Review: Akitio Cloud Hybrid Combo NAS + DAS Personal Cloud Network Storage Enclosure

Cloud based storage seems to be all the rage these days, with more and more companies like Apple and Google introducing new services like iCloud and Google drive. For home users though that want the option of the cloud without the limitation of a service there are several other options.

Today we are testing out the new Akitio Cloud Hybrid. This is a network attached storage drive (NAS), which connects directly to your home network allowing you to use your current internet connection to build your own personal cloud server.

The Akitio Cloud Hybrid Combo is a stand alone device with it's own 300MHz CPU and 32MB DDR 400MHz. This allows for built in functionality to give users the ability to manage and view their files right in the web browser of any PC or laptop or thanks to a mobile app via devices such as the iPhone or iPad. User simply login through the Akitio web portal at www.myakitio.com or the mobile app and you'll have immediate access to your files, no matter where you are.

For the home user there is a USB 3.0 direct attached storage device (DAS) for super-speed file transfers and built-in UPnP-AV media server to stream media to some of your favorite gaming consoles and other networked devices.

Akitio Cloud Hybrid Specification

Package contents

• Cloud Hybrid enclosure with vertical stand (HDD not included)
• USB 3.0 cable
• Ethernet cable
• Power adapter
• User manual
• Utility CD

Connections

• 1 x RJ45 connector (10/100/1000) with two LEDs for link and activity
• 1 x USB 3.0 device port 
• 1 x Internal SATA-I, SATA-II or SATA-III hard drive Capacity 80GB - 3TB (supports large volumes in excess of 2TB)

System requirements

• LAN: Windows XP/Vista/7 Mac OS 10.2 or above
• USB 3.0: Windows XP/Vista/7 Mac OS 10.4 or above (backwards compatible to 2.0)
• Your hardware device must have the correct corresponding port (e.g. Ethernet, USB 3.0 or PCI card)

Features

• Hybrid interface with USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet connection
• Built-in UPnP-AV media server for digital media players
• High speed data access over Samba (read speed above 60MB/s)
• File browser for WebDAV access
• iTunes music server
• BitTorrent client
• Web portal for remote login
• Free App for iOS and Android based mobile devices (Mobile App for Cloud Hybrid )

UPnP-AV Media Server

Stream content within your local network to any available UPnP-AV and DLNA compatible devices. Data can also be uploaded to the network drive and shared from multiple workstations via SMB, WebDAV or FTP connection just like on any traditional NAS system.

Supported UPnP Clients

• Xbox 360 (JPG, MP3, WMV, XviD)
• PlayStation 3 (JPG, MP3, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, XviD)
• iTunes (MP3)
• DLNA certified UPnP clients
• Windows 7 (Windows Media Player)

Akitio Cloud Hybrid Setup and Installation

The first step in setting up your device is removing the case and installing the hard drive. This step couldn't be simpler! There are three screws on the bottom of the case that need to be removed. Then you can slide the case open and drop in the hard drive. The drive literally slides right into place and is mounted with the 4 supplied mounting screws.

From here you begin your initial setup. When you first setup the drive you need to format it from a direct network connection. Akitio says this is because formatting it from a USB connection won't allow the drive to be seen once it is connected to the network and running in NAS mode. To do this connect the enclosure to one of the ports on your router, power it on and let it initialize. You'll need to copy down the MAC address on the back of the enclosure as you'll need that to log in through the Akitio web portal at www.myakitio.com. Once on the web portal you'll be prompted to enter your MAC address and the default username and passwords which are both admin.

Now you just navigate to the settings page, hit the maintain link and click format. It should only take a few seconds for a blank drive to ready to go. Once the drive is formatted you can either keep your device connected to the network, or you can now use it as a USB device. You'll just need to remove the connection and restart your system. Only one interface at the time can be used (either LAN or USB connection).

Using The Web Portal

If I have any complaints about the Akitio Cloud Hybrid so far it's not with the enclosure itself but rather the interface on the web portal. The layout seems generic and lacks a certain user friendliness. Navigation seems simple enough it just lacks a polished refined look.

When formatting the drive I noticed by default a "guest folder" was created out of almost the entire drive. At first I didn't see an option to create a second partition or any secondary folders, it wasn't until later that I found the settings for that. I also noticed the included manual doesn't specifically tell you that the username and password are automatically generated. The online E-manual tells you that the username is guest and the password is blank. I just happened to take a stab in the dark to find that out the hard way!

Adding Files and Folders

There are a few different ways to add files to your Akitio Cloud Hybrid. You can either use it as a USB drive and upload them directly, map it as a network drive from within Windows (or MAC OSX) and add them across the network, use FTP and an FTP client or you can upload them across the internet through the Akitio web portal. For the best and possibly fastest results using it as a USB drive or transferring the files across your network and using it as a NAS are best.

Which is fastest is going to depend a lot on your available connections. My choices were either a wired 1 Gigabit network connection or USB 2.0. Surprisingly the USB 2.0 connection turned out to be the faster of the two moving data at about 25-30MBps opposed to 18-20MBps over my network.

Adding folders and directories is done through the share management page on the web portal. This is also where you can change the default password for the guest account or add additional accounts.

Streaming Content

One of the great features of the Akitio Cloud Hybrid is it's ability to be used as a media server whether it be streaming videos across your own network, via the web or through one of the smartphone applications. There is even a client to act as an iTunes server, or you you'd like you can use it as a Torrent client with its own BitTorrent client.

I uploaded several videos and music files for testing, however I didn't get to test the iPhone or Android apps nor did I test the iTunes client (sorry guys I hate iTunes). Streaming across my network was almost seamless, I saw no interruptions at all. Where I was really surprised was the quality of streaming across the internet. I was able to connect a few different devices at one time and still stream to each without any hiccups.

Pricing and Availability

The Akitio Cloud Hybrid retails for approximately $99.99 on a variety of websites including Amazon.

My final thoughts and opinion

I run a pretty solid network setup and share all my devices among my connected PCs so streaming content and sharing files from each isn't a novelty for me. I already own the Linksys E4200V.2 which allows me to connect my external drive so that too is nothing new. What I really liked was the cloud capabilities of the Akitio Cloud Hybrid. Having the ability to connect to my drive from any internet device at anytime was cool. I know there are services out there that allow you to do this and some routers are now adding in the same functions, but having an always on NAS storage device was really nice.

I also like the fact that if I had an Android device or an iPhone I could turn my Akitio Cloud Hybrid into a large media server without having to load all my music or videos onto my phone or tablet. Add to that the fact that I could setup a few different log-ins and create folders for a few different users and I could essentially turn my device into a file repository for friends and family to use as well.

Now all that said, the unit I tested was not without its issues. I had it coupled with a 500GB Hitachi 7200PRM drive and noticed the enclosure got fairly warm. I also noticed that even when not in use the drive was always spinning. I don't know that that would be a major issue but in my opinion it could lead to early hard drive failure.For that reason I found myself turning it off when I wasn't testing it.

The only other complaint I'd say I had was an overall lack of documentation included with the enclosure and on the interface on the web portal. The manual that came in the box is a four fold quick installation guide sheet that only had the basic installation information. For detailed information about settings or usage you have to go to the online e-manual or the Akitio FAQs.

Windows 8 Officially Being Released In October

Microsoft has confirmed the company is all but done with development of Windows 8 and the company is ready to ship the new operating system's “Release to Manufacturer” (RTM) build to OEM partners in August. For consumers the operating will officially launch by the end of October.

Speaking at Microsoft’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference in Toronto, Windows Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer Tami Reller, made the official announcement. The exact release date is yet unknown, with Beller only saying "late October", however this is the first official confirmation of a possible released date the company has given since announcing Windows 8.

Microsoft has already confirmed the Windows 8 product lineup as well as a $15 upgrade promotion for new Windows 7 systems. Earlier this month a new $39.99 upgrade promotion was added for all current Windows users wishing to upgrade to the new OS. Availability of that program should coincide with the October release.

