Apple Vs. / Why Should we Care

by Pat Munro)

Recently, we saw a lawsuit by Apple against the Taiwanese phone maker HTC. It was not surprising to most, since most of us who are paying attention knew there would be some problems with the new Google Android system. It is interesting though, that Apple went after a rising smartphone company instead of the multi-billion dollar earning Google. As these lawsuits go, it will undoubtedly take several years and many millions of dollars before it even reaches the court system, let alone a judgment. But why HTC? Lets investigate.



-Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, has been quoted as saying, "We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We've decided to do something about it."



Apple is a huge company, bearing a huge household name. HTC on the other hand, is not a name most have heard of until last week. Apple and iPhones are inseperatable, whereas HTC and Google Android have just recently launched within the past year. HTC is the maker of the first Google Android powered handset, which acts similarly to the functioning of the iPhone. Access to apps, emails, outlook, anything and everything an iPhone does a Google Android phone can do. You may think that Apple took its sweet time to launch this lawsuit, and its not against the monster of Google and its technology, but its against the actual phone manufacturers technology.



It may be that Apple went for HTC because the Taiwanese company is on the rise. HTC released myTouch 3G for T-Mobile last year and its sales are soaring. It is also the maker of the Google Android Nexus One, which is getting tones of attention from consumers. Why are the Nexus Ones sales booming? Might it be because in our consumer climate, consumers like competition, comparison and choice? Apple has a monopoly on the smartphone frontier and in my opinion consumers want and will support competition every time.



In this lawsuit Apple has claimed that HTC has infringed on 20 of its patents, including touch-screens, sensors and lighting. Although Google developed and made the operating system, Apple has gone after the hardware. This in my opinion is a tactical move, considering Apple itself is embroiled in a lawsuit with the Finnish company Nokia Corp. Nokia claims they developed the technology presently being used by Apple Industrys iPhone. Apple is filing a countersuit, and so on, and so on, and so on..



In my opinion this whole technological ownership is a moot point. Companies have lawyers and thats what lawyers do, they fight. What it comes down to is the consumer. Will this affect the consumer? No, probably not anytime soon. In the long run, after this whole thing is banged out, the consumer may or may not have access to new better products which is what we all want. If Apple continues its aggression against the smaller guy, they may lose the publics love. Alternately, what is a patent if not ownership of a product or idea? Whats stopping Google from hooking up with other cell phone providers and setting them up with Android, thus setting up Google Android in every smartphone produced today? Watch this one over the next few months; it could get even more interesting.

Managed network services-- An emerging trend

by Jhoana Cooper)


The number of companies opting for managed network services is growing rapidly. From banks to telecom companies and IT companies, there is a huge demand for managed network services. Market analysts are of the opinion that after the outsourcing of software services, the next big thing is getting managed network services. However, the difference between software services and managed network services is that the later finds equal importance in the domestic market as well. Unlike managed network services, software services did not find much space in the domestic market. This is a huge impetus for managed network services providers like San Diego managed services.

The recent slump in world economy has made it a challenging time for many companies. Even some of the big names in the industry had to stop projects midway, when they were hit by recession. However, there has been a positive outlook towards managed network services. This has pushed many players to join the managed network services bandwagon. Companies in both public and private sectors are resorting to managed network services because everyone is looking for ideal management models.

Managed network services have become a vital aspect of every business, small and big. The IT infrastructure of a company needs regular updates and patches. Not being professionally trained in it can lead to serious business losses. San Diego managed services are known for the comprehensive program they have in dealing with a company’s IT issues. With San Diego managed services, one is entitled to benefits like regular data backups, networking, spyware and anti-virus removal, updates and reporting. Managed network services have become synonymous with the ultimate solution for all IT problems.

San Diego managed services use their experience and expertise to find the ideal solution for all your problems. Availing San Diego managed services cheaper than human resource. It is also the perfect way to eradicate all IT problems from their very root. The knowledge of the managed network services provider will create the perfect IT environments for the development of the business. In business, there is no cookie cutter that will provide the same solution to all IT business needs. To customize your business needs, san Diego managed services are needed.

