Symantec--Get Out of My Face!
For the last month, I've been getting a subscription renewal reminder from Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 2005--every freakin' day, and sometimes more than once a day. Every time it pops up, I've had to click one of the options (renewal is "recommended," of course) and then click OK. It won't let me turn off the reminder or put it off until a more convenient time; it insists on hounding me.Of course, I know that to be fully protected against viruses, I should be using a product with up-to-date virus signatures. But how do I know that renewing will add 12 months of subscription time to the end of my current 12-month term? Does it start the new subscription on the day I renew--so that I only get 11 months out of the initial subscription? What if I want to upgrade to Norton Antivirus 2006, but I still want to get my 12 months' worth from the 2005 edition?
Then today I started getting a new warning, that my antivirus subscription has expired. This reminder gives me only two options: to either renew immediately or put off getting reminded for one or more days. So my options are, pay up, endure the constant nagging, or uninstall the software and play with fire. Right now, I'm seriously considering the latter option.
Truth be told, I was thinking of downloading the Google Pack, which includes a free six-month subscription to Norton Antivirus. But now I'm thinking I don't want to put up with the nagging that's sure to start another five months, so I'm looking seriously at one of the top-rated programs from the antivirus software roundup in our March issue.
Sometimes, "No" means "No," you know?
Olympus SLR Offers Live-View LCD
The new Olympus EVolt E-330 is the first digital SLR with interchangeable lenses to do something point-and-shoot cameras have done for years: Offer a live view on its LCD.The camera (shown below) has two sensors, and you can view the image from either one. While viewing what's on the capture sensor, you can enlarge the image by 10X to see fine details.
The LCD swivels outward (see photo), and you can angle it to make overhead shots or dramatic low angles easier to frame. The EVolt E-330 will sell for $1100 with a 14-45mm lens.
Is this a feature that will convince you to pull the trigger on a digital SLR?
Actually, the Olympus E-10 and E-20 DSLR cameras which were available around five years ago already offered the live view LCD, though the image quality for the live view wasn't too good. But anyway, the E-330 is not the first DSLR to offer the live view LCD.
Taking Questions on the Intel-Based iMac
I've got my mitts on the new iMac with a 2-GHz Intel Core Duo processor.So far, I've run through the iLife applications and created a short blog using iWeb, which I was able to view via RSS on both Apple's Safari (on the Mac) and Mozilla Firefox (on the PC).
My colleague Danny Allen pointed me to some criticism of Apple's Photocasting feature, which does not adhere to RSS and XML protocols according to some. A full discussion and link to the original VNUNet article appears here on Slashdot.
Look for our iMac review in an upcoming issue of PC World.
What else would you like me to check out on the Intel iMac?
>Posted by Craig on Thursday, January 26, 2006, 05:14 PM (PST)
>Does MS Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac work with >the new Intel Imac?
even if it doesn't you could build rdesktop on it, which provides the same functionality. (rdesktop.org)
I'm also curious about the support for Vista. While I currently own Mac and Windows machines, I have found a continual need for certain applications (such as Microsoft dev apps) that aren't going to run on the Mac. At the same time, I have trouble bringing myself to invest in a new Windows PC that is poorly designed, loud and have comparitively poor airflow; Apple is doing a great job on their hardware and I'd love to get an Intel Duo running Vista.
I heard a rumour that peope that own an iPod and or any iThing have small a small penis. (also females)
Media Workstation With Built-in Computer, 15-inch Touchscreen
The 2006 Winter NAMM music tradeshow got underway in Anaheim earlier this week and one of the more interesting announcements is the new Open Labs MiKo media workstation.
Open Labs has released a variety of larger workstations with built-in computers since 2003, but the MiKo features a smaller 37-note musical keyboard and is the first to be somewhat portable. The company says it'll be targeting the unit towards musicians, video editors, content producers, DJs and the like and this is underscored by the range of software options and choice of hardware modules featuring programmable faders, sliders and dials.
