Interesting series from an iPhone user (enthusiast) who tries out a Windows phone on Lumia 920. He starts out on the negative side, per below, but adds some positive feedback as well. It seems like a fair article. I certainly have some complaints about battery life myself.
However, I really am impressed by the Windows phone overall. I used an iPhone for THREE years before getting my Windows phone.
I can honestly say that I would hyperventilate for months on end if my Windows phone is ever taken away from me. It would take months to recover, and I'd probably have to go to a ... Blackberry or something.
~~~
From the article:
"I miss my iPhone.
In my first week with Windows Phone—specifically, the Nokia Lumia 920—I had a bit of a honeymoon phase: I was wowed by the device’s impressive display, the clever home screen, and its powerful lock-screen features. Two weeks in, the frustrations started to get to me: Notifications are seriously lacking, TellMe is a lousy facsimile of Siri, and the keyboard’s autocorrect features aren’t quite up to snuff.
Now that I’ve spent more than three weeks on my Windows Phone journey, a more nuanced picture has begun to take shape: My list of annoyances continues to grow, but so too does my list of Windows Phone features that I wish Apple would emulate on iOS."
Read the TechHive article here
March 19, 2013
Windows Security Concerns?
Who isn't worried about computer security these days. It seems in the past few years, the true guilty parties regarding security flaws are non-Microsoft companies, such as Google and Adobe.
"Non-Microsoft security flaws the real culprit, analysis finds"
"Despite the number of Microsoft programs, only 14 percent of the vulnerabilities in the top 50 were caused by its software, a drop that continues a well-established trend towards third-party security flaws in recent years.
On the face of it, the top offenders in the top 50 were Google's Chrome with 291 vulnerabilities in 2011-2012, Mozilla Firefox with 257, Apple iTunes with 243, followed by Flash Player on 67, Java on 66, and Reader on 43.
Peer into Secunia's slightly convoluted presentation of the figures and it becomes clear that there is some double counting here; a Flash vulnerability will show up as a flaw in browsers as well as itself for example.
It's not clear why Secunia didn't state this more explicitly, but there is plenty of independent evidence that the top offenders for vulnerabilities in popular programs are mainly Java, Adobe's Reader and Flash browser plugins and Apple's iTunes."
PC World Article
"Non-Microsoft security flaws the real culprit, analysis finds"
"Despite the number of Microsoft programs, only 14 percent of the vulnerabilities in the top 50 were caused by its software, a drop that continues a well-established trend towards third-party security flaws in recent years.
On the face of it, the top offenders in the top 50 were Google's Chrome with 291 vulnerabilities in 2011-2012, Mozilla Firefox with 257, Apple iTunes with 243, followed by Flash Player on 67, Java on 66, and Reader on 43.
Peer into Secunia's slightly convoluted presentation of the figures and it becomes clear that there is some double counting here; a Flash vulnerability will show up as a flaw in browsers as well as itself for example.
It's not clear why Secunia didn't state this more explicitly, but there is plenty of independent evidence that the top offenders for vulnerabilities in popular programs are mainly Java, Adobe's Reader and Flash browser plugins and Apple's iTunes."
PC World Article
March 12, 2013
Ping Firewall Exception for Windows Server
This one gets me every time. I set up a new Windows 2008 Server within a virtual environment, like VMWare, for example. I may do this remotely, so I like to give the good old "PING" command to verify it's live after granting a static IP address. Anyway, I go to the command prompt, and type, 'ping x.x.x.x" (X's = the 4 octet based IPs). Easy enough. Hey, everyone likes to do some pinging once in a while, right?
But what happens if you know or at least strongly believe your server is live, but you cannot ping it? Usually the local Windows Server 2008 or other firewall is the culprit. Assuming a hardware firewall or another 3RD party firewall is not blocking ports or traffic, then we need to add the PING ports to an exception list. In other words, allow the server to be pinged.
If you are not the Network or Systems Administrator, then you are barking up the wrong tree. [I love that expression].
Go to the server's Start menu and type in 'firewall adv' (no quotes). Open "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security". Go to the Domain profile. If this is a proper domain Server, then the other options should not even matter. Select Inbound Rules. If you peruse the standard rules to the right, you will not see PING. But you will see File and Printer options. Specifically you want to right click (ok, left-click if you're left handed) the top 2, the ones with ECHO and ICMP in them, and enable.
When pinging, you are in fact looking for an echo reply back, measured in milliseconds (ms). Enable them both, even if not using IPv6. You may use that sooner than you think. Again, enable these, then ping away, even from within and outside of properly routed inter-connected distant inter networks!
File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv4In) - Enable
File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv6In) - Enable
Oh ... and ...
What exactly does 'ping' stand for? It stands for, 'packet internet groper'.
Seriously.
But what happens if you know or at least strongly believe your server is live, but you cannot ping it? Usually the local Windows Server 2008 or other firewall is the culprit. Assuming a hardware firewall or another 3RD party firewall is not blocking ports or traffic, then we need to add the PING ports to an exception list. In other words, allow the server to be pinged.
If you are not the Network or Systems Administrator, then you are barking up the wrong tree. [I love that expression].
Go to the server's Start menu and type in 'firewall adv' (no quotes). Open "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security". Go to the Domain profile. If this is a proper domain Server, then the other options should not even matter. Select Inbound Rules. If you peruse the standard rules to the right, you will not see PING. But you will see File and Printer options. Specifically you want to right click (ok, left-click if you're left handed) the top 2, the ones with ECHO and ICMP in them, and enable.
When pinging, you are in fact looking for an echo reply back, measured in milliseconds (ms). Enable them both, even if not using IPv6. You may use that sooner than you think. Again, enable these, then ping away, even from within and outside of properly routed inter-connected distant inter networks!
File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv4In) - Enable
File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv6In) - Enable
Oh ... and ...
What exactly does 'ping' stand for? It stands for, 'packet internet groper'.
Seriously.
March 5, 2013
Windows Twitter App Logo Disappears
As mentioned in a recent post, the Twitter App for Windows 8 came out. I installed it on my Lumia 920.
Not a disaster or anything at all (I mean, at all), but the blue bird logo did disappear from the Start Screen tile. Oh no! I had no idea how much it means to me (sniff).
Resolution? I removed the App from the screen by holding the tile with my finger for a few seconds, and then hitting the pin. This takes it off the Start screen. Swipe right, go to the Twitter app, hold it down for a few seconds and select "pin to start".
Not a disaster or anything at all (I mean, at all), but the blue bird logo did disappear from the Start Screen tile. Oh no! I had no idea how much it means to me (sniff).
Resolution? I removed the App from the screen by holding the tile with my finger for a few seconds, and then hitting the pin. This takes it off the Start screen. Swipe right, go to the Twitter app, hold it down for a few seconds and select "pin to start".
Windows 8 Apps Offerings Increase in Number
Windows 8 Apps are pretty small in number compared to Apps for Apple and Android. But they are on the rise, if only slightly. The projection is that they will hit 40,000 for February or March of 2012.
"The number of Windows 8 apps made specifically for the US market now stands at 30,045, according to MetroStore Scanner. Again, that number is about 4,000 more apps in the store compared to January's stats; China still has the largest number of localized Windows 8 apps with 31,067 apps in the Windows Store."
Apps Article here
"The number of Windows 8 apps made specifically for the US market now stands at 30,045, according to MetroStore Scanner. Again, that number is about 4,000 more apps in the store compared to January's stats; China still has the largest number of localized Windows 8 apps with 31,067 apps in the Windows Store."
Apps Article here
Seagate to Stop Making 7200 RPM Drives
Interesting. It looks like Seagate is really looking at SSDs for the future.
"7,200 RPM spindle motors use about 46% more energy that 5,400 RPM motors and run considerably hotter as a consequence. Of course the total energy used by a hard disk drive depends upon the actual usage and power saving modes, and caching of data can reduce the energy used by a HDD in a computer system.
