After Steve Jobs anointed Walter Isaacson as his authorized biographer in 2009, he took Isaacson to see the Mountain View house in which he had lived as a boy. He pointed out its "clean design" and "awesome little features." He praised the developer, Joseph Eichler, who built more than 11,000 homes in California subdivisions, for making an affordable product on a mass-market scale. And he showed Isaacson the stockade fence built 50 years earlier by his father, Paul Jobs.
"He loved doing things right," Jobs said. "He even cared about the look of the parts you couldn't see."
Jobs, the brilliant and protean creator whose inventions so utterly transformed the allure of technology, turned those childhood lessons into an all-purpose theory of intelligent design. He gave Isaacson a chance to play by the same rules. His story calls for a book that is clear, elegant and concise enough to qualify as an iBio. Isaacson's "Steve Jobs" does its solid best to hit that target.
As a biographer of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, Isaacson knows how to explicate and celebrate genius -- revered, long-dead genius. But he wrote "Steve Jobs" as its subject was mortally ill, and that is a more painful and delicate challenge. (He had access to members of the Jobs family at a difficult time.) Jobs promised not to look over Isaacson's shoulder and not to meddle with anything but the book's
Advertisement
cover. (Boy, does it look great.) And he expressed approval that the book would not be entirely flattering. But his legacy was at stake. And there were awkward questions to be asked. At the end of the volume, Jobs answers the question "What drove me?" by discussing himself in the past tense.
Isaacson treats "Steve Jobs" as the biography of record, which means that it is a strange book to read so soon after its subject's death. Some of it is an essential Silicon Valley chronicle, compiling stories well known to tech aficionados but interesting to a broad audience. Some of it is already quaint. (Jobs' first job was at Atari, and it involved the game "Pong." "If you're under 30, ask your parents," Isaacson writes.) Some, like an account of the release of the iPad 2, is so recent that it is hard to appreciate yet, even if Isaacson says the device comes to life "like the face of a tickled baby."
So "Steve Jobs," an account of its subject's 56 years, must reach across time in more ways than one. And it does, in a well-ordered, if not streamlined, fashion.
Although Isaacson is not analytical about his subject's volatile personality (the word "obnoxious" figures in the book frequently), he raises the question of whether feelings of abandonment in childhood made him fanatically controlling and manipulative as an adult. Fortunately, that glib question stays unanswered.
Isaacson takes his readers back to the time when laptops, desktops and windows were metaphors, not everyday realities. His book ticks off how each of the Apple (AAPL) innovations that we now take for granted first occurred to Jobs or his creative team.
"Steve Jobs" greatly admires its subject. But its most adulatory passages are not about people. Offering a combination of tech criticism and promotional hype, Isaacson describes the arrival of each new product right down to Jobs' theatrical introductions and the advertising campaigns. But if the individual bits of hoopla seem excessive, their cumulative effect is staggering.
Here is an encyclopedic survey of all that Jobs accomplished, replete with the passion and excitement that it deserves.
Source:http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_19169538
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Review: Huawei X1 on Telecom XT network
X1 is one of the cheapest Android smartphones you'll find and pretty good value for money.
It won't win any style prizes but doesn't scream "budget phone" either. It has a rounded, sleek case and the soft, rubber-like back cover feels comfortable in your hand.
The X1's biggest weakness is the 2.8-inch touchscreen. It's just too small and the screen quality is too low to deliver the true smartphone experience.
Typing on the keyboard can be a hit and miss affair and most users will have to enlarge the text to read it on the screen.
The technology under the hood, including HSDPA mobile internet technology, is a bit more impressive. I found web browsing and online video streaming a fairly smooth, if not fast, experience, and the phone also packs a GPS receiver - for location and navigation apps - an accelerometer, which changes the orientation of the display depending on the way the phone is held, Bluetooth and wi-fi.
Battery life is standard, lasting two days of moderate web, calling and gaming use.
Internal storage is limited to just 256 megabytes but you can boost capacity for your data, photos and apps with a microSD card.
The 3.2 megapixel camera takes reasonable pics as well as video. There is no flash, though, and no physical shutter button - just a touchscreen button.
The X1 runs on version 2.2 of the Android operating system - not the latest version of Android but it does support Adobe Flash technology (needed for viewing YouTube videos and some websites), and has the handy five customisable homescreens.
You also get access to the Android Market - Android's version of the Apple App Store - and its more than 200,000 apps. Built-in apps include Google Maps Navigation, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
The X1 is an average performer. Anyone looking for the polish of an iPhone or higher end handset will be disappointed, but such comparisons are probably unfair - the X1 is a fifth of the price.
RRP: $199
Source:http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/gadget-reviews/5833755/Review-Huawei-X1-on-Telecom-XT-network
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
REVIEW: iPhone 4S
Apple recently released an upgrade to the 14-month-old iPhone 4 and added an S to the name “for speed” or is it for Siri? It is already selling like hotcakes but is an upgraded iPhone 4 worth fighting the crowds for when there are so many other smart phones on the market?
The iPhone 4S looks identical to the iPhone 4, but on the inside there have been some changes. So what’s good, what’s so-so and what is disappointing?
Good: new chip
The main new feature is the A5 chip – the same processor that powers the iPad 2. The A5 is a dual-core design and makes features like the camera much snappier, increasing your chances of capturing that special, one-off moment. Graphics performance has also increased to the point that, in some cases, it surpasses the abilities of current video game consoles.
So-so: new voice control software
The new processor enables Apple to introduce new beta voice recognition software called Siri, described as an artificial intelligence (AI) “Personal Assistant”. This will be useful for those who want to be able to send SMS and control their iPhone while driving with their Bluetooth car mount or other hands-free kit. Apple has included support for the Australian accent, but the majority of Siri’s AI features are missing in Australia at launch.
You can watch Apple’s video about Siri on its website and see if it is for you.
