Category Archives: Reviews

An Overview of Apple’s Snow Leopard build 10A286

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Apple’s Snow leopard build 10A286 is yet another beta update for the company’s Snow Leopard operating system. The current build number is 10A286 can change at any time, but it is rumored that the latest build is tagged 10A286. A quick look at the seed notes will tell you that the build is still not ready for release.

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Few Attractions of Snow Leopard Build to Build :

  • “Minor UI changes” to the System Preferences
  • The Keyboard Shortcuts preference pane is now considerably easier to use
  • Application footprints in Snow Leopard are significantly reduced. Almost all of the applications have been rebuilt in Cocoa and 64 bit
  • The majority of running processes are now Intel (64 bit)
  • The new Put Back feature allows deleted files to be returned to the folder they were deleted from
  • You can now navigate the folder structure in Stacks.

The following appears to be the seed notes of build 10A286 that contains some major new changes in the following areas:

QuickTime Player: has a new minimal UI and is focused on playback.

Finder: includes a new Cocoa Desktop, Info Window and Contextual Menu

Safari: Safari 4 beta is included in the seed as the default browser.

Well Known Issues

  • Remote Installs over Airport may cause panics (A workaround is to install via Ethernet or DVD.)
  • Booting from DVD install takes a long time
  • There are some settings that are not migrated from the previous system when upgrading including, file sharing, sharing name and energy saver settings.
  • In Finder issues the Icon previews will not appear on the Desktop, where selecting Clean Up does not change icon placement on the Desktop.
  • Sometimes iTunes will lock up when an iPhone is connected. A workaround is to rename or delete Library or Lockdown
  • Hibernation is not working on machines with Nvidia graphics cards and this will result in a frozen machine
  • In some cases the Time Machine UI cannot be activated in Finder and Mail.
  • The linker creates a bad image when the minimum OS target is set to Mac OS X 10.5 and weak external symbols are used. (A workaround is to set Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.6 as the minimum OS target.)
  • Xcode often crashes when navigating using the navigation buttons in documentation.
  • It is strongly recommended not to install this seed on the Nehalem Mac Pros.

Retail Malls opened by Microsoft

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The Microsoft PR team tweeted out first image to Twitpic of the Microsoft Retail Store that are opening sometime in the fall, in Scottsdale and Mission Viejo with several stores that are slated to open with more locations opening  later. In July, Microsoft’s master plan for the retail stores was leaked in a presentation.

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Microsoft’s company store on their corporate campus is a full store of Microsoft products where you can buy almost anything but a computer. The products on display are boxed copies of all their operating systems and software including, Xbox 360 bundles, games and accessories; keyboards, mice, joysticks, webcams and all that other stuff from Microsoft Hardware. There are also Zunes and Zune accessories along with T-shirts, backpacks, bags, pens and other Microsoft-brand personal accessories.

I don’t see why Microsoft does not sell computers and provide in-person support for Microsoft products like Apple does at its stores. The store doesn’t have to turn a profit, and if it’s not turning a profit it could be just be an expensive PR stunt. There is simply no way they can make near the money Apple is making at their stores, globally. They simply don’t have enough products to sell that will be in demand where it couldn’t be bought somewhere else, probably for less.

Apple built their stores to make money when they saw they couldn’t control how their products were being sold so they created their own stores (with big ticket items to sell to add profit) to control the brand and experience. There appears to be a lack of consistency among Microsoft’s various product lines which is probably true since they are all designed to be more unique which is a bad idea. However, I don’t think so especially, when you do look at the fact that Microsoft did try previously to emphasize the Microsoft and Windows connection and it wasn’t particularly a good thing.

I think the point was more that Microsoft’s several product lines do not have much of a unifying identity (Bing, Zune and Xbox 360 all have very different and unique identities)except, perhaps for Windows and Office, which do use similar fonts and color schemes and logo concepts as well. I find it slightly jarring to see these logos displayed as though they are similar when they share completely different font faces, colors and logos.

The new Facebook iPhone app: Classic Review

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The new Face book iPhone app is one of the most popular applications on Apple’s popular iPhone platform. Several iPhone users are eagerly awaiting the next version of the app and I must say that wait is almost over according to Facebook developer Joe Hewitt on Twitter.

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The app is pretty much done and Apple is just working on translating it into a bunch of languages. Therefore, very soon all iPhone users will have access to the much-improved app which is scheduled to have several features including, News Feed that is similar to the one on Facebook’s site, the ability to like items and a new customizable home screen. The new Face book iPhone app will also have video support for the iPhone 3GS, something which Hewitt added at the last second, unexpectedly.

I would advice iPhone users not to get too excited as yet Translating into languages could take a while due to which the actual release date is undecided by Apple. The new Face book iPhone app could be out next week or we could see it 6 months, tentatively. Finally, when the app is done, Facebook still has to submit it for approval in the App Store.

Note: Facebook is also finally working on an Android app.

The Pre is the only phone that does it but it can be a pain because all of your friends become contacts (which honestly nobody really wants them to become). Face book app integration for the iphone would be awesome. I want to thankApple for developing this application because most users can’t live without Facebook and Twitter. As a facebook addict, I look forward to this application as it looks great. Facebook online mobile application is soo good and I hope that will include a quickly management of groups.

Salient Features:

  • The “new” News Feed
  • Events (including the ability to RSVP)
  • Notes
  • Pages
  • Create new photo albums
  • Upload photos to any album
  • Zoom into photos
  • Easier photo tagging
  • Profile Pictures albums
  • A new home screen for easy access to all your stuff, search and notifications
  • Add your favorite profiles and pages to the home screen
  • Better Notifications that link to the comments so you can reply
  • Quickly call or text people right from the Friends page
  • Messages you are typing will be restored if you quit or are interrupted by a phone call

    P. S. The one feature that is missing is Push Notifications.

Google Wave: An Overview

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Google is making it easy to augment the power of writing with Google Wave, a new online communication and collaboration tool. Google Wave is going to have a huge impact on you as predictions of the mass adoption of the technology could usher a world-changing affect.

