Apple’s iPhone has just been released last month worldwide and here in the Philippines, it’s going to be launched this Aug. 22, 2008. I’ve been reading about the apps that you can use in iPhone and something caught my attention regarding Apple’s ability to spy on your iPhone and if it doesn’t like what it sees, zzzzaaapppp!!! The app you’re using is dead.

Sounds like Big Brother to me. If you’ve seen an old movie “Enemy of the State” featuring Will Smith or even “Prison Break”, you have to be concerned with what application(s) you’re running on your iPhone.

But what if not just Apple happened to get inside your iPhone but some nut-job who happen to know how to extract information from your phone? Not that it’s ok for me to let Apple spy on my iPhone in the first place. Your calls, text messages, mp3s, pictures and videos you took from a one night stand and whatever incriminating information you’ve got stored in there is now fair game.

Am I just being paranoid is there really cause to be concerned? Your privacy is now open to anyone, not just Apple. But do you really want Apple to know what app you’re using in your iPhone which btw you both paid for legally in the first place? I think there’s still a privacy issue to be dealt with here.

Well, since I can’t afford to get one right now, I’ll probably resign myself to just using my crappy Jurassic Nokia 3210 for now. It still sends text messages though, sometimes in hieroglyphics! The gift my sister gave me, a Nokia 1200 doesn’t want to send text messages anymore and when I try to call, it reboots to “enter PIN code:”. Aaaarrrggg!!!

First my pc, now my celphone, life’s a peach, really! Now, if only I can convince visitors to click on my adsense! Well, just a suggestion, I don’t want Google to indefinitely hold my adsense checks, you know what I mean.

More on iPhone’s apps:
pcworld.com
infromationweek.com
theinquirer.net

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Big Brother in Your iPhone3G

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How many of us can do what this guy has accomplished? Retiring at the ripe young age of 52 with a hundred or so billion dollars at his disposal is probably just a dream for most of us in this planet but this guy has made his mark in history.

The head of the so called “Evil Empire” is finally retiring at age 52. If you still haven’t got a clue to which person I’m referring to, it’s non other than the gazillionaire Bill Gates of Microsoft. Not bad for a Harvard dropout. He has been on the top 10 billionaire list for the past years and continues to do so.

Now that he’s retired, he will now focus his attention to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A foundation he spearheaded to help worldwide poverty, education and global health. Well, we can really benefit from the foundation, how ‘bout sending me a few millions in my bank account for starters? My account number is …….

Going back to year 1975, together with his school mate Paul Allen, they started their very first company with just 11 employees. Their main focus at that time was to produce software that would run in every PC, in every home. “Windows” was eventually created with that idea. From then on to the present, the OS is still being used in about 90% of PCs in the world.

Although they found success with their endeavor, in the late 90’s they also incurred the ire of the Justice Department and charged Microsoft with engaging in anticompetitive and exclusionary practices designed to maintain its monopoly in personal computer operating systems and to extend that monopoly to Internet browsing software. It was a long lasting battle, but since Microsoft had more than enough financial resources at their disposal, they opted to just settle the cases which got them off the hook legally.

Microsoft’s position today is not as big as it was prior to the internet. They were late in jumping into the net bandwagon in the mid 90’s that’s why Microsoft lags behind Yahoo and Google in the search engine market battle. Its latest OS version, Vista, isn’t doing any better than its predecessor, Windows XP. One reason is that the OS has become too large to accommodate the ever growing capacity needs of current hardware in the market. They might need to overhaul the entire code or might as well start with a new one from scratch to make it more adaptable to newer technology.

Be that as it may, don’t put Microsoft down and out as yet. They might come out with a big surprise in the near future. Microsoft is aiming its guns now on “cloud computing”. If you’re not familiar with the term, I wrote about it a month ago – “Cloud computing, what’s it all about…..” This area is where breaking new grounds could also bring in big profits for anyone landing on top of the heap.