So-so: faster downloads
This is good, but it is carrier dependant so it remains “so-so”. The 4S has support for faster downloads using High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA) technology at up to 14.4mbs. Using 3G HSPDA instead of 4G for fast downloads also means much better battery performance, while a new antenna system may also improve performance for other networks.
Not so good: battery life
Battery life has always been the iPhone’s biggest strength over Android, and Apple is boasting that the 4S has an extra hour of talk time. Unfortunately, they are talking this up to gloss over the fact that battery life has actually been lowered in real-world use. The 4S does contain a slightly larger battery but Wi-Fi browsing, one of the most common uses of a smartphone, has been limited to nine hours rather than the 10 on the original iPhone 4. This is still far superior than the majority, if not all, Android phones.
Not so good: new camera
Apple seems to have put in a lot of work trying to improve its camera, although some of the changes seem questionable. The iPhone 4 still has one of the best ever cameras found on a phone. For the iPhone 4S, Apple has added a faster lens that can take photos at a maximum aperture of f2.4. This is great, but unfortunately it seems Apple added it to compensate for an 8 megapixel sensor, which as good photographers know, means the pixels are too small for a device that size.
Apple has acknowledged this problem and has also improved the backside illumination of the sensor to assist each pixel straining for light to eke out a slight improvement in picture quality. The camera is also able to record 1080p video but don’t get too excited. The full HD video creates massive file sizes for little realistic gain in picture quality. This means slower airplay performance and most importantly, fewer photos and videos will be able to be stored on your iPhone. So you will need to consider not only a larger iPhone model, but you will likely have to pay for a much larger iCloud account if you want to keep your precious memories backed up automatically. This is not a deal breaker, it’s just disappointing.
Not so good: no obvious game changing feature
I believe a lot of people may feel let down by this release. The fact that Apple spent an extra four months working on what is just an upgrade of an old phone means questions will start to be asked about whether or not the company is sitting on its laurels.
Of course the real game changing feature that Apple is releasing is iCloud but due to its backwards compatibility with older devices and its seamless integration, consumers will likely take it for granted… unless something goes wrong.
So is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 4S?
If you are out of contract on an iPhone 3G or 3GS and you want a new phone that can run all the cool Apps you have bought in the App Store, the decision is easy. The 4S takes most of the great features from the classic looking iPhone 4 with the addition of the A5 processor. The chip is worth it alone, future proofing you so that by the end of your two-year contract, your phone should still be able to run the latest games and apps.
If you already have an iPhone 4 you can relax – you still get iCloud and iOS5 for free. Besides, this time next year there will probably be a new iPhone with many more temptations.
If you still have a “dumb” phone or you are sick of Android and considering moving to the iPhone, the 4S is not such a bad place to jump in. The simplicity of iCloud keeping your data backed up and the awesome range of high quality mobile apps are worth it alone without even considering the hardware.
Source:http://technologyspectator.com.au/smart-devices/mobility/review-iphone-4s
The iPhone 4S looks identical to the iPhone 4, but on the inside there have been some changes. So what’s good, what’s so-so and what is disappointing?
Good: new chip
The main new feature is the A5 chip – the same processor that powers the iPad 2. The A5 is a dual-core design and makes features like the camera much snappier, increasing your chances of capturing that special, one-off moment. Graphics performance has also increased to the point that, in some cases, it surpasses the abilities of current video game consoles.
So-so: new voice control software
The new processor enables Apple to introduce new beta voice recognition software called Siri, described as an artificial intelligence (AI) “Personal Assistant”. This will be useful for those who want to be able to send SMS and control their iPhone while driving with their Bluetooth car mount or other hands-free kit. Apple has included support for the Australian accent, but the majority of Siri’s AI features are missing in Australia at launch.
You can watch Apple’s video about Siri on its website and see if it is for you.
So-so: faster downloads
This is good, but it is carrier dependant so it remains “so-so”. The 4S has support for faster downloads using High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA) technology at up to 14.4mbs. Using 3G HSPDA instead of 4G for fast downloads also means much better battery performance, while a new antenna system may also improve performance for other networks.
Not so good: battery life
Battery life has always been the iPhone’s biggest strength over Android, and Apple is boasting that the 4S has an extra hour of talk time. Unfortunately, they are talking this up to gloss over the fact that battery life has actually been lowered in real-world use. The 4S does contain a slightly larger battery but Wi-Fi browsing, one of the most common uses of a smartphone, has been limited to nine hours rather than the 10 on the original iPhone 4. This is still far superior than the majority, if not all, Android phones.
Not so good: new camera
Apple seems to have put in a lot of work trying to improve its camera, although some of the changes seem questionable. The iPhone 4 still has one of the best ever cameras found on a phone. For the iPhone 4S, Apple has added a faster lens that can take photos at a maximum aperture of f2.4. This is great, but unfortunately it seems Apple added it to compensate for an 8 megapixel sensor, which as good photographers know, means the pixels are too small for a device that size.
Apple has acknowledged this problem and has also improved the backside illumination of the sensor to assist each pixel straining for light to eke out a slight improvement in picture quality. The camera is also able to record 1080p video but don’t get too excited. The full HD video creates massive file sizes for little realistic gain in picture quality. This means slower airplay performance and most importantly, fewer photos and videos will be able to be stored on your iPhone. So you will need to consider not only a larger iPhone model, but you will likely have to pay for a much larger iCloud account if you want to keep your precious memories backed up automatically. This is not a deal breaker, it’s just disappointing.
Not so good: no obvious game changing feature
I believe a lot of people may feel let down by this release. The fact that Apple spent an extra four months working on what is just an upgrade of an old phone means questions will start to be asked about whether or not the company is sitting on its laurels.
Of course the real game changing feature that Apple is releasing is iCloud but due to its backwards compatibility with older devices and its seamless integration, consumers will likely take it for granted… unless something goes wrong.
So is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 4S?
