Archive for September 4, 2015

Stardock Launches Object Desktop 2016

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 4, 2015 by itnerd

Stardock, who makes Start10 which I reviewed here, announced its suite of software called Object Desktop 2016 which is a complete Windows Customization experience. Fully updated for Windows 10, Object Desktop 2016 has been the leading customization and productivity suite for more than a decade from Stardock. Old favorites like WindowBlinds are included in the suite, as well as new products SpaceMonger and Multiplicity.

The applications in Object Desktop 2016 offer many customization options, enabling PC users to customize the Windows user interface to look and behave how they want it to. Popular customizations include bringing back the Windows 7 style Start menu, organizing desktop shortcuts, adding virtual desktops, applying animated wallpapers, and creating many other stunning visual effects.

Object Desktop is available for $49.99 and can be downloaded at www.objectdesktop.com.

1 Comment »

How Software Works On Its Way To Store Shelves

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 4, 2015 by itnerd

Geek book publisher No Starch Press continues to make technology accessible to everyone with How Software Works (No Starch Press, $29.95, 216pp., Sept. 2015), a new book that explains the magical way common software technologies power our modern world.

cat

In How Software Works, readers will discover the inner workings of software without getting bogged down in complicated lines of computer code. Although the book exposes the technical details of the topics explored, there’s no programming to wade through. Through patient explanations and intuitive diagrams, readers will learn:

  • The fundamentals of computer security
  • How passwords and private data are protected
  • How computers generate stunning digital graphics for films and video games
  • How data is searched and found in huge databases in an instant
  • How map software finds directions

How Software Works will be available in September 2015.

Leave a comment »

ASUS Announces New Products In Major Press Event In Germany

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 4, 2015 by itnerd

ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih revealed details of the company’s latest innovations in mobile, wearable and home computing technology, plus the latest gaming innovations from ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG), in a pre-IFA 2015 press event held at the Bolle Meierei, in Berlin, Germany. Here’s a quick rundown on what was revealed:

ZenWatch 2: Time-honored craftsmanship, infinite style

ZenWatch 2 is a stylish and personalized wearable device powered by Android Wear and produced in partnership with Google. Crafted with absolute attention to detail using high-quality materials, ZenWatch 2 is a precision watch that serves as a smart assistant to Android and iOS smartphones, providing wearers with timely information at a glance and letting them get things done with a simple touch or voice command.

ZenWatch 2 is designed to be a truly personal device that wearers can customize even further to express their unique sense of style. Available in two sizes and three case colors, with 18 different strap material and color combinations, ZenWatch 2 also includes over 50 professionally-designed and instantly-changeable watch faces, along with a FaceDesigner app that lets wearers design their own, so there is truly a ZenWatch 2 for everyone.

ZenWatch 2 builds upon the original ZenWatch, offering an even more refined design, an improved user experience, a full-featured activity tracker with industry-leading accuracy, and a workout coach. ZenWatch 2 now includes a metal watch crown, enhancing the user experience by a providing new way to interact with the watch. It also comes with an all-new magnetic charger that features effortless attachment, and which can charge ZenWatch 2’s battery to 50% capacity in just 36 minutes.

ZenPad: World-leading innovations with premium style

ZenPad S 8.0 (Z580CA) is an 8-inch tablet offering users a premium Android experience, and delivering ultimate style and beauty along with extreme performance. Powered by an Intel Atom Z3580 processor, ZenPad S 8.0 is the world’s first tablet with 4GB RAM. It has a beautifully-crisp and clear QXGA IPS screen with a stunning 324ppi pixel density and ASUS Tru2Life+ display technology, which performs intelligent contrast and sharpness adjustments to boost dynamic range. ZenPad S 8.0 supports the optional Z Stylus for intuitive writing and drawing input, and features DTS-HD Premium Sound™ — another world-first on a tablet — for the ultimate audio experience..

ZenPad 8.0 (Z380C) combines refined styling, incredible entertainment capabilities, and customizable functionality with interchangeable covers to redefine the tablet experience and bring true luxury to consumers. It also features integrated DTS-HD Premium Sound, and the innovative Audio Cover option brings immersive 5.1-channel surround-sound to a tablet for the first time, with 6 powerful speakers for a totally-immersive entertainment experience. Audio Cover is also included in ZenPad Theater, an entertainment-focused ZenPad 8.0 bundle.

ZenPad 10 (Z300) combines refined styling, incredible entertainment capabilities and blazingly-fast performance with optional accessories that enhance functionality to redefine the tablet experience and bring true luxury to consumers. Available in three models with LTE/Wi-Fi (Z300CL), 3G/Wi-Fi (Z300CG), and Wi-Fi (Z300C) connectivity, there is a ZenPad 10 to suit any kind of user.

ASUS Audio Dock is a detachable keyboard with Bluetooth stereo speakers that provides enhanced entertainment and productivity for ZenPad 10. ZenPad 10 also supports the optional Z Stylus for intuitive writing and drawing input.

