Playing with Microsoft Surface

Me, Playing With Microsoft Surface in CMIC (Cairo Microsoft Innovation Center)

during my internship there (after work time of course ^_^ )

Web-Based Jolicloud OS Reaches 1.0

Jolicloud, makers of a cloud-based computer operating system that pre-dates Google's forthcoming 'Chrome OS' by well over a year, has finally reached version 1.0. In this release, the OS is now completely built on HTML 5, forgoing its previous dependence on Mozilla's Prism for its back-end in favor of Chromium, the same open-source project that will also become Google Chrome OS.
According to Jolicloud's CEO Tariq Krim, his company isn't trying to compete with Google for the same users; it wants to attract those who have a netbook now, are running Windows XP or a Linux-based OS and are itching for a chance to upgrade their install to something more modern and current.

Transition from Desktop to Cloud

One of the big benefits that Jolicloud has over the still-yet-to-launch Google Chrome OS is its ability to run both Web-based applications alongside traditional desktop apps such as Skype. In Google's OS, apps are Web-only. In this way, Jolicloud is more of transitional step from desktop to cloud for users not ready - or able - to make the full leap.
It even provides access to files previously stored on the computer's hard drive prior to the Jolicloud upgrade, so you don't have to worry with backing up your files and photos before making the switch. (Although you should, just to be safe). In the future, Jolicloud plans to offer tools to move these files from the computer's hard drive to the cloud prior to the upgrade, during the setup process, Krim told us recently.

700+ Apps and Counting

At present, users can access an included App Center (an app store where desktop and Web-based apps are housed) containing over 700 programs to choose from. The center is updated weekly, making it easy to find the latest and greatest applications without having to search across the Web. The App Center offers the same kind of 'curated' collection that Google plans to introduce, but with the added benefit of social features that let you share and recommend apps to other Jolicloud-using friends.

Also new in version 1.0 is a 'Social Stream' that details what apps are popular among the community as a whole, which have recently been updated and notifications from Jolicloud itself.
Thanks to the OS's Web-based nature, if you choose to install Jolicloud on multiple machines, your settings will remained synchronized between the devices as to how your apps are organized, which you've installed and which you've deleted.

How to Get It

Jolicloud 1.0 is in the process of rolling out to all users this week, but priority is being given to those who have been using the system the longest. You'll be notified in your 'Update' page when you're able to take advantage of the new version. If you've never installed Jolicloud before, keep checking the company home page for news as to when you can try the latest version. (At present, the 'pre-final' version is still listed here - that is not version 1.0.)
We've enjoyed Jolicloud ourselves thus far as a simple Web-based OS for our netbook, which is primarily used for light Web-surfing, Facebook and Twitter. However, much of what our netbook is used for these days can be done via a Web browser alone, which makes Jolicloud's key selling points its App Center and its user interface. Are those items worth upgrading the netbook's OS for? As early adopters, we have to say 'yes,' but whether mainstream users will soon install Jolicloud on their own netbooks is another question entirely.

Facebook Among Web’s Worst in Customer Satisfaction [SURVEY]

Facebook Among Web’s Worst in Customer Satisfaction [SURVEY]: "

The 2010 American Customer Survey Index conducted by ForeSee Results gave Facebook 64 out of 100 points in a customer satisfaction survey; that’s lower than any other business in its category. However, it’s not at the bottom of the social media heap; MySpace received one point less.

ForeSee Results CEO Larry Freed says that “privacy concerns, frequent changes to the website, and commercialization and advertising” are responsible for the low rating. Those reasons for dissatisfaction mirror the ones revealed in previous surveys.
By contrast, Google received a score of 80 (though that’s 7 points lower than last year’s score), Bing and Wikipedia managed a 77, Yahoo pulled a 76 and YouTube landed at 73. Facebook also received a lower rating than any of the major news websites, which were led by FOXNews.com at 82. MSNBC.com and CNN.com trailed behind at 74 and 73 respectively.
We’d love to see what Twitter’s score would be, but the survey excluded Twitter because so many of its users experience it through third party applications, making it difficult to judge how much their perceptions reflect Twitter itself.