A top of the line MiKo can integrate an AMD 64-bit dual core processor, up to 4GB of memory, an 80GB hard disk, Windows XP, 7.1 surround sound output, a dual layer DVD burner, ethernet and Wi-Fi networking plus a QWERTY computer keyboard and trackpad with mouse buttons. The 15-inch LCD touchscreen option is capable of 2048 by 1536 to allow for high-definition video. Dual-head video outputs, USB 2.0 and FireWire ports are also included.
The most basic version of the MiKo is available to order now, starting at $1999.
HEEEY!!! THIS WOULD BE GREAT!!!
Though I don't need video editing capability, creating music with this would be great!
A Creative Labs SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeMusic would be great for processing a lot of effects and VSTs in there, freeing up the CPU resources, although VST Synths might use a CPU for processing. When I'm done, I could connect the computer/music keyboard to the computer to process the VST synths into multiple wave files and do surround sound mixing! :)
Put a mobility X1600 in there and you have a very nice possible gaming notebook....
Broadband in the Sticks--Finally
Welcome, citizens of Greencastle, Indiana. Right now, most of you are using dialup connections to access the Internet, so I’ll type very slowly. But in the next couple weeks, many of you will be able to get broadband access for the first time--no thanks to the companies that should have been delivering it years ago.The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program granted a low-interest loan to Cinergy Metronet, which is installing high-speed fiber-optic cable in several rural communities in Indiana; Greencastle is just the first city on Cinergy's schedule. Many rural communities around the country have applied for funds from the agency--look here to see if your berg is on the list.
Word in Greencastle (from my mother) is that Cinergy is already signing up customers, with installations to begin in a couple weeks. Cinergy is offering several packages; a basic package of a 6Mbps Internet pipe, cable television service, and local telephone service costs $79 a month--a killer deal.
Greencastle and countless other rural communities have been relegated to the backwaters of the Internet for years because phone and cable companies haven’t deemed it profitable to offer DSL or cable Internet access, but deals such as Cinergy’s could change things. After Cinergy inked its deal, Insight Broadband moved to start offering cable Internet access. Verizon Communications has begun installing fiber in northern Indiana, where it will compete with Cinergy.
But many communications companies are still trying to prevent anyone but them from offering broadband access--even though they still don’t offer it in many sparsely populated areas. As my colleague Tom Spring reported in last October’s issue, some small communities have given up trying to get those companies to offer broadband, and instead have made efforts to offer it as a municipal utility. I'm not wild about government entities competing with private companies, but you have to hand it to these municipalities for doing what's best for their citizens. To the companies that are grousing about it, I say, you had your chance--now you can either compete, or get out of the way.
Anybody else stuck with dialup in the sticks?
I wouldn't consider Greencastle 'the sticks'. I went to high school there and we had high speed internet.
I have Cinergy Metronet in Geencastle and love it.
I live in a small comunity just outsid of Greencastle. This is considered the boonies, and the only brosdband we are offered has outrageous hook up fees and monthly charges. Being so for out, the pr=erformance is'nt that great. I would welcome other options.
Konica Minolta Pulls Out of the Camera Market
First, Nikon announces it will cease making (most) film cameras. Now comes news that Konica Minolta will stop making cameras--both film and digital--entirely. As much as I love digital photography (and, no, I can't recall the last time I actually shot using film), I'm finding it tough watching film disappear. To see a venerable photography company choose to exit this market is saddening, although not unexpected given the fierce competition among digital camera makers, and the fast commoditization of digital cameras themselves.Konica Minolta's announcement in Tokyo did have two bright spots, though. The company plans to sell assets related to its digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras to Sony, with whom it was already jointly developing a digital SLR camera. And Sony has said it will use the Konica Minolta Maxxum/Dynax lens mount on these digital SLR cameras, which means photographers with Minolta lenses won't be left without options in this increasingly all-digital world.