If you are out of contract on an iPhone 3G or 3GS and you want a new phone that can run all the cool Apps you have bought in the App Store, the decision is easy. The 4S takes most of the great features from the classic looking iPhone 4 with the addition of the A5 processor. The chip is worth it alone, future proofing you so that by the end of your two-year contract, your phone should still be able to run the latest games and apps.
If you already have an iPhone 4 you can relax – you still get iCloud and iOS5 for free. Besides, this time next year there will probably be a new iPhone with many more temptations.
If you still have a “dumb” phone or you are sick of Android and considering moving to the iPhone, the 4S is not such a bad place to jump in. The simplicity of iCloud keeping your data backed up and the awesome range of high quality mobile apps are worth it alone without even considering the hardware.
Source:http://technologyspectator.com.au/smart-devices/mobility/review-iphone-4s
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Router Tips to Make Your Wireless Faster
The router is the technological workhorse of the modern home, bringing Internet to your many devices. A router’s wireless speed is usually a user’s main concern: Unlike wired networks, wireless networks seem to suffer interference from objects in our everyday lives--should the router be above the dryer, or below; next to the microwave, or above? Wireless speeds can also be affected by too many devices sharing the same access point as well. Your device is fighting for limited bandwidth.
Many basic ways to improve your Wi-Fi network are available, such as placing the router in the center of the area you want it to cover, keeping the router away from metal objects that could block the signal, or making sure there aren’t too many other radio-enabled devices broadcasting on a 2.4GHz signal (standard for most older routers). But other ways to improve your signal may be a little less apparent. Here are some of those tricks (feel free to add your own workarounds in the comments below).
Check Your Speed
Although most people can gauge if their home wireless is too slow or not, checking the speed of the connection will let you know for sure whether you’re within range of the speed promised by your provider. Downloading a lightweight piece of software like LAN Speed Test gives you upload and download speed numbers in megabits per second (mbps), which you can check against your ISP’s promised speed to see if your network is actually slow or if you just need to pay for faster service. You’ll probably need to run the test multiple times and at different times of the day to get a real sense of how fast your Wi-Fi is overall, as crowding on the 2.4GHz spectrum could cause slowdown during the busiest times of the day for Internet traffic.
Change the Channel
If your wireless is weaker than it should be, you can try manually adjusting the broadcast channel to find one with fewer wireless routers competing for space. If your router is relatively new and automatically chooses which channel to broadcast from, then you won’t get too much use out of pinning your wireless down to a single channel, but for older routers it’s worth looking into.
First you’ll want to go into the router’s graphical user interface (GUI), by typing the router/gateway address into the address bar in a browser window while your computer is connected to the router’s wired or wireless network. You can usually find the router’s address on the router itself, in the instruction manual, or online if all else fails. For example, if you have a D-Link router, you’ll type http://192.168.0.1; if you have a Linksys, you’d type http://192.168.1.1. The browser will prompt you to enter your user name and password.
The exact navigation through the GUI for each router is different, but once you find the router’s wireless options (usually under headings like “LAN” or “Network”), you should see a “wireless channel” option. In North America, you can broadcast from channels 1, 6, and 11. Try switching to one of those three channels that’s not currently in use and see if it speeds things up.
Add Some Hardware
Changing the actual hardware that makes the wireless signal waft through your house is an easy way to strengthen a wireless signal throughout a larger area. While most routers come with omnidirectional antennae (meaning they broadcast signal in all directions), you can also invest in a single-directional antenna that should double the strength of your signal, but only in one direction. This is great if you must place your router by a wall, and you don’t want to waste resources transmitting half of the wireless signal through the wall or window. Single-directional antennae can cost anywhere from $20 to $120.
Wireless repeaters do a similar thing, basically just repeating the signal put out by your router and helping you cover more space with Wi-Fi. These also cost around $20 for a low-end repeater, but if you’re up for a little DIY you can make your own wireless repeater for free by uploading custom firmware from DD-WRT to an old router (step-by-step instructions here, and an explanation of DD-WRT below).
Another hardware-related change: if you have multiple rooms you need to cover with your signal, consider buying a hybrid Homeplug/ wireless router device. Homeplug technology uses the AV line in your house to transmit broadband signals to other rooms, and if you include a wireless router on the adapter, you’ll have a Wi-Fi signal right there in the room with you.
Check Who’s on Your Network
You never want to leave your wireless signal without at least some sort of protection, and it’s worth noting that there are different levels of security on every router. Again, you’ll want to go to your router’s GUI and check its wireless security settings. Often, there will be a drop-down or click-to-select menu to allow different levels of security. WEP is the weakest form, and is easily broken; WPA is much more secure; and while WPA2 is the most secure, it can sometimes be incompatible with older devices on your network, so WPA is probably the best bet if you’re not sure what you want.
Again, somewhere in your router’s configuration (under “wireless” or “status”) there should be a list of devices that connect to your system. Keep in mind that this list of devices will also include the laptops and smartphones of any guests who used your Wi-Fi recently, or any cameras, printers, or other Wi-Fi enabled devices that you might use around the house. If you’re unsure, you can match the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses listed on the router GUI with the MAC addresses of your various devices.
If you do find intruders, you could change your wireless password, or some routers will allow you limit the number of devices that can connect to your network. Of course, there are programs out there that will allow you to triangulate the location of the moochers based on network signals. While the legality (and sanity) of trying to track down people who are using your Internet is questionable (and not sanctioned by PCWorld) there would probably be nothing wrong with knocking on your downstairs neighbor’s door and politely asking them in person to get off your Wi-Fi. There is, of course, the famous “Upside-Down-ternet” gag, where you turn the Wi-Fi thief's browser pages upside down, or make their browser pages blurry, or replace them with kittens! While it sounds fun, it’s a pretty advanced trick, so the average user might want to switch to WPA security and password-protect the network instead.
