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ComputorEdge™ Online — 09/28/12

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Solar Innovation, Huge Colonel Sanders Image, Offensive Cyberware, and More Little Known Stories

More Little Known Computer and Internet Stories, Plus Digital Dave, Wally Wang, Worldwide News, and the Evolving Windows Task Manager.

Magazine Summary

List of ComputorEdge Sponsors

Digital Dave

by Digital Dave

Digital Dave answers your tech questions.

Kindle Fire HD; Old Reliable Scanner; Windows 8 Release Preview Tips.

Solar Incentives, Map-vertising, Personalized Malware, Electronic Dance Music

by Marilyn K. Martin

More Little Known High Tech Stories

Solar Updates; Digital Retail; Global Cyber-Security; iPet; Public Digital Art; Personal Cyber-Security; Electronic Dance Music; iPhone Security; Controversial New Apps; Third World Tech; Interesting New Start-ups.

Windows Tips and Tricks: Task Manager from Windows XT to Windows 8

by Jack Dunning

One of Windows Most Important Tools Continues to Evolve

With each new version of Windows the Task Manager becomes more important for viewing the inner workings and hidden mechanism in the operating system.

Wally Wang's Apple Farm

by Wally Wang

The Compromises of the No-Compromise Solution

The Compromises of the No-Compromise Solution; Apple Flops; Blackberry Sales May Be Nil; Staying Focused on Writing; Editing Video on the iPad; AuthenTec: The Fingerprint Scanner; Power Nap.

Worldwide News & Product Reviews

by Charles Carr

The latest in tech news and hot product reviews.

Nomophobia: If You've Got It, It's Now Being Treated; Not Your Parents' Classroom; Tips for Creating a Great Social Media Contest; HTC One X (AT&T); One Keyboard for Computers and Mobile Devices.

Editor's Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers

by ComputorEdge Staff

Computer and Internet tips, plus comments on the articles and columns.

"3.0 Speed on AT&T Internet," "Computer Temps," "Viewing E-mail"

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Digital Dave

“Digital Dave answers your tech questions.”
by Digital Dave

Kindle Fire HD; Old Reliable Scanner; Windows 8 Release Preview Tips.

Kindle Fire HD

Dear Digital Dave,

The new Kindle Fire HD is now out. I'm wondering what your thoughts are about upgrading. I already own the original Kindle Fire.

Jim Edwards

Chula Vista, CA

Dear Jim,

The new Kindle Fire HD 7" certainly has more than its predecessor, but you may want to wait a little while before you jump in. Plus, whether you need the new Fire or not is highly dependent upon how you use it.

The new features on the HD version of the Kindle Fire are numerous.

• The screen resolution has increased to 1280x800 offering 720p HD viewing. If you watch a lot of HD videos, this is significant.

• The speakers are now Dolby Audio which is better for listening to music.

• The front-facing camera is probably one of the more significant additions if you're one for Skyping with your family and friends when out-of-town. It won't be long before every device (routers, printers, etc.) has cameras built-in.

• The standard memory is now 16GB rather than 8GB, but there is still no SD card expansion slot. 32GB is available for $50 more. Amazon Cloud storage is free with all Kindle Fires.

• The battery life is supposed to be a little longer—11 hours versus 8.5 hours.

• 10-point multi-touch versus two-point means that if an application supports it, you can use all ten fingers. I don't know how useful that will be on a small tablet usually operated with one hand.

There have been numerous complaints about the Kindle Fire HD because it comes with advertising on the lock screen and "you may also like" ads in some of the apps. (Another way for Amazon to recoup the loss they take on each sale.) For an additional $15 you can get the ads removed from the lock screen, but it has upset people who didn't know they would be there.

Honestly, except for the higher screen resolution and the front-facing camera, I'm not sure that there is much of an advantage to the Kindle Fire HD. Unless you watch a lot of videos or are addicted to video calling, those features won't add much to your life style. The price of the original Kindle Fire has dropped to $159 making it an even better deal than before.

It does not compete with the iPad, but at $200 you don't expect it to. Amazon is coming out in November with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9". For $299 you will get the Kindle Fire HD with a larger screen and higher resolution with a Micro-HDMI port for connecting to your HDTV. For $499 you can get 4G cellular connectivity. AT&T is offering a $49.99 Kindle Fire plan for the first year (entire year, not per month) which is a great deal. After that you're on your own.

If your primary use for a Kindle is reading, you may be interested in the soon to be released Kindle Paperwhite. Named for its white background, it is more like a traditional Kindle e-book reader—known for its readability and long battery life. It includes a back-light.

I would wait a little while before jumping into the new model. Read the reviews and decide if the complaints are relevant to your situation. If there are bugs, they will most likely be worked out in the next month or so.

Digital Dave

Old Reliable Scanner

Dear Digital Dave,

I have seen some reference that there is a means/method to run Win XP programs on Win 7. I have an old but serviceable scanner that I would like to run using windows 7. The software I have only lets me run up to Win XP.

Suggestions appreciated. The scanner is Microtek Scanmaker V6UPL. I can run it using Fedora 17.

Bonnell Frost

Loveland, CO

Dear Bonnell,

If you have Windows 7 Professional version (or above) then you can run the Windows XP Compatibility Mode with Windows Virtual PC—a free download. I'm guessing that you will be able to load the drivers in this virtual machine. However, (if it works at all) the scanner would only be available when the virtual machine is running. Unless you can set up XP as a print server, you may be limited to running programs installed in the XP mode. I haven't tested it, but since Windows XP operates as a separate computer within Windows 7, this may be the case.

A better alternative might a program such as VueScan 9 which is compatible with most older scanners and runs in Windows 7—as well as other operating systems. It has a free trial and, if it works, the price is $39.95. (If someone knows of alternative free software or drivers for this scanner, please let us know.)

The third option is to get a new scanner which may not cost much more than the price of the software mentioned. I know that you love your current scanner and want to keep using it, but depending on what you need and the price of the new scanner, it may cost you more in time and fees to keep it running than to buy one of the latest models.

Digital Dave

Windows 8 Release Preview Tips

Dear Digital Dave,

I have been using Windows 8 Consumer Preview running in VirtualBox, but lately many apps have stopped working. Do I have to wait for Windows 8 release in a few weeks or is there another way to keep playing with it until it is released?

David

Denver, CO

Dear David,

Windows 8 Consumer Preview is no longer supported. This is why some of your features are not working—especially those that access Windows Live. The current available preview is Windows 8 Release Preview which is much closer to how the final release will work. If you want to continue playing with Windows 8 (for now), then you should take the same steps to install this version in VirtualBox as you did for Consumer Preview. (You can find installation tips and links in this "Windows Tips and Tricks" column.)

It is important to note that unlike the Consumer Preview, you may run into problems if you don't have the proper BIOS settings. You must have a processor with Hardware Virtualization Technology (VT) and NX/XD enabled. If you are getting errors during installation this is probably the reason. You are looking for both settings. NX/XD may be confusing since they are worded differently in different BIOS settings. You should set either enable NX ("No eXecute bit"), or the equivalent XD ("eXecute Disabled").

During installation the product key is: TK8TP-9JN6P-7X7WW-RFFTV-B7QPF

It is important that you type in the key without adding the hyphens or space—it's automatic. Do not copy-and-paste.

This should keep you going until at least January 15, 2013. That's enough time to decide if it's worth $40 to upgrade a computer.

