Category: Software
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to star on US version of Dancing with the Stars
Now, to us lot, The Woz is a true star. He started up Apple with Steve Jobs in the 1970s, designed and built the original Apple and Apple II computers, before officially leaving the company in 1987 – but remaining a popular commenter on Apple issues to this very day.
But is he really famous enough to become a reality star? Apparently so, with the bearded Wozniak signed up to appear on the US treatment of Dancing with the Stars, the latest in abysmal TV shows to feature famous people literally DANCING FOR OUR AMUSEMENT…
Extensions for Chrome confirmed
Google’s Chrome software, which is already my browser of choice, is getting extensions by May. No, not hair extensions. Little bits of software that do stuff in the browser that isn’t built in.
Now, Firefox users (the majority of our readership) will know about these, because they’ve been available since launch on that browser, but if you’re on Internet Explorer you may not be aware. These plugins enhance the browser’s functionality, adding weather info, toolbars, or various other features.
Those of you who aren’t using Chrome, would the addition of extensions make you give it another try? Chrome users – is this a good move, or will it slow down the blazing speed of the browser? Let us know in the comments.
Chrome (via Google Operating System)
More on Chrome: HOW-TO: Tweak Chrome to get the newest features early | Still searching for reasons to switch to Google Chrome
Photoshop Magnets – for your geeky designer Valentine
Do you, or someone you know, spend a little bit too much time in Photoshop, tweaking those digital camera images a little more until you really can’t see the difference any more? Well, here’s the perfect birthday present, or Valentine’s gift, I suppose. It’s a set of magnets that look like the myriad of menus and toolbars that come in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
Brazillian company Meninos sell these magnets on their own for $25, with a 20″ magnetic whiteboard for $65, and with a 40″ whiteboard for $95. That seems rather on the bargainous side, to me. Just a pre-order for the moment, though – they’ll be shipping on Feb 15th, so your Valentine will have to make do with an order confirmation until it arrives.
Meninos (via Technabob)
Related posts: Scientists on Google Earth discover that cows are magnetic | Tetrius Magnet Set
Celebrity Twitter user Stephen Fry in LIVE LIFT TRAP SENSATION
Stephen Fry, who has gone from obscure advert voice-over man and trainee Peter Ustinov to become the WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS PERSON thanks to his embracing of the tech world and Twitter in particular, has, once again, done it.
He got stuck in a lift.
Fortunately, there was a mobile signal available…
How to: Fix your parents' PC remotely with TeamViewer
Teamviewer did a fantastic job this morning when I used to it to help my Dad troubleshoot a network issue. Despite him living in a remote village in eastern France, I was able to quickly and securely view his desktop. If I’d wanted to, I’d have been able to conduct a presentation, transfer a file, or join a VPN.
All he needed to do was install a small program, and give me a userID and password. Seriously – if my Dad could manage it, then it can’t have been tricky. It’s free for non-commercial use, and very functional. I can’t recommend it enough.
Now all you need to know is how to actually fix the damn thing. For that, I recommend this guide from Lifehacker. Good luck, and don’t forget to set their homepage to Tech Digest when you’re done.
Related posts: Skype 4 for Windows now available | Google Earth adds oceans, hits 5.0
Skype 4 for Windows now available
Skype has just announced “the most distinctive new release” of its communications software for Windows.
Version four claims to offer far better full screen video calling as well as optimising itself depending upon your PCs specifications. Those with at least a dual core processor, fast broadband connection and Skype-certified video webcam can get up to 30fps high quality video.
More importantly for many will be improved audio quality. Thanks to a new codec, there’s wideband audio quality but using 50% less bandwidth than in previous versions. There’s even super wideband audio for those with compatible headsets and fast broadband…
Google Earth adds oceans, hits 5.0
James Cook. Ferdinand Magellan. Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Hannu. Want to count yourself among their ranks? You could do worse than installing the new version of Google Earth – which features the oceans.
Previously, 70% of the earth’s surface in Google Earth was just covered with a basic blue blob. It vaguely reflected what was below, but not in any detail, especially when compared to Google’s land coverage. Well, now you can explore the seas in huge detail. You can even go below the surface and view data points – video, photos and text of ocean life and expeditions.
Fennec, aka Firefox Mobile, hits phones next week
There’s a lot of people out there, particularly users of Windows Mobile devices, waiting patiently for Firefox Mobile. As Microsoft continues to alienate its users by refusing to allow them to upgrade mobile IE without buying a new phone, a free, open source alternative’s going to look very attractive.
Well, if you’re in that camp, then you don’t have too long to wait. Internal Mozilla documentation suggests that Fennec should see an outing next week, initially on the HTC Touch Pro. There’s touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions, and it’s expected to appear on other Windows Mobile devices over the forthcoming months. I’m looking forward to an S60 version.
Fennec (via ShinyShiny)
Related posts: Mobile Internet Explorer 6 not available as an upgrade | Mozilla releases first alpha of Firefox for mobiles aka Fennec
Mozilla and Wikimedia Foundation throw their weight behind open source web video
Pay attention, because this one’s important. Web video has issues. It has issues because it’s closed, and proprietary. The vast majority of web video is delivered in the Flash format, which owned by Adobe. This means that video sites have to suffer restrictions and pay license fees. Wouldn’t it be better if there was an open source version?
Enter Theora. It’s an open-source video codec which, when combined with the Vorbis audio codec and the .OGG file format, could replace Flash as the dominant form for web video.
Internet Explorer 8 release candidate now available
Internet Explorer’s been in beta for a while now – nearly six months – so it’s nice to see that it’s finally made its way into a release candidate form. If you’re bored of the Windows 7 beta already, then why not give it a spin?
Since we last reported on it, the ‘compatibility mode’ has become automatic – switching whenever the IE8 engine can’t render a page properly, rather than having to be triggered on demand. There’s also built-in clickjacking prevention, and Microsoft has updated the InPrivate (porn) mode and the filtering system.
