Web 2.0
Web 2.0 and other buzzwords
If you are like me, you get tired of all the jargon and buzzwords that proliferate like weeds on the technology scene. Web 2.0, cloud computing, tweeting, what’s it all mean? Lately, there has been talk that Web 2.0 is dead. Since most Web users have never had a clear idea of what Web 2.0 [...]
Privacy group wants Google investigated
The New York Times reports:
The Electronic Privacy Information Center formally asked the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday to investigate the privacy and security safeguards of Gmail, Google Docs and other so-called cloud computing services offered by Google to consumers.
How about you? Are you worried about Google’s safeguards?
Making diagrams on the Web
Do you ever need to put a diagram up on the Web? TechCrunch recommends a program called Lovely Charts:
If you’ve ever looked for an easy, intuitive online diagram creation tool, you know how hard it is to find one. LovelyCharts is a brand new application poised to become the default online drawing tool for amazing [...]
A paperless life
The long-heralded paperless office hasn’t really arrived so far. How about our personal records? How much of our life can we commit to digital record-keeping? Is it safe? At Computerworld, Mike Elgan describes his efforts to go paperless:
As a kind of “lifestyle experiment,” I’ve been trying to completely eliminate paper as a data storage medium [...]
The Google Tip Jar
Google has another new site; this one is called the “Tip Jar”. No, it isn’t a place to leave money, it’s a place for tips on how to save money. Then people get to vote on how good the tips actually are. Here’s Google’s description:
Ideas are everywhere, but how do we know which ones actually [...]
Microsoft “pay as you go” scheme
Microsoft has applied for a patent that allows the metering of PC software usage. Computerworld reports:
Microsoft Corp. last week applied for a patent that spells out a “pay as you go” concept under which users would be charged for both the software they run and the computing horsepower they use.
According to the patent application filed [...]
Windows Live
Microsoft has attached the tag “Live” to many different things in the past few years and now there is something called “Windows Live”. It is a way to collect together various Web-based services. Katherine Boehret of the Mossberg Solution writes:
If you use the Internet regularly, your activities are likely spread out all over the Web. [...]
Quicken online
The financial software Quicken isn’t confined to the desktop. There is also a free online version and it has just been revised. Ars Technica reviews the service and compares it with Mint.com:
After a quick go-around with Quicken Online’s new features and redesign, we’re inclined to call it a more mature product that competes much better [...]
The economic impact on Web sites
The bad economic situation is going to affect a lot of businesses and Web sites that rely on advertising are no exception. Webware lists 11 sites that it says are in trouble and the list includes contains some surprising names, including Twitter, Second Life and Skype.
Social media everywhere
I have not personally been attracted to the social media phenomenon but it is a major component of the Web for many people. Search Engine Land discusses how the interactive social media sites have grown and are even invading traditional media:
Over the last few years we have seen a real explosion of social media sites [...]
Web email password reset danger
Recent news about vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin having her Yahoo email account hacked illustrates a weak point in the security of many Web based services. Many services allow you to request a new password if you have forgotten your existing one. Usually, the only information needed to obtain a new password is the login name [...]