Digital Dave

Solar Incentives, Map-vertising, Personalized Malware, Electronic Dance Music

“More Little Known High Tech Stories”
by Marilyn K. Martin

Solar Updates; Digital Retail; Global Cyber-Security; iPet; Public Digital Art; Personal Cyber-Security; Electronic Dance Music; iPhone Security; Controversial New Apps; Third World Tech; Interesting New Start-ups.

Solar Updates—Set-backs and Incentives

In July 2012, MIT's Technology Review wrote about the changing landscape for solar technology. Low manufacturing costs for new solar technologies is no longer enough. Too many companies, start-ups to GE, went all in for cheap thin-film solar technology—just to see prices fall for the more efficient solar silicon panels. "You can no longer rely on just low-cost manufacturing," a GE spokesman said. "You also need high-performance panels." So now manufacturers are working on higher-efficiency solar panels, with start-ups trying different strategies, from trying to make thin-film more efficient than silicon panels, to offering technology that augments conventional silicon panels.

According to the Denver Post in July 2012, Colorado's Xcel Energy has started a new incentive program called Solar Gardens. Looking for creative low-income projects to make solar energy affordable to customers, Solar Gardens enable people who don't have sunny roofs to buy or lease part of a solar array for as little as $1,000. Other states have similar programs, but Colorado has a Solar Garden Law with developers specializing in solar installation as well as innovative private financing.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a new non-battery electronic chip that can capture energy from light, heat and vibrations—all at the same time. With energy-harvesting from multiple green sources becoming more popular (see my article last time on Prison Pedal Power), the idea is to create tiny non-electric-energy-grids that can keep going if one energy source goes down. Using innovative "dual-path architecture," the sensor can be powered from either a storage device, or directly from the source to bypass the storage system.

Digital Retail—Store Maps to Mapvertising

Finding your way through Big Box stores means craning your neck to read 15-foot tall aisle guides, or flagging down sales help—who may or may not know where to send you. Now Big Box retailers like Target and Walgreens are offering smartphone apps with floor layouts, while stores like Walmart and Home Depot have apps to display aisle numbers for searched items. Initially reluctant to release detailed merchandising data, for competitive reasons, mobile store-search apps have become so successful that stores are now adding everything from coupons to bar code scanners.

Google made a foray into Mapvertising in 2006 to tie local advertising to their local search feature. In 2008, Travel Ad Network (TAN) partnered with Lat 49 to launch a larger form of Mapvertising, by offering advertisers "the ability to deliver geo-contextually targeted display ads across a wide variety of online map sites."

Life's Little Mysteries reported in January 2012 that Mapvertising has now gone enormous for the people who troll Google Earth in their spare time. An 87,500 square foot picture of Colonel Sanders (KFC) can be found at 37.646163' N, 115.750819' W—just off the Extraterrestrial Highway in Nevada

Global Cyber-Security—Personalized Malware to Going on the Offensive

MIT's Technology Review in July 2012 had an article about a new and highly personal form of malware viruses that are getting past the automated analytics of antivirus firms. Early in 2012, the Flashback computer virus gained notoriety as the first malware to invade Apple's nearly impenetrable operating system, Mac OS X. The scariest part was that the Flashback creators added a function to bind the virus to each infected system, much as Hollywood often uses to prevent movie and music files from being copied. Another complicating factor are malware writers using a technique for changing programs each time they are copied onto a new machine, making detection and identification all that much harder.

Up until now, cyber-security efforts in the U.S. have mainly focused on defending computer networks, and identifying "hacker-gangs"—mainly in China. But a new strategy was hinted at in Las Vegas last summer at the DefCon Convention, when a federal recruiter suggested changing the focus from building impenetrable computer defenses, to building systems that let the hackers in and then seek to ID their paymasters.

A story in the New York Times in September 2012 highlighted this new offensive strategy for U.S. cyber-warriors. With the focus turning more to offensive capabilities the U.S. must figure out when and where to unleash its own malware to disrupt an adversary's networks—much like the Stuxnet worm did to Iranian nuclear plants a few years ago. Such malware wouldn't be a deterrent against conventional thief-hackers or industrial spies. But with rising intrusions into U.S. computers that run military and essential infrastructure, disruptive software is now considered an essential tool for waging cyber-war. The U.S. government and the Air Force are now putting out bids or asking for proposals for just such "security malware."

iPet Technology

I've already written about the New York City animal shelter that lets cyber-visitors "play" with shelter cats through Webcams and computerized toys Now, per Gizmag, a home version is available. iPet Companion now offers tele-play with your own pets at home. The hardware consists of a Webcam, control box and two mechanisms that can swing and bob one pet toy each (toys not included). Password protected, pet owners can also give their password to family and friends to spread the playtime around, for bored and mischievous pets left alone during the day. The price is $850 for the cat version, and $895 for the dog version, plus a $4.95 monthly subscription fee.

Latest in Public Digital Art —Dead Celebrity Holograms to Sky-words

When the deceased Tupac Shakur "performed" on a California stage last Spring, it heralded a new form of unlive entertainment. Now the estates of passed-on celebrities from Michael Jackson to Elvis and Marilyn Monroe have expressed interest in the technology. Advances in digital-artistry can make these deceased celebrities "live again" for performances—or commercials. But estates may run up against the legal protections the stars themselves set up before their deaths, in terms of how their names, voices and images may be used after their death.

A new form of interactive artwork is opening in Philadelphia to display messages in the sky. A Montreal artist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, has developed a system to translate voice messages into moving beams of light over the heart of Philly's cultural district. Participants can record their declarations, poems, gripes, wishes and shout-outs for up to 30 seconds on an Open Air iPhone app, or online. Then watch as 24 robotic searchlights slowly write in the night sky, patterns and intensity determined by the recorders' vocal signature and GPS location. This searchlight-art project runs through October 14, and can be accessed from anywhere through the project's Web site , or by downloading a free iPhone app available September 20th.

Personal Cyber-Security—HTML5 and Data-Extortion

MIT's Technology Review posted an article in July 2012, that said a new suite of tools known as HTML5, to make Web sites more complex and powerful, also lets hackers take control of an attacked computer. Hackers can execute code while offline, and access hardware such as cameras and microphones. As another sign of the times, the functionality built into HTML5, like developing software that can run on any device with a suitable browser, is also the key to letting hackers in to inspect data in supposedly secure sites.

In September 2012, Bloomberg reported that with so much data now in the public domain, armchair-hackers are easily acquiring people's personal and private data and using it for extortion purposes. One California Sextortionist used file-sharing networks to infect the computers of women and teen girls to look for sexually explicit pictures, and even turned on the victims' Webcams and computer audio to record them in intimate situations. He then used the data to threaten and play mind-games on the women. (He's now in prison for 6 years.) Other cases range from the San Francisco city employee who hijacked access to the city's computers to protest a re-assignment, to stealing and ransoming medical records in Illinois.

Electronic Dance Music—DJs and Laptops

Bypassing music labels, young digital music artists are finding success just by taking their song remixes and new sounds directly to global dance floors. In jeans and plaid, these new musicians are also playing their electronic keyboards to packed amphitheaters, as well as touring and recording with established singers like Justin Bieber. One-man-bands like Skrillex or Zedd usually trained on traditional musical instruments and songwriting. Then went on to tinker with electronica to create the zips, thumps, crashes, booms, and squiggles on portable audio control panels like Novation Launchpad that are so engaging to young audiences.

iPhone Security: Spyware, Back-up, and Bacteria

Bloomberg reported in August 2012, that FinFisher spyware like their FinSpy, can be used to take over a variety of mobile devices, from iPhones to Blackberrys. The program can secretly turn on the gadgets' microphones, then track and monitor everything from voice calls to text messages and e-mails. Research illustrates how unregulated trade in offensive hacking tools are transforming personal gadgets into secret tracking and surveillance devices. FinFisher's maker, Gamma International, claims criminals stole information from its sales demonstration server, using unknown methods at an unknown time.