In the meantime, Bill Gates is now headed on a new journey as a philanthropist with his foundation - from the head of the “Evil Empire” to the “Giving Empire”? Hmmm…. Maybe I can end this post with the slogan – “Where do you want to go today?”

Resources:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91912859
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/technology/27soft.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin

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Retire At 52

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If you think gaming turns you into a couch potato, think again. Nintendo has just come out with its latest release, the Nintendo wii-fit balance board. Wii–fit will change the way you think about gaming. It is intended to give gamers fun while keeping them fit at the same time.

Although games primarily target the younger generation, Nintendo’s wii-fit now targets the not so young generation that still wants to play games while keeping them fit as well.

Among Nintendo’s features are 40 aerobic exercises designed to improve strength, balance and complete fitness. Nintendo describes Wii Fit as a combination of fitness and fun while promoting good health. Users can take a test each day by using the Wii Balance Board accessory to measure their Body Mass Index (BMI) and body control. With a nice price tag, it sure beats other expensive exercise equipment in the market.

Read more: Nintendo’s Wii-fit Balance Board

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Nintendo Wii Fit Balance Board

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Ever heard of cloud computing? It’s basically a loose term that refers to a combination of software application and services from PCs to centralized data centers available through the internet and can be accessed on demand 24/7.

At the forefront using cloud computing technology is Amazon, Yahoo, Google, Sun, IBM and as of late, Microsoft, among others.

Microsoft recently introduced its “Live Mesh system”. Microsoft views this as a software platform in the data center for an evolving array of services, ranging from remote control of computers and electronic devices to data storage.

IBM on the other hand, has a system dubbed as “Blue Cloud”. This enables banks and other customers distribute their programs across large numbers of machines to deliver faster, more sophisticated data analysis.

Amazon, Yahoo and Google use their APIs to help users integrate their own sites seamlessly with the various services they are offering.

So if you’re interested in catching the next big wave, now is the time to join the bandwagon, who knows, you might have an idea or two that could radically change the way we do things online.

If you want to learn more about cloud computing, just visit this link.

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Cloud Computing, What’s It All About?

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If you’re fond of downloading mp3s on the net, be aware of the latest findings by Mcafee on Trojans and adware that trick users to download fake mp3 files with names such us :

preview-t-3545425-adult.mpg
preview-t-3545425-changing times earth wind .mp3
t-3545425-just got lucky.mp3

They are not real mp3 files but trojans and when you run the file, it installs a media player that infects your pc with the Mirar and NetNucleus program. There are other mp3s with different names being distributed so be careful on which site you download mp3 files.

Here are some of the names on the list: http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/index.php/2008/05/06/fake-mp3s-running-rampant/

Just when you thought you’re free from these cretins, they now discovered a new way to ruin your mp3 download habit. Oh well, at least you’ve been warned. Time to update the virus detection signatures on your anti-spyware/adware program.

Read the full story at:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145567/trojan_adware_hiding_in_mp3s_mcafee_says.html

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McAffee on Latest Mp3 Trojans and Adware

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If you’re into heavy graphics, movies, film, Garage Band or Pro Tools, start drooling now! Apple has just released its newest iMac and now sports an updated processor, more standard memory and a faster graphics card.

You can choose from systems with Intel Core2 Duo chips ranging from 2.4GHz to 2.8GHz. And to up the ante, apple is also offering a new 3GHz Intel chip plus Nvidia GeForce 8800 GS card as an option for built-to-order 24in iMac systems.

All the new iMacs will feature the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at speeds up to 3.06GHz with advanced 45-nm process technology, a faster 1066MHz system bus and 6MB of shared L2 cache. Translation: iMac runs your applications faster and more efficiently than ever before.

All but the cheapest of Apple’s three standard iMac offerings will now ship with 2GB of Ram.The $1,199 20in model will sport 1GB of Ram and an ATI Radeon 2400 XT graphics card. The $1,499 model will have a Radeon 2600 Pro card, as will the $1,799 24in iMac.

