Google’s GDrive

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Mark Urbin

The rumors are flying hot and heavy that Google will start offering online storage.  Ya, you get space with Gmail and with their online photo storage service, but this would be generic storage space.

It will be interesting to see how much ‘free’ space Google offers and how much they will charge for additional space.  Online storage sites have come and gone, so it will be interesting to see what Google’s business plan is.

Personally, I see this as useful for road warriors.  Keep your data in the cloud access it when you need it from your netbook.   For back up, it could be useful, but there are services that do this already and are optimized for backups.   

This will become interesting when the GDrive integrates with Google docs and I’m accessing it on a netbook running Android.

Filed under: Google, Internet, tech rumors | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Sound and Printing

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Mark Urbin

For just shy of $45, including tax, I have Windows7 producing actual sound.  Listening to unencrypted MP3s (the way music should be formated).  All it took was a new sound card and a set of cheap speakers.  (my Bose Companion 5 speakers are hooked up to my main system).

Getting my Samsung color laser printer running easier.  I just plugged it in.  Windows7 tracked down the correct drivers online and autoinstalled them.

OpenOffice installed cleanly, So I have basic Office software functionality, music, and printing on an old hardware platform that would have been unusable running Vista.  This speaks well of the focused effort to cut unneeded code out of Windows7.

So far I’m just running a weather and system resources widget.  Any suggestions for useful widgets?

Filed under: Microsoft, Operating Systems, Windows7 | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Windows7 Beta

Posted on January 15, 2009 by Mark Urbin

I have the BETA version of Windows7 running on my old Dell desktop.

Not too shabby, and the response time is as good as it was running XP.

The one glitch so far is no Window7 driver for my old sound card.  I’ve only installed Firefox so far.  I’m using it now to post this and do some twittering.   Open Office has to wait till tomorrow.

Filed under: Microsoft | Tagged: , , | 5 Comments »

Non-Safari browsers for the iPhone

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Mark Urbin

Apple is now allowing third party browsers on the iPhone.

Don’t get too excited, these are all Safari based browsers.  

When I can load Opera, Chrome or Firefox on my iPhone, that will be a real crack in Apple’s control over the device.

Filed under: Apple, Gadget, Internet, iPhone, Smart Phone | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Telsa Motors expands its business

Posted on January 13, 2009 by Mark Urbin

Telsa Motors has signed a contract with Daimler to supply the electric power train for Daimler’s Smart mini-car.

A good move for Telsa, since it opens up another revnue stream.

Filed under: alternate fuel cars | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

The Palm Pre

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Mark Urbin

Palm has announced their new smartphone, the Pre.   It’s not out yet, but it does look interesting.  Big color screen, a slide out physical keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, calendar/email synch, accelerometer, 3 Megapixil camera, 8 Gig RAM, USB connector and support for additional add on memory.  

It looks like Palm is stepping up the plate in challenging the iPhone and phones using Google’s Android OS.   It will be interesting to see how the OS holds up under actual use and the application support.  Palm has a very deep application pool to draw from.  How compatible this OS is with the API for the old OS will effect how much of that application pool the Pre can draw from.

Filed under: cell phone tech, Gadget, Palm, PDA | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »