Learn How to Type Accurate and Fast Online, For Free

"Have you been meaning to learn how to type, but never seem to get around actually starting the lessons? Wish you could bang out dozens of words per minute, but don’t want to shell out for typing software? Well for those of you who were not lucky enough to spend a few hours per week under the expert guidance of Mavis Beacon during your high school years, TypingWeb is here to fill the gab."

This sounds like something I know some people this could help :)

AlaskaJoe

Smartphoniacs: Addicts of the Information Age

Its penetration in the U.S. is estimated at 18%, and it seems that everywhere you turn, people are using their smart phones in new ways and in new places. Samsung recently estimated that it expects 500 million global smart-phone users by 2012. Actual phone calls are becoming extinct compared with handheld texts and email messages -- whoever thought people would prefer typing to talking? But the evidence appears to say they do.

Do you check your smart phone all of the time in inappropriate places?

Where is this all going? I would rather talk than type to someone.

AlaskaJoe

Three ‘Critical' Fixes For Patch Tuesday - Computing News - Digital Trends

"Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday is rolling around again next week, and the company has announced they have three fixes, all deemed critical."

Remember this coming Tuesday is Update Tuesday, so do your Windows Updates!

AlaskaJoe

Drifting towards Linux

Because of the way I see Windows heading, more expensive and needing more and more hardware. I've found myself more interested in Linux. I don't have very powerful computers. My best is a Semperon 3300+.  Right now, I dual boot 2 boxes and have 3 Linux only. I've tried many distro's. Fedora, Madriva, and Slackware and many other less known ones. They were OK but, updating some was a bear. Others just wouldn't do what I needed. I keep comming back to Ubuntu. It's one CD and so far does what I need, more or less easily. I especially like the online upgrades. I've got Ubuntu 9.04 on various hardware. From a 10 year old power PC imac. To the Semperon 3300+.  I'm slowly learning to do what I need. The most important is sharing a printer and files over a LAN. I find myself using Linux on my main computer most of the time. True, I do have to jump through a few more hoops to do some things, like I make the occacional video CD, but I can usally get what I need. 

Race to the PC-Client Bottom

News: Google is bringing out a web-centric operating system next year. The Chrome OS has an open-source Linux kernel with a Google-supplied graphical user interface. Chrome will run on X86 and ARM processors, and will be optimized for netbooks.

1. The fastest growing segment of the computer industry is thin and light, low-horsepower netbooks (a term from Intel). Netbooks powered by Intel's Atom processor were meant, Intel thought, for emerging, price-sensitive markets and for Nth computers for those who already have "real" laptop and desktop computers. Netbook configurations are expanding rapidly into traditional mainstream form-factors such as 12"+ screens. Unfortunately, netbooks as a category are now displacing consumer laptops which contain higher-profit microprocessors. Microsoft has also been squeezed, resisting the notion of a full-function Windows OS on a $400 netbook where Microsoft has to take a price haircut to make OEM margins work.

2. Thin clients were first brought to market 15 years ago. I used one. They worked OK, given the technology of the time. Fast-forward to 2009. Chrome on netbooks will create the logical client needed by the big-iron trend of the year, cloud computing. Fact is, HTML 5, Ajax, and a whole raft of web standards are now embedded in open source software. That makes Chrome's development a low-risk development project for Google. As the iPhone has proven, a web-centric computer can be a market winner -- without the cost handicap of a mainstream microprocessor and operating system from Intel and Microsoft, respectively.

3. Cost-conscious buyers are already flocking to netbooks for use primarily in web-based activities such as browsing, email, and social interaction. The largest performance inhibitor of a netbook is not the microprocessor or OS but the wireless network. These consumer usage models do not require the power of mainstream microprocessors or the full functionality of Windows.

4. As the netbook volumes grow into the tens of millions of units a year, and I believe they will, Intel, AMD, and Microsoft will have to compete in this lower-margin market segment. To a to-be-determined degree, lower margins will lead to fewer product choices and slower technology introductions. Intel can certainly use some product-line rationalization, but AMD would lose (precious) revenues and Microsoft would lose its vaunted profit margin in this scenario. But the bottom line of low-margin netbook success, accelerated by Google's Chrome, will be less and slower innovation.

5. The issues here are not new. But Google Chrome announcement is drawing the line in the sand. Intel and Microsoft have got to get drop-dead serious about why consumers need the computing power of mainstream microprocessors and full-function operating systems in an increasingly web-centric world.

