Smartphones – Microsoft & Nokia JOIN FORCES!

Two huge companies are getting into bed together to go against the NEW leaders in the smart phone arena. If these two very large companies do it right, I would think that both Apple and Google are going to have a fight on their hands… but will they – Can they?  To this point neither have shown themselves to be quick to market – Reason for them joining together!

The other questions is how long before we see product, Iphone 5 is coming, new Android O/S coming – things are changing quickly and can these players get into the game in time?  Microsoft already took too long to get into the mix, though they did bring a great product to market – one that people should be looking at as an alternative.

 

Related Articles

• Nokia and Microsoft team up to build ‘iPhone killer’ (thestar.com)
• Nokia, Microsoft to Join Forces, Shares Tumble (businessweek.com)
• Smartphone Wars: Nokia’s Rallying Cry (news.sky.com)

Browser – CHROME – Cool TIPS and TRICKS to surf BETTER!

Lets see you have Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari – they all have a place and some are better than others.  Firefox had the bulk of the switches from IE, but Chrome has taken over and seems to be doing a good job in staying in front.

With any software there are always short cuts and hidden feature that when we find out about them, wish we had known about a long time ago.  Well this article is a start to moving you in the right direction.

Google Chrome Cheat Sheet: 10 Tips and Tricks

Junk – Can everything be JUNK! Disposible Technology

I have been saying this for years…   No one can really keep up with technology, but companies are certainly trying to force the issue with the methods they produce product today.  It’s truly sad that we have gone down this route, might be too late to turn around though.

Companies creating product that cannot be upgraded, batteries that cannot be replaced and the quality of the product just not standing up.  This includes everything from little electronics to large appliances!

Found this great article today that I wanted to share, it positions the current situation perfectly using the products of today!

That shiny new Android phone you just bought? Yeah, it’s a piece of trash. No, I’m not some Google-hating Apple fanboy. The iPhone 4 is junk, too.

So is that giant, flat-screen 3D TV and tablet you bought in the past year. It’s trash. All trash.

Of course, everything ends up broken, obsolete and unusable at some point. The trouble is, the companies that make our consumer electronics are deliberately or carelessly decreasing the useful life of our gadgets so they can sell us another one sooner 

Gadgets: Built to Not Last READ MORE

TRICK & TIP – Gmail Accounts – If you have Multiple accounts and want to VIEW!

Nice little trick if you have multiple Gmail accounts like many tech type people do…..

Switch Between Multiple Gmail Accounts With a URL Hack

E-Mail – Outlook & Gmail SYNC – Calendars

Like many people we don’t use Outlook at home, we use the calendar that comes with our e-mail client.  Yet it would be nice to have a single place to look and see all our Calendar entries.  Lots of different calendars out there… most people use either Google or Microsoft as their primary e-mail / calendar vendor, but most people at work use Outlook.

If you can load up an application at work or get permission to install the Google Calendar Sync program then you can sync up your appointments, birthdays and special days on both services.   Simple program – not too many options and it works.  What else can you ask for.  Works with most of the versions of Outlook – sync your primary Google Calendar to Outlook or Outlook to Google calendar or both directions.

Google SYNC for Microsoft Outlook

Security – Keeping Kids SAFE – Filtering Emails & Soon Social Media

Something all parents want to do is keep our kids safe from cyberbullying, sexting and inappropriate messages which is very difficult.   There are a lot of things we can do, but we all need something else. 

Soon there will be a program called MouseMail that can filter messages on your kids smartphones.  Most kids will not be happy about it, but when are they when we as parents try to protect them from others and themselves.

ARTICLE – USATODAY – MouseMail filtering program traps kids’ cyberbullies

MouseMail’s free Web-based e-mail features will be available Thursday at MouseMail.com; the free text message filtering applications will launch that day on most major smartphones, with Apple iPhone expected to add the app soon. Later this month, a premium service will be added (no price set) that monitors social networks and lets parents look for mentions of their kids’ names.

HOW IT ALL WORKS:

• Parents add children’s e-mail accounts into the family profile page on MouseMail.com’s portal.

• MouseMail checks each e-mail against a list of approved contacts and a dictionary of suspicious or inappropriate words.

• E-mails that do not include suspicious words or phrases and are sent from approved e-mail contacts pass on to the child’s e-mail account. on Google, Yahoo or other e-mail sites. Questionable e-mails are sent to parents.