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Not Dissatisfied Enough

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Even though Facebook’s users are dissatisfied, they haven’t demonstrated the will to leave. Perhaps it’s because there is no strong competitor, or because their social lives would suffer tremendously if they opted out of this now-essential tool for communication and event planning.
After the Instant Personalization opt-out controversy, thousands of users committed to quit on May 31. The movement failed when many of them simply didn’t. Instead of suffering perceptible negative consequences for its choices, the social network has continued to grow. It will celebrate 500 million users later this week.
Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be giving a rare TV interview with Diane Sawyer tomorrow, presumably to talk about the milestone and repair some of the PR damage in the wake of these privacy scandals and in anticipation of the release of the film The Social Network. What do you think he’ll say? What does he need to say?
More About: 2010 american customer survey index

Source : Mashable

Screenshot Tour: Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 Beta

Screenshot Tour: Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 Beta: "
The new beta version of Microsoft Security Essentials was launched yesterday to a limited amount of users. Here we’ll take a look at what you expect from the new version of How-To Geek’s favorite PC security application.

We have already given Microsoft Security Essentials our stamp of approval. Now there is a new beta version that we’ll take a look at today. It was released through Microsoft Connect and is available on a first come – first serve basis. it’s not available in all countries either, so depending on your location you might not have access to it. It is available in both 32 & 64-bit versions.

Installation and Setup

You will need to log into your Microsoft Connect account, or sign up if you don’t have one yet. Then you can download the version which is right for your OS.



Apparently there were problems downloading the file from MS Connect yesterday and they recommended a work around is to use the Microsoft File Transfer Manager (link below).



Installation is quite easy following the install wizard. If you already have version 1.0 of Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) installed, you’ll be able to Upgrade.



Decide of you want to join the Customer Experience Improvement Program or not…



It will offer to turn on Windows Firewall for you. It you use another firewall application or just don’t want it turned on you can uncheck it.



Now wait while the upgrade takes place. The amount of time it takes will vary. We installed the 32-bit version on a Windows 7 Home Premium Core2 Duo system and took around three minutes.



To finish the upgrade a reboot is required.



After getting back from the Restart you can begin setting it up. The user interface has a bit of a new look, but using it is essentially the same as the current version.



If you don’t have the current version of MSE installed, there is no Restart required, it will offer to get the latest definition updates and scan your system right away.



64-bit Version

We did experience a bit of a problem getting the 64-bit version upgraded on our Windows 7 Ultimate machine. We ended up uninstalling the current version with Revo Uninstaller Pro and when the following error came up, we restarted the machine and it installed successfully and is working great.



New Features

It still has the features you’re already used to such as scheduling scans and real-time protection, and offers new features as well. One of the new interesting features for Windows 7 & Vista (not available in XP or 2003) is you can enable network protection. This will inspect your network traffic and block any suspicious connections. A very nice feature for those with a home or small business network.



Also it includes the Firewall integration that we looked at during the installation.



It integrates with Internet Explorer to protect against web-based threats such as malicious scripts.



It also includes a new updated protection engine that offers better detection, easier cleanup, and better performance. We ran some fake test virus files and the detection was as good as the current version and cleanup was a breeze.



Running on Windows Home Server

If you’re running Windows Home Server on your home or small office network, you’ll love the fact that the MSE Beta works on WHS version 1 and also on Vail! Just put the executable in a shared folder, then Remote Desktop into your server. Alternately, if you’re using the Advanced Admin Console for WHS you can access your server desktop through the Console. Then just install it as shown above.

Windows Home Server version 1 runs on Server 2003 so the new Network Protection feature isn’t available. However, it should be available in WHS Vail beta as it’s built on Server 2008.



It will run in the taskbar even after a reboot or if you’re not logged in so you won’t need to install it as a service.



Conclusion

Remember that this is still in beta and you might experience some bugs…though we haven’t experienced any in our limited testing other than the x64-bit install. It will run on XP, Server 2003 and above, but the advanced network protection is not available in on those two operating systems. If you’re an early adopter you might want to get it while downloads are still available.

Get MSE 2.0 Beta from Microsoft Connect



Source : How To Geek

Turn Your Android Phone into a Remote Control for Your PC

Turn Your Android Phone into a Remote Control for Your PC: "
Would you like to play media files or use your PC by remote control? Here’s how you can turn your Android phone into a remote control with GMote 2.0.

What You’ll Need:

• GMote Server software installed on your Computer.
  
• GMote app installed from the Android Market.
  
• Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.
  
• A WiFi router. You can use GMote over your 3G connection, but it will require you to forward port 8889 on your router.

Download and install GMote from the Android Market.



When you launch the GMote app for the first time on your Android device, you’ll be prompted to install the Gmote server software on your computer. You can find the download link at the end of this article, or you can choose to have the link sent to your inbox by selecting (Email me the link).



