May 19, 2012

Email Privacy Doesn't Exist

Everybody wants to read your mail[^]

Ever since there has been email, there has been controversy as to how private it is.

In the early years thru the 90′s many ISPs had no way of going through all of the data, so they hired 3rd party developers to create “sort-n-serve” tools that we now call search engines.

If you think that google is the only one looking for the keywords in your inbox, think again.

What do you think Hotmail, Yahoo, and AOL have been doing for years. They may not be as direct as google and TELLING you that they are doing it, but they are.

Fool yourself all u want, but the truth is everyone of the services u use wants to use your data as a way to advertise or to forcast trends and social movements.

As for me I don’t care if they read my mail, so long as I can download the file into my thunderbird app and take it with me.

The only real option for privacy is to stop using the internet and your cell phone. Yeah, good luck with that!

Is the IPAD All that its Hyped Up to Be?

To Buy or Not To Buy?

Recently Apple has released its next market changing product the IPAD. A large sized version of its recent recreation the iTouch.

With a full screen size of slightly smaller than a sheet of paper (roughly 7.5 x 9.5 inches) it is the newest tough computing addition to hit the market since the tablet pc.

I have reviewed it and looked it over in the apple stores, and I have to admin it looks sleek, is a lot lighter than a laptop, and can be very handy for mobile computing in office and data entry environments.

Is it really worth it?

After the wow factor wore off, I had to really ask myself – is this really worth it to spend another $500 for a touch tablet that can’t run most of my existing software.

Can I really justify using in a regular office environment any more than my trusty laptop has already done for me. And at a lower cost to maintain!

Think real hard and consider what you are paying for. Don’t get me wrong, if I had the money to blow on a new computing device, all shiny with the fresh out of the box smell, then yeah.

Otherwise why did I buy its older yet small cousin the iTouch for…?

It all comes down to how you use it.

I’d make a joke about how size doesn’t matter, being a guy and all, but when it comes to getting a job done (for a computer) size DOES matter.

More power, more MIPS (that’s a measurement of computing power, look it up) and storage space all add up to a well though out machine.

But the one thing that puts my wallet back in my pocket is the $500 price tag for the base model. I can buy a fully loaded laptop for that price, and I don’t have to worry about scratching the glass screen while I work on it.

So you have a choice…

You can stick with a time tested computing platform that has all the bells and whistles you can shake your wallet at.

Or you can be the first to own an untested, undetermined computer that who knows how long it will take you to see that shiny glass break and make it all come to a screeching halt.

If you have one, or would like to share your experiences with the IPAD or iTouch  leave your comments. I want to hear from you.

Twitter is NOT the Safest Network on the Net

Recently twitter and other social networking sites have come under attack.

While this is nothing new, how the attackers went about taking down one of the largest social networking sites was right out of the old school hacking textbook. Twitter having crashed and burned, suffering from a major DoS [ that's a Denial of Service attack] where the attacker has hijacked many unknowing user computers across the internet and used these unwitting machines to attack the servers and website of twitter to bring it to a screeching halt.

And you know what?

It worked, really well. People couldn’t login to send tweets, smart-phones and tweet software’s were left in disarray. It caused a lot of trouble, not just for twitter to deal with the attack, but the aftermath of the angry and frustrated users in a long history of twitter troubles.

I want to ask you the reader, Did you have trouble with your twitter account? We’re your tweets caught up in the frey that twitter’s attack caused?

Let me know by commenting.

Twitter in the Courtroom

Another software company has recently filed charges against Twitter for patent infringement. Their claim that “I did it first” is going to be tested in the courtroom, while twitter will see how the chips will fall.

It is kinda sad that a tech company that nobody has heard of has come out of the blue to sue twitter for something as trivial as sending messages to more than 1 person with a single click. However in this sue happen, I’m gonna get my due court system we have allowed it’s not surprising to see another example rear its ugly head.

I’m rooting for twitter, however the courts will decide who wins in this battle. Let the Tweets begin!

Important Tips About Mini Laptops or Netbooks

Mini Laptops, also known as netbooks have become increasingly popular these days. Their light weight and compact design is the main reason why this computers are so attractive. This acer mini laptop covers the basic features of what a computer should have. Having  a big enough hard drive ranging from 80GB up to 160GB, with quite enough processor and memory, and wireless Internet capability built right in.

In the beginning, Asus, Acer, and HP are the brands who compete for Mini Laptops. Afterwards, Toshiba, Sony and Samsung are also releasing their series of Mini Laptops. Compaq and Fujitsu catch up from competition with its new series to the Mini Family.

Mini Laptops are designed to be the ideal mobile companion for your other PC’s or laptop’s.  Mini Laptops are mean for you to easily travel without have to carry a big device.  Sync your data on your other PC in smaller device that can be carried easily.

Netbooks are about 1″ thin and 2-3lbs weight with a 10.1-inch screen display. With a Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 160GB hard drive, 3 USB ports 2.0, 5-in1 card reader, built-in webcam and microphone, VGA port, and a 92% of full-size keyboard. These small computers pack a lot of computing power in a tiny package. The only downside is they DO NOT have a CD or DVD drive built in. However it is a small price to pay for something so powerfull at a price under $400 to start with.

You can use the Netbooks for daily tasks.  They will fit in your backpack, briefcase, or purse. As mentioned before, this Mini Laptop can be used as secondary sync storage. Just connect it with your other PC or laptop wirelessly and the latest update of any files can be saved in both the mini and PC using Syncable software.

Conclusion
Netbooks or Mini Laptops are lightweight and convenient although it has slightly less memory and other lowered specifications. It not meant for the gamer or larger programs.  However, it is designed for  your mobility as well as a sync for your data from your larger computers. Both Mini Laptops and Netbooks is not designed for your main computer, it is a fine machine for your basic computing and general Internet usage.

With their lightweight, long battery life, and many built-in extras; their very hard to beat at the price. If your looking for a portable, convenient computer to get the job done a Netbook is a worthy investment. Also if you are looking for a computer for a young person, or a college bound relative, a netbook will be warmly welcomed.