Quite simply, it looks as though USB is coming to an end, at least for commercial and higher security purposes, not only because of the virus and other risks but because of the threat to security that USB devices pose whenever they are plugged in. For instance, a passer-by could simply walk into a commercial business or even a school, insert a USB removable device and transfer possibly thousands of critical documents and files and leave within a few minutes.
It is because of this that the Military of Defense have banned the use of such devices and I've no doubt many other companies will have too. All that need be done is disable the USB ports on the computer and in doing so prevent their use. It goes as far as to say that there is even software [mainly LAN based] that can monitor the activity of such USB ports; such as the example below:
http://www.devicelock.com/
Another interesting piece of information that would seem to support my prediction is this article:
http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/usb-stick-fingerprint-security...
It highlights just how easy it is for thumbprint protected devices to be bypassed. Some of them can be accessed simply by using a free, open source piece of software. As, secure USB devices are a combination of three major components; the flash memory, the fingerprint reader, and the microcontroller for controlling access along with pre-installed software, the microcontroller checks for a valid reading from the fingerprint sensor and then allows access to the protected flash memory. However, it would seem that you do not need a valid fingerprint reading to gain access to the protected memory. Instead you can use the software 'PLscsi' to send a Command Descriptor Block and switch the protected memory to non-protected. It was also discovered that the microcontroller and software on the device don’t always decide on the right to access, with that task falling to the software running on the PC’s OS in some cases.
Meanwhile, the technology world has been working on wireless USB: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_USB]
It would seem to me that this technology is practically useless considering what has been said and with the drastic increase in the concern for the safety and security of documents and files..
Where is the future for USB?
Is there any alternative?
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Saturday, 4 July 2009
The battle of the Hottest smartphones for this summer!!!
The Four Contenders
Apple iPhone 3G S. Nokia N97. Palm Pre. T-Mobile myTouch 3G. Of all the smartphones recently launched and soon to be released, these four are the most closely matched -- and the most desired. Which one comes out on top?
All four smartphones have large touch displays, slim and pocketable designs and updated operating systems (in the Pre’s case, a brand-new OS). The N97 has a matte backing and a sturdy body, but it's a bit bulky due to its slide-out QWERTY keyboard. I love the Pre’s glossy (albeit easily smudged) back cover and its curved ergonomic shape, but its construction feels a little cheap.
The iPhone 3G S retains the same elegant design as the 3G model -- the only difference is that the text on the 3G S’s backing is silver rather than gray. The HTC-manufactured T-Mobile myTouch 3G has a pronounced curve at the bottom, which makes for a comfortable thumb grip.
As on the previous-generation iPhone, the Apple logo graces the back cover of the iPhone 3G S. In fact, the entire external design of the new handset is the same as that of the iPhone 3G, save for the more prominent labeling at the rear. The real changes are inside: The juiced-up processor and additional memory truly make for a speedier iPhone experience.
The Pre’s vertical slide-out QWERTY keyboard disappoints: The keys are slightly recessed, and the bezel lip on the sides and bottom often interferes with typing. Furthermore, the top row is a few millimeters too close to the edge of the slider screen, so you have to angle your fingers to press those keys. The keys also feel gummy (as those on the Palm Centro do), and they lack the clickable quality you find on RIM BlackBerry devices.
The N97’s horizontal keyboard is superior, though it isn’t perfect. The edge of the display is too close to the top row of keys, and you can't adjust the display's angle or make it lie flat. "I found pressing the keys difficult"; they're simply not raised enough for comfortable typing. The keyboard's layout is somewhat counterintuitive, too, with the spacebar placed in the lower-right corner. Even with all of those gripes, however, overall I preferred the N97’s keyboard over the Pre’s.
While I missed having a physical keyboard, as on the T-Mobile G1, I got used to the myTouch 3G’s software keyboard fairly quickly. It was a bit too tightly packed, however, making it occasionally difficult to type on. The iPhone’s portrait-oriented keyboard is slightly bigger, though it can still be hard to use. One benefit: The iPhone keyboard shows you the key you pressed; this takes a lot of the guesswork out, and makes typing (and catching errors) easier overall. Previously restricted to use in Safari, the landscape keyboard is now available in all text-heavy applications, such as Mail, Notes and Messages -- a boon to the majority of users, who prefer that orientation's more widely spaced keys.
