If you’re still using IE (Internet Explorer), then you need to get on this ASAP. Microsoft has just released a cumulative patch that patches 10 security holes in IE, from versions 5 all the way through the current v8. Go to Windows Update now and get these installed.
Also keep in mind that you have excellent alternatives to IE. You are not forced to use it. You have Firefox, Chrome, Opera and on Macs, Safari to choose from.
Another technology that will see its latest revision usher in dramatic increases in capacity is SD cards. The latest incarnation is called SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) and has a maximum size of 2TB. Just imagine 2048GB in a card small enough to swallow.
What you need to know about SDXC
Don’t expect 2TB cards to appear just yet. 48 and 64GB cards from Panasonic and Toshiba should start appearing this Spring, with other vendors to follow closely.
You should also have some restraint; don’t rush out to buy SDXC cards without having devices that can read them. SDHC devices can read a small subset of SDXC cards only, and not at full speed.
The other major point that you should keep in mind is that only Windows 7 currently supports reading SDXC.
You can get more detailed information from the SD Card Association.
Nokia is still in 1st place in Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics. The order of the 18 companies ranked here hasn’t changed much in the past 6 months, so apparently this list isn’t enough to shame them into changing their ways.
You can take a look at the list on their site, or pull down the full PDF.
Apart from USB 3.0, there’s another new spec/update that you should keep an eye on, and that’s HDMI 1.4 [original press release]. Oh yeah, didn’t know those had versions, did ya?! Yes they do, and it can become quite confusing as products with the older technology remain in stock on store shelves.
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Verizon is overhauling their voice, text and family cell phone plans and throwing in a couple of unlimited talk plans starting at $70/mo, although their pricing, when you include data, doesn’t seem as competitive as Sprint or T-Mobile.
You be the judge, but remember that price alone doesn’t make a happy mobile customer – witness the unhappy iPhone AT&T folks!
Google is threatening to pull out of China because it recently discovered that the e-mail accounts (Gmail) of human rights activists had been accessed.
While this is just a threat at this point, we’d like to see Google actually follow through on this, and apply their company motto (“Don’t Be Evil”) in a real and very significant way.
If you follow any sort of news, you’ll know that Google announced their Nexus One phone running their Android-supported mobile OS. What’s really unique and new here is that Google is selling the handset directly, and not the carrier.
Here’s what you need to know about the phone: …
Google Releases Nexus One Android Phone – What You Need to KnowRead More »
CES 2010, the Consumer Electronics Show put together by the CEA officially opens its doors on Thursday in Las Vegas, NV. However, many press events kick off today at the show, so stay tuned as we bring you the most important news and new gadgets.
Yup, the title pretty much says it all. Ship them your old Warner Bros DVD movies and for a replacement fee (starting around $8 per disc), they will send you Blu-ray versions of those flicks.
I’m surprised at the low number of titles and you should consider first whether the upgrade price is worth it. You may not really get much additional value in the Blu-ray title.
You can find the service at the DVD2Blu website.
Head-up Displays (HUDs) are not exactly a cutting-edge technology any more. However, they still demand a great deal of space. A new HUD based on holographic projection could be squeezed into a space as small as a car’s side mirror.
Just imagine being able to see additional data, graphics or other warnings overlaid on what’s actually in your side mirror or perhaps your rearview mirror. What may be better or at least additional is a HUD display on the windscreen itself.