Also in August 2012, Boston Globe recommended ways to back up and encrypt your smartphone's stored data, and track or shut down your phone if it's stolen. Backing up your iPhone's data is easy if you have iTunes software on your PC or Mac, or you can activate iCloud backup services. For Android phones, sync your phone data with your online Google account, and plug into your desktop to copy phone docs by drag-and-drop. There's also a free Google Play app called App Backup and Restore. Apple has encrypted password protection, and so does the newer Android phones. For older Android phones, Google Play offers DroidCrypt for under $3. Other software can find or locate your lost phone and remote data-wipe. Another helpful suggestion is to only do your banking from a home PC, not your mobile devices.

The New York Times reported in September 2012 that consumers are taking steps on their own to protect their gadgets from data-grabbing apps. A recent study by Pew Research Center found that among American adults with smartphones, half had declined to install apps that demanded too much personal information. And nearly a third had uninstalled an app upon learning that it was collecting personal information they didn't want made public. The study shows that adults are more aware now about digital privacy, with four out of five smartphone owners backing up their data, and half that admitted to clearing their browsing histories.

Yahoo reported in August 2012 that your cell phone has more bacteria than a toilet seat. One story is that a man in Uganda reportedly contracted Ebola after stealing a phone from a quarantined ward of a hospital. People don't think of smartphones as being as germ infested as bathrooms, so seldom think to clean them. There is the same problem with remote controls, in that they are routinely passed among several people. While disinfectant sprays may damage the electronics, experts suggest using antibacterial wipes.

Controversial New Apps

An only-in-New-York story was published in the New York Times in September 2012, where a smartphone app to hail a taxicab had been blocked by the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission. Start-up Uber offered a new app that could hail a taxi "from anywhere at any time," and was already in use by about 100 NYC taxis. The Commission said it had not authorized the adoption of cab-hailing or payment apps, arguing that "current contractual agreements between the Commission and payment processors restrict the use of apps." That may change in February 2012, when current contracts expire, after which new guidelines might allow a broader use of taxi apps.

Apps for kids are everywhere, and come in very handy for learning and entertainment on long car rides. But a mommy-blogger in the New York Times in September 2012 questioned the necessity of a money-calculating Tooth Fairy App. There are other dubious apps that may appeal to well-meaning but obsessive parents. Like the Halloween Fairy, who takes away excess candy after the holiday to avoid cavities and/or obesity. One counter-idea now in use by some parents, is to just give a book instead of money for baby-teeth, or candy for Halloween.

One of the hottest new categories of apps for smartphones and even tablets, are the voice-texting or walkie-talkie apps. You download a free app, tap someone's name, then hold down the screen TALK button. Your voice then bursts clearly out of a friend's or relative's phone, anywhere in the world. Zello Walkie Talkie is the most popular and recommended since you and your circle need the same app to voice-text. They are far safer to use while driving, and don't burn up any cellular minutes.

Third World Tech

According to a New York Times blog in September 2012, one determined ex-Amazon executive and major New York publishers are going to give literacy in the Third World a major boost. David Risher has founded a nonprofit, Worldreader, to send Kindle e-readers to developing countries. And now he has persuaded major New York book publishers to provide free e-books to go on those Kindles, which will triple the current size of Worldreader's 900 e-books. Pilot programs in Africa have been very successful, and Worldreader hopes to distribute 10,000 more e-readers by the end of 2013.

A Texas man, Terry LeBleu, has invented a machine to make water out of the air. Called the DroughtMaster, the machine plugs into an electrical outlet, condenses water from the air, and can produce 5-7 gallons of clean water a day. Cost ranges from $499 to $519, and it would be a good back-up for drinkable water even in developed countries.

According to MIT's Sept/Oct edition of Technology Review, The International Executive Service Corps (Geekcorps) has been sending volunteer programmers, network designers and technical support to cities in impoverished nations since early 2000. Geekcorps is taking sustainable high-tech to the poor all over the world, "whether sophisticated multi-dimensional cross-cutting ICT installations to makeshift FM antennas cobbled out of soft drink bottles." The current 1,600 volunteers have passed the rigorous selection process, and then the 3-4 month tour where they learned how to adapt their computing knowledge into sustainable systems in low tech countries.

Interesting New Start-ups

According to the New York Times in September 2012 a new start-up designs stylish office supplies and sells them online. Poppin has a Web site offering fun and stylish office and school supplies users can shop for by color, and which is updated every Tuesday. They don't sell non-style items like printer paper or cartridges, but do design office furniture.

Poppin taps into a couple new e-commerce trends, in that it only offers 500 items (to eliminate catalogue shopping and decision fatigue) and they sell directly to consumers with no brick-and-mortar stores—giving them a higher profit margin and thus lower prices. Although managers in businesses generally order the office supplies, Poppin's owners say the new trend is for employees to use their own gadgets and personal online services at work. This could conceivably translate into employees making office supply recommendations to managers, or buying their own office supplies with company funds.

The Sept./Oct. 2012 issue of MIT's Technology Review introduced a start-up that makes stretchable electronics for medical uses. MC10 is a Cambridge, Massachusetts, start-up that makes conformal-electronics, or high-performance electronics that can stretch (not just bend). They are ready to market everything from hydration-sensing patches, to other stretch-patches with sensors to monitor heartbeat, respiration, motion, temperature, and blood oxygenation. These stretch-patches can take precise, real-time biological readings, which are useful to athletes as well as medicine.

Marilyn is a freelance writer and humorist, with a special interest (besides computers and technology) in Science Fiction. A SF Horror story appeared in July 2011 in Deadman's Tome. And in January 2012 she had a SF Police Procedural appearing in Cosmic Crime magazine, and a SF Dystopian Romance appearing in the Strange Valentines anthology. She also has almost seventy articles on Helium.com, and is writing a humorous Young Adult SF series, Chronicles of Mathias. Volumes One and Two have received a "Gold Star for Excellence" from TeensReadToo.com, and are available from most on-line bookstores.

ComputorEdge E-Books has converted many of Marilyn's computer humor columns into four e-books.

* Computer Confusion in Paradise: Lo! And in the Beginning There Was Total Befuddlement!, in both EPUB format for iPad, NOOK, etc., and MOBI format for Amazon Kindle.

* Computer Hardware: "Parts Is Parts", in both EPUB format for iPad, NOOK, etc., and MOBI format for Amazon Kindle.

* Computerholics Anonymous: PC Users, Abusers and Confusioners, in both EPUB format for iPad, NOOK, etc., and MOBI format for Amazon Kindle.

* My Computer, My Nemesis: Bravely into the Smiley-Face Virtual Void!, in both EPUB format for iPad, NOOK, etc., and MOBI format for Amazon Kindle.

* All four e-books can be found at our E-Book Store.

Windows Tips and Tricks: Task Manager from Windows XT to Windows 8

“One of Windows Most Important Tools Continues to Evolve”
by Jack Dunning

With each new version of Windows the Task Manager becomes more important for viewing the inner workings and hidden mechanism in the operating system.