Managed network services provide a host of other facilities like giving insights on the right kind of software for optimum progress. A good managed network services provider like San Diego managed services will have a strong back up system that will cover all emails and contracts. Once these are taken care of by the managed network services provider, you can focus on the marketing and other important factors. Most managed network services provide off-site backups, which are safe from any fire or flood happening in the office. Each time there is a query or a problem, it can be sorted out by managed network services provider like San Diego managed services. Managed network services have a fixed rate which helps one in budgeting. The employees of the company do not have to deal with IT problems, and this in turn will increase employee productivity.

All you need to know about computer tech support

by Jhoana Cooper)


With the abundance of online computer tech support service providers, no one feels the need to go to a regular repairing store. Computer tech support involves resolving all problems related to laptops and desktops. All services that deal with errors in a computer are termed as computer tech support. San Diego tech support is known for the unparallel service it provides.

Apart from repairing the computer, there are several advantages of using online computer tech support. With San Diego tech support, convenience is the name of the game. Nothing can match the computer being repaired at home. Neither does the user have to carry the computer to any distant place for repairing, nor does he waste time looking for good technicians. Technicians at computer tech support use remote desktop connection to diagnose the problem of the computer. The problems are then dealt with immediately. The most important advantage of computer tech support is that it can be availed by anyone, living in any part of the world. All one needs to have is the internet connectivity. And for people who do not have the internet connection at home, computer tech support is available over phone.

San Diego tech support is offers service for 24 hours a day in seven days a week. Unlike regular repairing shops, San Diego tech support helps people in trouble round the clock. The technicians are always ready so that all problems can be sorted out instantly. People prefer computer tech support to regular stores as the former does not take the computer away for a few days to repair it. The computer stays at home and is repaired within minutes. There are some computer tech support service providers who send their technicians to the homes of the users for immediately solving the issue. Their 24x7 service is just a call away.

With computer tech support, users can save up a lot of time and money. Seeking online assistance through computer tech support service providers like San Diego tech support can be a more cost effective option. Calling a technician at home can prove to be very expensive as some of them charge on an hourly basis. Computer tech support is available for a fixed rate. Some online service providers also have free rate offers. This means that users have to pay only if their computer issues have been solved and they are satisfied by the service.

Renowned computer tech support service providers like San Diego tech support boast of qualified technicians for solving all problems related to computers. The experience and expertise of the technicians make them capable to dealing with the most complex problems with ease. Technicians at San Diego tech support are professionally trained take care of the nastiest troubleshooting errors. Not only is the problem solved, but the user can also clarify all other queries related to computers. The main aim of San Diego tech support is to cut down on time required to repair the computers. The reliable services and the friendly reception of the computer tech support service providers make their services memorable.

Kindle Wireless Reading Device Check For Best Price Now

, by mocowiz)




User Review


By Douglas H. Haden

Excellent, but…

The packaging is elegant cardboard(!). I'm not kidding.

Since I purchased Kindle Wireless Reading Device as a gift, the kindle did not come pre-registered to an Amazon account. Naturally, I wanted to read something more interesting than the user guide; so I called customer service to see what the deal is when transferring a Kindle Wireless Reading Device from one person to another. This call ended up being a fairly extensive conversation with an intelligent and articulate service-being about a great range of issues involving ownership transfer, sharing, privacy, and copyright protection.

Here is a summary of how kindles and the material purchased for them are related. When you buy reading material, it is associated with the Amazon account, and six licenses are granted with each purchase. That means that up to six Kindle Wireless Reading Device can be associated with an account, serially or in parallel. They will all have identical access to the materials bought on that account. A kindle can be de-registered, but its licenses are then lost, and they cannot be reassigned. However, the service-being told me that she has it within her power, case by case, to override the six license limit.

This information was in response to a story I invented where the six license limit would clearly not be in Amazon's interest (nor of course in the account holder's too). If you think about this, it's not hard to see how things could get seriously confusing after a little while. Amazon may have to hire a rabbinic court to adjudicate matters. What will really happen, I think, is that Amazon, like iTunes, will have to liberalize their policies considerably, for two reasons: First, popular demand (the market speaks). Second, crackers. The Kindle Wireless Reading Device will be cracked, if it already hasn't been. That, too, is a kind of market pressure. See iTunes, see iPhone.