Microsoft warns of hole in Video ActiveX control

Microsoft on Monday warned of a vulnerability in its Video ActiveX Control in XP and Server 2003 that could allow an attacker to take control of a PC if the user visits a malicious Web site

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-05-09

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-05-09. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

10 Open Source Twitter Clients - And Counting...

19 Desktop Apps for Twitter Compared posted by Earl

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz CPU $170 at Newegg
Click Here Newegg has the AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor for $190 - $20 coupon code EMCLTPL82 [Exp 7/6] = $170 with free shipping. Covered by a 3-year warranty

OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-8500 Desktop RAM Kit for $35 after rebate + free shipping newegg.com offers the OCZ Fatal1ty Edition 4GB PC2-8500 DDR2-1066 240-Pin Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit with two 2GB DIMMs, model no. OCZ2F10664GK, for $34.99 via the directions below. With free shipping, that's the lowest total price we could find by $32, although it was $11 less in February (since expired). Deal ends July 10. To get this deal:
Click here and add it to your cart for $49.99
Apply coupon code "MEM7156" to cut it to $44.99
This $10 mail-in rebate cuts it further to $34.99

GIGABYTE Radeon HD 4650 1GB PCIe Video Card for $50 after rebate + free shipping
newegg.com offers the GIGABYTE Radeon HD 4650 1GB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 2.0 Video Card, model no. GV-R465OC-1GI, for $59.99. Rhis $10 mail-in rebate cuts it to $49.99. With free shipping, that's the lowest total price we could find by $17. This RoHS-compliant card features DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 2.1 support, 650MHz core clock speed, one HDMI output, and one dual-link DVI output. Rebate ends July 31.

iRobot Roomba 535 Robotic Vacuum for $170 + free shipping
Buy.com offers the iRobot Roomba 535 Robotic Vacuum for $169.99 with free shipping. It's the lowest total price we could find by $64, although it was $15 less during a Woot in May. The Roomba 535-01 features a charger, one virtual wall lighthouse, replacement filter, and more.

Irobot Roomba with Virtual 4210 Walls - Remanufactured (Mfr# ROOMBAVWRM) » only $116.99 (Was: $149.00) at Buy.com

2-Pack Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1.5TB 32MB Drive $200 at Dell Click Here Still available. Dell has the 2-Pack Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive for $270 - $70 off coupon code 47DGX1L4SS?JS2 [Exp 7/8, 1000] = $200 with free shipping

New: Hanns-G 25" Widescreen LCD Display with HDMI for $200 + free shipping
Ending today, newegg.com offers the Hanns-G 24.6" Widescreen LCD Monitor, model no. HH-251HPB, for $199.99. With free shipping, that's $20 under our mention from four days ago and the lowest total price we've seen. It features built-in speakers, a 1920x1080 native resolution, 2ms response time, 800:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m² brightness, and HDMI and VGA inputs.
Posted 8 hr 2 min ago More 24-Inch LCD Or Larger Newegg Coupons

New: Samsung 23" Widescreen 1080p LCD Display for $162 + free shipping
Dell Small Business offers the Samsung 23" 1080p Widescreen LCD Monitor, model no. 2333SW, for $279.99. Add it to your cart and the price drops to $179.99. Coupon code "22X6DLMFK6K92G" slices it to $161.99. With free shipping, it's $17 under our mention from two days ago and the lowest total price we could find. Sales tax is added where applicable. It features a 1920x1080 (1080p) native resolution, 5ms response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m² brightness, and DVI and VGA inputs. Coupon ends July 8.

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) Two links here to start, the first one I believe I used a while back, but I am not sure a video on air cars. I wanted to catch up and see if anything new was going on. This is a very interesting concept the information in the second half about the guy in Australia really caught me about no friction, that means no oil, anyway check it out here, http://www.brasschecktv.com The company site for MDI is here http://www.mdi.lu these guy’s have got it going on, wonder if we will be able to get them in the U.S. in this century.
2) I was, and still am very interested in the proposed space elevator, well looks like the may have some serious competition. What has been the biggest problem with the elevator are materials that are still a few years away. These guys may be able to pull it off in the next ten years, using existing materials. Very interesting check out the article here http://blogs.zdnet.com
3) This is one I believe Earl got me started with a while back, one of those things that point out how the web is changing the world. I have always liked books; have quite a few floating around, but nothing like what is available here. Information on over 25 million and counting, with free online full text for well over a million, nice. http://openlibrary.org/
4) This is one of those head shakers, you know the ones, you hear what they said, but have no reference to comprehend how it could be possible. I read the article title and was immediately thinking Yeah Right, or as Michael Angelo used to say “Please, permit me to doubt.” They are talking about using invisibility cloak research (a link here a few weeks ago) to make buildings invisible to earth quakes. If they can pull this off I will definitely be impressed http://www.newscientist.com
5) Okay most of you have probably already seen this, but for those that might have missed it, I thought I would use it here, some suggestions to create your own personal bucket list, for geeks that is. http://www.dailycupoftech.com