Adult Site Blocking With Open DNS
OpenDNS can block phishing attacks and adult sites.OpenDNS can block phishing attacks and adult sites.Many new routers come with parental control options built into the device’s features. If you have an old router, however, you can use a service like OpenDNS. When your browser receives the command to retrieve a URL, it must go through a DNS server, which will look up the site’s numeric IP address. OpenDNS uses it’s own DNS lookup technology to resolve your browser’s page, meaning it can often bring up a web page faster. But one of the big perks for parents is that it also can block phishing attacks and adult sites that might get your kids in trouble.
OpenDNS doesn’t even require that you subscribe with them (the free version is ad-supported). Simply go to your router’s GUI and switch from an auto-generated IP address to a static IP address; then in the fields for DNS (there are usually 2 to 4 spaces for you to add a DNS lookup number), enter OpenDNS’s look-up numbers, which you can find on the OpenDNS site. Doing this from the router, rather than just configuring OpenDNS on a specific computer, will protect all the computers connected to that router.
Install Updated or Custom Firmware
If you have an older router, or the settings on your new router don’t offer all the functionality you’d like, try upgrading your router’s firmware. Often, your router manufacturer will have firmware updates that you can easily download from the manufacturer’s website. And if you really want to supercharge your router, you can even upload custom firmware provided by DD-WRT.
While a lot of newer routers offer out-of-the-box DD-WRT compatibility, you can check on the DD-WRT website to see if your older router is compatible with the custom firmware. Upgrading can mean better firewalls, the ability to designate how much bandwidth each device on your network gets, and even client isolation, so that wireless users can connect to the network without being able to see each other (an important part of hosting a public access point). Follow the directions on the site to flash your router with DD-WRT, and then use it to modify your router to fit your needs.
Hybrid Modems/Routers Aren’t Off Limits
If your Internet service provider requires that you install a hybrid modem/router, you can try adding another router onto the system to get different functionality.
When I moved into a new apartment recently, I decided to subscribe to AT&T Uverse, which uses fiberoptic cable to bring the Net to your computer. AT&T requires subscribers to use a hybrid router/modem, and in my case the company installed a 2Wire 3800HGV-B modem/router. The Wi-Fi was okay, but the device had an 802.11g wireless access point, and I wanted to try my newer TRENDnet TEW-691GR router, which had an 802.11n access point.
In order to broadcast wireless from the TRENDnet router, I modified the two routers to work with each other. First, I went to the 2Wire’s summary status page, and under “Internet Details” recorded the primary and secondary DNS numbers, and also the range of the IP addresses listed under “Private Network DHCP info”, which in this case happened to 192.168.1.64 - 192.168.1.254.
Routers, like this TRENDnet unit, have settings that can be adjusted. A TRENDnet router's settings page. (Click for larger image.)Then I connected an ethernet cable to a LAN port on both the 2Wire modem/router and the TRENDnet router, connected the TRENDnet router to my computer with another ethernet cable, and entered the TRENDnet configuration page. I navigated to “network” and “WAN setting” (although with other routers you might just look for the option to change the connection type and the DNS server setting). I changed the connection type to “Static.” In the field for IP address, I entered a number within the range given above; in the “subnet mask” field, I entered 255.255.255.0; and in the “default gateway” field, I entered the original 2Wire router/modem’s gateway address, as found on the router itself. Then, under DNS Server Setting, I entered the primary and secondary server settings that I found in the 2Wire’s configuration page. I saved everything, then went back to the 2Wire device.
A settings page of a 2Wire modem/router for AT&T's U-verse service.A settings page of a 2Wire modem/router for AT&T's U-verse service. (Click for larger image.)In the 2Wire’s configuration page, I first went to “system info,” then “Event Notifications,” and checked “enable detection of router-behind-router conditions.” Then, I navigated to the “Broadband” tab and clicked “link configuration.” Under “add additional network,” I checked “enable” and gave the TRENDnet router’s address (which I had used earlier to enter the TRENDnet’s GUI ) and the subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Don’t forget to keep saving your settings.
With the TRENDnet router still connected by a LAN port to the 2wire’s LAN port, both devices should be on and giving a wireless signal. When you can connect to both wireless networks successfully (you may have to close out of your browsers or do a “power cycle” by turning both the routers on and off), then you can go into the 2Wire’s modem/router menu and disable the “wireless” tab.
At this point, no wireless signal is coming from the 2wire, and all of the wireless transmitted in my apartment is at 802.11n standards. This workaround seemed to make my wireless slightly faster, but more unreliable. The network connection would suddenly crash, but when it was up and stable I seemed to be able to download videos faster. I would recommend activities of this type for experimentation only, as I ultimately just went back to the more stable 2Wire wireless network.
Source:http://www.pcworld.com/article/242112/router_tips_to_make_your_wireless_faster.html
Many basic ways to improve your Wi-Fi network are available, such as placing the router in the center of the area you want it to cover, keeping the router away from metal objects that could block the signal, or making sure there aren’t too many other radio-enabled devices broadcasting on a 2.4GHz signal (standard for most older routers). But other ways to improve your signal may be a little less apparent. Here are some of those tricks (feel free to add your own workarounds in the comments below).
Check Your Speed
Although most people can gauge if their home wireless is too slow or not, checking the speed of the connection will let you know for sure whether you’re within range of the speed promised by your provider. Downloading a lightweight piece of software like LAN Speed Test gives you upload and download speed numbers in megabits per second (mbps), which you can check against your ISP’s promised speed to see if your network is actually slow or if you just need to pay for faster service. You’ll probably need to run the test multiple times and at different times of the day to get a real sense of how fast your Wi-Fi is overall, as crowding on the 2.4GHz spectrum could cause slowdown during the busiest times of the day for Internet traffic.
Change the Channel
If your wireless is weaker than it should be, you can try manually adjusting the broadcast channel to find one with fewer wireless routers competing for space. If your router is relatively new and automatically chooses which channel to broadcast from, then you won’t get too much use out of pinning your wireless down to a single channel, but for older routers it’s worth looking into.
