As I go into it, there are very few devices running Android 3 or more fondly known as Honeycomb. So it begs the question why have they just released a new version, and I’m not just talking about an update to 3.2.3 or even 3, but rather with an entirely new version: 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich (wonderful off the tongue). So they are producing updates almost as fast as Microsoft!

The wonderful thing is that they are not just releasing an update for the sake of it, but rather they are updating for good reason. You see when you take a look at all the devices running honeycomb, you will notice that they are tablets (well at least those with official updates), and phone have been left on the older 2.x Android OS.

Well it is here that the new Ice Cream Sandwich (not sure if I will get used to that name, I’ll call it “4” from now on) comes in. Basically what Google have done is taken the best out of both Honeycomb and Gingerbread, spiced it up a bit and released an update to their OS which now works on both phone and tablet devices alike. What is really nice here is for those of us who run both phone and tablet on Android: they will have the same look and feel and I must assume (as dangerous as that is to do) that integration will be EVEN easier – yes those of you using both may be suppressed that integration between Android devices could be easier – we’ll have to wait and see!

I just hope that Google has not forgotten about the rest of us who have Android devices still running Gingerbread and that there will be an update available for us!

It’s said that competition fuels innovation, so therefore competition is good; good for the advancement of technology and good for the consumer’s pocket. Competition in the field of technology keeps information accessible, protocols open and standards adhered to. It is starting to seem however, that Apple does not agree with this sentiment, in light of its recent fiasco of lawsuits.

Apple has been behind several innovative products in the later half of the last decade, and has proved to be a substantial opponent to Microsoft, the former king of computing.  Apple no doubt achieved this with pure innovation and a genius marketing strategy which raked up millions of loyal subjects.

Predictably many patents have been registered by Apple in light of its rise to power and stardom. Understandably, patents exist to protect intellectual property, however, there surely is a line at which patent-ability stops. Logically many generic ideas may not be patentable, such as dressing in a certain style or using a specific colour in your logo. Apple recently lashed its legal claws out at the online media giant, Amazon, for the use of the two words “App” and “Store”. Therefore the term “App Store” cannot be used commercially, anywhere,  forever.  Not even on a Bar One wrapper.

Is this now going too far?  Is Apple really the victim of idea theft?  Are the two words “App” and “Store” an invention, an idea so original that it did not exist and had not been thought of previous to the founding of the Apple corporation?

It seems as though Apple is now on the warpath to obliterate any and all competition, has it lost the its direction to innovate both aesthetically and technologically, is it now only able to intimidate and destroy? If so, then it potentially means gloomy clouds for the world of technology and the consumers it serves.  As if there is no competition, monopolization will spread rampantly.

Amongst Apple’s battalion of lawsuits against Samsung,  it has managed to recently block the sale of Samsung’s latest tablet computer in Europe, claiming that Samsung has violated various Apple patents with their devices, including touch screen scrolling operations and screen display rotation, which seems like very diluted claims as those features are incredibly generic.  At this rate it would not surprise me if the next bout of Apple vs Samsung action is because Samsung uses the letter “A” in its brand name and therefore is copying Apple as they also use the letter “A” in their brand name!

Other mobile device manufacturers have not been left unscathed, Nokia and HTC have also been in the path of Apple’s lust for blood.  Not to mention the Android mobile operating system, developed by Google, which is IOS’s (iPad and iPhone’s operating system) biggest competitor.  It seems as though Apple wants to be the only portable device maker in the world.  All of these leaves that Apple is rustling is leaving a bad smell and making the traditionally evil corporation like Microsoft seem saintly.

In all sincerity, it seems as though Apple is beginning to act like a spoilt brat who can’t get along with his classmates.  Apple is clearly worried about its rivals, why?  Because they obviously doing something better. So why can’t apple devote all this negative energy into positive innovation and out do its rivals, instead of crying wolf at every turn?