Here's a comment from a reader about the "Windows Tips and Tricks" column:

You should rename the column to "AutoHotkey Tips & Tricks." It's been a time now since there's been other than this particular subject. I don't read it. I'm going by the header description.

I find this an interesting comment since the past couple of columns had Windows tips which don't depend upon AutoHotkey. Even so, AutoHotkey is all about Windows tips and tricks. After all, it is probably the best free Windows utility program ever. The possibilities are only limited by the imagination of the user. AutoHotkey has both flexibility and power. If someone takes the small amount of time required to write AutoHotkey scripts, they can become the office Windows superhero, making Windows computers do things people didn't think were possible.

Windows Task Manager

Having said that, I'm not offering any AutoHotkey tips this week. I'm working on a new e-book which includes the tools (often hidden) in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. As I was reviewing the chapters I realized that while I've often written about using Task Manager for solving certain types of problems, I've never written specifically about Windows Task Manager itself. This is a huge oversight since it is the primary tools for seeing what's actively running on your Windows computer. At times, using Task Manager may be the only way to stop a program which has crashed and become unresponsive. Most importantly, it helps you diagnose what's hogging your CPU and causing slowdowns. Task Manager gives you a peek at the inner workings and hidden mechanisms in Windows.

Task Manager was first introduced with Windows XP. Earlier versions of Windows had a program called "tasks." It has evolved with successive versions of Windows by adding new functionality. For example, in the most recent Windows 8 version, the Startup feature moved from System Configuration to Task Manager (see Figure 1). This is a good move since Task Manager is a little easier to find than the System Configuration feature.

Opening Windows Task Manager

There are three primary ways to directly open Windows Task Manager. The first is to hold down Control+Shift+Escape (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC) simultaneously. (You can also use CTRL+ALT+DEL, the old "help to get out of here" combination, but in most versions of Windows using that combination will add one more step, plus if you accidentally hit it twice you could reboot your computer.) The second is to right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager. The third is to Run (from Start Menu or +R) the program "taskmgr.exe" (without quotes). See Figure 1 for the last two methods.

Figure 1. At the top, Microsoft removed Startup from Windows 8 System Configuration and added to Task Manager. To open Task Manager in all versions of Windows (XP and above), Run "taskmge.exe" (bottom left), right-click on the Taskbar and select "Task Manager" from the menu (bottom right), or hold down CTRL+SHIFT+ESC.

Which method you use to open Windows Task Manager is purely personal preference.

The Evolving Windows Task Manager

The primary purpose of Windows Task Manager is to give the user access to the running processes—including applications, background processes, and Windows processes. It is a complete look at everything that's going on in your Windows computer. The list of processes is found in the Processes tab as shown in Figure 2 for the Windows XP Task Manager. The Processes tab is a long and cryptic list in XP because everything is mixed in together.

Figure 2. Windows Task Manager in Windows XP. The Processes tab is open.

The problem with working with the processes tab in Task Manager is that unless you know what you're doing you might "End" a process which is required for the functioning of Windows. Therefore, Microsoft has the Applications tab which displays only those processes which are running as applications, thus excluding the Windows processes. Figure 3 shows Windows Task Manager in Windows Vista with the Applications tab open. Working with the Applications tab is relatively safe except that you might lose unsaved data if you need to terminate ("End Task") here.

Figure 3. Windows Task Manager in Windows Vista. The Applications tab is open.

As seen in Figure 3, Windows Vista added two new tabs, Services and Users. Services is a view of all those programs and features that Windows is running as a service. This is mostly the same information found in Services except that you can only Start and Stop the service. Open the primary Services window by clicking the "Services" button at the bottom of the Task Manager Services tab or opening Control Panel => Administrative Tools => Services. The User tab gives information on local users.

The Task Manager in Windows 7 is the same as that of Windows Vista offering the same features (see Figure 4). The Performance tab in Task Manager gives information on the current CPU usage and memory. If you would like more detailed information including CPU usage by program, disk activity, network activity, and memory usage by application, click the "Resource Monitor..." at the bottom of the Performance tab. (Note: Windows XP does not offer Resource Monitor, although it does include the Performance program (Run "perfmon.exe") which is much more limited. The Run command "perfmon.exe /res" (no quotes) will open Resource Monitor in Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

Figure 4. Windows Task Manager in Windows 7 with the Performance tab open.

As Windows Task Manager evolves, Windows 8 combines the old Applications and Processes tabs into one Processes tab (see Figure 5).

This tab breaks the Apps, Background processes, and Windows processes into distinct categories. This is a huge improvement since it's now obvious which processes (Windows processes which are generally needed for the proper operation of the system) the novice should avoid.

Figure 5. Windows Task Manager in Windows 8 with the Processes tab open.

Windows 8 added a new tab, App history, showing the logged CPU usage of each program. The Startup tab is new in the Windows 8 Task Manager, as mentioned above. Details is similar to the old Processes tab except that it gives even more detailed information on each active process. Windows 8 removed the Networking tab in Task Manager. Now the Performance tab gives overview information on CPU, Memory, Disks, and Ethernet (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. Windows Task Manager in Windows 8 with the Performance tab open.

If you want to know what's going on inside your computer, then Task Manager is the tool for you. Microsoft has made Windows Task Manager an even more important tool for diagnostics in Windows 8. However, while there is a little more centralization in Windows 8, most of these tools are available in the other Windows packages.

Jack is the publisher of ComputorEdge Magazine. He's been with the magazine since first issue on May 16, 1983. Back then, it was called The Byte Buyer. His Web site is www.computoredge.com. He can be reached at ceeditor@computoredge.com. Jack is now in the process of updating and compiling his hundreds of articles and columns into e-books. Currently available:

Currently only at Amazon.com, Jack's Favorite Free Windows Programs: What They Are, What They Do, and How to Get Started!.

Just released and available from Amazon, Misunderstanding Windows 8: An Introduction, Orientation, and How-to for Windows 8! Also available at Barnes and Noble and ComputorEdge E-Books.

Available exclusively from Amazon, Windows 7 Secrets Four-in-One E-Book Bundle,

Getting Started with Windows 7: An Introduction, Orientation, and How-to for Using Windows 7,

Sticking with Windows XP—or Not? Why You Should or Why You Should Not Upgrade to Windows 7,

and That Does Not Compute!, brilliantly drawn cartoons by Jim Whiting for really stupid gags by Jack about computers and the people who use them.

Wally Wang's Apple Farm

“The Compromises of the No-Compromise Solution”
by Wally Wang

The Compromises of the No-Compromise Solution; Apple Flops; Blackberry Sales May Be Nil; Staying Focused on Writing; Editing Video on the iPad; AuthenTec: The Fingerprint Scanner; Power Nap.

As October 26 creeps closer and hints of new models and prices for Windows 8 tablets start to appear, many people are wondering how Windows 8 tablets will fare against the iPad. While this is the most common question in the minds of many people, it's also the wrong question.

The real question people should be asking about Windows 8 tablets isn't how it compares to the iPad or Android tablets, but what advantages Windows 8 tablets can offer. When Apple introduced the iPhone, most smartphones were hard to use and limited despite offering features like Web browsing and third-party apps. The iPhone didn't just duplicate a mobile phone, but it offered the advantage of being a mobile computer for playing games or finding directions based on your current location. The iPhone literally changed the way people thought of a smartphone.

