What Browser is Safe? Maybe Chrome

Similar to stealing this newly featured pony segway (via Gizmodo) from someone, is the ease to which Hackers were able to bypass security on Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7, Firefox 3 on Windows 7, Safari 4 on Mac OS X 10.6, and iPhone OS 3.

Yesterday at the annual CanSecWest digital security conference and the renowned Pwn2Own contest, these well-known companies had to watch contestants demolish their security. Geek.com provides the details,

"The well-known name of Charlie Miller returned this year and took down Safari, a feat he has achieved three years running. Vincenzo Lozzo (of Zynamics) and Ralf-Philipp Weinman (post-doctoral researcher at the University of Luxembourg) managed to bypass the iPhone OS security, and Peter Vreugdenhil hacked Internet Explorer 8. Firefox was taken down by Nils."

Each contestant that succeeded gets $10,000 and the laptop that they hacked into. For more details on prizes, check out DVLabs website.

The funny thing is that no one attempted to hack into Google Chrome. This is starting to make me think that I should download Chrome for my MAC. I wonder if Firefox 3 on a Mac OS X could be hacked into. Anyone know?

Otherwise, I think that what these companies are doing is very intelligent. This will provide them the ability to make their browsers stronger against security glitches and problems. If I were them, I would hire the people that hack into their applications. Obviously, these people could prove to be a great asset in making their applications stronger.

Jedi Mind Tricks and Google Voice will bring Change

When Obama was elected, everyone believed the world would instantly change. Well, I have always believed that if Google was elected president then the world WOULD change.

Getting to the point, there have been two new technology releases that make this blogger think that change is finally coming!
The first thing that caught my attention and really excites me is the Uncle Milton's "Star Wars" themed- FORCE TRAINER! It's a new toy that "harnesses the same technology doctors use to monitor brain waves." Basically, the toy gives you the ability to control the rise and fall of a pingpong ball in a clear tube by sensing a change in the user's brain-wave patterns. (I'm hoping that eventually they are able to make a device that actually let's you move other objects with your mind. Then again, wouldn't that make people similar to "Sylar" from Heroes or some other superhero?)
The next BIG release is Google Voice which I had been told about off the record about two years ago in London. At that time I thought that it was only going to be a way for people to make calls and send text messages. When I received an e-mail this morning from Google inviting me to open a Google Voice account, I was taken back by what they were really offering. As the e-mail said: "a service that makes using your current phones much better! Here's what it offers:

• A personal phone number that rings all of your existing phones when people call
• All of your voicemail in one inbox with unlimited online storage and free voicemail transcripts sent to your phone and email
• Low-priced international calling to over 200 countries and free SMS
• Other powerful features like the first phone spam filter to protect you from unwanted callers, the ability to ListenInTM on your voicemail messages while they are being left, conference calling and more

Please note that Google Voice is only available for sign up in the US."

Basically it's like turning your phone into an e-mail inbox. The only bad thing at the moment is that it is only offered in the U.S.. When I initially tried to register, it would not let me because of my IP address. I had to mask my IP so that I could register. (I was afraid all the good number would be taken if I didn't register now. Just like when facebook offered user names and I waited and then wasn't able to get a better name.) I've now tested it out about and am very excited to start integrating into my business. The only thing that I like about Skype versus Google voice is that everything is integrated in Skype. Maybe Google Voice will eventually add Google chat on the side and then we would be business! I'm just waiting for the Google Voice Ipod App.

So I hope you are all ready for the world to change. What do you think will be next due to these inventions? Do you think we could elect Google for president?

Livestation for the New Generation

What the hell am I talking about?!?! Where the heck has my technology blog posts been?