Installing the GMote Server

Select your platform and OS and download the appropriate package. (Download link below)



It’s a straightforward install, you can take the defaults.



You’ll need to Unblock or Accept any firewall prompts.



You’ll be prompted to choose a password (optional). Type a password and click OK, or simply Cancel.



Next, you’ll have the option of adding the locations of any media files on your computer. This will allow you to easily find and play those files from your Android device. Click Done when finished.



Your GMote server will run in the system tray.



Now that the server is installed, it’s time to return to Android. Select I have installed the Server. Start GMote!



Open the GMote App. You may be prompted to choose your server computer. If you don’t see it listed, select I don’t see my server or I want to enter my IP manually.



If you set up a password, you’ll also be prompted to enter it.



Controlling Your Computer

GMote has two screens you can use to control your computer. The remote screen has some basic controls for media playback. Tap Browse at the top left to browse any media folders you added during setup, or tap the power icon at the top right to close the currently running application on your computer.



Select the directory with your media files or browse for a different folder.



Tap the file you’d like to play to begin playback on your computer.



Now you can use the Play, Stop, Skip Forward/Back, Pause, and Volume buttons to control playback.



You can switch to the touch pad mode by selecting your menu button and tapping Touchpad.



The Touch screen allows you to control mouse movements with the flick of a finger across the screen. Tap or double tap on the screen to simulate left mouse click or double click. Tap and hold to simulate a right-click on the mouse.



Tap the keyboard icon at the top left to bring up the on screen keyboard and key in text.



To modify the sensitivity and acceleration settings, press Android’s Menu button and select Settings while on the GMote touch screen.



This will allow you to adjust how far the computer’s mouse will travel when you slide your finger along the screen.



Conclusion

While GMote is not likely to make an HTPC owner forsake their remote control, it is a very nice solution for Android owners who wish to be able to play and control media on their PC from across the room.

Download GMote Server

Source : How To Geek

Google Chrome, Problems Downloading Large Files

Google Chrome, Problems Downloading Large Files: "
For the last days, the developer version of the Google Chrome web browser has had troubles downloading large files from the Internet. Downloads of files with a minimum size of 50 Megabytes, stopped abruptly at about 30 Megabytes.
Retrying the download yielded the same results. The first thought was that this was related to a single file or server, that acted up strangely.
But the problems persisted and after trying to download a dozen different files, all with a file size of 50 to 200 Megabytes, it became clear that Google Chrome was the problem.
Examples of files are the Emsisoft Emergency Kit with a size of 103 Megabytes, some Mediafire downloads with a size of about 180 Megabytes each, and downloads over at Softpedia, like Kaspersky’s Small Office Security.
All downloads stopped at approximately the same size, 36.7 or 36.8 Megabytes. File extensions were also different, including archive formats like zip or executables like exe.
There does not seem to be a fix for this issue yet, and it is not clear if all Chrome versions are affected or only the latest developer release, version 6.0.466.0.
All downloads were completed successfully in other web browsers like Firefox, which seems to confirm that this is a Chrome-only problem. This also is the workaround for users who experience the same download problems.
The test system was running Windows 7 Pro, 64-bit. Have you been experiencing the same troubles? Let us know in the comments.

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© Martin for gHacks Technology News, 2010.

10 Cool Facebook Status Tips and Tricks

With Facebook’s ever-changing layout, and the fact that other social sites are encroaching on its real-time update strangle-hold, it’s easy to forget that there are some pretty nifty tricks you can pull using your humble Facebook status.
We’ve pulled together 10 great how-to tips that will help you get the most out of your status update, from official features to apps, Easter eggs, jokes and more.
Perfect for newer Facebook users, or anyone who is looking for a refresher, read on and let us know the ones you like in the comments below.

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1. HOW TO: Add a Dislike Option to Your Status Update

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“Like” buttons are everywhere on Facebook, and they’re everywhere on the web. But what if you want to update your status or share something that your friends can “dislike?” We know, your friends can choose to “comment” on your post, but where’s the fun in that?
The clever Status Magic Facebook app can add a dislike button to any status updates posted via the app. And if you wanted to really mix it up you can actually customize the second emotion to anything, such as “love,” “hate,” “disagree” or even “LOLs.”