When Apple introduced the iPad, the iPad didn't just duplicate the features of a netbook, but introduced a new way to use a computer through a touchscreen instead of a mouse and keyboard. While many iPad users buy external keyboards, it's not necessary to use an iPad in the same way that a keyboard is necessary to use a regular computer. The iPad helped usher in the mobile computing market in ways that laptops and netbooks could never do.

In thinking about Windows 8 tablets, what does it offer? Its tile user interface is suited for touchscreens, but isn't as intuitively obvious for desktop or laptop computers. It promises to run on multiple form factors so the baggage needed to run on a desktop computer must be shoved into a tablet or smartphone form. Windows 8 promises to do everything on any device. Technically, Windows 8 is already a success, but will its no-compromise promise actually turn into lots of compromises anyway?

Back in World War One, the Canadian military noticed that soldiers needed a shovel to dig trenches and foxholes, and they needed a shield to protect them from gunfire. Rather than give Canadian soldiers a separate shovel and a shield, they decided to combine the features of both into a single device called the MacAdam shield-shovel.

Figure 1. The MacAdam shield-shovel.

This no compromise solution offered plenty of compromises that ultimately doomed it to complete and utter failure. As a shield, the device needed thick armor to protect a soldier along with a hole in the middle of the shovel blade so a soldier could aim through that hole.

Yet as a shovel, the device needed to be light enough to be carried easily with the ability to shovel dirt quickly. As a shovel, the hole in the middle made digging impractical. As a shield, the shovel blade had to be light enough to be carried, with the end result that the shield's metal wasn't thick or strong enough to stop a bullet, defeating its purpose as a shield.

By offering a no-compromise solution as a shield-shovel, this device wound up compromising itself as both a shield and a shovel. This is what happens what you try to bolt on the features of two separate items and cram them into one.

Now re-examine the promise of Windows 8 running on smartphones, tablets, and PCs. The real question is whether anyone really wants (or needs) to run the same operating system on different form factors. An ordinary Windows program likely won't be optimized for smartphones and tablets, and smartphone and tablet apps aren't likely to be useful running on a PC.

Think of an iPhone app like Cheap Gas that helps you find the location of the cheapest gas station near you. If you could run this program on a desktop or laptop computer, it would help you find the cheapest gas station, but since your computer is much bulkier to move, it certainly won't help unless you lug a laptop computer everywhere you go along with a cellular modem to get Internet access.

Windows 8 may be a technical achievement, but from a usability perspective, its biggest challenge is making it useful for both PCs and mobile devices at the same time. The MacAdam shield-shovel was also a success technically. It just failed under practical use.

Apple Flops

While we wait to see if Windows 8 will succeed or fail, we can look at some of Apple's failures. First is their social network known as Ping, which Apple killed on September 30. Ping was supposed to let people share their music tastes with others, but it never really caught on and people can do the exact same thing using Facebook and other social networks, which made Ping irrelevant.

Another Apple flop was MobileMe, which originally was meant to provide a Web hosting service along with e-mail and online storage. After MobileMe stumbled out of the gate, Apple patched MobileMe but it never proved popular or useful. Apple eventually migrated MobileMe to iCloud, dropping many of MobileMe's features like online photo galleries and Web page hosting.

When Apple released the iPhone 4, critics jumped on the antenna problems, despite the fact that every mobile phone lost signal strength when held in different ways. When Apple released the iPhone 4S, critics picked on Siri for not always being accurate. Of course, these same critics ignored the much weaker voice recognition features of other mobile phones.

With the release of the new iPhone 5, critics are complaining that Apple's own Maps app isn't as accurate as Google's Maps app. Part of the problem is that Apple is trying to move away from relying on competitors for critical services. By allowing Google's Maps on the iPhone originally, Apple put themselves at the mercy of a competitor. They could have either kept Google Maps on the iPhone and risk being held hostage by Google, or they could offer their own solution and dump Google's apps, which is the solution they chose.

Mapping is actually a crucial feature of mobile computing. Even Nokia spent billions purchasing their own mapping solution to avoid being held hostage by a competitor like Google. Apple made a strategic error trusting Google during the iPhone's original development and now they're simply late to the mapping market with no choice but to either rely on third-party solutions forever or build their own mapping system.

According to Mike Dobson, a former professor of geography at SUNY Albany, and Rand McNally's chief cartographer from 1986 to 2000, Apple's software is fine, but its mapping data will require years of refining. This means Apple has to play catch-up to Google (Android) and Nokia (Windows Phone 7) for several years. If Google and Nokia are smart, they'll keep moving forward too.

Figure 2. Tapping the bottom right corner of the Maps screen displays options.

In the meantime, if you find errors with Apple's Maps, tap in the bottom right corner of the screen to display various options. Then tap the Report a problem link so you can let Apple know of an error. The more people who report errors, the faster Apple can fix their Maps app to improve accuracy.

Figure 3. Report a problem with Apple's Maps app.

Besides dumping Google's Maps app, the latest version of iOS 6 also dumped Google's YouTube app. As Apple shifts away from competitors like Google and Samsung, they'll have to keep innovating to maintain the iPhone's dominance.

Critics will likely point out Apple's flawed Maps app as a reason to avoid Apple products while ignoring the dozens of other reasons to avoid rival products. Apple products may not be perfect and they never have claimed to be, but they're still more attractive than the majority of other products out there. Even PC Magazine rated the iPhone 5 as the fastest smartphone currently available (http://) so you have to decide if you can live with mapping flaws or not, knowing that rival mapping solutions aren't always 100 percent accurate all the time either. The big problem is that Apple's Maps app is noticeably less accurate than Google's Maps app, but that's the price Apple (and ultimately iPhone customers) must pay to free itself from Google.

Blackberry Sales May Be Nil

Recent reports claim that not a single customer has bought a Blackberry mobile phone at many retail outlets in the past month. Yet just five years ago, most of the corporate world not only relied on Blackberries, but issued them as standard equipment to all of their employees. Research in Motion keeps promising that their new Blackberry 10 operating system will turn their sales around, but with current interest in Blackberries fading, will anyone care when Blackberry 10 finally arrives sometime next year?

Research in Motion's fate from smartphone market leader to has-been, also ran status in five years should be clear evidence that change can occur rapidly. In the mean time, analysts are hammering Apple because they only sold five million iPhone 5s on the first weekend instead of the 6-10 million some analysts were predicting. The reason why Apple didn't sell more? Because they couldn't make them fast enough.

Now would you rather be Research in Motion who can't sell a single Blackberry phone in a month, or Apple who can't make enough of the iPhone 5s to meet demand? Both cases have knocked their company's stock price down, yet who really has the problem?

Just to see how short sightedness and arrogance combined with avoidance of actual facts can combine to bring down a market leader, here are some quotes from Research in Motion's former CEOs:

"As nice as the Apple iPhone is, it poses a real challenge to its users. Try typing a Web key on a touchscreen on an Apple iPhone, that's a real challenge. You cannot see what you type." - Balsillie, November 2007.

"The most exciting mobile trend is full Qwerty keyboards. I'm sorry, it really is. I'm not making this up." — Lazaridis, May 2008.

"So the question you have to ask yourself is when it comes to tablet, what market or what opportunities, still, it's solving, what problem is it solving, and is it just a replacement laptop? I think that's a difficult one to judge." — Lazaridis, April 2010.