First you’ll want to go into the router’s graphical user interface (GUI), by typing the router/gateway address into the address bar in a browser window while your computer is connected to the router’s wired or wireless network. You can usually find the router’s address on the router itself, in the instruction manual, or online if all else fails. For example, if you have a D-Link router, you’ll type http://192.168.0.1; if you have a Linksys, you’d type http://192.168.1.1. The browser will prompt you to enter your user name and password.
The exact navigation through the GUI for each router is different, but once you find the router’s wireless options (usually under headings like “LAN” or “Network”), you should see a “wireless channel” option. In North America, you can broadcast from channels 1, 6, and 11. Try switching to one of those three channels that’s not currently in use and see if it speeds things up.
Add Some Hardware
Changing the actual hardware that makes the wireless signal waft through your house is an easy way to strengthen a wireless signal throughout a larger area. While most routers come with omnidirectional antennae (meaning they broadcast signal in all directions), you can also invest in a single-directional antenna that should double the strength of your signal, but only in one direction. This is great if you must place your router by a wall, and you don’t want to waste resources transmitting half of the wireless signal through the wall or window. Single-directional antennae can cost anywhere from $20 to $120.
Wireless repeaters do a similar thing, basically just repeating the signal put out by your router and helping you cover more space with Wi-Fi. These also cost around $20 for a low-end repeater, but if you’re up for a little DIY you can make your own wireless repeater for free by uploading custom firmware from DD-WRT to an old router (step-by-step instructions here, and an explanation of DD-WRT below).
Another hardware-related change: if you have multiple rooms you need to cover with your signal, consider buying a hybrid Homeplug/ wireless router device. Homeplug technology uses the AV line in your house to transmit broadband signals to other rooms, and if you include a wireless router on the adapter, you’ll have a Wi-Fi signal right there in the room with you.
Check Who’s on Your Network
You never want to leave your wireless signal without at least some sort of protection, and it’s worth noting that there are different levels of security on every router. Again, you’ll want to go to your router’s GUI and check its wireless security settings. Often, there will be a drop-down or click-to-select menu to allow different levels of security. WEP is the weakest form, and is easily broken; WPA is much more secure; and while WPA2 is the most secure, it can sometimes be incompatible with older devices on your network, so WPA is probably the best bet if you’re not sure what you want.
Again, somewhere in your router’s configuration (under “wireless” or “status”) there should be a list of devices that connect to your system. Keep in mind that this list of devices will also include the laptops and smartphones of any guests who used your Wi-Fi recently, or any cameras, printers, or other Wi-Fi enabled devices that you might use around the house. If you’re unsure, you can match the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses listed on the router GUI with the MAC addresses of your various devices.
If you do find intruders, you could change your wireless password, or some routers will allow you limit the number of devices that can connect to your network. Of course, there are programs out there that will allow you to triangulate the location of the moochers based on network signals. While the legality (and sanity) of trying to track down people who are using your Internet is questionable (and not sanctioned by PCWorld) there would probably be nothing wrong with knocking on your downstairs neighbor’s door and politely asking them in person to get off your Wi-Fi. There is, of course, the famous “Upside-Down-ternet” gag, where you turn the Wi-Fi thief's browser pages upside down, or make their browser pages blurry, or replace them with kittens! While it sounds fun, it’s a pretty advanced trick, so the average user might want to switch to WPA security and password-protect the network instead.
Adult Site Blocking With Open DNS
OpenDNS can block phishing attacks and adult sites.OpenDNS can block phishing attacks and adult sites.Many new routers come with parental control options built into the device’s features. If you have an old router, however, you can use a service like OpenDNS. When your browser receives the command to retrieve a URL, it must go through a DNS server, which will look up the site’s numeric IP address. OpenDNS uses it’s own DNS lookup technology to resolve your browser’s page, meaning it can often bring up a web page faster. But one of the big perks for parents is that it also can block phishing attacks and adult sites that might get your kids in trouble.
OpenDNS doesn’t even require that you subscribe with them (the free version is ad-supported). Simply go to your router’s GUI and switch from an auto-generated IP address to a static IP address; then in the fields for DNS (there are usually 2 to 4 spaces for you to add a DNS lookup number), enter OpenDNS’s look-up numbers, which you can find on the OpenDNS site. Doing this from the router, rather than just configuring OpenDNS on a specific computer, will protect all the computers connected to that router.
Install Updated or Custom Firmware
If you have an older router, or the settings on your new router don’t offer all the functionality you’d like, try upgrading your router’s firmware. Often, your router manufacturer will have firmware updates that you can easily download from the manufacturer’s website. And if you really want to supercharge your router, you can even upload custom firmware provided by DD-WRT.
While a lot of newer routers offer out-of-the-box DD-WRT compatibility, you can check on the DD-WRT website to see if your older router is compatible with the custom firmware. Upgrading can mean better firewalls, the ability to designate how much bandwidth each device on your network gets, and even client isolation, so that wireless users can connect to the network without being able to see each other (an important part of hosting a public access point). Follow the directions on the site to flash your router with DD-WRT, and then use it to modify your router to fit your needs.
Hybrid Modems/Routers Aren’t Off Limits
If your Internet service provider requires that you install a hybrid modem/router, you can try adding another router onto the system to get different functionality.
When I moved into a new apartment recently, I decided to subscribe to AT&T Uverse, which uses fiberoptic cable to bring the Net to your computer. AT&T requires subscribers to use a hybrid router/modem, and in my case the company installed a 2Wire 3800HGV-B modem/router. The Wi-Fi was okay, but the device had an 802.11g wireless access point, and I wanted to try my newer TRENDnet TEW-691GR router, which had an 802.11n access point.