Patent Wars: You Win Some You Lose Some

It has been a busy few weeks in the patent wars with Apple and several major competitors, with both sides claiming minor to major victories over the other.

In their attempts to out right kill off its competitors in court, Apple has been busy filling patent infringement claims and fighting those claims in court. In some of those cases the tech giant has scored a few major victories winning at least temporary injunctions against infringing products. However, while those victories are major win in the short term, they might be minor in the overall scope of things. The battles Apple is losing are now becoming far more numerous than the ones it is winning and more and more judges are speaking out against their claims and the patent system as a whole.

Major Loses For Apple

One major lose Apple was recently handed came when US District Court Judge Richard A. Posner dismissed the company's case against Motorola Mobility, a Google subsidiary, in its entirety. It was Motorola who originally initiated this suit asserting that Apple had failed to pay royalties and was illegally using products licensed under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) standards patents. Apple, counter sued alleging that Motorola's smartphones and OS infringe on Apple's intellectual property.

Judge Posner spoke out against the cases and the patent system as a whole. He felt that both parties were "gaming the system" which he felt might not even be needed in the first place.

In yet another lose in a second unrelated lawsuit, Apple suffered a defeat when the U.S. International Trade Commission refused to enact a second "emergency" ban on several of HTC's smartphones -- including the One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE. Those models were recently released from a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol seizure after Google updated Android to work around Apple's U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647, which claims the invention of "data tapping" -- converting phone numbers and other items to hyperlinks that bring up menus.

Apple immediately filed an appeal which has since been stricken down with the U.S. ITC writing [source], "The commission finds that Apple has not demonstrated the propriety of temporary emergency action here. The commission will not direct Customs to detain all subject HTC products because the commission does not have the information necessary to determine whether the respondents are currently violating the commission’s limited exclusion order."

In their third major lose Apple saw some of its key patents completely invalidated by the High Court in London. A UK judge ruled that HTC had not infringed four technologies that Apple had claimed as its own stating those patents never should have been granted in the first place. He said Apple's slide-to-unlock feature was an "obvious" development in the light of a similar function on an earlier Swedish handset. The other two patents related to the use of a multilingual keyboards and multi-touch.

Apple's Victories

It's not all bad new for Apple, they have scored a few victories in the past few weeks. Most notably was an all out ban of Samsung's Galaxy tablets and the older Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone (which has since been lifted [source]).

Apple sued Samsung last year, accusing the South Korean electronics maker of "slavishly" copying the iPhone and iPad, a case which it won. Samsung denies the claim and counter-sued. The case has been an ongoing battle between the two with U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh ruling in favor of Apple giving them an injunction against several of Samsung's key devices. Part of that ruling has since been lifted as a U.S. appeals court overruled the freeze on sales of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphones but upheld the decision to temporarily halt sales of its Galaxy 10.1 tablet computer.

More Battles To Come

Apple might be facing battles on even more fronts as two companies have recently filed lawsuits claiming they are infringing on patented technology.

Noise Free Wireless, a small Silicon Valley company is suing Apple, alleging the computer maker infringed its patent covering noise-reduction technology for cell phones.At the heart of the case is U.S. patent 7,742,790, which was filed by Noise Free in May 2007 and awarded to the company in June 2010. It covers a method for reducing or cancelling environmental noise, such as wind, from a voice transmission on a cell phone.

Noise Free Wireless alleges that Apple used their proprietary system for noise reduction to create their own patents and systems after the company had several meetings with Apple. The case is number 12-03483, filed on July 3rd.

A Shanghai-based company filed a lawsuit in China alleging that Apple has infringed on a patent involving its own personal assistant software that is similar to Siri.

The company, Shanghai Zhi Zhen Internet Technology, is the developer of software called "Xiao i Robot" that communicates through voice, and can answer users' questions while also holding simple conversations. In 2004, the company applied for a patent in China covering the technology, and was later granted it in 2006.

Conclusion

In this dog eat dog world it's likely that we'll continue to see more and more patent battles. Companies can't afford to not protect their intellectual property and until the patent system as a whole is fixed to not allow basic frivolous patents through we'll see more and more patents issued. One recent patent comes to mind, Apple's patenting of the "wedge" shape for a laptop. Their are numerous laptops on the market now, and several models that pre-date anything Apple released. Yet the USPTO overlooked that fact and gave Apple the patent.

It's my opinion that the patent would never be validated in court should Apple try to sue anyone. However, the fact remains the patent should never have been issued in the first place.

Walking Dead Fans: A New Game Is In The Works Just For You

Activision has announced that it is working on a new first person shooter game based on AMC's The Walking Dead TV show, not to be confused with the already released game of the same title based on Robert Kirkman's comic The Walking Dead.

Are you a little confused? You should be!

Both the The Walking Dead - TV Series and the current The Walking Dead video game are based on based on Robert Kirkman's comic The Walking Dead. While the current video game is more closely related to the comic version the upcoming Activision project is something completely new and will be based directly of the hit AMC show and take more of its ques from there rather than directly from the comics.

In its current form The Walking Dead is an episodic adventure video game with action and role-playing elements, where as the new release will be a first person shooter. According to the reports from IGN, the game is being developed by Terminal Reality, the studio that brought us the Ghostbusters video game and the Star Wars Kinect game.

It will follow Daryl Dixon and his brother Merle, with you controlling the former as the duo travel through Georgia. It will be a “haunting, unforgiving quest to make their way to the supposed safety of Atlanta” that gives you the option of taking on the zombies or avoiding them entirely. They’ll meet people along the way, though anyone who’s familiar with The Walking Dead knows you really shouldn’t trust anyone, so it’ll be up to you how you’ll interact with the survivors you come across and whether or not you’ll allow them to come with you on your journey. You’ll have to manage your ever dwindling supplies of food and ammunition as well.

The game is aiming for a release next year on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

For more details and a brief trailer you can head on over on the game’s official website. We’ll have more information on it as it comes out.

AT&T Launching Stolen Phone Service

Starting next week AT& will finally launch the company's stolen phone database. A new service that will let customers whose phones and tablets are stolen have their devices blocked from use on the AT&T network by the thieves.

Under pressure by the Federal Communications Commission and police departments around the country, AT&T and all three of the other three major U.S. carriers, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile, agreed to create a national database of stolen cellphones and tablets. The database is intended to allow customers to report their device as stolen, to one company and allow blocking of those devices on any of the other networks. Verizon and Sprint already offer a blocking service, but GSM-based carriers whose phones use SIM card slots do not. The FCC wants its database to work across all LTE smartphones on all carriers no later than Nov. 30, 2013.

When a customer reports a stolen or lost cellphone, they can list their phone in the corresponding database. That information will (or should be) shared with the other major carriers preventing anyone presenting the phone for activation from putting service on the phone.

How this is going to work in relation to SIM carded phones is as of yet unclear. We are assuming they are going to setup a program to block the cell phone's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment) or ESN (Electronic Serial Number) from being accepted.

This new will let customers keep their accounts active instead of canceling them and having to shutdown their accounts for a brief period. If customers get their phones back, they'll be able to call AT&T again to reactivate service.

Yahoo And Facebook Set Aside Their Differences To Form New Partnership

Yahoo today announced that it is dropping its patent lawsuit against Facebook and engaging with the social network in a new partnership.

The deal ends litigation between the two parties over several patents that lie at the heart of either's companies. Yahoo sued Facebook in March claiming infringement of ten patents, and saying "Facebook's entire social network model … is based on Yahoo!'s patented social networking technology." Facebook quickly fought back with a counterclaim accusing Yahoo of infringing ten patents of its own, most of which Facebook had just acquired from other companies and sources.

Here's the official release:

SUNNYVALE AND MENLO PARK, CALIF. - JULY 6, 2012 - Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) and Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) today announced that they have entered into definitive agreements that launch a new advertising partnership, extend and expand distribution arrangements, and settle all pending patent claims between the companies.

Under the agreements, which include a patent portfolio cross-license, the parties will work together to bring consumers and advertisers premium media experiences promoted and distributed across both Yahoo! and Facebook. Yahoo! and Facebook will also work together to bring Yahoo!'s large media event coverage to Facebook users by collaborating on social integrations on the Yahoo! site.