"For those of us who live outside of Apple's distortion field, we know that 7in tablets will actually be a big portion of the market and we know that Adobe Flash support actually matters to customers who want a real Web experience." — Balsillie, November 2010.

"There's nothing wrong with the company as it exists right now." — Heins, July 2012.

Staying Focused on Writing

One problem with many word processors these days is that they bombard the screen with icons, menus, and floating palettes that often get in the way and distract you from writing. If you're using Word 2011, you can switch to a special Focus view by choosing View>Focus. This strips away everything on the screen so you can focus just on your document.

If you don't have Word 2011, download the free FocusWriter instead. (The programmer does request donations.) The main idea behind FocusWriter is to display nothing on the screen but your document. Just to avoid looking at a blank screen, FocusWriter lets you choose from a variety of themes and colors.

Figure 4. FocusWriter lets you focus on a document.

If you're a writer trying to complete a manuscript, use FocusWriter's built-in timer to keep track of how long you've been writing. At a fixed time interval, such as 30 minutes, the program can alert you so you can take a break. Until that alert pops up, you'll know that you still need to keep writing.

FocusWriter may not offer all the fancy features that Word 2011 offers such as macros, outlining, or mail merge, but if you just want to write, then FocusWriter might be for you. If you're a programmer, download and study its source code too. Best of all, FocusWriter is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, so download a copy and see if it can keep you focused on your writing.

Editing Video on the iPad

If you have an iPad with a camera, you can record video. In the past, you had to download the video to a computer if you wanted to edit it, but now you can edit video directly on your iPad using the $7.99 Pinnacle Studio app for the iPad.

Figure 5. Pinnacle Studio lets you edit video on your iPad.

Just load a video stored on your iPad and you can trim video, add background audio, or create titles. The power of Pinnacle Studio on the iPad rivals early video editors that used to run on PCs. Nobody will mistake Pinnacle Studio on the iPad for the features of Pinnacle Studio on a computer, but you can get surprisingly creative with the touchscreen interface.

If you just want to capture and edit video quickly, then send it directly from your iPad, you'll find Pinnacle Studio for the iPad quick, effective, and easy to use. If you need more professional editing, then Pinnacle Studio on the iPad can help you make rough edits before transferring the video file to a computer.

For anyone who still harbors the delusion that the iPad is only a content consumption device and not a content creation device, Pinnacle Studio is yet one more example that punctures that myth. With many news organizations like CNN accepting raw video footage of world events from eyewitnesses, capture video on your iPad, edit it with Pinnacle Studio, and upload the edited video to your favorite news site for the whole world to see.

Now if everyone carried an iPad running Pinnacle Studio all the time, we might finally get actual footage of BigFoot, UFOs, or the Loch Ness monster. Or maybe just a politician actually keeping all of his or her promises for a change.

AuthenTec: The Fingerprint Scanner

AuthenTec makes fingerprint scanners that other companies use such as Dell, Samsung, and Lenovo. However, Apple recently purchased the company in July and now AuthenTec has announced they will soon stop selling their technology to anyone else.

This business strategy focuses on buying critical technology and then denying that technology to competitors. Of course, this is nothing new, but it does highlight the growing need for companies to control all aspects of their product from start to finish. The idea of buying other company's technology no longer works if rivals can buy that same technology as well.

Apple found this out the hard way by becoming too dependent on Google and now they have to go through the teething process of jump starting their own mapping solution. Now with Apple purchasing AuthenTec, Apple can turn around and deny this crucial fingerprint scanning technology to Google.

Expect Apple to start incorporating fingerprint scanning technology in future products such as the iPhone to verify payments. In Japan, people are already using their mobile phones as credit cards. The problem is if somebody steals your mobile phone, can they use your trapped credit card information too?

With a built-in fingerprint scanner, you could link your credit card information to your unique fingerprint, which would make your mobile phone more secure. Even if somebody stole your mobile phone, they would still need your fingerprint to access your credit card information. (Of course, if somebody were to steal your mobile phone and cut off your fingertip...)

In any event, expect fingerprint scanners on the iPhone, iPad, and future MacBook laptop computers. Then sit back and watch other companies snap up other technology companies to give themselves an edge in another field. At least if companies can't innovate, they can buy companies that still do.

*                    *                    *

If you have a newer MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with the Retina display running Mountain Lion (Mac OS X 10.8), you can use a feature called Power Nap. The idea behind Power Nap is to put your computer to sleep but still perform background tasks such as receiving e-mail or backing up your hard disk through Time Machine.

To turn Power Nap on or off, click the Apple menu and choose System Preferences. Then click the Energy Saver icon under the Hardware category to open an Energy Saver window. From this window, you can configure Power Nap.

Figure 6. Configuring Power Nap.

When Power Nap detects your battery is at 30 percent power, it stops to avoid draining your battery completely. By using Power Nap, your laptop Macintosh can get more done for you while you (and your computer) sleep.

In the early days, before Wally became an Internationally renowned comedian, computer book writer, and generally cool guy, Wally Wang used to hang around The Byte Buyer dangling participles with Jack Dunning and go to the gym to pump iron with Dan Gookin.

Wally is responsible for the following books:

My New Mac, Lion Edition

My New iPad 2

Steal This Computer Book

Microsoft Office 2010 For Dummies

Beginning Programming for Dummies

Beginning Programming All-in-One Reference for Dummies

Breaking Into Acting for Dummies with Larry Garrison

Strategic Entrepreneurism with Jon and Gerald Fisher

How to Live with a Cat (When You Really Don't Want To)

The Secrets of the Wall Street Stock Traders

Mac Programming For Absolute Beginners

99% Fairy Tales (Children's Stories the 1% Tell About the Rest of Us)

The Zen of Effortless Selling with Moe Abdou

The 15-Minute Movie Method

In his spare time, Wally likes blogging about movies and writing screenplays at his site "The 15 Minute Movie Method." Wally can be reached at wally@computoredge.com.

Worldwide News & Product Reviews

“The latest in tech news and hot product reviews.”
by Charles Carr

Nomophobia: If You've Got It, It's Now Being Treated; Not Your Parents' Classroom; Tips for Creating a Great Social Media Contest; HTC One X (AT&T); One Keyboard for Computers and Mobile Devices.

Nomophobia: If You've Got It, It's Now Being Treated

The California-based drug and alcohol recovery facility Morningside Recovery Center has founded the first ever recovery group to deal with Nomophobia, the fear of being without mobile technology. According to the Center:

Studies show that two-thirds of the population suffers from "Nomophobia" ("no-mobile-phone-phobia"). As new mobile devices and technology hit the market, Nomophobia is increasing, up 13% from a couple of years ago.

Addiction and recovery expert, Dr. Elizabeth Waterman, Psy.D treats a variety of addict patients every day and has seen a deep increase in her Nomophobe patients.

We use cell phones every day, but for a growing number of people staying connected has become an obsession that occupies every waking minute—and for them, an utter fear and anxiety runs through their veins when they lose their cell, run out of battery, have no network coverage, or simply imagine living life without a mobile device.

More info at www.morningsiderecovery.com.

Not Your Parents' Classroom

The folks at KidsEducationNews.com write in this week:

While chalkboards and hard cover textbooks have been the long-standing representations of education, today's classrooms have evolved as educators integrate technological tools such as interactive projectors and tablets to teach a new generation of digital natives. Teachers are utilizing technology to move from linear, text-based teaching to dynamic, interactive and blended approaches that engage students in new ways. Here are several must-have tools for today's classrooms.