SSDs using flash memory consume considerably less energy when they are operating compared to HDDs. However SSDs are considerably more expensive for a given storage capacity compared to HDDs (about 10X or more in $/GB) and this has hindered wide-spread adoption of SSDs in computers. Seagate has said that they are discontinuing their 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch HDDs in favor of lower power 5,400 and hybrid HDDs."
Read the Forbes Full Article
"7,200 RPM spindle motors use about 46% more energy that 5,400 RPM motors and run considerably hotter as a consequence. Of course the total energy used by a hard disk drive depends upon the actual usage and power saving modes, and caching of data can reduce the energy used by a HDD in a computer system.
SSDs using flash memory consume considerably less energy when they are operating compared to HDDs. However SSDs are considerably more expensive for a given storage capacity compared to HDDs (about 10X or more in $/GB) and this has hindered wide-spread adoption of SSDs in computers. Seagate has said that they are discontinuing their 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch HDDs in favor of lower power 5,400 and hybrid HDDs."
Read the Forbes Full Article
February 28, 2013
New Windows 8 Phone Twitter
The new Windows 8 Phone Twitter update just came out. It is version 3.0.0.31940 (if you must know).
I downloaded and installed it on my Lumia 920 last night. I love it. The App is much more reflective of the general Twitter web interface. I love it!
I downloaded and installed it on my Lumia 920 last night. I love it. The App is much more reflective of the general Twitter web interface. I love it!
February 26, 2013
Windows Server 2012 Server Core
I am reading up on Windows Server 2012 now that I have a trial version installed. It is pretty sleek. There are many intriguing facets to Server 2012. One item I find especially interesting is using Server Core with some GUI tools. Server Core is the default install. It is basically command line driven. It essentially means there is no GUI. No Internet Explorer. No Server Manager. No Explorer (what?!).
Hello command line. Goodbye mouse?
Not completely. With Server 2012, it is now possible to go with the Server Core, but also install basic GUI tools, like Server Manager, in order to Manage from the mouse, so to speak. Using the Power Shell within the usual Windows command line (aka DOS), an administrator can quickly install a feature. Luckily, I am a bit used to Power Shell because I use it off of Exchange Server 2010 Servers. It takes a little practice but is very handy. So, in order to get the Server Manager GUI tools working OVER the Server Core GUI-less shell, go to Power Shell and type:
install-windowsfeature server-gui-mgmt-infra
The Server Manager installs after a reboot.
This allows for the more direct, familiar and comfortable Server Manager tools. Personally, I prefer this but it is good to know command line as well. Also, and more importantly, for many company endeavors in Production or Business server environment, servers are used for very specific functions. Sometimes this occurs in server farms or load balancing scenarios. The need for a Graphical User Interface on each server is not really needed. Server Core not only suffices, but it uses fewer resources. This is a way to trim the fat, so to speak and conserve disk space and other resources.
And with Server 2012, Microsoft has made it easy to add Server Manager, for example, on the fly if needed.
Hello command line. Goodbye mouse?
Not completely. With Server 2012, it is now possible to go with the Server Core, but also install basic GUI tools, like Server Manager, in order to Manage from the mouse, so to speak. Using the Power Shell within the usual Windows command line (aka DOS), an administrator can quickly install a feature. Luckily, I am a bit used to Power Shell because I use it off of Exchange Server 2010 Servers. It takes a little practice but is very handy. So, in order to get the Server Manager GUI tools working OVER the Server Core GUI-less shell, go to Power Shell and type:
install-windowsfeature server-gui-mgmt-infra
The Server Manager installs after a reboot.
This allows for the more direct, familiar and comfortable Server Manager tools. Personally, I prefer this but it is good to know command line as well. Also, and more importantly, for many company endeavors in Production or Business server environment, servers are used for very specific functions. Sometimes this occurs in server farms or load balancing scenarios. The need for a Graphical User Interface on each server is not really needed. Server Core not only suffices, but it uses fewer resources. This is a way to trim the fat, so to speak and conserve disk space and other resources.