The new iMac features either a 20 or 24 inch glossy widescreen display - a flat-panel LCD screen with 1680-by-1050 resolution (20-inch) or 1920-by-1200 resolution (24-inch), giving you vivid colors and breathtaking clarity.

According to Apple, you can now view photos, movies, games, videos, and applications with palettes of perfect pixel experience.

Here are more features from Apple’s web site:

The best iMac graphics yet.

With ATI Radeon HD graphics standard, iMac delivers smooth video playback and realistic visual environments. And now you have the option to upgrade to the most powerful graphics ever available in an iMac. With the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS and 512MB of dedicated video memory, this 24-inch iMac configuration reaches a whole new, blow-you-away level of detail and realism in games, three-dimensional graphics, high-resolution photos, and high-definition video.

Massive storage. More memory standard.

iMac has up to 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 memory standard so you can run more applications simultaneously. And with a Serial ATA hard drive up to 320GB, you can load up on photos, videos, and music. The 24-inch model has a remarkable hard drive option — up to 1TB — for just about anything and everything you want to pack in.

iMac ins and outs.

Bring on your iPod, digital camera, mobile phone, and external hard drive.
If it has a cable, iMac has a place for it. You’ll find three USB 2.0 ports on iMac itself and two on the Apple Keyboard. Connect faster peripherals to the FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 ports for even more possibilities.

Built-in freedom.

Turn your house into a wireless wonderland. High-speed 802.11n wireless technology is built into iMac. And with Time Capsule or the AirPort Express Base Station, every computer in every room can connect to iMac, the Internet, and each other.

Over this network, everyone can print, surf the web, and even play music from the iTunes library through your home stereo — wirelessly.

SuperDrive.

iMac doesn’t have a disc tray. CDs and DVDs slide right into the slot-loading SuperDrive. What makes it super? You can burn your own CDs and DVDs — including double-layer DVDs — to back up data or create your own music mixes. With the SuperDrive and iDVD, you can even burn the movies you make onto a DVD and watch them on your TV.

iSight camera.

Built into the top of iMac is an iSight camera. You’ll hardly notice it’s
there until you want to launch iChat, Photo Booth, or iMovie. iSight is easy to use and highly advanced. The remarkable picture quality and color accuracy make this tiny feature huge.

Apple always comes up with the best design, form and function all rolled into one. However, this may just a bit way beyond the reach of ordinary netizens but if you got the cash and money’s not an issue, the new iMac is just begging for you to take him home.

Source: http://www.apple.com/imac/features/

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New iMac Apple’s Latest Release

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If you’re closely watching emerging trends in technology, it may take around 15-25 years before most of the technologies become part of our daily lives.

Would it be nice if you don’t have to type in keys on the keyboard and just command the computer to do whatever you want it to do, talk to who ever is online without learning a new language, or maybe own mobile devices without having to recharge it the way we do today because it charges wirelessly?

Gartner research has identified some of the technologies that would completely transform our lives such as - wireless power sources for mobile devices, automated speech translation, and computing interfaces that detect human gestures.

These are already in research and testing today and it’s just a matter of time when all will be used like the way we use our mobile phones.

However, there are still a lot of hurdles to overcome before it all becomes a reality.

Read more of the rundown of Gartner’s seven technology “grand” challenges in PC mag’s Seven Technologies That Will Transform Businesses.

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Emerging Trends in IT

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Milan’s Salone Satellite show which opened last week showcased designs from all over the world using the “Go Green” theme for items such as furniture, lamps, aquariums, kitchen utensils to laptops.

What caught my attention was a laptop PC by Fujitsu with a case manufactured from wood rather than the more traditional plastic or metal.