Any Minolta users out there? What are your thoughts on the company's decision?
Anybody know how this will impact KM's film scanner business? Is that gone, too?
I'm pleased to say that if sony is buying of konica-minolta the prices are going to hike up! everybody now that sony is an expensive company especially on digital cameras and that's not good news!!!
Own 2 Minola compatable AF lenses. A macro and a zoom. Will these fit the existing KM digital SLRs-If I can find one?
Improve PC Performance by Jettisoning the Junk
Our friends at Hard/OCP have an interesting addition to their system reviews in which they used WorldBench 5, PC World's benchmark suite, to demonstrate what a dramatic performance improvement can be attained by removing "bloatware" from a Dell XPS 400.
They said: "We came out with a total score of 72, which was very troubling."
"Surely the hardware we purchased from Dell should be able to do better than that!" the article went on to say. "Therefore, we did an experiment. We uninstalled any programs we didn’t feel were necessary to the operation of the computer, and we disabled all the services and pre-loaded programs at startup in MSConfig."
"Sure enough, after disabling the pre-installed software we got a total score of 88--much closer to other computers in this price range," they concluded.
Here's the full article.
Go here to learn more about WorldBench, PC World's industry standard benchmark suite.
I'm not surprised in the least. I've had to disable all that junk from 3 Compaq and 2 HP computers in the past 5 years and thereafter they all ran beautifully. People fail to realize that the RAM that comes preinstalled is usually not enough and you have to do this to improve performance. I don't understand why all these companies seem to think we need all this other stuff when we don't even use it.
Design a Browser
There's no doubt this is a gimmick, but at least it's an interesting one. Browster, an alternative browser that works as a plug-in to Internet Explorer, is holding an open design contest.As opposed to open source software, in which volunteers actually write the code, Browster's concept of open design involves people trying the software, then making suggestions for features and interface improvements. Users vote on the nominations and the folks who made the winning suggestions get a prize.
Lots of companies incorporate suggestions from users in their software, of course, but they don't always make it easy to contact them with ideas or make it clear they're listening. I know I have lots of suggestions for improving the software I use each day. How about you? What would you change in your favorite programs?
Sorry for bad spelling in previous post. I was in a hurry. I think you will be able to figure it out.
Those IE6 tips work well and I was surprised that not everyone knew about those auto hide features.
Ahh......we're going way off-topic here. This topic is about Browster, that works as a plug-in to Internet Explorer.
Who cares? :)
Recycle Your Electronics: A Public Service Announcement
A lot of you have a three-day weekend in your immediate future. What are you going to do with all that time off? Here's an idea. Recycle some electronics. Most Radio Shacks, through a partnership with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, will take your old batteries and recycle them. Recycle for Breast Cancer takes old electronics, recycles them, and donates any profits to breast cancer organizations. Enjoy your weekend.Try FREECYCLE.ORG...
One man's junk is another's treasure..
I HAVE SOME GOOD COMPUTER PERHIPERALS WITH ME WHICH I WANT TO DISPOSE BECAUSE MY NEW POSTING IS COMING TO ALGERIA.
"The Ni-Cad rechargeable batteries are far more toxic than NiMH or Lithium batteries. If you have old Ni-Cad batteries, be sure to take them to Radio Shack or any place where they accept these rechargeables.
The good news is Ni-Cad batteries have almost been phased out of the market because of their small capacity and memory problem (you have to deplete all the juice before you recharge)."
I think that anywhere they sell NiCd has to accept them for recycling/disposal. There is also a fee added to the price to pay for disposal/recycling. I could be wrong, but I remember reading that somewhere.
You don't really have to drain them before charging. You shouldn't charge them too fast (1 hour is good) or too slow (more than 1 day). You also shouldn't let them charge for too long, especially in a 1 hour charger (a 10-20 hour charger isn't as bad if you over-charge them, but it is still bad for them), and you shouldn't let them get too hot.