"We are excited to develop a deeper partnership with Facebook, and I'm grateful to Sheryl and her team for working hard together with our team to develop this dynamic agreement. We are looking forward to building on the success we have already seen to provide innovative new products and experiences for both consumers and sponsors," said Ross Levinsohn, interim CEO of Yahoo!. "Combining the premium content and reach of Yahoo! as the world's leading digital media company with Facebook provides branded advertisers with unmatched opportunity."

"I'm pleased that we were able to resolve this in a positive manner and look forward to partnering closely with Ross and the leadership at Yahoo!," said Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer at Facebook. "Yahoo!'s new leaders are driven by a renewed focus on innovation and providing great products to users. Together, we can provide users with engaging social experiences while creating value for marketers."

Since the launch of the original multi-year partnership between Yahoo! and Facebook that allows users to discover and connect news and information on Yahoo! sites and share them with their Facebook friends, Yahoo! has integrated the feature called "Social Bar" on more than 100 of its properties globally, and more than 90 million users have implemented it. As a result, Yahoo! has the largest active user base among all news sites that have integrated with Facebook's Open Graph platform, making Social Bar the world's leading social news application.

Going forward, Yahoo! and Facebook have agreed to work more closely and collaborate together on multiple tent-pole and anchor events annually over the next several years to provide unparalleled experiences for consumers and world-class sponsorship opportunities for advertisers.

In brief we shouldn't expect a conglomeration of the the two sites. Rather the agreement will mean you'll see more Facebook integration into Yahoo' services, more advertising sharing and possibly some collaboration down the road on new projects.

Is Blizzard Banning Diablo 3 Players For Running Linux?

According to reports on the Diablo III Forums players running Linux and using Wine, the open source application that allows Windows programs to run under Linux, are being banned as "cheaters".

Several users on the Diablo III forums have received confirmation emails noting that their accounts have been removed and banned from service for using what Blizzard is called a cheat. According to the posts Blizzard has decided to ban anyone trying to run the game using Wine, even though it in no way gives Linux users an advantage.

Blizzard is classing the practice of running Linux and Wine as "gaining an unfair advantage by running unapproved third party software."

A third party program is any file or program that is used in addition to the game to gain an unfair advantage. These programs may increase movement speed or teleport heroes from one place to another beyond what is allowed by game design. It also includes any programs that obtain information from the game that is not normally available to the regular player or that transmit or modify any of the game files.

According to the post several tickets have been opened with the Blizzard support team with responses ranging from a generic description of what unapproved third party software is, to confirmation that Linux just isn’t supported and therefore cannot be used to run the game. Blizzard is adamant in it's decision and so far has not decided to reverse any of these bans after looking at the issue.

Blizzard has responded with the following:

We've extensively tested for false positive situations, including replicating system setups for those who have posted claiming they were banned unfairly. We've not found any situations that could produce a false positive, have found that the circumstances for which they were banned were clear and accurate, and we are extremely confident in our findings.

Playing the game on Linux, although not officially supported, will not get you banned – cheating will.

So, it would appear as though there are several discrepancies here. The forums are riddled with users complaining they are being banned, yet Blizzard claims otherwise. For more information on the banning and Blizzards response see the following threads

• Banning Linux Users For Using Linux Really?
• Banning Linux Users For Using Linux Part 2 
• People Being Banned For Using Linux

Facebook Email Fiasco Gets Worse And Worse

When Facebook changed the primary e-mail address of the sites 900+ million users I'm sure it didn't expect the uproar it caused. Apparently the site wasn't prepared for the secondary side effect either.

According to several reports a 'bug' has caused users to lose unknown amounts of e-mail, and those with address books synced to mobile devices unknowingly had all their synced contacted overwritten.

Facebook's first official response yesterday, sounded a bit like Apple's response to Antennagate blaming the user for not using their phones correctly. The social media giant contented that with the new changes everyone was just confused about how to look in their Facebook inboxes. It was originally explained that by default, messages from friends or friends of friends go into your Inbox. Everything else goes to your Other folder which users weren't checking.

 Now however they have changed their tune a bit and released a rather confusing explanation. 

Both CNet and The Verge have issued reports from Facebook that, while confusing, hope to clarify the situation. Facebook is now saying that the contact sync is a bug that it intends to fix. According to Facebook, when the API is working correctly, it pushes the primary e-mail address to contacts; for some devices, the API is pushing the last e-mail address associated with a users account out to their friends.

Contact synchronization on devices is performed through an API. For most devices, we've [Facebook] verified that the API is working correctly and pulling the primary email address associated with the users' Facebook account.

However, for people on certain devices, a bug meant that the device was pulling the last email address added to the account rather than the primary email address, resulting in @facebook.com addresses being pulled.

We are in the process of fixing this issue and it will be resolved soon. After that, those specific devices should pull the correct addresses.

So here is the confusing part. Even if Facebook fixes the API to only push the primary e-mail this won't fix anything. What it will do is mean that unless you have personally, manually changed your primary address back to whichever one originally wanted then the only "visible" email address on your profile will still be just your @facebook.com address. To get your primary email address back to the one you specifically want you'll need to follow our guide, "How to change your primary Facebook email address."

This entire fiasco wreaks of privacy invasion. As I stated before, what Facebook has done is essentially hijacked every users emails and forced them through their own server. This not only gives Facebook a chance to add in their own advertising, but adds a secondary way of tracking user data. Hopefully someone will make a call to action here and we'll see a privacy watch group taking a long hard look at what is going on here.

Windows 8 Pro Upgrade To Cost $39.99 For All Current Windows Users

According to today post on the Windows Team Blog all current users of Windows XP and above will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99.

If your PC is running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 you will qualify to download an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $39.99. As and added bonus for those of you that want Windows Media Center you'll be able to add it for free through the “add features” option within Windows 8 Pro after your upgrade.

When you use Windows.com to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant makes upgrading simple by walking you through the upgrade process step-by-step from purchase to download and then of course installation. The Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant will check to make sure your PC is ready for Windows 8. It will provide a detailed compatibility report that lets you know of anything you may have to address before or after the upgrade and outlines actions to take.

After your download finishes, you can choose to proceed with the upgrade (“Install now”) or install later either from your desktop or by creating your own media. If you choose to create your own media, you will be able to create your own bootable USB or .ISO file which can be burned onto a DVD for upgrade and backup purposes. If you prefer, you also have the option of purchasing a backup DVD for $15 plus shipping and handling.

If you aren't too big on digital downloads then Microsoft is going to make available a physical DVD, however the cost of the upgrade rises to $69.99. Which honestly doesn't make sense given the cost of the back-up DVD and considering how easy it is to create your own hard copies!

To note, this is a promotional price that will run until January 31, 2013. If you want to get the cheap upgrade price, you best act quickly and Microsoft has not said what the cost will be after January 31, 2013. Microsoft has not given word as to when Windows 8 will officially be available but they did hint that they are moving "closer to general availability."

Firefox OS Coming To Smartphones

Today, Mozilla officially announced the finalized naming of their mobile OS project. Once dubbed Boot 2 Gecko, the mobile operating system will now be called Firefox OS and you guessed it plans are already in the works to launch the new operating system on at least a few smartphones.

A number of wireless carriers have already announced their support for Firefox OS. They include Sprint here in the US, along with Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Smart, Telecom Italia, Telefónica and Telenor.

Device manufacturers TCL Communication Technology (under the Alcatel One Touch brand) and ZTE today announced their intentions to manufacture the first devices to feature the new Firefox OS, using Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm Incorporated, the leader in smartphone platforms. The first Firefox OS powered devices are expected to launch commercially in Brazil in early 2013 through Telefónica’s commercial brand, Vivo.

The major selling point for Firefox OS is that it is based on the web standard HTML5. All of its features, including messaging, calling, apps and more, will be based on HTML5 giving it a more unified approach over iOS, Android and the Windows Phone OS.

