Thanks to a recent software release, those who own a Mac and would like to transfer documents to their Kindle e-reader can now do so with a lot less fuss and muss. Send to Kindle for Mac was released on April 24th, eliminating the need to email documents to yourself before they can be accessed on your Kindle. The new software introduces effortless drag and drop capability for any compatible file you want to be able to access via the Kindle. Once the process has been initiated, users have the option to choose which devices will receive the document, and also are able to choose whether they want the document to be available right away or archived. Users also have the option to send documents via Wi-Fi or Whispernet. Although the interface is fairly simple, any users having issues with the free app need only visit Amazon’s web site to get assistance.
How To Much More Easily Send Docs From Mac To Kindle
May 16th, 2012Anonymous Makes Scary Claim In New Interview
May 14th, 2012There hasn’t been much in the news about the hacking collective Anonymous lately, that’s no reason to think they’re not still at work to bring down web sites and expose information. A new interview with one of the collective’s remaining leaders Christopher “Commander X” Doyon reveals that the collective is actually doing more than ever before. Doyon revealed that not only does the collective have access to every classified database in the U.S. government, but that the access was given to them by those running the systems. And those who are running the systems don’t have the titles like the Secretary of Defense, according to Doyon. The ones providing access to the information are the unseen individuals who control the systems from the bowels of places like the Pentagon. And when you have access to that kind of information, it’s incredibly easy to share it. Doyon also revealed in the interview that the days when individuals would present Anonymous members with a CD or a password are no longer; that people are now coming to the collective with all of the digital ‘keys’ needed to get inside a system.
Facebook Testing New Pay Feature
May 11th, 2012
We’ve all made Facebook posts, hoping that as many of our contacts as possible will see it. But now, the social networking giant is testing a feature that may guarantee exposure of certain posts. A New Zealand user stumbled upon the feature and thought it was a scam at first. The new feature would allow users to highlight posts they wanted others to see for $2 U.S. However, it has been revealed that because this feature is only in its trial stages, that many different price points are being displayed, including a free option, to gauge the interest of users. The user in New Zealand said that he was given the option to highlight both his status updates and new photo posts. Some are saying that this latest discovery is coming along at an interesting time, considering that Facebook is getting ready to launch its IPO, which is expected to value the company at around ninety billion dollars.
Use Free Tools To Test Your Web Pages
May 4th, 2012These days, it’s all about speed. A fast-loading web page or blog could be rewarded with more visitors from Google. And any number of things can cause site loading to slow; do you really have the time to spend possible hours figuring out what’s bogging it down? If not, you’ll be happy to know that there are a few tools out there which will allow you to test your web site’s loading at no cost.
Pingdom Full Page Test Tool
This handy tool not only checks the load speed of your sites, but tells you how you can make them faster. Pingdom shows you how fast all of your page’s elements load, from HTML and Javascript to images. And if that wasn’t enough, Pingdom also reveals how many of the web page best practices your site currently follows.
REDbot
A cache validation tool, REDbot checks the behaviour of HTTP resources, points out common issues and suggests improvements. The tool makes it easier to spot common HTML errors, such as invalid syntax, missing headers and incorrect encoding.
Page Analyzer
This tool mimics how other browsers load your page and everything it contains. After loading, the tool displays your site’s performance metrics with a waterfall diagram that includes other elements of your site such as compression ratio and HTTP status.
Facebook Public IPO Offering Announced
May 2nd, 2012Facebook’s initial public offering has been set for May 18, the company announced yesterday. Expected to be the largest IPO ever launched by an internet-based company, the offering has taken some time to be finalized, due to having to wait for SEC approval. The Wall Street Journal was the first to break the news via Twitter. Facebook will be marking its IPO launch announcement with a corporate road show that is slated to begin on May 7. The road show will include a presentation to potential investors, and will likely be held in several major cities in the United States, including New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Facebook recently acquired the photo-sharing site Instagram for $1 billion despite the reporting of slowing metrics, which has some analysts worried.
Mac Malware Flashback Using Twitter For Network Control
April 30th, 2012A recent report by Dr. Web, an antivirus company, reveals that the Flashback malware responsible for a wave of infection on Mac computers uses Twitter to configure and update itself. The backdoor malware which targets Mac computers via an exploit in Java uses a list of servers for configuration. But if it doesn’t receive the desired response from the servers on the list, it will then look to Twitter to see whether any servers have been published via tweets. Publishing of available servers is tweeted using a string of text surrounded by bumpbegin and endbump tags. It’s suspected that Flashback’s spread may be due more to the habits of Mac users, many of whom have not updated their software, rather than the fact that such a large percentage of them use Mac OS X 10.6, which offers Java as pre-installed software.