Guess what!?! They are coming back! The first thing I have to share with everyone is something that I was just introduced to today. A friend of mine suggested I check this out, LiveStation. I have a feeling this new software will change my life while living abroad. No longer will I feel so distant from American television. (Yes, I missed American television. Where I could waste hours on end finding reruns to watch). Now, I don't have to wait a day before I can watch my favorite sitcoms to be uploaded online! I can watch new episodes live online at the same time everyone is watching them at home. The best part..(drumroll)... It's free!
Who needs to pay for cable anymore. When you can have everything on your computer. I hate to say it but, Wall-E is coming true. We just have to remember to shut down the trusty computer and take a stroll outside. Speak to people in the here and now world. I'm starting to diverge from the topic.

Back to Livestation! You can watch MTV, FOX, CNN, and other major television networks from all over the world. People can add stations and rate the stations. The nice thing is that it streams clearly. (I'm starting to wonder why I have cable and what the purpose of having cable is). I think the only reason to not cut off cable television is because they don't have all of the channels I watch. (Especially Korean stations now that I am adapting to the society.) Once they have more channels, I think I will say goodbye to my cable and hello to computer television source.
This world is changing fast and I think I'm ready for it. I'll start by using Livestation and then wait for someone to invent a way for my computer to dispense food and beverages at a click of a button.

Personal Note with a Touch of Technology

I know I should really blog about some of the insane technology that is happening these days but some people wanted to know what was happening with me.
Here's the deal. I am in a state of confusion. I signed the contract to move to South Korea and teach at a GnB school in Taegu about a month ago. My understanding was that I had to send in a packet of information to get a visa approval number. I was told it would take about 2 weeks to get my approval number. I sent all my information Oct 13th, and they received the information by Oct 16th. I was told a week ago that I would receive the approval number. When I didn't receive anything, I wrote again. I was then told I should receive it this week. It's Friday and I still do not have a visa approval number. This is starting to make me concerned. Am I going to South Korea or not? If I am not going then I am back at the beginning. Looking for a job and figuring out where my path in life lies. I guess that's a pretty good sum up of where I am in life. Confused as hell and trying to pin point where I belong in life. I have ideas, passion, initiative, enthusiasm and a drive to succeed. If only the economy didn't suck right now.

On another note, I found some interesting sites that I was not aware of.

We ALL feel like we need a personal assistant. Why can't we have one? BECAUSE they are expensive and the hiring process is a hassle (just like trying to find the perfect employee or babysitter). Sandy has so far become a great personal assistant to me. As lifehacker explains,

"an information tracker you interact with via email. Register for a free account and you'll get an email address you can send your to-do's, contacts, bookmarks, notes, and appointments to in keyworded messages. Sandy receives the email, parses, stores, and organizes the information, and emails you back reminders and agendas only when you need 'em."

I have found Sandy as a better tool than iCal, Outlook and my mother put together. It can integrate with your Google, Outlook or iCal calendar. She is connected to twitter which makes things easier and she can send reminders to your phone. I just started using her and have found it very convenient so far but we will see what happens in the long run.

Last thing, through Sandy I came to discover another service or tool, known at Jott. "With a simple phone call to 866-JOTT-123, you can capture notes, set reminders and calendar appointments, stay in touch with friends and family, and interact with your favorite web sites and services...all with your voice!" I was excited at first because this sounds great! BUT there was a catch, to get all the features, you have to pay for a higher membership. I'm hoping that it's just time before they come out with a service like Jott for cellphones. It would make driving and texting a lot easier. (Not that I do that...)

Picture was edited with picnik

Wi-MAX in USB for Wireless Freedom Everywhere

Motorola is launching a USB WiMAX Device called the USBw 100, the nation's first mobile WiMAX network. Flatley from Engadget say, the "thumb-drive-sized slice of heaven will be available in three flavors, providing high-speed mobile broadband on your 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz or 3.5 GHz network."

Not a lot of information has been released yet, but the company says to expect the product by the fourth quarter of this year.

For those of you that don't know the difference between WiMAX and Wi-Fi; WiMax can provide broadband wireless access up to up to 30 miles (50 km) for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles (5 - 15 km) for mobile stations. Wi-Fi is limited to about 100 - 300 feet (30 - 100m). (This is obviously a very big difference. I like to have more access than less, but that's because I am American. We like to have more.) Also, WiMAX allows higher data rates over longer distances.