• There's An App for That

When it comes to teaching new concepts, there is a wide array of apps that parents and educators can use. To help young and emerging readers, for example, there is the Wanderful collection of interactive storybook apps. Originally published by Living Books, each story is filled with hundreds of interactive hot spots and antics providing children with a rich reading experience, which they explore with little to no guidance. For parents and educators looking for tools to use with students who need extra help, Super Duper Publications offers several apps focusing on grammar fundamentals and critical thinking and reasoning, as well as apps that teach social skills such as All About You, All About Me which helps children get to know themselves and the important people in their lives.

• Virtual Instruction Supporting Diverse Learners

Parents of children with autism and other special needs want to ensure that their children are supported and allowed to thrive in an inclusive classroom. "You're Going to Love This Kid!" A Professional Development Package for Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom is a professional development video that provides practical ways for educators to create a learning environment that supports all students and makes the most of each student's gifts and interests. Featuring one of today's most popular and respected experts on autism and inclusive education, Dr. Paula Kluth, the DVD and Facilitator's Guide expand on the key lessons from her presentations and best-selling book, "You're Going to Love This Kid!": Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom, published by Brookes Publishing. Telepractice, or online speech therapy, connects highly qualified speech language pathologists with children with special needs who may not otherwise have access to them. PresenceLearning is the leading provider of such services and provides a fun, interactive approach to speech therapy.

• Souped-up Teaching Aids

Technology can help remove barriers that impede a student's ability to learn and provide teachers with tools that enhance learning. Interactive projectors, such as the Epson BrightLink 485Wi, allow teachers to turn any existing whiteboard, wall or other smooth surface into an interactive learning space. When hooked up to a versatile DC-11 document camera, show and tell has new meaning as learners explore objects from a page in a favorite book to the petals of a flower in great, full-color detail. And, with new audio enhancement systems retention levels are improved as students hear teachers clearly no matter the classroom size.

• Assessments that Deliver

When it comes to helping children improve on their learning, modern assessments provide real-time data to impact teacher instruction. Built for the Common Core State Standards, the new national standards being implemented in 45 states, i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction is designed to save teachers time by providing real-time data and helps students make significant gains by combining ongoing assessments and personalized instruction in a single online product.

• Connecting to Science in New Ways

Science benefits from teaching beyond the textbook. Hands-on scientific discovery now takes many forms with handheld devices that allow educators to take learning outside of the classroom and allow students to connect with scientific data in new ways. The Connected Science System and LabQuest 2 lets students collect, view, analyze and annotate data inside and outside the classroom while making Bring Your Own Device classrooms a reality.

To ensure children are getting the most out of learning today, it is essential that their classrooms are equipped with the latest 21st century technologies.

Tips for Creating a Great Social Media Contest

Seth Lieberman, CEO of the marketing platform SnapApp—which allows brands and publishers to create social promotions and interactive content across the Web, social, and mobile—offers the following tips for aspiring contest creators:

We all have some level of competitive instinct in us. If you've never thought, "Hey, I could do that better," you're probably kidding yourself. Competition is as much a part of our nature as eating or breathing—and sometimes we even get competitive with those!

So when you add in a prize and some social media exposure to combine incentive with instinct you can see why contests can be so effective for marketing. Managing a successful contest, however, is no backyard pickup game. There are a lot more than just getting people together and yelling "play ball!"

Here are a few quick tips so you have your A-game when it's time for your own contest.

1. Set Goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): A contest isn't just meant to get people talking. The jury may still be out on social media ROI, but for contests, given the resources necessary, there needs to be a measurable return. You need to know what you're trying to achieve with the contest, and more importantly, how to measure it. Whether its likes, leads, or even direct revenue, define what success means, and the metric that best reflects it.

2. Seed the Field: The idea "if you build it, they will come" doesn't apply to contests. A quick Google search of "Social Media Contest" will yield around 210 million results. Search "contest" on Twitter, and your news feed turns into a pin wheel. Clearly, contests are a noisy space, so if you want people to get involved you can't rely on them finding you: you need to find them! Search out relevant social media groups, forums, or key influencers that are a natural fit with the objectives or details of your contest and put in some good promotional grunt work.

3. For any Prize X Know the Why: The Lombardi Trophy itself is not why professional football players endure such grueling seasons year after year. They want everything the trophy means for their profession. Likewise, when trying to decide what prize will get your audience excited to compete, don't assume a simple product will be an adequate selling point. Be sure to know why your audience wants to get involved before you can expect them to care how your contest works.

4. Disclosure, Disclosure, Disclosure: Social media contests are a great way to create buzz and word of mouth advertising, but because the people who are talking about your brand or contest are doing so in hopes of winning a prize, their comments may qualify as endorsements and become subject to regulations by groups like the FTC. A good rule of thumb is to include terms & conditions or a quick disclosure on the contest page, so even if the contestants aren't aware of their own need to disclose their intent, the link they share will keep them covered.

HTC One X (AT&T)

Until myself or one of our reviewers gets our mitts on an Apple's newest offering, HTC's Android 4.0-powered (Ice Cream Sandwich) One X is more than capable of making many a smartphone user utter, "iWhat?"

The unit we tested ran on the AT&T Wireless Network and operates on the 4G LTE network, which offers speeds as much as 10 times faster than 3G, according to AT&T. The phone's key features are the processor, the camera, and the screen. Let's take them one at a time.

The One X (LTE version) has a Snapdragon 1.5GHz dual-core processor which is very, well, snappy to say the least. We were able to watch a video, browse the Web, and play Plants vs. Zombies all at the same time with nary a hiccup. The unit comes standard with 16GB of internal memory, which is more than enough for many users to store plenty of pics and tunes.

The One X's 8MP (plus 1.3MP rear facing) camera will dazzle you with its versatility and quality. Many users will simply forget they own a standalone digital camera after a few days with the One X. The unit features a f/2.0 28mm lens and something called a Smart LED flash that takes a lot of the guesswork out of getting great shots even in low-light.

The movie function of the camera allows recordings of up to 1080p HD quality at 60 frames per second. There's even a pretty serviceable app called HTC Movie Editor that enables you to trim videos to a more manageable size before sharing them with friends and family. One of the best features of the One X is the ability to snap a picture while you're shooting video. No more jumping out of the action to get a still. That's a big, big development in cell phone cameras.

The One X's 720p 4.7" HD Gorilla Glass widescreen is an absolute stunner. Movies look fantastic with rich, deep colors. And it looks great from nearly any angle. I wish the phone had a dedicated MicroHDMI out jack, but no luck there. The HTC One X puts an incredible amount of power, productivity, and beauty right in the palm of your hand. Hard to believe how far these devices have come in so few years.

The HTC One X is priced at $99.99 with a two-year contract or $499.99 no commitment price.

One Keyboard for Computers and Mobile Devices

An external keyboard is included as standard equipment with almost all new desktop computers, and a built-in keyboard is included with almost all new portable computers. In most cases, however, the standard equipment keyboard is ordinary; it does its job with few bells or whistles. Users looking for amenities and/or high-profile keys to facilitate touch typing can turn to Mathias Corporation which is one of the premier sources of keyboard upgrades. Mathias' multipurpose and touch typist friendly One Keyboard is the subject of this review.