Mozilla states:

Due to the optimization of the platform for entry-level smartphones and the removal of unnecessary middleware layers, mobile operators will have the ability to offer richer experiences at a range of price points including at the low end of the smartphone price range, helping to drive adoption across developing markets.

Mozilla and all other participants are committed to ensuring the project is fully open and the reference implementation of the required Web APIs is being submitted to W3C for standardization.

“The introduction of the open mobile OS continues the Mozilla mission to promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the Web for users and developers. As billions of users are expected to come online for the first time in the coming years, it is important to deliver a compelling smartphone experience that anyone can use,” said Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla. “The large number of operators and manufacturers now supporting this effort will bring additional resources and diversity to our global offerings.”

Being primarily web based means that manufactures can offer Firefox OS on cheaply priced smartphones and offer great compatibility across several platforms. A web approach also means far less fragmentation can occur as most of your components are taken off the phone and placed online. Web apps will also be able to take full advantage of the device's hardware capabilities such as a gyroscope or camera, something that is more difficult to achieve on current smartphones, according to Mozilla.

Google Wants To Teach You To Be A Power Searcher

Searching Google can be a bit of an art form. At times simply typing in your keywords or search terms will work, and work well, but other times you need to dig a bit deeper. That is where power searching comes in, using the little know tips, tricks and tactics to narrow your search to give you the best results possible.

Most Google users are familiar with some of the day to day shortcuts for Google Search, like using the search box as a calculator or finding local movie showtimes by typing [movies] and your zip code. But there are literally dozens more tricks you can use to find exactly what you’re looking for, when you most need it.

To help the every day Googler, Google has announced a new program called Power Searching with Google, a free, online, community-based course showcasing these techniques and how you can use them to solve everyday problems. Registration is now open and anyone is free to join. The courses are aimed at empowering you to find what you need faster, no matter how you currently use search.

Examples of things covered are going to be: Google translator, which allows you to read pages written in several foreign languages. Using Google Image search to identify the location of a pictures. Identifying books through Google Books.

Lessons will be released daily starting on July 10, 2012, and you can take them according to your own schedule during a two-week window, alongside a worldwide community. The lessons include interactive activities to practice new skills, and many opportunities to connect with others using Google tools such as Google Groups, Moderator and Google+, including Hangouts on Air, where world-renowned search experts will answer your questions on how search works. Googlers will also be on hand during the course period to help and answer your questions in case you get stuck. 

Registration is open from June 26, 2012 to July 16, 2012. We recommend that you register before the first class is released on July 10, 2012! You can click here to register.

For those of you that don't want to sit through an hour long course, or miss out on registering, you can also find more search tips on Google's Inside Search page. If you want a handy cheat sheet of all the advanced search operators you can use for power searching checkout GoogleGuide.com, for you Google Calculator users there is also a calculator cheat sheet.

Google Releases Chrome Browser For iOS Devices

Today at the Google I/O conference, Google announced the immediate availability of an iOS friendly version its Chrome web browser.

For current Chrome users the new Chrome app will provide many of the same features you'd see from current browser. Like the desktop version of Chrome, the iOS app will sync across all of your devices. This means that you can sync all your bookmarks, passwords ect. It even supports the continued reading function. So should you can pull up pages that you looked at on your PC or iPhone via the iPad, or vice versa.

The iOS market has been a tough one to crack from most third party browsers. Apple has set stringent requirement as to what platforms will be supported and how the apps can interact with their mobile operating system. However, more and more companies are working on projects to develop browsers based on Apple’s version of the Webkit (UIWebView) rendering engine.

Chrome for iOS will work on the both the iPhone and iPad and you can download it now from iTunes Chrome for iOS.

Note: It's worth mentioning that while both Safari and Chrome are based on the open source WebKit browser engine, Google was required to use Apple’s version of Webkit (UIWebView) as the Javascript engine for rendering also Chrome doesn’t get to use Mobile Safari’s Nitro Javascript engine, so Chrome may end up running noticeably slower than on your iOS devices than on your desktop or Android devices and it might be considerably slower than Safari.

For Firefox fans, Mozilla has announced their own WebKit based browser, currently called Junior. Details are still very sketchy and there hasn't been much news since the announcement so we don't know when it might be available.

Safari will remain the default browser on iOS, but for many, the option of Chrome will be a welcome change. Other iOS browser options currently include Yahoo’s Axis visual search app, Opera Mini and the Dolphin Browser.

FTC Offers Consumers Advice On Identity Theft

Identity theft continues to top the list of consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. An identity thief can hijack your tax refund, alter your medical records, prevent you from getting credit or a job, and even borrow money in your child’s name. If your identity is stolen, what will you do? Do you know your rights?

New publications from the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, explain how to protect your child’s information and your own, and the immediate steps to take to limit damage from identity theft:

Taking Charge: What To Do If Your Identity Is Stolen (PDF) is a handbook with tips about protecting your information, and instructions, sample forms, and letters to help recover from theft.

Safeguarding Your Child’s Future (PDF) is a guide to help parents and guardians protect a child’s information and repair damage caused by theft.

Identity Theft: What To Know, What To Do (PDF) is an easy-to-copy brochure covering the basics: how to avoid and respond to identity theft.

In addition to the available publications there are three one-minute videos available that demonstrate habits to protect personal information and the essential first steps to take if your identity is stolen. The FTC also offers several resources like sample dispute letters for opening claims, fighting credit report issues and letters for law enforcement.

HP Replacing Motherboards In Some PCs

Hewlett Packard is offering some customers free motherboard replacement due to what has been identified as "a high rate of motherboard failures" in some of the company's most popular Pavilion line of desktop PCs.

According to a recent HP announcement, the affected machines include Pavilion Elite HPE-4xx, Pavilion P66xx and Pavilion Slimline S5660f desktops built in June and July 2010. "[These] computers may experience no video at start up and stop responding," said HP in its email to desktop owners.

HP is implementing a 1 year Limited Warranty Service Enhancement Program (LWSEP) for owners of HP Pavilion P66xx and S56xx and HPE-4xx Desktop Model that were purchased, leased, received as a gift or otherwise acquired in the United States and Canada (the “Program Models”). During the LWSEP, owners of the Program Models whose original HP Limited Warranty has expired and who have experienced or who, during the LWSEP period, experience a system board failure can receive, at no cost to them, a system board replacement by contacting HP before the 1 year LWSEP expires. Owners whose Program Model is still covered by HP’s Limited Warranty can receive any necessary repair (including any necessary system board replacement) free of charge pursuant to that warranty.

Instead of issuing a full blown recall for all the potentially affected machines HP has decided to extend their warranty for another twelve months. Customers who already have an expired warranty will have one year to report the problem. Either way, HP will replace the motherboard free of charge, and will even pay for round-trip shipping.

For more details about the models affected by the failure and information about getting your replacement visit the HP site here.

Never Lose Anything Again With These Great Devices

If like me you are prone to loosing your keys, cell-phone or wallet then you know how much of a pain it can be. I'm constantly digging around the house for those car keys I tossed on the table, or that wallet I sat down somewhere and just can't find it and don't get me started on how many times I've had to return to places to retrieve a lost bag or backpack.

These days there are several devices on the market that can help alleviate the pains of lost or stolen valuables. For locating cellphone there are tons of applications that make it easy to find those. But for those pesky none connected devices what should you do. Well here are a couple of new items that we were recently introduced to that we think you might want to checkout.

Linquet Tags and App

Linquet (pronounced Linket) is an interesting little device that claims to be "the easiest and most comprehensive anti-loss solution."

Founded by Pooya Kazerouni in Vancouver, Canada, Linquet is a coined word meaning "small link" and that is exactly what these are. Linquet users attach small "linquets" to the items they don't want to loose, install a free app on their smartphone and link those "linquets" to their smartphone via Bluetooth. When the phone or any linquet goes out-of-range (e.g. leaving home without your wallet, walking off without your keys) both your phone and your valuable item with the Linquet attached will sound off an alarm, averting the loss.