I e-mailed the Media Contact Haas Kathi about the product and she says it will be suitable for use globally (my guess is that it will be released worldwide?) "It will be offered through service providers initially, some of whom may sell it online, but it will be tied to a service plan, not as a stand alone device."

I asked her if she believed this USBw 100 will revolutionize Motorola as a company and why? She said "the USBw 100 is one of several WiMAX-enabled CPE we've introduced, and is part of our full portfolio of WiMAX infrastructure and device solutions. We're pursuing 4G technologies (WiMAX and LTE) as they will provide the broadband speeds and networks to enable the delivery of the personal media experiences that today's consumers want.. whether in their home, the office, or on the go. "

Sounds excellent to me! But what do you think?!?!

I want to be an iBlogger, and you?

That's right! A company called illuminex has created iBlogger, a real mobile blogging for iPhone and iPod Touch users! iBlogger works with nearly any blog, including WordPress, TypePad, and MovableType, helping bloggers post quickly from iPhone and iPod Touch, anywhere, any time.

It's said to be compatible with Blojsom, Drupal, ExpressionEngine, MovableType, TypePad, and WordPress. (If you didn't see your blog hosting site there then DON'T FRET! . . . like I did.) iBlogger has optimized plugins for easy configuration and compatibility to: LifeType, LivingDot, My.Opera.com, SquareSpace, TypePad (I thought we already did this one), WordPress (um...I know we already mentioned this!), Xanga (that is old school!), Blogspot/Blogger (that's what I use! To bad they haven't added picture posting yet.)

It can work with any blog engine that can connect to an iBlogger generic API type like MetaWeblog or MovableType.

The point is that iBlogger will be able to let bloggers take pictures, add their thoughts, tags, categories and geotag links on the go. (That means no more carrying around a laptop and taking up space in Starbucks. BUT it means I can blog while talking to my friends. Time to be a Pro Multi-tasker!)

If you are a mac user (like me!) and have used ecto, then you might just appreciate this new app that was based on ecto. "ecto, the popular blogging application on the Mac, is the heart of iBlogger, and it purrs like a V8 motor." said Gary W. Longsine, illumineX CEO.

So what are the features?

* easily configure a blog in seconds, with RSD (Real Simple Discovery)
* post your thoughts
* effortlessly include a picture from your library, or take a picture on
the spot
* automatically saves your post in case you get a call while posting
* categories and tags to promote your blog
* customizable standard signature
* one-touch geotag location link
* works great on WiFi, 3G and EDGE networks
* Secure HTTPS connections

More Information: http://illumineX.com/iphone/iblogger/

iBlogger is available for $US 9.99, from the iPhone App Store

Sadly you have to pay for the app, but isn't $10 worth the ability of mobility?

Google Chrome Browser Download Mystery

It's just time before Google creates their very own computer or phone. There have always been rumors about Google taking over the world but this is getting them closer to that goal. They have created a new open source web browser project dubbed Chrome. The browser is supposed to be an open source that is stable, faster, secure, clean, simple, and efficient. Compared to the way browsers were created that limit the functionality that we use for them today.

The genius perk to Chrome is the ability to have "each tab in an isolated 'sandbox', we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers."

They released a 35 pg comic book describing the product (if you are really bored and have the time, then you can read it.) In my opinion, they should have a press release or something short describing the product than a 35 pg comic book that you have to continue to click "next" to get to each page. I found this page that gives you a better insight into the product. (WARNING some of the videos no longer exist)

The BEST part of this release is that it was supposed to be available for downloading TODAY!! Yet, when I clicked on trying to download it from other sites the link would not work. THEN I found a link to download Chrome.

I have now started using Chrome and am not sure what I think about it. It does seem to work much faster but I do miss my Google Toolbar that had spell check and other wondrous tools. With every new service, product or tool there are pros and cons.

