Tuan Nguyen, from Tom's Hardware, has put together a great piece outlining some of the issue faced by the newest wave of tablet pc's. Mainly the article points out the fact that tablet, or slate pc's have been around for ages and yet despite that fact many out there in the tech world look at this newest wave of enthusiasm towards the platform as being the one that will finally catch on.
Nguyen opens the article with a great sub-headline:
"Let's admit it: tablets suck. They've been around for at least a decade and many are faster and offer more capabilities than Apple's iPad. But why haven't you bought one yet?"
For more checkout his full article "5 Reasons Tablets Suck And You Won't Buy One" , personally I think he brings out some really interesting points. A few of which some of you might take notice of since I'm sure there are several readers out there dying to jump on the bandwagon.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Make Older Firefox Extensions Compatible With Easy Hack
Ever wanted to run older extensions with your new Firefox release just to find the author hasn't created an updat3e yet. Well there are two easy ways to force compatibility of older extensions with some of the newer versions of the popular browser.
The first and easiest way is to use the Nightly Tester Tools Add-on. This extension is a quick easy way to run those add-ons and extensions you use with either new or nightly builds of Firefox, Thunderbird, Sunbird and Toolkit Seamonkey (Suiterunner).
The following is a brief list of the extension’s features, for the full set of features please take a look at the features list.
To perform the hack for yourself, you'll want to start by downloading and saving the Firefox extension from .XPI to .ZIP. Once you've done that you can use your favorite ZIP program, I recommend 7Zip, and unzip it. From there you need to look for the install.rdf file open that file with “Notepad” so that you can change the number for the “maxVersion”.
The exact code looks like this
Once you've changed the "maxVersion" to whichever build you are working on now zip up the contents again, rename the file from .ZIP back to .XPI, and then you can simply drag the file into the Firefox add-ons window to install it.
It should be noted that forcing an incompatible extension to install is risky. There are many cases where Firefox will stop working completely or behave incorrectly because an incompatible extension is being forced to work where the author never intended.
The first and easiest way is to use the Nightly Tester Tools Add-on. This extension is a quick easy way to run those add-ons and extensions you use with either new or nightly builds of Firefox, Thunderbird, Sunbird and Toolkit Seamonkey (Suiterunner).
The following is a brief list of the extension’s features, for the full set of features please take a look at the features list.
- Extension compatibility fixing
- Titlebar customisation
- Build ID retrieval
- Screenshots
- Breakpad information
- Restoring tabs from previous session
- Leak log analysis
To perform the hack for yourself, you'll want to start by downloading and saving the Firefox extension from .XPI to .ZIP. Once you've done that you can use your favorite ZIP program, I recommend 7Zip, and unzip it. From there you need to look for the install.rdf file open that file with “Notepad” so that you can change the number for the “maxVersion”.
The exact code looks like this
Once you've changed the "maxVersion" to whichever build you are working on now zip up the contents again, rename the file from .ZIP back to .XPI, and then you can simply drag the file into the Firefox add-ons window to install it.
It should be noted that forcing an incompatible extension to install is risky. There are many cases where Firefox will stop working completely or behave incorrectly because an incompatible extension is being forced to work where the author never intended.
i-Got-Control App Turns iPhone, iPod touch, iPad Into Universal Remote
i-Got-it Corp. announces the launch and immediate availability of i-Got-Control, a plug-and-play accessory that turns an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad into a universal remote, allowing the user to control virtually any infrared device — TVs, stereo systems and more — at home or on the go.
Boasting an industry-leading database of more than 40,000 IR codes for consumer electronic devices worldwide, the i-Got-Control accessory and its associated iTunes app support a nearly unlimited number of IR electronics worldwide, making it easy to take control anytime, anywhere. And, with i-Got-Control's built-in IR library, users can CONNECT, SELECT and CONTROL their A/V components quickly and hassle-free — with no Wi-Fi network, wires or batteries needed.
"i-Got-Control empowers users to operate A/V devices, as well as many other pieces of IR equipment, including lighting and HVAC systems, no matter where they are," said Doug Schwartz, president of i-Got-it.com. "It also features an extensive built-in IR library, which means that — unlike most remote controls and other similar products in the marketplace — i-Got-Control does not require 'learning,' making it simple and easy to set up and use."
Getting started with i-Got-Control is easy. Simply download the free i-Got-Control application via iTunes and connect the compact accessory to an iPhone (OS is 3.0 or higher), iPod touch or iPad. Launch the i-Got-Control application and select the devices to control via pre-defined, user-friendly screens. Last, choose the make and model of the IR devices and save the settings. It's that simple.