After a few failed attempts at entering the social networking world, Google seems to be making its mark with Google+. If 25 million users, and over a billion shares a day is anything to go by, then Google+ certainly seems to be onto something.

As curiosity peeks over Google+, it is important to be aware that you should configure your privacy settings, as well how to go about this.

The infographic by ZoneAlarm, an internet security provider, provides 6 basic ways in which to manage your Google+ privacy settings:

Tired of annoying windows or documents opening up every time you click on a new link – those brightly coloured, flashing eyesores advertising something totally irrelevant to what to you are looking for? Well it seems so is Google.

In 2005 Google filed a patent for the censorship of ‘annoying’ content, on 28 June 2011, they were finally granted the rights to the patent.  This patent, should Google choose to make use of it, will allow them to detect and reject annoying documents. This means that these documents would never even make it to your screen – sounds good to me.

Google’s patent basically describes various databases, including image, characteristics, link, rating, etc which are then linked to comparison and rating modules. It will then conclude whether a document will be considered as annoying, based on similar documents or previous documents that have been pre-determined to be annoying. It will work something like a spam filter.

Amazing… the sweet bliss of using the Internet without needless and annoying experiences. However, one does have to wonder, what will be the definition of annoying. Something that annoys you may not annoy me. For instance when I am on Facebook and I get notified about someone’s new high score on some game, or app, that annoys me, but clearly it wouldn’t annoy them or someone else who plays that game.  It also stands to reason that the millions Facebook messages and Tweets that move around daily, may be deemed as annoying by this filter, causing you to miss some deeply important piece of information.

Well, all we can do now is wait to see what Google will do with this patent. Perhaps it will be archived, or perhaps it will be used to revolutionize the Internet as we know it.

Google has tried hard over the years to develop a social network that is the equivalent of their search engine, but nothing seemed to make the cut. Their first attempt, Orkut, may have been a success in Brazil, but seriously, how many of us outside of Brazil have ever even heard of it? The second attempt was Google buzz, which I’m sure most of us have actually heard of, but not for the reasons Google was looking for. Google Buzz become infamous last year over privacy concerns, and so was not at all successful. Now, however, comes attempt number three, and this time, according to reports at least, Google just might have a winner.

Google+ was released in its beta version for selected people a couple of weeks ago, and already has received some good reviews. In the words of MG Siegler from TechCrunch, “If Google Buzz Is a black Hole For Sharing Traffic, Google+ Is The Big Bang”.

Google+ has unashamedly used some features of Facebook, such as the +1 button being the equivalent to the “like” button.

“Circles” are also a major feature in Google+. Like the “groups in Facebook, circles allow you to arrange your friends depending on your relationship. Every friend you add has to fit into certain circles in order to be added as your friends. You start off with four basic circles, Friends, Family, Following and Acquaintances, and you can add more circles as needed. You are the only one who will ever know what circles each person is in, and they can be in more than one circle.

Another interesting feature is Hangout, a video calling system that allows up to ten people to talk to each other in a group. Facebook’s announcement of Skype integration for one-on-one video chat doesn’t sound so impressive after that, I must admit…

Sparks is a content sharing feature that sends you information on topics you have selected. It seems to be a bit like a mixture between Stumbleupon and Google Alerts.

Unfortunately most of us will have to wait a little longer to try it out. Initially, it was available to just select invitees who could then invite others to join, but there was such a massive amount of people clamoring for invites that it was closed the next day. However, you can still register your interest on their site, so that as soon as it opens up again you are notified.

It is well-known that there is a war going on between Facebook and Microsoft on one side, and Google on the other. Google has long had the upper hand when it comes to search engines, but hasn’t quite been able to compete with Facebook when it comes to social media, especially since Facebook recently passed 750 million members.  This may just be their chance…

Recently, there have been a few articles on the TIME magazine about the predicted end of the PC.  With millions and millions of PCs in use all around the world, is this prediction maybe a little premature?