In order to broadcast wireless from the TRENDnet router, I modified the two routers to work with each other. First, I went to the 2Wire’s summary status page, and under “Internet Details” recorded the primary and secondary DNS numbers, and also the range of the IP addresses listed under “Private Network DHCP info”, which in this case happened to 192.168.1.64 - 192.168.1.254.
Routers, like this TRENDnet unit, have settings that can be adjusted. A TRENDnet router's settings page. (Click for larger image.)Then I connected an ethernet cable to a LAN port on both the 2Wire modem/router and the TRENDnet router, connected the TRENDnet router to my computer with another ethernet cable, and entered the TRENDnet configuration page. I navigated to “network” and “WAN setting” (although with other routers you might just look for the option to change the connection type and the DNS server setting). I changed the connection type to “Static.” In the field for IP address, I entered a number within the range given above; in the “subnet mask” field, I entered 255.255.255.0; and in the “default gateway” field, I entered the original 2Wire router/modem’s gateway address, as found on the router itself. Then, under DNS Server Setting, I entered the primary and secondary server settings that I found in the 2Wire’s configuration page. I saved everything, then went back to the 2Wire device.
A settings page of a 2Wire modem/router for AT&T's U-verse service.A settings page of a 2Wire modem/router for AT&T's U-verse service. (Click for larger image.)In the 2Wire’s configuration page, I first went to “system info,” then “Event Notifications,” and checked “enable detection of router-behind-router conditions.” Then, I navigated to the “Broadband” tab and clicked “link configuration.” Under “add additional network,” I checked “enable” and gave the TRENDnet router’s address (which I had used earlier to enter the TRENDnet’s GUI ) and the subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Don’t forget to keep saving your settings.
With the TRENDnet router still connected by a LAN port to the 2wire’s LAN port, both devices should be on and giving a wireless signal. When you can connect to both wireless networks successfully (you may have to close out of your browsers or do a “power cycle” by turning both the routers on and off), then you can go into the 2Wire’s modem/router menu and disable the “wireless” tab.
At this point, no wireless signal is coming from the 2wire, and all of the wireless transmitted in my apartment is at 802.11n standards. This workaround seemed to make my wireless slightly faster, but more unreliable. The network connection would suddenly crash, but when it was up and stable I seemed to be able to download videos faster. I would recommend activities of this type for experimentation only, as I ultimately just went back to the more stable 2Wire wireless network.
Source:http://www.pcworld.com/article/242112/router_tips_to_make_your_wireless_faster.html
Monday, October 17, 2011
HP's new virtualization servers provide path to cloud
Hewlett-Packard on Monday announced new servers that come pre-configured with Microsoft software to help companies deploy virtualized workloads more quickly.
HP's VirtualSystem for Microsoft includes HP servers and Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization software, and will help customers to rapidly deploy applications including SharePoint, Exchange Server and SQL Server, said Jeff Carlat, director of industry standard servers and software marketing, enterprise storage, servers and networking.
The virtual workloads, hardware and other resources can be managed using HP's Insight Control and Microsoft System Centers.
The servers provide a path to help customers build private and public clouds, and link the two in a hybrid cloud, he said. VirtualSystem for Microsoft uses the same architecture as the HP CloudSystem, which combines storage, networking and servers to reduce latency when scaling configurations in cloud deployments.
Virtualization isn't optimal for all types of cloud deployment. Service providers such as Facebook, for example, which have to crunch large volumes of very small Web transactions, have opted for hardware-based architectures using thousands of low-power servers.
Some newer applications scale in a different way, but many traditional applications function perfectly well in virtualized environments, said Frances Guida, manager of HP cloud solutions and infrastructure, enterprise servers, storage and networking. Virtualization allows companies to scale their capacity up and down quickly to match changing workloads, he said.
HP and Microsoft are trying to make it easier for customers to move applications to the cloud, Guida said. HP already offers VirtualSystem products built with VMware's virtualization technology.
VirtualSystem for Microsoft will be available in November priced from about US$175,500. It will be offered in two models -- the VS1, for companies that want to host about 750 virtual machines, and the VS2, for companies hosting about 2,500 virtual machines. The prices don't include Microsoft's application licenses.
The VS1 can be configured with up to eight HP ProLiant DL380 G7 servers, 1G-bit and 10G-bit Ethernet connections, and a P4500 LeftHand SAN (storage area network) that scales from 14TB to 57TB. The VS2 can have up to 12 HP ProLiant BL460c G7 servers, multiple network and storage connectivity modules, and P4800 LeftHand SAN that can expand to 84TB.
HP also launched VirtualSystem for Superdome 2, for companies such as financial institutions that use HP's high-uptime Superdome servers. These systems typically run on Intel's Itanium processor and HP's HP-UX operating system.
High-end servers often need high levels of customization, but the factory configuration provides a way to bring newer HP technologies, such as its 3Par storage, into a virtualized system, Carlat said. HP didn't provide pricing for the VirtualSystem for Superdome 2.
Source:http://www.itworld.com/data-centerservers/214245/hps-new-virtualization-servers-provide-path-cloud
HP's VirtualSystem for Microsoft includes HP servers and Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization software, and will help customers to rapidly deploy applications including SharePoint, Exchange Server and SQL Server, said Jeff Carlat, director of industry standard servers and software marketing, enterprise storage, servers and networking.
The virtual workloads, hardware and other resources can be managed using HP's Insight Control and Microsoft System Centers.
The servers provide a path to help customers build private and public clouds, and link the two in a hybrid cloud, he said. VirtualSystem for Microsoft uses the same architecture as the HP CloudSystem, which combines storage, networking and servers to reduce latency when scaling configurations in cloud deployments.
Virtualization isn't optimal for all types of cloud deployment. Service providers such as Facebook, for example, which have to crunch large volumes of very small Web transactions, have opted for hardware-based architectures using thousands of low-power servers.