The laptop prototype made use of cedar wood for the case and bio-plastics for the parts. Bio-plastics are plastics produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oil rather than petroleum used in traditional plastics. Currently, Fujitsu’s Biblo NX95 laptop has a 30 percent bio-plastic case.

Although manufacturing the laptop might not be suitable for commercial purposes at this time, in reality, pursuing the use of bio-plastics might be a better alternative for manufacturers whose main goal is to have sustainable growth using “greener technology” which would be good for both the environment and industry in the long run.

Could this be the environmentally friendly laptop PC of the future?

Well, IMHO, the use of bio-plastics might be ok but the use wood might not at all be that sound. Cutting of trees releases carbon dioxide and lessens the oxygen which trees naturally produce, which certainly is not the way to go green. This might even enhance climate change. What do you think?

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Fujitsu’s Green Laptop with Wooden Case

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If you’re looking for a brand new laptop that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, here’s a couple that might interest your fancy.

Introduced early March this year, the Asus Eee laptop has several variants to choose from. Ranging from the very basic that starts at P13,900.00 to the top end for about P32,500.00 list price, roughly around $340 - $775.

The other new kid on the block is the Neo eXplore X1 series. It costs around P16,998.00 ($380-$404) but if you try to shop around, you can get it for around P1,000 less. The Neo basically has almost the same specs as the Asus Eee, only difference is, that it has a 30GB PATA HD storage compared to the 2-8 gig solid state device of the Asus.

From what I’ve dug thus far, upon close scrutiny, comments on the laptop compared Neo to a toy laptop for kids that has tiny keys making it difficult to use, or some sort of China made knockoff, although it has more storage than Asus, the lack of vga-output is a deal breaker for some, especially if their work requires a lot of presentation.

Although Asus has a better look and feel in its design compared to the Neo, the use of preloaded Linux for its OS doesn’t seem to sit well with tech savy users, unlike Neo which has Windows XP starter preinstalled. That will most likely change in the coming months since other users are already modding their Asus with Windows Os making it function similar to high end laptops.

Update: Asus is coming out with a 9” wvga screen on their Eee series.

Here are their specs:

Asus Eee specs:

• Value EEE 2G - White - no camera
• Value EEE 701 4G - White ; Black / Pink / Green / Pink
• Value EEE 701 8G - white

• Intel® Celeron® M CPU
• 512Mb DDR2 667MHz
• 2, 4, 8.0Gb Solid State Device
• NO int. Optical Disk Drive
• Input/Output - 3 x USB 2.0, 1 x vga, 1 x RJ-45
• Audio speakers - line in/out
• Integrated 10/100 Network card, Wireless LAN
• 7in. WVGA / Wi-Fi G
• with camera
• SD SLOT - SD card, Multimedia Card, SDHC card/ Pouch / high Cell Batt.
• Dimensions - 8.86in(W) x 0.79in(H) x 6.3(D)
• Weight - approx. 2lbs.
• Linux XANDROS / Open Office

Neo eXplore X1 specs:

• Technology Intel Celeron Mobile
• CPU Celeron M 353
• Cpu Details 900Hz. 400Mhz FSB
• Core Logic Intel GMS910 + ICH6-M
• Wireless 802.11 b/g
• Operating System XP Starter
• Office Productivity NONE
• Memory 512 MB
• Screen 7″ 800 x 480
• Resolution 800 x 480
• Graphics GMA 900
• Storage 30GB PATA
• Optical Drive NONE
• LAN 10/100 Mbps
• Modem NONE
• USB 2 x USB Ports
• Firewire NONE
• Bluetooth NONE
• S-Video TV out NONE
• Card Reader SD/MMC
• Webcam NONE
• Fingerprint / TPM TPM
• Battery 6-cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Dimensions 245 (W) x 196 (D) x 44
• Weight (Approx) < 1.45kg
• Carry Bag NONE

In the end, after all the dust has settled, you’ll most likely choose one that will suit your purpose, budget, needs and taste.

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Budget Laptops

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