And with Server 2012, Microsoft has made it easy to add Server Manager, for example, on the fly if needed.
February 18, 2013
Windows Phone 8 Updates, PT. 2
Here is the Microsoft summary of their updates, which you can get 'over the air', or download from either WiFi or Cellular broadband.
The Update is # 8.0.10211.204
Check which one you have:
In the App list, tap Settings > About > More info.
Read about the Updates here
The Update is # 8.0.10211.204
Check which one you have:
In the App list, tap Settings > About > More info.
Read about the Updates here
Windows 8 Phone Updates, called Portico
Windows 8 Phone updates are out. For the Nokia updates, check this out:
http://www.nokia.com/us-en/support/software-update-for-wp8/
http://www.nokia.com/us-en/support/software-update-for-wp8/
February 12, 2013
Samsung ATIV tablet with Windows 8
I have the Samsung ATIV Smart PC in my hand. It is astonishingly wonderful. Although Samsung refers to this device as a "Smart PC", I call it a ... tablet. But I get the Marketing - this tablet really can be a PC for most folks, whether on a personal, home level or in a business sense.
But believe me, this is not your standard PC nor an average laptop. This is a tablet that not only zips around from App to App, or even Desktop to App, this tablet TURNS HEADS. Sit in a public space or walk around with one in hand and you will see what I mean.
Once you figure out how to turn off the "Autorotate", this device is awesome. Autorotate moves the screen from vertical to horizontal on the fly. Sometimes, it seems the screen moves if you even flinch slightly. There may be a way to tune it, but the button on top of the tablet next to the On/Off switch turns it off/on. It's all long screen or horizontal for me.
The 1.8 GHz Atom processor is more than ample for this tablet that can pass for a modern day workstation. The RAM is slim at 2 Gigabytes, so this device may not be for hard core science, mathematical or business reporting numbers crunching users. But outside of those requirements, it can handle most tasks smoothly.
The Windows 8 tablet swiping takes some getting used to. But once you start gently swiping in the corners, as opposed to tapping hard (like I did initially), navigation is fairly easy and makes sense. A lower right hand corner Windows 8 swipe yields Search, Share, Start (menu), Devices, and Settings. Now I am wondering, how did I ever carry on my Windows work without these?
One tip: if new to Windows 8 on a tablet or touch screen, master how to find Search. Anything, and I mean anything, can be found via Search. It's really the same as the Windows 7 Start/Search feature. Hit the Windows logo (which all Windows 8 devices have now), and you get the shiny default Windows 8 screen if you are lost. Scroll to the right, and there is Search. Gently start touching the lowest right corner, and swipe towards center screen. Search via narrowing it down to Apps, Settings, Files [Apps is default]. This was how I got to the Network settings: I selected Settings and typed in network. All sorts of related results.
The AT&T 4G is built into the device, i.e. on the board, so to speak. The built on nature of a 4G card increases the price of the unit a bit. It is worth it, though. Speeds are spot on and do not disappoint at 9 Megabytes download and 7 Megabytes upload speed. That is sweet speed!
This ATIV is being offered at $699 at AT&T. Data plan required. There are similar (and less expensive) devices available if you can make do with finding WiFI connections when needed or if you will always be using it or working in the same location or two. But having the always on broadband modem (4G) built right into this device is a real convenience. As always, monthly data charges ensue.
Check out the details and 'specs' on this wonderful Samsung ATIV!
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/samsung/ativ-smart-pc-misty-blue.html?WT.srch=1&cagpspn=pla#fbid=QOxQ6JqdKCC
But believe me, this is not your standard PC nor an average laptop. This is a tablet that not only zips around from App to App, or even Desktop to App, this tablet TURNS HEADS. Sit in a public space or walk around with one in hand and you will see what I mean.