Winner: Apple iPhone 3G S
Home Screens: Apple iPhone 3G S versus Palm Pre
The iPhone 3G S has a more traditional smartphone home screen, with icons for the various applications in a grid. The Pre, on the other hand, has a completely different setup: A Quick Launch bar runs along the bottom of the screen, giving you fast access to frequently used functions such as e-mail, contacts, the calendar or any shortcut of your choosing. You can see your wallpaper on the Pre’s home screen, too; we have this small, albeit important, detail on our iPhone OS 4.0 wish list.
Winner: Tie between Apple iPhone 3G S and Palm Pre
The Nokia N97 has widgets that update your personal Internet feeds in real time on your home screen so that you don't have to open another app to access them. My favorite, the Accuweather widget, takes advantage of the N97's built-in Assisted GPS. When I traveled from San Francisco to the slightly different microclimate of the East Bay, for example, the outdoor temperature on my home screen updated accordingly. Other widgets include Facebook, MySpace, your personal e-mail, the music player, favorite contacts, and the date and time.
The T-Mobile myTouch 3G, which runs the Android OS 1.5 update (aka “Cupcake”), also has a widget-based home screen. The myTouch 3G includes media-player, calendar, analog-clock, search and picture-frame widgets. You can also pull up the full menu (pictured here) from the home screen. While the N97’s live-feed widgets are useful, I like the overall look and customization abilities of the myTouch 3G.
Winner: T-Mobile myTouch 3G
The Pre’s deck-of-cards visualization makes multitasking simple and engaging: You can view each of your open applications at once, shuffle them any way you choose, and then discard the ones you want to close. I noticed a slight drain on the Palm Pre's battery life in my hands-on tests, but not much more than on the iPhone.
Multitasking has been a hot issue for the iPhone: During the iPhone OS 3.0 announcement, Apple said multitasking is a drain on battery life and performance. In response, the company is allowing third-party apps to utilize a push-notification system. In this setup, AIM, for example, can alert you to an instant message without your having to exit your current open app. While push notifications are a step in the right direction, it just isn’t the same as true multitasking, and therefore the Pre comes out on top.
Winner: Palm Pre
Both the T-Mobile myTouch 3G and the Nokia N97 handle true multitasking in a simple and unobtrusive way, and very differently than the Palm Pre's WebOS does. Notifications pop up along the top of the myTouch’s display, alerting you to a new IM, e-mail, app update or the like. To view all of your notifications, you simply tap and pull down the notifications menu. The Nokia handset doesn’t have a notification system (though some of your info, such as your Facebook account, does get updated in real time via the home screen’s live-feed widgets). You can manage all of your open applications by pressing Options in the lower-left corner and selecting Show open apps.
Winner: T-Mobile myTouch 3G
While the iPhone calendar application doesn’t receive a huge makeover in OS 3.0, it does get some more flexibility in terms of which calendars you can use. iPhone users can now add subscription calendars as well as those that support CalDAV servers, such as Google Calendar. The myTouch natively supports Google Calendar (obviously) and allows you to set up reminders that will pop up on your status bar via the notification system.
Winner: Tie between Apple iPhone 3G S and T-Mobile myTouch 3G
I haven’t tested the digital compasses on the N97 and the iPhone 3G S side by side yet, but based on aesthetics alone, I like Apple’s better. Why? Well, for one thing, the N97’s compass is a tiny blip in the corner of the Nokia Maps application (which is actually very well-done). I love the iPhone compass’s elegant interface -- and its integration into Google Maps on the iPhone 3G S.
Winner: Apple iPhone 3G S
Sony Walkman Turns 30
Sony Walkman Turns 30: wonderful memories of the past electronic age .
Introduced on July 1, 1979, Sony's compact cassette tape player, walkman launched portable electronics -- single-handedly.
The Sony Walkman turned 30 on July 1, amazing as much for the passage of time as it is for the fact that the Walkman brand persists today in digital audio players and cell phones.
The Walkman is at the top of our 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years list a few years ago. I suspect that even if Apple iPhone had been a contender then, I think the walkman would have won against the apple.
Walkman encapsulated more than just mobile music. It represented the possibilities of what we could take with us. And how we could capitalize on mashup music. Yep people the walkman was going to take the cassette to the top and yes sales went up to 50% above suspected guide lines.
Before the Walkman, magnetic tape recorders in the home were typically relegated to the realm of standalone components the size of TiVo today; or perhaps it was integrated into a boombox, an all-in-one radio and tape device that purported to be portable, but often was anything but portable.
