work.
So he said it's probably the cable box and to swap it.
But then suddenly it started working. The configuration was the original (not the Oceanic) HDMI cable plugged into the HDMI4 input. And the cable box was more responsive.
Don't know what happened, but I'm not going to touch it if it's working.
We'll see how long it lasts this time.
I got a feeling that their Sony TV is marginal with HDCP outputs (despite this statement).
[9/7/15 update] after having sporadic problems with their cable box hooked up to their Sony TV over the last couple of years, the Oceanic tech hooked them up via component some months ago. Problem solved. The picture might not be quite as good as HDMI in theory, but it's hard to tell the difference.
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Windows 8.1
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT)
launched Windows 8 last October with radical ambitions in mind. The
Start menu was gone, and in its place was a tile-based interface that
was a dramatic departure from what Windows users had grown accustomed to
over the past 17 years, dating to the introduction of Windows 95.
Anytime you overhaul the user interface of something as long-lived and pervasive as Windows, there will be loud user complaints. Some level of users will always be resistant to change.
However, the steep learning curve on Windows 8 has made it a difficult transition, especially for larger companies whose users are accustomed to older versions of Windows. With the company looking to release a major update named Windows 8.1 that should be released later this year, let's take a look back at Windows 8 to date and what should be expected from Microsoft's major overhaul of the operating system.
Microsoft's reasoning for the dramatic changes to Windows was simple: Past versions of Windows didn't translate well to the touch-based devices such as tablets that are exploding in popularity. By creating a tile-based interface, the company could make Windows relevant for both PCs and tablets, rather than create a separate version for tablets.
Anytime you overhaul the user interface of something as long-lived and pervasive as Windows, there will be loud user complaints. Some level of users will always be resistant to change.
However, the steep learning curve on Windows 8 has made it a difficult transition, especially for larger companies whose users are accustomed to older versions of Windows. With the company looking to release a major update named Windows 8.1 that should be released later this year, let's take a look back at Windows 8 to date and what should be expected from Microsoft's major overhaul of the operating system.
Microsoft's reasoning for the dramatic changes to Windows was simple: Past versions of Windows didn't translate well to the touch-based devices such as tablets that are exploding in popularity. By creating a tile-based interface, the company could make Windows relevant for both PCs and tablets, rather than create a separate version for tablets.
To date, results have been middling. At the start of May, Microsoft
announced that it had sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses, but
little traction has been gained in tablets. More painfully, the slide
in consumer interest around PCs continues. In the first quarter, PC
shipments declined more than 11% according to industry tracker Gartner.
As CNET notes,
Microsoft's Windows 8.1 update will come with a "Start Tip," which sits
in the lower left corner and allows users to return to a Start screen.
This won't return you to the Start menu you're familiar with, but the
Start screen will be customizable in a way that allows users to create a
listing of applications that's similar to the Start menus of past
Windows versions.
For the most ardent critics of change in Windows 8, the 8.1 update is
delivering something long-clamored for: an option to boot directly to
the desktop. The fact that current versions of Windows 8 forced users to
boot up in the tile-based interface has been the subject of much of the
Windows 8 controversy.
Will Windows 8.1's changes be enough to satisfy most dissatisfied users? Probably not. The tile user interface remains at the center of the experience, even if booting to the desktop is now an option. Moreover, many of the changes to make Windows 8.1 feel more similar to Windows versions rely on customization. With many users complaining about a "steep learning curve," making users customize the experience doesn't exactly scream of simplification.
However, the changes could go a way in getting more adoption of Windows 8 in a key market: corporate users. While consumer interest in PCs has been cratering, corporate PC buying has been a far more steady force. Enabling options like booting to the desktop could lessen headaches for IT departments and persuade them to begin using Windows 8.
*** [9/7/13]
Will Windows 8.1's changes be enough to satisfy most dissatisfied users? Probably not. The tile user interface remains at the center of the experience, even if booting to the desktop is now an option. Moreover, many of the changes to make Windows 8.1 feel more similar to Windows versions rely on customization. With many users complaining about a "steep learning curve," making users customize the experience doesn't exactly scream of simplification.
