This is going to be a quick one. In my last post (almost two weeks ago, I know) I showed a "leaked" photo of the HTC Touch HD. We know that info travels fast in the tech universe, so it's not surprising that a lot more is available about this supersweet device. To date, there's nothing definite about plans to bring this baby to the U.S., though it's being released in Europe right now, and will likely follow the typical "let's get it out everywhere BEFORE North America" template. This YouTube video podcast from France has been out for over a week, but unless you speak French, you can only ooh and ahh, and wipe the drool from your keyboard. However, this dubbed English version clears things up for me:
I'm not gonna say iPhone killer (bandied about way too much in my opinion) but aside from the fact that it doesn't have a physical slide out QWERTY keyboard, this could be one for me to watch. Stay tuned!
Yeah, I'm drooling; and it's good that I am too poor right now to actively pursue any of these PDA/Smartphone devices...it gives me time to keep a cool head and make an informed, practical decision later.
Before I get to the latest suddenly-announced HTC touchscreen Smartphone, let me update the two that I discussed in a previous entry. First, there's now confirmation on the HTC Touch Pro for U.S. Carriers. It's going to be released next month by Sprint, (see Sprint-branded photo at left) and you can read about it at Gizmodo. It's also coming to AT&T as the HTC Touch Fuze, though no release date has been confirmed. Engadget has the latest info on that.
Also in my earlier post, I lusted after the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, which is certainly a more physically attractive option for the Windows Mobile side-sliding QWERTY-keyboard form factor. Releases will first hit Europe, Asia, and most other countries BESIDES the U.S. (no surprise there), starting on Sept. 30. Then there's the marketing for the Xperia X1, and it's already becoming viral. In addition to a webcast on Monday, Sept 15, Sony Ericsson will pitch this delicious gadget with a series of Fictional Adventure/Thriller Webisodes about a character named Johnny X. Gizmodo (again...hey, I love Giz) is where I spotted that juicy tidbit. By the way, to give you an idea of those "Johnny X" webisodes, here's an exciting trailer from YouTube:
Now, for that latest "out of the blue" announcement. Seems HTC was able to keep this a secret for a while. They've come up with what appears to be the most relevant competitor to the iPhone to date. Its unofficial moniker is HTC Touch HD (check the "spy photo" to the left that I found...uhhh, somewhere), and it's pretty much all touchscreen (reported at 4"). Its physical dimensions are very similar to the iPhone, including a minimalistic physical button set. Since it's supposed to run Windows Mobile OS, this will make it a consideration for those who want an iPhone type device that has actual, practical productivity capabilities...not just workarounds. For more detailed info, Head over to Boy Genius Report. For me, the decision on this will be whether I want a physical keyboard or an onscreen one.
That's about it for now (like that's not enough). Of course, I'll keep you posted so you, too, can be infected with the "ME WANT" disease.
Coming Soon: I'm No Fanboy...I Just Use What Works, What The Heck is Mojave? and Should I Be Using YouMail? Read more...
The fact that Photoshop (Adobe) has become a generic verb, like Google (as in, Google it) shows that many people are familiar with its function as image manipulation software. Its pricing, however, makes it practical only for professional use. I personally don't know anyone who has it installed on their computer for their own personal use because of the great expense involved. I do know there are many who would like to have the ability to do more with their photos/images than the basics offered by pre-installed programs like Microsoft's Paint. I know, because I'm one of them.
For us, there is Paint.net. It's not new, of course, and it's not necessarily a secret. This open-source freeware has been available for a few years and already has a substantial user base. If you're not already one of them, read on, because there just aren't many valid reasons NOT to have Paint.net handy on your computer.
While it certainly doesn't do every single thing Photoshop does, Paint.net has more than enough capabilities and features to satisfy everyone from the most basic to the more advanced users. This, coupled with the fact that it's FREE makes it a more than worthy alternative to paying hundreds of dollars for an imaging software with features you may never use. It's also a practical alternative to other freeware alternatives like GIMP, which many find more comparable to Photoshop, though many average users find the GIMP user interface difficult to learn and use.
Some that I have talked to about the generous feature set on Paint.net have been uncertain about difficulty. Truly, that's hardly an issue. Keep in mind the fact that I'm no high-toned tech geek, so when I first installed it, I used it mostly for simple photo editing. Now that I've used it for a little while, I'm learning how to make professional-looking graphic images for book cover art. Translation: If I can do it, so can you.
Now, let's talk about some of those features: Simple User Interface shortens that pesky learning curve and gives you the confidence to explore your own creativity, actually increasing your proficiency Impressive Tools and Effects not commonly found in free image editing freeware, like layering, unlimited undo/history, and special effects Expansive Online Support from the Paint.net developers and an ever-growing community of basic, intermediate, and advanced users means there's always someone to turn to when you need it, and offers you the opportunity to share what you know Timely Software Updating gives you the benefit of the developers' ongoing improvements, keeping you abreast of those changes frequently, without intrusive update alerts every single time you use Paint.net
So, here's the part where I direct you to all the info/exploration goodness. First, you need to know that it's currently available for Windows only. To date, the minimum system requirements are: Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or later), Windows Vista, or Windows Server (2003 Service Pack 1 or later). A great place to start, of course, is CNET Download.com reviews. While you're there, you can snag yourself a copy of the latest version. You can also check out the Paint.net main site, if you'd rather do that first.