How To Pack Your Computer Properly
April 25th, 2012When you’re moving or have to ship your computer, it’s important to ensure that it’s been packed properly to avoid damage on the way. Here are a few tips for protecting your investment the right way.
Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap is a great invention that can protect all of your computer’s sensitive parts when they travel. Wrap your keyboard in it, and then secure with tape for a good hold. Your monitor is probably the more expensive piece of equipment used with your computer, and so wrapping in two layers of bubble wrap will ensure optimal protection.
Packing Peanuts
These little Styrofoam wonders can absorb a lot of the shock associated with travel. Using them to line the bottom of the box you’re placing your computer in, and then putting them in between your components once they’re in the box will keep everything protected. Make sure that the peanuts reach the top of the monitor for best results.
Foam Inserts
These are great for placing between any components that may come into contact during travel, such as between your computer case and monitor.
Packing Your Components
Place your monitor upright in the box, and your case on its side horizontally, and then add your keyboard and cables.
eMusic Now Available To Android Users
April 23rd, 2012A new no-cost Android app will make the eMusic service available to users of Android 2.3.3 phones and higher in the United States. The app was created by eMusic and Hunted Media, a music discovery app company. The eMusic app promises to offer users a unique experience by combining its membership with what the company calls an advanced music player. A new feature called Mixes allows users to create a mix of songs which already exist in their music collections in new ways; by tempo, mood and tracks played. Users will receive recommendations for new music based on what they’ve listened to on their devices. Recommendations are received in three ways, including recently added and under played. In addition to the new features, members can also download music with the eMusic app, access their saved music, and view download history. The company has plans to offer the app in Canada and the EU, along with developing a version for iOS phones.
Chip Shortage Warning Hits The Web
April 20th, 2012
Meeting the demand for processors was part of the warning issued by Qualcomm yesterday. Qualcomm, the world’s leading chip maker warned the world that it will be unable to meet the demand for some of its processors until the end of this year. Shortage of the company’s Snapdragon chip may force some Android and Windows-based phone manufacturers to redesign their phones. The reason for the shortage, according to Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf, was an underestimation of the demand for its S4 Snapdragon chips, along with the company decision to put more effort into selling its other products. Experts don’t believe this lack of Snapdragon chips will have a huge impact on the availability of mobile phones, as this isn’t the first time a new semiconductor design has resulted in delays.
Cell Phones With X-Ray Vision? Well, Sort Of
April 18th, 2012
A team of researchers from UT Dallas announced the release today of an imager chip that could allow today’s mobile phones to see through various objects, including walls and wood. The key to the development of the chip was the accessing of a previosuly unused range in the electromagnetic spectrum. The range in question is called the terahertz, which falls between microwave and infrared. After accessing the range, new microchip technology needed to be developed, as most consumer devices cannot currently access the terahertz band. The research team said that the access to the new electromagnetic range eliminates the need to use several lenses in a device to create images, which could mean smaller and lower cost devices in the future. In addition to the multitude of consumer benefits, the new chips would also greatly benefit the medical community, as it would allow for much smaller devices to be used in applications such as cancer detection and air quality testing.
How To Find Out If You’ve Been Blacklisted By Google
April 16th, 2012If you are doing business online, then you already know how important it is to stay in touch with your customers. And you’ve done everything right, from having an opt-in form at your web site, to making sure you only send periodic updates about new offers and products.
But you should know that, even if only one person flagged you as a spammer, your site may not be getting crawled by the major search engines. And that can have a serious impact on your business. If you’ve been having trouble sending email to your clients, or the visits to your site have changed, it may be time to check and see whether you’ve been blacklisted.
BlackListAlert
BlackListAlert is a free resource that will check multiple databases to find out whether your domain has been blacklisted. A green “OK” means that you’re not on the list, while “Listed!” in red means your site has been flagged. If you find you have been flagged, you will have to visit each database service and check their policy for how to get your domain off their list.