However, the changes could go a way in getting more adoption of Windows 8 in a key market: corporate users. While consumer interest in PCs has been cratering, corporate PC buying has been a far more steady force. Enabling options like booting to the desktop could lessen headaches for IT departments and persuade them to begin using Windows 8.
*** [9/7/13]
Windows
8 was released just more than a year ago, evoking a collective groan
from IT professionals and users alike. While much of the rumbling
was due to the restyling of the interface, there were several outright
bugs.
Microsoft
has announced a new version of Windows 8, cleverly dubbed Windows 8.1,
due next month. While many organizations have resisted taking the
leap to Windows 8, it is apparent that Windows 8.1 will be a viable
platform, ready for adoption by all.
The
biggest complaint about Windows 8 was that the most basic components of
the interface changed. In fact, most complaints were about old
features that were eliminated (or masked) as opposed to the new features
that were added.
Of
course, we are talking about the elimination of the "start menu" and
replacement of it with the "start screen." This is somewhat
humorous, given the old joke that "only Microsoft would have you go the
‘start' menu to shut down your computer."
This
probably would have been a reasonable change if Microsoft had provided a
way to still use the old start menu. After all, many of the
functions of the old start menu are still accessible by using the
"windows-X" or "windows-W" key combinations. Bowing to pressure,
Microsoft has announced that the start menu will reappear in Windows
8.1, dashing the get-rich-quick hopes of many software developers
who came up with alternatives.
In fact,
whether in classic Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, there are many ways to
customize the interface to look similar to Windows 7 or even
Windows XP. While this is fine for the individual user, it can be a pain
in the okole for larger organizations to propagate these changes
to hundreds or even thousands of computers. As such, many businesses and
government agencies have stayed away from Windows 8.
Regardless,
Microsoft and its hardware partners have been force-feeding us Windows
8, making it difficult to buy the latest hardware with Windows 7
loaded. Windows 8.1, however, is a free upgrade, akin to a major service
pack. If history repeats itself, it should be a relatively simple
upgrade. If, however, you are doing more than a handful of upgrades,
you might want to hold off any purchases until 8.1 is actually
shipping, pre-loaded.
With all
the hubbub regarding Windows 8, one thing has been overlooked. Most
software applications developed for Windows 7 run on Windows 8
with no issues! Coupled with "compatibility mode," a feature that allows
applications specifically designed for older versions of Windows
to run under Windows 8, this eliminates one of the major concerns when
upgrading operating systems.
———
John Agsalud is an IT expert with more than 20 years of information technology experience. Reach him at johnagsalud@yahoo.com.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
1 TB on flickr
In a bid to revive interest in Flickr,
Yahoo has redesigned its photo community website and increased the
amount of free storage available to Flickr users to 1 terabyte.
That amounts to more than 500,000 photos taken at 6.5 megapixels, which is about the size generated by current smartphone cameras.
It's enough space to attract the interest of developers who see Flickr as a resource for storing any file, not just image files. The reason is simple: A free terabyte of storage is a pretty good deal, particularly when you consider that Flickr is charging $499 a year for 2 terabytes.
The problem with using Flickr for general storage is that it's only designed for images. To get around that, developer Ryan LeFevre has posted Ruby code to Github called flickr-store that lets users encode data as a .PNG image file, so it can be stored using Flickr.
LeFevre, in an email, said that another developer, Ricardo Tomasi, implemented a similar project at about the same time he published flickr-store.
LeFevre said he would not advise anyone to use his code to store critical files. "The ability to store files on Flickr by encoding them as PNGs was more of an academic exercise than anything," he said. "That said, there have been some similar successful projects in the past, such as GmailFS, so it's possible that the project could mature into a somewhat useful tool. Encoding/decoding data from PNG files is also, unfortunately, a bit slow. There is a lot of room for improvement."