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2. HOW TO: Hide Status Updates From Certain People

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Using Facebook’s general privacy settings (find these by hitting “account” on the top right of a Facebook page) you can select whether everyone, just friends or friends of friends can see your status updates. However, there is a way to narrow those options down even further.
You can select specific friend lists to see your status (relevant for work, special interest groups, etc.) or even individual people by name, which is useful for anyone organizing a surprise party.
To take advantage of these options, click the padlock icon just below your “what’s on your mind” box on your wall and a drop down menu should appear. Selecting “customize” will bring up more options such as “make this visible to” and “hide from” with the option to make your selection a default.

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3. HOW TO: Pre-Schedule Status Updates

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While SocialOomph, Sendible and HootSuite offer the same kind of service, the simplest way to schedule Facebook status updates is by using the easy, free Later Bro service.
Just sign in with Facebook Connect, select your time zone, type in what it is you’d like to say, set the calendar and clock to when you’d like to say it, and presto!

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4. HOW TO: Tag People in Your Status Updates

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This was quite a big deal when it was announced this past September, but from the amount of searches on the topic “how can I make someone’s name go blue in a Facebook status?” it seems it’s not universally known.
To mention someone in a status update just type “@” (a la Twitter) in the status bar and start typing their name as it appears on Facebook. An auto-generated list will then come up with people in your social circle whose name starts with the letters you’ve typed. The feature also works with pages, brands, events and companies.
Hit the name you want, complete the update, click share and the name will become a hyperlink (you won’t see the @ symbol) and will appear in blue text.

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5. HOW TO: Add Symbols to Your Facebook Status

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Although there are plenty of emoticons that work with Facebook Chat, typing “:)” into Facebook’s status bar will not magically transform into a smiley yellow face. In fact, the only symbol you can create in a Facebook status update through the shortcut keys is a ♥, by typing “<3."
While this won't bother many Facebook users, others more used to punctuating their missives can copy and paste web-happy, universal symbols into the box, as you can see in the screengrab above.
PC users can also access some symbols by hitting “alt” + various number combinations (on a numerical keypad). So, while smileys are yet to hit Facebook statuses, you can annoy or amuse your buddies with symbols right now.

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6. HOW TO: Turn Your Status Updates Into a Word Cloud

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There’s a really fun way to visualize anyone’s status updates (even an entire country’s) as a word cloud. The Status Analyzer 3D app will look at what it is you’ve been chatting about lately and generate a list, and then a pretty, colorful, animated cloud as pictured above.
You can share the results with others on the social networking site by posting it to your friends’ walls or by adding it to your profile.

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7. HOW TO: Have Fun With Facebook’s Humorous Language Options

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While you can always change your setting into more sensible alternative languages, the site offers a couple of fun linguistic Easter eggs.
You can chose to have Facebook display upside down English, or, for anyone feeling a little salty, in “pirate.” Pirate essentially turns your status into your “plank,” your attachments into “loot” and instead of “share” it offers the option to “blabber t’ yer mates.”
Sadly, anything you type in the status bar won’t be upside down, or pirate-y. But with the use of some external sites you can achieve the same effect.
TypeUpsideDown.com and UpsideDownText.com are just two examples of sites that can flip your text, while the Talk Like a Pirate Day site can help you with your pirate translations.

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8. HOW TO: See Status Updates From Around the World

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If you want to get a glimpse of the thoughts of Facebook users from around the world’s, head over to OpenBook.
Created by three San Fran web developers with a serious privacy message in mind, the site aggregates the status updates of everyone whose privacy levels are set to “everyone.”
You can narrow your searchable results down by gender and keywords to find out what people are saying about a certain topic. Or you can just browse the recent searches.

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9. HOW TO: See Your Status Update Stats

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Have you ever wondered how many times you have updated your status on Facebook? The Facebook app Status Statistics, can tell you this and more.
The app analyzes your updates and gives you a tidy list of how many you’ve written, the average word count and how many times a day you post. In addition, it generates a graph that shows you what time of day or what days of the week you normally update.
Old statuses are also searchable via the app, so you can find that witty retort you made back in November 2009 without having to scroll back through your history.

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10. HOW TO: Play a Trick On Your Friends in Your Status Update

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We have a funny one to end on — a way to play an amusing trick on your Facebook buddies.
This clever link “http://facebook.com/profile.php?=73322363″ looks like it could be a URL for anyone’s Facebook profile, actually takes anyone logged into Facebook to their own profile page.
If you try it out, be sure to remove the link preview that Facebook auto-ads. Have fun, and don’t be too mean…


source: http://mashable.com/2010/07/10/facebook-status-tips-tricks/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Mashable+(Mashable).