Google Earth for Mac
Google Earth for Windows ends its beta-test period, just as the beta for Google Earth for Mac launches. Now Mac users can look up childhood residences and other world locales in the creepy close detail that only satellite imagery offers.The system requirements for the Mac application are not small. You need Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) to run it, and recommended requirements include a 1.5-GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and 2GB of free disk space. (The minimum requirements list only a 500-MHz processor, 256MB of RAM, and 400MB of disk space.)
The new Google Earth Plus (with support for GPS devices) and Google Earth Pro (a pro-level app) are Windows only. No news yet on plans for Mac versions. For more information on Google Earth, click here.
the picture of my town 45 minutes south of cleveland, OH is from the 80s. where my house is now, there are ponds in google earth lol.
What about the Linux version?
When will it come out, if at all?
People whine and complain that their particular part of the world isn't shown well, but do they have any idea how difficult it really is to get satelite pictures from most of the world? Most companies or governments that have satelites in orbit aren't interested in taking pics from other countries for a piece of free software. Look at it this way: Feel good if you can view what you want, if not, then just wait a bit longer.
One More Thing: Apple's New MacBook Pro
As has become customary, Steve had one more trick up his sleeve: the MacBook Pro. The new notebooks will feature an Intel Core Duo (dual-core) processor that he claimed will enable MacBook Pros to be up to four times faster than current PowerBooks.
The new notebooks will also sport an integrated iSight camera above the display and ship with Apple's Front Row software and remote control. Other features include a backlit keyboard, scrolling trackpad, DVI-video output, digital audio-ins and -outs and sudden motion detector.
Apple has included its new MagSafe power connection designed to magnetically guide the power cord into place and easily disconnect should someone trip over it. This should be welcome news if, like me, you've had a friend walk past, trip on your cord and watched your notebook slide off onto the floor right in front of your eyes.
The MacBook pro will be available from $1999 starting in February. Full specifications and options can be found at Apple's Website.
For more details on other MacWorld announcements, see PC World's Editor in Chief, Harry McCracken's Techlog Blog
The biggest thing that I am glad about is that they are using EFi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Firmware_Interface
This is a new BIOS replacement developed by Intel and is a lot more like OpenFirmware that Macs have used in the past.
Now I just can't wait for the $499 Mac Mini Duo!
They should fly off the shelves.
Should also make nice light duty servers.
I'm having a dilema though, I have to get a laptop for college in fall 06, and I have my eye on a 12 inch powerbook, but now that apple came out with the intel chips, when do you think that they will come out with a 12 inch macbook pro? because if it's sometime after sept. I will be forced to get the 12 inch power book. Any suggestions?
i think it'll be really soon that apple begin shipping 12inch macbook pros. like you, i'm waiting for 12inch macbook. and i think it'll come out in the summer definitely before sept. the reason is that steve said in 2006 mac world SF that updated powerbooks will be made soon. here by updated powerbook, he means macbook pro and because he has 15in now, 12in and 17in will consequently come. it'll be before the summer ends because he also said that he expects intel macs will be shipping fully by june. so there are all the reasons to believe that 12in macbook pro will be released before the summer ends.
iMacs First To Get Intel Processors
"Starting today, the Intel chip will be set free, and get to live inside a Mac."Steve Jobs has just shown a receptive Macworld audience Apple's new Intel-based advertising campaign. Intel CEO Paul Otellini earlier joined Steve on the stage making his entrance in an Intel clean-room suit. The iMac line will feature Intel's Core Duo processor and be available in the same 17 and 20-inch sizes. The design will remain the same as current models as will pricing.
You can watch the new and rather toungue-in-cheek Apple TV spots here. Let us know what you think...
PC World Live At Macworld Expo 2006
For those who haven't seen, PC World's Editor in Chief, Harry McCracken is blogging live from the Steve Jobs keynote.I'm here also, and will be posting my thoughts as the morning progresses... as long as my battery and the Wi-Fi signal I've picked up hold out.