[Via Official Google Blog]

Record the Experience: Jik Experience Recorder

It looks like a retro glove from the 80's or Micheal Jackson's stylish handcuffs for little boys gloves (because you know he would have something like that.) In reality, it's Valeria Fuso's designed "Experience Recorder" that " fits on the hand and records not only photos, but sounds, movement, video, and temperature." The Italian designer says the product is, "Non si progettano prodotti, bensi comportamenti." This translates to, "Design not just products; design behavior." (How does it design behavior?!?! Maybe translates behavior!) The product has movement sensors, an audio recorder, still-image camera, video camera, thermometer, and wireless computer connection. It can record in auto mode, meaning it decides on its own, which information to collect. You can also put the device on manual mode. In manual mode, the user must activate the Experience Recorder through sensors in the fingers of the glove. To record in manual mode, the user must make their fingers into an O shape, and look through the newly formed finger-viewfinder to see what will be recorded.

It's micro-blogging!!!

Audi A4 Challenges IPhone Users Driving

The first major car manufacturer to tap into the iPhone phenomenon would be Audi. They created a new iPhone application called the "Audi A4 Challenge." As the news release states,

"a driving game that utilizes the iPhone's accelerometer (motion sensor) to steer
a digital version of Audi's entirely new 2009 A4 through a series of
progressively challenging courses. Players maneuver the course and race against
the clock to beat their own personal best time. The application is now available
free of charge on Apple's iPhone Application Store. The 2009 Audi A4 will be
available in Audi dealerships nationwide starting in September of 2008."

The game was created in two weeks and is featured on their specifically designed for the iPhone website: http://www.truthinengineering.com/a4/iphone. As Scott Mellin, CEO of Factory Design Labs (the ones who created this ingenious marketing campaign) says, "This is the first application by an automotive OEM, but it's also reinventing the shopping experience. In combination with the A4 iPhone web site, this is the first viable mobile marketing solution in the automotive space. Importantly, it is also a unique way to engage the consumer with the DNA of the Audi brand."

As a person that values a good marketing campaign and a company that embraces technology; I commend them on their approach to engage consumers. The other part of me is screaming at the idea that every car maker will be looking for a way to up the ante. It's only time before they find a way abuse this idea. hopefully it will not come to that and companies will continue to leave the choice to the consumer as to whether they want to learn about the product.

More infor go to http://www.audiusanews.com/

Kill Long Phone Waits with Fonolo

While checking out Seth Godin's blog, I ran across his post on "Deep Dialing." A company called Fonolo (Phone-Oh-Low) has created a "beta that spiders phone trees at big companies and promises to make it easy for you to go straight to the spot you want. Then it calls you when the phone is answered and records the call so you can keep a record.

Let me break this down a bit more. How many times have you called a company only to hear, “please listen carefully as our menu options have changed…” or “If your language preference is English, please press one now. Si su preferencia de la lengua es español, ahora presione por favor dos.” As GTDTimes explains, this is usually the company's IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system that takes up countless productivity hours. The time spent listening to menu choices, disgustingly annoying music or random promotional jargon could be spent doing something productive like blogging! FONOLO has answered companies and consumers prayers by saving them time which is money.

Go to their site, find the indexed company, go through the visual map of the automated menu and click on the location in which you want to reach. " Fonolo will now place a call, do the navigating and waiting for you and then ring your phone once it has reached the location in the IVR system that you had previously specified." (See picture of map to the right from GTDTimes).

As I mentioned, this will definitely benefit companies as well as consumers. For example, health providers and consumers can get through medical insurance companies long IVR systems without losing productivity during the normal workday hours. Saving time and money is the first aspect that most people seek in a service. The next thing is the reliability and quality which the company seems to have at the moment.

I'm looking forward to this service because I know the company I currently am working for could really BENEFIT from this. Meaning I will no longer have bruises from banging my head on my desk while listening to automated voices!

iPhone's That Give Light

For those of you using an iPhone or planning to buy one, here's something to keep in mind. Do you want to make the Apple logo do something cool like GLOW?!?