Zen AiO S: The Art of Performance in Stunning 4K/UHD Detail

Zen AiO S is a family of premium all-in-one Windows 10 PCs that fuse art with industry-leading technology. Zen AiO S provides a perfect balance of beauty and superb performance, providing the ultimate computing experience for discerning home and professional users.

For truly-immersive family entertainment, Zen AiO S is equipped with up to an ultra-detailed 4K/UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS display with a 185ppi pixel density and 178-degree viewing angles, plus a powerful six-speaker ASUS SonicMaster Premium sound system that delivers 16W of incredibly rich and clear stereo sound.

Featuring a stunningly-elegant all-aluminum unibody design with a seamless integral stand, Zen AiO S looks amazing. The anodized Icicle Gold finish is enhanced with a finely-brushed texture at the rear, and the front fascia features our iconic spun-metal detailing. Superb performance is delivered by 6th-generation Intel Core up to i7 processors and gaming-grade NVIDIA GeForce GTX™ 960M graphics with up to 4GB of video memory. Other leading-edge technology showcased in the Zen AiO Series includes the latest USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, up to PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 SSD storage, and up to an Intel RealSense camera that enables futuristic capabilities such as biometric login and accurate motion-sensing.

RT-AC5300: The world’s fastest Wi-Fi router

RT-AC5300 is an innovative AC5300-class tri-band wireless router that delivers the world’s fastest Wi-Fi — with Broadcom NitroQAM RT-AC5300 delivers up to 1000Mbit/s on the 2.4GHz band and up to 2167Mbit/s on each of the two 5GHz bands, for a combined total of up to 5334Mbit/s. This gives users a low-latency gaming experience and ultra-fast 4K/UHD video streaming anywhere in the home.

With eight powerful external antennas in a four-transmit, four-receive (4T4R) configuration, both Wi-Fi range and signal stability are dramatically improved, giving our widest-ever coverage up to 500 square meters. AiRadar beamforming focuses the Wi-Fi signal, giving faster, clearer and stronger Wi-Fi performance for each device.

RT-AC5300 incorporates many advanced technologies to enhance performance, ease of use and stability. Tri-Band Smart Connect ensures that each device is assigned automatically to the most appropriate band for maximum speed and stability. Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) enables multiple devices to connect at their maximum speeds without slowing down the network, and Link Aggregation (802.11ad) can combine two LAN ports into one superfast 2Gbit/s wired connection using two network cables.

AiProtection with Trend Micro security provides three-pronged state-of-the-art home network protection, and AiCloud 2.0 is a personal cloud storage service that lets users access, share and stream their files from anywhere.

VivoStick PC: The PC that breaks the boundaries

ASUS VivoStick PC heralds a new and convenient way of computing. This remarkable ultra-miniature Windows 10 ‘stick’ PC is incredibly slim, compact and light with a modern, elegant pen-inspired design, and a stylish cap to protect the HDMI connector. VivoStick PC is designed for everyday enjoyment, turning any HDMI-enabled TV or monitor into a fully-functional PC, and allowing users to stream and share content anywhere, anytime. It can even be remotely controlled from a mobile device using a special ASUS app.

Measuring just 137.9 x 34.0 x 14.9mm, weighing only 68g, VivoStick PC can also be used for essential daily computing, with full connectivity including fast 802.11n Wi-Fi, two convenient USB ports, an audio output jack, plus Bluetooth 4.0 for connecting a keyboard and mouse. VivoStick PC comes with 2GB of RAM for smooth performance.

ZenFone Zoom: The world’s thinnest 3X optical zoom smartphone

The groundbreaking ZenFone Zoom is the world’s thinnest smartphone to feature a 13MP camera with a 3X optical zoom. ZenFone Zoom’s rear camera features a precision-engineered 10-element lens with up to a 12X zoom for even finer close-up detail. ZenFone Zoom also has an optical image stabilizer (OIS) for shake-free photos and professional Panasonic SmartSFI® sensor for optimized image, combined with a revolutionary lightning-fast laser auto-focus for incredibly-sharp images every time.

Powered by a high-performance 2.5GHz Intel Atom Z3590 quad-core processor with 4GB RAM for ultra-fast performance, ZenFone Zoom redefines expectations for smartphone photography — packing DSLR-style shooting experiences into a metal unibody that tapers to a mere 5mm, so it slides comfortably into a pocket.

Advanced users will appreciate the flexibility of ZenFone Zoom’s Manual mode, which allows professional-grade manual control of ISO settings, shutter speed and more.