That amounts to more than 500,000 photos taken at 6.5 megapixels, which is about the size generated by current smartphone cameras.
It's enough space to attract the interest of developers who see Flickr as a resource for storing any file, not just image files. The reason is simple: A free terabyte of storage is a pretty good deal, particularly when you consider that Flickr is charging $499 a year for 2 terabytes.
The problem with using Flickr for general storage is that it's only designed for images. To get around that, developer Ryan LeFevre has posted Ruby code to Github called flickr-store that lets users encode data as a .PNG image file, so it can be stored using Flickr.
LeFevre, in an email, said that another developer, Ricardo Tomasi, implemented a similar project at about the same time he published flickr-store.
LeFevre said he would not advise anyone to use his code to store critical files. "The ability to store files on Flickr by encoding them as PNGs was more of an academic exercise than anything," he said. "That said, there have been some similar successful projects in the past, such as GmailFS, so it's possible that the project could mature into a somewhat useful tool. Encoding/decoding data from PNG files is also, unfortunately, a bit slow. There is a lot of room for improvement."
XBox One
Eight years after releasing the Xbox 360, Microsoft has unveiled the
next generation of its gaming console, and the company seems to be
making up for lost time.
The new gaming system, which it plans to release before the end of the year, is chock full of new features that go way beyond new hardware, including Skype connectivity, television integration and new ways of controlling the system with your voice and body.
"We have an ambitious vision to become the all-in-one system for every living room," Microsoft president of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick said at the Xbox event in Redmond, Wash., this afternoon. Highlighting that the Xbox is not just a gaming system anymore, Mattrick added: "We're thrilled to unveil the ultimate all-in-one entertainment system: the Xbox One."
One of the standout hardware features might be the microphone on the box. Yes, a microphone. Microsoft has included new advanced voice control and commands. Say "Xbox, Go Home" aloud and it will return to the homescreen of the system. You can also say "Snap Internet Explorer" and you can bring up the browser and place it next to a game, similar to how you can snap windows next to each other in Windows 8.
Beyond using a tablet to navigate, the Xbox One is an extension of the tablet. In addition to bringing over some Windows 8-like functionality, it has integrated Skype right into Xbox, complete with video calling. There is also new app functionality. For instance, an ESPN app will alert you to your fantasy player stats while playing a game.
But beyond all that, the Xbox is very much trying to be the new TV platform.
"Until now, the TV viewing experience has been a one-way viewing experience for the viewer," Nancy Tellem, Microsoft's president of Entertainment & Digital Media, said on stage. "Now that is about to change."
The One will connect to your cable box, bring in your TV listings, and provide personalized suggestions. Microsoft says it will also overlay a social experience with that TV content as well, allowing the Xbox to become the "next watercooler."
*** [6/19/13]
Microsoft has sensationally abandoned its controversial plans to restrict the sharing of Xbox One games, and has also removed daily online authentication requirements for its forthcoming console.
In a statement released on the Xbox website on Wednesday, Don Mattrick, the president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, wrote that the company had listened to "candid feedback" from gamers. Before listing the changes, his explanation reads, "You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world."
When the new console is released this November, there will be no need to authenticate the system online every 24 hours – a requirement thought to have been introduced as a digital rights management measure. According to the statement, "After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again."
Furthermore, plans to restrict the sales of pre-owned titles, as well as the sharing of games among friends, have also been cancelled. There will now be no limits on gifting, re-selling, sharing or renting Xbox One game titles. In addition to these reversals, Microsoft is also removing regional locks on Xbox One games, which means titles bought in one global territory will work in all others.
The announcement follows a huge backlash against Microsoft which began when the company first revealed the Xbox One console at a press conference in May. Company representatives explained to journalists that all Xbox One games would need to be fully installed onto systems before play and that each copy would then be watermarked to its owner. Attempts to then sell on or give away the boxed copy of the game would be controlled by Microsoft; although the details have always been ambiguous,
The new gaming system, which it plans to release before the end of the year, is chock full of new features that go way beyond new hardware, including Skype connectivity, television integration and new ways of controlling the system with your voice and body.