Thus informed, I registered the kindle to my Amazon account and immediately bought a Jared Diamond book ($6). Seconds later it was aboard the kindle. Way easy, just like they said. There's a bunch of free stuff available, too, including the Bible. Worth every penny, probably even more.

Now to the thing itself. Very, very nice. It looks good, feels good in the hand, has good buttons, which are easy to operate on purpose but not so easy accidentally. But how does it read, you ask! Extremely well. In fact, it's much easier to read than a glossy magazine because of its low-glare surface, which hardly shows fingerprints. I can read it without strain in low light, high light, bright sunlight. It is easier to hold than a real book, because it's not always trying to close itself. What's more, it's easy to change font size. Heck, who needs fonts? A couple of tolerably good robot voices will read to you, male or female, slow, medium, or fast. I tried reading to the robots but got no response. Black and white illustrations display fairly well, even photos. The kindle is the size of a medium size book, but much thinner. Its screen is the size of a small paperback.

There is an unobtrusive cursor "|" which is moved around the page with a nubbin-sized joystick (the "five-way controller"). While reading, the page's bottom line shows the first line of the built-in New Oxford American Dictionary's definition for the word after the cursor. A button click brings up the dictionary, starting with that entry. A most excellent feature.

It's very easy to page forward or backward through the text with the dedicated buttons. It takes about second to page to or fro. Faster would be even better. You can get to the Table of Contents pretty quickly and thence to the beginning of any chapter. The kindle does not recognize page numbers, since they would change radically when you change font size; so Amazon provides the notion of location which is display independent. The bottom of the page shows the percent of the way through, the current location range displayed, and the location number for the end of the text. You can go to an arbitrary location.

You can also set bookmarks and return to them. Unfortunately, if the book in question has an index, it may not be useful, because it probably trades in page numbers, not locations. However, by way of compensation, you may search for arbitrary text strings. Kindle kindly displays the context around the locations where it finds the sought string and lets you jump to any of these locations and back to the search results at will. Search works well, better even than most indexes, and can do things no index can do.

I tried reading in bed. It was much easier to hold and use the kindle than any kind of book. It was more like holding a rigid magazine.

The Kindle Wireless Reading Device comes with a charging cable. I thought, that's ok, but do I have to supply a USB cable to connect to a computer? The answer is no: The supplied device is a USB cable that plugs into a compact wall charger. Very nice.

The big drawback, so far, is the huge issue of illiberal rights management. Related to that is Amazon interposing itself between your documents and the kindle. You may not directly put documents onto your own kindle. You must send a document to Amazon for conversion to the kindle's ultra-secret proprietary format, which they then return to you via Internet for free or via 3G network for ten cents. This is a privacy and control issue and not a trivial one.

In summary, it's totally wonderful if you ignore the digital rights management and privacy issues.

Software Development Methodology - What is it Exactly

by Sheena Vc)


Software development methodology is basically the art of developing quality software. This involves series of software development process aimed towards perfecting the software. An error free, defect free, time saving and value giving product is what the methodology is after. The steps involved in engineering the development of software are a long process, which require experience and expertise. There is a lot of struggle, hard work, ideas, tweaking, testing, rinsing, repeating etc put into its production. The developers are striving to bring out the best in their line of work by updating the software versions quite often. It is now almost a challenge for the developers to update their software to slay their competition.

Software development methodology is actually the whole process undergone in the development of software. This involves series of steps like researching, planning, analyzing, designing, coding etc. In short we could say the developers are working on customizing software to the needs it has to serve. Leveraging experience, industry knowledge and technology to create software, are some of the basic norms involved in the development methodology.

Have you ever wondered how fast technology has been developing in the recent years compared to earlier times? Just imagine what technology we had just two years back and how different it is in the present day. Even our life styles have changed beyond recognition because most of our tasks have become simpler and easier, we can get things done much faster and more efficiently. One of the reasons for this is the advance in software development. Things have started happening all around us, things which were once in our wildest dreams has come in reach of our finger tips. What causes all this? You will again come up with the very same answer software development? All these happenings are due to the hard work and toil put in by teams of software developers

When we speak of software methodology what comes readily to mind is agile methodology which is a more recent term in the software industry. Meaning, just as the word suggests the ability to be agile with technology. It may also be described as being versatile with the practice or more fashionably put as changing with the changing trends. Not every industry can boast of advancing from well established practice and being accepted widely. But with software development if you can provide value then everyone will look forward to embracing you.