Some newer applications scale in a different way, but many traditional applications function perfectly well in virtualized environments, said Frances Guida, manager of HP cloud solutions and infrastructure, enterprise servers, storage and networking. Virtualization allows companies to scale their capacity up and down quickly to match changing workloads, he said.
HP and Microsoft are trying to make it easier for customers to move applications to the cloud, Guida said. HP already offers VirtualSystem products built with VMware's virtualization technology.
VirtualSystem for Microsoft will be available in November priced from about US$175,500. It will be offered in two models -- the VS1, for companies that want to host about 750 virtual machines, and the VS2, for companies hosting about 2,500 virtual machines. The prices don't include Microsoft's application licenses.
The VS1 can be configured with up to eight HP ProLiant DL380 G7 servers, 1G-bit and 10G-bit Ethernet connections, and a P4500 LeftHand SAN (storage area network) that scales from 14TB to 57TB. The VS2 can have up to 12 HP ProLiant BL460c G7 servers, multiple network and storage connectivity modules, and P4800 LeftHand SAN that can expand to 84TB.
HP also launched VirtualSystem for Superdome 2, for companies such as financial institutions that use HP's high-uptime Superdome servers. These systems typically run on Intel's Itanium processor and HP's HP-UX operating system.
High-end servers often need high levels of customization, but the factory configuration provides a way to bring newer HP technologies, such as its 3Par storage, into a virtualized system, Carlat said. HP didn't provide pricing for the VirtualSystem for Superdome 2.
Source:http://www.itworld.com/data-centerservers/214245/hps-new-virtualization-servers-provide-path-cloud
IBM's Q3 disappoints, stock drops
IBM's quarterly results failed to impress investors used to a stellar showing from Big Blue, adding to concerns about lackluster corporate IT spending and dragging its stock down more than 3 percent.
The company's earnings beat forecasts and it increased its 2011 earnings-per-share outlook but it faced a high hurdle after recent strong reports from Oracle and Accenture, and analysts focused on slower expansion in key regions and businesses.
Further stoking worries about IT spending, business software maker VMware Inc posted quarterly profit above expectations but warned of uncertainty among some of its corporate customers in Europe.
"We have seen a bit more scrutiny and higher levels of approval required. Particularly with larger deals where they would go for CFO and CEO approval, where in the past we may not have seen those approvals to be necessary," said VMWare Chief Financial Officer Mark Peeking.
IBM, an information technology hardware bellwether with a global clientele, said total services signings -- an indicator of future growth -- climbed to $12.3 billion in the third quarter, in line with expectations.
"The growth rates IBM experienced in each of the regions -- Americas, Europe and Asia -- are all decelerating and the public sector is exhibiting no growth," said Shebly Seyrafi, an analyst at FBN Securities. "I wouldn't say we're falling off a cliff, but there is a slowing in IT spending."
Revenue rose 8 percent to $26.16 billion, marginally softer than the average forecast of $26.26 billion.
Buttressed by recurring revenue that helps keep IBM's results steady in strong and weak economies, its shares have outperformed the market and hit a record high on Friday. They are up about 28 percent this year versus the Standard & Poor's 500 index's 4 percent dip.
On Monday, International Business Machines Corp's stock fell 3.7 percent to $179.70 in extended trade after closing down 2.1 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.
"The company exceeded published expectations, but the underlying expectations were even higher," Annex Research analyst Bob Djurdjevic said. "Investors who have been very bullish on IBM are probably taking some profits now."
RISING CLOUD
U.S. economic concerns and a worsening European financial crisis have hurt consumer demand. Companies such as IBM that sell hardware and software for data centers powering the Internet have remained resilient.
IBM said revenue from cloud computing in the first nine months of this year was twice as much as in full-year 2010.
Adjusted for currency, IBM's revenue from the Americas rose 6 percent in the quarter, with Europe, Africa and the Middle East flat, and Asia up 1 percent.
IBM also derives a major portion of its revenue from government spending and the financial services industry -- both hit hard by widening fiscal deficits and crumbling markets, respectively.
IBM has consistently beaten Wall Street forecasts. In the second quarter, it trounced expectations with signings of new business surging 16 percent. At the time, that stellar performance raised hopes that 2011 would be a good year for overall tech-spending.
On Monday, it raised its full-year diluted earnings forecast to at least $13.35 per share, from its prior estimate of at least $13.25. Analysts had expected $13.32, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
IBM reported a third-quarter profit, excluding items, of $3.28 per share, up 15 percent year over year and above expectations of $3.22.
"Whatever IBM could control, they did a great job. But they are not immune to macro conditions. Financial conditions are tough," said Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry.
"People don't want to cancel projects, but projects are getting delayed. Sales cycles are getting elongated. New projects are getting smaller budgets."
Despite uncertainty in the fourth quarter and 2012, some portfolio managers remained confident in IBM's ability to weather a tougher global environment.
"IBM's business has a degree of resiliency to it. The company has maintenance agreements that generate recurring revenue, giving us more visibility on future results," Wirtz said.
Source:http://www.jordandirections.com/2011101741424/technology/ibm-s-q3-disappoints-stock-drops
The company's earnings beat forecasts and it increased its 2011 earnings-per-share outlook but it faced a high hurdle after recent strong reports from Oracle and Accenture, and analysts focused on slower expansion in key regions and businesses.
Further stoking worries about IT spending, business software maker VMware Inc posted quarterly profit above expectations but warned of uncertainty among some of its corporate customers in Europe.
"We have seen a bit more scrutiny and higher levels of approval required. Particularly with larger deals where they would go for CFO and CEO approval, where in the past we may not have seen those approvals to be necessary," said VMWare Chief Financial Officer Mark Peeking.
IBM, an information technology hardware bellwether with a global clientele, said total services signings -- an indicator of future growth -- climbed to $12.3 billion in the third quarter, in line with expectations.
"The growth rates IBM experienced in each of the regions -- Americas, Europe and Asia -- are all decelerating and the public sector is exhibiting no growth," said Shebly Seyrafi, an analyst at FBN Securities. "I wouldn't say we're falling off a cliff, but there is a slowing in IT spending."