When it first came out, the blue-and-silver "TPS-L2" cost $200. And before the Japanese-made English word 'Walkman' took hold, it was originally called the 'Soundabout' in the U.S., "Stowaway" in England and "Freestyle" in Australia. The TPS-L2 came with a matching blue flip-open case and lightweight headphones that didn't resemble Princess Leia's hair buns (as most headphones of that era did).
I remember that first Walkman well -- I was lucky enough to have one. I got mine when I went into the United States Army just to find that it would be stored away for 20 weeks. I've never been far from a portable music player since. My favorite memories in the beginning involved using that Walkman on long jogs when I went to advanced individual training at Fort belvoir in Virginia. I used to love the orange "hotline" button: I'd press it down and the playback volume faded into the background -- making it all the easier to eavesdrop on my folks in the front seat of the car, or multitask and answer mom even while still listening to music. That early Walkman also had left and right channel volume controls and dual headphone inputs -- handy for sharing tunes with a friend en-route to the amusement park.
Even though I remember that first Walkman being a bit bulky for one-handed operation, I also recall that its buttons were fairly logically placed and conducive for operating the device by feel. The TPS-L2 was not my only Walkman; I scored an attractive, curved cassette tape case-sized model in Japan in the mid-‘80s that was slim and super finger-friendly, with all of its buttons in a logical row. What I learned from the TPS-L2, you could say, helped inform the future consumer electronics choices I made.
A true changing of tech habits
I used the Walkman while studying, while on the school bus, to pass the time while working in the basement stacks at the library; later in life, I couldn't survive the a long distance commute without a Walkman to pass the time. Over the years, I learned to create my own mix tapes starring my favorite artists and tracks. Those tapes, and all of the blanks I consumed to create those tapes, were the precursor to the mix-CDs and iTunes playlists I'd create in the future (both of which required me to consume a different type of media). The original TPS-L2 got my imagination going, too. As a consumer I began to dream that if I could take my music with me in a Walkman, why not my video? (Yes, Sony did produce the Watchman mini-TV, but that was nowhere near the portability I envisioned.) Never mind how huge those early top-loading VCRs were in the ‘80s: I wanted to take my movies with me. It took until the Apple iPod Video made video playback easy and realistic that portable video really gained legs.
The TPS-L2 was my first Walkman, but it was certainly not my last -- I probably went through about 10 models over two-plus decades. Some were slim, some had FM and TV tuners, some could record, one was even waterproof. The TPS-L2 was built like a tank, though: It still works. Upon further thought, its last repair a decade and change ago was rather quaint: I had to replace the belts inside, as they'd dried up with age. I remember turning it into a fix-it project with my dad -- yes, just like with old cars, it once was possible for mere humans to exact a repair on an electronic device.
While I've long since switched to the joys of digital music, the Sony Walkman is one of the few gadgets I can look back on and trace how it changed my behavior and interaction with an electronic device. And of the others, even fewer stand out by name like the Walkman does.
Top 5 on why you should get a PS3
Now I am not really the one to ask for gaming advice like which is better? PS3 or Xbox 360, Because Really I don't see the difference to either of them. So anyway here is a top 5 on "Why You Should Get a PS3":
1) Upgradable HDD
A lot says that the 60GB version of The Playstation 3 is the masterpiece of all the versions. Mainly because the complete features (memory slot, reasonably big storage, backward compatibility with PS2 games) But yeah, all good things comes to an end. It's hard to get your hands on one nowadays because of some obvious reason, it's not being produced anymore. So, you're doomed? Not really. Get yourself a 40GB version, upgrade the HDD yourself (which is fairly easy, heaps of tutorials online) and voila! a playstation 3 with big storage within your budget. Not to mention the other 4 reasons why I am writing this.
2) Exclusive Games
Playstation 3 has some serious line ups. Despite the slow start, Playstation 3 has improved a lot since then. Titles like uncharted - Drake's Fortune, Heavenly Sword, Metal Gear Solid 4, Resident Evil 5, Gran Turisomo 4 just to name a few are the most played games on the Playstation 3. Along with the tilt sensitive Six Axis controller (now comes in duel shock flavor too!), Playstation 3 definitely has improved and worth considering to get one.
3) HDTV
If the Xbox 360 requirers and HDTV, then that goes double for the Playstation 3 games output fantastic visuals at 1080p, and the built in Blu-Ray player sweetens the deal. In short, Blu-Ray does to the DVD did to VHS - a big improvement. The added clarity and color accuracy will make you want to re-watch all your favorites.