When particular software is developed hundreds of similar ones crop up every where so selecting the best could become an ache in the back. So if it is quality you require please stand by the time tested and experienced developers who do not compromise on quality. They will also see to it that the software is updated with newer versions and will not let you bother with such details. It is common now to see one software technology being replaced with another more advanced more developed and simpler products. Every industry has its share of software and technology developments and most of them are eagerly looking forward to what new product the software development methodology is bending on providing them.

Make My Computer Faster – How to Make My Computer Faster Right Now

by Jim Marshall)




As a computer technician, the #1 question I receive from customers is – How can I make my computer faster? My first piece of advice is always the same. Before investing hundreds even thousands of dollars on upgrades or new computers, why not make sure your computer is running at top speed first. And I will tell you, over 95% of people I have met are not utilizing the full speed of their computer.




And often times I am perplexed. After all, people spend tons of money on the latest and fanciest equipment. Yet they spend no time performing maintenance tasks. Their computer runs slow and they just ask how to make my computer faster. Well follow these three steps and you can turn your computer from a Volkswagen to a Ferrari.




Eliminate unnecessary startup programs. Every new piece of software we install thinks it should open automatically every time we start our computers. Well this is hogwash. Not only does it cause your computer to have a slow startup, it also eats up valuable RAM and gives your computer a sluggish feeling. Eliminating as many programs as possible will make your computer faster than ever.




Use the disk defragmenter. I advise people to run a disk defrag once a month. How often do you run one? What the disk defragmenter does is quickens your computers access to data. Many files are fragmented and need to be compiled into neat sections. The disk defragger will make your computer run faster when accessing and running different programs.




Clean up Windows registry. The Windows registry is one of the most complicated, important, and least understood areas of our computer. The registry contains the information to run every single piece of software and hardware in our computers. And more often than not, the directory is a complete mess. Yet at the same time because it is such a sensitive area, no one should attempt to clean their registry without the help of a program. When people ask “how to make my computer faster” the #1 biggest help is a clean and optimized Windows registry.




For computer experts, these steps should be quite easy. Those of you who are less than experts, don’t worry. I actually use a program that can perform all three of these tasks very easily. Not only will it make your computer faster, with scheduled scanning and auto repair and cleaning, you can actually completely automate the maintenance of your computer. Simply set it and forget it. Before you throw hard earned money at new equipment why not give this a shot first. Scan your computer below for free.

Speed Up Laptop – 3 Quick Steps to Speed Up My Laptop Computer

by Jim Marshall)


Are you wondering “why is my computer so slow”? Looking to speed up laptop computers overall performance? Well you have come to the right place. All computers and especially laptops slow down when they get a little wear and tear on them. Unfortunately instead of adjusting a few things, people believe they need to buy a new computer in order to increase laptop speed. This just isn’t true. You can actually speed up your laptop with these three quick steps. I will also recommend a program that can perform all three automatically for you. Speeding up your laptop was never this easy!

The first step is to run a disk defrag on your system. What a disk defragmenter does is increase the speed in which you can access information. Whenever your computer processes information it needs to jump from place to place and this takes time. Defragging your system allows your computer to stream information through one path. This will speed up laptop computers ability to access and run different programs.

The second step is to eliminate as many unnecessary startup programs as possible. Anytime you install a new program it will try to automatically start itself every time you power your computer on. This will dramatically slow down the speed your computer can start up or shutdown. These programs also eat up valuable RAM which causes the computer to be very sluggish. Eliminate all but the necessary programs and feel the incredible difference in your laptop processor speed.

The third step is to clean up registry congestion. This is without question the most important step you can take to speed up your laptop. As we download new or remove old programs our registries get congested with useless and redundant files. This clogs everything up and leaves you asking why is my computer slow? Getting rid of those unnecessary files will not only speed up your computer but prevent it from crashing in the future.

These are three steps you can do right now to get your computer running like it did out of the box. If you are a computer novice and want a program to do the work for you I highly recommend visiting the link below. Instead of spending hundreds on new upgrades or thousands on a new laptop, why not just optimize your computer to reach it’s peak performance for a fraction of the cost? Give it a try.