While you're still here, though, here's a YouTube teaser of what Paint.net can do:
Coming Soon: Another Just-Announced Smartphone Catches my Eye, Bill Gates And Jerry Seinfeld in a Shoestore (What's up with that?), and I Just Found Apple-esque Desktop Docks For Windows...But Do I NEED One?
So Yesterday (Tuesday, September 2) Google's entry into the Browser wars, Google Chrome (beta) became available to the masses. It boasts several slick features; a simple user interface, speedy load times, tabs that can be dragged into another window, combining open browser windows, the list goes on. It's obvious this is Google's Gauntlet, thrown down before Windows Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, Firefox, etc...especially since some of Chrome's coolest features are "inspired" by similar elements of those other browsers. For a rundown on that, take a look at this Gizmodo Post. Seems that Google now has (another) great application in their already impressive arsenal of services. Maybe they are bent on world domination, or maybe they're just trying to offer end users more choices in the world of tech. It's just a question of your viewpoint (potayto, potahto). I don't have any need or desire to try it out myself, since I've already fallen in love with Mozilla Firefox 3 and still have Internet Explorer 7 installed, though rarely used in the last few weeks, mostly as a backup to be used in the event my Firefox has some sort of unthinkable epic fail situation.
Today, however, all is not calm. Some eagle-eyed end user spotted "suspicious" wording in the Google Chrome EULA (End User License Agreement), which, at first glance, raises questions about content ownership. If you want to click over to Gizmodo's news item on the Google Chrome EULA, where I spotted it, you'll see that it certainly throws a shadow on user privacy/content issues. Also, you can see that there is a discussion going on in the comments section of that Gizmodo article. I'm sure there are similar discussions going on wherever this topic has been posted. I'm not fluent in legalese, but it can hardly be said that Google Chrome is the only place you find such ominous-sounding Terms of Service. After looking at the relevant section on the Chrome EULA posted in the Gizmodo story, and revisiting the terms of service of this very Blogger account, it's very similar.
Here is my understanding of the whole "sordid" issue. There's not a whole lot to worry about in terms of content ownership or intellectual property. In these terms of service, which we can understand as being the same across the range of Google services and applications, Google states that they lay NO claim to content ownership. They DO state that your entry into the agreement allows them to use portions of a user's content FOR PURPOSES OF ADVERTISING GOOGLE SERVICES. Now, I'm not going to slam Gizmodo (or any other site that is running this news item), but I gotta admit, it seems just a bit alarmist to me. And there is certainly no harm in discussing these issues, since I think it's a good way for we, the users to keep them, the providers "honest." In the end, it comes down to all of us using our common sense and understanding of the give-and-take that is inherent in information technology.
UPDATE: In the spirit of the paragraph directly above, Google has already responded to the concerns being aired in the blogosphere, assuring everyone that the language in the EULA will be changed, and also made retroactive for users who have already downloaded Google Chrome.
Coming Soon: The Entertainment Value of "Fanboy Wars" (like Apple vs. Microsoft), Lots of Love for Paint.Net Freeware, More Smartphone Goodness
Gimme Great Freeware Since I'm not into spending money indiscriminately, especially these days, I like to keep my head up for bargains where they are available. And, yeah, I'm the first one to admit that sometimes you do have to spend a little cash to get quality...but when it's possible to get something great for free, I'm there. That's Open Office. I found out about it when I got tired of the Microsoft Works that is (and has been for several years) preloaded on Microsoft's Operating systems. For basic word processing, Works is okay, but nowadays, even basic users want a little bit more...to say nothing of users like me who need more (on a shoestring budget). No, it's not just for Windows...read on.
Here's The Deal Open Office is an open-source (free) productivity suite with all the major applications needed for, well, being productive. There's Writer; for word processing/desktop publishing, Calc; for spreadsheets, Impress; for multimedia presentations (think PowerPoint), Draw; for both simple and complex sketches and designs, Math; for both simple aritmetic and complex calculations, and Base; a nifty database application. Because it is open source, not only is it a free license, but it comes with loads of support. An entire community of developers and other users (which you can certainly participate in, if you want) is always there for you. You want tutorials? Covered. Tips & tricks, troubleshooting, any questions that begin, "How do I..." or "Why can't I...." will be answered. And don't let me forget about updates; the available updates are frequent enough to keep you up to speed, but not often enough to make you groan, "But I just updated the darn thing YESTERDAY!" While Open Office is a suite, you do have the option of "customizing" the download to include only the applications you want. My advice is this: Unless you have to count megabytes on your hard drive like a miser (which is a good indication that you need more space anyway), just download the whole suite. It's easier, and you just never know when you might miss one of the applications you excluded during the download configuration. Let's talk about extensions. There are tons of useful extensions (advanced add-ons) for the different applications in the Open Office suite. I had myself a look-see through a small portion of what's available at the Open Office Extension site, and it's impressive. For example, I found one called "Writer's Tools," which has a few advanced features that make my current projects a bit easier. Open Office will run on all the major Operating System Platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Sun Solaris) so there's no need to be left out. As of this post, the current version is 2.4.1, though version 3.0 is available in Beta. Tell Me More, Tell Me More Okay, so here's the "Don't just take my word for it" review plug. Here are a couple of comprehensive reviews for Open Office (current version 2.4.1) from CNET's Download.com sites...a Review of Open Office for Windows, and a Review of Open Office for Mac. You can download Open Office at those sites, or to learn even more about it, visit the Open Office main site.
Coming Soon: Thinkin' about video freeware, Objective view of Mac from a PC guy, My Windows IE is feeling neglected.
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