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Telstra dials up wireless price cuts

nkrake — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:30:25 GMT

DAN OAKES

January 15, 2010

TELSTRA has reacted to the consumer stampede to mobile broadband by cutting the prices of its wireless internet packages.

In a week in which the Australian Communications and Media Authority revealed a 162 per cent rise in the number of wireless subscribers over the past year, Telstra cut the price of packages by up to a third. It also doubled the data cap for its entry-level plan to 400 megabytes a month.

''[We] will cater for the increase in wireless broadband use by doubling the monthly data allowance on the entry-level plan to 400MB for no additional cost, catering for users who like to surf, download music and email moderately. The new allowance lets customers download up to 40 MP3 music files,'' Telstra said.

The company also cut the price of its 1GB plan from $59.95 a month to $39.95, and introduced a $49.95 a month 3GB plan. It has also cut the price of its existing 5GB, $89.95 a month plan to $79.95 and tacked on an extra 1GB. Prices are even lower if customers bundle the plans with other services such as landlines.

The price cuts are an acknowledgment of the explosive growth in the use of devices such as the BlackBerry and iPhone.

Goldman Sachs JBWere analyst Christian Guerra described the changes in a note to investors yesterday as ''some of the most significant pricing changes from Telstra for some time''.

''This is yet another sign that Telstra is: (1) back in the market competing with its IT issues resolved; and (2) embracing this shift to wireless,'' he said, referring to the well-documented problems with Telstra's huge information technology overhaul.

He said although Telstra's prices were still higher than its competitors, it could justify charging a premium because of its network coverage, speeds and capacity.

Godmode on Windows 7

nkrake — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:43:32 GMT

Full article: cNet Australia

GodMode on Windows 7

By Ina Fried on 05 January 2010

Although its name suggests perhaps even grander capabilities, Windows enthusiasts are excited over the discovery of a hidden "GodMode" feature that lets users access all of the operating system's control panels from within a single folder.

By creating a new folder in Windows 7 and renaming it with a certain text string at the end, users are able to have a single place to do everything from changing the look of the mouse pointer to making a new hard-drive partition.

The trick is also said to work in Windows Vista; however, some are warning that while it works fine in 32-bit versions of Vista, it can cause 64-bit versions of that operating system to crash.

To enter "GodMode", one need only create a new folder and then rename the folder to the following:

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Once that is done, the folder's icon will change to resemble a control panel and will contain dozens of control options.

We're not sure it's our idea of playing God, but it is a handy way to get to all kinds of controls.

We've asked Microsoft for more details on the feature and how it came to be. But so far, Redmond is silent on the topic.

VicRoads backdown on mobile GPS ban

nkrake — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:07:58 GMT

CADE LUCAS The Age October 20, 2009 - 9:02AM

Victorian drivers will be able to use smartphones as in-car navigation tools after VicRoads backed down on a proposed blanket ban on mobile GPS devices.

The revised Victorian mobile phone rules, which come into force on November 9, were announced by VicRoads in newspaper advertisements over the weekend.

The previously announced rule, which drew international media attention, banned drivers from using mobile GPS applications as navigation systems.

NOKIA NAVIGATOR 6210

The use of mobile-phone GPS systems is becoming more widespread, and the ban was seen as a threat to the growing market in smartphone applications and services.

The changes will now allow drivers to use their mobile as a GPS device as long as it sits in a cradle or is remotely operated.

Under the new laws, drivers will be prohibited from holding their phones or resting them on their lap, even if they are turned off.

Drivers can still make and receive phone calls or listen to music if the phone is sitting in a specially designed cradle.

Any other use of the phone, such watching videos, text messaging or playing games while driving, is banned.

A VicRoads spokeswoman said the rule had been "clarified" after it previously prohibited all mobile phone functions except phone calls - even if the device was in a cradle.

"The change now states that in addition to to being able to make or receive a call when the driver is using a phone in a cradle or remotely, the driver is also able to use the music/audio (without video) functions," she said in a statement.