Linquet is also setup to upload data to the cloud. So in those rare cases where you don't hear the alarm, you can visit the Linquet site and see a time and location stamp giving users the power to find their valuables afterwards. And to find your in-range valuables (e.g. keys in a messy room), you can simply press a button on the phone to immediately locate your keys or you could press the button on a Linquet to find your phone.

Linquet has not launched yet however according to Twitter we should see the devices out soon. If you visit their site you can sign-up to be notified once they are available.

BiKN iPhone Case and Tags

iPhone users might want to checkout the BiKN (pronounced like "beacon"), a combination iPhone case, app and series of tags for tracking commonly lost items.

Similar to the Linquet, users use lightweight tags that can clip onto just about any thing (or anyone) you're prone to lose. Simply place the tag on your keys, backpack, or even your dogs collar and the next time that tagged item goes missing, your phone will use low-power radio waves to find it, showing you where the thing is in relation to you and emitting annoying beeps as you draw closer. You can also set up tags to alert you when your items wonder off out of a predetermined range, which is great if like me you have pets that tend wander off or you forget and leave things behind.

Can't find the phone itself? You can even use one of the tags to page it, which works even if your cell is dead or powered off. A wonderful addition for people like me that often loose their phones in the car with little to no battery life!

The BiKN's tracking range is currently 100 feet indoors and 500 feet outside and there is no mention of having the cloud based option that the Linquet has. So if your items wonder off out of range you're still out of luck but hopefully the alarms will alert you well before that happens.

BiKN is currently available and works with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. It will cost $129.99 — and comes with two tags and in a variety of colors. Additional tags come in pairs, and will cost $49.99 for two. The BiKN will work with up to 8 tags at once. But that will increase big-time with the next version of the software, the company says, when it will be able to support up to 256 tags.

As I said these are just a few of the options we've seen on the market that really interested us. I'm sure there are several more that warrant mentioning. The Linquet devices with the real time data upload looks pretty interesting to me. However, anything that keeps me from loosing my keys or wallet would be a god send!

Motors.co.uk iPhone and Android App

At times looking for a new car can be a bit of a hassle. Most of the time users resort to taking their search to the internet, however Even with this invaluable tool searching through loads of sites and car databases for that perfect set of wheels can quickly become overwhelming. Enter the Motors.co.uk Car Search app.

This nifty little app allows iPhone and Android users based in the UK to browse through a selection of up to 160,000 motor vehicles in order to find the that perfect car. This handy little app allows users to search for vehicles by entering a postcode, after which they can browse narrow results based on filters like distance of the seller, vehicle make or model, and price.

For our friends across the pond if you aren't already aware, Motors.co.uk is essentially an alternative to the widely popular site Auto Trader. Much like Auto Trader Motors.co.uk allows users to browse a database of new and used vehicles for sale. The site also provides user reviews, buying guides an "how to's" to help you get the most out of your buying experience.

The Motors.co.uk Car Search app features many of the options found on the main site but not all. A few of the prominent features that aren’t going to be available aren’t typically going to be the ones you’ll need while on the go. You’ll get the most essential item which is mainly going to be the search and pricing functions. Search results will display a quick rundown of each vehicle by make, model, price, mileage, manufacture date, transmission type (manual, automatic), fuel required, color, and of course the distance away from your postcode. When selecting a vehicle profile, you can review even more detailed information about what the vehicle includes as well as browse alternate images.

The Motors.co.uk Car Search app is currently available for iPhone and Android users. Both the website, and the application are free of charge and anyone interested in searching for, or selling, a vehicle can sign up. The Android version of the mobile app can be found in the Google Play market, while the iPhone version can be found in iTunes or the Apple app store.

Orbitz Shows Apple Users Higher Priced Options Than PC Users

We've all heard of the ages old "Apple tax", where as Apple customers are know to be willing to pay a premium for their Macs and other devices over the PC equivalent. Well soon there may be a new meaning to the term, as at least one site is working out plans to push OSX users to more expensive options than their PC and Window user counter parts.

According to the Wall Street Journal, popular travel site Orbitz has been tracking users based on operating system. Their findings suggest that people who use Apple's OSX equipped Mac computer spend as much as 30% more a night on hotels than do users of other operating systems. So the online travel agency is starting to show Apple users different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see.

Targeting users based on browser and operating systems is hardly a new concept. Most ads you see now days are going to be targeted ads geared towards your device or your operating system. The question here is rather or not Orbitz (and likely others) are acting deceptively.

Orbitz executives insisted that the same room wasn't being shown at different prices to Mac users, and that customers always retain the option of searching by room price first, the Journal reports. And while the details given in the Journal's report appears to show a legitimate business practice, Orbitz has in years past been hit with fines for employing deceptive practices.

In October, 2011, Orbitz was hit with a $60,000 fine for violating rules prohibiting "deceptive price advertising," by not displaying all the hidden fees in its airline ticket prices, CNET reports.

In 2009, a congressional investigation found that Orbitz and other online retailers had used "marketing companies (that) were found by the government to have "tricked" consumers into entering their e-mail addresses just before they completed purchases at Orbitz and the other retailers. A pop-up ad, which many consumers said appeared to be from the retailer, offered them cash back or a coupon if they keyed in their e-mail address. Those who provided information often had no idea that they were agreeing to join the programs because--you guessed it--the disclosure was buried in fine print."

My thoughts
This makes you wonder how many sites out there are employing this practice and the true legitimacy of the practice. Sites could really easily maintain two separate databases, one geared towards Windows users and one geared towards Apple users. Or they could simply push users from one browser or another towards higher priced items. If Orbitz is simply showing higher priced better equipped rooms that is one thing. If however, they are changing prices based on operating system that is something else altogether, and could be discriminatory.

We put a lot of faith in websites, especially deals type sites, to show us the best options available. If they are specifically targeting one set of users over the other for better/worse deals then you really have to questions the faith in the site's deals.

Facebook Changed Your Default Email Address Here's How To Change It Back

Facebook seems to be taking more and more liberties with user's profiles these days. First we had a forced switch to the new timeline feature. Then we started seeing more and more ads. Now the social media giant wants to take over your email accounts, or at least those displayed on your "about me" page.

Unless you frequent your own "about me" page you likely don't even realize it, but your default contact email address has just been changed. Earlier today Facebook changed every users email address to their default @facebook.com address that the sites automatically associates with your username. Most if us don't even know that we have a default Facebook email address linked with our accounts, but we do. And now Facebook wants that to be the dominate form of contact on your about me page.

“As we announced back in April, we’ve been updating addresses on Facebook to make them consistent across our site,” a Facebook spokesman said. “In addition to everyone receiving an address, we’re also rolling out a new setting that gives people the choice to decide which addresses they want to show on their timelines,” he said.

Well they didn't give us much choice now did they!!

If you don't want users to use your @fecebook.com email address and want to switch back to whatever your original default was its a pretty easy switch. Simply click your name (go to your own profile), then select "Update Info" or “About” to see the page with all the various profile information about you. Under the “Contact Info” section, select edit to see the various email addresses already associated with your Facebook account, adjust priority, and set the visibility of whichever accounts you want to use.

Facebook has said that the change is intended as a security and privacy measure. The argument was that by offering everyone the same generic @facebook addresses, the company might be able to protect your preferred email and limit its visibility.

My thoughts
I call shenanigans! This doesn't play a a security measure. It plays more like Facebook wanting more advertising options by sending more messages through their servers.

Personally I'm becoming more and more disenfranchised with the site. I've had my two primary email addresses on there since I've signed-up and really don't mind them being there. Only my friends can see my private personal account and if they are on Facebook they aren't going to email me anyways. So for it really doesn't matter which email address is shown. What I don't want though is the site to take their own liberties with my account and change the information without even telling me!

Adobe Releases Fix For Flash Player For Firefox

Earlier this month Adobe issues an update the the Flash player plug-in for Mozilla's Firefox browser. The update, Flash Player 11.3, causes several problems most notably none stop crashes with the Flash player. Adobe has now found a fix for the crashes and has issued an update to Flash Player 11.3.300.262.