If you're looking for a full-size USB-powered keyboard with a numeric keypad and cursor-control (arrow) keys, One Keyboard could meet your needs (Figure 1). This sturdy plastic keyboard's black keys with white lettering are about 3/8" high and have a concave upper surface measuring about 0.5" x 0.56" that will delight many touch typists. The keys make a clicking noise and have a feel/travel when depressed that remind you of yesteryear's keyboards.

Figure 1. One Keyboard is a full-size, USB-powered keyboard with touch typist-friendly keys, support for iDevices (via Bluetooth), a USB 2.0 hub, and more.

One Keyboard weighs 1.65 lbs. and ships in a white cardboard box that measures just a tad larger than the keyboard's 18.7" x 6.8" x 1.4" dimensions and has a retractable plastic carrying handle. The box includes the keyboard's non-detachable 5' USB cable and a folded single-sheet user guide that has text-only instructions in English and French (Mathias Corporation is located in Canada). The guide's readily digestible instructions are supplemented by a photograph on the box's back side that includes text explanations in English and French of One Keyboard's major features.

Two versions of One Keyboard are available for the same $99.95 MSRP—one for Macs and one for Windows PCs. The two versions have the same feature set (details in a moment) except the former has keys that are appropriate for Macs (e.g., command (⌘) and option keys on both sides of the space key) while the latter has keys that are appropriate for Windows (e.g., Windows () and alt keys instead). This review focuses on the Macintosh version.

What really distinguishes One Keyboard from standard equipment models is its support for Bluetooth equipped mobile devices. Turn on Bluetooth by briefly pressing the white button above the F11 key (Figure 2) and One Keyboard will pair with a supported Bluetooth-enabled mobile device—iPhone 3GS or newer; iPod touch 3rd generation (2009) or newer; iPad; Android 3.0+ smartphones and tablets.

Figure 2. Distinguishing features of Mathias' One Keyboard include built-in Bluetooth support powered by USB rather than batteries, a pad above the cursor keys that accommodates a cell phone or music player, function keys that control iOS features (e.g., F1 and 2 control an iDevice's screen brightness; F3 displays the search screen; F4 triggers picture frame mode; F5 displays the iDevice's virtual keyboard; F7�F9 control iTunes navigation; F10�F12 adjust the volume level), and labels on each key for the extended characters it produces when pressed together with the shift and/or option keys.

For instance, suppose you want to send a text message on a cell phone while working at your desk and you have fat-finger syndrome fat-finger syndrome. Instead of struggling with the cell phone's virtual keyboard, press One Keyboard's Bluetooth button, then turn on the cell phone's Bluetooth, place the cell phone on One Keyboard's rubber pad above its cursor keys, and begin typing (Figure 3). To switch back to typing on the computer, simply press One Keyboard's Bluetooth button again and voil�!

Figure 3. This screen capture from an iPad paired with One Keyboard via Bluetooth illustrates some of the physical keyboard's typing advantages over the virtual keyboard.

But wait, there's more. One Keyboard's additional niceties include retractable feet (for propping it up at an angle instead of lying flat on your desk), labels on each key that can produce extended characters when pressed in combination with the shift and/or option keys (for example, press the option and g keys to produce the copyright symbol (©); press the option, shift, and k keys to produce the Apple logo, two USB 2.0 ports on the keyboard's side that faces a connected computer, and a green indicator light for caps lock mode. All of these features worked flawlessly during testing for this review.

My only quibbles with One Keyboard are the following. The caps lock key indicator lamp is located to the right of the iDevice's pad, which is less convenient than if it were located on the caps lock key. Two additional lights located above and below the caps lock light are unlabeled and I still haven't figured out their functionality. Lastly, One Keyboard's FN key behaved inconsistently during testing for this review. For instance, pressing the FN key together with the F10, F11, or F12 key had the same effect (muting, decreasing, or increasing my MacBook Pro's audio volume level, respectively) as pressing the F10, F11, or F12 key alone. Pressing the FN key together with the F1 (screen dimming), F2 (screen brightening), F3 (Mission Control), or F4 (Dashboard) key had the opposite effect, negating the function key—nothing happened.

In conclusion, One Keyboard is a multipurpose, high quality, and affordable alternative to struggling with fat finger syndrome when entering text (e.g., text messaging) on a mobile device along side a computer. Users who want a smaller alternative for portability and/or do not need a numeric keypad might prefer One Keyboard's $79.95 sibling Slim One Keyboard.

Reviewed by Barry Fass-Holmes

4.0 globes

In addition to being an editor and columnist for ComputorEdge and ComputerScene Magazines, where he has written hundreds of feature articles and cover stories over the past decade, Charles Carr has also penned well over 1,000 non-tech newspaper and magazine articles and columns for various publications, including two widely-read columns each week for San Diego's North County Times newspaper.

Carr has covered such diverse topics as pesticide use in area schools, invasive background checks for county volunteers, asthma awareness, the debate over standards-based grading, potential vulnerabilities in electronic voting machines, and Southern California's devastating 2003 and 2007 wildfires. He has also written many humorous pieces.

Carr has also edited dozens of stories and articles written by others which have appeared in major publications and web sites across the country.

He has been a contributor and technical advisor to L.A. and San Diego Parent magazines and receives dozens of requests a year to appear on Southern California television and radio stations to talk about important events in the tech world.

Carr has judged many writing competitions including San Diego Press Club and Time-Warner Communications contests and was sole judge for the national NAPPA Tech Toys awards for five years (which his kids really appreciated). He was recently a judge for the national "Poetry Out Loud" competition.

He has won many writing accolades, including Press Club awards for Best Column Writing, Consumer Writing and Best Arts and Entertainment, and has repeatedly taken top honors in San Diego Songwriter's Guild competitions for his original musical compositions.

Carr will soon publish his first book, What a World, a collection of his best writings.

Learn more at www.charlescarr.com.

Editor's Letters: Tips and Thoughts from Readers

“Computer and Internet tips, plus comments on the articles and columns.”
by ComputorEdge Staff

"3.0 Speed on AT&T Internet," "Computer Temps," "Viewing E-mail"

3.0 Speed on AT&T Internet

[Regarding the September 14 Digital Dave column:]

This behemoth corporation has over promised customers for years. I strongly doubt your "short cuts" have anything to do with your speed issues. This doesn't even make sense. Have you used AT&Ts speed test? Keep pushing them for better results. When I lived in SD, Cox provided outstanding service and support.

-Gary Weinstein, Groveland, CA

Computer Temps

[Regarding the September 21 Digital Dave column:]

I disagree with Digital Dave. Opening up one side (or both) of a computer case and blasting it with air from a room sized floor fan will have a huge cooling benefit. That's just basic heat transfer and thermodynamic principles. A 16-inch floor fan can move hundreds more CFM across the hot bits. I run several CFD programs that keep the CPU at 100% for days. The only way to keep it cool is opening the case and use external forced air as described in the original post. It works.

-Zane, San Diego, CA

Viewing E-mail

[Regarding the September 21 Digital Dave column:]

Original Question: "Does viewing a client based e-mail (example Outlook) in the "Reading Pane" constitute opening the e-mail..."

I think Dave gave good advice regarding the safety issues of opening or viewing e-mail. But the question presented sounds like it seeks a "yes" or "no" answer. I believe the answer has always been "yes," the preview pane opens the e-mail same as double clicking to view it in its own window.

A practical alternative to viewing all e-mail as text, is to view the properties of the e-mail via the right-click option whenever you get unexpected e-mail not filtered as Spam from an unknown source or with a strange subject field.

-Ron Cerrato, San Diego

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