Archive for May, 2009
Windows Vista SP2 available
Service pack 2 for Vista has finally been made available to the general public. It’s been ready for weeks but Microsoft has been limiting it to MSDN subscribers. Download link for 32-bit version is here. If you have 64-bit Vista, the link is here. I don’t think there is any need to rush to get [...]
Monitor your Internet usage
Did you ever wonder how much Internet bandwidth you were using? A lot of ISPs seem to be muttering about installing bandwidth caps and those videos and TV programs you watch can use a lot of bandwidth in a hurry. MakeUseOf recommends the free program Networx to see your statistics. The site gives detailed instructions [...]
How to use YouTube
YouTube is one of the most popular sites on the Internet. However, making use of its resources can be enhanced if you know some of the ins and outs. CNET’s Webware site has a useful article, An expert’s guide to YouTube.
Microsoft thinks “Bing” will top Google
Microsoft has used I don’t know how many names for its search engine. I still think of it as MSN but that was a few names back. The latest name is “Bing”. I often wonder what goes on at Microsoft advertising agencies. Anyway, Microsoft is reportedly going to spend $100 million or so on advertising [...]
Will computers ever be smarter than humans?
The debate about artificial intelligence and when or if computers will become “intelligent” or “conscious” has been going on for a long time. One problem is that the concept of “intelligence” is not well defined. Another problem is that we do not really understand how the human brain works. And the question of whether computers [...]
More sites for answers
For many, simply going to Google is adequate for getting answers to questions. If you really know how to use search terms, Google can suffice. Of course, Google just leads you to sites that may have your answers. But there are many other places that are more specialized and may make it easier to find [...]
Princeton laptop orchestra
I hadn’t realized it but right here where I live there is a very unusual orchestra. It is called the Princeton Laptop Orchestra and has 30 members. Each musician performs with a laptop and custom designed hemispherical speaker. It was founded in 2005 and was the first of its kind although it has inspired the [...]
Find out what’s changing with Google Trends
There is no question that Google has a storehouse of data that contains an incredible amount of information about the world and its inhabitants. One way of seeing what people are interested in is to track what subjects they are searching. In fact, this type of data is valuable for all sorts of things. Marketing [...]
Make Google searches more fruitful
One problem with a typical Google search is the sheer number of links that Google will find in response to a typical query. It isn’t at all unusual for the results to number over a million. Naturally, no one usually looks at more than a few dozen or so. So how do you know what [...]
Anti-malware program with different approach
It has been clear for a long time that the reactive method of defending against malware has problems. Some years ago, I wrote about the problem and suggested different ways of dealing with malware. Among these was using the behavior of software as a trigger for defense rather than relying on huge databases of signatures [...]
Dell unhappy with Windows 7 pricing
Microsoft has made no public announcement yet of what it is going to charge for Windows 7. However, by now something about the price schedule will have been indicated to OEMs and it seems Dell isn’t happy. CNET reports:
Windows 7 pricing is potentially an obstacle to Windows 7 adoption for some users, though in [...]