"Using a phone as a GPS is also permitted, but only if the phone is secured in a commercially designed cradle.

"All other functions of the phone outside of GPS and music/audio (without video) remain prohibited."

The new rules will affect iPhones that use apps such as those made by TomTom, Navigon and Sygic; Nokia phones using its Ovi Maps; Telstra phones using its Whereis Navigator GPS service and any other service or software that enables a mobile phone to be used as an in-car navigation device.

Drivers caught breaking the new laws will be fined $234 and lose three demerit points.

VicRoads says research has shown that a driver is four times more likely to crash while using a mobile phone.

In Victoria, the act of driving while using a mobile ranks among the state's top three driving offences.

Upgrading to Windows 7 - Your questions answered!

nkrake — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:55:12 GMT

#1: What are the system requirements for Windows 7?

The Windows 7 system requirements are very similar to those of Windows Vista, and users running Vista shouldn’t have much problems upgrading to Windows 7.

Here are the base system requirements for Windows 7:

1GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) CPU
1GB RAM for 32-bit OS, 2GB RAM for 64-bit OS
16GB hard disk free space for 32-bit OS, 20 GB for 64-bit OS
DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Users may want to add one of more of the following:

Internet access
Depending on screen resolution, video playback may need more RAM and more powerful graphics processing unit (GPU)
To use Windows Media Center functionality you will benefit from a TV tuner
To use HomeGroup you will need a network and PCs running Windows 7
DVD/CD burning requires a compatible optical drive
Music and sound will require audio output
Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware
Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM, an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space, and a processor capable of hardware virtualization with Intel VT or AMD-V turned on
BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2
BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive

#2: How easy/difficult is upgrading to Windows 7?

How easy or difficult it is to upgrade to Windows 7 depends on what operating system you are starting from.

If you are planning of buying a new PC with Windows 7 pre-loaded then all of your of your hardware issues are sorted right from the start as far as your PC goes. When it comes to hooking up your existing hardware then you might run into issues where something is incompatible (if it worked with Vista, chances are good that it’ll work with Windows 7), or you’ll have to go searching for a driver. As far as software goes, again you might be OK or you might find yourself needing to seek out updates or even buy new software.
If you are upgrading to Windows 7 from Vista then when it comes to hardware you should, on the whole be OK (again, you might need new drivers). Software compatibility should also be very good (be wary of installing programs such as antivirus unless they have been updated … security software is usually the most problematic when changing operating systems).
If you are upgrading to Windows 7 from XP, then beware. Here be tigers! If your PC passes the basic system requirements then you should be OK to run Windows 7, but as far as compatibility of other hardware and software goes, you could find the process to be a smooth one, or you could find it impossible. Also, you’ll want to read #3.

If you are planning on upgrading any Windows-based machine to Windows 7 I suggest that you download and install the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from Microsoft. This handy bit of software will scan your PC and generate a report for you of any compatibility issues that you are likely to encounter.

#3: Is it true that you can’t upgrade directly to Windows 7 from XP?

Unfortunately, yes, it is. If you are a Windows XP user and you want to move to Windows 7 you can’t carry out what Microsoft calls an “in-place upgrade” where you install Windows 7 over the top of your existing OS and get to keep your applications, setting and data. Instead, you have to do what is known as a “clean install” which basically means you are starting from scratch and installing a totally fresh, clean OS.

As annoying as it might be to have to carry out a clean install, it’s always the route I recommend. It’s always best to back up your data, do a clean install, reinstall all your applications and then copy your data back over onto any system when upgrading your operating system. This method offers the best possible start for your new OS experience.

#4: Which edition of Windows 7 do I need?

My blanket advice to people asking me this question is this - If you have to ask the question, then go with the Home Premium edition of Windows 7. This OS is the cheapest consumer edition of Windows 7 and includes everything that the average user will need.

To find out what the different editions have to offer, check out the editions chart over on the Microsoft website.

#5: Should I go for 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 7?

If your hardware can handle it, there’s almost no reason preventing you from going 64-bit. If in any doubt about your hardware consult the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from Microsoft.