As previously reported the initial suspicions pointed to a new sanboxing feature in Flash Player 11.3, but yesterday Adobe claimed that there were "different causes" for the crashes, which seemed to be concentrated on Windows Vista and Windows 7 machines. At this time Adobe hasn't made it clear what these different causes are. Tn a recent blog post they simply state "We continue to work closely with Mozilla to further improve pre-release testing to more reliably catch issues like these."

Flash Player 11.3.300.262 can be downloaded from Adobe's website. Firefox users can also wait for Flash's silent updater to automatically download and install the new plug-in. this is of course if you didn't turn off automatic updates.

I've been running the new update for a few days and have yet to see any crashes or any other issues. So users should be good to go.

Apple Fined Over Misleading iPad 4G Claims

An Australian court has fined Apple $2.29 million dollars over misleading advertising.

When Apple launched their new iPad earlier this year in Australia it was advertised as being a 4G device despite the fact that the tablet cannot actually connect to the countries only 4G wireless network. Australia has only one 4G network, operated by Telstra Corp, which operates on a different frequency to the 4G on Apple's new iPad. The network operates on a frequency of 1800MHz; the new iPad's LTE 4G hardware only works on frequencies of 700MHz and 2100MHz.

As a result of these "misleading claims" the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission stepped in to take legal action. Which in turn resulted in Justice Mordy Bromberg of the country's Federal Court slamming Apple with a fine that totaled $2.25 million Australia dollars ($2.29 million in US dollars).

Apple previously said it would email all of the new iPad owners in Australia and offer them refunds if they felt they were mislead by the 4G speed claims. Since then the company has also changed the branding of the iPad to show it is "Wi-Fi + Cellular", rather than 4G. However, according to the . AFP.com reports, Justice Bromberg was not satisfied with this gesture. In his ruling the Federal Court Justice said, "The conduct concerned was deliberate and very serious. It exposed a significant proportion of Australian consumers of tablet devices to a misleading representation."

He said Thursday the risk of contravening Australian consumer law would have been "reasonably obvious" to Apple. "In that context, and in the absence of any other explanation, the facts to which I have just referred suggest that Apple's desire for global uniformity was given a greater priority than the need to ensure compliance with the Australian consumer law," he said. "Conduct of that kind is serious and unacceptable."

This isn't the only case in which Apple's advertising has come under question. We previously reported the company was drawing attention from regulators in several other countries because of the 4G speed claims.

Senior Friendly Laptops

Senior friendly laptops are key because the elderly use computers just as much as any other demographic these days. Whether they're conducting business or personal finance matters, communicating with people via e-mail or social media, or simply doing typical research, a laptop is important and they get great use from it.

For this reason, laptops must be outfitted to accommodate the elderly. Whether they've lost their hearing, vision or don't understand complicated computer applications, senior friendly laptops make it easier for them to get used to it. Companies benefit by selling products that everybody can enjoy, no matter their age. The elderly benefit from being able to keep up with the times; this makes the situation a win-win.

Image courtesy of tachyondecay on Flickr

Technology Is on Their Side
Many laptops come equipped with specifications that, while not entirely intended to benefit the elderly, do just that. For instance, there are many touch screen, tablet and laptop hybrids that make it seamless for a person to flip through menus with the touch of a finger. This allows an elderly person to not have to understand the inner workings of software and operating systems. If a person can simply touch the screen, they're well on their way to navigating these types of senior friendly laptops.

These screens are often high resolution with sharp picture and video capability, which can also account for someone's poor vision.

Screen Size Is Important
The size of the screen is very crucial to a person seeking a laptop, such as Dell laptops, that is senior friendly. If the screen is wide and tall, a person whose vision isn't as great as it used to be can still see the information clearly and navigate all menus.

A High Powered Sound System
Do some research on the sound cards equipped in the laptop of your choice. You may find that it's not adequate to accommodate a person who has suffered some hearing loss. When browsing reviews, the sound system should be one of the key selling points. Outside of the sound card, it's important to understand just how loud the speakers on a laptop project. Some laptops simply don't project very loud, so even if the sound quality is rich, this laptop wouldn't do much in the way of accommodating seniors suffering hearing loss.

With today's technology, finding a laptop for your needs or the person you're buying for should be fairly simple. There are so many choices available that it's not too hard to find a laptop that will work for your parent, grandparent, or aging relative. Additionally, laptops are a great way to keep in touch— especially if it comes with a webcam that makes chatting online easy.

A New iPhone 5 Connector Means You'll Need To Buy New Accessories

According to the geeks over at TechCrunch when Apple releases the new iPhone 5 customer will see that the company has replaced the standard 30-pin dock port with a new, smaller 19-pin connector. This means that all the current iPhone, iPod and iPad accessories Apple lovers covet will need to be replaced.

TechCrunch claims to have “independently verified” through three independent manufacturers that Apple is “working on” a new 19-pin dock connector, which will debut in the new iPhone 5 later this year. The smaller connector port will replace the long-used 30-pin connector that was seen as a "standard" for all the current Apple products and accessories. Apple has used the standard 30-pin connector since it released the third-generation iPod back in 2003.

If these reports are true, then any cables or other accessories like speaker docks currently on the market will be made obsolete and Apple customers that already shelled out money for their accessories for their previous generation iPhones will need to open their wallets back up and re-buy everything they already own.

I'm generally a bit skeptical about iPhone rumors, as we have seen them be a major miss in the past. In this case though it's not all that unlikely that Apple would redesign the connector. After-all Apple loves to change up the game a bit and put in place proprietary designs that earn them a bit of extra cash flow (not that they need it). The 19-pin design would also make sense since it would save valuable space for the shrinking designs we see.

Mobile Casino Technology

The rate of technological developments in the mobile industry is truly head-spinning and has seen these devices advance from being a primitive option for making and receiving telephone calls on the move, to their current status where they are on the verge of overtaking the home computer in terms of sophistication and range of functions. The development of smartphone and tablet devices has hastened this, as they offer a cross between a mobile phone and a computer. Companies are increasingly tailoring their products towards these devices; hence the rise of the online mobile casino.

Mobile casinos are variants on the standard online casino site, which are designed to be accessed specifically using devices like smartphones and tablets. Most of the major online casino companies have created mobile-friendly versions of their services; recognizing that there is a big demand for this sort of service from people who lead busy lives but would like to be able to access an online casino, from any location, during breaks in their day. The desire to play at online casinos using mobile devices has long been there, but in the past this was difficult due to the tech power and screen size of these devices; both of which led to a less enjoyable and effective experience for users. However, the latest smartphone and tablet devices are making serious advances in terms of processing and battery power, while also offering larger screens with high definition resolution; all of which make accessing online casino services a much more satisfying experience.

When it comes to determining which of the mobile casinos available you should access using your smartphone or tablet, it is probably best to look at those run by companies with a strong reputation within the industry such as Lucky Nugget, as these are more likely to be supported by the major software companies. There are plenty of flashy but unreliable mobile casinos making promises that cannot be delivered upon; these are best avoided.

More Details About The Microsoft Surface

Microsoft made a big splash in the tablet market yesterday when the company announced the new Surface line of tablets. The tablets are Microsoft's first entry into the tablet market to date, and from the looks of it the company came out strong.

Now that the aftermath of yesterday's "big event" has settled we have a few more details on the first set of tablets that were announced. Microsoft hinted Surface is the family name meaning there will likely be more devices

Microsoft Surface RT and Surface Pro

Ok so MS didn't officially name the two devices yesterday but Surface RT and Surface Pro sound good to me!

Two Surface-branded tablets were announced yesterday. One will be running Windows RT and an Nvidia Tegra ARM processor, the other will run Windows 8 Pro with an Intel Core i5 chip. There are some sharp differences between the two versions of Windows 8, app support being one of the biggest and likely the greatest users will focus on.

The Windows Surface RT will be more a tablet competitor than anything else. It will be running the new version of Windows RT, which is a slight more limited version of Microsoft's new OS. The Surface RT include touch-optimized desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. For new apps, the focus for Windows RT is development on the new Windows runtime, or WinRT which will mean much tighter restrictions as to what can and can't be ran.