The graphic user interface is highly intuitive, providing master volume control, as well as both audible and visual feedback. In addition, if a particular device's IR code cannot be found, i-Got-Control's user-friendly learning capabilities make it easy to control virtually any device. And, with a price of only $69.95, i-Got-Control makes it simple to take control anywhere, anytime.
For more information, please visit www.i-got-it.com
Source: i-got-it-corp
Boasting an industry-leading database of more than 40,000 IR codes for consumer electronic devices worldwide, the i-Got-Control accessory and its associated iTunes app support a nearly unlimited number of IR electronics worldwide, making it easy to take control anytime, anywhere. And, with i-Got-Control's built-in IR library, users can CONNECT, SELECT and CONTROL their A/V components quickly and hassle-free — with no Wi-Fi network, wires or batteries needed.
"i-Got-Control empowers users to operate A/V devices, as well as many other pieces of IR equipment, including lighting and HVAC systems, no matter where they are," said Doug Schwartz, president of i-Got-it.com. "It also features an extensive built-in IR library, which means that — unlike most remote controls and other similar products in the marketplace — i-Got-Control does not require 'learning,' making it simple and easy to set up and use."
Getting started with i-Got-Control is easy. Simply download the free i-Got-Control application via iTunes and connect the compact accessory to an iPhone (OS is 3.0 or higher), iPod touch or iPad. Launch the i-Got-Control application and select the devices to control via pre-defined, user-friendly screens. Last, choose the make and model of the IR devices and save the settings. It's that simple.
The graphic user interface is highly intuitive, providing master volume control, as well as both audible and visual feedback. In addition, if a particular device's IR code cannot be found, i-Got-Control's user-friendly learning capabilities make it easy to control virtually any device. And, with a price of only $69.95, i-Got-Control makes it simple to take control anywhere, anytime.
For more information, please visit www.i-got-it.com
Source: i-got-it-corp
Monday, March 15, 2010
iPads Go On-sale, We Hit The Snooze Button
Apple began accepting pre-orders for its hotly anticipated iPad tablet last Friday and according to at least one report the iPad is a very hot seller possibly selling as many as 120k units on Friday alone.
Pricing on these hot little devices range from $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi version up to $829 for the 64GB Wi-Fi 3G enabled iPad. The devices will not ship until April, but Apple fans can now place their orders via Apple's online store.
Given the fact that most of the general public has yet to set eyes on the device, let alone handle it these preliminary numbers are a bit surprising (at least to this geek). I've mentioned before that I was not overly impressed by the initial details of the iPad, nor do I plan on buying one anytime soon. But I do stop short of saying I'll never own one, at least not before I have the chance to set eyes and hands on the device.
I know the iPad is based on the same OS that drives the iPhone and iPod Touch and much of the functionality of the device should be similar. However until you actually get your hands on one and test it you will not now how they compare. For one the device might simply be to large to offer the same ease of use. They may also lack the same responsiveness and feel that their brethren do.
Apple fanboys can be Apple fanboys but this geek is going to sit in a holding pattern and wait and see what other device come down the chutes before making a move.
Pricing on these hot little devices range from $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi version up to $829 for the 64GB Wi-Fi 3G enabled iPad. The devices will not ship until April, but Apple fans can now place their orders via Apple's online store.
Given the fact that most of the general public has yet to set eyes on the device, let alone handle it these preliminary numbers are a bit surprising (at least to this geek). I've mentioned before that I was not overly impressed by the initial details of the iPad, nor do I plan on buying one anytime soon. But I do stop short of saying I'll never own one, at least not before I have the chance to set eyes and hands on the device.
I know the iPad is based on the same OS that drives the iPhone and iPod Touch and much of the functionality of the device should be similar. However until you actually get your hands on one and test it you will not now how they compare. For one the device might simply be to large to offer the same ease of use. They may also lack the same responsiveness and feel that their brethren do.
Apple fanboys can be Apple fanboys but this geek is going to sit in a holding pattern and wait and see what other device come down the chutes before making a move.
Intel Tries To Match OCZ With New $125 SSD's
Earlier this month OCZ made a big move in the SSD market when they announced their new sub $100 Onyx series solid state drives. Today Intel looks to keep pace by offering a new more affordable 40 GB Intel X25-V Value series SATA SSD priced at $125.
Both the OCZ Onyx series and the Intel Value series will come in 2.5" form factors and will feature Intel's feature sustained sequential read speeds up to 170 MB/s and write speeds up to 35 MB/s, while the Onyx series is slightly slower read speeds at up to 125MB/s but a more robust write speed at up to 70MB/s.
Both the OCZ Onyx series and the Intel Value series will come in 2.5" form factors and will feature Intel's feature sustained sequential read speeds up to 170 MB/s and write speeds up to 35 MB/s, while the Onyx series is slightly slower read speeds at up to 125MB/s but a more robust write speed at up to 70MB/s.
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