Practical Technology

for practical people.

September 19, 2012
by sjvn01
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The high price of connecting with an Apple iPhone 5

While I prefer Android smartphones and tablets, I also like my iPod Touch and iPads. Like many iFans, I also own a variety of devices that work with them: a car FM radio adapter, a clock radio, and an attachment for my stereo system. I’d think about buying an Apple iPhone 5 except not a single one of those devices can work with the iPhone’s new Lightning interface.

Don’t take my word for it. David Pogue of the New York Times, the biggest Apple fan this side of Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, wrote: the “decade-old iPhone/iPad/iPod charging connector is everywhere: cars, clocks, speakers, docks, even medical devices. But the new iPhone won’t fit any of them.”

Still, that’s not too bad, right? All you need to do is buy a 30-pin-to-Lighting adapter… for $29. Hmmm… I don’t know about you, but I’m not happy with the idea of spending $87 just so I can use the iPhone 5 with my three old devices.

The high price of connecting with an Apple iPhone 5. More >

September 18, 2012
by sjvn01
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Intel’s new Clover Trail chip will support Android & Linux

When the “news” came out that Intel wouldn’t be supporting Linux on its new Atom CPU, Clover Trail, I didn’t buy it. This next-generation Intel Atom processor was always meant primarily for Windows 8, but with its Intel’s x86 instruction set it would also always support Android and Linux. We now know that Intel will officially support the popular open-source operating systems on the Clover Trial family as well.

In an e-mail from an Intel spokesperson, Intel said, “Intel has plans for another version of this platform directed at Linux/Android; however we are not commenting on the platform specifics or market segments that at this time. Stay tuned.”

Earlier this ear Intel had released a new low-power Atom processor, the Medfield, primarily for Android. These one-core chips are now being used in engineering samples running Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, and the just announced Motorola RAZRi.

The “problem” with Clover Trail for Android and Linux was that it had two cores. Intel has long been concerned with Android’s power and heating requirements for multi-core Atom CPUs for mobile platforms. There was never any difficulty with running Android or Linux on Clover Trail. The trouble was getting it to work efficiently with Clover Trail’s power management.

Intel’s new Clover Trail chip will support Android & Linux. More >

September 17, 2012
by sjvn01
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Windows 8 Tablets: Born to fail

It’s no secret that I don’t like Windows 8 on new or old desktops. I really thought it might have a shot on tablets though. But at these prices!? Windows RT and 8 on tablets is as dead as a mackerel.

I mean seriously. Asus, a mid-range computer vendor, wants $599 for a Nvidia Tegra ARM-powerd Windows RT tablet? The Windows 8 tablet with an Atom processor for $799? Oh, and if you want a keyboard for either one, it will cost you an extra $199!?

Come on!

Windows 8 Tablets: Born to fail. More >

September 17, 2012
by sjvn01
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Good-bye old Internet: Europe is down to its last IPv4 addresses

If you’re Joe User, you don’t have to worry about IPv6 yet. But, if you own a business in Europe, the Middle East or some of Central Asia, start worrying. RIPE NCC, the RIR (Regional Internet Registry) for this part of the world, is down to its last IPv4 block. And, when those old-style Internet addresses are gone, the IPv4 cupboard will be bare.

RIPE has announced that “The RIPE NCC is now allocating IPv4 address space from the last /8 [address block].” A single IPv4/8 address block consists of almost 17-million addresses. That may sound like a lot. It’s not. RIPE is allocating 350-thousand addresses a day. At this rate, Europe will completely run out of addresses on about November 5th.

Good-bye old Internet: Europe is down to its last IPv4 addresses. More >

September 16, 2012
by sjvn01
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Is Aliyun OS really Linux? Android? A rip-off of both?

Acer was ready to announce a new smartphone running Alibaba’s Aliyun OS when Google told them that if they released it, they’d end their partnership. Acer, which uses Android for 90% of its smartphones and no fool, canceled the release.

Acer, a Taiwanese computer and smartphone vendor, wasn’t happy. Alibaba, which is China’s largest e-commerce company, was even less happy. The company claims it wants Aliyun OS to be the “Android of China” and that they’ve spent years working on their Linux-based mobile operating system.

Google didn’t see it that way. Google thinks Alibaba is an Android rip-off. 

Is Aliyun OS really Linux? Android? A rip-off of both? >

September 14, 2012
by sjvn01
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Murder, YouTube, and Censorship

nnocence of Muslims is a crude and trashy video that portrays the Prophet Mohammad as a hate-mongering bum who approves of violence and sexual child abuse. Considered by Western audiences that adores the popular cartoon South Park, which mocks many religions on a regular basis, Innocence of Muslims is clearly insulting, but it’s too boring to be worth a second thought. By conservative Islamic standards it’s blasphemy. And, it’s sparked the murder of four American diplomats in Libya.

Largely ignored at first, for the simple reason that’s it’s really not very good by any standard, this YouTube video has now been seized as an excuse for protests and attacks on American embassies in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen.

Google, YouTube’s owner, but in no way, shape, or form the video’s creator, is stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, as part of the Western culture, they’re invested in freedom of speech. On the other, this shabby video has been used as an excuse for murderous attacks.

Murder, YouTube, and Censorship. More >