There have already been some major concerns voiced by Mozilla and Google over the tight restrictions placed on apps and API access with the Windows RT infrastructure and as of now there has been limited application development. Something I'm sure Microsoft has been working on.

The Surface Pro will be running a full version of the new Windows 8 operating system. So we can think of this more as an Ultrabook, or laptop competitor than just a tablet competitor. Just like any Intel or AMD based laptop a user will have full x86 application support. Which means you can run just about any software that Windows runs now.

Surface vs iPad vs Everything Else

When it come to tablets everything these days is compared to the iPad and perhaps a handful of Android tablets like the ASUS Transformer. Lucky enough Microsoft gave us some hard facts related to specs and so far things look fairly impressive.

The Windows RT Surface will weigh 676 grams, be 9.3mm thick, have a 10.6" ClearType HD display, and be available in 32 GB and 64 GB models. It will have a microSD card reader built-in, along with a USB 2.0 port, micro HD video port, and 2x2 MMO antennae.

The Windows 8 Pro will have the same screen but weigh in at 903g, be 13.5mm thick, and initially offer 64 GB and 128 GB hard drives. The card reader will be a microSDXC, the port will be USB 3.0, video will be Mini DisplayPort video, and it'll have the same 2x2 MMO antennae.

A PDF posted by Microsoft notes that the resolution is "HD" for the Windows RT (ARM) model, and "Full HD" for the Windows 8 Pro model. Unfortunately, "HD" doesn't actually translate well, and actually means the device is likely to end up with a 1366x768 display at 10 inches for the Windows RT edition.

Compare that to the new iPad which weighs in at 652g, is 9.4mm thick, features a 9.7-inch 2048x1536 HD retina display and comes in configurations of 16GB, 32GB and 64GBs. The new Transformer Prime weighs in at 586g, is 8.3mm thick, features a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 HD IPS screen and comes in configurations of 16GB, 32GB and 64GBs. It also adds a single micro HDMI port and Micro SD Card Reader.

The major gamer changer here however might be the built in kick stand, Touch Cover, a super-thin, flexible keyboard; and Type Cover, a slightly thicker, more laptop-style keyboard. All of these were impressive looking add-ons. While similar items are available for other models they didn't have the sleek sexy look that the Surface cases had.

Early Hands on Reviews

Sadly I wasn't at the even to get my geeky little hands on the new Surface tablets but several of our favorite geeks where. So here are some of the early reviews.

TechCrunch: “It’s a very ambitious effort that the company is making great pains to emphasize has been built by Microsoft from the inside out, from the hardware to the software.”
Engadget: “It’s impossible to weigh in on Surface when we only handled one of the two tablets, and when each hands-on opportunity amounted to a Supermarket Sweep-style tour of various demo areas. Still, even after some brief handling, we feel impressed, almost sobered by what Microsoft’s managed to produce after vowing to take the Windows 8 hardware-software package into its own hands.”
The Verge: “Here it is, Microsoft Surface, the all new, Microsoft-made tablet. We just had our hands on the sleek new device, and we must say — it does feel incredibly well designed.”
BGR: “But what I saw looked really intriguing, and Microsoft has at least in concept created a tablet computer that can also double as a PC. While this alone certainly won’t be enough to help Microsoft compete with the mighty Apple iPad, it does breathe some much-needed life into Microsoft’s mobile product line.”
Mashable: “Overall, this is a good try from Microsoft. Surface will be the PC-based touchscreen to beat, and other Windows tablet-makers have to be quaking in their boots right about now. But the company needs to answer a lot of questions, and let us kick the tires.”

Microsoft Surface Pricing and Availability

Microsoft has yet to provide details on pricing and availability but we have some rumors and speculation and a bit of advice for MS. Rumors suggest the entry level Surface RT (as I'm calling it) might be priced below $300, while the low end Surface Pro (again my name) will be north of $500 perhaps even in the $600 range.

To me this is where Microsoft is going to make their biggest mistake. I loved some of the features that the Surface had, and it looks like a great tablet. But it needs to be competitively priced. Sure they packed it will features, lots of storage space and a great CPU. However, that just isn't going to be enough to draw the 'tablet crowd' if the price is high. So my advice to Microsoft is to make sure they price these tablets accordingly. Keep the cost as competitive as possible!

Final Conclusion:
Microsoft certainly made waves in the tablet pool. Whether or not the Surface family will be a hit or a flop will certainly depend on a ton of factors. Mainly pricing and completely specifications. Let's keep in mind Microsoft only gave us the basics. One thing is for certain for Microsoft to continue to impress, they had better come in with a solid product. Otherwise their first official leap into the tablet pool might be a sinker.

They didn't allow video streaming from its Surface tablet event last night, but now MS has delivered the entire presentation online. You can view the full video here you can also view more details about the Microsoft surface at Microsoft.com/Surface.

Confirmed: Newest Flash Update Crashes In Firefox

If like me, you’ve been having trouble with Flash in Firefox, you’re not alone. Mozilla has confirmed that the latest update to Flash is causing problems with some Firefox users. Mozilla is telling users that the company is working with Adobe to fix the problem but as of yet there is no solid solution.

Some Firefox users on Windows Vista and Windows 7 are experiencing problems when viewing videos in Adobe Flash Player 11.3, released on June 8, 2012. Firefox and/or Flash Player may crash or not load videos using Flash Player, or videos may not display correctly. Adobe and Mozilla are working closely to diagnose and address these issues. In the meantime, Firefox users experiencing problems viewing videos in Flash Player should try the workarounds listed in this help article. We will post an update on this blog once that happens.

Last week Adobe released Flash Player 11.3, with support for secure sandboxing in Firefox. That is where all the problems started. At this time it's uncertain as to what the exact issue is but it appears to be related to the sandboxing feature. If you aren't aware of what sandboxing is its a built in security feature that is meant to mitigate attacks and keep damage limited so it won’t spill over into the rest of the browser or even the operating system.

For now Mozilla’s suggestion is to “uninstall Flash 11.3 and downgrade to Flash 11.2.”

Some readers might note that Mozilla is saying this is related to video. Personally I've had nothing but issues with just about any type of flash. For now I temporarily disabled Flash and plan on trying to re-install the older version to see if that helps.

How to Uninstall Flash 11.3

To uninstall Flash 11.3 on Windows, you will need to use the uninstaller provided by Adobe.

1. Download the uninstaller program from Adobe - uninstall_flash_player.exe (671 KB)
2. At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (File menu in Windows XP) and then click Exit.
3. Run the uninstall Flash program that you download and follow the prompts.
4. When you are finished, start Firefox again and continue with the next section - Install Flash 11.2

See the Adobe help article Uninstalling Flash Player on Windows for more details.

Install Flash 11.2

1. Download the archive of older versions of Flash from the Adobe site - Flash 11.2 (170MB)
2. At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (File menu in Windows XP) and then click Exit.
3. Open your downloads folder and look for the file named fp_11.2.202.233_archive.zip
4. Double-click the fp_11.2.202.233_archive.zip file and browse though the folders. You will have to look for the Flash 11.2 installer. It is named flashplayer11_2r202_233_win_32bit.exe (If you are using the 64-bit version of Firefox, look for the installer named flashplayer11_2r202_233_win_64bit.exe)
5. Drag the installer to your desktop, then double-click it to start the installation.
   

   




6. The last step of the Flash install program asks you to choose your update method. You should choose Notify me when updates are available to prevent Flash 11.3 from being re-installed automatically.
   

   

If all goes well you should see far fewer crashes when using Flash, or on Flash heavy website.

Microsoft's Major Announcement A New Tablet Dubbed 'Surface'

After a lot of anticipation, several rumors and speculation and hype that only Apple has been able to build Microsoft has finally made its major announcement today and it's going to be a new tablet concept dubbed Surface.