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My gut feeling is that Google Wave is going to achieve mass adoption for the following reasons:

Inline Replies

Google Wave is what email would be if it were invented today, so it looks a whole lot like Gmail. But all editing and commenting happen on a single copy of a given wave which is a message or document where you can make a comment on a wave below it or inline.

As You Type Live Updates

Google Wave allows you to watch your recipient live-type a response in your browser across the internet, much like instant messaging, thanks to the new HTML 5 standard and some client-server magic in Google Wave. Note: You also have the option to disable live as-you-type updating.

Wave Revision Playback

When you add someone to Google Wave after it’s been chopped up, commented on and edited by others, that person can see the evolution of that wave using the super-cool playback feature known as Wave Revision Playback. For example you can watch playback in Wave of Wikipedia page revisions happen in sequence.

Private Replies

Google Wave allows you to restrict access to a sub-Wave to certain people including, a group email you forward to an individual person to have a Private conversation.

Embed Waves into Web Pages

Google wave allows you to embed waves in web pages and collect replies and edits to those waves in your Wave client, as well as on the page itself.

Live Collaboration on a Single Wave

In Google Wave, several people can edit a wave at the same time and watch one another’s cursors dance across the page as it happens.

Live-Updating Search Results

Keyword search results live-update as others type in Google wave, too.

Contextual Spellcheck

Google Wave’s spellchecker makes smart corrections based on the context of your word where for example Google Wave auto-corrects the sentence: Icland is an icland to Iceland is an island.

Conclusion

Google Wave is an open source and extensible, surely there will be a lot more functionality added when it is available in September later this year.

An Alternative to iPod Touch Video: Zii EGG

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The Creative has launched a new Zii EGG with the marked improvement in High-Definition and 3D Graphics performance in order to enter into direct competition with Apple. In addition to excellent technical characteristics do not miss the inspired design of the Zii Plaszma Platform including,  the Zii EGG StemCell Computer, ZMS-05 System Module, ZMS-05 Media Rich Applications Processor, Plaszma OS and Plaszma SDK. The Zii Plaszma Platform supports Android and the Android SDK, giving developers the chance to use the familiar Android OS which increases the potential in software.

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The Plaszma OS is a robust, full-featured multi-tasking Operating System built on a Linux 2.6 kernel. This creates a platform for the use of native and web based apps that are accentuated by the advanced 3D media and communication capabilities of the ZMS processor and Zii Plaszma Platform.

The Zii EGG is the first handheld device that supports High-definition output of up to 1080p to HDTV. The Zii EGG features a 10 point multi-touch screen that allows developers to offer a customized device with a compelling widget-based UI. The Screen capacitive multi-touch can perceive up to 10 touches at the same time. The LCD 3.5 inches screen with a resolution of 320 × 480 pixels brings true color to the pics and videos displayed on it. It has two cameras that can also record video in HD and supports streaming video at 720p and 1080p HD via a cable directly into your TV at home. The front camera is VGA resolution that provides access to video chat as well.

The Zii EGG hardware:

  • A GPS receiver,
  • WiFi
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR,
  • Accelerometer based on 3 axes
  • Light sensor
  • Microphone
  • Speaker

Memory and Connectivity:

The Zii EGG starts with a 32GB memory which is expandable via SDHC memory card up to 64GB in total. You can also a USB 2.0 Mini-b for synchronization and charging. The battery compromises of a 1200mAh ions lition with the device measuring 115 x 62 x 12 mm and weighs 108 grams.

Pricing:

The Egg Zii offere two pricing solutions:

  • $ 199 with zero GB of memory which can be customized further with the amount of memory required.
  • $ 399 with 32GB of memory is available until supplies last.

P.S. You can more information on the official website of Zii.

Google Chrome Feature Releases: An Overview

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Google Chrome releases fewer features more often instead of making you wait 12 months for the next major Beta release with jam packed features. They get your feedback faster, fix things faster and release new improvements as soon as they are ready with more accentuated features. I feel that Google Chrome should stay nimble so it can keep pace with changes in the websites and web apps that most users use very often according their preferences.

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There are no long periods of Beta testing new features because Google adopts the usage of automatic update channels to release Google Chrome to a community of early adopters to accentuate their surfing capabilities and web apps use. The automated channels are essentially a never ending process of regularizing Beta test releases and a continuous feedback loop that lets Google rapidly develop new ideas into solid product features in order to enhance their ever growing subscriber base.

You can subscribe to one of their updated channels which should make your preference for using Google Chrome more often a never ending enjoyable experience:

  • Stable Channel: All the users are on the Stable channel when they first install Google Chrome which is updated with the new features and fixes once they have been thoroughly tested in the Beta channel. If you want a rock solid browser but do not need use of the latest features, the Stable channel is definitely for you.
  • Beta Channel: The users who like to use and help refine the latest features always subscribe to the Beta channel. Every month or in the alternating months Google promotes stable and complete features from the Dev channel to the Beta channel. The Beta channel is more stable than Dev, but seems to lack the polish one expects from a finished product.
  • Developer Channel: The Dev channel is the general preview platform where several ideas get tested and sometimes fail due to compatibility reasons. The Dev channel can be very unstable at times and the new feature releases usually require some manual configuration to be enabled in them. However, simply using Dev channel releases is an easy and practically zero effort way for all the users to help improve Google Chrome accessibility and popularity as well in order to enjoy automatic early access updates.