HDTV's cost as little os $500 these days, and prices on larger screens continue to drop. A few years back you could expect to pay $2,000 to $3,000 for a 50" screen. Nowadays you can find one for a little more than $1,000. To properly use an HDTV, make sure to connect the console with an appropriate cable, an HDMI cable if possible, or component video cables if that isn't an option. Feel free to penny-pinch on the cables. Unless you need tremendously long cables, the cheapest will set will likely work just fine.
4) Rechargeable Controllers
The Xbox 360 requires batteries, where as thew PS3 is rechargeable, and it takes 1 hour to charge for 6 days of gaming, that says it all about the controllers really.
5) Online Gaming
Its FREE, granted that the Xbox 360 gaming experience is better, but if you just want to get online and pay nothing because you know you won't be on it much get the PS3. Perfect for that type of gaming.
So really thats it, that list was sent in by wandillup and it really comes down to what console you want, what accessories you want, I have a PS3 and I am working on getting a Xbox 360, so yep the best answer for this is get the sorta console you want for your gaming lifestyle.
1) Upgradable HDD
A lot says that the 60GB version of The Playstation 3 is the masterpiece of all the versions. Mainly because the complete features (memory slot, reasonably big storage, backward compatibility with PS2 games) But yeah, all good things comes to an end. It's hard to get your hands on one nowadays because of some obvious reason, it's not being produced anymore. So, you're doomed? Not really. Get yourself a 40GB version, upgrade the HDD yourself (which is fairly easy, heaps of tutorials online) and voila! a playstation 3 with big storage within your budget. Not to mention the other 4 reasons why I am writing this.
2) Exclusive Games
Playstation 3 has some serious line ups. Despite the slow start, Playstation 3 has improved a lot since then. Titles like uncharted - Drake's Fortune, Heavenly Sword, Metal Gear Solid 4, Resident Evil 5, Gran Turisomo 4 just to name a few are the most played games on the Playstation 3. Along with the tilt sensitive Six Axis controller (now comes in duel shock flavor too!), Playstation 3 definitely has improved and worth considering to get one.
3) HDTV
If the Xbox 360 requirers and HDTV, then that goes double for the Playstation 3 games output fantastic visuals at 1080p, and the built in Blu-Ray player sweetens the deal. In short, Blu-Ray does to the DVD did to VHS - a big improvement. The added clarity and color accuracy will make you want to re-watch all your favorites.
HDTV's cost as little os $500 these days, and prices on larger screens continue to drop. A few years back you could expect to pay $2,000 to $3,000 for a 50" screen. Nowadays you can find one for a little more than $1,000. To properly use an HDTV, make sure to connect the console with an appropriate cable, an HDMI cable if possible, or component video cables if that isn't an option. Feel free to penny-pinch on the cables. Unless you need tremendously long cables, the cheapest will set will likely work just fine.
4) Rechargeable Controllers
The Xbox 360 requires batteries, where as thew PS3 is rechargeable, and it takes 1 hour to charge for 6 days of gaming, that says it all about the controllers really.
5) Online Gaming
Its FREE, granted that the Xbox 360 gaming experience is better, but if you just want to get online and pay nothing because you know you won't be on it much get the PS3. Perfect for that type of gaming.
So really thats it, that list was sent in by wandillup and it really comes down to what console you want, what accessories you want, I have a PS3 and I am working on getting a Xbox 360, so yep the best answer for this is get the sorta console you want for your gaming lifestyle.
The Good OS
ollowing on from the release of good OS, Good has announce a new system, dubbed Cloud. It is designed to provide instant access to online services provided by Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. The software is built using the same principles as Device VM's spashtop which works alongside a traditional OS. The basic question becomes clear moving forward five years or more, is the future of the Desktop found in the cloud? As multicore processors and faster GPU's become integrated into the OS environment even more and the need to access the web beyond our homes and offices increases. What will this mean in terms of how we use our computers today? Will booting from the cloud prove faster machines and could we install literally virtual VM's to replace desktop apps instead over Abobe air ones?
What Went Wrong With Windows Vista
In October Windows 7 will come out over shadowing Windows Vista. Vista will be lost in time to be forgotten by Microsoft. Well I think we should take this time to look back at what went wrong with Vista.