"We have an ambitious vision to become the all-in-one system for every living room," Microsoft president of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick said at the Xbox event in Redmond, Wash., this afternoon. Highlighting that the Xbox is not just a gaming system anymore, Mattrick added: "We're thrilled to unveil the ultimate all-in-one entertainment system: the Xbox One."
One of the standout hardware features might be the microphone on the box. Yes, a microphone. Microsoft has included new advanced voice control and commands. Say "Xbox, Go Home" aloud and it will return to the homescreen of the system. You can also say "Snap Internet Explorer" and you can bring up the browser and place it next to a game, similar to how you can snap windows next to each other in Windows 8.
Beyond using a tablet to navigate, the Xbox One is an extension of the tablet. In addition to bringing over some Windows 8-like functionality, it has integrated Skype right into Xbox, complete with video calling. There is also new app functionality. For instance, an ESPN app will alert you to your fantasy player stats while playing a game.
But beyond all that, the Xbox is very much trying to be the new TV platform.
"Until now, the TV viewing experience has been a one-way viewing experience for the viewer," Nancy Tellem, Microsoft's president of Entertainment & Digital Media, said on stage. "Now that is about to change."
The One will connect to your cable box, bring in your TV listings, and provide personalized suggestions. Microsoft says it will also overlay a social experience with that TV content as well, allowing the Xbox to become the "next watercooler."
*** [6/19/13]
Microsoft has sensationally abandoned its controversial plans to restrict the sharing of Xbox One games, and has also removed daily online authentication requirements for its forthcoming console.
In a statement released on the Xbox website on Wednesday, Don Mattrick, the president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, wrote that the company had listened to "candid feedback" from gamers. Before listing the changes, his explanation reads, "You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world."
When the new console is released this November, there will be no need to authenticate the system online every 24 hours – a requirement thought to have been introduced as a digital rights management measure. According to the statement, "After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again."
Furthermore, plans to restrict the sales of pre-owned titles, as well as the sharing of games among friends, have also been cancelled. There will now be no limits on gifting, re-selling, sharing or renting Xbox One game titles. In addition to these reversals, Microsoft is also removing regional locks on Xbox One games, which means titles bought in one global territory will work in all others.
The announcement follows a huge backlash against Microsoft which began when the company first revealed the Xbox One console at a press conference in May. Company representatives explained to journalists that all Xbox One games would need to be fully installed onto systems before play and that each copy would then be watermarked to its owner. Attempts to then sell on or give away the boxed copy of the game would be controlled by Microsoft; although the details have always been ambiguous,
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
black screen on freecell, etc.
I started up Spider Solitaire and got a black screen. The sound was still working. The menu was still working. But the main game display was black.
No big deal, I can live without playing Spider Solitaire.
But then I tried FreeCell. Same thing.
The problems seems to be limited to the native Vista games. I played the freecell that I had imported from Windows XP and that worked. Yep, Hearts don't work either. Chess Titans. Mahjong Titans. Minesweeper. Regular Solitaire. Purble Place (whatever that is).
Inkball is the only one that works.
Hadn't played the XP version for a while. I notice the difference that in the Vista version you can drag the cards. While in the XP version, you click them. The other difference is that the Vista version you have unlimited undo. And if you restart again and lose, it counts as another loss (whereas the XP version just counts one loss no matter how many times you restart the game).
I think I had this problem before, but I don't remember what I did to fix it. I'm thinking now that I just rebooted and the problem cleared up.
reboot.
yay, it worked. I changed the background of freecell, so now I have to change it back.
[I was going to write this reply on my ipad mini, but got a blank screen when I tried. Another ipad incompatiblity.]
No big deal, I can live without playing Spider Solitaire.
But then I tried FreeCell. Same thing.
The problems seems to be limited to the native Vista games. I played the freecell that I had imported from Windows XP and that worked. Yep, Hearts don't work either. Chess Titans. Mahjong Titans. Minesweeper. Regular Solitaire. Purble Place (whatever that is).