Steve has just finished demonstrating GarageBand's new integrated Podcast features.
There's been plenty of announcements already with no doubt more to come.
CES 2006: Parting Thoughts
This year's show felt larger than before…for a good reason. When the clock struck 4, the show floor officially closed, and toys began to be packed away, the final numbers could be tallied. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, which hosts the event, CES attracted more than 150,000 attendees--up from some 142,000 last year--and more than 2500 exhibitors. (As a point of reference, Comdex, the one-time behemoth of computer shows here in the U.S., peaked in 1998 with 212,000 attendees and 2480 exhibitors.)
Physically, the show was more spread out as well. For the first year, the show added exhibits over at the Sands Expo--making for interesting logistics for attendees trying to get from one place to the next.
The convergence I'd observed at the conclusion of last year's show seemed more complete this year. Whether you were looking at the gargantuan Microsoft or Intel booths, or the array of vendors in the South Hall of the convention center...or even checking out the displays at traditional CE companies, you couldn't help but note the overlap. More and more traditional consumer electronics companies were displaying entertainment products powered by technology--often the same technologies behind computers, too.
The pure CE companies felt less prevalent than before, as well. I still saw some incongruities, though, with off-beat home electronics vendors side-by-side tech-types.
Hot topics this year included: VoIP and Skype (accessories for Skype were everywhere); crisp, ginormous displays--topped by Panasonic, who had bragging rights on the largest plasma display at 103 inches; satellite radio; and the ongoing struggle for dominance between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD.
The show may be over, the last DVRs bundled up and plasma screens torn down, but for us consumers, it's really just the beginning. Most of the products and technologies introduced at CES--both on the show floor and behind closed doors--will be streaming to stores, and maybe even a living room near you, over the coming months. Many of these products are bound to pass through PC World's hands, so stay tuned to our site for the latest updates and reviews.
Melissa - I'm guessing the chances are pretty good that you're attending CES again this year (it will be bigger again, right?), and I'd like to extend an invite to the bloggers-only party being hosted by the Blog Business Summit team.
You can find more info about the party on our site, cesbloggers.com, if you click through to the "blogger party" page.
If you're interested in attending, shoot Teresa an email (email on blogger party page) and we'll get you set up.
A Better Way to Navigate Your TV
Having lots of television viewing options is great, but anyone who's struggled with a 30-button remote and pages after pages of ugly electronic program guides has to feel like there must be an easier way. Hillcrest Labs may just have found it.Their navigation system is certainly more attractive than most, with both TV shows and movies represented with a photo of the star or from the DVD packaging.
Their remote, shaped like a loop, but not nearly as huge as it appears in this picture, can sense its position in the air, which means you can easily manuever an on-screen pointer as you would with a mouse.
On screen, you can bring up common functions like volume control and play, pause and stop just by moving the cursor to the side or bottom of the screen. Put it all together and it was easy to navigate with the remote's minimalist controls -- a scroll wheel and two buttons.
Hillcrest is looking to sell its navigation system to television providers like cable and satellite companies.
Very nice, sleek device! I would like to try this out.
Man, wouldn't that be cool if it really worked
with all your components. Send one to Comcast!
Do yourselves all a big favor, download AVG free anti virus program. I've been using it for over a year and it works great. JUst as good ,if not better than the other two.
Just curious, Mr. Stafford... what did you decide? Are you sticking with Norton or did you choose an alternative?
For my home computer, I uninstalled Norton and installed AntiVir. It''s been fine; it connects to a server once a day, and when it does, it pops up an ad for a paid version, but it's easy to dismiss, and hey, it's free. For my laptop and my PCW work computer, I'm still using Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition, but that's because our IS dept. requires that we use it (and because it's completely transparent--it never nags me to upgrade).
AntiVir is fine because I practice safe computing--I think I got one alert in several years from Norton, and none from AntiVir.