If there weren't already enough things that you could do to your iPhone, let's find some more! (I'm not saying this is stupid but it amuses me to see that there are tweaks being done. Let's add a pull out keyboard and a mini DVD player to it!)

It's a iPhone mod that some Russian iPhone fans created by replacing the Apple logo on the back of an original iPhone with a glowing version. The source claims it's just a matter of, "removing the aluminum 'fruits' and inserting the glowing ones." (what the hell does that mean!?!?) Basically, it involves replacing the metal insert on the back of the phone with an LED-equipped plastic one. Hacked Gadget suggests there is a similar step-by-step mod.
See video below:


[Engadget Via Hack a Day]

Virgin Mobile Fest Greens Technologic

I did not get a chance to blog at all this past weekend due to the Virgin Mobile Festival that I worked at.

I thought I would share some of the things that worked and some things that didn't work.

The festival wanted to focus on being green and eco-friendly. At the same time, they want to increase brand awareness by associating themselves with many non-profit organization and music. I felt they did a fairly good job at this but they lacked in some areas. For example, they did not train or inform their event staff of everything that was happening. (I found this out when I was passing out free sunscreen. This woman (an event goer) thanked me and mentioned that she wished she had known there was free sunscreen earlier. This was due to the fact that a 15yr old staff member told her there was no sunscreen to be found throughout the concert venue and another staff member told her there was NO FIRST AID! When has there ever been a music festival with NO FIRST AID!) They did not clarify what type of trash was designated for the different recycling bins. The initiative to recycle at the event was not prominent and the music line-up was poorly done. (They spelled Kanye West's name as "KAYNE" West. How does that happen!?!? As well as all the best bands were playing at the same time and at opposite sides).

There are many ways they could have fixed these problems but it was only their third year holding this music festival. I should say some things they did right.

The use of eco-friendly technologies such as recharging your phone, camera or Ipod via bike was very convenient. They had a Dell Dome where people could make their own buttons, T-shirts and use computers to sign up for Buzzd (a new social networking service like Twitter and Yelp.)

Real quick rant on Buzzd: It is described as a "location-sensitive entertainment
listings service with branded editorial and real-time user generated content on
the mobile device.'Your city, in real-time,' buzzd allows consumers to know
what's happening at any venue right now, rate events, and connect with friends
and people in the area." I can see how this could beat Yelp but they really need
to keep pushing it. They need to get more publicity if they want to beat their
competitors. When I heard about the service I automatically thought it was another social network trying to make it big. It did not strike me as a "OMG! THIS IS SOO COOL!" It needs to offer more to users.

On that note, let me finish what I was saying before this post gets to long. They had a spiffy VIP areas that gave free drinks and had actually beds to sleep on outside. They had a Recharge Dome for people to check out the new Kyocera Special Edition Virgin Mobile Festival "Wild Card" mobile (texting from this phone made my hand cramp up) which they could use to make phone calls, send a text message to the concert stage screens or ride a bike and recharge their phone. They had a Refresh Dome for people to cool off and they had a recycling program where people could get stuff for collecting empty bottles and cans.

There were more positive and negatives that I could list about the music festival but I don't want to drag on. They should have integrated the idea of charging your phone by dancing . . . Maybe I'll make a list and send it to Richard Branson.

[picture via Mobilecrunch]

Where Have I been?

I apologize for the delay in posts. I had an issue with my computer that made me almost have a heart attack. Some might not understand this (for example my grandfather who thinks we can live without the Internet and computers. He obviously doesn't understand.) We may be able to SURVIVE without a computer but to live without e-mail and the Internet is doom.

I think we take our baby computer and Internet for granted so I wanted to give everyone this advice.

1. MAKE A RECOVERY DISK


2. Back-up all your data


3. Sing your computer a lullaby before you turn it off


4. Last, place it somewhere safe and comfortable

I hope this has been good advice. I will be back to my technology blogging very soon. I promise I won't let this happen again.