Steve Ballmer took main stage today at the highly anticipated event beginning his speech saying, "Windows is the heart and soul of Microsoft, Windows has exceeded our most optimistic predictions. It's in homes, schools, and governments around the world. With Windows 8 we've reimagined Windows to power a new generation of PCs. Windows is the heart and soul of Microsoft. It's proven to be the most flexible, general purpose software ever created. We designed Windows 8 for the world we know. People want access to information, and the ability to create content anywhere and anytime."

He continued, "Today we want to add another piece to the Windows 8 story. We wanted to give Windows 8 its own hardware innovation. It's something new, something different, it's a whole new family of computing devices from MS."

What is it, its the new Microsoft Surface. A Windows 8 tablet, deigned and built specifically for Microsoft and for Windows 8.

Surface will feature two designs, one for Windows RT and one for Windows 8 Pro. The RT version will feature a 9.3mm thin body weighing 675 grams. The Windows 8 Pro tablet will be slightly larger at 13.55mm and 903g. Both tablets feature magnesium VaporMg cases with a permanent scratch and wear resistant surface and an optically bonded 10.6-inch ClearType HD Corning Gorilla Glass 2.0 displays.

The Windows RT Surface will feature an ARM processor, microSD and USB 2.0 slots, Micro HD Video, 2x2 MIMO antennae and will come in either 32 GB or 64 GB capacities. The Windows 8 Pro will feature an Intel core i5 processor, microSDXC and USB 3.0 slots, Mini DisplayPort Video, 2x2 MIMO antennae and either 64 GB or 128 GB of storage.

Surface comes with an integrated kickstand and a 3mm thin, pressure sensitive cover that doubles as a fully functioning keyboard and trackpad. Your Touch Cover connects to your Surface with a single magnetic click, no docks, nothing to be broken. Touch Cover comes in five colors, Pink, Black, Greyish white, Red and Blue

Suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC. OEMs will have cost and feature parity on Windows 8 and Windows RT.

Fore more details visit Microsoft.com/Surface or view the full Microsoft press release
Microsoft Announces Surface: New Family of PCs for Windows

Apple Announces 2012 Back To School Promotion

Apple has officially joined Sony and Microsoft in the fight for back-to-school dollars. Today launching the company's annual back-to-school promotion with discounts for, students, parents and school faculty members when they purchase a Mac or iPad.

Unlike Sony and Microsoft, who are both offering deals for gaming consoles, Apple is offering qualifying customers buying a Mac with Education pricing a $100 iTunes card good for music, movies or apps - while those buying the iPad will get a $50 card.

Based on what Apple says on its website, the deal applies to MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, iMacs and both versions of the iPad -- there's no mention of the Mac mini and Mac Pro.

To qualify for the Back to School Card offer and to get special pricing on a Mac at the Apple Online Store for Education, you must be a college student, a student accepted to a college, a parent buying for a college student, or a faculty or staff member from any grade level. You must also buy before the September 21st cut off date.

For those with several students there is a maximum of four (4) cards per household may be obtained for the purchase of (2) qualifying Apple Computers and two (2) qualifying iPads. For more details visit the Apple Back to School 2012 landing page.

Sony launched their back to school promotion late last week offering customers a free PS3 or PS Vita with a Sony Vaio Purchase while Microsoft is offering customers a free Xbox 320 with qualifying PC purchase.

iPad Owners Might Soon See A Mozilla Browser But It Might Not Be Firefox

Mozilla might own one of the world's top three most popular web browsers with Firefox. However, the company has yet to break into the top smartphone and tablets markets controlled by Apple's iOS and iPad. Things might soon change however as Mozilla's Product Design Team is apparently working on a new WebKit based browser the company has dubbed "Junior".

Working to build things from the the ground up for iPad Mozilla has decided to take a new approach in their iOS browser, and so far looks like a pretty impressive, clutter free experience.

Mozilla's Alex Limi said "We wanted to make something entirely new. We wanted to look into how we could reinvent the browser for a new form factor," he said. He goes so far as to deem Safari for iPad "a miserable experience" all the while acknowledging that it remains the best option available in terms of tablet-based browsing.

iOS, largely due to Apple's walled garden, is a platform where Mozilla has yet to make an impact, he admits. "There are a lot of reasons we should be on iOS even though we can't bring our rendering engine there." Ultimately he says Junior was born out of necessity: as of now, Mozilla has "no vehicle on one of the biggest consumer platforms in the world."

Video linked courtesy The Verge

Junior is still very much a work in progress - so any of the design ideas we asee at this stage might not mean much. The team might still decide to change he functions and features related to what each of the buttons will do. The back and + button can both be expanded to reveal six functions, but they haven't reached a final decision on what those functions will be. Still, this new design looks like a cool approach to navigation, and it looks like it could be the perfect fit for tablets.

As of now there aren't many more details about Junior, heck Mozilla hasn't even decided if that will be the official name yet. So we don't know what the possible release date would be. Nor do we know exactly what platforms other than iOS and the iPad it might support.

Western Digital Joins The Networking Market Releases Five Wireless Routers

Western Digital is a name synonymous with the hard drive and storage market. So when you hear the company has released a new networking device your first thought is likely geared towards a new network attached hard drive or NAS server or possibly even a new media streaming device like the WD Live TV box. But today the company announced the release of its very first wireless home networking devices which includes five new routers in a new category called the My Net family.

Most companies would generally start of small with a couple entry level devices meant for the everyday mainstream consumer. Not Western Digital, they cam out of the box swinging. WD entered the market with five brand new Dual-Band Routers, all of which proclaim 600Mbs speeds or better.

Their new My Net Family Dual-Band Routers starts with the My Net N600, a true dual-band router that offers 300Mbps on both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. The next step-up is the My Net N750, which boosts the speeds to 450Mbps on the 5GHz, and finally there's the top-tier My Net N900, which offers the 450Mbps data rate on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The top tiered, My Net N900, also comes with seven Gigabit LAN ports (as opposed to the four ports found in most wireless routers), and range amplifier antennas for extended range.  Both the My Net N750 and My Net N900 feature 2 USB ports for additional storage, printer and media share server use, while the My Net N600 features just a sigle port.

But wait I said they released five routers. Yes in-deed they did. They introduced two offerings dubbed the My Net N900 Central that I personally would love to test drive.

The My Net N900 Central is a router NAS,/Cloud Server all-in-one. It comes with either a 1TB or 2TB hard drive built-in. This router is built for HD streaming or wireless backup and remote access. The My Net N900 Central includes 4 LAN and 1 WLAN Gigabit Ethernet ports for up to 10/100/1000 Mbps wired speeds, 1 USB port for additional storage, printer and media share server use.

Remote access to My Net N900 Central is available on any computer through www.WD2go.com and with WD mobile apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Android smartphones and tablets. In addition to keeping content safe at home and always accessible while away from home, users can rely on My Net N900 Central for automatic wireless backup with the included WD SmartWare software for Windows, while Mac users can utilize all the features of Apple Time Machine backup software. Additionally, any WD external hard drive with SmartWare software can connect directly to a My Net router to wirelessly backup all PC computers in the home.

Collectively, all five of WD's My Net routers support FastTrack, UPnP and DLNA media streaming standards, Time Machine, and personal cloud storage. FasTrack technology detects Internet favorites like Netflix and YouTube and automatically prioritizes them for smooth HD streaming. FastTrack is basically a type of QoS (quality of service) that automatically detects and prioritizes Internet bandwidth based on types of traffic. By default FastTrack allows entertainment-related services -- such as media streaming, VoIP (voice over IP), and so on -- precedence over other services, such as Web surfing and downloading. FastTrack Plus, available in the N900 and N900 Central routers, offers support for more simultaneous data streams at a time than the standard FastTrack, available in the N600 and N750 routers.

Pricing starts at $79.99 for the My Net N600, $119.99 for the My Net N750 and $179.99 My Net N900. If you want to step-up to the My Net N900 Central with built in storage it's going to cost you. The 1TB My Net N900 Central runs $299.99 while the 2TB version will set you back $349.99. My Net N900, My Net N750, and the My Net N600 will be available immediately at select U.S. retailers and online at the wdstore.com. My Net N900 Central will be available next quarter.