MX Toolbox
This is another service that displays blacklisted sites. But instead of just notifying you that you’ve been blacklisted, MX Toolbox also has a “Reason” column, where you may get more clues as to why your site was flagged. It also offers monitoring so that you can know right away if someone has flagged your site.
Spring Cleaning Your Media Collection
April 11th, 2012You may have an impressive number of audio CDs and DVDs. But if you’re starting to feel like your media collection is taking up precious space, it may be time to do a little spring cleaning.
For those that prefer to have original CDs and DVDs as opposed to a digital copy, buying a big box to store them is often a good solution. But if you find you access most of your music and movies from your computer or other device, it’s very easy to create some space.
Ripping Music
You can eliminate the clutter caused by your music collection by ripping your CDs, cassettes or records to your computer. Depending on the number of discs you have, this could be a daunting task.
But the good thing about ripping CDs is that you don’t have to sit at your computer until it’s done; you can simply check in every 10 minutes or so when it’s time to change discs. Programs like Windows Media Player work well for doing this, as you can set a CD to start ripping automatically.
For records and cassettes, simply connect your player to your computer, and then download a free program like Audacity to get started.
Ripping Movies
While this will be more involved than ripping music, it can be well worthwhile if you have a lot of VHS tapes lying around. You can either purchase a dedicated device for converting VHS to DVD directly, or take the more involved route.
If doing the latter, you will need something that can play the tape, like a VCR or older camcorder. You will also need a DV camera with DV pass-through support. All require cables to connect them, which would have been included when the equipment was first purchased.
Pinterest Reaches New Milestone
April 9th, 2012
Virtual ‘pin board’ site Pinterest is now the third most-visited social networking site in the U.S., says Experian Marketing Service. Excluding mobile visitors, Pinterest received over one million visits from United States residents. Facebook and Twitter gained the top two spots, with 7 billion plus and 182 million visitors respectively. In addition to this latest report, Pinterest is also known to be one of the fastest-growing networks, jumping from 11.7 million users in January to 17.8 million visitors in February. 60% of the site’s users are female, and reside in the middle of the country such as Utah and Missouri. The social networking site’s co-founder Ben Silbermann points to a possible reason for Pinterest’s popularity, saying that “The site is about helping people to discover things they didn’t know they wanted — things that feel like they’ve been handpicked just for you.”
Yahoo Shakeup Will See 2,000 Employees Laid Off
April 4th, 2012In a move to return to its core purpose of putting users and advertisers first, Yahoo announced today that it would be laying off 2,000 employees. Although widely anticipated, the layoffs left some analysts skeptical, who said that revenue growth cannot occur solely from job cuts, and that people want to see a plan for growth. Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson said that the cuts will pave the way for a Yahoo that is better positioned to innovate at the speed of customer and industry demand. The cuts are expected to save Yahoo $375 million annually, and mark the start of determining a new direction for the internet giant, whose declining revenue can be attributed mainly to competition from Google and Facebook. More details are forthcoming with the release of the company’s first-quarter results, scheduled for release on April 17.
How To Get An Old Printer To Work With Modern Technology
April 2nd, 2012Believe it or not, printers haven’t progressed nearly as far as other technology seems to be doing. And so when you get a new computer, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy a new printer as well.
If you have an old printer hanging around that still does what you need it to do, you can get it to work with all of your new technology in just a few simple steps.
Google Cloud Print
This handy tool allows you to add any printer right to your Google account. Doing this allows you to access your printer online without having to try and find drivers or other software that will be compatible with your new computer. You can also use Cloud Print to print from other devices, such as your Android or iOS phone and send documents to your printer while you’re on the go, although this will mean leaving your computer on while you’re away.
Setting Up Google Cloud Print
All it takes to start using Google Cloud Print is to install the Google Chrome browser onto your new computer. Once that’s done, click on Settings and then Options to reach your dashboard. You can sign into the tool by selecting Sign In from the Under the Hood section. Once you do that, your printer will instantly appear.
Fixing Common Smartphone Issues
March 28th, 2012
While there may be nothing you can do about your cell phone bill or the speed of your carrier’s connection, there are a few common problems that many deal with on a regular basis. Thankfully, there are solutions to these annoyances. Have you tried them yet?
No Power
If you hit your phone’s power button and nothing happens, think first about the last time you charged it. If it’s been awhile, try charging your phone by plugging it into a power outlet. If your phone doesn’t automatically turn back on or doesn’t respond when you hit the button after a few minutes of being plugged in, there may be other issues.
