Technology
How Bluetooth Technology Has Changed The Way We Communicate
The advances in technology in the past century have been extraordinary. From simple local communication abilities, to global, the world has been taking great strides in making technology a part of your daily life. The last few years have brought forth some truly unique technology, with the amount of wireless capabilities and products.
Bluetooth technology is by far at the front of the technological train. Bluetooth has changed the way we talk to people on phones from where we work. Some new products from Bluetooth have proved unique in that there are few like them.
Cell phones with bluetooth technology are completely wireless and compatible with your computer, PDA, Mp3 player, and now navigational system in your car. You no longer have to hold a phone and drive; the Bluetooth has allowed the phone to stay in your pocket as the car kit and phone become voice activated. If you would like to call someone you can simply speak the name and the phone will dial. You have the option of an earpiece and microphone or a system routed through your vehicles radio system. Whichever you choose this technology is sure to make talking on the phone much safer if you are driving.
Another interesting new technology with Bluetooth technology is the digital pen. The digital pen works with digital paper, writing just as you would with normal pens. You can simply write in your own handwriting on the digital paper and then place the pen in its home by your computer. The computer will upload the images from the pen right on to your computer. These pens may prove very handy for artists who would like to preserve some of the ideas they have without having to mess with a copier and scanner. The digital pen will also be useful for signature pages, you will not have to print and sign anymore, and you can sign the digital paper and upload on your computer with a touch of a button.
For navigational purposes there is nothing like the new product TomTom. This product has Bluetooth technology to give the most accurate directions available. With satellite navigation, it is currently in use in both Europe and North America. You can speak to the navigational system asking for directions to wherever you are going and TomTom will guide the way. No more time spent driving around lost or skipping the scenic route due to the chances of becoming lost. TomTom is so simple to use even a small child can operate it and get directions.
When you are in the market for new unique technological products Bluetooth has many to choose from. The advancement of wireless services is making life easier and more products accessible to people around the world.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a car and truck accessories at
www.5starshine.com
Apple activates iTunes downloads over 3G, with a caveat
Though the addition of DRM-free music is grabbing the most iTunes headlines, there was more music news at the Macworld 2009 keynote on Tuesday.
Apple Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller also announced that beginning Tuesday iPhone users will be able sample and wirelessly download iTunes tracks over AT&T’s 3G network or EDGE. Previously, iTunes song downloads, unlike apps, were available only over a Wi-Fi connection.
The process works relatively well, though we encountered a couple of hiccups. It appears that you must use Wi-Fi or a wired connection to your computer to download songs over 10MB. When we tried downloading a longer song, we received a warning message advising as such. We’re checking with Apple to verify that it’s not a problem on our end. Also, during our first download, our connection was interrupted once. We were able to reconnect and continue the download
We tried downloading a 6.4MB song over 3G. It took about one minute and 15 seconds, which is about the same as a Wi-Fi download. We then downloaded a 7.2MB over EDGE. As expected, it was painfully slow–after all, EDGE basically is dial-up speed. It took about 20 minutes to get our song, which is too long to bother in our opinion.
Ballmer touts Windows 7 beta, new deals
LAS VEGAS–As he takes the stage Wednesday, Steve Ballmer has a mighty big task ahead of him.
Not only is he taking over Consumer Electronics Show keynote duties from Bill Gates, he is also aiming to convince the tech world that Microsoft is serious about defending its turf on the PC as well as making headway on the Web, television and phone. Oh yeah, and then there’s that whole economy-melting-down thing.
Ballmer hasn’t arrived in Sin City empty handed, however. In perhaps the biggest announcement of the night, he will announce Microsoft is ready with a beta version of Windows 7 and he will show off some of its key consumer features.
Microsoft will also announce new deals for Windows Live that will see Microsoft’s search engine become the default on PCs from Dell as well as touting a deal with Verizon Wireless that leaked earlier in the day. The company is also counting on two Halo game releases this year to help keep the Xbox 360 going in the right direction.
But Microsoft faces considerable competition in each of the areas Ballmer is discussing. On the PC front, a resurgent Apple has increased its share. In search, Google continues to dominate. In the phone market, Apple’s iPhone has grabbed much of the spotlight, not to mention significant market share. Google also has joined the fray, while longtime competitors such as Research in Motion and Palm are trying to maintain their slices of the pie as well.
And then, of course, there’s the substantial financial headwind. Ballmer is expected to express his usual optimism–despite the global financial outlook–and discuss the company’s commitment to research and development in both good times and bad. That said, Microsoft is clearly not immune from the problems that led Intel Wednesday to announce that fourth-quarter revenues were down 23 percent from the same quarter a year ago.
On the PC side, Microsoft is looking to turn the page from Vista to its successor, Windows 7. Microsoft isn’t talking about any new features of Windows 7, saying it talked about all of the key features at the Professional Developer Conference last year. Instead, it will attempt to demonstrate what features like improved home networking really mean for the average household.
As for the beta of Windows 7, Microsoft said it will be immediately available for technical beta testers and those in Microsoft’s TechNet and MSDN developer programs and will be made publicly available on Friday. The company still isn’t officially committing to a final release in time for this year’s holiday season, although the company is clearly still aiming for that.
Ballmer will also discuss Windows Live. In addition to the global PC deal with Dell and the five year U.S. deal with Verizon Wireless, Microsoft has expanded its relationship with Facebook to allow users to see within their Windows Live homepage certain of their buddies’ Facebook updates. The company is also stripping the beta tag off many of its Web-based and downloadable Windows Live products.
On the phone side, Ballmer is expected to talk about the improved mobile browser Microsoft released at the end of last year, but the company is not talking yet about when to expect a serious upgrade to the Windows Mobile operating system, which has grown rather long in the tooth. Microsoft has made reference to an interim Windows 6.5 release that could serve as a bridge until the more significant overhaul of the operating system–Windows Mobile 7–makes its delayed debut.
On the automotive side, Microsoft is announcing a new version of its Ford Sync entertainment system that uses voice recognition software from its Tellme acquisition.
While that’s the main news of the show, check out our live blog to get some live quotes, our commentary, as well as updates on any celebrity guests or funny videos that are often the hallmark of Microsoft’s keynotes.
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Security Flaw in Internet Explorer
Security experts warned computer users not to use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer until a security flaw in the browser is fixed. The security flow in the browser could be exploited by criminals to take control of computers and steal passwords. Microsoft says it has detected attacks against IE 7.0 but said the “vulnerability” was present in all versions of the browser. Internet Explorer is used by around 70% of the internet users. Even though there are many browsers in the market, only Firefox managed to gain a sizable amount users next to Internet Explorer. Its time for the rest of the population to switch to the best. Get Firefox for Free.
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