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Cloud Storage My Way

I have been using cloud storage since 2009 with Microsoft’s SkyDrive. I did spend some time between then and now trying to create a desktop sync without an official app. I was very unsuccessful with getting SkyDrive to have that functionality. I did try to use it for a photo backup location in the past, but using the web interface to upload files is not easy especially when you can’t upload folders. Last week Microsoft brought their cloud solution inline with the rest of their competitors and finally offer a desktop syncing solution. Now I can have a folder that lives on my computer that is an exact mirror of the cloud drive. If I need anything from that drive anywhere then it is just a quick log in to the web service. Read more

Magazines in the Digital Age

Those stacks of magazines look very unwieldy.

I used to subscribe and get various magazines in print form delivered to my house. This was fine until I wanted to bring them with me or I didn’t have time to read them. I would have a stack of magazines in my bag or pilling up on my desk. This presented a problem for me. I want to have my magazines accessable in the same manor as my books on my kindle are. I take my kindle everywhere and I can read my books on the go no matter what I am reading. I have instant access to any book I own right on my kindle. I want the same thing for magazines. I only see two options to complete this. Read more

The Digital Lifestyle

Right now we are at a crossroads with our media. Over the past 50 years the way we consume and create content has changed. If we look back at how we watched movies this is a prime example. In the 1960′s we went movie theaters to watch shows. In 1982 we could watch movies at home with VHS tapes. In the 1990s we could watch movies that were no bigger than the size of a CD. Now we can just turn on our TVs and the movies are delivered right to the set either through our cable provider or an internet streaming company. With the rise of Netflix we ask ourselves how much physical media or discs do we need? If we can get the movie we want to see delivered to our door do we need to take up space with the plastic disc we will use on occasion? For most people the answer is no.

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Moving Back To Windows 7

Since the release of Windows 8 almost a week ago I have been testing out the system and looking to find things I liek and things I don’t like. I have decide to move back to Windows 7 and my main OS because there are still some things I like to do that do not work on Windows 8. The main reason is because my Brother wireless Multi-Function Printer doesn’t work. It can print, but it can do any scanning over the network. I re-installed the drivers and tried to use drivers from the Brother website and no luck. Since I am move all my hard copies of files to the digital realm this makes that process hard to do in Windows 8. Read more

Recent Articles

1
Mar

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Impressions

Tonight the Windows 8 Consumer Preview was released. Hot off the download I upgraded my main pc from Windows 7 to Windows 8. The process took less than 30 mins to do the upgrade. The overall process to upgrade Windows was very easy and is now like 75% less clicks to install. For users that want install there own version of Windows 8 these are some very welcome options. Now lets take a look at some of the new features of Windows 8.

Start Menu - The new Start Menu is a nice and sleek look. It has some nice features like live tiles for your email. This is now the focal point of Windows. If you need access to any of your installed programs you need to go through the Start Menu. The all Apps list now is organized like it belongs on a tablet. The whole Start Menu gives me mixed feelings.

TaskBar - The taskbar has remained unchanged from Windows 7. The biggest change is there is no Start button. To access the Start Menu you have press the Windows Logo Key or hover in the lower left corner and click. This takes some getting used to.

Explorer – Explorer has gotten a ribbon in the interface that makes it so much more useful. The ribbon in explorer gives you access to many tasks you would want right at your finger tips. This is one of the best upgrades of Windows 8.

 Windows Reader - The built in pdf reader for Windows is horrible. Opening a complex pdf it shreds the images and choppily scrolls through the text portions. It really needs an upgrade to be a replacement for Adobe Reader.

That is just scratching the surface of Windows 8. There will be plenty more to check out in the coming days.

16
Feb

WordPress On The Go

Last time I wrote about the WordPress app for Android I was unimpressed with it. Since then there have been a bunch of updates that add functionality to the app. The look of the app has changed drastically. It is now a more uniformed and appealing look. The App has a nice white and black theme that really brings out the simplicity of the app. Read more »

10
Dec

The Digital Lockdown

Today we are a highly digital society. We are beginning to move away from the physical and more to the digital. I know my media buying habits have changed. I buy my music and books digitally. I buy the books I want for my miniature gaming in pdf format. Movies I still buy in physical formats because Hollywood hasn’t caught up with technology. They are packaging in a digital copy of the movie you just bought in new releases, but you are restricted to viewing it on a PC or approved mobile device that works with their DRM scheme. Thus your options are a Windows Media file or an iTunes file. This seems so backwards to me. Read more »

16
Nov

Amazon Kindle Newsstand

This week Amazon released the Kindle Fire. Along with the Kindle fire they have released their version of the newsstand. The Newsstand is basically the ability to subscribe to magazines and be able to read them on an electronic device in full color. This gives the ability to create an almost seamless transition for magazines to be converted into the digital space. The only problem right now is the magazines are only available for the Kindle Fire. I was hoping that there would be an update to Amazon’s Android Kindle app that will allow them to read the magazines. As of this posting there has bee no update released to spread this to any of Amazon’s apps. Read more »

3
Nov

The Clash of the Superphones

In this ever-changing world of smartphones we have a new class of phones called Superphones. These phones are even more powerful than smartphones. Superphones have been slowly taking over the market in the past couple of years. They have redefined what you can do with your phone. These superphones have almost completely taken over the smartphone market, with the exception of RIM still producing smartphones. Two of these superphones (Driod RAZR and Galaxy Nexus) are about to be launched against each other. Read more »

21
Oct

Android’s new coat of paint

Last night Samsung and Google announced The new Galaxy Nexus phone and Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). This is the merging of Gingerbread (2.3) and Honeycomb(3.0) into one OS. Google has fundamentally streamlined the interface and apps. They brought what they learned from Honeycomb into the phone field. There are even new features like facial recognition to unlock your phone. Read more »

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