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new technology
discussion on new technology

Type: Public
Created: 03-31-2007
Total Members: 40
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Offline mrannals
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new technology Most Recent Blog  (Write a new entry)
Offline lugiamania
Subject: New Skype Beta 2.8
Date: Jul 10, 2009 00:00
Visible to: Public - Everyone
 
There's a new version of Skype that's available for download on Skype's webpage, a beta version 2.8. for the Mac OS X only. While most things have stayed the same, there's been a cosmetic facelift for the interface, with a more edgy, brushed-aluminum scheme, and redesigned buttons on the chat window. Overall, it gives Skype a more polished, "cooler" look, not that there was anything wrong with the previous one.

However, the most notable new feature on this beta is a "share" feature, which allows users to share their desktops with whomever they are talking to. Users can chose to either share parts of their computer screen, or the whole thing, and a separate window will pop up on their correspondent's side, where they can see everything the other person is doing on their computer. Trying it out with a friend, we were able to view each other's desktop simultaneously with little noticeable lag in the screens, although there were some. This can be extremely useful for sharing information that's not easily screen-captured or written out, such as how-to's and tutorials. Suppose you were trying to teach a friend how to install a program on their computer. Instead of going over to their house, you can boot up Skype, share your screen with them, and show them how to do it on your own computer, while they watch. On the flip side, users should be aware and remember when they are sharing screens, lest you accidently share unwanted information with the other person.
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Offline lugiamania
Subject: New Fears of Drive-by-Downloads
Date: Jul 08, 2009 00:00
Visible to: Public - Everyone
 
Hackers and spyware have been around on the Internet for ages, and it's common knowledge that those surfing the Web have to be careful around suspicious sites and downloads. But after reading about how a Web site run by the producers of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood", was a target for hackers, it seems that it's no longer enough just to be cautious around free-download and other suspicious sites. And now, visitors don't even have to download anything to receive malicious software; just by visiting a Web site, the software is automatically downloaded onto the computer without the user's knowledge. With that software, the hacker can them implant a variety of programs to steal sensitive information and passwords, or turn the computer into a "botnet", a collection of terminals used for criminal purposes like scams or phishing.

Of course, users can protect themselves by keeping up to date with the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware software on their computers, as well as being careful of visiting sites that are flagged as potentially dangerous by search engines. But the idea of all types of popular sites being used for Drive-by-Downloads is disheartening, because it seems that it's much more difficult to avoid. Nowadays, they number of sites turning up with suspicious material is quickly increasing, and it seems the only way to avoid them is to not go online at all. But in an age where email is a vital communication tool, and a bulk of activities are conducted online, that seems very unlikely. It's scary to think that just visiting your favorite site may infect you with a malicious spyware, but unfortunately, it's just part of the reality of having to deal with an increasingly digital age.
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Offline lugiamania
Subject: Kosmix Looks to Organize Information Online
Date: Jun 26, 2009 11:14
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With so many different information outlets online these days, it can be tough to know just which site to turn to. Wikipedia can be good for general information, while social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook often have the latest information. Google is a great all around search engine, but may not have specific enough results. And what about those media sites like YouTube and Google Images?

Enter Kosmix.com, a new startup that aims to simplify web searches by compiling information from many different web sites all onto one page. For example, a search for "Metal Gear Solid 4" brings up a snippet of the Wikipedia entry for Metal Gear Solid 4, along with a box with videos from YouTube.com, and thumbnails of images from Google. There are also links to news articles, sponsored links for shopping items related to Metal Gear Solid 4, and even a box with a web search from Google. On the top of the page are links to the different types of information Kosmix can display, such as Reference, Media, Conversations, News & Blogs, Shopping and Web Search.

Kosmix is unique in the sense that it doesn't try to compete with already established and large search engines, an arena where many others have failed. Instead, it uses them, and grabs information from all of them to create its own site, making it much easier for users to receive all sorts of information all at once.
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Offline lugiamania
Subject: Hunch.com Tries for More Personalized Answers
Date: Jun 24, 2009 11:04
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Search engines are certainly an extremely handy and helpful invention with the age of the Internet, but sometimes, they don't always give us the answers we want. While we can easily find and look up factual information, such as how far the nearest supermarket is, or how deep the Grand Canyon is, more personalized questions, such as "What should I buy for my friend's birthday?" or "Should I visit Greece or Italy this summer?", are harder for search engines to answer. AskJeeves, now Ask.com, once had this question type of search engine, but it failed miserably.

However, Hunch.com uses a system that gathers personal data from the user first, and then bases its answers off of the data the user supplies. This way, users can ask questions and get a response similar to asking a librarian or sales clerk in a store. They can get personalized recommendations or suggestions based on their own preferences. Therefore, before getting an actual answer, Hunch.com will ask the user a number of questions relating on the type of question asked, such as lifestyle habits, personal preferences, experiences, etc. Only then will it make a recommendation or suggestion. In order to provide such personalized responses, users have to create a profile and answer a series of questions first. Users can answer up to 1,200 questions and have their answers entered into the database, to help further refine Hunch's answers. Users can delete their information and data at any time.

The idea is that by collecting data from a large group of people, Hunch.com can then begin to see and use correlations to make better recommendations. For example, there might be a correlation between people who own dogs and those who like to go hiking, so if a user who owned a dog asked if he should go hiking with some friends, Hunch.com might recommend that he do so. While it is still too early to see if Hunch.com will succeed where many others have failed, it certainly has a unique enough system that might just give it an edge over the rest.
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Offline mrannals
Subject: iTunes Lets Record Labels Try Variable Pricing
Date: Jun 22, 2009 11:10
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When Apple decided in April to give record labels the option of setting different prices for their songs on iTunes, a number of companies leapt on the opportunity and raised the prices for popular tracks by 20% to 30%, accordintg to a Reuters report.



http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1708978/itunes_lets_record_labels_t ry_variable_song_pricing/index.html
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