Android set to topple iPhone

nkrake — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:25:12 GMT

iPhone might rule the smartphone sector for now, but market researchers predict that the dominance of Apple's popular handset could be toppled by Google's Android mobile platform within three years.

The global sales forecast published by Gartner predicts that in 2012, Android, Symbian (found mainly on Nokia phones) and Research In Motion (BlackBerry) will dominate the mobile operating system market, pushing Apple's iPhone OS into fourth position with a 13.6 per cent slice of the market.

"The iPhone is all about user experience but Apple can only produce a small number of handsets and not everyone wants an iPhone handset. They will remain strong but they won't take over world," said Robin Simpson, a researcher at Gartner.

Apple iPhone and the Android-based HTC Magic.

Android, on the other hand, is expected to lift its market share from 5.1 per cent to 18 per cent, moving ahead of RIM (13.9 per cent) to sit below Symbian, which will lose some of its 48.1 per cent stronghold by 2012 to claim 37.4 per cent of the market.

Like Apple and RIM, Google's Android platform has a thriving marketplace of smartphone applications, which is becoming a key differentiator within the mobile market, but it is yet to establish a dominant presence here with only 2-3 per cent of the market and only three Android handsets now available.

These are the HTC Dream and Magic, and the Galaxy Icon from Samsung. However, the stable is set to grow with HTC's new Hero handset due out this month and the Motorola Cliq is expected to ship before Christmas.

Android has been around for less than a year and the user interface is not as fancy or sexy as iPhone, but we expect it to grow quickly.

"Android has been around for less than a year and the user interface is not as fancy or sexy as iPhone, but we expect it to grow quickly with more and more hardware makers embracing it going forward," Warren Chaisatien, research director at Telsyte, said.

"We're excited to see just how far the platform has come in one year ... Android is now on over 10 devices in 26 countries with 32 carriers, in 19 different languages. As more carriers and handset manufacturers turn to open platforms, we anticipate this growth will only continue," a Google spokesperson said.

Growth in emerging markets is the key reason that Symbian and Android are likely to dominate the global market as handset makers there seek cheap, open platforms on which to develop products, Simpson said.

While Android has always been an open platform, Nokia has also opened up Symbian to third-party developers.

"There are dozens of Asian and Indian vendors that can address their markets with a cheap and cheerful operating system," he said.

While there is consensus among researchers that Google's Android is on the ascendancy, in other respects the Australian smartphone market is likely to defy global trends, Chaisatien said.

"We see three operating systems competing at the forefront in coming years. BlackBerry, which is already very strong in the business market, has done a great job in terms of repositioning themselves to consumers. In number two position, we see the Apple iPhone, which has made significant gains in the market in just one year, and in third place we see Google's Android," he said.

While they will not disappear any time soon, Symbian and Microsoft are considered most at threat from Android and iPhone, and Palm recently pulled out of the local market altogether, proving how difficult it is to survive in the cut-throat smartphone world.

"Once upon a time, Palm was very popular but it lost so much market share because it was not innovating quickly enough. It has pulled back to focus on markets where it has a strong presence," Simpson said.

Double slash in Web addresses 'a bit of a mistake'

nkrake — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:00:49 GMT

The creator of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has admitted that the double slash we see in every website address was a mistake, and that if he could go back and change things, it would be to remove this oblique double punctuation.

The British scientist according to the BBC News says that the double forward-slash is “pretty pointless”, with:

“[t]yping in // has just resulted in people overusing their index fingers, wasting time and using more paper”.

The rest of the address is relatively important for the browser. Back in the “olden days” of the Internet, there were http protocols, gopher protocols and ftp protocols - and all followed with a colon and a double forward-slash. Now we have more protocols which are used, such as Skype and AIM to initiate a VoIP call or an instant message.

But there is practically no reference to the double forward-slash on the web, or as to why it is even there. In an interview with The Times of London, he could have easily redesigned URLs not to have the double forward-slashes in. Perhaps as a result, it would have reduced initial frustration, confusion over web addresses and saved on paper.