The Tap App

(AKA “Friday Fun”) (And Cisco is in the News again..)

Loyal readers know I am not an iPerson, and that I do not own a single iGadget — so I don’t write about those wonderful apps you can download from the iStore via iTunes, and keep synced with your iCloud.

But if I cared about ratings, I would probably – sooner or later – have to produce a Top 10 Apps list, and keep you updated on the hot new apps. Just to compete with everyone else who’s doing it. Instead..

Here is a video demonstration of one app for the iPad that actually made me consider rethinking the usefulness of that iDevice. Check it out and see if you don’t agree.

And all joking aside, I should be clear: I do fix and support Apple computers and laptops in my shop.

And I looked at the latest crop of Windows Phones yesterday. They don’t suck. (But I’d hold off til the next crop.)

It’s Friday. The weekend’s almost here. It’s summer. Not a bad combo…

Another Oopsie?! Department: Cisco is in the news. Again. Hackers can break into your Cisco TelePresence sessions

“Major security holes in the Cisco TelePresence product line could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, cause a denial-of-service condition, or inject commands.

If you rely on Cisco TelePresence products for sensive business communications, you might want to stop what you are doing and pay attention..” Read more..

Also: Android users give malware apps permission to rob them, express shock at the results

“Android malware posing as Super Mario or Grand Theft Auto wallpaper can get on your phone and, gasp, send SMS messages to a premium-rate number. Oh no, what will we ever do?” Read more..

(Too funny. But, well, since this is targeting pubescent teens.. I suspect it’ll work. [Every single solitary thing on the ‘net is aimed at pubescent teens, I am beginning to think.] Super Mario wallpaper? Yeah, I want that.)

And, also: Is Facebook damaging your reputation with sneaky political posts?

“Most of us have a Facebook profile, and most of us take a haphazard approach to segregating our business and personal lives. That can cause serious headaches, thanks to a troublesome new Facebook feature.” Read more..

(I have never regretted not Facebook-ing, but many times have been glad I don’t!)

Today’s quote: “An intelligent person is never afraid or ashamed to find errors in his understanding of things.” ~ Bryant H. McGill

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Collusion

Reading the back of the menu at Buck’s, while waiting for my burger the other night, reminded me of an important topic I have been meaning to share with you since its announcement at the recent TED U event. (If you are not familiar with the TED Talks, click here.) It concerns a subject near and dear to my heart, and this little item is a bit of good news for all us ‘little guys’.

What I am talking about is called “Collusion”.

Meet Collusion, announced today onstage at TED U

“This morning onstage, Gary Kovacs of Mozilla announced a fascinating browser add-on for Mozilla: Collusion. It allows you to track who’s tracking you online … and the results are surprising to say the least.“

You should know, tracking our online behavior is big business. The revenues involved in the top online tracking companies is over $39 billion — I’m in the wrong business: that’s pretty good money for spying on us!

(And f you think this is some small issue.. or some NBD thing that only happens when you’re online doing Google searches, you really really really need to watch the video Big Brother Big Business. I think it ought to be required viewing before you can vote!)

Why this is important:

“Take control of your data

We recognize the importance of transparency and our mission is all about empowering users — both with tools and with information. The Ford Foundation is supporting Mozilla to develop the Collusion add-on so it will enable users to not only see who is tracking them across the Web, but also to turn that tracking off when they want to.”

What you should do: Please take two minutes (or less) and look at the animated demo, here, http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/collusion/demo/. Learn about how these vile and repugnant “tracking cookies” automatically build a “behavior profile” about all of us, so somebody can make an easy buck selling our ‘information’.. or serving us up “targeted advertisement”.

[ Update:  A version is available for Chrome as well. See, Collusion for Chrome maps how sites are tracking you, courtesy of the Disconnect team. ]

Related reading:

* TED 2012: New Browser Add-On Visualizes Who Is Tracking You Online

* Say Everything

“As younger people reveal their private lives on the Internet, the older generation looks on with alarm and misapprehension not seen since the early days of rock and roll. The future belongs to the uninhibited.“

Unrelated: Privacy concerns drive 1 in 4 Facebook users to lie

“Almost 13 million users say they have never set or didn’t know about privacy controls on Facebook, according to Consumer Reports.”

(I wonder how many million declined to admit their ignorance..?)

Much good information here. I hope you’ll click some links (at least view the demo).

Today’s quote: “Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Most Asked Question About My Smartphone – Typing

The question I am most frequently asked – when folks learn I have an Android smart phone – is “how is the typing?” (They ask that when tablets/iPads get mentioned, too.)

click to see how this image was made in photoshop (tutorial)

Sometimes, this question comes from Blackberry owners, or others whose phones have some kind of mini-keyboard (buttons). These folks are used to “texting” by “thumb-typing”, and some of them are .. um, leery of the “on screen” keyboard. With a “touchscreen” it is true, you do not get the tactile feedback that you do with buttons.

Other times, the person asking has managed to avoid the whole “smart phone” scene, but now that they have seen all the ads on TV for the new 4G world of Internet on your phone, and Androids and iPhones, now have a keener interest.

When I am asked, I tell them that I don’t “type” on my Android — I either talk to it (voice recognition) or “Swype” on it. People want to know if voice recognition, and touch screen typing work properly, or if it is buggy. In my experience with my HTC, running Android 2.2, I would have to say, yes, neither voice recognition nor Swype get it right all the time – 100% – no errors. But I am amazed at how infrequently I have to correct it. And I suspect each feature will only get better as they mature.

Instead of trying to explain what “swype-ing” is, I suggest watching this brief video. (It explains it better than I can.)

unrelated (fun): Been to Google yet today? Very cool mod to the homepage today.. to see it, click here.

Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Video Tutorial – 7 Best Windows 7 tips in 7 minutes

This video “demo” describes, and shows “in action”, some of the improvements found in Windows 7.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

See the new Taskbar (“pinned” and “jump lists”), aero feature (“shake” and “snap”), “federated” Search (with preview), network configuration, UAC, and device management.

(“Shake” was a new one to me… )

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** A Chance To Win A Valuable Prize! **

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Oops!Backup is a ‘time machine’ backup for Windows program that creates “backup revision copies” of the files on your computer.

To enter my license giveaway drawing, please see: Software Giveaway Drawing(s) – Oops!Backup

Copyright 2007-2010 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.

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Apple’s New MagicMouse

The Next Generation Of Mouse Is Here

The new “Touch” (aka “Multi-touch”) technologies are all the rage, letting people use multiple fingers to zoom, pinch and manipulate objects on their computer screen.

About a week or so ago, an alert reader sent me a heads up on recent developments in Multi-touch technology, and how Microsoft had several prototype Multi-touch mouse designs in development. I posted an article on this, which included a video, so you could see how a multi-touch mouse might work (see, The Next Generation Of Mouse).

But clearly the fact that I deal primarily with Windows computers was showing, as Apple has a multi-touch mouse out already — called the MagicMouse ($69) and I must say, it is very “kewel”. This video shows it in operation…

I believe it safe to say that this is the future of mice…and Mac users needn’t wait to get the latest thing in PC peripherals and cool gadgets — it’s here now.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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