:Microcomputers and Applications Fall 2007

Google has decided to buy Zingku. Zingku is a site that offers a social network for mobile users. It links people of moble users together through their mobile, for example through text messages. Google continues to become the best search engine around these days with improvements and advancements like these.There is more information on the move by Google at the following site: http://www.news.com/8300-10784_3-7-0.html?categoryId=9702220

Izhak Shahdin

No Comments

Google has had it’s eyes on wireless for awhile now, and they could possibly be coming out with a phone that is ad-based. This means that your minutes would be free, but advertisements would pop up frequently. This isn’t as bad as it sounds because the owner of the phone would get to choose which kind of advertisements they want to see, such as which new horror movies are coming out and options for hotels if the one you were going to stay at gets overbooked. Other wireless companies are worried about this sort of “free phone” but big time advertisers (such as Coke and Mc’Donalds) are obviously very excited. I think it’ll be a great way to make cellphone bills cheaper, and if this Google phone service actually gets created it’ll change the market in a huge way.

Will a Google Phone Change the Game?

-Chelsea Speer

2 Comments

A British computer magazine recently conducted research in Britain, comparing advertised connection speeds with actual results.  Some 3000 volunteers had their connection speed monitored, and most were surprised by the results.  Most of volunteers had an advertised connection of 8mbps, but few every got a connection better than half of that.  Researchers found that the words “speeds of up to” for advertisements were in fine print, covering up their exaggeration.  About 28% of the volunteers never recieved a better connection than 2mbps!  Since we just covered internet connection at the last lecture, I found this very interesting.  One would think that the connections would be better (especially if advertised as such).  I would understand if dial up connections or some DSL connections were trumped up a little, but saying that a 2mb connection is 8mb is ridiculous! If you want to see the technical data, here’s the article. 

John Goldner

No Comments

     Amazon.com launched its digital music store on Tuesday (Sept. 25) with almost 2.3 million songs, none of them protected against copying. The store is called “Amazon MP3″ and the songs cost .89 to .99 cents a piece. Albums sell for 5.99 to 9.99. I am thinking of buying an iPod and would appreciate feedback on where to find the music to download. Since I am not use to technology beyond the cell phone and the computer, I am not sure if you have to pay for the music or if there are ways to download for free. I also should mention that the songs from Amazon can be copied to multiple computers, burned onto CD’s, played on iPod and Microsoft’s Zune. One more thing-what is legal and what is illegal when it comes to downloading? And if it is illegal-is anyone worried about getting caught?

Louise Tillstrom

No Comments

This article directly corrolates to chapter 1 and the new uses and importance of technology. The article stated that The Smithsonian Institution’s museum dedicated to black history and culture launched an interactive Web site. The museum is not set to open until 2015. The goal is to take advantage of the social-networking craze(e.g. myspace and facebook) by making the museum website interactive. Anyone can post comments or stories in relation to black history, but the site will be heavily monitored. An example of a posting is an article from Michael Lomax, president of the United Negro College Fund and a member of the museum’s board, whose mother had written for Nation magazine covering the Civil rights movement. The museum also announced a similar partnership with Public Broadcasting with aspirations of recording 2,000 oral histories.

I find this to be interesting because the museum hasn’t even opened but it exist. There is such a high expectation for this virtual museum but it makes me question if the site will just force the museum to earn revenue primarily through fund raising and not admission sales. Or once the museum opens, will they charge a fee to access the website. I do think it’s a good idea because people won’t have to travel so the information is more accessible to the public no matter what financial standing.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SMITHSONIAN_BLACK_HISTORY?SITE=NJCAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-09-26-00-18-44“>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SMITHSONIAN_BLACK_HISTORY?SITE=NJCAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-09-26-00-18-44

No Comments

The article that I read was titled Halo 3 Arrives, Rewarding Gamers, and Microsoft. It was posted in the New York Times on September 26, 2007 by Seth Schiesel. The article talks about all the money that people are spending, and all the money that Bill Gates is making. The article goes on to say, “Microsoft hopes that the new Halo futuristic shoot-’em-up game, which is exclusive to the Xbox 360, will persuade more consumers to choose its game machine over the PlayStation 3 from Sony or the Wii from Nintendo.” The article also says how many people have preordered the game and also how many people were expected to go out and buy it just about immediately. Halo is Microsoft’s big success. Halo 3 was produced in 17 different languages. This game has stirred up many discussions and many could hardly await its release. The article can be found at this website http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/technology/26halo.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin .

No Comments

The imfoumous iPhone which we were discussing in class has been cracked.  In under 3 days a 17 year old kid from nj was able to crack the phone so he could use a different survis provider.  Released on at & t he can now use the phone on any other servis provider that utilises sim cards.  Ha, a 17 year old beating out the best programers apple has to offer, tell me thats not funny.  Althought he will not make proffit off his discovery he has posted the instructions online, but good luck trying, i think ill wait until verision pics the phone up. Chech the video out in this link.

2 Comments

 Microsoft Corp said it will release three versions of its Office 2008 for Mac suite in January.

1. Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition, which includes three licenses for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage, an e-mail/calendar/contacts program, will cost $150, Microsoft said.

2. A $400 version aimed at professionals who use Apple Inc. computers, simply called Office 2008 for Mac, includes the same programs as Home and Student, plus the ability to connect to a Windows Exchange server.

3. The third version, the $500 Special Media Edition, adds features to the $400 configuration, including Expression Media, a program that helps computer users organize and manipulate digital photos, video and other files.

All three versions work on Intel-based Macs and older PowerPC machines.

To read more go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/microsoft_mac_office_pricing;_ylt=AnBwID9aoahpkpcajSrgC94jtBAF

Lisa Mandalaywala

1 Comment

Its No surprise… Apple Inc.’s iPhone will go on sale in Britain on November 9 exclusively through mobile operator O2, marking the first time the combination cell phone-iPod media player will be available outside the United States.

The 8-gigabyte model will be offered for £269, or $536 — or $139 more expensive than what Apple now charges in the U.S. The British iPhone has the same technical specifications as the U.S. model, but the price includes the U.K.’s value-added tax.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/biztech/09/18/iphone.europe.ap/index.html?iref=werecommend

Lisa Mandalaywala

3 Comments

I read an article this afternoon that stated Alaska Airlines is going to be the first airliner to try wireless internet access on a plane. The company plans to use a California based company called Row 44’s new technology to put wireless access into a plane. If successful Alaska Airlines will try to put the internet access into all 114 of its aircraft. The technology should work on all routes to the lower 48 states and also on flights to Alaska and Hawaii. I think that wireless internet access will be great on planes, the prices is some what reasonable as well. 10 dollars for the first hour and 27 dollars for 24 hours of access. For passengers travelling on business I think it will allow them to keep up with their business, and it will also be great for regular travelers looking for something other then a nap or the in flight movie.
 Jeff Basiaga 

2 Comments