Leave a comment »

Review: Moshi Mythro Earbuds

Posted in Products with tags , on September 4, 2015 by itnerd

The final item out of my iStore goodie bag are the Moshi Mythro earbuds which earned a place on CNET’s best headphones for under $50 list. In short they are aimed at someone who wants to replace the stock earbuds that come with their iOS or Android device, and wants quality sound and construction without spending a ton of cash to get it. That sounds like a tall order. To find out if it delivers, I once again turned to registered massage therapist Mark Taylor who reviewed the Pencil by FiftyThree and the Two Hands by Felix. Let’s see what he thought of these ear buds:

The Moshi Mythro earbuds are very simplistic in design and its great that they’re affordable. Once taken out of the packaging I could immediately feel the quality engineered into the set. Comparing them to previous high end earbuds well in the $200.00 range that I’ve used in the past, they surprisingly work just as well, if not better. They seem to work well to casually listen to music on the subway and they cancel out any excess noise once fit into the ear canal. Trouble fitting your ears? Don’t worry- Moshi had covered that and has included three different sized ear tips. I tested them out in the gym, but I seemed to hit a limitation when it came to physical activities. I found that I wasn’t able to run or jump rope with them in as they would fall out and the music was muffled. I would suggest using Moshi’s Clarus as they wrap around the ear for a better fit. The mic button can be very sensitive if you’re wearing looser clothing. My zipper seemed to hit it and therefore turn off/on songs. Even though I cannot use them out for a run, or in my active lifestyle, Moshi’s Mythro are a great find for work, and casual use. I can definitely see why these headphones made CNET’s best headphones for under $50 list.

How much under $50 are they? They list for $29.95 USD. That’s a bargain given how well they work. Based on Mark’s recommendation, I’d put these on your shopping list if you’re in the market for new earbuds.

Leave a comment »

Dude! Where’s My Guest Account?

Posted in Tips with tags on September 4, 2015 by itnerd

After writing this article to give readers a overview of FileVault 2, I noticed something on my MacBook Pro. I was missing the Guest Account which is a special type of user that has very limited access to your Mac. That was a bit of a fail because that’s actually a good security feature as it allows a thief who steals your Mac to connect to the Internet, which in turn allows you to find your Mac using the functionality found in Find My Mac and you then have the option of sending the cops to get it, locking it, sending a message to it (example: “If found, please return it. Reward offered”) or erasing the contents remotely.

When I looked in System Preferences and Users And Groups, I found that the Guest Account was activated.

I was left scratching my head for a bit as that should mean that everything should be working. So I decided to try an experiment by deactivating and reactivating the guest user. That worked. I can only conclude that when I transferred my data over from my old MacBook Pro (which had the Guest Account working) to my new MacBook Pro, something must have gotten trashed. Thus turning it off (which kills the account) and back on (which creates a new account) would cure that. Weird.

Hopefully this is the last thing that I have to fix on either of the MacBook Pros. But at least this experience is giving me all sorts of topics to share with you in case you hit similar problems. That way you don’t have to make a trip to the Genius Bar to get them solved.

Leave a comment »

BREAKING: BlackBerry To Acquire Good Technologies

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 4, 2015 by itnerd

I just about fell off my chair when the news that BlackBerry has acquired Good Technologies. for $425 million in cash. BlackBerry and Good are part of a very competitive market that’s constantly evolving. But, this move brings together complementary capabilities from both companies to create the most comprehensive secure mobile platform in the market. At least that’s how BlackBerry is spinning it on a call for investors that I am listening to as I type this. And I say that because it was just a year ago that John Chen who is BlackBerry’s CEO said that Good Isn’t Good Enough.

More spin information is available on the Inside BlackBerry Blog.

Leave a comment »

How To Fix Instant Hotspot On OS X And iOS

Posted in Tips with tags on September 4, 2015 by itnerd

My wife noticed that a function that I take for granted on my MacBook Pro wasn’t available on her new to her MacBook Pro. The Instant Hotspot feature which is part of the larger Continuity feature set. This allows a MacBook Pro for example to use a iPhone that is in Bluetooth range to surf the net using the data plan of the iPhone. It’s a handy feature to have if you have a MacBook, and it should “just work” but it wasn’t in her case. So I spent some time diagnosing the issue and here are the things that I tried that I hope will help you if you encounter this issue:

  1. Reboot everything: I’ve found that this can help to re-establish whatever connections are required for this feature to work.
  2. Turn off WiFi and Bluetooth on both devices: This is another thing that can help  to re-establish whatever connections are required for this feature to work. Also, you need both Bluetooth and WiFi enable for Instant Hotspot to work.
  3. Log out and back into iCloud on both devices: Instant Hotspot requires you to have devices using the same iCloud account. So I am guessing that something in the way that the Mac and iOS interact with iCloud keeps this from working properly. It’s also worth noting that a reboot sometimes won’t cure that. Thus for whatever reason logging out and logging back in seems to clear that up.
  4. Reset network settings on your iPhone or iPad: Resetting the network settings on your iDevice is a brute force way of fixing this if the first three items don’t work. Keep in mind that this will clear out all wifi hotspot passwords and connected Bluetooth devices as well, so you’ll have to re-enter those. Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Then type in your passcode if asked. Finally, confirm you’d like to reset your network settings.

In my case, I got as far as item three before things started working again. But sometimes when I get calls from clients, I have to use some or all of these before I get things working.

If you have any other tips that help fix Instant Hotspot problems, please leave a comment below and share your knowledge.

1 Comment »