Try replacing your phone’s battery with a different one, or attempt to plug it into your computer via USB port, as this can sometimes help you avoid the processes that can cause no-power problems, such as with recently-installed custom firmware or phone unlocking.
No Network Connection
Being unable to connect to your carrier network can be a big hassle, especially if you need to use your phone right away. If you happen to be in a dead spot, there’s not much you can do except to try moving to another location and attempting to use your phone again. If you are getting voice service but no data, you can try going into Airplane Mode, and then switching back to regular mode, which will reset your data connection.
Embedded Software Solution Will Help Consumers Make Most Of Smartphones, Tablets
March 26th, 2012Future smartphone and tablet owners will enjoy even more flexibility with the apps they use, thanks to Freespace MotionEngine, an award-winning natural motion control technology. Hillcrest Labs, the developers of this technology announced today that it is now available for those who manufacture and supply components for smartphones and tablets. The technology will put further power behind some of the more commonly-used apps on these devices, such as navigation, gaming and medical services. The technology will enable a phone’s motions to be tracked and its surroundings to be monitored. This has many applications, from car accident prevention and emergency calls upon accident detection to the monitoring of heart rate during exercise or calories consumed, all without excessive battery usage. As a result of the many benefits and incredible flexibility of the technology, it is expected to become a popular ingredient in future personal devices.
New Service Allows For Reporting Of Unwanted Texts
March 21st, 2012The Do Not Call Registry has helped many a homeowner avoid having to answer harassing calls from telemarketers, companies and political campaigns. But it seems those organizations are now turning to millions of cell phone users across the country to get their messages heard. This trend has resulted in annoyance by cell phone users, who wished there was a way to report the offending texts and have them stopped for good. And recently, it was announced that a new reporting service had been deployed by the GSMA. A user who receives an unsolicited message simply forwards that message by entering 7726. Once received, the wireless carrier will request the phone number the text was sent from. The message and number get stored in a common database that carriers can use to improve their network security.
Crowd-Sourced World Maps Becoming More Important To Consumers, Organizations
March 19th, 2012The popularity of crowd-sourced applications continues its upswing. Created by an online community with the same goal, apps of this nature rely on input from that community to stay updated. One example of this type of idea is Gas Buddy, a free app which displays gas prices near to the location a user enters on their smartphone. Prices are updated by other users of the app. But a new type of crowd-sourcing is starting to take the world by storm: world maps. Open Street Map is one example of this, which uses a Wikipedia-like interface that users can log into and edit. They can also create their own map apps based on the data found at Open Street Maps. Not only are these types of maps useful for travelers, but they can also be incredibly handy in situations where a natural event has significantly altered the landscape, such as 2010′s Haiti earthquake. Disaster relief workers used OpenStreetMap to update information as they travelled to certain areas and receive new information about changes in the landscape.
How To Fix Sound Issues By Troubleshooting Your Sound Card
March 14th, 2012Not having sound on your computer speakers when you need it most can be really frustrating. Whether you’re trying to watch video, play a game or simply enjoy your favorite playlist, issues with your sound card can leave you stressed out and confused. But when you start with the basics of troubleshooting, you could have sound on your computer again in no time, and know how to solve sound card issues in the future.
Check Your Connections
The first and probably most basic thing to try is to ensure that your speakers are properly connected to your computer. While this may seem like a no-brainer, cords can be disconnected when you move your computer desk or if you have a small cat or dog who likes to enjoy naps behind your computer. Ensure that all of your speaker cords are inserted into their proper jacks, and that the power supply for your system is plugged in. Confirm the connection by checking to see if the power light is on.
Turn It Up
Once you’ve checked your connections, and if everything seems okay, turn up your computer’s volume and ensure that any headphones that are plugged in have been disconnected. Also ensure that the volume is turned on by clicking on the speaker icon in your system tray. Clicking on ‘mixer’ will reveal all of the volume settings for your computer.
Update Your Drivers
If your sound still isn’t working, your sound card’s drivers may need to be reinstalled or updated. Corruption or conflict with drivers can happen if you’ve recently installed computer updates or new hardware. Locate the CD for your sound card to reinstall the drivers, or search for your sound card online to see if there were any recent updates.
Starting Your First Blog
March 12th, 2012
Maybe you have strong opinions about a charity or government law. Or, you may want to share a creative or emotional journey with people around the world. Blogs have become a wildly popular way to get noticed in the online community. And if you’re thinking about starting a blog of your own, you’ll be happy to know that it’s easier than you may have suspected.