Revenue rose 8 percent to $26.16 billion, marginally softer than the average forecast of $26.26 billion.
Buttressed by recurring revenue that helps keep IBM's results steady in strong and weak economies, its shares have outperformed the market and hit a record high on Friday. They are up about 28 percent this year versus the Standard & Poor's 500 index's 4 percent dip.
On Monday, International Business Machines Corp's stock fell 3.7 percent to $179.70 in extended trade after closing down 2.1 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.
"The company exceeded published expectations, but the underlying expectations were even higher," Annex Research analyst Bob Djurdjevic said. "Investors who have been very bullish on IBM are probably taking some profits now."
RISING CLOUD
U.S. economic concerns and a worsening European financial crisis have hurt consumer demand. Companies such as IBM that sell hardware and software for data centers powering the Internet have remained resilient.
IBM said revenue from cloud computing in the first nine months of this year was twice as much as in full-year 2010.
Adjusted for currency, IBM's revenue from the Americas rose 6 percent in the quarter, with Europe, Africa and the Middle East flat, and Asia up 1 percent.
IBM also derives a major portion of its revenue from government spending and the financial services industry -- both hit hard by widening fiscal deficits and crumbling markets, respectively.
IBM has consistently beaten Wall Street forecasts. In the second quarter, it trounced expectations with signings of new business surging 16 percent. At the time, that stellar performance raised hopes that 2011 would be a good year for overall tech-spending.
On Monday, it raised its full-year diluted earnings forecast to at least $13.35 per share, from its prior estimate of at least $13.25. Analysts had expected $13.32, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
IBM reported a third-quarter profit, excluding items, of $3.28 per share, up 15 percent year over year and above expectations of $3.22.
"Whatever IBM could control, they did a great job. But they are not immune to macro conditions. Financial conditions are tough," said Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry.
"People don't want to cancel projects, but projects are getting delayed. Sales cycles are getting elongated. New projects are getting smaller budgets."
Despite uncertainty in the fourth quarter and 2012, some portfolio managers remained confident in IBM's ability to weather a tougher global environment.
"IBM's business has a degree of resiliency to it. The company has maintenance agreements that generate recurring revenue, giving us more visibility on future results," Wirtz said.
Source:http://www.jordandirections.com/2011101741424/technology/ibm-s-q3-disappoints-stock-drops
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Microsoft completes Skype deal
The Internet video chat service Skype is now officially part of Microsoft.
The two companies joined forces late on Thursday when Microsoft completed its $8.5-billion purchase of Skype. The closing came five months after Microsoft announced the deal.
Microsoft is counting on Skype to help it catch up in some of the hottest markets in technology and media. Those areas include online socialising, mobile phones and digital video.
Skype's roughly 170-million users made 207-billion minutes of voice and video calls last year - almost 400 000 years' worth.
Microsoft says Skype will operate as a division within the world's largest software maker. Skype CEO Tony Bates is joining Microsoft to run the division. He will report to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. - Sapa-AP
Source:http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/business/microsoft-completes-skype-deal-1.1158301
Apple's iOS 5 is the best iOS so far, once you get it installed
Apple's iOS mobile operating system changed the definition of what a smartphone could be when it launched in 2007 on the first-generation iPhone.
Each year since, we've seen the release of a new, more capable iPhone and annual updates to iOS that add new features for Apple's competitors to follow and features that allow iOS to catch up to its rivals too.
This week, with the release of the iPhone 4S, came the release of iOS 5 to the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and first-generation iPad and iPad 2. And again, iOS plays a bit of catch-up with features while adding a lot of newness as well.
In all, Apple says there are more than 200 new features in iOS 5. I won't go over all them here as I haven't yet found all 200 for myself. However, the conclusion I've arrived at after days of testing iOS 5 is that this is the best and most complete version of iOS 5 to date.
Since iOS' initial release five years ago, iOS has been tweaked and improved and now has an answer for nearly every complaint I have for it. That's not to say that I don't have gripes with iOS 5 -- I do. But my complaints are now mostly limited to simply getting the operating system installed on my device -- something that shouldn't be a problem for those not rushing to install iOS 5 on day one.
In the video below, my colleague Michelle Maltais and I talk about what a buggy and cumbersome pain it was to install iOS 5 and even get iCloud up an running this week.
We also offer our take on some of the more prominent features in iOS 5 such as new multi-touch gestures, a notification center (finally), Twitter integration, the new Newsstand app folder, iMessage (Apple's answer to BBM) and handy location-based Reminders.
One item not covered in our video review is the number of improvements made to iOS' version of the Safari browser. The update to iOS 5 brings tabbed browsing and integration with Safari on your laptop or desktop for bookmarks and reading list. These additions make Safari much more useful by syncing across devices and pull a bit ahead of Android's browser with the addition of reading list integration, while catching up with tabbed browsing -- something Android has offered for a while now.
There are also a few features offered in iOS 5 we haven't had the chance to test out that we'll return to at a later date -- such as the Siri voice-command personal assistant app found only on the iPhone 4S and iTunes Match, a $25-per-year service (set to debut in October) that replicates an iTunes users' entire music collection, including songs not purchased from iTunes, in the cloud.
But even without Siri and without iTunes Match yet available, my opinion is that iOS 5 is the most polished and intuitive mobile operating system on the market today. I'd rank it above any version of Google's Android released thus far and Microsoft's Windows Phone software too.
I'm still delving into Windows Phone Mango and we'll have a detailed review into Mango on the Technology blog soon (maybe I'll change my tune in iOS taking the top spot by the time that's done with). And Google is set to release its all-new Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS next week. So while Apple may be on top with iOS 5, the competition will only getting tougher ahead.
Source:http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/10/apple-ios-5-review-for-iphone-and-ipad.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