Religion hits Guitar Hero

I was wondering when this would happen. Digital Praise, Inc. has created "Guitar Praise," a inspirational PC (or Mac) guitar game. The game is VERY similar to Guitar Hero but it features 52 inspirational Christian hits from artists like tobyMac,Newsboys, Petra, 12 Stones, Plumb, Thousand Foot Krutch, Relient K, and more. The game can be one player or two player and the object of the game is "matching the notes to the fret buttons on the guitar controller." (Very similar to Guitar Hero and Rock Band). There are four levels of difficulty and:

"New songs, in sets of five, are unlocked along the way to keep the player's
interest. By tilting the guitar, players can activate spinner bonuses; as they
increase their skills they can earn new onscreen"guitars" with richer sounds and
different effects."

In other words, this is EXACTLY like Guitar Hero but for Christians. The big difference is you are using a computer for the game and not a gaming system like Wii, PlayStation or XBox. I like the idea but I'd rather it be offered on a gaming system. If the company was smart then they would team up with Harmonix. They would be able to get more publicity for the product and gain more interest from the public. There is a huge niche market for religion affiliated products. Too bad it won't come out in stores until September 25, 2008 and will cost about $100.

The future is unlimited as to what this product could become! What I really think is that it's a great idea that needs to be built upon.

What could happen next with this product?!? Anyone could become a praise team! Who needs church choirs when you have Guitar Praise?!?! Will the be a Praise Rock Band?!?! The next generation of churches will be led by Praise Rockers known for their top scores and gnarly looking digi rockers! (digi rockers is my new definition of the digital people created in Rock band). What does thou think?

Is Blogging to die for?

For all you Mac users, I felt it was very important for me to share this link with you: "Secrets of the Mac trackpad." You can get a lot out of your trackpad, but you have to give it a chance to prove itself.

Getting to the news, a law may be passed shortly in Iran to give the death penalty to bloggers. I think that's a little harsh but it makes me proud to say that I am American and have the freedom to blog. Geek.com explains:

"The bill will make punishable by death, anybody that 'establishes websites and
weblogs promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy.' Apostasy is defined by
dictionary.com as 'a total desertion of or departure from one’s religion,
principles, party, cause, etc.' but in Iran it could have a wide-ranging net.
The government might simply use the bill at its discretion."

What I find interesting is that the Iran government tried to keep surveillance on bloggers a year ago by asking bloggers to register their sites with the government. Who would willingly register their blog when they know that if they do, they will most likely be put in jail or killed?

I think it's outrageous that they want to eliminate blogs. A blog is a freedom of speech in which people can discuss what matters to them. It can also be seen as a source of news. It has provided many companies a facet of communication that enables them to speak directly to consumers about issues or concerns they might have in real-time.

The next big search on Google will be how to hack the government's surveillance on my blog.

[Picture taken from Global Voices]

Airports collect laptops. Are we to blame?

A new study released Monday by Ponemon Institute LLC found 637,000 laptops are lost in airports every year. (I am astonished. I understand laptop's being stolen, but how can you lose a large rectangular thing that can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars? It's not like a cellphone that can easily fall out of a bag without making a lot of noise.)

The worst part is that laptops are commonly lost at security check points. I don't understand. At the security checkpoints:

1. You take out your computer
2. Put it on the conveyor belt
3. Go through the metal detector
4. Walk to the conveyor belt to get your shoes
5. Your laptop at this point has gone through and you put it back in your bag
6. Then walk away (with your shoes on)

Please explain to me how, during this process, 10,278 laptops are lost every week at 36 of the largest airports and 2,000 from mid-size airports. (I'm not done. It get's worse.)

"About 77% of people surveyed said they had no hope of recovering a
lost laptop at the airport, with 16% saying they wouldn't do anything if they
lost their laptop during business travel. About 53% said that laptops contain
confidential company information, with 65% taking no steps to protect the
information."

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! If I lost my laptop, (which would never happen because I'm not THAT blonde) I would be calling that airport to the point that they would give me a new computer just to stop calling. (They would probably give me one of the many lost laptops sitting around).