Once you figure out how to turn off the "Autorotate", this device is awesome. Autorotate moves the screen from vertical to horizontal on the fly. Sometimes, it seems the screen moves if you even flinch slightly. There may be a way to tune it, but the button on top of the tablet next to the On/Off switch turns it off/on. It's all long screen or horizontal for me.
The 1.8 GHz Atom processor is more than ample for this tablet that can pass for a modern day workstation. The RAM is slim at 2 Gigabytes, so this device may not be for hard core science, mathematical or business reporting numbers crunching users. But outside of those requirements, it can handle most tasks smoothly.
The Windows 8 tablet swiping takes some getting used to. But once you start gently swiping in the corners, as opposed to tapping hard (like I did initially), navigation is fairly easy and makes sense. A lower right hand corner Windows 8 swipe yields Search, Share, Start (menu), Devices, and Settings. Now I am wondering, how did I ever carry on my Windows work without these?
One tip: if new to Windows 8 on a tablet or touch screen, master how to find Search. Anything, and I mean anything, can be found via Search. It's really the same as the Windows 7 Start/Search feature. Hit the Windows logo (which all Windows 8 devices have now), and you get the shiny default Windows 8 screen if you are lost. Scroll to the right, and there is Search. Gently start touching the lowest right corner, and swipe towards center screen. Search via narrowing it down to Apps, Settings, Files [Apps is default]. This was how I got to the Network settings: I selected Settings and typed in network. All sorts of related results.
The AT&T 4G is built into the device, i.e. on the board, so to speak. The built on nature of a 4G card increases the price of the unit a bit. It is worth it, though. Speeds are spot on and do not disappoint at 9 Megabytes download and 7 Megabytes upload speed. That is sweet speed!
This ATIV is being offered at $699 at AT&T. Data plan required. There are similar (and less expensive) devices available if you can make do with finding WiFI connections when needed or if you will always be using it or working in the same location or two. But having the always on broadband modem (4G) built right into this device is a real convenience. As always, monthly data charges ensue.
Check out the details and 'specs' on this wonderful Samsung ATIV!
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/samsung/ativ-smart-pc-misty-blue.html?WT.srch=1&cagpspn=pla#fbid=QOxQ6JqdKCC
February 10, 2013
SkyDrive, Spotify, Windows 8
Some random SkyDrive, Office 2013, Spotify on Windows 8 updates:
"A billion Office documents have been saved to SkyDrive, Microsoft announced today. This number will surely grow with Office 2013 using SkyDrive as the default save location.
Previously, editing those documents with the Office Web Apps required a Microsoft account. Microsoft has changed that policy. While a Microsoft account is still required to have your own SkyDrive and documents, you can now edit other people's documents to which you've been invited even without an account; you just need the invitation link. This should make co-authoring simpler and more accessible....\
Way back at the Windows Phone 8 launch last year, Microsoft promised that Spotify was coming to the platform. Windows Phone 7 had a Spotify client, but it's one of the small selection of apps that weren't compatible with Windows Phone 8 due to its use of native code. The new free app is still a "beta," and it comes with a 30-day Spotify trial."
Thanks to ArsTechnica for the update
"A billion Office documents have been saved to SkyDrive, Microsoft announced today. This number will surely grow with Office 2013 using SkyDrive as the default save location.
Previously, editing those documents with the Office Web Apps required a Microsoft account. Microsoft has changed that policy. While a Microsoft account is still required to have your own SkyDrive and documents, you can now edit other people's documents to which you've been invited even without an account; you just need the invitation link. This should make co-authoring simpler and more accessible....\
Way back at the Windows Phone 8 launch last year, Microsoft promised that Spotify was coming to the platform. Windows Phone 7 had a Spotify client, but it's one of the small selection of apps that weren't compatible with Windows Phone 8 due to its use of native code. The new free app is still a "beta," and it comes with a 30-day Spotify trial."
Thanks to ArsTechnica for the update
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