Search For Blog Sites
There are many blog sites that allow you to start your own blog at no cost. Some names include BlogSpot, WordPress and LiveJournal. Once you’ve registered and verified your new account via clicking the link in the email you receive, you are ready to start your blog.
This Time, It’s Personal
This is your personal space on the web, and so you can make it all your own. There are a few ways to do this, including themes and layouts. These may be offered by the blog site itself. However, if you don’t like the styles or colours offered by the blog site, you can do a quick search for themes by blog site, such as ‘wordpress themes’. There are many sites dedicated to free blog themes, and one is bound to have the colours and feel that fit perfectly with the subject of your blog.
Identify Your Subject
If you don’t already know what you’re going to be writing about, it’s time to think about it. Your new blog is a blank canvas; how will you fill it? You can start by thinking about what matters to you most, but try not to cover more than two related subjects on the same blog. Trying to be everything to everyone will only confuse those who read your blog, as what it’s about will not be clear.
Getting Your Music In More Manageable Chunks
March 9th, 2012If you’re a music lover and like to share your collection with friends, you probably bring your music to gatherings with a thumb drive or on a CD. But if you find that you often run out of room, whether you record your music to a CD or simply drag and drop to your portable device, there’s a way to free up some space. All you have to do is split an .mp3 into smaller pieces.
If you have a computer with internet, then you can begin your search for free programs which split .mp3 files. You’ll discover there is much to be had in the way of freeware .mp3 splitters. One of the more popular freeware programs is File Splitter, which splits .mp3s and then allows you to merge and compress your split files.
How To Split .mp3 Files With File Splitter
Step one is to open File Splitter. Browse for the file you want to split on your computer, and then navigate to the drive where you want to store your split file.
Step two involves selecting the number and sizes of the chunks you wish to create with the program. Use the drop-down menu beside “Size of a Chunk” and choose your size. Step three is where you finalize the process by clicking on “Split”, and allowing the program to do its job, which only takes a few seconds to complete.
McAfee Offered Role In Deployment Of Largest IT Security System
March 7th, 2012
Northrop Grumman Information Systems (NGIS) yesterday selected digital security giant McAfee a primary subcontractor role to enhance the capabilities of the Department of Defense’s Host-Based Security System (HBSS). The system protects the DoD by monitoring, detecting and countering against known cyber threats. The enhanced security of the system will allow protection to increase and raise awareness of threats across the DoD’s IT systems on a global basis. The enhancement of the system will include training of DoD personnel along with physical system enhancement. Declining Department of Defense budgets coupled with the high costs of a completely new security system have prompted further enhancements of the existing security infrastructure. McAfee has said that it is humbled by the opportunity to assist the DoD, and its vice president of Federal sales says that HBSS is the “most extensive cybersecurity training program ever undertaken in the history of the DoD”.
Low-Power LSIs Reach Fastest Wireless Data Transfer Rate
March 2nd, 2012What is the world’s fastest rate of wireless data transfer? That number now stands at 6.3 GB per second, thanks to the development of two LSIs which enable millimeter-wave wireless data transfer. The result of a joint effort between Sony, the National University Corporation and the Tokyo Institute of Technology, the radio frequency and baseband LSIs will answer the growing current demand for wireless communication, in addition to solving a shortage in 6GHz frequencies. As well, the LSIs will be able to meet future scenarios where large amounts of data will need to be transferred across devices at exceedingly high speeds. On the user side, the new technology will eliminate the use of cable connections to transfer data between mobile devices, and allow for the viewing of high-quality video from a device to a display.
Landmark Copyright Infringement Settlement Occurs Between Merlin, Limewire
March 1st, 2012In an unprecedented case, global rights agency Merlin reached a settlement with LimeWire after a copyright infringement lawsuit was filed by the agency last year against the file-sharing company. The settlement, worth over one hundred million dollars, is the first one of its kind where independent record labels have participated. The settlement is significant, both because the case was high profile on a large scale, as well as being on the same level as the settlement reached by major labels against the now-defunct peer-to-peer service. The case is being touted as ‘an unprecedented moment for independents’. Merlin represents a large number and wide range of independent record labels, accounting for 11% of the U.K.’s digital market share, and ten percent member market share in the United States.