Vista was in beta along time with the code name windows long horn. I do think this might have been part of Vista’s down fall because wile Microsoft window was busy trying to get Long Horn together we were happy with XP and got to know XP maybe better then any other Microsoft OS. It just became what you thought of a OS to be. Now going back to the long beta of Long Horn there were resends why it was delayed so long. Now I never was in the beta for vista but from everything that I have read and herd they basically tried to build it off of the .Net frame work and it just was not up to the task of running a OS. So a lot of the stuff we see are coming out for Windows 7 was originally part of Vista but they had to take it out because the had to start all over again and rush it out the door. Witch of course is going to lead to problems latter on.
The second Thing that cause Vista to fail was it came out in January after the holidays. Now why would they do that? Wouldn’t it have made more sences to have released it in November? Or even August when kids are going back to school or college and are looking for new computers? But no it came out in January once everything was said and done.
Now the third thing that killed Vista and this is the big one was the Mac VS PC ad’s Apple came out with. People saw these ad’s and believed every word. Most likely they believed it because they probably knew someone that had Vista the day it came out and lets face it vista had problems when it first came out, But so did XP and 2000, ME, 98, 95. So did OS 10.5 and im sure all the other meager upgrades to OS X did as well. What most people don’t know is When OS’s come out they all have problems but people saw these ad’s and believed it and that was that.
Even though when Microsoft came out with Service Pack 1 for Vista and had fixed most of the meager problems that consumers had with Vista it was to late people were ether staying with XP or moving to a Mac. This I found sad because for home users I think vista is grate I use it everyday and I have never had a problem. Though I realize Im just one person and that im sure others have had problems cause of one reason or anther.
In October windows 7 will come out now im not saying they cut Vista’s time on this Earth sort Vista has been out long enough and its time for windows 7 but what is windows 7? Windows 7 is everything Vista was suppose to be and much more there really isn’t much new under the cover but there is on the cover. Hopefully Microsoft has learned from there mistakes. Witch it seems like they have with the adds they have been putting out there like Im a PC ads and the Laptop hunter ad’s.
Lets hope that Microsoft can now but Vista be hind them and look forward towards windows 7 with things like XP mode in Windows 7 compatibility should be a thing of the past. All I really can say now is good luck Microsoft you will need it.
Vista was in beta along time with the code name windows long horn. I do think this might have been part of Vista’s down fall because wile Microsoft window was busy trying to get Long Horn together we were happy with XP and got to know XP maybe better then any other Microsoft OS. It just became what you thought of a OS to be. Now going back to the long beta of Long Horn there were resends why it was delayed so long. Now I never was in the beta for vista but from everything that I have read and herd they basically tried to build it off of the .Net frame work and it just was not up to the task of running a OS. So a lot of the stuff we see are coming out for Windows 7 was originally part of Vista but they had to take it out because the had to start all over again and rush it out the door. Witch of course is going to lead to problems latter on.
The second Thing that cause Vista to fail was it came out in January after the holidays. Now why would they do that? Wouldn’t it have made more sences to have released it in November? Or even August when kids are going back to school or college and are looking for new computers? But no it came out in January once everything was said and done.
Now the third thing that killed Vista and this is the big one was the Mac VS PC ad’s Apple came out with. People saw these ad’s and believed every word. Most likely they believed it because they probably knew someone that had Vista the day it came out and lets face it vista had problems when it first came out, But so did XP and 2000, ME, 98, 95. So did OS 10.5 and im sure all the other meager upgrades to OS X did as well. What most people don’t know is When OS’s come out they all have problems but people saw these ad’s and believed it and that was that.
Even though when Microsoft came out with Service Pack 1 for Vista and had fixed most of the meager problems that consumers had with Vista it was to late people were ether staying with XP or moving to a Mac. This I found sad because for home users I think vista is grate I use it everyday and I have never had a problem. Though I realize Im just one person and that im sure others have had problems cause of one reason or anther.
In October windows 7 will come out now im not saying they cut Vista’s time on this Earth sort Vista has been out long enough and its time for windows 7 but what is windows 7? Windows 7 is everything Vista was suppose to be and much more there really isn’t much new under the cover but there is on the cover. Hopefully Microsoft has learned from there mistakes. Witch it seems like they have with the adds they have been putting out there like Im a PC ads and the Laptop hunter ad’s.
Lets hope that Microsoft can now but Vista be hind them and look forward towards windows 7 with things like XP mode in Windows 7 compatibility should be a thing of the past. All I really can say now is good luck Microsoft you will need it.
Friday, 12 June 2009
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