Inkball is the only one that works.
Hadn't played the XP version for a while. I notice the difference that in the Vista version you can drag the cards. While in the XP version, you click them. The other difference is that the Vista version you have unlimited undo. And if you restart again and lose, it counts as another loss (whereas the XP version just counts one loss no matter how many times you restart the game).
I think I had this problem before, but I don't remember what I did to fix it. I'm thinking now that I just rebooted and the problem cleared up.
reboot.
yay, it worked. I changed the background of freecell, so now I have to change it back.
[I was going to write this reply on my ipad mini, but got a blank screen when I tried. Another ipad incompatiblity.]
playing with the iPad mini
Well finally got the iPad Mini at WalMart on Saturday and opened it up last night.
[First I watched some iPad Mini videos on youtube.]
Went through some of the built-in apps. Like Safari, mail, photos. Figured out how to get some pictures into the photos camera roll (simply save the photo from email).
Looked through
Still want to try messaging and Facetime. Just to see if it works. And take some photos.
Next step is to install some apps. But first I have to sign up for iTunes (and I suppose install iTunes on my computer so I can transfer files/photos).
Some of the apps I'm eyeing off the top of my head.
A browser so I can view hulu. Maybe Puffin.
ESPN3
CNBC
StarAdvertiser, MidWeek, KHON, etc.
And of course games (Paper Toss looks interesting). And I guess Angry Birds.
***
[later that night] OK, got iTunes installed and installed a few apps. Like CNBC, WatchESPN, Angry Birds. It took a little while to figure out, but finally was able to xfer some photos from my computer to the iPad. A bit unintuitive though.
One thing odd though, before I installed iTunes I plugged the iPad into the computer as the battery hit 5%. It said it was charging. But then after I installed iTunes, I noticed the iPad said "not charging". Don't know if it was coincidence or what happened.
[First I watched some iPad Mini videos on youtube.]
Went through some of the built-in apps. Like Safari, mail, photos. Figured out how to get some pictures into the photos camera roll (simply save the photo from email).
Looked through
Still want to try messaging and Facetime. Just to see if it works. And take some photos.
Next step is to install some apps. But first I have to sign up for iTunes (and I suppose install iTunes on my computer so I can transfer files/photos).
Some of the apps I'm eyeing off the top of my head.
A browser so I can view hulu. Maybe Puffin.
ESPN3
CNBC
StarAdvertiser, MidWeek, KHON, etc.
And of course games (Paper Toss looks interesting). And I guess Angry Birds.
***
[later that night] OK, got iTunes installed and installed a few apps. Like CNBC, WatchESPN, Angry Birds. It took a little while to figure out, but finally was able to xfer some photos from my computer to the iPad. A bit unintuitive though.
One thing odd though, before I installed iTunes I plugged the iPad into the computer as the battery hit 5%. It said it was charging. But then after I installed iTunes, I noticed the iPad said "not charging". Don't know if it was coincidence or what happened.
Monday, May 06, 2013
who's piggybacking you?
I got the idea for today’s tip while
troubleshooting my parent’s slow internet connection this weekend (they
hadn’t given their Wi-Fi a password, and the neighbors were using it).
The first thing you need to do is login to your router's administrative
console by typing its IP address directly into the browser address bar
-- typically 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 depending on which router you
have. If you don't know your router's default address go to the command
prompt (Start > Run/Search for cmd) and enter ipconfig. The address
you need should be next to Default Gateway under your Local Area
Connection.
Once inside your router's administrative console look for a section related to connected devices or wireless status. It will be different for everyone, sometimes it’s available under Status > Wireless but can also find it as "Attached Devices", under or "Device List".
This should provide a table with the IP, MAC address and other details of every device currently connected to the router. Check that list against your gear to find any intruders. You can find out the MAC/IP address of your computers by going to the Command Prompt again and entering 'ipconfig /all'. The MAC address will be shown as the physical address.