I am also wondering why people don't put password security on their laptop accounts and "confidential company information." It's not that hard to do, but for those of you that it is we have a solution. Absolute Software Corp. created a tracking device called LoJack that reports it's location via Internet connection. The other option is to get a Dell that has GPS technology and "data protection services" that enable you to remotely delete data on a hard drive and recover data from failed hard drives.

What I was really thinking about after reading this article was what do they do with all the lonely and lost laptops sitting around? Do they auction them off to employees? Do they give it back to trolls that steal them to sell them on eBay? (which could explain how the airline companies stay in business with rising fuel prices) OR are they collecting all the laptops to make a super laptop to take over the world. (A little out there, but we should never rule anything out.

On that note, maybe I shouldn't rule out that it could be human error on our part.

MAC Security Breach is taking pictures!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! MAC is supposed to be all powerful and all knowing! How could it be that a Trojan horse has been created? The AppleScript THT Trojan horse is "capable of logging ketstrokes, taking screenshots, turning on file sharing and even taking a picture using the built-in Apple iSight camera." This means that if your Mac starts acting crazy, then be ready to SMILE!

At this moment, if you're starting to freak out because it feels like no computer is safe from the clutches of Darth Virus (get it? Darth Virus instead of Darth Vader! I thought it was funny. . . ), then take a chill pill (someone needs to bring it back). The virus can only be activated if you download and execute it. This means that you need to be careful of what you download. (If you didn't already know that, then WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN.)

Most computer users have been educated at some point that downloading unknown files from unknown people can be dangerous. It's like picking something up from the ground that looks like candy and putting it in your mouth. We have all done that at one point in our lives, but that moment was when we were toddlers. If you are reading this, then you are not a toddler. Unless you are some super baby genius, but we live in reality and not movies.

Back to the point, be careful Mac users because a Trojan is out there to take your picture and virtually stalk you. As if we don't have enough problems with real life stalkers.

GIMMIE 2015, PLEASE!

If the iPhone could become the next lap tops then sign me up! After reading this article describe the future notebooks coming out in a couple years; I am ready to buy a new notebook.

All pictures were taken from ComputerWorld. The picture to my right is the "The Compenion" designed by Felix Schmidberger and is a sliding touch screen computer. For more details



Next in line, is "The Canova" A V12 design that has two touch screen displays with the upper screen being the primary viewing source and lower screen being used for typing, jotting down notes and drawing. This computer has the capability of being an e-reader. This computer seems like the new way for people to read books. Instead of opening up a traditional book, we are opening up a notebook. The other possibility that this computer is that you can create a digital piano on the notebook and play it.

We wonder how people can't see can use a computer when they can't see the screen. Jonathan Lucas from Long Beach, California has come up with the concept of designing a computer that is hands-on, literally. Siafu is for the blind and has no screen, it converts images into corresponding 3-D Shapes with oil-based synthetic material responding to electrical fields.

The next computer I'm about talk about had me worried at first, due to the possibility of creating a road hazard. The "Cairo" designed by Anna Lopez' Cario, is for the worker on the go.

This computer has a "microprojector that projects its images onto the vehicle's windshield. This heads-up display can show maps, video conferences and find the closest gas station." This might just be the computer that truckers are looking for. For people worried that it is a car accident waiting to happen, Lucas claims, " The notebook is connected to the [car's] dashboard so that Cario can only be operated if the vehicle is stationary."


The article goes on to describe the next generation of notebooks in 2015 to be using six core processors and a lot more data storage. The displays on most computers will stop using LCD screen and start using OLEDs organic red, green, blue LED backlighting for their screens. My favorite part of the future notebooks is the possibility of charging the computers via inductive charging. Fro example, "Rather than plugging a cord into the notebook to charge it, you just put the notebook on a special surface that has an inductive power pad, and juice is sent wirelessly to charge the battery."


This looks like the future to me. I'm really looking forward to buying one of these computers. Which one would you buy? Or do you think that the mac will come out with something better?