The story goes like this. Both Microsoft and Apple have recently been releasing and developing technology that goes beyond the simple PC. With tablets, smart phones and cloud computing, why would we even need clunky desktops and laptops?

For example, the successor to the current Windows 7, (codenamed Windows 8, I know, very original of them…) is an operating system designed primarily for tablets, although it will be able to work on other items, and is apparently much like the current Windows 7 for phones.

There are a few problems with this story. For one, a definition of PC may be needed. As Henry McCracken from TIME’s Techland writes, the definition of PC according to Miriam Webster’s dictionary is:

Personal computer

noun
a general-purpose computer equipped with a microprocessor and designed to run especially commercial software (as a word processor or Internet browser) for an individual user

Um… Sounds a bit like a tablet, don’t you think? Maybe even a smart phone?

Even the components that traditionally make up a “PC” can be found in many other gadgets like the tablet and smart phone, among others. Screen, keyboard (if you want to be pedantic, you could even say QWERTY keyboard), processing power, storage, etc. Yep, last I checked, these could all apply to my phone…

The second problem, is that many people just won’t want to change from their PCs too soon. Often, a PC can be seen as a tool for serious work, when you are sitting in your office typing out a report for your boss. A tablet is great for travel and flexibility, but may not be as popular for other stuff just yet.

Maybe we should stop and think a bit before declaring things obsolete. Three years ago, there was an article punting the end of Facebook, a couple of days ago I read another article saying that Facebook is killing websites!

My dad is a school principal. Whenever he explains to students how potentially dangerous the internet can be, he uses the same example. Say there was a women, who when she was young, did something rather silly, maybe posing for some photos, or even getting drunk. Now, many years later, she is married to a pastor. In the old days before the internet, her past would just be vague rumours that a few people remembered. Nowadays, all you need to do is type her name into a search engine and you can get photographic proof of what she’s done. She can even have moved towns or countries, her past will follow her everywhere.

This is what some people want to change.

In what has been described as a first, people in Spain have started a “right to be forgotten” movement, where they are trying to get Google to delete some information about them that is online. Or, at the very least, to bury it in the back pages where it will likely never be found.

These people include a plastic surgeon, as well as a prison guard. For the plastic surgeon, a malpractice lawsuit against him ten years ago that was then dismissed is still causing problems. This is because there is no sign of anything that lets prospective clients know that the case was dismissed, just that it was filed. And this can be found on Google’s list of results directly under the link to his website.

The Prison guard has a different problem. He would like any information about him to be deleted, as it could help criminals seek revenge against him or his family.

Both men have a valid reason for wanting their online identity edited, but other people are worried. If the men, as well as the others who have filed for the “Right to be forgotten” achieve their aim, it may lead a restriction of free speech. The case for censorship will also be strengthened, as basically, people will be able to censor what others read about them.

What do you think? Is the “right to be forgotten” greater than the right to freedom of speech?

It’s not enough for Google to have taken over the internet, they now want to conquer television as well. In their own special way that is. Google is the owner of YouTube, the site that brings you most of your online videos. It is also the third most popular site on the internet, after Google itself, and then Facebook. Google has recently announced some changes that will be taking place regarding YouTube. (more…)

It is a known fact that censorship is alive and well on the internet. Many countries all over the world don’t allow access because of political, religious or ethical reasons.  For example, in places like China, websites that are anti-governmental are blocked to all computers within the country. Recently, Google has even accused China of interfering with Gmail, the email service provided by Google. This censorship in China has been dubbed “the great firewall of China”. In other countries too, censorship is a reality. Early this year, during the election protests in Egypt, the entire internet was blocked for two days, an unprecedented act in the history of the internet.

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I must admit that I’m not always fascinated by Google’s new features.  Google instant was fun for a while, I must have spent a couple of days playing around with it, but that is about it, I play around with a new feature before going back to the simple Google search. As fun as some of the other features may be, there isn’t all that much that I would use on a regular basis. That is however, until I discovered Google Recipe View. (more…)