***
Too bad. I don't know the router password to my hawaiiantel.net modem/router combo. On the other hand, since it has a password, I doubt anybody is piggybacking it.
Right now, only my Roku is connected to my wireless. But soon to be added is my new iPad mini. Other than that, i'll just be my relative's iPad or iPhone. Plus any laptops I'm troubleshooting.
Once inside your router's administrative console look for a section related to connected devices or wireless status. It will be different for everyone, sometimes it’s available under Status > Wireless but can also find it as "Attached Devices", under or "Device List".
This should provide a table with the IP, MAC address and other details of every device currently connected to the router. Check that list against your gear to find any intruders. You can find out the MAC/IP address of your computers by going to the Command Prompt again and entering 'ipconfig /all'. The MAC address will be shown as the physical address.
***
Too bad. I don't know the router password to my hawaiiantel.net modem/router combo. On the other hand, since it has a password, I doubt anybody is piggybacking it.
Right now, only my Roku is connected to my wireless. But soon to be added is my new iPad mini. Other than that, i'll just be my relative's iPad or iPhone. Plus any laptops I'm troubleshooting.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
iWatch
[4/30/13] The latest rumor of an iWatch claims Intel and Apple are collaborating
on a smartwatch that could materialize this year. We believe a
smartwatch could make a lot of sense not only for Apple but for Google
and the Android camp.
Eight Reasons Why the Time is Right for an Apple iWatch
*** 9/5/13
BERLIN – Nearly 70 years after Dick Tracy began wearing a two-way wrist radio in the funny pages, the technology that once seemed impossibly futuristic will be widely available by Christmas.
Samsung on Wednesday introduced a digital watch for the holiday season that will let users check messages with a glance at their wrists and have conversations secret agent-style.
So-called smartwatches have been around for several years. But so far, they have failed to attract much consumer interest. That may change with the Samsung Galaxy Gear, which offers the company a chance to pull off the same as feat Apple did with the iPad — popularize a type of device that has lingered mostly unnoticed on store shelves.
The Gear must be linked wirelessly with a smartphone to perform its full range of functions. It acts as an extension to the phone by discreetly alerting users to incoming messages and calls on its screen, which measures 1.63 inches diagonally.
"With Gear, you're able to make calls and receive calls without ever taking your phone out of your pocket," Pranav Mistry, a member of Samsung's design team, told reporters at the launch in Berlin ahead of the annual IFA consumer electronics show here.
Sony and Qualcomm also introduced smartwatches Wednesday. Apple Inc. is expected to release its own smartwatch, though it's not clear yet when. The release of separate products from so many manufacturers could stir interest in smartwatches in general.
Eight Reasons Why the Time is Right for an Apple iWatch
*** 9/5/13
BERLIN – Nearly 70 years after Dick Tracy began wearing a two-way wrist radio in the funny pages, the technology that once seemed impossibly futuristic will be widely available by Christmas.
Samsung on Wednesday introduced a digital watch for the holiday season that will let users check messages with a glance at their wrists and have conversations secret agent-style.
So-called smartwatches have been around for several years. But so far, they have failed to attract much consumer interest. That may change with the Samsung Galaxy Gear, which offers the company a chance to pull off the same as feat Apple did with the iPad — popularize a type of device that has lingered mostly unnoticed on store shelves.
The Gear must be linked wirelessly with a smartphone to perform its full range of functions. It acts as an extension to the phone by discreetly alerting users to incoming messages and calls on its screen, which measures 1.63 inches diagonally.
"With Gear, you're able to make calls and receive calls without ever taking your phone out of your pocket," Pranav Mistry, a member of Samsung's design team, told reporters at the launch in Berlin ahead of the annual IFA consumer electronics show here.
Sony and Qualcomm also introduced smartwatches Wednesday. Apple Inc. is expected to release its own smartwatch, though it's not clear yet when. The release of separate products from so many manufacturers could stir interest in smartwatches in general.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)