• Parents download an app to a child’s smartphone and set up the program so that they are forwarded questionable text messages. Parents can get alerts about e-mail and text messages online or on their own cellphones

MOUSEMAIL.COM

e-Books – BIG DAY for GOOGLE – NEW STORE – Google eBookstore!

One big difference with Google’s eBook store from competitors–thanks to the library scans–tons of free ebooks. For instance, there’s A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens and Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen for free.  Full ARTICLE @ TechnologyLIVE

So what e-Reader do you have and will Google’s eBooks work?

Web browsers. You can read Google eBooks on any browser with JavaScript enabled. Learn more about the Google Web Reader.

Smartphones. You can download and install the Google Books reading app for free on any US Android phone (version 2.1 (Eclair) or later) or on the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. (iOS 3.0 or later).

eReader devices. Google eBooks can be read with any dedicated eBook reader that supports the Adobe eBook platform, including the Barnes & Noble Nook™ and Readers™ from Sony. More than 85 devices support the Adobe eBook platform today including Reader™ from Sony devices (PRS-300 – PRS-700), Aluratek Libre, Astak EZ Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook™ and Nook Color™, BeBook, Bookeen, COOL-ER, Elonex eBook, HanLin eBook, IREX Digital Reader, Neolux Nuut, and more. Please see the full list of Adobe eBook Platform supported devices.

Amazon Kindle. Currently, Google eBooks are not compatible with Amazon Kindle devices, though we are open to supporting them in the future.

Looks like they have a very nice management piece included with multiple book shelves to sort and store both your purchased and Free e-books.  Will have to play with it a bit to get a better idea of how th manager works.

 I am surprised that they don’t have Kindle support which will close off today about 72% of e-readers on the market!  Might be trying to get the Store up and running for the holidays!

e-Reader – New options – Google is entering the Market

The e-Reader market just keeps getting more complicated… Lots of new readers coming with different formats and how do you make the right choice – do you wait – do you buy for Christmas this year?

Well Google might just make that choice a little easier and it might be before the end of the year.  They are going to have an online service where you can obtain your books for any of the multiple formats out there.   If they do this right many of the current makers of e-Readers might just have a hard time selling books for their products since Google will most likely have much larger selection and hopefully really competitive priced products.  Well we will just have to wait and see….

That’s my two cents on the subject!

Google’s bookstore may launch in time for the holidays

 image via assets.gearlive.com How do you decide which e-book to buy?  After all, there are Kindles, Nooks, iPads and now Google is planning their own e-book.  In fact, they are in the final stages of production. What is taking them so long?  In a recent WSJ.com article, Google product manager and director Scott Dougall said, “Because of the complexity of this project, we didn’t want to come out with something that wasn’t thorough.”  According to … Read More

via Dr. Diane Hamilton’s Blog

EMAIL – Manage your Personal Email – Get control Quickly!

As you move forward and use the internet more and more, you also register and sign up for all types of services and web sites.  By doing this you open yourself to email overload as you get emails from every one of these companies you registered with.

Would it not be great if you could arrange to have these emails plugged into a folder and not fill your inbox.  Well all email services like Hotmail, Live, Google, Yahoo mail all have filters that you can create to move these emails to folders – but you have to do the work!

There is new SERVICE that will quickly do that organization for you.  You create your folders and quickly create the relationship between email and folder on the WEB.  Currently the service works with Gmail and Yahoo – I have asked when and if other services will be added.  You get a summary email indicating which emails have been moved, it will also make suggestions on new emails you receive.

CNET Article and Review – OtherinBox

EMAIL – Facebook Email Coming!

Would you move to Facebook email if the product is polished and works well?

Currently the new user to the internet or smartphone market are typically using their internet provider emails.  Others are using Hotmail, Livemail, Google, Yahoo and a few others.  Most of these people are using Facebook though!

I have a few different email addresses for different priority and uses, but i can’t see myself moving to Facebook as my primary email address.  One key reason would be I would have no access to that email at work since I don’t have Facebook access as many others in business.  I would also be a little concerned about the security and privacy of those emails because of Facebook’s history and a number of recent issues they have had. 

What will you do!

Related Articles

• Why Facebook Mail Can Kill Gmail and Everyone Else [Facebook] (gizmodo.com)
• Facebook to launch email on Monday (financialpost.com)
• Facebook Is Launching Email On Monday (businessinsider.com)